BrandKnew September 2013 January 2014 | Page 20

5 UNMISSABLE ASIAN CONSUMER TRENDS FOR 2014 trendwatching.com 2014 looks to be another year of changing mindsets and priorities in Asia. Despite a much-reported growth ‘slowdown’ (just single digits ;) and political upheavals, the region’s development will continue apace, pushing Asian consumers to rethink the status quo and to demand that brands help them better manage – and even deliver balance – to their hyper-crammed lives. Simple ;) For those who adapt to Asian consumers’ rapidly changing needs, there are countless opportunities ripe for the picking. Brands that champion change – giving voice to the concerns of the masses, then answering them – will also win priceless consumer favor. But where brands fail to catch on fast enough, expect a new breed of Asian ‘civic-consumers’ to step in – showing off their resourcefulness with a dose of Made-in-Asia-for-Asia ingenuity. For more on where to begin and how, here are 5 trends reflecting Asian change that you can run with in the next 12 months.