As reported in this week’s Media, marketers, in their rush to embrace social networking, are neglecting more basic online media formats.  A new Asian survey, conducted by Edelman and Brandtology, indicates that forums and bulletin boards, rather than social networking sites, are key for reaching and interacting with target audiences.

The Digital Brand Index study aimed to identify the most widely talked-about technology brands across Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.  The study, which will be expanded to Japan and Korea in the coming months, covered a total of 800,000 mentions of 233 major technology brands on 4,348 online channels including forums, blogs, social networking sites and news websites.

Recent phenomenon Twitter was found to be the most commonly used channel in India and Australia, but in other markets, particularly Southeast Asia, technology-related forums emerged as the main platform for discussion - for example, in Singapore, 90% of conversation took place on forums.

Of the technology sector brands discussed online, Google and Microsoft ranked in the top 10 in all markets.  Google was the most widely discussed brand in both India and Malaysia, while Nokia had the highest number of mentions in China.  The brand Intel was popular in a number of geographical markets including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Malaysia and Taiwan.

To find out more about the research we conduct in the Technology sector, please visit: http://b2binternational.com/China/b2bsectors/informationtechnology.php 

Alternatively, to learn more about branding studies, please visit: http://b2binternational.com/China/research/cn/branding.php

Asia’s most influential business executives are maintaining their spend in the traditional areas of media, while also increasing significantly what they spend on forms of digital media.  This is according to Ipsos MediaCT’s BE:ASIA 2009 Survey, conducted among more than 9,500 members of Asia’s business elite across Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

The research found that these business decision-makers have not reduced their use of international print and broadcast media.  In acknowledgment of the recession, some cuts were found to have been made in business travel spend.

About 67% of respondents read one or more international print publications, with a huge 98% claiming to have read the latest issue of a printed magazine or newspaper.  The Wall Street Journal Asia is the most popular daily title with a 17% share, and Time is the favoured weekly magazine being read by 23% of respondents.  CNN, with 29%, is the most popular international TV channel.

There has been a significant increase in digital uptake this past year.  Since the same survey took place last year, there has been a particular increase in reference to blogs (49% reading one in the past month and 11% contributing a post during this time).  63% had visited an international media owner’s website within the past month (Yahoo News, with a weekly reach of 33%, is the most prevalent); 29% had used social networking sites; and 27% had accessed the internet via a mobile device – a massive eightfold increase since 2006.

A new survey by Omnicom Media Group has revealed some positive findings.  The online research conducted among more than 3,500 consumers (age 18-65) across seven Asia-Pacific markets (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand) last month, found that most consumers agree the economy has improved over the last 6 months and continues to do so.

Most of the consumers questioned said they plan to continue their disciplined spending behaviour.  However, a significant minority – around 45% in China and 39% in India – is now ready to increase their expenditure.  This compares to 26% in Malaysia, 24% in Hong Kong, 18% in both Thailand and Singapore, and just 8% in Australia.  Although China and India have suffered some slowing of their respective economies, the overall impact of the global recession has been less severe than in many of the other Asian economies.

In Singapore, 20% of consumers have put off the purchase of computers or computer accessories, with one in five also delaying buying a mobile phone handset.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, 35% have postponed automotive purchases, 31% have put off buying computer accessories, and 30% have delayed travel plans.

As well as delaying purchases seen as non-essential, further strategies employed by consumers to deal with the recession have included switching to cheaper brands and using less of a product/purchasing it less frequently.

According to recent reports in Ad Age China, the global recession has turned cash-hungry Western companies into takeover targets for Chinese marketers.  Foreign countries have also become increasingly tempting new markets for a number of Chinese brands.

Chinese companies haven’t been hit by the economic crisis to the same extent as those in many other countries and, thanks to a huge domestic stimulus package, China’s GDP rose 7.9% in the second quarter of 2009 (compared to a year earlier).  Economists are optimistic that the growth will continue, with Credit Suisse, for example, forecasting economic growth of 8% this year and 9% in 2010.

A number of Chinese organizations have been taking advantage of the recession to take over other firms at a bargain price.  What’s more, instead of merely looking overseas for resources and cheaper manufacturing sites, Chinese companies are now looking further afield from more of a marketing (rather that production) perspective – i.e. to build their brands and retail operations.

Computer company Lenovo Group was one of the first privately owned Chinese firms to expand overseas, although its original plans were affected somewhat by the recession.  However, the world’s fourth-largest PC manufacturer is now refocusing its efforts on consumers rather than corporations and, over the summer, opened a ‘concept store’ in Malaysia which allows consumers to test and experience its full product range.

Similarly, Li Ning Co., a well established and respected sportswear and sporting goods company within China, is making efforts to build its brand overseas, recently opening a flagship store in Singapore.  The store, which is dedicated to badminton – very popular in Southeast Asian markets – lets shoppers try out first-hand technology-inspired badminton sportswear and rackets.

Meanwhile Haier Group, China’s largest appliance maker, has bought a stake in a New Zealand competitor in order to get a foothold for its own brand products in the New Zealand and Australian markets.

Chinese companies are a growing presence on the world stage, with 37 appearing in Fortune’s annual ranking of 500 top global companies this year – up from 28 last year and just eight a decade ago.

Media magazine (www.media.asia) recently published the results of its ‘Asia’s Top 1,000 Brands’ survey.

Covering Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, the survey looked to rank the best and most trusted Asian brands across 11 major product and service categories, including: automotive, financial services, food & beverage, and media & telecommunications.

Many of those featuring highly in the list will be familiar names to both Eastern and Western markets and consumers alike.  Some strong brands which are less well recognised outside of Asia include: Lotte at no.21 (Sweets & candy); Meiji at no.29 (Food & drink); and Shiseido at no.41 (Cosmetics).

The Full Top 10 list is:

1.     Sony (Consumer Electronics)

2.     Samsung (Electronics/White goods)

3.     Canon (Camera/Office equipment)

4.     LG (Electronics/White goods)

5.     Panasonic(Consumer Electronics)

6.     Hewlett-Packard (Computers)

7.     Nokia (Mobile phone)

8.     Apple (Consumer Electronics)

9.     Google (Search engine)

10.   Coca-Cola (Soft drinks)