Gen Z in APAC believe in their power to spur change: study

McCann Worldgroup’s research exploring the attitudes and behaviours of Gen Z reveals a generation that, unlike earlier ones, has the power and tools to generate the changes in culture they seek and values creativity and brand empathy, according to the regional findings from its global “Truth About Generation Z” study, released to coincide with the UN’s International Youth Day.

Why it matters

Against a backdrop of being the first generation to live through a multi-dimensional crisis in a century, there remains a confidence and energy among Gen Z in Asia Pacific which outstrips the rest of the world and which gives rise to the expectation for creative and meaningful solutions from brands.

Six insights

• 89% of Gen Z in APAC believe they have the power to influence a global brand’s actions and behaviours for the better.
• Among them, Singapore and Indonesia top the list at 91% and 95% respectively.
• Globally, 74% of Gen Z share this sentiment about their generation’s power to influence.
• The No 1 word Gen Z use to describe a successful brand today is Creativity, as opposed to Trustworthy.
• 69% of APAC’s Gen Z always look for the next cool thing vs 60% globally, with Thailand ranking the highest globally at 84%.
• 77% in APAC feel a sense of responsibility to make a positive contribution to their community (Indonesia ranks highest at 98%).

Quote

“More than other generations, Gen Z say that they are willing to vote with their money and reward companies that care about the same things they care about. In this way, Gen Z see brands as powerful allies for change. While sharing some similarities with other regions, we see that Gen Z in Asia diverge significantly, having experienced a unique blend of relative prosperity, and rising pride in national and regional culture.” – Richard McCabe, Chief strategy officer, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific

Background

The global quantitative research included an APAC deep dive of 5,000 respondents aged 18–24 surveyed in China, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, and Australia along with qualitative interviews (completed in July 2021).