• Financial security is at the top of worries of 60% of Asians amid the COVID-19 outbreak
• Respondents expect companies to deliver real value, act responsibly and do right by the community, including their employees
• Consumers turn to online shopping, with grocery platforms and food delivery services experiencing high demand

In the midst of rising numbers of COVID-19 infections across Asia, the top fear is not falling ill but the threat the virus poses toward individuals’ financial health, a recent study by Kantar has revealed. Of the survey’s 3,000 respondents, 60% expressed concern about their financial security. Koreans have been noted to be the most concerned about their financial health (77%) as well as job losses (61%). The survey also found that more than 34% of Asians fear COVID-19 could push economies to the brink of recession.

Trust in government agencies and corporate brands appear to be a key differentiator. The survey found that the level of trust in the way the government is handling the crisis is very low in Korea (39%) and Japan (9%). By contrast, in Singapore, 78% say that they trust the government’s approach to handling the crisis, hence only 33% were concerned about the outbreak.

“People do not expect all brands to save the world, but to deliver real value, act responsibly and do right by the community, including their employees. UOB in Singapore allocated $2.165 billion (SGD $3 billion) for its affected local corporate and SME clients and Grab rolled out a dedicated 24-hour service for healthcare professionals travelling home from work. By focusing on problems they can fix, these brand actions are incredibly powerful”, said Stéphane Alpern of Kantar Southeast Asia.

Brands need to up their gam...