NEWS
NEWS
Young Asians feel more connected to cultures in other countries
A NEW study has found that 39 % of young people in Asia feel more connected to another country ’ s popular culture than that of their own country .
The Global Culture Forecast report by cultural insights strategist Cassandra showed that young people in Indonesia are the most connected with popular culture from other countries at 56 %. They are followed by South Korea ( 39 %), India ( 36 %), China ( 33 %) and Japan ( 32 %).
This trend is also forecast to grow in some countries , with nearly half of young people in China ( 48 %) and India ( 44 %), and a third ( 30 %) in Indonesia , saying that it has become more important in the past year for them to follow global popular culture . Only 17 % of young people in Japan and South Korea said they had felt this way in the past 12 months .
When it comes to the popular culture that young people consume from other countries , music , movies , and TV are top choices . More than half ( 55 %) of young people in Asia listen to music from other countries , half ( 54 %) watch movies from other countries and another one-third ( 36 %) watch foreign TV shows .
Outside of entertainment , onethird ( 36 %) look internationally for fashion and style trends , 28 % adopt other countries ’ beauty and grooming trends and 30 % of young consumers in Asia follow sports teams or athletes from another country .
Alena Rossini , managing director of Cassandra in Asia , said : “ As young people in Asia see it , their geographic location shouldn ’ t determine what they pay attention to or care about . They are more open than ever to embracing popular culture from countries they don ’ t have a previous connection to . They are becoming country-blind , investing their time , energy and money in a culture that aligns with their interests and values , regardless of where it comes from . This perspective is translating to how they define their sense of community .”
Veronica Wang , associate partner ,
The blurring physical boundaries of cultural transmission might be an opportunity for retailers to expand internationally .
OC & C Strategy Consultants , told Retail Asia how this trend can bring opportunities as well as challenges to retailers and brands . “ Since young consumers now have a very clear idea of the culture they follow and would likely choose brands representing that culture , adopting a ‘ consumer-centric ’ model is becoming more and more critical . Retailers have to be crystal clear about who their target consumers are , continuously listen to them , understand what these consumers need , like and value , and cater brand messages and offerings that resonate well with them ,” she said .
On the other hand , the blurring physical boundaries of cultural transmission leads to more opportunities in approaching consumers who were previously difficult to reach , and therefore it might potentially be a smarter way for retailers to expand their business internationally . Wang added : “ As young consumers are now more open and have easier access to global culture , retailers can start engaging with international consumers even before they have physical presence in overseas markets .”
The study is based on interviews with over 9,500 young people aged 14-34 across 16 countries , including China , India , Indonesia , Japan and South Korea . It provides extensive analysis on various aspects of popular culture , including food , music , film , fashion , art and sports . ra
Retail Asia August 2018 9