The Knowledge to Decide

West Africa’s Ebola outbreak is the largest in history, ravaging multiple countries. A glimmer of hope has emerged in the form of the experimental vaccines that are being rushed to the affected areas. Can the virus be contained and if so how? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views in The Business Times – Views from the Top on what Asia should be doing to maximize Ebola-preparedness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 13,268 Ebola cases have been reported in eight countries, resulting in 4,960 deaths so far. Perera commented that Ebola has so far gripped three West African countries namely Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Needless to say, the inter-country transport links for these countries are developed to such an extent that they help spread the virus. But these countries still lack healthcare systems to cope with an epidemic like this. At the same time, Ebola – unlike Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to achieve regional economic integration by creating a single-market economy for freer movement of investments, skilled labor, capital as well as goods and services. Countries that possess qualified business resources are sure to benefit from this move. Is Indonesia prepared to provide a qualified workforce? Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views on Indonesia’s Koran Sindo. Indonesia – being one of the largest economies in the world – is set to become a major player in the region. However, the nation must gear up to face the upcoming regional integration for not only commodities and services but also manpower. Bahar opined that although the Indonesian workforce – which totals 90 million people – is acknowledged in terms of knowledge and professionalism abroad – at home – they get only minimum wage. This is why Indonesians need to adopt a more professional outlook and learn from the

Asia’s mobile market is poised for growth. As competition intensifies, brands are increasingly customizing their approaches to the unique needs of the Asian mobile customer. Spire Research and Consulting shared insights on key trends in Asia’s vast mobile market, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog. Global mobile technology brands are excited about the 85% mobile phone penetration in vast countries like India, China and Indonesia. At the same time, there are still over 400 million people in Asia who do not have a mobile phone, which suggests plenty of room to grow. What will set top brands apart? Three brands are taking the competition to a whole new level in the region and here is how: Xiaomi is a popular Chinese brand which has made headway into the Indian market with its recent fourth flash sale – marking a record 11,500 mobile phone units sold per second! Xiaomi’s popularity stems from its low price points ranging between USD200 and USD300, combine

In contrast with the US and Europe, bargaining over prices is the norm in China’s small consumer electronics retailers. Spire Research and Consulting posted a commentary on how Western brands should sell their consumer electronics products in China, published on the US Consumer Electronics Association’s blog. Chinese adults spend an average of USD917 on consumer electronics, compared to USD483 in the US. Over 60 per cent of China’s population will continue to spend more on this category. In Chinese computer and consumer electronics retailers, bargaining is a common practice. This stands in contrast to the American and European norm, where consumers are used to fixed prices, whether at large retailers or e-tailers. This is due to the saturation of retailers in the Chinese market. These retailers sell high-end consumer electronic items such as laptops, cameras, tablets, mobile phones and so forth at negotiable prices. So how do western vendors keep up with the competition?

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Indonesia make up much of the nation’s economic and employment activity. MSEs constitute 98% of all businesses and provide 94% of employment. To explore the market potential of this ‘unbanked’ segment, Spire Research and Consulting conducted a study to evaluate potential demand for Mobile Money and Branchless Banking services (MM & BB). The findings of the study were published in a report released by TNP2K, a public-private coalition of Indonesian and international agencies working towards poverty reduction. Spire’s study was conducted across four provinces, namely Bali, South Sulawesi, West Java and South Sumatra. 400 survey interviews with MSE owners and 16 Focus group discussions were conducted in August and September 2013. The findings revealed that MSEs can potentially make use of a number of MM & BB services wherein neither the gender nor the province of the MSE owner would be a hindrance. This is due to the fact that women fo

In mid-2014,  Spire Research and Consulting  collaborated with global education service provider Pearson for the second time, to conduct a study of 5,145 teachers in schools and higher education institutes across 247 cities in India. The study revealed that teachers ranked skill and personality development as the most important area to focus on for improving learner outcomes. The Pearson-Spire study revealed that nearly 50 percent of students who had entered a classroom lacked the academic, vocational and cognitive skills requisite for that level. This implied that most learning environments were failing their students. In spite of these sobering findings, most teachers (79 percent) still perceived a noted improvement in India’s learning environment over the past decade. These improvements were noted to have come about through the practical exposure gained by teachers, teaching combined with technology, teacher training on new methodologies as well as an improved curriculum a

As the ASEAN region’s demand for coal surges, will the region be able to meet its future energy needs at a sustainable cost?  Leon Perera , Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts on the outlook for energy demand in ASEAN for China Daily – Asia Weekly. ASEAN’s demand for coal is expected to triple to account for nearly 30 percent of global energy growth. Coal is a popular fuel source, thanks to its abundance and cost competitiveness. The share of coal in electricity generation is likely to spike from one-third of total output today to almost half in 2035. Perera opined that  energy growth  is a function of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – which in this case will be driven by the expanding economies of Thailand and Indonesia, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam. All of these economies have substantial room for energy demand growth, due to their growing from a low GDP per capita base and with urbanization and industrialization still not h

India’s emerging cranberry market has caught the eye of The Cranberry Marketing Association,  USA . Spire Research and Consulting was commissioned by the Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) to explore the potential of the Indian consumer market. The findings were shared on Fresh Plaza’s website, including measures taken to create a niche market for US-grown cranberry and related products. The Cranberry Marketing Association USA recently received grant support under the Emerging Markets Program (EMP) from the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to commence a technical and educational program in  India . Spire Research and Consulting was then tasked by the CMC to explore the potential of U.S.-grown cranberry and related products in India’s market. Spire’s research clearly indicated that the market for cranberry products clustered around major Tier-1 cities in India; namely Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. This was primarily due to the presence of gourmet food stores and co

Ageing populations remain a key trend in most East Asian countries. Many age-friendly and accessible products are available on the  market . What new frontiers are yet to be explored in Asia’s silver market? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his views in The Business Times – Top Stories on how marketers should tackle Asia’s silver market. According to the Asia-Pacific Silver Economy Business Opportunities Report 2013, the projected household savings of over-60’s senior citizens is set to reach USD974 billion in Japan, USD37 billion in Singapore and USD148 billion in South Korea by 2017. At the same time, senior citizens in their mid-60’s and younger – otherwise known as baby boomers – are often healthier, wealthier and better educated. They also tend to have diverse tastes and aspirations which marketers can tap into. Perera opined that it is crucial to develop standards in elderly nutrition, eldercare and living conditions in homes

Obesity is a growing threat to quality of life, healthcare systems and economies across Asia. Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts on the implications of rising obesity levels in Asia in China Daily – Asia Weekly. According to a study by Cornell University in 2012, the U.S. spent USD190 billion a year on obesity-related healthcare. An epidemic long thought to affect only the western world has gradually crept onto Asian shores. Traditional food products are now being replaced by processed  foods and fast foods  in many parts of Asia. Perera commented that obesity is strongly linked to ailments such as Type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions. Obesity has also been linked to a rise in absenteeism and medical insurance costs. Though the impact of obesity on Asia’s healthcare expenditures is currently lower than it is in the U.S., it is on the rise. Urbanization has driven the consumption of sugary and fatty foods and