Din Tai Fung among top brands with Gen Y

The restaurant chain that garnered rave reviews from labour chief Lim Swee Say over its slender toothpicks has hit pay dirt again, this time among Generation Y consumers.

Mr Lim had used the toothpick example to highlight Din Tai Fung's precision in meeting its customers' smallest needs - in this case, oral hygiene - back in July.

It looks like such attention to detail has paid off again.

The Taiwanese chain was lauded as a top brand along with 25 other brands across three sectors - food & beverage, fashion and accessories, and fast-moving consumer goods - at the inaugural Influential Brands Awards yesterday.

Other winners include curry-puff chain Old Chang Kee, DBS Bank and retailer Uniqlo.

Those that won had been singled out the most times by over 1,000 Gen Y adults aged 18 to 28 as "influential" and "preferred" brands, in a study commissioned by Influential Brands, the research arm of brand consultancy Brand Alliance Group.

The study also found that more than half of Gen Y respondents made purchasing decisions based on recommendations by friends and family members. Other top considerations were price and a company's loyalty programmes.

Such consumers were also willing to buy on impulse if they felt that the product was right.

"They want brands that are accessible, that have Facebook or Instagram accounts. These are touch points that must be available to them," said Mr Jorge Rodriguez, director of Brand Alliance Group.

A Din Tai Fung spokesman said that its "secret" was its strong social-media presence and "frequent engagement with food bloggers and online media that Gen Y adults look up to".

samboh@sph.com.sg

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