Asia’s business elite less digitally backward than before: Ipsos

These results stand in encouraging contrast to previous studies, where continued adoption of digital devices had failed to dent the business elite’s fondness for traditional media in Asia.

To be sure, business leaders have not abandoned traditional media. Ipsos found that more than 96 percent of Asia’s senior business decision-makers still consume newspapers or magazines in print.

However, 94 percent access one or more of the region’s major news or business information media brands through their computers, tablets or smartphones at least once a week. In addition, the average respondent accesses nine different titles in print but 12 digitally in a typical month, according to the study, which asked about 34 international and 78 local media brands.

The research included 259,248 senior business executives, whose average personal income is US$194,760 and who control an average of US$4.6 million in business purchases.

Asked about key challenges, the respondents cited market volatility and economic uncertainty as current concerns, but predicted that investing in innovation and attracting top talent will top the list of fear factors five years from now. Asked what currently keeps them up at night, 40 percent cited corruption and financial or political scandals, while 37 percent named unemployment and jobs.

The study details the specific media sources the respondents rely on. Highlights for print sources and both desktop and mobile sources appear below.