Young consumers in Singapore

Abstract

Describes young Singapore consumers: they are easily bored, have a wide choice of TV, music and video games, and have income from part‐time jobs as well as their parents and grandparents (the “seven pockets”), while education is an important part of growing up in Singapore. Relates all this to the need for advertisers to make memorable advertisements which entertain youngsters and induce them to talk about the product; these young consumers should not be exploited, and advertisers should think of them as affluent adult consumers in the long term. Points out that successful brands are often inclusive, for instance karaoke is popular because it is a collective fun activity, while tools like MSN Messenger make it very easy for youngsters to develop friendly contacts. Shows how the connected nature of today’s youth makes them able to check the Internet for salesmen’s claims about their products, and warns the music industry against attempting to stamp out downloads: instead, use young people’s curiosity and communicativeness to let them follow and recommend music that they have heard.