Consumers in the Philippines are among the most socially conscious shoppers in the world, a recent Nielsen study revealed.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility showed that the Philippines has the most number of consumers who are more willing to pay extra for products and services that come from socially responsible and environment friendly companies.
The Philippines ranked highest at 79 per cent, followed by Vietnam and Thailand at 73 per cent and 71 per cent, respectively.
“We see the strongest propensity to buy socially and environmentally responsible brands from consumers in emerging markets such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand where consumers face extreme levels of poverty and frequent encounters with natural and environmental disasters,” said Stuart Jamieson, Nielsen’s managing director in the Philippines.
Jamieson urged brands “to act fast to address this rising demand,” noting that consumers in the Philippines and other emerging markets are looking for brands which are committed to supporting local communities and improving the state of the environment.
The study also revealed that in the past six months, 76 per cent of Filipinos bought at least one product or service because it was manufactured by a company committed to positive social and environmental impact.
Vietnamese consumers again ranked second highest in the Asia Pacific (third highest globally) with 68 per cent; Thais with 66 per cent; and Indonesians with 61 per cent.
The Philippines also ranked highest globally in having consumers who check product packaging to ensure the brand is committed to positive social and environmental impact before deciding to purchase it.
“Consumers are highly influenced and informed by packaging when it comes to recognizing socially and environmentally conscious brands. To help consumers in their purchasing decisions, brand owners need to clearly state their position on and commitment to such causes,” said Jamieson.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility polled 30,000 consumers with online access in 60 countries across the Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America.
Nielsen clarified that the online-based study provides a perspective only on the habits of existing Internet users and not total populations, and is dependent on claimed behavior rather than actual metered data.
The survey was conducted between February 17 and March 7, 2014.
