Faaez Samadi
Oct 16, 2017

Asian consumers believe more in brand authenticity

Cohn & Wolfe’s latest global study found consumers in five Asian markets were significantly more positive towards brands than their counterparts elsewhere.

Asian consumers believe more in brand authenticity

Brand authenticity has most resonance among Asian consumers, and those leading the way in the region are almost exclusively technology companies.

According to Cohn & Wolfe’s 2017 Authentic Brands Study, Asian consumers show a greater propensity for believing in a brand’s openness and honesty when compared to consumers in Europe and the US.

The study surveyed more than 15,000 consumers in 15 markets, including five in Asia: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Singapore.

With regards to brands being perceived as “open and honest”, China led the pack at 43 percent, followed by India at 37 percent, with the global average 22 percent. This stands in stark contrast to the most cynical consumers in Sweden (5 percent), France (7 percent) and Germany (8 percent).

Similarly, 49 percent of Chinese consumers said brands “take full responsibility for their actions”, together with 39 percent in Indonesia and 38 percent in India. The global average is 25 percent.

“In Asia, consumers value authenticity and will reward brands that work on being reliable, respectful and real—the three main drivers of brand authenticity,” said Matt Stafford, APAC president at Cohn & Wolfe.

Most telling for brands, 68 percent of Chinese consumers indicated higher purchase intent with brands they believe are authentic, alongside 67 percent in India and Indonesia—Asia’s three largest markets—against a global average of 62 percent.

“Our study highlights the opportunity for brands operating in Asia, as consumers in China, India and other key regional markets clearly recognise and appreciate efforts by companies to build strong customer relationships and improved user experiences.”

Given the ubiquitous role technology now plays in consumers’ lives, more than 70 percent of the global top 10 authentic brands in the study are technology brands, and their prominence is no different in Asia.

Lynn Fisher, EVP and global director of branding and insights at Cohn & Wolfe, said: “Our study shows that people view our top-ranked technology brands as genuinely wanting to deliver new ways to make people’s lives better and easier to manage.” 

Top 10 authentic brands in Asia
  China India Indonesia Hong Kong Singapore Global
1 Huawei Google BRI Google Apple Amazon
2 HP Microsoft Google Apple DBS Apple
3 Bank of China Amazon BCA Ikea Google Microsoft
4 Intel Maruti Suzuki Garuda HSBC Singapore Airlines Google
5 Haier Apple Bank Negara Visa 3M PayPal
6 Visa Sony Microsoft Canon Rolex Adidas
7 Tong Ren Tang YouTube Adidas Mastercard Adidas Intel
8 Siemens BMW Honda 3M BMW Lego
9 Lenovo Mercedes-Benz Aqua HKJC Ikea BMW
10 Gree British Airways Bank Mandiri Rolex Visa HP

 

Related Articles

Just Published

4 hours ago

Women to Watch Greater China 2023: Shengdi Ji, ...

Ji works with brands to break out of the circle in the competitive Chinese market, cultivates conscious brands and educates young consumers while building a young marketing team for the agency.

4 hours ago

Brand Health Check: Will a new name, logo and ...

BRAND HEALTH CHECK: A controversial beverage brand that never lacks new marketing tricks and tactics, will Genki Forest's rebranding to Chi Forest help it compete?

6 hours ago

Reviving Hong Kong tourism, the experiential way ...

A flashy Hello Hong Kong campaign alone will not reboot tourism; consistent storytelling and personalised, embedded travel experiences are required to lure back tourists, writes PHD's Antony Yiu.

6 hours ago

Adobe unveils Firefly, to compensate creators and ...

To be integrated into the existing suite of products, Adobe says Firefly is trained on licensed or out-of-copyright content—and not on work from artists across the internet.