Todays Filipino teenager embraces technology particularly the cellular phone and social networking sites and, though brand conscious, sees local brands as being at par with imported brands. The average Pinoy teen also highly values family, religion, and education.

This image of the Filipino teen is revealed in The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition" which was released Thursday by global youth research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a company under custom market research specialist TNS, a member of the Kantar Group.

The results of the TRU study remind us that the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored," said TNS Philippines managing director Gary de Ocampo in a press release Thursday. And because they represent a significant percentage of the Philippine population, teens will continue to play a big role in shaping the future of business success and the Filipino society."

Favored brands

To most Filipino teens, imported brands wield no advantage over local ones, or vice versa," the press release revealed.

The study said that approximately 9 out of 10 teenagers see local brands as being at par with other imported US brands. Filipino clothing brand Bench topped the teens list of favorite brands, followed by Nike, Adidas, Jag Jeans, Jollibee, Lee, Levis, Avon, Natasha, and Nokia.

The study also found that 60 percent of teens surveyed equate certain brand names with quality, and believe it important to use branded products. The remaining 40 percent will not automatically shun an unknown brand, particularly if it happens to meet their other requirements.

High value, limited budget

The study pictured Filipino teens as a high-value segment in terms of purchasing power except that their spending is still subject to their parents approval and more importantly, their spending capacity." It found that the average Filipino teen spends about P278 per week, which translates to a total national expenditure of roughly P224 billion annually.

Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage," explained TNS Philippines associate research director Ming Barcelona.

Fully embracing technology

Filipino teens surveyed, the study said, admitted to fully embracing technology, ranking as the hottest trends today social networking sites (81 percent), multi-player online games (78 percent), online photo sharing (75 percent), PC games (76 percent) and Smartphones (67 percent). The study attributed this to various influences from globalization."

Mobile phones are the gadget of choice for their functionality and relative affordability, with majority of Filipino teens owning mobile phones. The dominant phone brand is Nokia, which accounts for three of every four handsets currently owned by Filipino teens.

The TRU study noted, however, that despite Nokias market penetration, the mobile phone maker still has much room for growth, especially for affordable but quality phone offerings."

Values and social issues

The study also discovered that Filipino teens still give importance to family (89 percent), religion/faith (86 percent) and personal well-being (84 percent), all these transcending their gender, age, economic status and geographic differences.

Education is also a major consideration, with 8 out of 10 teens believing that getting ahead in life would be difficult without it," the study stated.

The study showed that Filipino teens have a keen awareness of issues that plague the country." It cited as key social concerns" of Pinoy teens crime (50 percent), child abuse (38 percent), and drug abuse (32 percent) with AIDS particularly worrisome for teens in Visayas and Mindanao, and climate change/global warming bothersome for teens belonging to the upper class (39 percent. MRT/VS/GMA News4 factors that influence Filipinos' decision to buyFilipino consumers are more likely to stick to brands they know and buy products if these are accompanied by freebies, according to a Nielsen online surveyRappler.comPublished 4:00 PM, Jul 02, 2013Updated 5:34 PM, Jul 02, 2013FREEBIES. Filipino buyers are attracted toward products that offer promotions. File photo by EPAMANILA, Philippines - Filipino consumers are more likely to stick to brands they know and buy products if these are accompanied by freebies.This was according to a Nielsen online survey of over 29,000 internet respondents in 58 countries.The survey results, which were released on Tuesday, July 2, also showed that advertising especially on TV strongly influences Filipino respondents preference for a brand.Below are 4 key insights from the online survey:1. Filipinos love freebiesAbout 76% of Filipino respondents said they are more attracted to buy products that come with free gifts.The allure of good product promotions is strongest in developing countries such as the Philippines where practicality and creativeness are needed in order to stretch the budget," explained Stuart Jamieson, managing director at Nielsen Philippines."Filipinos may be ready to spend but still they are on the lookout for the best deals and promos. Offering extras or gifts to consumers will get them to buy a product over another," he added.Other developing countries trailing behind respondents from the Philippines lured by freebies are Vietnam (75%) and Greece (74%).The Philippines exceeds the world average of 58% and Asia Pacific region's average of 61%.Percentage of respondents who strongly/somewhat agree that products with free gifts are more attractive to buy. Source: Nielsen Global Consumer Survey2. Filipinos shop around, loyal to brandsAbout 77% of Filipino respondents said that they usually have preferred brands and types before buying.This is higher than the global average of 67% and the Asia Pacific region's 69%. The Filipino respondents came only second to India which had 80% respondents who agreed.In this report, we found out that Filipino consumers seldom switch to another brand and remain devoted to their favorite shampoo (63%), deodorant (56%) and coffee (53%) brands, notes Jamieson.This does not jibe with observations recently shared by a casual dining restaurant. An official of Pancake House Inc has told Rappler that the averageFilipino consumer is open to new concepts but not very loyal.The Nielsen survey acknowledged this. About 79% of the Filipino respondents shop around to buy the most value-for-money product.3. TV remains main source of product infoTelevision remains the main source of product information for Filipino respondents for items, such as cosmetic/skin care food and beverage personal care health care/medicine household product home applianceOnline sources, however, lords all other sources of information for other products like cars.Magazines are the favored source for jewelry and in-store display and promo packages for clothing items.

4. Advertising influence brandRespondents from the Philippines (78%) and Korea (79%) said commercials increased their brand preference.The two markets contributed to Asia Pacific's score (67%) as having the most consumers in the world saying that advertising influences their preference for a brand.About 73% of Filipino respondents agreed that the image created by advertising influenced their decision to buy a product. This is 9 points more than the region's 64% average.Percentage of respondents who strongly/somewhat agree that "commercials will increase my preference for the brand." Source: Nielsen Global Consumer SurveyLiking the commercial and deciding to buy the product, however, are two different things for Filipinos. Only 48% of Filipino respondents agreed that they would buy a product because they liked its commercial. The Asia Pacific average was 51%.Percentage of products who strongly/somewhat agree that the "product image created by commercials will affect my decision to buy the product." Source: Nielsen Global Consumer Survey- Rappler.comTheoretical BackgroundStudents all over the world spend in several different ways, but close market research on student spending indicates that there are several common patterns that can be seen. Spending habits in adolescents is changing drastically in the last few years, but that change is almost uniform in all the metros of the world. Commercialization has begun targeting students' spending habits a very long time ago. (IFIM Students Lifestyle and Spending Habits, 2009) According to a study conducted by a bank and financial institution, youths fork over money to buy cellphone load, to play computer games at Internet cafes and to buy cigarettes and alcohol. They also spend money on going out and on clothes and accessories. (TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News, 2010) Teens hang out and shop. Teens are active consumers in terms of the money they spend, as well as in the influence they wield in their families and on societal trends. Despite being raised in a period of rapid change, they display a remarkable self-confidence in their judgment. (Tempo, 2010) A lot of the number of students seem to wants what is the in trend, what people are doing or using right now. Most teens will usually have one or two sources of income, either allowance from their parents or a job. The answer to this question isn't found by looking at the income of the family or social status, it's more a way of living and rearing that the parents have given their children. (Felipe, 2007) Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage, explained Ming Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research Director. The TRU study reminds us the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored, added Gary de Ocampo, TNS Philippines Managing Director.

Past 30-day spending among teens showed that...THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 2011: To most Filipino teens, imported brands wield no advantage over local ones, or vice versa. This was among the findings laid out in the first Philippine study by global youth research organization TRU (Teens Research Unlimited), a company under global leader in custom market research TNS.The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition revealed that approximately 9 out of 10 teenagers see local brands as being at par with other imported US brands. Filipino clothing brand Bench, perceived to be ground-breaking, innovative and of top quality, bagged the coveted number one spot in teens list of favorite brands, followed by Nike, Adidas, Jag Jeans, Jollibee, Lee, Levis, Avon, Natasha, and Nokia.Furthermore, the study found that 60% of teens surveyed equate certain brand names with quality and believe that it is important to use branded products. The remaining 40% will not automatically shun an unknown brand, particularly if it happens to meet their other requirements.TRU conducted its Philippine research on a nationwide sample of 1,000 interviews with teens across socio-economic classes, and covering both rural and urban areas.The study looked into the spending habits of Filipino teens, which comprise 16% of the countrys population. Because of the sheer size of the teen demographic, the study highlighted that Filipino teens are a high-value segment in terms of purchasing power except that their spending is still subject to their parents approval and more importantly, their spending capacity. On average, a Filipino teen spends about PHP278 per week, which amounts to roughly PHP224 billion annually.Despite the Filipino teens having limited budget to spend, low price does not necessarily make any brand a shoo-in for their patronage, explained Ming Barcelona, TNS Philippines Associate Research Director who is the local point person for TRU. The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition is a great resource for brands and marketing professionals looking to tap the Filipino teen demographic. It provides an understanding of and unparalleled insight into the lives of the Filipino teens.Due to various influences from globalization, Filipino teens, as expected, admitted to fully embracing technology, ranking social networking sites (81%), multi-player online games (78%), online photo sharing (75%), PC games (76%) and Smartphones (67%) as the hottest trends today.Mobile phones are the teens gadget of choice due to their functionality and relative affordability. Majority of Filipino teens own mobile phones, among which the Nokia brand dominates, accounting for 75% of all handsets currently owned by Filipino teens. The TRU study noted, however, that despite this brands market penetration, there is still much room for growth in the market, especially for affordable but quality phone offerings.The TRU Study: 2011 Philippines Teen Edition also discovered that regardless of how society is evolving, Filipino teens still give importance to family (89%), religion/faith (86%) and personal well-being (84%). These findings transcend gender, age, economic status and geographic differences.The TRU study showed that Filipino teens have a keen awareness of issues that plague the country. Key social concerns include crime (50%), child abuse (38%), and drug abuse (32%). AIDS is also a source of worry, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao; meanwhile teens belonging to the upper class cite climate change/global warming (39%) as a concern. They view education as a major consideration as well, with 8 out of 10 teens believing that getting ahead in life would be difficult without it.The results of the TRU study remind us that the mindsets, preferences and purchasing habits of Filipino teens, whether on brand values, the latest product offerings, or on values and social issues should not be ignored, added Gary de Ocampo, TNS Philippines Managing Director. And because they represent a significant percentage of the Philippine population, teens will continue to play a big role in shaping the future of business success and the Filipino society.- See more at: http://www.adobomagazine.com/its-tru-bench-nike-and-adidas-top-brands-filipino-teens#sthash.jT1MjPy5.dpuf