Kantar: Pinoy consumers trust content and brands

Connected consumers in Philippines are far more trusting than other countries in the region when it comes to their online activities, according to Kantar TNS’s latest Connected Life research. In comparison to the rest of the world, they are less skeptical of the content they see and more accepting of brands online. Brands need to continue to earn this trust through appropriate interactions or risk the rise of doubt and cynicism.

Kantar TNS surveyed 70,000 people across 56 countries and conducted 104 in-depth interviews as part of the 2017 Connected Life study. The research explored consumer trust in brands in relation to four themes: Technology, content, data, and e-commerce.

The findings show that optimism around connectivity is still high in Philippines, and for the most part, consumers have not yet realized the trade-offs intrinsic to a connected lifestyle that have caused other countries to become more cynical about the way companies are using the personal information. Only 15 percent of Filipinos have concerns about the amount of personal data brands have on them, compared to 40 percent globally and rising to as high as 56 percent in Australia.

What’s more, only 20 percent are adverse to connected devices monitoring their activities online if it makes their lives easier, compared to 56 percent of consumers in Korea and 62 percent in New Zealand.

Not only are Filipinos more relaxed about making personal data available, they are also more accepting of content online. In an age of ‘fake news,’ where only one in three (35 percent) people globally think the content they see on social media is reliable, 59 percent of connected consumers in Philippines are happy to trust the information they consume on these channels. Social media remains a credible place to hear brand messages, which are generally seen to have relevance, particularly if they demonstrate an understanding of local culture and nuances.