Individualism and a personalised way of life are central to the lives of Generation Asia: VML Qais report

Individualism, one’s aspirations and a personalised way of life, emerged as the central theme amongst 18-35 year olds in India, according to the attitudinal study for that demographic by VML Qais. The findings are part of VML Qais’ proprietary research Generation Asia, which were unveiled in India on 9 January.

The report states that "Generation Asia in India believe that their individual aspirations and their way of life are central to their lives, with India scoring highest among 9 Asian countries."

“India is at the crossroads as a society, and Generation Asia is at the centre of it, straddling two visions of the world. Born into a tradition dominated and community-centric society, India’s  18-35 year olds have witnessed rapid change in the socio-economic scenario leading them to shift away from the ‘we’ society to a ‘me’ lifestyle,” explained Rajeev Lochan, director - research, VML Qais Asia.

"This Generation feels optimistic about their personal future, realising their ambitions and believes in living for today without worrying too much about the future. Being seen as successful is very important. Experimental in nature, they want to be the first to try out new things and stand out from the crowd," continued Lochan, “The single most important life value for them is individualism, it’s more important than the spouse, friends or family. There’s a strong emphasis on personal aspirations and way of life,” he added.

Conducted by VML Qais, Generation Asia is an attitudinal study into the 18-35 year old demographic across nine Asian countries. It is promoted as Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of number of respondents, geographical coverage and in-depth insights into 16 key topics. Generation Asia India comprised of over 2000 respondents in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and was carried out in June-July 2012.

Commenting on what led VML Qais to focus on this demographic, Lochan, explained, “For a few years now there’s been talk of how Asia is starting to dominate world affairs, economically, socially and even culturally, and yet this powerful zeitgeist was not seen as the lens through which an entire Generation is going to view their own lives. And most importantly they are going to take decisions that define the future landscape of global society, as well as the fate of brands. This is what prompted VML Qais to identify and examine Generation Asia.”

The Generation Asia study focused on 16 key topics, namely: Automobiles, Beauty (Men & Women), Communication, Education, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Money, Health, Kids, Love, Luxury, Media, Sports, Technology and Travel.

Key insights from Generation Asia India 2012 include:

• 80 per cent prefer to bond only with a select few face to face, despite broadcasting their views on social media   
• 75 per cent feel that technology overload disconnects you from those around you
• 77 per cent watch sports with those who support their favourite sports star (preferring players over teams)
• 73 per cent trust social media over media, 74 per cent say friends would believe them rather than media brands 
• 79 per cent is willing to pay a premium for quality entertainment, as this generation is ready to experiment with new entertainment formats
• 67 per cent think supplements can help them get through stressful periods like exams or interviews, they give mental health importance due to their high stress lifestyle  
• 62 per cent of women find plastic surgery is an acceptable means of looking good as women move out of their family home to study, work and live independently
• 75 per cent of males think using skincare products is fine as their life is a perpetual race to meet work-life demands
• 78 per cent want to buy unique fashion brands to stand out
• 70 per cent spent most of their money buying whatever they want, whenever they want it, 78 per cent feel financial planning is about applying common sense to money
• 79 per cent feel street food is a convenient cheaper alternative to cooking food at home; driven by a busy convenience oriented lifestyle they show signs of moving away from traditional elaborate cooking routines
• 72 per cent feel kids can learn more through TV and interactive technology than from parents
• 75 per cent say luxury is all about having something that others don’t; 78 per cent choose luxury brands to reflect their own personality
• 79 per cent want to personalise their vehicle to reflect their individual taste as vehicle ownership represents personal growth and fulfilment
• 83 per cent say marriage is worth it only if your partner really makes you happy, all close relationships come with an expiry date, if you are not happy its ok to move on
• 83 per cent seek interesting experiences during their travels, and seek to discover the world while discovering themselves
• 71per cent believe college is a means to achieve good exam results
• 74 per cent believe education plays only a small role in career success