Thailand
Thailand: Tech generation gap
A study of the relationship between people and technology reveals a split in Thailand between those who believe tech companies clearly make a positive contribution to society and those who hold neutral or negative opinions of technology, according to the Asean communications agency Vero.
In a survey organised by Vero and the global market research firm YouGov, 50% of respondents in Thailand indicated that they believe technology has a more positive impact on society, 44% reported neutral sentiment, and 6% believe technology makes more of a negative impact.
“This study sheds light on how Thai people feel towards technology and identifies segments with differing perceptions, thereby allowing brands to adjust their communication strategies to match their target audience,” said Francisco Sosa Ajates, associate director at YouGov in Southeast Asia.
The same poll was also conducted in Indonesia and Vietnam, with similar demographic diversity. The response trends were broadly similar as well, with Thai people expressing more positive views than Indonesians but less than Vietnamese.
The respondent pool was made up of people in five regions (Bangkok, Central Thailand, the North, Northeast and South) and includes a representative range of social classes, education levels and age groups, with most belonging to Generations X, Y and Z.
The results were also segmented by generation and sex to find areas where they differ or align. For example, being older, male and higher-income all correlate with more positive feelings about tech’s impact on society.
ADVICE FOR TECH BRANDS
“At a time when digitisation is so important to the future of Thailand, and when tech companies are playing such a big role in society, there is room for tech brands to position themselves as positive contributors in making life better for people,” said Vero chief communication officer Pattanee Jeeriphab.
This is the second annual study Vero has conducted about how people view technology. It asked people about their perceptions and opinions on topics such as the factors that influence them to purchase tech products, their fears and concerns about technology, and the impact of Covid-19 on their behaviours and perceptions.
YouGov asked a series of questions to better understand how Covid-19 affected tech use and life habits in Thailand. At the time the survey was conducted, the coronavirus infection rate in Thailand was relatively low, yet 40% of respondents said that they use technology more today because of the Covid crisis and 28% said they would continue the habits adopted during the pandemic even after it is over.
It also worth noting that 43% of the respondents in Thailand say they now do most of their shopping online as a result of the Covid crisis, and 24% now say that contactless payment and delivery are very important to them.
The study also asked Thai people to discuss their concerns when purchasing tech products and services. Their most common concern is the likelihood of unknowingly buying counterfeit goods, shared by 48% of respondents, while 45% say that after-sales service is among their primary concerns, and 37% say the same about the possibility of data and security breaches.
CONTENT PREFERENCES
The study also sought to understand what types of information people in Thailand want from technology companies. The majority (57%) of respondents said they want stories about how technology is affecting health and safety.
Nearly as many (51%) want content that teaches them to use technology, while 48% want tech brands to share content about how they are improving society, 47% want content about real people using technology, 42% want inspiring content, and 35% want content that entertains them.
“The pandemic has created a desire for content about how to stay safe and well,” said Ms Pattanee, noting that in 2020 the most-desired content revolved around real people using technology.
“It is also interesting to note that being entertained is last on the list of desires for content from tech brands. Instead, the data indicates a desire to learn and gain knowledge about technology, likely because people realise that there are great benefits to being tech savvy today.” – Bangkok Post
The complete study is available for download on the Vero website, at https://bit.ly/38gP8Y0