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There’s no two-ways about it, budgets are tight. Consumers and brands alike are feeling the pinch, leaving many contemplating where to cut back. For brands, scaling down marketing activity seems like the obvious move, but is it the right one? 

Looking at our latest data on consumer brand trust and spending, we’d be inclined to say no. While it’s true that consumers are more price conscious, that doesn’t mean they’re not spending. In fact, 38% of US consumers say they’re spending the same amount compared to two years ago, and the number of US consumers who’ve purchased domestic or international vacations in the last 3-6 months is up 8% since Q3 2021. 

If your brand is going to ride the wave of the economic downturn and convert new customers along the way, you’ve got to be in it to win it. Granted, that’s easier said than done, but with the latest consumer data to guide you, you can make your marketing work harder, and ensure that all important ROI. Let’s get into it. 

4 ways to improve the ROI of your marketing efforts

1. Focus your marketing on what your consumers actually want, not what you think they want
2. Maximize your ad spend with messaging that resonates
3. Maintain your brand presence by spending what you can afford to
4. Use data as your secret sauce to success 

Now, let’s get into the detail.

1. Focus your marketing on what you know consumers want, not what you think they want

Competition is high and budgets are being tested, which means it’s increasingly difficult for brands to win consumers over. Consumers’ needs and expectations are changing due to the circumstances they find themselves in, and brands need to respond accordingly. What may have hit the mark with consumers a few years ago is unlikely to have the same impact as we teeter on the edge of a recession. 

Rolling out the same strategies as years gone by is not the answer. Brands need to be nimble and lean into what consumers are looking for if they want to convert them as customers. So what do we know?

Consumers are still spending but their priorities have changed.

• Exclusivity is much less appealing: Since Q3 2019, the number of consumers motivated to buy through exclusive content or services has declined 17%
• Brand loyalty is shaky: The number of internet users motivated to buy by loyalty points is down 16%, and there’s been a 6% decline in consumers who say they’re loyal to the brands they like
• They’re spending less time looking for the best deals: There’s been a 9% decline in two years

So what can you do to keep customers engaged and entice new ones? Focus your attention on marketing that puts their needs front and center; they want to feel understood. 

38% say the most effective method to sell a product is an advertisement that changes content or promotions based on specific consumer behavior, i.e. that adapts to what they’re already doing. 

Think about how you can personalize your marketing in a way that speaks to what your audience needs right now, and makes their life easier. It could be as simple as offering individual discounts to customers on the items they buy most often, be that their favorite brand of cereal or washing powder. 

2. Maximize your ad spend with messaging you know will resonate

When the pressure’s on to drive results, the last thing you want to do is throw paint at the wall and see what sticks. Dive deep into audience data to make sure you’re crafting a message that converts. 

Analyze your audience’s purchase behavior and values to validate your assumptions before you pump money into ads. You might uncover an insight that turns your entire messaging on its head. 

For instance, in an economic downturn, you may assume that cost would be the overriding consideration for consumers when deciding whether to buy from a brand and make this the key focus of your digital ads, however 53% of consumers say quality is most important to them. Cost is of course a major factor (36% say this is important), but rather than relying on cheap alternatives, consumers are opting for quality options that will stand the test of time. As the old adage goes, “buy cheap, buy twice”. 

Consumers turn to good quality products and reliable brands when times get tough.

Other important factors for consumers when deciding which brands to buy from include ‘if I trust the brand’ (32% say this), ‘good reputation’ (31% say this) and ‘positive customer reviews’ (31% say this), which goes to show it doesn’t have to be a race to the bottom to stay competitive. 

3. Spend what you can afford to maintain a brand presence 

If you’re thinking about slashing your marketing spend, chances are you’re not the only one, in fact, your competitors are probably thinking the exact same way. Use this to your advantage. Maintaining a marketing presence when your competitors are pulling back can help you stand out without having to reach further into your pocket. 

Leaning in when your competitors are pulling back can provide you with a unique opportunity to grow your market share. 

Don’t turn the lights out – just dim them if you need to. Right now, consumers expect you to be there, so focus on where you can find them. Since 2019, the number of consumers finding new brands through ads/sponsored content on podcasts is up 6%, and up 9% through ads on music-streaming services, so if you’re looking to expand your customer base, this could be a good place to start.

4. Use data as your secret sauce to success 

It’s never been more important to spend strategically, so if something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to pull the plug. Take an objective look at which channels are driving ROI, and reallocate budget away from underperforming channels. Use audience data to guide you on ways to optimize and dial up your existing campaign, or inform new channels to explore. 

Zeroing in on where your audience hangs out online, what types of media they consume, and their social media habits can help you find fool-proof ways to target them, and even tap into new audiences who may not be familiar with your brand. 

Let’s say you’re an energy drinks brand with a core audience of 16-24 year olds, who you’ve been targeting exclusively with Instagram paid ads. From digging a little deeper into the platform, you can see that your audience has a standout interest in watching cricket and playing esports, and spend a lot longer on music streaming services than the average consumer. This could inform a new ad campaign on a popular streaming platform, or a partnership with their favorite cricket team. 

Conducting a detailed audience analysis will also give you a true picture of their attitudes towards money, and how they’re prioritizing their spending in an economic downturn. Disparities between what your audience says they’re price conscious about, and what they’re actually spending less on can tell an interesting story about their motivations. 

They may be spending out of necessity (i.e. they’re price conscious about food/groceries, but aren’t spending any less because food prices are increasing), or maybe they’re choosing to adopt a YOLO attitude to spending (i.e. they’re price conscious about clothing/shoes, but want to treat themselves anyway). Either way, these insights can help you be more savvy with your campaigns and ensure they hit the mark. 

The bottom line

When it feels like you’re on shaky ground, relying on fresh consumer data will provide a stable bedrock for decision making, providing you with the insights you need to spend strategically through an economic downturn. 

Just like other audiences all over the world, consumers in the Asia Pacific region are navigating the cost of living, riding the wave of inflation, and trying to wrap their heads around all the rapidly-developing technologies – like digital currency and virtual assets.

And if there’s one part of Web3 that’s stolen the show, it’s crypto. Unfortunately, it’s bad publicity. Last year’s FTX crash shook the industry – leaving plenty of room for debate and discussion. 

Now, brands are trying to figure out what consumers really think of the investment. Who’s the target market? Has sentiment changed? Are people excited about the industry’s future? For brands eager to make their mark with crypto, check out these essential insights to make headway in this new, exciting, and unpredictable world of tech and finance.

10 cryptocurrency trends in APAC

1. Cryptocurrency ownership is on the rise

2. 36% of cryptocurrency owners in APAC are female

3. Millennials are the biggest group of crypto owners in APAC

4. Consumers of various education levels own cryptocurrency

5. Consumers are excited about some emerging technologies

6. Countries in Southeast Asia are more excited about blockchain technology

7. 41% of cryptocurrency owners describe themselves as risk takers 

8. Most consumers support the government regulating cryptocurrency trading

9. Trust in institutions is spread across the board

10. Consumers are split on what the future of the cryptocurrency market holds

Let’s dive into the facts in detail.

1. Cryptocurrency ownership is on the rise 

The three countries that rank the highest for cryptocurrency owners in Q3 2022 are the Philippines (23%), Thailand (22%), and Indonesia (20%).

Having said that, other markets may be catching up soon.

In Vietnam, the number of cryptocurrency owners has grown an impressive 65% year-on-year, followed by Taiwan at 43% and Hong Kong at 40% since Q3 2021. 

There are a few countries where ownership has dropped including Japan (-22%), China (-5%), and Singapore (-2%), and there’s plenty of speculation why. 

In 2018, Japan’s cryptocurrency exchange suffered a jaw-dropping loss of more than 58 billion Yen – roughly $500 million – at the hands of hackers. At the time, it was considered to be one of the biggest heists ever. The collapse not only shattered investor confidence, it also triggered policymakers to consider tougher regulations. 

2. 36% of cryptocurrency owners in APAC are female

Although most cryptocurrency owners in APAC are male (64%), there’s still a growing market for female owners that’s poised to possibly grow in the coming years.

As our Senior trends analyst, Jo Ling, explains:  “Fintech is hailed by many as a step towards financial inclusion for women by breaking down traditional barriers and making banking more accessible. And in fact, 89% of women say they’ve used at least one online payment service in the past month.”

This gap in ownership gives brands that are paying attention the opportunity to reach out to an audience that may have previously been overlooked, and zero in on expanding crypto adoption with the right targeted resources. 

3. Millennials are the biggest group of crypto owners in APAC

Brands and crypto companies looking to tap into younger markets may find their way in with millennials. Right now, 36% of cryptocurrency owners in APAC are aged 25-34, followed by 35-44 year olds at 26%, and 16-24 year olds right behind with 23%. 

The number of cryptocurrency owners drops significantly among older generations, with ages 45-54 at 10% and 55-64 at just 5%. 

Whether it’s a fear of new or volatile investments, a lack of technological savviness, or a preference for traditional financial institutions, the crypto uptake is significantly weaker among older consumers.  

4. Consumers of various education levels own cryptocurrency

Even though the majority of cryptocurrency owners have attended a trade/technical school, been to college, or have a postgraduate degree, the playing field is still open to everyone. 

A quick look at this breakdown shows the education level of owners in the APAC region spans a healthy range. 

• 6% attended schooling until age 16 
• 38% attended schooling until age 18  
• 26% attended trade/technical school or college  
• 22% have achieved a university degree 
• 9% have achieved a postgraduate degree  

Considering FinTech has a reputation for democratising finance to the wider world, it’s good to see cryptocurrency hasn’t escaped that reality. When it comes to this part of Web3, education doesn’t have that much of a say. Perhaps crypto’s accessibility – largely fuelled by modern investment apps – has opened doors where traditional investment institutions haven’t. Plus, pop culture’s obsession with the world of crypto will have put the asset type on everyone’s radar. And you really can just dip your toe in the water, if you choose to, all from the comfort of your couch. 

5. Consumers are excited about some emerging technologies

New products and technologies are constantly emerging for consumers to make their mind up about. And in APAC, the excitement seems pretty tech-focused – at least for the most part. 

In APAC, internet users are most excited about artificial intelligence (51%), the internet of things (48%), and robotics (32%). 

Having said that, some technology, such as blockchain and non-fungible tokens (often called NFTs) rank among the lowest. Interestingly, outside the world of tech,  cultured/artificial meat sits pretty low in terms of generating excitement. 

6. Countries in Southeast Asia are more excited about blockchain technology

Although the majority of APAC consumers aren’t too big on blockchain, countries like the Philippines and Vietnam are, which shows the importance of looking at your audience on a more local level.

Compared to countries like Japan (8%), New Zealand (14%), and Australia (17%), the excitement sees a huge jump at 38% for both the Philippines and Vietnam. 

India isn’t too far behind with 32%, followed by Indonesia (29%), and Thailand (28%). 

7. 41% of cryptocurrency owners describe themselves as risk takers 

One thing about cryptocurrency owners that’s certain is they’re willing to take the plunge into the unknown.  

51% of crypto owners describe themselves as adventurous and 39% say they buy new tech products as soon as they’re available. 

They also describe themselves as creative (59%), confident (61%), ambitious (44%), and open-minded (66%).  

This gives brands a chance to speak to consumers in a way that really hits home. By having a grasp on these sorts of self-perceptions, you’ll be able to craft messages that are intentional and impactful. 

8. Most consumers support the government regulating cryptocurrency trading

Nearly half of the consumers who own, use, or have heard of cryptocurrency in Australia (48%) and Singapore (47%) support government regulation.

This trend is showing up in other countries as well where more rigid regulations are being implemented. 

In Thailand, the Securities and Exchange Commission recently released a new set of policies and guidelines to ensure the safety of consumers’ assets. In Japan, lawmakers are focusing on developing regulations for stablecoins, NFTs and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).

9. Trust in institutions is spread across the board

Consumers in APAC who use, own, or have heard of cryptocurrency are divided on what institutions they trust to actually lead regulation. 

In Singapore, 48% of consumers trust their national government, 29% trust economic groups like the World Bank or IMF, and 28% trust traditional banks and financial institutions. 

In Australia, the numbers are a little lower. Just 33% of consumers trust their national government to regulate crypto, 19% trust world economic groups, and 17% trust traditional banks or financial institutions. 

 42% of Australians don’t trust any institution to regulate cryptocurrency. 

In Australia and Singapore, the institutions that have the least consumer trust are technology companies, cryptocurrency exchanges, and international government alliances like the EU and NATO. 

10. Consumers are split on what the future of the cryptocurrency market holds

There’s a lot of mixed sentiment about what’s next when it comes to cryptocurrency, but most people are feeling pessimistic. 

In fact, most consumers that own, use, or have heard of cryptocurrency think the future of cryptocurrency is negative. In Australia, 42% of consumers feel negative, 29% feel neutral, and only 16% feel positive. 

The numbers are a little more balanced in Singapore where 31% of consumers feel positive, 29% feel neutral and 31%  feel negative. 

So what’s the key takeaway here? 

Understanding what global buyers want when it comes to finance and fintech is crucial if you want to authentically connect with your target audience and reach your next consumer. 

Never forget – actionable insights are the way to supercharge your relevance with audiences.

When you want to reach your audience, it’s important to know what they like, what they feel strongly about, and how you can ease any fears. Knowing who you’re talking to, what they’re excited about, and where you can fill the gaps is your key to getting things right with your next strategy. 

Big news, people: GWI has partnered with Audiense, the leading audience intelligence solution.

“So what?” we hear you ask. Well, insights drawn from different sources – in this case GWI’s survey data and Audiense’s social data – paint a more detailed and reliable picture of what audiences think, feel and do.

Or to put it another way:

Survey + social = deeper insight. That sounds like a good reason to keep reading.

Looking deeper we see seven general benefits of combining social and survey in this way:

Benefit 1: More accuracy, deeper understanding

Combining social and survey data produces a result that’s greater than the sum of its parts. It’s a 1+1=3 thing – the genius of AND, not the tyranny of OR. Allow us to explain.

Social data gives an invaluable insight into how people feel about specific topics. Because it’s less mediated, it’s more revealing of the sentiment behind what they say.

Imagine someone using social to vent about how they hate one product and love another. “Hate” and “love” are strong words, but they’re everyday language online. What they reveal is passion, an emotion that survey data struggles to capture. The same goes for pretty much any strong feeling.

Importantly, social data isn’t limited to analyzing language; we can also get a detailed picture of an individual’s attitudes and feelings by looking at the emojis they use. That’s important because the way people use emojis can be even more spontaneous and unfiltered than their use of words, with humor being particularly revealing.

Using social to generate audience research insights also leverages the fact that social users don’t know they’re part of a study, so their statements and reactions are likely to be honest. We see this most clearly in responses to real-time controversies or hot topics of conversation.

Survey data is massively superior when it comes to capturing specifics around a customer’s purchase journey, lifestyle choices, and their self perception.

For example, it’s very unlikely social data would ever capture a very specific audience like “millennial marketing professionals who drink tea periodically, game every day, are interested in women’s health, and use TV ads to inform their purchase decisions. People simply don’t share that level of detail on social media, and if it’s not there, it can’t be captured.

Another advantage over social data is that surveys – certainly at GWI – are carefully crafted by highly skilled market research professionals, and the resulting data is cleaned to remove any responses that are clearly unreliable. All of which means the resulting data sets are sophisticated and trustworthy.

And talking of trustworthiness, it’s a fact that people rarely bring their whole, authentic selves to social. They might think they do, but they don’t. Instead they treat social as theater, projecting an idealized persona and treating interactions as performance.

Do you share as much of your true self on social media as you would in an anonymous survey? Probably not, and those omissions would of course influence any insights derived from your responses. The point is, none of these issues arise with surveys.

The bottom line is that there are situations where survey data excels, and others in which social data is more valuable.

To get a truly deep, truly rounded, 360 degree view of audiences you need both.

Benefit 2: Look closer, see further, move faster

Combining survey and social enables you to dig deeper into your audience and get a broader perspective – like a combined wide angle and telephoto lens.

For example, a survey might show your target audience loves football, but social data can give you invaluable insight into how this plays out across the different communities they engage with, like supporters’ clubs, football meme accounts, and sports charities.

Now, more than ever, brands need a holistic view of consumers, and combining social and survey data is the way to achieve it.

Benefit 3: Validate your insights

Cross comparing different data sources means you can have maximum confidence in the resulting insights. Or to put it another way, seeing how well survey and social data correlate adds confidence to your findings; if a particular insight scores strongly on both then the chances are you’re on to something.

Benefit 4: Overcome memory bias

The phrase “recollections may vary” highlights an important problem when individuals are asked to remember specifics.

Combining information collected via a survey with social data helps reduce unintentional memory bias errors.

That’s important because throughout the history of market research, researchers have usually relied on self-reported data. Adding a layer of social data means you can identify and weed out misreported opinions like never before.

Benefit 5: Keep track of emerging trends and plug gaps in your understanding

Analyzing social media is great for real-time insights, making it easy (or at least easier) to spot trends in your audience research as they emerge and play out, while surveys can add color and nuance that can influence your response. 

Benefit 6: Spot undiscovered affinities

Here social data can help you understand the connections between different communities in a way that tells you more about your specific audience.

How they describe themselves in their Twitter bio gives an insight into how they perceive themselves, while looking at who they follow sheds light on their political and social views.

Similarly, looking at who follows them can highlight how influential they are (or aren’t). Obviously you can then follow up these leads with consumer survey data to really understand what’s going on and how it can help you.

Benefit 7: Find the right influencers/partnerships to supercharge campaigns

To leverage the power of influencers you need to know exactly who your audience follows – for the common sense reason there’s not much point commissioning influencers who don’t have any influence. Combining social and survey data sources is a surefire way to check that a potential partner or influencer is a good fit for the audience you’re trying to engage.

For our shared customers, this partnership provides a genuine point of difference, setting them apart from their competitors and tipping the scales of success subtly in their favor.

Finally, where exactly will all this make a difference in your day-to-day operations? We see three killer use cases: 

• Inspiring and refining marketing strategy, specifically campaign management, content ideation and ad targeting
• Steering product development, especially when it comes to innovation
• Ensuring competitive advantage in terms of pitch wins and client retention. 

These three hold true for market research-reliant businesses in a swath of sectors, but especially agencies where its value will be more apparent.

The ever-rocky travel industry rollercoaster rumbles on into 2023. Next stop? Asia-Pacific (APAC). As Covid travel restrictions in the region continue to ease, consumer confidence is rising. China is the latest country to relax its strict rules, with the changes now in effect.

But with a new surge in Covid cases in the region, and the rising cost of living eating into disposable income, it’s getting even harder to predict how people in APAC will think, feel, and behave when it comes to booking trips. Why do consumers in APAC want to travel? What’s putting them off? And what are the top destinations on their bucket lists?

The only way to get a true view of travel in APAC is to dive headfirst into the latest consumer trends – and there’s some pretty surprising stuff worth unpacking.

1. Staycations are on the rise for APAC travelers 

With relaxed rules on international travel, you might assume APAC consumers would jump at the chance to go abroad. But actually, they’re just as happy close to home. 

94% of consumers in India and 93% in China intend to take a staycation in the next 12 months.

Singapore and Japan aren’t far behind either, at 72% and 59% respectively. Our data also reveals that in ASEAN countries (6 countries across southeast Asia), domestic travel has seen a 27% increase in growth year-on-year.

Great news for local tourism boards and businesses with a global recession looming.

2. People in Australia and Singapore want to travel abroad

APAC is experiencing year-on-year growth in purchases of international vacations. Since Q3 2021, we’ve seen a 32% increase in consumers (outside China) buying a vacation abroad or travel tickets in the last 3-6 months. This figure jumps to 43% in Australia, which has seen some of the highest growth year-on-year. 

Consumers in the APAC region are clearly a prime audience for international travel brands, but there are some exceptions worth noting. 

Just 19% of consumers in Japan intend to take an international vacation in the next 12 months. 

The reality of that figure sinks in when you compare it to the whopping 82% of Singaporean travelers who plan to go abroad. But the fact that more Singapore consumers want to travel internationally isn’t really that surprising when you consider the country’s smaller size. It’s just 50 km wide, and residents can travel anywhere on the island in less than an hour. 

It’s likely domestic vacations feel very different for consumers in Singapore than those of consumers living in larger APAC countries, which may explain the higher figure here.

3. Top destinations are (mainly) in Asia-Pacific

If the earlier stats on staycations didn’t give you a hint, holidays within APAC are a big deal – so much so that 69% of international vacation planners in APAC intend to take a vacation there, making it the most popular destination for consumers. 

That makes a lot of sense when we look at the most popular international destinations for the next 12 months: 

• Consumers in China plan to visit Singapore, Japan, and Australia
• Consumers in India plan to visit Singapore, the United States, and Australia
• Consumers in Singapore plan to visit Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand
• Consumers in Japan plan to visit the United States, Australia, and South Korea

Nature-based vacations are top of mind for 36% of holiday travelers in China and 39% in India, while 41% in Singapore and 34% in Japan are interested in booking a sightseeing trip. (Perhaps Tourism Australia’s Ruby the Roo campaign is encouraging people to take a trip down under?)

A close second motivation to travel, 25% of travelers in China are planning a trip for a special occasion, and 29% in India intend to visit family and friends abroad. 33% of Singapore travelers want a city break, while 26% in Japan are interested in a resort holiday.

4. Booking incentives and flexibility are key

Free cancellation is a top factor for vacationers in Singapore, India, and Japan when booking a trip. It’s especially crucial in Singapore where 60% of vacationers say this, versus 38% of ROW travelers. Easy cancellation also ranks highly among travelers in India. This may be due to Covid concerns.

In fact, vacationers in Singapore are 46% more likely than ROW to say Covid entry requirements are an important booking factor.

It’s the ongoing uncertainty around the travel experience that people want to tackle – they want to know they’re in safe hands, should Covid restrictions change or in the event they’re not fit to travel. 

In particular, many consumers in China are still concerned about Covid implications, and value travel precautions like mask wearing and social distancing when booking trips. They’ll also be keeping a close eye on Covid entry requirements, hygiene standards, and Covid case numbers, as their safety is top priority.

5. Sustainable travel is taking a backseat (for now)

A complex travel trend to unpack here. Consumers in APAC are more optimistic about the future of the environment – 54% think it will improve in the next 6 months, compared to 27% of consumers in the rest of the world (ROW). But just because people are hoping for the best, that doesn’t mean APAC travelers are actively taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. 

At least, not right now. Fewer people in APAC (42%) say helping the environment is important to them than those in ROW (47%), and it’s possible this is impacting sustainable travel choices. The number of APAC consumers who think brands should be eco-friendly is down 4% since Q3 2021, and more so in ROW (-8%). 

That said, brand eco-friendliness is still the top factor that matters to APAC consumers from a list of 12 options, suggesting the declining figures are a sign of fatigue. It’s not that people in APAC don’t care about environmental issues – they’re just tired of hearing about them. 

Sustainability concerns are taking a backseat in light of wider global issues like the impending economic crisis. 

Basically, it’s a prioritization problem. Looking further afield, 2 in 5 vacationers in 10 markets say they’re more likely to pick a travel provider with a good sustainability policy – so while climate fatigue may be setting in for many as other issues weigh heavily on their minds, this doesn’t mean brands can ignore it altogether.

So with that in mind, what else can travel companies do to support consumers and help them make more sustainable travel choices? 

Recent industry examples focus on offsetting carbon emissions; airlines are exploring alternative fuels, operators are minimizing single-use plastic, and in Shanghai, people are being rewarded with “green credits” for taking public transport. Other organizations are working to make good on their carbon-neutral pledges – but it’ll take more than words to win over climate-fatigued, cost-conscious consumers. 

Knowing value for money and booking incentives are a key attraction for many travelers, eco-friendly loyalty rewards or travel perks like Shanghai’s green credit scheme just might be a worthwhile solution for travel brands.

6. Most APAC consumers want to unwind

Considering everything on consumers’ minds right now, it’s no wonder the top reason for planning a staycation in the next 12 months is for enjoyment and relaxation, with 55% of consumers in APAC saying this. It’s the same story for international vacation planners, with 46% wanting to kick back and relax. 

Leisure travel is very much in, and luxury travel brands should take note too.

These findings strike a chord with our Zeitgeist study from July 2022, where 53% of consumers in APAC said traveling or taking vacations would bring them more joy in the future – just behind spending time with family. For these consumers, feeding their wanderlust was more important than spending time with friends, eating out, exercise/sports, hobbies, and going “out out”.

It’s a lesson in the importance of wellbeing. Post-pandemic, people across the globe are more conscious of work-life balance and finding time to recharge, and travel brands are taking notice too.

7. Stress-free experiences build consumer travel confidence

Relieving stress goes a long way with today’s overwhelmed consumers, which most likely explains why ease of traveling is the top booking factor for many in APAC. 

This includes the ability to book direct journeys and travel without visa or vaccination requirements. 

We’ve seen a 20% increase in APAC consumers saying this, and it’s more than doubled across the rest of the world since Q3 2021.

Another thing worth travel marketers knowing? Consumers in APAC with a pessimistic economic outlook are 51% less likely than the average consumer to be impacted by advertising when deciding where to travel. They’re also 42% less likely to be impacted by holiday brochures. The cost of living is likely an influential factor here, but what does this mean for travel brand marketing?

It may seem obvious that travel companies are better off targeting APAC consumers who are financially optimistic and more likely to be receptive to their advertising – but there are a couple of things even those with a gloomy financial outlook can’t resist when it comes to travel:

They’re 33% more likely than the average consumer to be impacted by value for money, and 15% more likely to be influenced by a relaxing experience. 

This links back to what we covered earlier about the need for wellbeing and consumers seeking a spot of rejuvenation on vacations. Essentially, if marketers can offer these reluctant leisure travelers a laid-back trip on a budget with a big focus on wellness benefits, travel demand will grow.

8. Travel spending goes on food and drink

Don’t be surprised if you dream about “value for money” tonight, we’ve repeated it so many times – and for good reason. When thinking about travel services, it’s the number one factor that matters to consumers in Singapore (66%), India (49%), and Japan (48%). Ease of use and good customer service are also important drivers in these markets worth remembering. 

Value for money also has a significant impact on APAC travelers’ choice of holiday location, up 8% in importance since Q3 2021.

In China, the most important factors when it comes to travel services are brand trust, familiarity (they’ve used the brand/service before), the ability to book all travel options together (flight, hotel etc), and good customer service.

We know customer pursestrings are tighter than ever right now, so what would convince them to part with their hard-earned cash when it comes to travel spending? 50% of consumers in APAC say they’d spend more on meals/drinks, while 41% would splash out on shopping at the destination, and 39% on leisure activities.

Cost of living crisis or not, our research shows people are still finding the travel budget for much-needed vacations and affordable treats. While navigating ongoing issues will continue to challenge brands and customers alike, it seems travel is very much back on the menu for APAC.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum of social justice issues, one thing is for sure – fatigue has officially set in. 

Over the past two years, a wave of social justice movements has been thrust into the spotlight. We’ve seen how brands can play a dynamic role in social justice causes when they follow through on their public acknowledgments. But what do consumers really expect from them?

Well, it all boils down to action, impact, and real results. In fact, whenever social justice has been on the agenda, consumer sentiment toward brands has been consistent. They want action, impact, and results – not meaningless PR pushes. Consumers want to see brands walk the walk, not just talk the talk. 

We had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Echavarria, Global Associate Director, DE&I Intelligence and Impact, at McCann Worldgroup, to get his opinion about how brands should approach talking about social justice, why those championing these movements should be in the spotlight, and what brands should do more of to connect with their audiences.  

Do you feel social justice causes are impacting your business approach more than ever?

I do, because I think it’s something no brand, organization, or client can avoid — even those that claim that they don’t wish to wade into such issues. 

We live in a time of great inequality and unrest, with movements for social justice growing in all parts of the world, and any organization that wishes to not only future-proof its business, but play a role in the larger shaping of culture, must be able to approach issues of social justice thoughtfully, authentically, and responsibly.

What do you think is the best approach for brands to share meaningful content related to social justice?

Nothing can beat doing your homework and understanding the history, the core concerns, and the “who’s who” of said causes and movements. 

The most successful social justice approaches I’ve observed either grapple with their own role in historical exclusion or discrimination in authentic ways or empower the storytellers, creators, and people at the center of social justice causes to tell their stories. In this context, a given brand has an important, if somewhat unfamiliar role to play: one in which they cede the spotlight to the people doing the work, as the brand shifts into a supporting role through the platform it can provide, the audiences it can engage, and the legitimacy its brand recognition can offer.

How do you think brands should approach publicly speaking about social justice causes?

I think the first thing they must do is truly understand what’s at stake for these causes; who can benefit from them, what systems of social inequity they seek to disrupt, transform, or eliminate, and how they came to pass. They have to be brave and steady in their point of view, but flexible enough to learn and adjust their approach when those at the center of these causes correct them. 

But if they’ve done their homework, they should be closer to getting it right (nobody’s perfect) and have the backing they need to withstand any backlash. 

What are some of the challenges you face in supporting social justice causes?

There are just so many different issues of social injustice and inequality, and so many emerging and established movements for progress, that it can sometimes feel overwhelming, and that each effort is merely a drop in the ocean.

But understanding the impact of even tiny actions, the interconnectedness, and intersectionality of so many of them, and the importance of practicing my own self-care all help me keep up my momentum.

Do you think positive progress has been made on social justice causes in the US? What about compared to the rest of the world? What could the US be doing better?

I think there definitely has been progress, with a caveat. Too many people and organizations alike see the push for social justice as a movement with an endpoint (or, at least, lose their own momentum as these fights carry on). 

But actually, we must all recognize that the fight for social justice is an ongoing, continuous journey. It’s one that requires us to come at it with open minds and a willing spirit to learn, be corrected, and keep working for greater progress.

Do you find people often don’t know where to start when they decide to support social justice causes?

Absolutely. It can feel like drinking from a fire hose, especially with the nature of social media, news, and entertainment. But again, I think people can benefit from thinking on a micro-level: how can their actions drive greater social progress? 

Even if it’s just within their own community or immediate circle. Nobody has to take on all the challenges of the world, but if we approach these issues with open, collaborative minds, we’re better setting ourselves up to succeed.

What would you like brands to do more of in the future when it comes to tackling social justice?

I would love to see more and more brands hero the people who are leading these causes and efforts. They have an important opportunity to center voices at the forefront of the movement and position themselves as collaborators, allies, and avenues to change.

There are so many people doing great work for social justice causes, and while of course brands want to demonstrate their commitments and their progress on matters of social justice, it always excites me when I can see them bringing their presence, their platform, their authority – and their capital – to uplift the voices of those already doing the work.

Brands’ social impact efforts are better served in this regard as well, because by engaging the leaders of these movements and understanding their needs and goals, brands can then identify the specific ways in which they can most effectively drive change and progress.

Are there any learnings you can share from the last two years in regard to social justice causes? Is there anything your organization has done that you think would inspire others?

Intentionality, intentionality, intentionality. Following the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in the Summer of 2020, so many organizations and individuals alike made commitments to change for the better on matters of race and inequality. 

But social justice isn’t a passive activity, and too many treat it as one. I’m proud of the way my organization embeds inclusion as an intentional and thoughtful practice, knowing that the only way to drive true change is to be acting it out, day after day, by intentionally and proactively examining ourselves and our processes to find opportunities to elevate social justice and equality considerations in our work.

Audience segmentation helps you bring order to the chaos of modern consumerism.  

With a clear understanding of your audiences and how they spend their time, you can provide the best customer experience, influence the path to purchase, and identify the best groups to target.

And with marketing departments under more pressure than ever to tighten budgets and rethink their spend, it’s crucial to make sure you’re listening to what the data tells you. That’s where GWI’s market research platform comes into play.

What is audience segmentation?

Audience segmentation is the process of grouping people based on shared characteristics. These groups, or audience segments, can be used to create more targeted campaigns, and tailored messaging that resonate with your target audiences. 

Why is audience segmentation important?

Audience segmentation helps you elevate your overall marketing strategy, taking it from average to exceptional. Let’s take a closer look at the key benefits of audience segmentation, and why it’s important. 

1. It improves your focus

Adopting one approach for everyone rarely hits the mark. Audience segmentation allows you zero in on your target audience, dive into what they care about, and understand what they want from you, so you can make sure your marketing lands. 

2. It ensures your strategy is customer-first

The best way to resonate with your customers? Stop guessing what you think will work with them, and use segmented audience data to guide the way. Unlock insights on what makes your audience unique, and use them to take your next campaign to new heights. 

3. It uncovers new opportunities

Audience segmentation helps you understand the nuances between segments and spot interesting quirks that can inform new content and partnership opportunities. 

Let’s say you’re a soft drinks brand looking for new sponsorship opportunities after your last campaign fell flat. Through audience segmentation, you come across a previously-undiscovered insight that one of your target segments stands out for following handball, and they’re more likely than average to listen to podcasts. This informs your ad placement and opens up a new pool of partners to engage with, allowing you to appeal to this audience in a new and exciting way. 

4. It gives you a competitive advantage

Knowledge is power; the more you know, the more you can do with it. Keeping tabs on your audience, and what’s happening in their worlds can help you spot trends, and act on them fast, leaving your competitors playing catch up. 

5. It helps you to retain and attract the right customers.

If you know what your audience likes, and where they spend their time online, you’ve got a much better chance of creating content and products they love. 

Audience segmentation types

So, how do you get started? The first thing to do is to choose what you want your audience analysis to focus on. There are many different ways you can segment your audience, some of the most commonly used segmentation types include:

• Demographic segmentation: This describes the outward-facing attributes of a person such as age, gender or marital status. It’s a great method if you’re looking for a top-level view, but combining this type of segmentation with others will allow you to get a lot more granular. 
• Behavioral segmentation: This tells you the actions people take. This could be their online shopping preferences, social media usage, gaming habits or what devices they use. 
• Psychographic or attitudinal segmentation: These give you clues into your audience’s wider perceptions, interests and mindsets. For example, why they like or dislike certain brands, why they enjoy certain movie genres, their lifestyle choices or values. 
• Geographic segmentation: This explains where your target market is located. This can be as expansive or narrow as you like, from continent to zip code. 

With GWI, you can combine as many different segmentation types as you like to build granular audiences for more targeted campaigns. With over 200k+ profiling points to work from, you’re spoilt for choice. 

Audience segmentation tips 

Now you’ve decided what you want to zero in on, here are some tips to help you get the most out of audience segmentation. 

1. Use detailed audience personas to guide your creativity

Start with your audience’s core set of demographics, such as age, location, ethnicity, or family size.

These indicators are a good foundation, but you need to build on this data with insights into behaviors, preferences and affinities.

This is a great way to create more detailed audience profiles and data-driven target personas, reducing the chance of serving irrelevant content.  

Combining these target personas with an understanding of the channels and platforms best suited to reach a particular group will help you drive more targeted campaigns, and higher engagement.

2. Get to know their needs with customer journey maps

When choosing between different products and services, consumers select the ones that best meet their needs.

Understanding and responding to these needs is key if a campaign is to deliver the desired results.

Most audience segmentation tools focus on behavioral analytics, but going beyond historical data and expanding helps you anticipate the next step your consumer might take.

Armed with this understanding of what drives them, you can map out detailed customer journeys using data and insights to tell you how and where to deliver your message for greatest impact – channels, social media platforms and format.

By crafting specific content for each point along the journey, you’ll significantly increase your chances of guiding the customer along to the next stage. 

3. Combine your data to create a more personalized experience

The in-depth data now available means audience segmentation can be refined to achieve far greater levels of personalization.

Segmenting audiences to deliver tailored messaging and experiences for every customer at every stage is now an essential requirement.

Combining qualitative personas with quantitative data to back them up, you can create marketing campaigns that you know will hit the mark with the right people.

4. Investigate usage and needs for more differentiation

Usage and needs-based audience segmentation helps you get to the heart of what your audiences want, and how to differentiate your offer.

If you have multiple products or services as part of your offering, drilling down into the different ways your audience might use them can be a great way to segment them. 

Imagine you’re a car manufacturer with a range of models on offer. You need to understand the different reasons consumers have for owning a car, how often they use it, and what matters to them most when buying a new vehicle when deciding which audience to target for each model. 

You may have one audience segment of Gen X professionals that use their car primarily for commuting, and another segment of millennial parents who need a larger, mid range car for taking their children back and forth to school.

Each segment will have its own set of needs and challenges that you need to understand, and align your marketing efforts to. 

This approach also helps to identify new audiences who share similar needs, so you can find a message that will resonate for a wide range of consumers.

5. Find out what really engages your audience for more reach

To increase your reach, you need to know what engages your audience segments, but also how their behaviors differ across channels.

When it comes to different audiences, finding out what works for them is key. Key insights on media habits, such as Gen Z vacationers are 44% more likely than everyone else to say they’re influenced by social media posts, can help you ensure you’re targeting your audience in the right places.

Using these insights to deliver more engaging campaigns will bring your reach to new heights.

What’s more, tracking targeted content will allow you to see when and how different audiences are activated – an insight that can be built into further segmentation and incorporated into future campaigns.

Audience segmentation in action 

One of the best examples of audience segmentation driving a high-impact marketing strategy is VERB Brands. This luxury agency used audience segmentation to boost high quality heads by 36%. Here’s how they did it:

The challenge

After a series of successful industry events, and with COVID putting a halt on face-to-face networking and events, one of the biggest challenges for VERB from a new business and marketing point of view was continuing to share valuable and unique insight for the luxury sector. 

“With the pandemic, we were unable to launch marketing events and to meet other leaders in the industry who would look to the agency for help.

We had to pivot how we drove value for our own brands, and prospective brands we were speaking to.”

The affluent consumer group is notoriously tricky to reach. They value privacy, and finding specific data about this group is challenging. VERB looked to third-party data platforms to ensure they were reaching them right.

The action 

To achieve their goals, VERB partnered with GWI to commission a custom research study, surveying 1,000+ affluent consumers across genders and age groups in the UK and the U.S.

“We wanted to understand the differences in how followers and non-followers are finding or buying luxury brands, essentially, along with their general attitudes toward luxury brands.”

The custom report led to the production of VERB’s’s State of Luxe report, which segments affluent consumers into three tribes:

• The digitally disconnected
• The traditional luxury consumers
• The luxury advocate

It then tracks these subsets across behaviors and attitudes to signpost crucial touchpoints and opportunities. Throughout, the team was able to highlight the answers so many luxury brands were asking for:

• What types of affluent consumers exist right now?
• What do they expect from luxury brands
• How do they prefer to research and buy luxury brands?

The result

The final report was published on the VERB  website as a free download – and resulted in: 

• 36% boost in inbound leads
• 221% growth in inbound leads versus the previous year
• 53% increase in website traffic
• 27% email list growth

The research proved a success, positioning VERB Brands as the go-to agency to reach affluent and high net-worth consumers.

Your targeting is only as good as your segmentation 

Audience segmentation is at the heart of good marketing. If not carried out with enough detail, companies run the risk of becoming too broad in their targeting, and turning potential customers away.

Taking the time to segment your audience with the most up-to-date, in-depth data pays off in the long term. Trust us, your profit margins and your customers will thank you for it.

If you’ve clicked on this article, you’re probably aware of what a meme is.

Something quick and recognizable that you’ve seen before, maybe spliced into another context, endlessly sharable and reformattable, or sometimes crude in humor. Memes represent a snapshot into online culture at any moment – whether it’s a TikTok dance, Drake lyric, or a Spongebob Squarepants reference.

And, particularly for younger generations, memes are a kind of language in their own right; social media timelines are rife with Gen Z memeing their way through global pandemics, geopolitical turmoil, war, and economic crises.

Using data from our Core study and monthly Zeitgeist survey, we’ve analyzed why it’s integral that businesses understand meme culture if they want to engage with younger generations (and indeed, anyone who looks at them) on social media.

A brief history of memes

There’s a clear correlation between age and an understanding of memes. For generations who grew up without the internet, the very idea of a meme might be a foreign concept. 

But that’s not necessarily the case.

Even 86% of baby boomers – a generation unfairly branded as “out of touch” – know what a meme is. The difference exists in how younger generations use memes compared to their older counterparts – baby boomers are nearly 7 times less likely to engage in the meme-related activities we track when compared to Gen Z.

Memes have been around for a lot longer than you might think – even during the age of boomers. What’s changed is the language, the formats, and the intent behind them. Meme culture has advanced beyond a medium to make people laugh, meaning it’s more important than ever to understand them and why consumers use them.

Which generations are meme-ing?

Over three-quarters of all consumers who engage with memes find them funny. They offer a quick dopamine hit while scrolling through social media feeds, but for the younger generations, memes aren’t just comedy – they’re a core part of how they communicate with each other. 

Zoomers (aka Gen Z) identify with those who share their sense of humor above all else – they rank this factor 45% higher than those who are from similar cultural backgrounds, and 67% more than people who speak the same language as them. They’re also 19% more likely than the average consumer to identify with people who like the same things as them on social media.

It’s a sign of how these services have broken down traditional cultural barriers; with memes enabling like-minded people to connect with each other online. 

That’s because it’s easier to package up a complex idea, ideology, or opinion into an easily shareable image or video clip.

Among young people especially, our data reveals this is important.

Almost three quarters of millennials and Gen Z use the format to express themselves. In this way, memes can be used to express varied emotions across an array of platforms. You can meme professionally for your LinkedIn network, or find your inner peace with a Pinterest moodboard. Sometimes, the only way to let people know you’re struggling is with a little self-deprecating humor – something Gen Z knows all too well.

Should brands be using memes?

Consumers are generally positive towards brands using memes. What’s different is how much more they resonate with young audiences, meaning brands have to keep up on the latest meme trends to avoid getting left behind.

As of Q3 2022, Gen Z spend around 3 hours a day on social media – 41% of their overall online time. In order to cut through the noise, it’s essential to communicate with them on their level. 

Forget traditional advertising. “Classic” viral advertisements, such as the Cadbury’s gorilla, probably aren’t going to cut it with Gen Z. A lot of jokes are ironic, satirical, self-deprecating, or all of the above – and the nature of ‘what’s funny/trending’ changes all the time.

The early days of social media were a Wild West; brands were figuring out how they could use these new online touchpoints to reach a global, digital audience. 

The instinct, to begin with, was to be professional; formal and corporate. While you might still get away with that today (depending on the platform), brands have largely come a long way since. So it’s safe to say, a varied approach is needed if you want to engage with Gen Z. They want brands to relate to their humor, being 18% more likely to say they should be funny, so nailing that tone is essential. 

The brands become self-aware

Consumers want brands to behave like they’re real people, not corporate entities. This could mean entering into uncharted waters for some – but because younger consumers expect brands to be young, bold and trendy, it’s necessary to be on the pulse of how they communicate online.

Denny’s, for example, was one of the first brands to embrace social media, creating a Tumblr page and letting off the shackles of corporate conventions to have a little bit of fun. People really connected with it; they were seeing a brand speak in a “human” way.
This naturally escalated to more companies becoming sentient on social media, expressing their greatest joys and fears, letting us know that there are real people behind the brand.

I can’t do this anymore

— SUNNYD (@sunnydelight) February 4, 2019

Now brands aren’t just fighting for market share, they’re fighting for precious online clout, goading one another with online personalities they’ve constructed. Fast food restaurants are at war not to have the tastiest burgers, but to be the edgiest restaurant on Twitter. Wendy’s, after taking pop shots at McDonald’s over the years, dropped a mixtape, while Arby’s had Pusha T write a diss track targeting the golden arches – twice.

Making it feel real

But, of course, this all needs to feel organic, too. Younger generations like meme marketing fundamentally, but only if it feels natural. 

We wouldn’t want our banks making jokes about inflation, for example. 

So a lot of brands have to find a tone of voice which works for them when they’re “sh*tposting” online. The discount airline, Ryanair, has seemingly got this down, opting to satirically roast customers and public figures alike; positioning its tone alongside its no-frills, stripped-back service offering.

And here in lies the double-edged sword of brands memeing their way into relevancy. These online interactions can just as easily expose a marketing team’s meme-literacy, as they can make them heroes in the eyes of zoomers. 

Attempts to look in touch can sometimes backfire. Just recently, HM Treasury started a Discord server in an attempt to tune a younger, online generation. But for a government body, communicating on a (primarily) gaming platform didn’t seem to line up. Gen Z can feel pandered to by brands that don’t feel sincere in their messaging, leading to a “fellow kids” moment, or worse – the outright rejection of the brand’s messaging, as the internet sees right through the facade.

There’s also a time window that is necessary to hit in order to make your memes resonate. The shelf life of a meme can be as short as a few hours, burning out as quickly as it rises. Too much red tape within a business means that waiting for sign-off can also mean missing out on that sweet, sweet engagement. 

Remember when everyone was talking about Adam Levine’s texts? That was just a couple months ago. Two days later, everyone moved on to the next big thing. Gen Z is as engaged as they are fickle – they’re 10% more likely to have recently unfollowed or unliked a brand account on social media. 

Miss the mark on a hot trend and all of a sudden your #relatable brand is cringe, and out of touch. Know what your consumers are actually interested in by using GWI, and you’re in for a treat.