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How has the spread of the new coronavirus changed the lives of people in ASEAN? A Comparative Study of ASEAN Countries Reveals the ASEAN New Normal

• Release date: Jun 15, 2020
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The new coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world, and the WHO has declared March 11, 2020 to be a pandemic, calling for stronger countermeasures.
The WHO declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and called for stronger countermeasures. Various restrictions were put in place in various countries, and people's lives changed drastically. The new lifestyles and values that emerged during this period are expected to continue into the After Corona phase after the convergence.

In collaboration with TNC Corporation, INTAGE conducted a survey in three ASEAN countries (Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia) where many Japanese companies have advanced, and examined the New Normal (new lifestyles and values) that will be the key to developing products and services for the After Corona phase. This article describes the research conducted in each country. In this article, we introduce some of the results of the Internet surveys conducted in each country.

Movements of countries to date

This survey was conducted from May 1 to 7 in three countries, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, as well as in the United States, a developed country, for comparison.
First, let's check the main movements in the major cities of each country. The scale of infection and the scope of behavioral restrictions differ greatly.

Looking at the situation in early May, when the survey was conducted, in Vietnam, where early measures were taken to control the number of infected people, schools and recreational facilities were just beginning to reopen. In Indonesia, on the other hand, the number of infected people continued to grow, and the country was in the midst of large-scale social restrictions, including a ban on work in the workplace and restrictions on the number of passengers in private vehicles.

Although there are differences in the experiences during this period, people in each country were forced to make major behavioral changes and are still transitioning to new lifestyles as the restrictions are being eased.

Let's take a look at the data from the six themes we surveyed: values, hygiene and health, food, work and lifestyle, childcare and beauty, and transportation, with a particular focus on three changes that may be key to changing consumption in After Corona.

Key changes in the ASEAN New Normal (1) Change in the sense of distance from people and society

First, let's take a look at the values of sei-katsu-sha.
Figure 1 shows the results of the average score of the seven levels of applicability of the values, from [3] to [-3].

Chart 1

In all three countries, social awareness is high: "We should refrain from causing trouble for society," "Individuals should be willing to put up with a little for the sake of society," and "It is important to be aware of social issues.
In addition, "I will give priority to purchasing products from companies that contribute to society" and eco-consciousness are also higher than in the U.S., confirming the high level of awareness of "for the good of society" in the three ASEAN countries.

Next, let's take a look at the lifestyles they aspire to. (Chart 2)

Chart 2

In each country, the top priority was "a life that values family and connections with those closest to you," suggesting that family ties are being reevaluated in times of crisis.

The growing awareness of "for society," "for one's own country," and "for one's family" indicates that ASEAN countries are undergoing a shift toward "reevaluating the distance between people and society. As a result, the evaluation of a company's activities on social issues will come to influence the choice of brand (product).

For example, in Vietnam, the commercial of detergent manufacturer Seventh Generation, which was released on Facebook in April 2020, has become a hot topic. The usual advertising phrases such as "long-lasting scent" and "eye-catching packaging" are struck out, and the brand emphasizes its environmental consciousness by saying, "The reason why the scent is not long-lasting is because it is made from 100% natural ingredients" and "The reason why the packaging is not eye-catching is because it is made from recycled plastic packaging. We believe that such brands will continue to gain support in the future.

Key changes in the ASEAN New Normal (2) Change in awareness of cleanliness

Next, let's take a look at the results of the survey on hygiene and health.
Chart 3 shows the quarantine behaviors that people in each country reported as having increased due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

Chart 3

About 80% of the respondents in each country reported that they increased the number of times they washed their hands when they returned home. In Indonesia, in particular, people increased the number of times they cleaned, washed their clothes, showered, and took other preventive actions, indicating a change in behavior toward "staying clean.

In the Indonesian survey, in response to the request "Please send us photos of your favorite items purchased after the new coronavirus epidemic," we received photos of quarantine goods such as disinfectants and masks, cleaning tools, and home appliances such as washing machines and air purifiers. (Chart 4)

Chart 4

From these photos, we can see that awareness of quarantine and hygiene is increasing. Although low-cost laundry services (Kg Laundry) have been popular in Indonesia for a long time, people seem to have purchased them because of the impression that "my washing machine is clean. In addition, people enjoy wearing colorful masks to prevent epidemics.

In addition, many people mentioned wearing masks, washing hands frequently, using disinfectants, and using sanitizing detergents as possible remaining quarantine behaviors in the future. (Chart 5)

Chart 5

Based on the aforementioned values, it is thought that the rise in awareness of epidemic prevention and hygiene stems from the desire to protect oneself, one's immediate surroundings, and society from infectious diseases. It is likely that this awareness will continue to have a significant impact on the consumption behavior of ASEAN sei-katsu-sha in the future, as they try to enhance their immunity from the inside out to prevent themselves from contracting infectious diseases, enjoy quarantine prevention activities with fashionable masks, and incorporate sanitizing and disinfection-related products into their daily lives. In the midst of the spread of the new coronavirus, many countries have set social restrictions and promoted various behavioral changes. One of them is the promotion of remote work.
Figure 6 shows the results of a survey on work patterns under the spread of the new coronavirus in various countries.

Chart 6

In each country, 60~70% of the respondents answered that they are implementing remote work.

Next, we asked about changes in work styles after the convergence of Corona (Figure 7), and more than 50% of respondents, except for Vietnam, thought that remote work would increase. In Vietnam, many respondents answered that "staggered work hours will increase" instead. Although there seems to be a conservative view that "work styles will change, but not significantly," it seems that remote work will become a normal way of working for many people.

Chart 7

The other characteristic difference between the countries was the change in the popularity of side jobs. The new coronavirus epidemic has caused economic instability, and in Indonesia and Thailand, where side jobs have always been popular, it seems that side jobs will become even more popular in order to stabilize income.

Restrictions on going outside the home have also led to the use of e-commerce. When asked about new EC purchases since April, when the new coronavirus epidemic broke out, food delivery and foodstuffs were the top items. (Figure 8)
It is clear that people are using EC to order the things they need for their daily lives.

Let me give you one concrete example. In Indonesia, the popularity of grocery shopping services has grown among consumers who do not want to go out. One of the best examples is "Happy Fresh," which has developed into a grocery shopping service that works with many supermarkets, allowing customers to place orders online and have staff members purchase and deliver the items to their homes on their behalf. The number of users of this service has increased dramatically due to the new coronavirus, and some consumers have voiced concerns about lack of capacity.

As the distance traveled decreases with the introduction of remote work and the use of EC, the opposite increases: time. How will we use the increased time? We asked what kind of time has increased as a result of the new coronavirus epidemic. (Chart 9)

Chart 9

In particular, time spent with spouses, time spent on the Internet, and time spent cooking increased.

After the convergence of the infection, the restrictions on going outside will disappear, and the way people spend their time will become more diversified, but there will be a movement to reduce the distance they travel and change the way they spend their time. In addition, through this experience, some people will be able to spend more time on cooking.

In Vietnam, there is now a movement among young people to cook for themselves. The popular news site "kenh14" asked the question, "Can you cook a meal for three people for 50,000 VND (about 250 yen)? is the theme of the site, which introduces low-cost menus. In addition, sales of non-oil fryer cookers are on the rise.
Even in Indonesia, where there was no culture of cooking for oneself, many people took the opportunity to buy new cooking appliances and goods.

It also focuses on the new consumption brought about by the changing sense of time.

In addition to what is introduced in this article, the survey also captures the actual situation and changes in a wide range of fields in the three ASEAN countries, as well as new trends that are being seen in services in each country.
The survey revealed that sei-katsu-sha in each country have reaffirmed their appreciation for good health, have become more mindful of the people close to them, and have begun to seek spiritual enrichment.
I believe that corporate attitudes, services, and products that are in tune with such life-size consumers will attract sympathy and support. This analysis is based on the results of a voluntary survey conducted by Intage with the following design.
[Voluntary survey data from Intage's online research
Survey area: U.S. (all over the U.S.), Thailand (Greater Bangkok), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi), Indonesia (Jabodetabek)
Eligibility: Males and females aged 20-49, annual household income of $40,000 or more in the U.S., SEC (Socioeconomic Class) A and B in ASEAN
Sampling method: Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia were selected from Intage's ASIAN PANEL, and the U.S. was selected from dataSpring's panel and questionnaires were distributed.
Sample size: n=836 (U.S.) n=824 (Thailand) n=838 (Vietnam) n=829 (Indonesia) Survey period: May 1, 2020 to May 7, 2020

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