Cadbury, Ferrero, Nestlé, Hershey among favorite chocolate brands in Asia Pacific

By Douglas Yu

- Last updated on GMT

YouGov found that 43% of consumers in APAC are eating less chocolate compared to last year due to health concerns.  Photo: ©iStock/Kavuto
YouGov found that 43% of consumers in APAC are eating less chocolate compared to last year due to health concerns. Photo: ©iStock/Kavuto

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A survey conducted by YouGov Australia shows that Cadbury is Asia Pacific’s (APAC) favorite chocolate brand, chosen by 25% of the respondents in the region.

Meanwhile, 14% of the respondents chose Ferrero Rocher; 12% chose Nestlé; 12%, Hershey; and 9%, Lindt.

The data was collected online between June 22, 2017 and July 3, 2017, using YouGov’s panel of over five million people across the world, including Australia, China, Singapore and Vietnam.

The survey showed that tastes differ from country to country: Godiva is popular in Hong Kong (23%) Toblerone is favored by 16% of Filipino respondents and 14% Indonesians; and Nestlé is more than three times more popular in Vietnam (39%) than it is regionally (12%).

Health consciousness

YouGov’s data indicated that 43% of consumers in APAC eat less chocolate compared to last year as health concerns increasingly shape people’s purchasing habits.

“Almost three in five consumers (58%) think calories are an important factor in making a purchase decision,”​ YouGov said. “Of those, three out of five respondents (60%) do so because they are increasingly health conscious.

“The next frontier for chocolatiers will be to rise to the challenge of keeping the same taste while alleviating health concerns,”​ it added.

A recent Euromonitor report confirmed that health-conscious chocolate consumers in APAC choose to moderate their chocolate intake or move to a higher cocoa content than consume other snacks.

In Japan, elderly consumers continue to purchase chocolate with a high cocoa content because of cocoa’s health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and preventing obesity, Euromonitor said.

Fairtrade highly praised in Indonesia

YouGov noted traceability and transparency have gained prominence in recent years.

“Over half of the APAC respondents (58%) now consider Fairtrade certification to be an important factor when buying chocolate, suggesting that ethical consumption is a priority for many in the region​.

“This rises to as many as 77% in Indonesia and 70% in Thailand. By contrast, Hong Kong consumers are the least concerned, though 38% consider Fairtrade certification to be important,” ​it said.

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