Brands not adequately addressing the key decision-makers in SEA: women

Despite this, women are still under-marketed to, said Christine Fellowes, MD, Asia Pacific for Universal Network. "Women want to be listened to because they are making the big ticket purchase decisions," she said. 

In Singapore, the 'High-Heeled Warriors' report found, one in three women surveyed reported being the chief income earner of the household. The number of women in senior-management roles in Singapore is also higher than the global average, said NBCUniversal, citing a Grant Thornton study. In fact, 57 per cent of Singaporean women have brought property, higher than the regional average of 41 per cent.

According to the study, 66 per cent of Singaporean women own at least one luxury product and spend upwards of US$2,100 on luxury goods every year. Their brands of choice include Kate Spade, Burberry, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Longchamp. Singaporean women on average spend a generous $370 on personal care products per month with favourite brands including SKII, Biore and Johnson’s.

In Indonesia, 67 per cent of Indonesian women said they own at least one luxury product, spending upwards of US$1,482 on luxury goods annually. The top luxury brands in Indonesia include Burberry, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes and LV. When it comes to personal care, women in Indonesia spend $270 on personal care, with Maybelline emerging as the top cosmetic brand.

In Malaysia 55 per cent of the women reported to own at least one luxury product and fork out more than US$1,433 on high-end brands. The top brands in the country include Burberry, LV, Longchamp and Gucci. Women in Malaysia spend close to US$ 286 on personal grooming and showed a preference for Johnson's, L'Oreal and Vaseline. Maybelline was the top cosmetic brand.

Across the region, LV and Gucci were reported to be the most preferred brands. 

Based on their attitudes, the NBCUniversal research classified women into five distinct segments. ‘Trailblazers’ are big spending, career-focused women who consume a variety of media across multiple platforms. ‘Passionistas’ are defined as spontaneous and assertive. ‘Social siders’ are sociable and content. ‘Peacekeepers’ are traditional and risk averse while ‘heartwarmers’ are family-oriented.

Of the 3,000 women who participated in the survey and are aged between 20 and 44, Singapore reported having the highest number of ‘Passionistas’ while Hong Kong women were classified as big spenders. ‘Passionistas’ dominate in Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines  followed by ‘peackeepers’.

Fellowes added that pay-TV remains the leading choice for women to learn about new products and services.