Trust is crucial for brands hoping to retain customers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, according to Twilio’s 2024 Consumer Preferences Report. The survey of 3,900 consumers, including 900 from the Asia Pacific (Apac), highlights that 56% of consumers in the region would avoid buying from brands they find untrustworthy.
Twilio, a cloud communications company, said fraud has become a growing concern, especially in the Philippines, where one telecom firm intercepted over 230 million spam messages in just the second quarter of 2024. This increase in scams has made consumers wary, often struggling to distinguish genuine brand communications from fraud attempts.
The report was based on a global survey of 3,900 consumers, including 900 individuals from the region, and explores current communication preferences.
“In today’s discerning market, trust has become the cornerstone of customer-brand relationships,” Robert Woolfrey, VP of APJ, Communications at Twilio, said in a statement. “With tools like branded communications, businesses now have the unprecedented opportunity to build trust, strengthen brand recognition, and deliver personalized experiences at scale.”
Verification badges
Twilio’s data shows that nearly 70% of Apac consumers feel reassured when brands use verification badges, and 57% say branded texts make brands seem more trustworthy. Measures like two-factor authentication (2FA) and quick response times also enhance trust, with 55% and 54% of consumers respectively stating these increase their confidence in a brand’s communication.
Consumers also value being contacted through their preferred channels, with email (81%) and SMS (46%) as top choices. However, only 48% of brands meet these preferences, leaving room for improvement in customer satisfaction.
Fast response times also play a significant role; 53% of consumers say they would switch brands due to slow replies, while brands that respond quickly report improved customer retention.