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.

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)