This document discusses changing attitudes towards money and careers among young Asians aged 18-35. It finds that they prioritize happiness and passion over making money. They see money as a means to an end rather than the goal. Careers are chosen based on interest not salary. Experiences through travel are valued more than possessions. They expect to change paths frequently and money is meant to enable exploration not anchor them. Banks are advised to enable passions instead of prudence and support flexible career paths.

1. CLOSING THE
MONEY GAP
Kyle@SuburbanDollar.com@flickr.com

2. OF 18-35 YEAR OLDS IN ASIA BELIEVE
HAPPINESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN
MAKING MONEY
78%
Source: GenerationAsia a proprietary study of 32,000 Asians by Y&R+VML
PEOPLE ARE MOVING BEYOND BEING
OBSSESSED WITH MONEY
frankieleon@flickr.com

3. AND BANKERS ARE BEING TAUGHT THAT YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC
An academic manager for a course on banking and financial
services in Singapore
THE YOUNG WILL BE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THEIR
LIFESTYLE. THINKING NOTHING BAD WILL
HAPPEN TO THEM, THEY COULD END UP IN
DEBT, OR WORSE, BANKRUPT

4. LOST IN TRANSLATION
BANK SPEAK PEOPLE SPEAK

5. BANKS
INSURANCE
CREDIT
CARDS
85
49
43
85
39
72
Source: BAV 2014 China (Age 18-34); BAV 2014 Indonesia (Age 18-34)
CONSUMERS HAVE A LOW PERCEPTION OF
BRANDS IN THE FINANCE CATEGORY
RANK OUT OF 115 CATEGORIES RANK OUT OF 94 CATEGORIES

6. MOTOR OIL AND
LUBRICANTS
HOME CARE AND
CLEANING
DELIVERY
SERVICE
COMPANIES
GASOLINE/
PETROLEUM
STATIONERY
LAUNDRY
PRODUCTS
CAR BATTERIES
AND TYRES
NEWSPAPER AND
MAGAZINES
KITCHENWARE
Source: BAV 2014 China (Age 18-34); BAV 2014 Indonesia (Age 18-34); BAV India 2013 (18-34)
Ranking based on Brand Strength
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING HAS TURNED
MONEY INTO A LOW INVOLVEMENT CATEGORY
FINANCIAL SERVICE BRANDS RANK ON PAR WITH:

7. PHILIPPINES
3%
HONG KONG
5%
SINGAPORE
2-3%
CHINA
10%
LUCKILY, THERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETAIN
POTENTIALS RATHER THAN CHASE PROSPECTS
THINKING OF CHANGING MY BANK
Source: Ernst & Young (Retail Banking in Asia Pac, 2010)
Craig_Sunter@flickr.com

8. GenerationAsia
INSIGHTS UNCOVERED THROUGH:
Talked, shopped, planned and
argued with people across China,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,
Philippines and Singapore
The world’s largest study of connected
Asians. 32,000 adults across China,
Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South
Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
The world’s largest consumer
study of brands in Asia, covering
China, India, Indonesia, South
Korea, and Thailand.

9. A FINANCIAL PLAN IS IMPORTANT
73%
I KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS
46%
EDUCATION ISN’T THE ANSWER
FutUndBeidl@flickr.com

10. THE NEW PERCEPTION OF MONEY
THE NEW ROLE OF MONEY
THE NEW PURPOSE OF MONEY
UNDERSTANDING:
PaulCunningham@flickr.com

11. 1. LIFE IS NOW
MaryBailey@flickr.com

12. MONEY
ENABLES
FREEDOM
ShehalJoseph@flickr.com

13. I DON’T SEE MONEY AS ANYTHING MORE THAN A TOOL TO HELP ME HAVE A SELF-
SUSTAINING LIVELIHOOD. UNLIKE OUR PARENTS, THERE IS NO POINT CHASING AFTER
WEALTH—I WOULD WANT TO HAVE JUST ENOUGH SO THAT I DON’T HAVE TO DEPEND
ON ANYONE OR ANYTHING – Jim, 24, India

14. THE TRADITIONAL PATH TO
WEALTH IS SEEN AS ROOTED IN
THE LATER NOT IN THE
PRESENT
PicturesofMoney@flickr.com

15. THE IDEA OF WORKING LONG HOURS TO MAKE MORE MONEY DOES NOT APPEAL TO
ME… I SAW MY MUM AND DAD MAKE MONEY BY WORKING REALLY HARD (HER PARENTS
ARE SELF-MADE SEAFOOD RETAILERS), BUT MY VALUES ARE DIFFERENT… MONEY AND
WORK ARE NOT THE BE ALL AND END ALL. IF YOU PUT ALL YOUR EFFORT INTO MAKING
MONEY YOU LOSE SENSE OF WHAT YOU ARE LIVING FOR – Tina, 27, China

16. YOUTH IS THE TIME FOR
EXPLORATION - NOT TO BE TIED
DOWN WITH COMMITMENTS
PhilDolby@flickr.com

17. I DON’T NEED TO EARN A LOT. I WOULD BE HAPPY IF MONEY COULD COVER THE
NECESSITIES AND LET ME DO WHAT I WANT – Melvin, 24, Singapore

18.  SEE PARENTS AS THEIR SAFETY NET
 MONEY IS AN ENABLER, NOT TO BE ACCUMULATED
 LIFE, NOT MONEY, IS THE FILTER
BEHAVIOUR

19. MONEY IS NOT MULTI-GENERATIONAL THE PREVIOUS
GENERATION’S SUCCESS IN ACCUMULATING MONEY MEANS THIS
GENERATION DOES NOT WORRY ABOUT THEIR FINANCIAL
FUTURE. MONEY IS NOT A GOAL FOR THEM.
TRUTH

20. BE A PARTNER IN SELF-EXPLORATION,
CONNECT TO AMBITION RATHER THAN PRUDENCE OR IMPULSE
OPPORTUNITY

21. 2. PASSION IS THE
DESTINATION
craftivistcollective@flickr.com

22. ONE DAY I HOPE TO DO GREAT THINGS TO
IMPACT LIVES
82%
Source: GenerationAsia a proprietary study of 32,000 Asians by Y&R+VML
IMPACT RATHER THAN MONEY IS THE
AMBITION HERE
craftivistcollective@flickr.com

23. PASSIONS HAVE MOVED FROM
BEING HOBBIES TO BEING THE
CENTRE OF LIFE
LelandFrancisco@flickr.com

24. …IN FACT IT’S VERY CRUCIAL FOR US TO FIND WHAT WE LOVE. UNLIKE YOUR GENERATION,
I DOUBT OUR GENERATION WILL HAVE THE LUXURY OF A RETIREMENT. EVEN IF WE CAN
AFFORD IT, I AM SURE MAKING A CAREER OUT OF OUR PASSIONS MEANS THAT WE WILL
CONTINUE WORKING AND EARNING AS LONG OUR BODIES ALLOW US TO – Ashish, 23, India

25. PASSION DEFINES MY CAREER
RyanLi@flickr.com

26. WHEN I’M 40, I WANT TO TO BE DOING SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH BEING A
WORKAHOLIC FOR
– Yi, 23, Singapore

27. DAY AND NIGHT
AnthonyEaston@flickr.com

28. IF I CAN EARN MONEY FROM DOING THE THINGS THAT I LOVE TO DO, WHY NOT? FOR ME,
THERE’S NO WORK HARD-PLAY HARD, IT’S ALWAYS PLAY HARD FOR ME, BECAUSE I
LOVE WHAT I DO – Febi, 24, Indonesia

29. SATISFACTION IS ABOUT SELF-
FULFILLMENT
GeorgiePauwels@flickr.com

30. TO ME, A CAREER IS NOT A LADDER TO CLIMB. A CAREER IS THE IMPACT I CAN MAKE. I
AM SATISFIED SO LONG AS I CAN ACHIEVE WHAT I WANT BEFORE I DIE… I WANT TO
HAVE IMPROVED SINGAPORE BY THE TIME I’M 40... BY THEN, SECONDARY SCHOOL KIDS
WILL BE GETTING THEIR FIRST/SECOND JOBS. THAT WILL BE THE FIRST INDICATOR OF
SUCCESS IN MY LIFE
– Ying, 23, Singapore

31. THE CATEGORY’S STRENGTHS ARE DISASSOCIATED
FROM WHAT ACTUALLY CONNECTS WITH YOUTH
Source: BAV 2014 China (Age 18-34); BAV 2014 Indonesia (Age 18-34); BAV India 2013 (Age 18-34)
• Trustworthy
• High Quality
• Upper Class
• Customer Caring
• Socially
Responsible
• Progressive
• Up-to-date
• High Performance
• Best Brand
• Worth MoreSTRONG
ATTRIBUTES
WEAK
ATTRIBUTES

32.  THEY LOOK FOR THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT INSPIRE PASSION
 MONEY IS A MEANS NOT AN END
 THEY WANT MONEY TO ENABLE PASSION, NOT SACRIFICE IT
BEHAVIOUR

33. STATUS IS NOT MONEY THIS FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT IN THEIR
IDEA OF SUCCESS MEANS THAT THEY EXPECT TO BE RESPECTED
FOR SEARCHING FOR OR ACHIEVING SATISFACTION, NOT PURELY
BASED ON THE MONEY THEY’VE MADE
TRUTH

34. TO GAIN ENGAGEMENT AND CREDIBILITY BY ENABLING DAILY
DELIVERY OF PASSIONS (NOT IMPULSE)
OPPORTUNITY

35. 3. EXPERIENCES
ARE INVESTMENTS
Qrator@flickr.com

36. LUXURY IS HAVING NEW EXPERIENCES
80%
Source: GenerationAsia a proprietary study of 32,000 Asians by Y&R+VML
EXPERIENCES ARE THE INPUT INTO LIFE
MichaelHimbeault@flickr.com

37. EXPERIENCE ISN’T ABOUT
INDULGENCE
alwaysmnky@flickr.com

38. I WOULD SPEND THAT MONEY ON TRAVELLING. YEAH! I THINK THE BEST INVESTMENT THAT
ANYONE CAN MAKE AT MY AGE IS TRAVELLING, EXPANDING THEIR HORIZONS AND
OUTLOOK TOWARDS LIFE. THERE HASN’T BEEN A SINGLE TRIP WHICH HAS NOT AFFECTED
ME. I AM WHAT I AM LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE PLACES I HAVE TRAVELLED TO AND THE
PEOPLE I HAVE MET. I THINK ALL THESE EXPERIENCES WILL HELP IN THE FUTURE FOR
SURE – Jim, 24, India

39. EXPERIENCES SHAPE LIVES
AND THEIR CHOICES
GeorgiePauwels@flickr.com

40. I SAVED FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE I LEFT WITH ABOUT S$450 TO SPEND DURING THE
WEEK I WAS THERE. WAS IT WORTH SPENDING MY SAVINGS ON? YES!!!
– Satish, 21, Singapore

41. LIKE TO BE THE FIRST TO TRY NEW THINGS
76%
Source: GenerationAsia a proprietary study of 32,000 Asians by Y&R+VML
RAPID ADAPTATION TO CHANGES IN
THEIR WORLD
spivaartworkers@flickr.com

42. A MINDSET, NOT JUST A PHASE,
OF EXPERIMENTATION
FrankieRoberto@flickr.com

43. I AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I’M GOING TO DO LATER ON. BUT I’M DEFINITELY
NOT PLANNING TO WORK AS AN EMPLOYEE. CURRENTLY I STILL LIKE WHAT I DO, SO I JUST
STICK AROUND….THIS IS TEMPORARY YOU KNOW – Icha, 25, Indonesia

44. FULLY COMMITTED FOR THE
SHORT TERM
jamiesrabbits@flickr.com

45. RIGHT NOW, I WORK IN ADVERTISING BECAUSE IT REALLY INTERESTS ME BUT I KNOW
MYSELF. THIS CAREER CHOICE MIGHT BE A PASSING FANCY. TOMORROW SOMETHING
ELSE MIGHT INTEREST ME AND I WILL NOT HESITATE TO JUMP INTO THAT PROFESSION
OR HOBBY – Mohan, 24, India

46.  MONEY AS A LIBERATOR
 SWITCHING HORSES IS THE NORM, NOT THE EXCEPTION
 MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT CHASING IT ISN’T
BEHAVIOUR

47. MONEY SHOULD BE A LIBERATOR – IT’S NOT
MEANT TO BE AN ANCHOR. THEY EXPECT MONEY
FROM VARIOUS SOURCES TO ENABLE THEIR
PURSUIT OF DISCOVERY
TRUTH

48. TO BE A BRAND THAT SUPPORTS THE VIEW THAT MONEY’S
PURPOSE IS TO CREATE THE DOTS WHICH WILL CONNECT LATER
OPPORTUNITY

49. 1. NOW DOESN’T MEAN IMPULSIVE
2. SATISFACTION IS SUCCESS
3. MONEY IS JUST PAPER WITHOUT PASSION
4. RETURNS FROM INVESTMENT AREN’T ALWAYS FINANCIAL
5. THE LONG TERM IS ABOUT CONSTANT CHANGE
LESSONS FROM FUTURE EARNERS

50. 1. BE A PARTNER IN SELF-EXPLORATION
2. CONNECT TO AMBITION RATHER THAN PRUDENCE
3. TO GAIN ENGAGEMENT AND CREDIBILITY BY ENABLING DAILY DELIVERY OF PASSIONS
(NOT IMPULSE)
4. TO BE A BRAND WHICH SUPPORTS THE VIEW THAT MONEY’S PURPOSE IS TO HELP
CREATE THE DOTS WHICH WILL CONNECT LATER
THE OPPORTUNITIES

51. HOW WE CAN PARTNER
JDHancock@flickr.com

52. BRAND DEVELOPMENT:
MEASURE how consumers view your brand across 48 dimensions, using methodology from the
world’s largest consumer study of brands.
CONNECT Inspire love and respect for your brand by giving you an action report using an in-depth
analysis of your brand including Brand Imagery and Social Listening
COMPLETE the picture by creating clear brand architectures for all your brands and sub-brands
and positioning to various audience segments using your data and our strategic expertise

53. INSIGHT + INNOVATION:
UNCOVER insights specific to your brand, market and products using our proprietary data, tools
and talent
CREATE clear strategies and communications for your brand to become irresistible to people who will
help you deliver business results and shareholder value
DEVELOP new products and services using insights, inspiration and collaboration. A series of
Innovation workshops that can help you reimagine your brand’s behavior and action

54. VML Singapore
VML India
Y&R China
Y&R India
Y&R Indonesia
Y&R Hong Kong
Y&R Philippines
Y&R Singapore
Email: GenerationAsia@yr.com