COMMON TONGUE

How APAC brands can build bridges and heal fractured societies

This article provides a window into a key development in the APAC region, detailing the trend’s anatomy, why it is relevant now, what brands are driving the movement, and of course, your key takeaway.

Our full 2023 APAC Trend Report features nine trends and dozens of innovations specific to Asia Pacific. The report is exclusively available to members of Amplify, our Trend Intelligence Platform.

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For communality, rethink comms

The rapid pace of economic growth across Asia Pacific has exacerbated existing social, economic and cultural disparity, and that's taking its toll on civic cohesion. It’s hard, if not impossible, to move towards a better future using yesteryear's words and modes of communication. A common language that can break down divisions and unite fractured societies has never been more crucial. The need for new lexicons doesn't stop there, extending to ecological and health challenges, too.

The role for brands? Build bridges by developing tools and frameworks that cut across divides and taboos to help people communicate and connect.

Why now?

POLARIZATION SEEPS IN
Renewed turmoil between China and Taiwan, anti-government uprisings in Sri Lanka and China, religious disputes in Indonesia, Myanmar and India, anti-monarchy demonstrations in Thailand — across the multi-ethnic Asia Pacific region, socio-political tensions are bubbling to the surface. Amidst these challenges, there's an urgent need to find common languages and cultural identities to resolve differences and cultivate cohesion.

LINGUISTIC DEVELOPMENT
Communication is in flux. Whether it’s new words, stickers or memes that offer a way to participate in (online) pop culture, new modes of comms can improve interaction. 51% of Australians and 56% of Koreans say that emojis better communicate their thoughts and feelings than words alone, but they don’t always go far enough. As digital worlds open up new channels — think metaverse, VR and AR — novel forms of storytelling could aid communities in addressing disputes and seeking social harmony.

STIGMA-SLASHING SYLLABLES
Worldwide, one in four employees worldwide experiences symptoms of burnout. In Asia, that figure is approaching one in three. One study found that up to 91% of individuals in China are dealing with issues related to psychological wellbeing. Since mental health problems are still taboo in many APAC countries, the need to discuss and destigmatize psychological struggles is increasingly urgent.

Paloma

Hair stylists are trained to have eco-conversations with customers

At Paloma, a hair salon in Sydney, conversations between stylists and clients are taking an eco-friendly turn. With a poster in the front window declaring the salon chats about "love, life & climate action," the salon engages customers in discussions about climate change. As of March 2023, over 400 hairdressers had attended workshops as part of the "A Brush With Climate" project, spearheaded by Paloma's owner. Climate scientists provided the training.

Heineken

Campaign urges young people to socialize with friends

In April 2023, Heineken launched its ‘Ghosted Bar’ campaign, aimed at young people in Asia. Created by LePub, the campaign video stars Korean actor Park Hyung Sik and highlights how people ‘ghost’ their friends due to work commitments. Research by Heineken, conducted by YouGov, found that 45% of young people in Singapore and Malaysia ghost friends because of work. The campaign seeks to encourage people to move away from the culture of overworking and emphasizes the importance of socializing.

Kotex

Game educates players about menstruation

May 2023 saw period care brand Kotex launch its Period Planet campaign aimed at debunking myths and educating people about menstruation. Period Planet is an interactive game created with Ogilvy Asia to navigate challenges related to periods, menstrual hygiene and puberty. Players can download avatars, receive free period products and track their cycles while completing the game's four levels. Launched in Australia for desktop and mobile, and accessible regardless of connectivity speeds, the campaign is rolling out to other APAC countries throughout the year.

Your key takeaways

When ‘what does sustainability mean?’ is still the most Googled sustainability-related phrase of the year, educators, governments, climate activists and business leaders are doing something wrong. While 87% of APAC consumers want to live more sustainably, they cite a lack of information as the biggest barrier to buying sustainable products. The intention is there, so how will you kickstart eco-conversations?
The pandemic exacerbated feelings of loneliness across the Asia Pacific. However, a persistent cultural emphasis on self-reliance can prevent people from speaking up. Heineken’s campaign encourages people to create space for a social life. Could you take it one step further by getting people to actually converse? Consider providing AI prompts to get people talking; it would cater to the 66% of APAC consumers who would seek advice from a generative AI tool on personal interactions or relationships.
With (mental) health topics remaining taboo in many APAC countries, initiatives that boost wellbeing need to be communicated accordingly. Utilizing fun is one approach, similar to how Period Planet offers menstrual education through light-hearted entertainment. Another is to communicate your message through the idols people already look up to. As ever, cultural context is key.

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