Singapore's top 10 digital brands report

Telcos, finance and technology companies continue to dominate Singapore’s digital advertising scene. The only newcomer to the top 10 was Apple, in at third place, which also scored higher for motivation than any other brand. Notably, just 16 per cent of respondents felt moved to action by SingTel and StarHub’s online initiatives.Though relatively sceptical, most Singaporeans (60 per cent) find digital media somewhat persuasive in all its forms.

Email and mobile advertising is more pervasive in Singapore than anywhere else, prompting a level of openness among consumers. SMS and  email messaging and email newsletters command a high national average of trust at 50 per cent, 64 per cent and 68 per cent respectively.

This may be a result of Singapore being the choice of many marketers to launch new technologies, especially those in the mobile sector, before expanding them elsewhere in the region. One such case is OCBC’s barcode scanning payment system for customers using Android phones.

Singaporeans are no different to their counterparts, however, in dismissing pop-up ads. Only 27 per cent recall seeing them, the lowest rate in Asia, and more than half of respondents say they have no trust in them. Whether this lack of trust is born from a lack of familiarity with the genre or whether it is a form of advertising that doesn’t sit well for other reasons is for marketers to investigate.

A positive attitude towards digital and other forms of advertising, such as that in newspapers and magazines, means that Singaporeans have the lowest faith in recommendations of family and friends. The forms of digital advertising most trusted by less developed markets - dedicated websites, banner ads and sponsored content  - generate more interest here and suggest that Singapore’s reputation as a testing ground for new digital offerings and advertising will only grow.

Top 10 brands

1. SingTel
2. StarHub
3. Apple
4. Singapore Airlines
5. KFC
6. DBS
7. Citibank
8. Nokia
9. OCBC
10. Sony

Top 10 motivating advertisers

1. Apple
2. Ikea
3. KFC
4. Standard Chartered Group
5. L'Oreal
6. Audi
7. Canon
8. Samsung
9. Nokia
10. Sony

Top 10 spenders

1. Nokia
2. Volkswagen
3. Apple
4. SingTel
5. Canon
6. OCBC
7. Starwood Hotels & Resorts
8. CIMB Bank
9. HSBC
10. Panasonic

Methodology

Research company TNS interviewed a total of 3,000 consumers, aged 15 to 39, across six Asian markets: China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore,Taiwan and Thailand.

Interviews were conducted online using an access panel provided by Lightspeed, a Kantar company.

The research had four main objectives:

• To understand consumer awareness of a brand’s digital presence in each market
• To examine the use of digital media by different brands in the region
• To assess the effect a brand’s digital presence has on influencing consumer choice
• To explore levels of consumer trust towards different media channels

Accurate representation of consumers was achieved via stratified sampling with quotas on age, gender and city in line with population distribution. The brands included in the survey comprise the top spending online advertisers in each market across all media, according to Nielsen’s advertising expenditure data.

This study therefore focuses on the digital presence of the top advertisers only. Those advertisers and brands not included in the list of top spenders are by default excluded from the study.