WINNING OVER TODAY’S ‘CONNECTED’ CONSUMER

As the world of connected consumers grows, brands face a more challenging, complex environment today, according to the Tetra Pak Index 2017. In Asia Pacific – now home to more than half the world’s internet users and 54% of the world’s social media users, winning over today’s well informed and empowered consumers requires brands to go beyond the traditional rules of engagement.

Themed around ‘The Connected Consumer’, the 10th edition of the Tetra Pak Index explores the world of digital and online consumers, and how they are connecting with food and drink brands. Effectively reaching and engaging with this growing consumer group are critical. In the second quarter of 2017, the Philippines alone is accounted for 60% of total growth in global Internet users, making the country just 10% behind Internet penetration in the Asia Pacific region. Accordingly, an average Filipino spends 9 hours online daily with Facebook being the most dominant media platform, with 63 million active Filipino users. This means that understanding the rapid digital growth rates and having a strong presence online will help brands to talk easily and reach out directly to their consumers.

“With the rapid increase of connectivity through devices that carry multiple digital platforms and the rise of Millennials and Generation Z as the next set of power-spenders, brands need to understand the attitude and behavior of these Connected Consumers in purchasing a product and create a seamless brand experience that translates well both online and offline, says John Jose, Marketing Director, Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, and Philippines.

According to Jose, “Packaging is both a medium and a touchpoint. Aside from protecting the product, packaging tells the story of the brand in which the unique physical characteristics of a packaging provides consumers a tangible connection with the brand. At Tetra Pak, we are piloting the use of new digital technologies like augmented reality in our packaging to help brands attract and connect with this new generation of consumers.”

To download Tetra Pak Index 2017, go to http:// www.tetrapak.com/about/tetra-pak-index