Consumers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region are excited about technological advancements: 68% believe AI is having a positive impact on the world, compared to more than half (57%) globally worldwide. China leads the region, ranking first in all 50 global markets surveyed.
With their openness to new technologies, brands can introduce and develop AI-based products and services in the region. Marketing efforts should focus on highlighting the positive impacts of AI and how it can improve the consumer experience. Brands can leverage this receptivity to test and refine AI innovations, ensuring they meet local preferences before wider international deployment.
This is according to a new Ipsos study titled “Understanding Asia” in which consumers were surveyed in Malaysia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Australia and Singapore.
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Despite the optimism around AI, fears around AI and digital privacy and security are high. In fact, seven in ten APAC consumers in the APAC region are concerned about how their information is collected by companies. This concern is particularly strong in the Philippines (86%), Thailand (81%) and Singapore (81%).
As brands strive for greater personalization of services, they will need to be careful to strike a balance between making it easier for their customers to find new products, but also ensuring that their privacy is respected. This includes the need to develop and communicate robust privacy measures, as well as build and maintain consumer trust, the study says.
Interestingly, the study found that young Asians are generally nervous about the future. More than half (57%) of Gen Zers in APAC said they wish they had grown up when their parents were kids. As such, brands can capitalize on the nostalgic trend by integrating elements of familiar past traditions with modern innovation.
Additionally, with nervousness about the future, brands have an opportunity to be more empathetic with consumers in their communication and marketing and connect with them on their level.
At the same time, 73% of people in APAC say they are doing everything they can to preserve the environment, including Vietnam (82%), New Zealand (78%), Singapore (77%) , Malaysia (73%) and Australia. (73%) stating that businesses do not pay enough attention to the environment. This represents an opportunity for brands to become environmental leaders and demonstrate their commitment to the cause.
If no action is taken or business leaders are not seen to be doing their part, apathy could begin to set in, as shown by majorities in India, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand, where consumers believe it is already too late to do anything about climate change. .
In a separate study by e-commerce platform Lazada, it found that 88% of consumers make purchasing decisions via AI-based recommendations.
He adds that 8% of Southeast Asian shoppers are now adopting AI in their personal lives, including AI chatbots (47%), visual product search (40%) and translations (40%). ) when making online purchases. AI chatbots and visual product searches are also the most commonly used AI-based features in online shopping, with the top usage scenarios for AI chatbots being requesting product availability (73%), l Obtaining information on delivery status (70%) and learning about rewards. and membership (66%).
In addition to this, AI-based features are also an effective tool for price-conscious shoppers in Southeast Asia, where 49% listed price comparison as one of the most preferred features on an e-commerce platform.
With the integration of AI capabilities into online shopping, shoppers also feel more confident in using e-commerce platforms to enhance their shopping experience. Among them, 80% of shoppers use AI features on e-commerce platforms at least once a week. Vietnamese (92%) and Filipino (91%) buyers showed higher frequency, the study found.
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