The study finds APAC consumers are feeling more confident, but they're not spending more freely. Instead, they are entering an era of intentional spending.

According to the Q2 2026 dentsu APAC Consumer Navigator Report, consumers are directing their attention, time and money towards cultural experiences, trusted creators and entertainment ecosystems while becoming increasingly selective about the brands and purchases they choose to engage with.

Released today, the report is based on a survey of 3,500 consumers across Australia, China, India, Japan and Malaysia and finds a region that remains economically resilient despite ongoing global uncertainty.

Consumers are trading down on everyday essentials while continuing to invest in experiences, entertainment and passion-driven purchases that deliver cultural, social or emotional value. This signals a shift from cautious spending to more considered decision-making.

Key findings:

• 59% of APAC consumers can comfortably afford their monthly expenses, and 45% expect the economy to improve over the next 6–12 months.
• 2 in 3 consumers would travel for an international sports tournament, rising above 80% in China and India.
• 4 in 10 prefer audio-only content even when video is available, and 65% say trusted podcast and radio hosts influence how they feel about brands.
• 41% are more likely to purchase a product or service featured in a podcast or radio programme they follow.
• 32% of APAC consumers now watch micro-dramas — a format still barely a blip in most Western markets.
• 1 in 4 would buy apparel featuring a favourite entertainment character, celebrity or franchise.

Clay Schouest, Chief Strategy Officer, dentsu APAC said: “APAC consumers aren't cutting back, they're auditing. Fifty nine percent can comfortably cover their monthly expenses showing that confidence is real, especially in China and India, but that confidence isn't converting into spending. It's converting into intelligent scrutiny.

“Every purchase now has to justify itself and the categories losing that argument are exactly the ones brands assumed were safe.

“For marketers, the era of earning attention through familiarity is over. You're not competing for a slot in the household or personal budget; you're auditioning for a much smaller cast list. Brands that can make their value legible, not just felt, are the ones that survive the cut,” he said.

Cultural moments and trusted voices are becoming the new media channel

As part of the quarterly research, dentsu used this report to deep dive into the Entertainment industry. Across the region, live experiences, audio and entertainment fandom are converging into a single, always-on ecosystem that shapes identity, conversation and purchase behaviour. This is particularly evident in India and China, where enthusiasm for sports tourism, live entertainment and fandom participation runs well above the regional average.

Podcast and radio hosts are emerging as trusted commerce environments rather than simple media placements, with listeners citing multitasking convenience, authenticity and relief from screen fatigue as reasons for tuning in. They are then translating that trust directly into purchase intent.

Newer formats like micro-dramas, still nascent in the West, are also proving this isn't a one-off trend but a structural shift in how APAC consumes and commercialises entertainment.

The findings point to a growing need for brands to rethink media, sponsorship and content strategy around participation rather than interruption. This means showing up inside live experiences, creator-led audio, entertainment partnerships and emerging formats like micro-dramas with genuine value to offer, rather than simply buying reach around them.

Schouest added: "The insight reveals that attention in APAC has moved off the marketing plan and into people's lives. People are not simply spending more or less; they're spending with a greater sense of intentionality and are more choiceful where they invest their time.

“Two in three consumers would travel for a sports tournament. Six in ten trust a podcast host enough to let that shape how they feel about a brand. A third are already watching micro dramas, a format most of the West hasn't really registered yet. These aren't niche behaviours in APAC, they're the new mainstream.

“For marketers, that means marketing to reach without belonging just gets scrolled past. The brands that win will be the ones that show up inside these moments as genuine participants and facilitators, not sponsors renting space around them.

“If a brand isn't already part of the conversation happening in a fandom, a podcast or a live event, no amount of marketing will buy its way in," he said.

The dentsu APAC Consumer Navigator Q2 2026 reports are available for download here:

• Consumer mindset: Report found here.
• Entertainment spotlight: Report found here.

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About the research

The dentsu APAC Consumer Navigator Report is a quarterly research series tracking consumer sentiment, spending behaviour and media consumption across APAC. The Q2 2026 report was conducted by dentsu via Toluna, an online research panel, and administered on April 4th, 2026, among a random sample of 3,500 consumers aged 18 and older across Australia, China, India, Japan and Malaysia (700 respondents per market).