by Sam Waterfall – A snapshot of fast change in South East Asia

I’m just back from a brief 3-stop tour around South East Asia. In the region for nearly 2 weeks, I had a good chance to observe the retailers, meet consumers and speak to business leaders.

To me, what was most different to Europe was the palpable pace of change. While in Europe the buzz word is ‘austerity’ and everyone is cutting back, in South East Asia the buzz word is ‘prosperity’ and everyone is striding forwards.

Couple this with the Chinese New Year – The auspicious Year of the Dragon, no less – and South East Asia is ‘pedal-to-the-metal’ and accelerating away.

When I led a business trend session, I was delighted to be rewarded with the single most advanced client response I’ve ever received. As we travel the world many of the trends remain the same or similar, but in Indonesia we found new influences that certainly broke the mould:

K-Pop – The influence of the Korean pop scene is becoming evermore pervasive, impacting design and what is perceived as cool by Asia’s youth.

Status Sensitivity – it seems that everyone is looking for ways to ‘climb the social ladder’ – creating a huge importance for brands to make their users look good in the eyes of others.

Mobile Social Media – if you think you are social-savvy, think again. In South East Asia everything is social! We have a new connected generation and it’s changing everything. And of course, online doesn’t mean via a PC. Today it’s mobile. If you don’t have an app you are getting left behind. If you think that apps aren’t relevant to Foods and Beverages, you need to switch on before someone eats your lunch and your business.

Quick Fix – In a fast time, no one wants to wait for anything. So the closer you can get to instant delivery and instant benefits the better. It’s a big promise, but if you can deliver the prizes are big and they are waiting to be won.

Health & Image – While the health trend is in its infancy in South East Asia, its leading edge is manifested in those seeking to ‘look’ healthy and to be seen doing healthy things. This is sparking a fitness boom with more andmore gyms opening. This is paving the way for products which assist those seeking fast beauty and who want to look good on their way.

One final comment is that even trends themselves are changing. The prevalence of mobile social media means that news and new spreads at record speeds. The term “Hypes” describes ideas that come and go as fast as a wave of Tweets and shared links.

So the Year of the Dragon has arrived – and with it, no doubt, many exciting if short-lived Hypes – but if your brand can deliver instant, image enhancing benefits you will be on track to win in the world of prosperity in 2012 and beyond.