Must Thai women be whiter than their partners?

Bangkok--18 Nov--Vivaldi Must Thai women be whiter than their partners? Thai women suffer from expectations that they should be whiter than their male partners, but also admire darker-skinned female celebrities, reveals abn Research’s online community, ‘Bangkok Thai women feel that society expects them to have “whiter than white” skin, with the vast majority of Thai women wishing their skin was less dark, according to new findings from abn Research. However, Thai women also expressed admiration for darker-skinned Thai celebrities who show confidence in their own ‘natural brown beauty’, with Opal Panisara seen as leading this trend. The inspirational actress has repeatedly told the Thai media that she does not believe dark skin is a weakness, and that other women should feel confident and happy, whatever their skin-tone. The new findings were made through a new private online community of opinion leaders called Bangkok Beauty, where women discuss their daily reactions to the latest beauty products, communications and promotions through blogs, discussion forums, multi-media and instant chat. “Every week I have to compare the skin color on my arm with my boyfriend,” admitted one Bangkok Beauty community member. “But, this week it just happens that he’s whiter than me. I couldn’t let this happen so I went out for a ‘whitening mission’.” Under immense pressure to be white, Thai women are responding positively to those with the confidence to defy the dominant beauty ideal. “Everyone wants to be white, white, white, and white! But Opal is so beautiful. And she doesn’t even have to look white,” posted one Bangkok Beauty community member. “It’s all about inner confidence, how you carry yourself, and highlight your personality instead of focusing on an imperfection,” shared another member. Bangkok Beauty community members spend more than half of their monthly beauty spend on products that are applied directly to the face in order to achieve six distinct looks: Classic White Beauty (fair, soft, white skin, ‘like a princess’), Natural Beauty (beauty that shines out from within as a result of a healthy body), Korean Beauty (where the face glows with an aura of beauty), The ‘No Make-Up Look’ (where make-up is skillfully applied to achieve a natural look), Natural Brown Beauty (an inner confidence no matter the skin tone) and Doll Beauty (large, coloured eyes and heavy make-up). A corresponding offline survey by abn Research of 300 women aged 20-35 and earning Baht 20,000 / month or over revealed that 74 per cent wished their skin could be whiter. Further survey results revealed that 95 per cent of respondents said they admire people who have confidence in their natural beauty. “For the first time, private online communities are allowing us to discover what consumers really think and feel. Women can be more spontaneous in their reaction, more expressive in their opinions, and in many ways, more honest and poignant in their comments,” explains Mr. Maziar Amirahmadi, Ceo at abn Research. “Besides helping marketers and media planners, this new platform can also help brands to co-create with consumers to produce far more successful products.” More of these valuable insights into women’s beauty are being made available online at www.abnresearch.com/beauty. Notes for editors abn Research is an Asia focused market research consultancy, founded in Bangkok to help businesses understand their customers, create products and services they need and sell them effectively in go-to-market strategies. abn Research was founded in February 2010 by seasoned researchers Maziar Amirahmadi and Brooke Courtenay, with a combined 23 years of industry experience in Asia, now specializing in generating insights through online communities. Contact details: [email protected] www.abnresearch.com For more detailed insights, visit www.abnresearch.com/beauty For interview requests, please contact Maziar Amirahmadi at [email protected] abn Research 14th Floor Paso Tower 88 Silom Road, Bangkok 10500 Thailand Tel: +66 2 231 6446 For further information, please contact; Chanpim Merakate Public Relations Consultant Vivaldi Public Relations Tel: 02 612 2253 ext. 105 Fax: 02 612 2254 Email: [email protected] Web: www.vivaldipr.com