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The youth market is critical not only to marketers marketing youth targeted products, but also all consumer products. Building brand awareness in youth has been a mainstay of mainstream consumer products and services marketers who wish to build brand loyalty not only now but for the future.

Certainly the youth market controls a still increasing proportion of disposable income thoughout most developed and developing countries in Asia. Entry level salaries are increasing from their very low levels of yesteryear, and middle to upper-class parents, contrary to common belief, are often very generous with allowances to their children.

But it is in building brand loyalty that the youth market has the largest potential. Banks in countries world-wide traditionally offer special "youth" accounts tailored for this market, losing on small bank balances early but gaining from the awareness of the brand when youth converts to mainstream accounts and services. CNN today offers a youth market program for much the same reasons, and Apple's strategy of donating their computers to schools, was the closest Apple came to winning the PC race with IBM and DOS/Windows a decade or so back.

The Thai youth market shares some common characteristics with other Asian and Western youth markets. Yet there are some major differences. Thai youth are perhaps the most fashionable of certainly their neighbours and perhaps most of Asia. The Thai advertising industry produces some of the most creative promotions in Asia, despite budgets that are extremely low. Thai youth attitudes are affected by the same Buddhist religious and national culture that pervades Thailand generally. In comparason to Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism, this culture encourages individualism, youthful idealism and tolerance and respect for divergent views. It also shares the respect for age and family. At the same time however, it is conservative - embracing change, ...but cha cha.. (slowly.. slowly..)

Marketers could do well to review the summary of this recent survey from ACNielsen on Thai youth attitudes. Reinforced is the very strong influence of Japanese role models and trends, mirroring the Japanese influence in business following Japan's massive investments in Thailand in the past couple of decades......

Earlier this year (April 2000), ACNielsen conducted a study to "better understand young Thai people's current lifestyle, values, interests, and opinions" and to "explore attitudes to the future" in terms of personal, family, and social impacts. Dubbed the "Millenium Buzz" project under the ACNielsen Activate brand, the results contain some interesting results, though based on a fairly small sample.

The methodology involved 4 Mini-Groups in Bangkok with respondents made up of students and young working adults aged 18-30 of both sexes. Five interviews with "Care-takers" & "Social Commentators" - parents, a high school teacher, a radio DJ, a fashion designer, and an artiste-singer were also adminstered. Mini-group interviews took 2 to 2 and a half hours and used projective techniques such as collages. picture sorting, life documentation (disposable cameras technique), and the "precious posessions" method. According to the interviewers, Thitaphol Chuathong & Chularatana Arthasarnprasit, "...the interviews were rich in their findings and highlighted the strong sense of roots, changing community and changing family values in contemporary Thailand...". The key findings are summarised below:

Coming out of the recession

The working adults reported hardships in coping with the economic crisis in terms of:

loss of business
paying off debts
tougher competition
higher education is not enough now, work experience is needed also when applying for a job

Materialistic Values

Teens, on the other hand, spent time and money collecting brand names.
Well known brands last longer, match what one’s friends are wearing, look modern, affluent
Today teenagers dress up more , try to follow fashions closely, dare to express themselves. "They are braver today" said a higher school teacher.

Influences

Fashion center - Japan
Influenced by TV, actresses, pop singers
A lot of people study abroad, and bring back influences

Changes

Higher standard of living
More educational options available with private colleges (High School teacher)
New techniques in education. Scientific approach/beliefs more effective
Don’t just believe what you are told, but value the truth. Believe what we see and hear
Now more variety of occupations
Housework easier - more facilities, washing machine, micro-wave, can buy readymade food
More working women, don’t care to rely on husband, have their own salary, own budget for spending
Now in marriage, women don’t just want to please their husband, but also want to be themselves

Changing Attitudes

Take care of health, and body. Care about food intake, make up (women)
More travel, tourism, to the beaches, forests, mountains, nature
Religion in bad shape, leaders behave badly
Not afraid of sinning
Problems, concerns, worries shared with friends, not family
People more ambitious now.
Both parents work, less time spent with kids, more tension at home
Mothers compensate by giving their children money or buy them things
Material things substitute for love
Things are easy to buy, so many shopping malls nowadays
Kids don’t know the concept of saving
Parents blame themselves, can’t scold children, want to avoid conflict
Parents feel if they are too strict, there will be too much pressure on the kids, affecting their education / mind, etc
May have to accept changes - can’t control them, only guide them, otherwise will do something and not tell you
Children hide things from their parents - pack clothes and change after tuition class
Children less confident now, closer to friends
They copy friends, can’t live without the acceptance of friends
Talk for a long on the telephone, even after midnight
Dress a certain way - to be accepted by the group
Used to live in large extended families with grandparents - now more and more people are living as nuclear families
10 years ago, people were more gentle, more respectful. Now they are more aggressive now, more self involved, think only of themselves

Today's heroes

Today’s teens want to be popular, like a pop star or actress on TV, model - someone who is creative, confident
Nicole is a very important symbol for the creative teenager - she is smart and energetic
Radio DJ important source for problem solving - someone to talk to

2010: Anticipated Changes

No borders any more between neighboring countries
People will love each other more, more afraid of wars
One language all over the world
Ideas will become similar globally, people will be smarter and adopt the same ideas

2010: Men vs Women

Women will be working more, more efficient and capable than men
Men and women will be more equal
Thai ladies will be leaders in decision making
People will live alone more, wont marry too soon, will want to be independent first
Live together and have many partners to try out

2010: Morals and Values

Looser morals, don’t care who they sleep with
Teenagers too bold, will like to shock people
Preserve the forests, no animal testing
Hope that people will be judged by their ability, not by their looks or personality

2010: The family

More in vitro babies
Wont live with grandparents, there’ll be fewer kids
Children will live away from home since an early age
Parents won’t control their kids much. Kids will be more independent and liberated

2010: Education

Lots more competition, kids will study harder
Education will be open to all, not just those with money

2010: Entertainment

More condos
Glass domed home - when it rains at night it will be so romantic
1000 seat theatres
Private viewing for 2
Movies in your home

2010: Fashion

Outrageous fashions, people will do a double take
Unisex, want look at each other
Men will wear lip gloss

2010: Eating Out

No restaurants, get food from vending machines
No waitresses. A screen will come up, just order what you want
Chilled drinks without refrigeration
Unusual foods, don’t gain weight
Concentrated nutrition so you don’t have to eat a lot
More natural foods, will get into your bloodstream faster

2010: Health Care

Surgery - so you don’t have to look old any more
1 medicine for all diseases
See the results immediately, especially skin treatment
Wont need doctors anymore, will have medicines with no side effects
Genetically modified products

2010: Product/Service Suggestions

Hair Care: (Men)
Driven by convenience
Shampoo with no water needed
Use shampoo and it lasts for 1 month
Hair Care: (Women)
Shampoo for wavy hair, for straight hair
Do it yourself - don’t need to go to the salon
Skin Care:
spray on lotion
spray or apply on tan - like a mask - which lasts 1-2 days
Will have masks, wont need to use make up any more
2-in-1 : cancer prevention and sunscreen, all in one
Internet:
The world will be smaller. Can see and buy everything on the internet
Can stay in bed and wait until they deliver it. No time wasted searching
Catalogues for the future season on the websites
Home pages with prices and where available
Services - Banks
Monthly interest, don’t have to wait a year
Micro-chip credit cards same as car key, ID card - like a bar code in the body
On line transactions from home, can see the teller’s face
Transactions on the telephone, give cash without leaving the house

Pace of Change

Both fashion and technology expected to change rapidly
Food is usually slower to change in all Asian countries
Banking a notable exception, though considered important
Health and personal care not as important nor expected to change much

What we have learned

Some optimism, some worry, some concerns about the future
That there will be significant changes, there is little doubt
Teenagers are following the textbook - using dress to express their biological coming of age, their independence from their parents
Almost magically, the weird teens transform into disciplined, socially attuned young working adults

Information from Asia Pacific Management News and ACNielson Thailand.