Top 50 Most Discussed Consumer Brands in Q1 2021 Amid APAC's New Normal

Consumer brands like Shopee, Tiktok, and WhatsApp steamrolled their way to the top of the Asia Pacific ladder at the turn of this decade, while the stay-at-home lifestyle epitomized the importance of creating a unique digital experience for consumers.

Tech Brands are the Apex Players in the Market 🦖

At the end of March Q1, 40% of the brands in the top 10 were in the technology industry, with brands like WhatsApp, Google, Apple, and Zoom capturing a combined share of 21% of total online mentions out of all 50 brands.

This is an evident sign that consumers are inherently going to become more disposed to the applications of technology, especially in this day and age where the threat of Covid-19 has accelerated the need for digital transformation in both the home and workplace setting. 

WhatsApp led the charge in online mentions for the early parts of Q1, chiefly due to widespread confusion over the company’s rationale for delaying its privacy policy implementation. It sparked a massive outcry on social media as the mobile messaging company drew ire from internauts who theorized the breach of privacy through its “terms” of sharing personal data with Facebook.

Tiktok users are naturally represented as heavy social media users by default, with its seemingly intuitive app interface designed to entrap users through an endless compilation of user-generated entertainment. But when done with a social purpose in mind, its impact is more pronounced than any other communication tool currently available. With the aim to bring more Covid-19 awareness, grassroots organizers in Singapore worked with Tiktok on a campaign driven to reverse the effects of Covid-19 vaccine misinformation.

eCommerce is Driving the Digital Economy 🛒

When it comes to being top of mind in APAC, no other brand apart from Shopee commands its share of popularity online – securing 58% of the eCommerce pie for online mentions among the other 5 eCommerce brands featured, which includes Tokopedia, Lazada, and Amazon.

Shopee’s growth in the region has to be pinpointed to its ability to expand dynamically from the get-go, commanding strong buyer resonance as the source for cheaper, essential products – which fits the needs of consumers amid the current Covid reality. However, it’s not enough to just provide what consumers want, but much of their success boils down to how they uphold a consumer-centric ecosystem – with livestreaming at the forefront of their marketing strategy.

The increased demand for products in this stay-home climate means that consumers would instinctively seek out eCommerce sites in their purchasing decisions as convenient as they are. However, when it comes to market share, Shopee outperforms most other competitors by grabbing more of their users’ screen time, as much as 40% more each week. This digital engagement has sellers benefiting from Shopee Live and in turn getting buyers to be directly in contact with them.

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Stay-at-Home Industries Continue to Thrive in 2021, Q1 🏡

Even as more organizations are looking for employees to return to the office, Stay-at-Home industries continue to prosper in Q1 of 2021, and that benefited its related brands:

📦 eCommerce: Shopee (#1), Tokopedia (#10), Lazada (#15), Amazon (#16)
💌 Messaging Apps: WhatsApp (#3), Telegram (#11)
📼 Over-The-Top Media Services: Netflix (#4), Disney (#14), HBO (#38)
👩‍💻 Work-from-home: Zoom (#8), Microsoft (#22)
🎮 Gaming: Nintendo (#12), Playstation (#13), Xbox (#49)
🥡 Food Delivery: Foodpanda (#17), Grab (#19)

Social listening tools, like Digimind Social, can provide your marketing and digital strategy teams an edge above other competitors by continually monitoring consumer conversations on social media in the new normal, keeping a close eye on future trends, opportunities, and hot spots for innovation.