Todays Filipino teenager embraces technology particularly the cellular phone and social

networking sites and, though brand conscious, sees local brands as being at par with imported
brands. The average Pinoy teen also highly values family, religion, and education.
This image of the Filipino teen is revealed in The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition" which
was released Thursday by global youth research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a
company under custom market research specialist TNS, a member of the Kantar Group.
The results of the TRU study remind us that the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of
Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues
should not be ignored," said TNS Philippines managing director Gary de Ocampo in a press release
Thursday. And because they represent a significant percentage of the Philippine population, teens
will continue to play a big role in shaping the future of business success and the Filipino society."
Favored brands
To most Filipino teens, imported brands wield no advantage over local ones, or vice versa," the
press release revealed.
The study said that approximately 9 out of 10 teenagers see local brands as being at par with other
imported US brands. Filipino clothing brand Bench topped the teens list of favorite brands, followed
by Nike, Adidas, Jag Jeans, Jollibee, Lee, Levis, Avon, Natasha, and Nokia.
The study also found that 60 percent of teens surveyed equate certain brand names with quality, and
believe it important to use branded products. The remaining 40 percent will not automatically shun
an unknown brand, particularly if it happens to meet their other requirements.
High value, limited budget
The study pictured Filipino teens as a high-value segment in terms of purchasing power except
that their spending is still subject to their parents approval and more importantly, their spending
capacity." It found that the average Filipino teen spends about P278 per week, which translates to a
total national expenditure of roughly P224 billion annually.
Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any
brand a shoo-in for their patronage," explained TNS Philippines associate research director Ming
Barcelona.
Fully embracing technology
Filipino teens surveyed, the study said, admitted to fully embracing technology, ranking as the
hottest trends today social networking sites (81 percent), multi-player online games (78 percent),
online photo sharing (75 percent), PC games (76 percent) and Smartphones (67 percent). The study
attributed this to various influences from globalization."
Mobile phones are the gadget of choice for their functionality and relative affordability, with majority

of Filipino teens owning mobile phones. The dominant phone brand is Nokia, which accounts for
three of every four handsets currently owned by Filipino teens.
The TRU study noted, however, that despite Nokias market penetration, the mobile phone maker
still has much room for growth, especially for affordable but quality phone offerings."
Values and social issues
The study also discovered that Filipino teens still give importance to family (89 percent), religion/faith
(86 percent) and personal well-being (84 percent), all these transcending their gender, age,
economic status and geographic differences.
Education is also a major consideration, with 8 out of 10 teens believing that getting ahead in life
would be difficult without it," the study stated.
The study showed that Filipino teens have a keen awareness of issues that plague the country." It
cited as key social concerns" of Pinoy teens crime (50 percent), child abuse (38 percent), and drug
abuse (32 percent) with AIDS particularly worrisome for teens in Visayas and Mindanao, and
climate change/global warming bothersome for teens belonging to the upper class (39 percent.
MRT/VS/GMA News

4 factors that influence

Filipinos' decision to buy
Filipino consumers are more likely to stick to brands they know and buy products if
these are accompanied by freebies, according to a Nielsen online survey

Rappler.com
Published 4:00 PM, Jul 02, 2013
Updated 5:34 PM, Jul 02, 2013

FREEBIES. Filipino buyers are attracted toward products that offer promotions. File photo by EPA

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino consumers are more likely to stick to brands they know
and buy products if these are accompanied by freebies.
This was according to a Nielsen online survey of over 29,000 internet respondents in 58
countries.
The survey results, which were released on Tuesday, July 2, also showed that
advertising especially on TV strongly influences Filipino respondents preference
for a brand.
Below are 4 key insights from the online survey:
1. Filipinos love freebies
About 76% of Filipino respondents said they are more attracted to buy products that
come with free gifts.

The allure of good product promotions is strongest in developing countries such as the
Philippines where practicality and creativeness are needed in order to stretch the
budget," explained Stuart Jamieson, managing director at Nielsen Philippines.
"Filipinos may be ready to spend but still they are on the lookout for the best deals and
promos. Offering extras or gifts to consumers will get them to buy a product over
another," he added.
Other developing countries trailing behind respondents from the Philippines lured by
freebies are Vietnam (75%) and Greece (74%).
The Philippines exceeds the world average of 58% and Asia Pacific region's average of
61%.

Percentage of respondents who

strongly/somewhat agree that products with free gifts are more attractive to buy. Source: Nielsen Global Consumer
Survey

2. Filipinos shop around, loyal to brands

About 77% of Filipino respondents said that they usually have preferred brands and
types before buying.
This is higher than the global average of 67% and the Asia Pacific region's 69%. The
Filipino respondents came only second to India which had 80% respondents who
agreed.

In this report, we found out that Filipino consumers seldom switch to another brand and
remain devoted to their favorite shampoo (63%), deodorant (56%) and coffee (53%)
brands, notes Jamieson.
This does not jibe with observations recently shared by a casual dining restaurant. An
official of Pancake House Inc has told Rappler that the average Filipino consumer is
open to new concepts but not very loyal.
The Nielsen survey acknowledged this. About 79% of the Filipino respondents shop
around to buy the most value-for-money product.
3. TV remains main source of product info
Television remains the main source of product information for Filipino respondents for
items, such as

cosmetic/skin care

food and beverage

personal care

health care/medicine

household product

home appliance

Online sources, however, lords all other sources of information for other products like
cars.
Magazines are the favored source for jewelry and in-store display and promo packages
for clothing items.
4. Advertising influence brand

Respondents from the Philippines (78%) and Korea (79%) said commercials increased
their brand preference.
The two markets contributed to Asia Pacific's score (67%) as having the most
consumers in the world saying that advertising influences their preference for a brand.
About 73% of Filipino respondents agreed that the image created by advertising
influenced their decision to buy a product. This is 9 points more than the region's 64%
average.

Percentage of respondents who

strongly/somewhat agree that "commercials will increase my preference for the brand." Source: Nielsen Global
Consumer Survey

Liking the commercial and deciding to buy the product, however, are two different things
for Filipinos. Only 48% of Filipino respondents agreed that they would buy a product
because they liked its commercial. The Asia Pacific average was 51%.

Percentage of products who

strongly/somewhat agree that the "product image created by commercials will affect my decision to buy the product."
Source: Nielsen Global Consumer Survey

- Rappler.com
Theoretical Background
Students all over the world spend in several different ways, but close market research on
student spending indicates that there are several common patterns that can be seen.
Spending habits in adolescents is changing drastically in the last few years, but that change
is almost uniform in all the metros of the world. Commercialization has begun targeting
students' spending habits a very long time ago. (IFIM Students Lifestyle and Spending
Habits , 2009) According to a study conducted by a bank and financial institution, youths
fork over money to buy cellphone load, to play computer games at Internet cafes and to buy
cigarettes and alcohol. They also spend money on going out and on clothes and
accessories. (TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News, 2010) Teens hang out and shop. Teens are
active consumers in terms of the money they spend, as well as in the influence they wield in
their families and on societal trends. Despite being raised in a period of rapid change, they
display a remarkable self-confidence in their judgment. (Tempo, 2010) A lot of the number of
students seem to wants what is the in trend, what people are doing or using right now.
Most teens will usually have one or two sources of income, either allowance from their
parents or a job. The answer to this question isn't found by looking at the income of the
family or social status, it's more a way of living and rearing that the parents have given their
children. (Felipe, 2007) Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price
does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage, explained Ming
Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research Director. The TRU study reminds us the
mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the
latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored, added Gary
de Ocampo, TNS Philippines Managing Director.

Past 30-day spending among teens showed that...

THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 2011: To most Filipino teens, imported

brands wield no advantage over local ones, or vice versa. This was
among the findings laid out in the first Philippine study by global
youth research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a
company under global leader in custom market research TNS.
The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition revealed that
approximately 9 out of 10 teenagers see local brands as being at
par with other imported US brands. Filipino clothing brand Bench,
perceived to be ground-breaking, innovative and of top quality,
bagged the coveted number one spot in teens list of favorite
brands, followed by Nike, Adidas, Jag Jeans, Jollibee, Lee, Levis,
Avon, Natasha, and Nokia.
Furthermore, the study found that 60% of teens surveyed equate
certain brand names with quality and believe that it is important to
use branded products. The remaining 40% will not automatically
shun an unknown brand, particularly if it happens to meet their
other requirements.
TRU conducted its Philippine research on a nationwide sample of
1,000 interviews with teens across socio-economic classes, and
covering both rural and urban areas.The study looked into the
spending habits of Filipino teens, which comprise 16% of the
countrys population. Because of the sheer size of the teen
demographic, the study highlighted that Filipino teens are a highvalue segment in terms of purchasing power except that their
spending is still subject to their parents approval and more
importantly, their spending capacity. On average, a Filipino teen
spends about PHP278 per week, which amounts to roughly PHP224
billion annually.
Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price
does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage,
explained Ming Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research

Director who is the local point person for TRU. The TRU Study: 2011
Philippines Teen Edition is a great resource for brands and marketing
professionals looking to tap the Filipino teen demographic. It
provides an understanding of and unparalleled insight into the lives
of the Filipino teens.
Due to various influences from globalization, Filipino teens, as
expected, admitted to fully embracing technology, ranking social
networking sites (81%), multi-player online games (78%), online
photo sharing (75%), PC games (76%) and Smartphones (67%) as
the hottest trends today.
Mobile phones are the teens gadget of choice due to their
functionality and relative affordability. Majority of Filipino teens own
mobile phones, among which the Nokia brand dominates,
accounting for 75% of all handsets currently owned by Filipino teens.
The TRU study noted, however, that despite this brands market
penetration, there is still much room for growth in the market,
especially for affordable but quality phone offerings.
The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition also discovered that
regardless of how society is evolving, Filipino teens still give
importance to family (89%), religion/faith (86%) and personal wellbeing (84%). These findings transcend gender, age, economic status
and geographic differences.
The TRU study showed that Filipino teens have a keen awareness of
issues that plague the country. Key social concerns include crime
(50%), child abuse (38%), and drug abuse (32%). AIDS is also a
source of worry, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao; meanwhile
teens belonging to the upper class cite climate change/global
warming (39%) as a concern. They view education as a major
consideration as well, with 8 out of 10 teens believing that getting
ahead in life would be difficult without it.
The results of the TRU study remind us that the mindsets,
preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on
brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social

issues should not be ignored, added Gary de Ocampo, TNS

Philippines Managing Director. And because they represent a
significant percentage of the Philippine population, teens will
continue to play a big role in shaping the future of business success
and the Filipino society.
- See more at: http://www.adobomagazine.com/its-tru-bench-nikeand-adidas-top-brands-filipino-teens#sthash.jT1MjPy5.dpuf