To better understand the conscious consumer and how brands can gain their trust and patronage, Synergy Marketing Research + Strategic Consultancy, the exclusive Philippine partner of YouGov, recently hosted Market (In)Sights at the Makati Diamond Residences.
Designed for CMOs and C-level executives, it revolved around the theme “Beyond the Shift: Strategic Insights for Growth in the Conscious Consumer Era”.
Spearheading the event was Germaine Reyes, Synergy president and CEO, who shared key consumer insights and delved into how underconsumption, the age of disconnection, brand trust and value-driven decisions are reshaping the buying behavior of consumers.
Joining Reyes as panelists were industry experts who generously shared their insights and perspectives: Chi Wei Teo, general manager of YouGov Singapore; Gino Borromeo, head of strategic communications at Ayala Corporation; and Norman Agatep, chairman and CEO of Grupo Agatep.
The event was moderated by Chenny Galano, president of The Rizal Academy for Innovation & Leadership.
Renzo Reyes, Synergy COO, welcomed the participants while Laura Robbie, president of YouGov Asia Pacific & MENAI, delivered the opening remarks remotely from the UK.
The event also marked the maiden launch of the 2025 Synergy-YouGov Awards, honoring brands that made significant and meaningful impacts in the Philippines throughout 2024.
This year’s winners were:
- Samsung — Best Brand in Total PH recognition
- Uniqlo Philippines — Best Buzz in the Fashion Retailer Sector
- Colgate Toothpaste — Most Talked About Brand in the Personal Care Sector
- Shopee — Most Talked About Brand in the E-commerce/M-commerce Sector)
- BPI — Most Reputable Brand in Financial Institutions and Services Sector
- Sun Life — Most Recommended Brand in the Insurance Sector
- Globe — Most Recommended Brand in the Telco Sector
Alongside the highlighted winners, many other brands were recognized across different award categories.
Key Consumer Insights
Among the key insights shared by Reyes was that the consumers’ main concern is financial constraints.
Due to the continuous hike in prices of goods and services, 9 in 10 Filipinos practice underconsumption activities through conscious and mindful spending or living the frugal minimalist lifestyle.
“Underconsumption is not just about spending less. But also spending for something durable and maximizing usage. They choose products primarily based on their quality, durability,” Reyes shares.
Consumers are cutting back on their purchases and expenses including eating out, clothing and footwear, non-alcoholic drinks, household cleaning laundry, packaged food, sanitary care, toiletries, health care products, mobile, and Internet service.
“For brands to stay relevant in an era of mindful spending, they should be ready to provide value to their goods and services by offering added benefits, convenience, and seamless payment system.
“They should ensure a delightful and innovative customer experience, promote health, well-being, and sustainability, and be willing to prove their trustworthiness,” she said.
A new challenge is the current age of disconnection. “To illustrate, 54 % are already current digital dieters, detoxers, and 30 % will be detoxing or considering to detox/diet in the future. Demographically-speaking, they are the Gen Zs,” Reyes explains.
She added that Gen Zs usually watch videos on social media, check mails, or do work related tasks but do take intentional breaks from their digital devices several times a day.
It is also worthy to note that there are generational differences on lifestyle and mindset/outlook. GenZs are more into looking for meaningful online activities, Millennials are into investing, and GenXers and Baby Boomers look for lifestyle and self-enhancement activities.
Given the digital dieting trend, brands can still promote trust and engagement and still connect with their market while ‘disconnected’, by offering awareness campaign using personal interaction such as fitness or food events, workshops, and other outdoor or experiential activities.
There is an untapped voice for inclusive progress called the ‘Silver Market’, a significant segment with high investable assets and ‘sexy’ for marketing given their new lease in life.
They have amazing selectivity plans and diverse interests, are socially responsible, and they belong to the 55 years old and above age bracket. They could be the gold mine for sustainability.
Comprising 19% of the Philippine population, the silver market’s top interests (e.g., health, medicine, food and drink, travel, national and international news, animals and nature) are aligned with their life stage. They prefer first-person purchases. Therefore, the use of traditional media like printed newspapers and magazines are still highly relevant for them.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Alpha Gen, or the so-called future decision makers and influencers who are into social media and online activities but may not yet be into digital detoxing. They are also on entertainment activities and not just products and services.
But the desires and worries of their parents show that they want them to be safe, healthy, in many aspects — mentally, physically, learned, financially capable, responsible, and for them to be socially and environmentally aware.
“So, brands should tap into this mindset of the parents and their aspirations for their alpha gen children and should invest meaningfully and be part of what’s good for tomorrow,” Reyes suggests.
Brand trust matters
For brands to navigate in this conscious market, there has to be trust, as it is every consumer’s key factor in purchase decisions.
The challenge to brand marketing now is how to build and grow that trust through authenticity in delivery of service.
Customer experience should be more humanized because for products and services to be included in consumers’ set of trusted brands is both an opportunity and a privilege.
“Brand trust is a marketing currency. Consumers are willing to pay more for a trusted brand,” Reyes adds.
“Trust should be the core of how brands operate and communicate. As digital fatigue increases, they should create trust through consistent human and values-aligned actions that reflect what the brand genuinely is, not just what they want to communicate about who they are, to remain afloat in an ever-shifting mindful market,” she concluded.
