In a study conducted by data analytics firm Agile Data Solutions Inc., 57 percent of Filipino consumers said ‘woke’ culture influences their buying patterns, among others, as they now prioritize aligning brands’ values with their own.
In addition, the poll divulged that 51 percent of the Filipino respondents said ‘woke’ content made them “more focused on who’s selling the goods and services rather than the actual products.”
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a ‘woke’ person is someone who’s “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”
Agile Data Solutions, through its data-gathering platform, Hustle PH, said it rolled out a study online in May 2023 to 600 Filipino participants aged 18 and above using the Hustle PH app.
In terms of market behavior, the survey revealed that 44 percent of the Filipino consumers surveyed are “more likely to support brand that share my values or promote social justice.”
Moreover, the study noted 30 percent reported avoiding purchasing from companies that had been “canceled” due to offensive or harmful behavior.
Merriam Webster dictionary defined “cancel” in the context of cancel culture as “to withdraw one’s support for (someone, such as a celebrity, or something, such as a company) publicly and especially on social media.”
In response to these findings, Jason Gaguan, founder of Agile Data Solutions said, “Businesses and organizations should recognize these changing societal norms to better align their marketing efforts to stay relevant and connected to their customers.”
With these results, Gaguan also noted that consumers are “increasingly becoming conscious of a brand’s values and integrity and they are willing to make purchasing decisions based on these factors.”
As to the platform where woke people gather insights, the poll divulged that Facebook, describing it as the “most popular social media platform” in the Philippines, is also the choice of 81 percent of Filipino respondents as a platform for these kinds of discussions.
Meanwhile, the study said the “remaining percentage” is split evenly between those who prefer using the short-form video app TikTok and those who favor traditional in-person discussions.
While Facebook remains “dominant” in the sphere of public conversation, Gaguan said, “TikTok has taken an emerging role of shaping public opinion.”
The study by Hustle PH showed that 64 percent of Filipinos are engaging in ‘woke’ discussions primarily to “ignite conversations and awareness about social issues,” and 43 percent are engaging in ‘cancel’ culture-contents “to hold individuals or organizations accountable for their actions or statements.”
Aside from influencing the buying patterns of Filipinos, the study showed that Four out of 10 Filipinos expressed that these kinds of content “heightened” their levels of political engagement, encompassing activities such as activism, voting in elections, and engaging in campaign efforts.
The study also found that 30 percent identified women empowerment as the “most critical” issue to discuss online, 26 percent pointed to live-in relationships, and 24 percent highlighted LGBTQIA+ rights as equally essential topics of online discourse.
“The study reveals that even though most FIlipinos may be confused by current ‘woke jargon’, they actively take a progressive stand on women empowerment, LGBTQ rights and environmental protection” Gaguan said.
“The broad range of topics also suggests a community that values diverse perspectives and is actively seeking to broaden its understanding of various lifestyle choices,” he added.
