Keeping Up with Generation V, One of the World’s Youngest Populations

ACNielsen study identifies four key ‘youth’ segments: Saigon Cool, Traditionalists, Kids with Big Heads, and Hard Working Bees

1 April 2005
Ho Chi Minh City

With over 60% of Vietnam’s population – or around 50 million Vietnamese - under the age of 30, the future of brands rests in the hands of one of the world’s youngest populations , and understanding them will be key to success, according to research released today from ACNielsen, one of the world’s leading providers of consumer and marketing information.

“Attracting Vietnam’s youth to a brand and ensuring they engage with it into the future will be the key to long-term marketing success in Vietnam,” commented Chris Morle y, Managing Director, ACNielsen Vietnam.

In a recently conducted quantitative and qualitative research study interviewing 1,500 respondents aged 16-24 across six key cities in Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, ACNielsen identified four consumer segments within Vietnam’s youth population.

“The rapid rate of development in Vietnam is having a tremendous impact on young people’s lifestyles and attitudes, and therefore, their purchasing decisions.

ACNielsen developed the study to help clients keep pace with the most hard to reach group of consumers affected by these changes, and key to future brand health”.

Today’s rapid change is often found to be at odds with the rich traditions of the Vietnamese, resulting in a group of youngsters being pulled in many different directions in terms of attitudes and behaviour, with distinctly different segments emerging.

The ACNielsen study questioned Vietnam’s youth on a variety of topics, including their Attitudes, Desires and Motivations, as well as Brand and Category Usage and Media Consumption. Through the analysis of a wide range of attitudinal statements, ACNielsen identified four distinct consumer segments among Vietnam’s youth ;

1. Saigon Cool Baïn Treû Saøi Goøn
   As it is with the city of Saigon, this group is distinguished by their desire to incorporate both Western and Traditional Vietnamese elements into their lifestyles. Saigon Cool youngsters are the most image-conscious of all segments, believing unique brands reflect their personal style. They are more global and spontaneous in their outlook, and believe they have a rosy future regardless of their education level. While hanging out with friends discussing new trends and fashions is a key pas t time, spending time with family is equally important.
   
2. Traditionalists Truyeàn Thoáng
   Traditionalists, as the name suggests, have a traditional Vietnamese perspective on society. This doesn’t mean they’re likely to wear traditional clothes or want to turn the clock back, rather, it is an attitude that structures their lifestyles with a more conservative approach. They prefer to be well organised, and are more likely to be planning for the future with a higher proportion of them still in education. Personal status is very important for this group. They are likely to be attracted by goods that can show their higher status and are prepared to pay a higher price for well-known brands that reflect this.
   
3. Kids with Big Heads Treû To Ñaàu
   This group could also be referred to as the “Immatures”; they tend to have been shaped and cosseted by their parents, rarely having to think and make decisions for themselves. As a result, they tend to be quite carefree and naïve, with no clear vision for the future and are not proactive ly working towards it. This group believes  they are important within their social group and are quite opinionated as a result. In reality though, they are actually quite timid, not particularly sociable and difficult to build a rapport with. Kids with Big Heads tend not to be excited about new things and are more likely to chose close at hand and readily available, rather than exploring other options . They spend the least time shopping than other segments and have no brand preference or loyalty, thus are more easily attracted by promotions and are impulsive and passive purchasers.
   
4. Hard Working Bees Ong Chaêm Chæ
   The defining element of this group is the priority they place on planning for the future, and on higher education. They are aspirational, and willing to invest time and effort now to reap rewards later. This may mean putting other aspects of their lives temporarily on hold - such as love and fun - however they still have some time for relaxation, but priority will always be working for a better future.

“Understanding each of these segments is critical for brands and categories targeting the under 30s demographic, to help them fine-tune their marketing strategies to maximum effect. Furthermore, any company incorporating an Internet element into their advertising and communications campaigns needs to understand this very influential group. Internet penetration in Vietnam is growing at incredible rates (2571% from 2000-2005), and is currently 6.4%, or 5.34 million Vietnamese, and not far behind a lot of other Asian markets. The lion’s share of these Internet users will be in the under 30s age group. Getting it right now will ensure these youngsters carry their brands with th em into the future,” added Morley.