GfK Surveys.com Blog

Sat Nav Sales up in Western Europe

2007-02-20T15:32:00.000Z

Four times as many portable satellite navigation units were sold in Germany in 2006 than in the year before. In Western Europe, total sales for 2006 amounted to around 7.6 million units and in 2007, this figure is anticipated to rise to 11.8 million, making this a mass market product segment and one of the major sources of revenue of the electronic entertainment sector. These are the findings of GfK Marketing Services Deutschland, who surveyed sales of portable satnav units in 13 West European countries.

Last year, two million portable satellite navigation units were sold, which is four times as many as in 2005. This puts Germany at the top of the league table for units sold, although in terms of growth, with a 300% increase, it is in third place behind Spain and Austria.

Sales of portable satnav units impacted positively on the in-car-electronics sector, which includes car radios, amplifiers, speakers, multimedia and navigation units, resulting in a 40+% growth rate in 2006 compared with 2005. The 7.6 million units sold generated a total sales volume worth EUR 2.8 billion. This year, sales are anticipated to rise to 11.8 million units.
There were two seasonal peaks in satnav sales last year, one being the summer period from June to August, during which holiday-makers use the equipment to find their way as they drive South and the other being in the months towards the end of the year. Satellite navigation equipment, which comes under the general heading of entertainment electronics, accounts for around 8% of seasonal Christmas business, making it one of the major sources of retail sales revenue.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK companies acquire research contracts worldwide, increase their panels and implement new metering technology

2007-02-15T10:01:00.000Z

The GfK Group is continually consolidating its strength in global TV research with new and extended contracts and constant improvements to its metering technology. Wilhelm Wessels, the GfK Management Board member responsible for the Media division commented: “We are delighted to be consolidating and expanding our strength in international television research with new contracts. The associated success of our Telecontrol metering technology proves that the GfK Group responds to the requirements of country-specific markets with technology of the highest standard. Our unique combination of research expertise in local media markets and state-of-the-art hardware and software has been and will remain the basis of our success.”

It has just been announced taht GfK Romania will be measuring official TV ratings in Romania for four years initially, starting from January 2008. In Bulgaria, GfK Audience Research Bulgaria has already been measuring ratings since the end of 2006. The TV research contract of Intomart GfK in the Netherlands has been extended by a further three years and the contract of GfK Ukraine until 2012. Beyond this, the GfK Group has equipped viewer panels in India, Pakistan and Cyprus with additional and also new metering instruments.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

The TRYSUMERS Trend

2007-02-09T11:32:00.000Z

Hate the name, love the trend. TRYSUMERS are transient, experienced consumers who are becoming more daring in how and what they consume, thanks to a wide range of societal and technological changes. They are the latest trend identified by Trendwatcher’s at www.trendwatching.com

Here’s Trendwatcher’s stab at defining the phenomenon:

TRYSUMERS: “Freed from the shackles of convention and scarcity, immune to most advertising, and enjoying full access to information, reviews, and navigation, experienced consumers are trying out new appliances, new services, new flavours, new authors, new destinations, new artists, new outfits, new relationships, new *anything* with post mass-market gusto.”

As all things digital and virtual are so much easier to sample, TRYSUMERS and the online space are a match made in heaven. Expect a renewed interest in lifelike avatars, which can try out and try on anything on behalf of their real world alter-egos. Companies like My Virtual Model (which already partners with Sears, Land's End, H&M, Speedo and Adidas), and Gizmoz, a Flash-based 3D avatar product made from a single picture of a person plus their recorded voice. The company calls it 'bringing Pixar to the people'. (Source: Techcrunch.):
For more information: www.trendwatching.com/trends/trysumers.htm

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Use Media to wake up dead space says GfK

2007-01-26T12:16:00.000Z

MAYBE IT’S YOUR DINING ROOM; maybe it’s a formal living room. Many Americans have spaces in their homes that they rarely use, which become a repository for boxes of old papers, unused exercise equipment, and dust. Much idle space in homes is supposedly dedicated to formal entertaining – but Americans do very little of that. How to make these spaces come to life? The best way to re-imagine little-used space may be to put a TV or computer in it.

The rooms we live in are also home to the media that enliven our lives, whether we are entertaining others or wanting to be entertained. Common living spaces host all types of entertainment equipment, led by TVs. Virtually everyone (98% of adults) has a TV in a living room, family room, or den, finds a November 2006 Roper Reports survey. Stationary music players such as radios or CD players are nearly as common in these types of rooms, at 86%. Even computers are more often found in these rooms than elsewhere in a home; more than half of those who own computers have them in a common living space, compared with fewer than half who have them in offices or studies.

Home is a refuge, too, and bedrooms often serve this purpose. Media are part of the experience of home as a private retreat. Three in four adults say their homes have TVs and music players in one or more bedrooms. The same is true for kids; 71% of 8-17 year olds have a TV in their bedroom, and 46%
have a stereo, according to the 2006 Roper Youth study.

The Kitchen Niche: The hearth is often a center of home life. Older adults are more likely than average to have TVs and stereos in their kitchens, making them a key market for under-cabinet radios and the like.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Young people like their privacy, whether they’re teens at home with Mom and Dad or young adults sharing a dorm or apartment with roommates. This often means taking the media into the bedroom. Parents with kids age 12 to 17 and young adults are more likely than average to say that TVs, stereos, and computers reside in bedrooms in their homes. Compactness is key in these smaller spaces.

Design Matters: 82% of adults agree they have made a “real effort” to decorate their home, 78% feel their home is fashionable, and 87% say look and design is important in their furniture purchases, according to a May 2006 Roper Reports survey. In other words, people care about how their homes look. To the extent that people think of media equipment as a furnishing, they will appreciate design that suits their décor. Hence the use of flat-screen TVs as wall art.

On the flip side, a stark modern style can be jarring in a traditional room. As MSN shopping editor Peyton Mays puts it, “now that it’s possible to have a cinematic experience in your living room, must it also resemble a multiplex? What happens when your Mission-style theme goes head-to-head with NASA-mission-style?” Good question, and one that designers should address. People can get skins to customize their cell phones; ever-larger TVs that take up serious space should be style-conscious, too.

Multipurpose: Home entertaining nearly always includes two activities: consuming food/drink and consuming media. Two-thirds of Americans’ most recent stints as hosts involved watching TV or movies; 60% listened to music. It’s not only guests who multitask this way; 76% of adults eat while watching TV, and 14% use the Internet. The solution here may be as simple as good-looking tray tables for use as portable eating and laptop surfaces.

Two-thirds of adults say that “efficient use of space” is an important element of how they furnish and decorate their home. Having a room that you use twice a year might be prestigious, but it sure isn’t practical. Renowned “not so big” architect Sarah Susanka recommends rooms that serve as everyday space most of the time but can double as formal space when need be. This could mean a computer desk or entertainment centre in a dining area that closes so it can be out of sight when the occasion demands. Marketers who help consumers be creative about how media fit into their homes can help enhance Americans’ quality of life.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK says Consumers want brands that provide consistent quality.

2007-01-11T15:57:00.000Z

Consumers want brands that provide consistent quality. This is evident from the way they rank a list of factors related to brand purchase decisions. Past experience with a brand tops the list as most important in deciding whether to buy it or not, according to a recent GfK Roper Reports survey. In addition, other people’s experience as conveyed by personal recommendations is more important than it’s been since the late 1980s. And quality is getting more important, too. Taken together, the message is: “I will buy something that’s worked for me before, but if it stops working, I’ll notice.”

Past experience remains the top-ranked factor, as it has been in all ten readings taken since 1975. It lost ground during the experimental early years of the late 1990s and early 2000s but has returned to a level more typical of earlier years, with 83% saying it’s among the most important factors in their brand decisions.

Quality compared with other brands has become more important than price for the first time since quality was first measured in 1995, now at 63% versus 56% for “reasonably priced.” A manufacturer’s reputation for quality does not rate as highly, but it has hovered near the halfway mark in most years, currently at 46%. And word of mouth has become slowly but steadily more important in the 2000s after dipping during the more self-reliant 1990s – the current level of 48% just edges out the previous high of 47% measured in 1989.

Understanding how people choose brands is critical to any marketer, but certain elements have special relevance for specific consumer segments:

􀂃 Past experience is especially critical for Northeasterners; 95% cite it compared with 79% of Midwesterners. This pattern emerged in 2004 and remains strong.

􀂃 Reputation counts more with men and Baby Boomers. These two groups place more emphasis than average on a manufacturer’s reputation for quality. In fact, it just about ties with price for third place for both groups of shoppers, while ranking a decided fifth for women and younger adults.

Other GfK Roper Reports data suggest that Americans may be less experimental than they were a few years ago and more likely to stick with the familiar. This is less true for young adults, but it means that new brands hoping to appeal to a broader/older audience face a substantial challenge in getting that first experience under consumers’ belts. The second, and perpetual, challenge is to ‘nail’ it.

This analysis is largely based on a GfK Roper Reports® US in-person survey of 2,002 adult Americans conducted in August/September 2006. For more information go to www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK says Americans are less likely to feel it's important to usually look one's best.

2007-01-09T10:19:00.000Z

How often do you check the mirror? If you're like the average American, you pay at least some attention to how you look, but maybe not as much as you used to. New data show that adults are less likely to feel it's important to always or usually look one's best.
Americans’ attitude toward the importance of physical appearance does not fluctuate as wildly as, say, the stock market, but it has changed in recent years. Currently, the 26% who feel it is “always important to look one’s best” has dropped 5 points since 2001 and now ties for the record low across ten readings over nearly twenty years.

The largest group remains people who say it’s “usually important to look one’s best,” at 47%, but this has dropped as well (see chart). In turn, one in five adults now thinks about his or her appearance “only on special occasions,” up 8 percentage points in the past five years.

The recent shift looks similar to what happened in the early 1990s, when people jumped ship from both the “always” and “usually” groups. But the “special occasion” segment is much larger this time around, and the “always” group is smaller. This means there are almost as many Americans not thinking much at all about how they look when they walk out the door as there are appearance- conscious people checking the mirror as they head out.

Aging Boomers to Blame?

The first thought that might occur is to blame the Baby Boom. After all, the oldest members of this generation are entering their 60s. Do people this age still care how they look? Yet Boomers cannot be the scapegoats for two reasons. First, the generation currently fills the 45 to 59 age group, not the 60-plus. Second, there is hardly any difference in appearance attitudes by age.

So who is to blame for Americans’ drop in devotion to their looks? It looks as if men might be the culprits. While women have become marginally less appearance-conscious since 2001, men have become much less concerned than they were five years ago (see chart). All told, nearly four in ten men either think about their appearance only on special occasions or hardly at all.

This might be a scary thought to businesses that provide consumers with the means to look their best, from clothing and accessories to personal care and beauty products and services. But all is not lost. Even with the recent shifts, a majority of men and most women pay a reasonable amount of attention to their appearance. Other GfK Roper research indicates that Americans equate looking good with feeling good and self-respect. These inner-driven motivations are powerful.

Although it is unlikely that Americans will completely abandon grooming, they are in a less attentive mode these days. Maybe this means that marketers have been successful to some degree in offering products that allow people to adopt a more carefree approach – such as wrinkle-resistant fabrics and long-lasting personal-care products. Maybe it means they need to keep moving in this direction to continue to meet the needs of the increasingly laissez-faire line that men, and some women, are taking with their everyday look.

This analysis is based on GfK’s Roper Reports® US in-person surveys of adult Americans conducted between May 1987 and May-June 2006. For more information go to www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK stresses the importance of protecting consumer data

2007-01-05T15:57:00.000Z

Big Breakthrough or Big Brother?

GfK Roper Consulting research indicates that for all companies, responsible consumer information collection and handling are key issues and may be key differentiators. For tech companies developing new products, built-in security features that offer info-sharing options yet keep control in users’hands should be a priority.

Did you know that :

69% of the American public thinks lack of privacy will be a serious problem in the future (+14 % points from 1980)

63% are very concerned about the privacy of personal information such as financial information or identity (+6 % points from 2005)

GfK asks “WHEN DO MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES OR INFORMATION-SHARING opportunities become the tools for privacy invasion?” In the minds of many consumers, the examples below could be considered friend or foe.

Face Prints as Search Tools

Polar Rose AB is a Swedish startup company that will launch a visual search engine this year to facilitate image searches of people conducted online. The company’s software can reconstruct a 3-D shape of a face to create a searchable “face print,”more accurate than a Google keyword search and more sophisticated than Riya’slike.com(an American-run site that searches for inanimate objects.)

Trial Homeland Security Measure Sees All

The “Backscatter”machine, a new x-ray system that can detect nonmetallic weapons, is finally going into testing phase at the Phoenix International Airport this year. The machine’s use has been protested by groups such as the ACLU, which call the technology a “virtual strip search”because the machine temporarily displays graphic images of nudebodies. The Transportation Security Administration says it does not store, print, or transmit images.

FacebookChanges Prompt Big ResponseI

In 2006, Facebook introduced a new RSS-type news feed feature to its site, allowing users to view updates of any and all changes made on friends’ pages. Users could view by-the-minute changes to accepted or deleted friends, alterations to personal information, and any group updates. The changes met harsh criticism –a boycott, a “Students Against Facebook News Feed” group, and the creation of hate sites. The CEO of Facebook has since responded personally and new privacy controls have been incorporated into the site.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK reports on The Power of Social Networking

2007-01-02T10:11:00.000Z

INTERACTIVE WEB SHAKES UP MARKETING. New online communities are enabling consumers to connect more deeply with brands, and each other.
43% of consumers have ever visited online communities such as MySpace.com and this rses to 78% among 18 – 24 year olds

The Implication: As online communities reach critical mass, marketers have a unique opportunity to join the conversation—and make their own statement.
These are great examples of marketers joining the conversation.

Consumers Talk Back to Ads. Launched in late September, “After These Messages”is a Web-based forum for rating, discussing, and critiquing various media from both creative and social perspectives. Users can post commercials, packaging, and even political speeches, and rate the items on a set of criteria for others to view and respond to.

Pontiac Establishes Virtual Dealership. General Motors’ Pontiac division has opened a dealership on the virtual reality game Second Life. The dealership’s Pontiac Solstice GXP can be purchased and fully customized within the game. Pontiac’s agency commented, “We want to connect with the people there.” Scion opened its own dealership in November

Viral Video Advances Dove Campaign. Dove’s Web-based “Evolution”spot fuses viral media, cause marketing, and DTC advertising into a 60 second spot. Viewed over 2 million times on YouTube, the clip shows the painstaking process of creating a commercial-ready woman. Consumers can discuss the video and share their own story on Dove’s Website.

T-Post Recasts T-Shirt as Alternative Media. A new take on an old form of self-expression, T-Post re-imagines the T-shirt as an international news service. In a unique twist on self-branding, the Swedish apparel company delivers a silk-screened T-shirt every six weeks featuring a news item outside traditional media you may not have heard about, but “should have.”

Source: Roper Reports Telephone Survey, 07-07-06

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK's sense & sensibility of advertising

2006-12-15T10:34:00.000Z

ADVERTISING IS A NUISANCE. It’s also useful, entertaining, and helpful. Americans are exposed to advertising continually in their daily lives, and their eyes are wide open to its benefits and disadvantages. How can advertising play to its strengths while minimizing its weaknesses when both are so evident to the average consumer?

Be Sensitive

Acknowledge the Pushback: Fully three in four adults agree that advertising provides useful information, but only about half agree that it specifically helps them decide what to buy. This may mean that people don’t want to admit advertising influences them, although they may be willing to admit it influences other people. In addition, large majorities of adults feel that advertising encourages people to buy things they don’t need or that are bad for them.

Given that word of mouth is often the single most trusted source of information, one approach here is to openly encourage people to talk with others about marketing messages. Indeed, some marketers are already taking this approach to interactive dialogue by mixing and matching traditional advertising with newer forms and building consumers into the process.

Reduce Clutter: Older adults are particularly sensitive to the nuisance factor. For Baby Boomers, this includes online clutter; fully 75% of Boomers who use the Internet agree that ads interfere with their Internet use, compared with 65% of younger and older Internet users. But adults of all ages are about equally likely to agree that advertising is shown in too many places.

Niche media have a clear advantage in minimizing the clutter factor that so many consumers find irritating, with the obvious drawback that they have smaller audiences. Some newer forms of marketing, such as product placement in video games, operate by default in a niche environment, at least for now. Even advertisers who favour mass media “blitz” campaigns can do some level of targeting by offering different versions of a message in broadcast, print, and online ads.

Streamline: Along the same lines, it may also be advantageous to ‘streamline’ a multimedia campaign by offering different elements at different steps along the way. Rather than offer all of the detail in every venue, one can provide the basics in traditional media (perhaps in the form of a “teaser”), access to more detailed information via online ads or web sites, and follow this up with nitty-gritty details at point of purchase, whether that be a physical or virtual store.

Be Sensible

Make It Authentic: A GfK NOP Roper Reports online bulletin board conducted this summer3 found that product placement in TV programs or movies can be acceptable to consumers when it fits in naturally and subtly with what’s going on. After all, real people shop and eat and wear clothing, so visible brands are a part of everyday life. This notion follows for other types of advertising, too, as well as cause-related marketing efforts. If the message suits its surroundings, it stands a better chance among today’s pragmatic consumers. This can backfire, of course, if it’s too obvious or strikes an artificial tone.

Rated “E” for Entertaining – Everyone: Generation Y young adults are most likely to find advertising “often fun or interesting,” perhaps because advertisers make a concerted effort to entertain them. People’s eyesight and hearing may dim with age, but this isn’t necessarily true for their sense of humour. Marketers might think about making more of an effort to entertain and engage older adults as well.

This analysis is largely based on a GfK NOP Roper Reports US in-person survey August/September 2006. For more information GfK www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research
advertising

Men Are Shopping More says GfK but Not Loving It

2006-12-13T15:15:00.000Z

MEN OF THE WORLD are busting a long held gender myth. They are doing more of the shopping. This doesn’t mean they are loving it, though. Most of the gain is among married men who are taking some of the burden off their wives, and who may well be feeling less than empowered about the experience.

Between 2002 and 2006, the share of men worldwide who reported shopping for groceries at least weekly rose 7 percentage points, while the share of women who did so dropped 3 points, thereby narrowing the gender gap by 10 points. Both men and women are more likely than in 2002 to say they shop for things other than groceries at least monthly, but that share has grown more for men, 7 points compared with 4 points for women.

The increases have occurred in most regions of the world and for most age groups. They have occurred across income groups and regardless of parental status. One particular group of men has led the charge, however – namely, husbands. Men who are married or living with a partner are shopping for groceries and other items more frequently than they did four years ago. Singles are shopping a little more, but so are single women. And formerly partnered men – i.e., those who are divorced or widowed – are not shopping for food more than they did and shopping for other things just a little more often.

This analysis is largely based on GfK’s Roper Reports® Worldwide’s 2006 in-person survey of 31,00
consumers age 13 and older in 25 countries. For more information go to www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

GfK defines Dream houses for Baby Boomers

2006-12-11T10:43:00.000Z

What makes a dream home? A South Beach villa? Stick-style Victorian? The oneBarbie had? Images of fantasy mansions might come to mind, but for 25- to40-year-olds, the amenities that a house offers can make it a dream home. A recent study conducted by GFK Roper, a global research organization, found that for post-baby boomer generations, the ideal home is a reflection of values and aspirations.

For Generation X, the group born between 1965 and 1977, and their younger counterparts born after 1978 - often called Generation Y or echo boomers - a dream house isn't always extra acreage or a cul-de-sac. To this group - more than 81 million Americans - a dream house is one that provides comfort, security, style and technology.

Each year, about a third of generations X and Y move into larger or betterhomes, according to 2003 U.S. census data. Perhaps they are acquiring some ofthe comforts that the 1,000 respondents to the gfK survey said make a dreamhouse. Among the findings: Whirlpool baths are the most desired amenity fortwenty somethings, while gourmet kitchens are the highlight for those in their 30s.

"Dream houses are usually a reaction to a life stage, and it is interesting tosee how that translates to behavior," says Kathy Sheehan, the senior vice president of GFK Roper. "Gen X-ers are at childbearing age. That means that Gen-X homes are about the family center. They are looking for things that help them organize and eradicateclutter and chaos," she says. In addition to state-of-the-art kitchens, Gen X-ers said, a dream house had to have well-appointed, walk-in closets and serene outdoor spaces.

The survey found that echo boomers, who include young people who grew up usingthe Internet, are more likely to regard a dream home as a high-tech,entertainment venue. "The Gen-Ys are just starting to emerge socially," Ms. Sheehan said. "Technology and things that enhance life are heavy influences on that group." Because the home is considered a social hub, game rooms and fitness areas wereamong the most desired spaces for Gen-Ys. As the post-boomer generations age, their aspirations for their dream housesmirror their parents'. Both the baby boomers and Gen-Xers chose gourmet kitchens as the most important aspect of a dream house.

"Boomers waited much later to buy their dream houses, and now, they think of their homes as status symbols," Ms Sheehan says. Generations X and Y, however, are more likely to choose houses that suit theirindividual styles and needs, Ms. Sheehan says. "They have looked at enoughmagazines and other homes to know exactly what they want."
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

21% of Americans will make a charitable gift in the name of someone else this Christmas says GfK

2006-11-20T11:00:00.000Z

SCROOGE WOULDN’T HEAR OF IT before the Christmas spirits visited him, but the holidays are indubitably a charitable time. Not only do people make donations on their own behalf during this season, 21% of adults plan to make a charitable donation in the name of at least one of their holiday gift recipients this year, according to a recent GfK Roper Reports survey.

Giving to charity in someone’s name is not the most popular gift choice – it ranks below material items such as clothing, music, toys, jewellery, electronics, and so on. But the gift of charity finds resonance especially among older and higher-income consumers, who may have decided that it is time to give their friends something more meaningful than socks or a tie this holiday season.

It is true that many consumers make charitable donations in their own names, and the holiday season is a big time to do so, both for personal satisfaction and for end-of -year tax breaks: According to Giving USA Foundation, individuals contributed $199 billion to charity in 2005.
Giving to a charity of one’s choice is a fulfilling activity, and giving in someone else’s name can be twice as soul satisfying.

The problem for givers, however, may be to decide what charitable cause the “giftee” would feel comfortable giving to if he or she was actually doing the donating first hand. Here are some ideas to cater to Americans’ charitable gift-giving impulses:

Make It Local: People who plan to give charity as a holiday gift are more likely than average to shop at locally owned neighborhood stores (61%, compared with 54% on average). Their interest in supporting the local economy could extend to charitable donations to local food banks, religious institutions, or homeless shelters on behalf of their friends who may share their local community spirit.
Make It Cultural: It is also possible that gift givers may contribute in honor of a friend or relative to a cause associated with music or the arts —and the inspiration to do so may come from suggestions made at music or bookstores, a venue in which 70% of people who plan to give charity as a gift expect to do at least some of their holiday shopping this year, compared with 59% of adults in general.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Russia & Eastern Europe

2006-11-14T18:01:00.000Z

Consumers "Trying" to eat healthier says GfK

2006-11-09T10:06:00.000Z

Eating light has been the mainstay of Americans’ ideas of health for
several decades now. While consumers complain that what’s healthy one
day is declared by experts to be unhealthy the next, and vice versa, much
basic nutritional advice has remained consistent: eat little or no red meat,
fried foods, and sweets; eat fruits, vegetables, grains; watch your calorie
intake. Okay, that’s easy, right? Actually, it isn’t. Talk about “trying to
eat healthy” means that healthy foods are often more on people’s minds
than their lips.
The drive to healthy eating is motivated by the desires to live longer and
healthier, look better and, to some extent, economics. While shifts in
consumption are now an established part of some consumers’ lifestyles,
others face an ongoing struggle to do what they think is right. Yet others
do whatever they feel like doing – happily or guiltily, as the case may be.
Convenience, temptation, economics and, most of all, the belief that
good-for-you tastes bad and bad-for-you tastes good are the most
common reasons – or excuses – for continuing old habits. On a deeper
level, some consumers also feel that self-esteem issues are an obstacle to
eating right.
Looking ahead, consumers seem likely to continue to tread both sides of
the eating-healthy path. Even as they want or even demand purveyors of
less-than-healthy food to clean up their act, they are likely to protest
anyone or anything that aims to limit their right to eat whatever they choose.

HOW THE STUDY WAS DONE
GfK NOP Qualitative Practice conducted a special TrendWhys study among consumers
to explore food and eating. Two online bulletin boards lasting three days were
conducted with men and women around the country, divided by age, 18-34 and 35-60
years old. Respondents were asked to log on twice a day to answer posted questions,
and to read one another's answers. The boards were conducted on September 11-13,
2006.GfK NOP Qualitative Practice, is headed by Judith Langer, and conducts qualitative studies on a widerange of marketing and lifestyle subjects.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Consumers concerned over privacy say GfK

2006-11-07T15:09:00.000Z

When a federal judge ruled in August that the Bush administration must halt its warrantless-wiretapping program, she aroused the ire of those who said the taps were needed to root out terrorists. But our research reveals that she also tapped into a strain of anti-snooping sentiment among the public that persists nearly five years after the 9/11 attacks. Those who do business online should pay heed. As plumbing the Internet for personal information grows, so does the need for those who operate in cyberspace — not least, businesspeople — to consider consumers’
privacy concerns.

Americans have strong reservations about those who find and use Web-based personal information without their knowledge. A June 2006 telephone survey finds that, thinking of the Internet, 62% of Americans with home Web access are “very concerned” with the privacy of personal information. That is up 5 points from a year ago, with the biggest increase registering among Web-savvy young adults.

People’s concern is not with digital technology per se; for more than a decade, Americans have told us that computers help them save time and increase the control over, quality of, and simplicity with which they live their lives. Rather, people’s concern is with the intentional misuse of technology; seven in ten think such misuse will be a “serious problem” in 25 to50 years. And among the ways that Americans, on balance, feel that technology can be misused is in “targeting advertising to individuals’ lifestyles, preferences, and personalities”: 53% in our June survey think such behavioural targeting is “a bad thing,” while 37% think it is “a good thing.” The rest equivocate or do not answer the question.

This report is based on in-person and telephone surveys of American adults dating from 1974 through 2006. For more information, please contact your GfK Roper Reports representative or go to www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Men are shopping more but not loving it says Gfk

2006-11-03T15:56:00.000Z

MEN OF THE WORLD are busting a long held gender myth. They are doing more of the shopping. This doesn’t mean they are loving it, though. Most of the gain is among married men who are taking some of the burden off their wives, and who may well be feeling less than empowered about the experience.

Between 2002 and 2006, the share of men worldwide who reported shopping for groceries at least weekly rose 7 percentage points, while the share of women who did so dropped 3 points, thereby narrowing the gender gap by 10 points. Both men and women are more likely than in 2002 to say they shop for things other than groceries at least monthly, but that share has grown more for men, 7 points compared with 4 points for women.

The increases have occurred in most regions of the world and for most age groups. They have occurred across income groups and regardless of parental status. One particular group of men has led the charge, however – namely, husbands. Men who are married or living with a partner are shopping for groceries and other items more frequently than they did four years ago. Singles are shopping a little more, but so are single women. And formerly partnered men – i.e., those who are divorced or widowed – are not shopping for food more than they did
and shopping for other things just a little more often.
This analysis is largely based on GfK’s Roper Reports® Worldwide’s 2006 in-person survey of 31,000 consumers age 13 and older in 25 countries. For more information, go to www.gfkamerica.com.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Kids versus Parents. GfK says who influences technology buys

2006-11-01T10:26:00.000Z

Just over half adults age 30 to 59 surveyed in the 2006 GfK Roper Reports Worldwide survey have children aged under 20 at home. Compared with their counterparts who either have no children at all or no children this age at home, these parents are more likely to own products in four key areas – video games, video cameras, computers, and portable music players. Two of these four products are likely to be influenced by kids. Parents with teenagers are most likely to say someone in their household has a portable music player. Parents of pre-teens and teens alike are equally likely to own video game system either consoles or handhelds (see chart). Parents’ desire to capture those precious childhood moments, on the other hand, explains why those with children under age 6 are most likely to own video cameras.

This analysis is based on GfK’s Roper Reports® Worldwide 2006 in-person survey of 31,395 consumers age 13 and older in 25 countries. For more information go to www.gfkamerica.com.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Results of the GfK German consumer climate survey for October 2006

2006-10-26T09:57:00.000+01:00

The upswing in the consumer climate continued into the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2006. The propensity to buy indicator remains at record levels and reached a new high in October. Consumer income expectations in Germany improved, while the outlook for the economy was seen as somewhat more pessimistic. After the revised figure of 8.9 points in October, the consumer climate is forecasting a value of 9.2 points for November.

Unlike in previous months, this time the positive consumer climate is not being carried exclusively by the upward trend in the propensity to buy. Currently, the slightly positive trend in income expectations is contributing as well. The record levels in the propensity to buy stem primarily from rational reasoning; as the date for the VAT increase creeps ever closer, consumers are deeming it wise to bring larger acquisitions forward to this year. This year’s Christmas season may also benefit from this attitude.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research
consumer confidence
Germany

As design becomes more of a focus in all kinds of products, marketers have growing opportunities to wed enhanced form with enhanced function

2006-10-23T10:58:00.000+01:00

DESIGN MATTERS MORE THAN EVER.

It is becoming increasingly important to all consumers and converging with even the most unassuming categories. A sense of style is not just expensive or exotic – it’s for the everyday.

66% of Americans agree that design matters for everyday objects in GfK Roper Reports (May 2006). Examples of great design are:

Urban Basketball Backpack

Created by designer Ramon Villanueva, this design is currently only a concept, but it
successfully overcomes limitations of the common backpack to present an easily accessible storage solution. Unlike other ballcarrying bags, the urban backpack treats the ball as a design enhancing element rather than an extraneous item.

UK Design House Creates Magnetic Wallpaper Peppermint,

A London based design house, has invented a new way of masking white walls. Magscapes are unique interior landscapes that can be “created and recreated” using the firm’s specially developed magnetic wallpaper and oversized magnets. Great for kids or restless interior designers, the paper and patterns are developed in a variety of serious and notsoserious
arrangements.

Arm & Hammer Thinks outside the Box

The best known brand of baking soda products has evolved from its tried and true staple, the bright gold baking soda box, to a self contained, stickable disk filled with odor absorbing
powder.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Eastern Europeans are abivalent about Freeddom say GfK

2006-10-19T14:41:00.000+01:00

Fifty years ago next week, Hungarians mindful of their nation’s former glory took to the streets in protest against Russian domination. That effort bore fruit more than three decades years later, when the Soviet Union broke up. But breaking away has proved more difficult than expected. Late last month, Hungarians took to the streets again — this time, to protest the current crop of leaders, who, despite time’s passage and the Soviets’ demise, found themselves likened to the Reds of old.

The symmetry of the protests suggests that for Hungary, escaping Russia’s influence may be a long-term affair. That Hungary’s neighbours and fellow newcomers to the European Union are having their own problems amid the transformation to a market democracy — both Poland and the Czech Republic are mired in bureaucratic muck reminiscent of their Russian counterpart’s — indicates that its predicament is not unique. For Central Europe — as for Russia
itself — 50 years of membership in the Soviet bloc has left a legacy
that may be hard to shake.

Freedom: Just Another Word

Few in the post-Communist universe may want to go back to the guns-and margarine days before the Soviet Union broke apart, but our GfK Roper Reports research suggests that, compared with the Western world, those who experienced first-hand the highs and lows of the immediate post perestroika period are ambivalent, if not a bit skeptical, about freedom. Central Europeans ascribe less importance to “having freedom of action and thought,” as we describe the value, than Americans or Western Europeans do. They also value freedom less than consumers globally do. But the importance Central Europeans assign to freedom precisely mirrors that of Russians: In both places, it ranks 11th on a list of 60 personal values. While not abysmally low — freedom ranks more than 20 spots lower in at least two Muslim-dominant countries — that ranking is 5 spots below the global average and fully 9 and 8 spots, respectively, below the levels recorded in the US and Western Europe.

That people in the post-Communist world are less than enamored of freedom(or at least its rhetoric) is not wholly surprising; their experience with it hasnot been entirely positive. The paradox, in fact, is embodied in the experience of the current Hungarian prime minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany. Freedom’s upside is reflected in the way a newly liberated press exposed Mr. Gyurcsany’s chronic lying to his constituents about the economy, which sparked last month’s protests; its downside is revealed in his role as a beneficiary of post-Soviet privatization, when market freedom had a field day and insiders, like the prime minister, enriched themselves with sweetheart deals on the sale of state assets.

The what’s-in-it-for-me free or- all of those early post perestroika days, when economic egoism was at full throttle in the upper strata of society, provides a model for ordinary folk across the post- Communist world today. While social responsibility on our values list falls at or near the middle globally and in the West, it sinks to an unimpressive 46th and 48th in Central Europe and Russia, respectively. Whether people had their fill of “working for the welfare of society,” as we describe the value, before the Soviet Union fell is unclear. But it’s a safe bet that the perceived greed of politicians like Mr. Gyurcsany and Russian oligarchs like Boris Berezovsky and Mikhail
Khodorkovsky, who reportedly lined their own pockets soon after the fall even as their countrymen struggled to provide the basics, only fueled the cynicism.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Russia values Internationlism says GfK

2006-10-16T10:26:00.000+01:00

As the leaders of the G8 countries worked were working hard to thrash out an agreement on world trade at the St. Petersburg summit earlier this year, others in Russia’s second city were working just as hard on the “home” front. In the latest sign of Russia’s transition from communism to consumerism, thousands of apartments in St. Petersburg and other cities are being remodeled — and not in the gaudy Evro remont style of the immediate post-Soviet period. Russia’s new home decorators are evincing an eclecticism that draws liberally and judiciously on influences from around the world. At a time of rising incomes, the activity reflects a level of interest in outside cultures that — combined with a decided materialistic streak — implies expanding opportunities for global marketers in Russia.

Russians, the GfK Roper Reports Worldwide survey shows, are unusually interested in what others have to offer; more so, in fact, than is anyone else we survey. Internationalism may be the value that best defines Russians. The value — for which the Russian translation adheres closely to our English description of “wanting to know more about different peoples, countries, and cultures” — ranks 20th out of 37 in importance this year. That in itself might not impress. But the ranking is 12 spots above the global rank, and first among 25 countries surveyed.

Moreover, the finding is not a fluke. In four of the six years etween 2000 and 2005, internationalism in Russia ranked first among te countries; in the other two years, it ranked a close second. During those six years, when we listed some 60 values, internationalism in Russia placed anywhere from 7 to 22 ranking spots above the global average.

Why Russians’ interest in others? No one explanation will suffice. But the answer could in part be a reaction to decades of living in a closed society; other findings suggest as much. In direct contrast with Marxist values, Russians put a high premium on materialism. Last year, Russians ranked material security No. 3, tied for the second-highest ranking in any country. And, in a country that for more than 70 years preached the value of work for its own sake, Russians last year ranked fulfilling work No. 5, tops among the nations surveyed.

The combination of values is only part of the reason that foreign marketers may find greater opportunities in Russia today. Increasingly, Russians have the money to act on their beliefs. Since taking the reins of power in 2000, Vladimir Putin has brought a stability to Russia unknown under his predecessor. Fueled by high oil prices, the economy has grown by an average 6.5% a year. Though relatively few Russians own stocks, those who do are enjoying a market boom. And, while our survey shows that inflation continues to be a top concern of Russians, incomes have been steadily rising — and a genuine middle class beginning to grow.

For more information about this article contact GfK Roper Reports Worldwide You may also visit our web site at www.gfkamerica.com.

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research Russia

BABY BOOMERS are a mass of contradictions. GfK quoted by NYT

2006-10-12T11:10:00.000+01:00

“BABY BOOMERS are a mass of contradictions” wrote CLAUDIA H. DEUTSCH in the New York Times yesterday. She argued that while they spend freely but love bargains. That they don’t identify with young models, but resent being called senior or elder and hate expressions like “golden years.” They have little loyalty to the brands of their youth but prefer products with well-known names.

As a group, boomers — the 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964 — are rapidly aging out of the 18-49 demographic that had become advertising’s holy grail simply because so many people fell within the category. Their sheer number and spending power dictate that companies keep them in their sights.

But so far, no one seems to have figured out a way to reach them as a group. And brand managers — many of them boomers — are increasingly seeking outside help.
“Companies still need to find out how the different generations feel about product placements in shows, about celebrity endorsements, about how their use of the Internet meshes with their use of traditional media like magazines,” said Kathy Sheehan, senior vice president of GfK Roper Consulting, which has been inundated with requests for boomer polls.

Claudia Deutsch argues that the boomers thrive on change and reinvention. They did not grow up with the Internet, but they readily go online to plot out vacations and seek bargains. They grew up with television, but they have embraced TiVo and VCR’s and other technologies that let them scoot past commercials. They may not like rap music, but they’ll listen to their own music on the same types of iPods that their children use.

But there is yet another contradiction: The older boomers get, the younger they seem to feel. Boomers under 50, when asked “how old is old?” in a recent GfK Roper survey, answered 68. Boomers over 50 said old age set in at 78.
She quotes JoAnn R. Hines, a packaging consultant who has developed a subspecialty in packaging to boomers, counsels her clients that “boomers of all ages still see themselves as 30”

Read the full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/business/media/11adco.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fD%2fDeutsch%2c%20Claudia%20H%2e&oref=slogin

GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research

Half of Americans have not had enough sleep lately says GfK.

2006-10-05T14:41:00.000+01:00

How have Americans been sleeping lately? More often than not, less well than they’d like. Fully
52% of Americans say they haven’t had enough sleep in the past week — the highest figure registered in five readings over four years and 9 points higher than the figure recorded last year. Some among the sleep-deficient no doubt fit the bleary-eyed stereotype common to wee-hour sleep-aid commercials. But, like so many stereotypes, that one is at best only partly true. Our latest research shows that, far from wandering zombie-like through life, the sleep-deficient more often tend to be active — if not hyperactive — participants in it.

Thus, while the sleep-deficient present obvious opportunities for purveyors of products and services that bring on shut-eye, marketers of varying stripes should not shrink from seeking out the 3 a.m. set.

Reflecting the active mindset of the sleep-deficient, 70% of Influential Americans® fall into that group. That these socially and politically active trendsetters so often say they lack enough sleep almost confers on sleep deprivation a certain cachet, marking those who claim it as the antithesis of the disengaged consumer. Indeed, the sleep-deficient are nothing if not engaged. Compared with the average American, those who sleep less than they’d like spend more time in a typical week with kids or grandkids, working, learning new things, doing exciting things, and socializing. Accordingly, they spend less time alone.

This analysis is based on GfK’s Roper Reports® US surveys conducted from 2002 through 2006. For more information, go to www.gfkamerica.com.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research Influentials word of mouth

GfK's Howard Barber discusses the lessons to be learnt from 10 years of online financial services

2006-10-05T11:42:00.000+01:00

As online financial services approaches its tenth anniversary in the UK, what as marketers have we learnt? The answer is quite a lot. Indeed for such a young industry, it appears we have got online financial consumerssussed. However, if we are to continueto be rewarded from the ever-increasingdemand for online financial services, we need to make more use of what we
have learnt and challenge the assumptions we have made.

So what have we learnt? Most of our understanding of online comes from asking three fundamental questions: does online create cost efficiencies? Does online grow revenue? And does online promote customer loyalty? Many of the answers that arise tend to be
negative. Firstly, far from promoting cost efficiencies, the commonly held assumption
is online costs more, not less, as it has proven to be an additional channel of
acquisition and servicing, rather than a replacement for branch or telephone. Secondly,
the revenue generated through online delivers tighter profit margins, and
cross sale performances that are lighter in comparison to other channels. This is due
to online consumers always demanding best of breed products in terms of service
and price, as they tend to be fi nancially savvy consumers. Lastly, despite online
consumers consistently rating the online channel as the most satisfactory channel
experience when doing their fi nances, they lack supplier loyalty. Online consumers are
much less likely to hold all their financial “eggs in one basket”. Yet despite online financial services proving to be a challenge, consumer appetite for financial services online continues unabated. Far from downscaling online operations, investment has had to continue in order to meet the demand. Indeed, the latest fi gures fromGfK’s Internet User Profi le Survey (IUPS)
show that four out of ten adults are now engaging (searching, quoting) in fi nancial services activities online on a yearly basis and almost a third (31%) are actively banking online.

So, do we just grin and bear the fact that consumer and customer choice demands multi-channel presence that includes online? Well, it appears as if that is the case, as many in our industry now backfurther investment in the branch network in the belief that branch sales deliver greater
margins. But while investment fl ows back to the branch, we should make more ofwhat we have learnt online to make the most of its continued demand. But how? We should look to challenge commonly held assumptions in order to promote thecase for online. So, do online bankers actually cost banks more to service than their offline counterparts? The assumption that online costs more comes from the belief that online bankers don’t actually stop using other channels, like the branch, to service their accounts. While GfK’s IUPS certainly does show that online bankers use the branch as much as their offline counterparts (on average twice amonth), the overall yearly cost to service per transaction is actually less. An online banker costs £119 per year to serve, whereas an offl ine banker costs £135. Moreover, if you add the potential that online banking brings in terms of providing paper-free propositions (monthly statement) to those that want it (45% of online bankers), a further £107m could be saved each year.
be saved each year.

Read the whole article by Howard barber at http://www.gfknop.co.uk/content/news/news/Financial%20Marketing_Howard%20Barber
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research financial services

Brand experience defines success says Gfk

2006-10-02T11:33:00.000+01:00

IN AN AGE OF HEIGHTENED CONSUMER EXPECTATION, the unique experience surrounding a product or service becomes a very important factor in the formula for brand loyalty and future successes. New products must leave consumers with best impressions, and existing products must find ways to become more memorable. gfK recommends that brand owners need to explore the experience surrounding their product and focus on the uniqueness and quality of the experience for hidden opportunity to connect with consumers. gfK exemplifies this with the following case studies:

Cereality Recognized as Top New Experience Concept
This month Cereality, the world’s first cereal bar, was awarded the “Experience Stager of the Year” award from the authors of The Experience Economy for implementing the brand’s promise: “It’s Always Saturday Morning.” Customers looking to indulge their inner child are greeted by pajamaclad “Cereologists” who prompt patrons to come up with their own cereal creations in a kitchen like atmosphere.

Starbucks Salon Evolves the Coffeehouse Environment
With welltrained baristas and an inviting atmosphere, Starbucks’ has become the “3 rd place” for millions of consumers, with 12,000 locations in 32 countries. Starbucks’ latest endeavor to “grow big while staying small” has been its pop up retail locations at the Sundance Film Festival and more recently in Soho (more to be announced soon). The self described “nomadic interactive coffeehouse, gallery, and performance venue” provoked one Starbucks Gossip blogger to comment, “The [Salon] concept rocked because it reminded me of an old independent coffee shop.”

A Tried andTrue Service Provider Grows Online Sales
Nordstrom has consistently differentiated itself from the pack by offering the best quality service and leaving customers with a lasting impression at the checkout counter. It continues to do so online as well, with live beauty and designer specialists available in realtime. Features such as these have helped the retailer rack up a 41% increase in online sales in the past twelve months.

Westin Extension Transforms the Extended Stay
Westin Hotels, famous for incorporating the ultimate sleep experience into hotel amenities, is now chipping away at common perceptions about extended stay hotels. The Element Hotel concept, which was unveiled last week at the 2006 Lodging Conference, is Westin’s latest attempt to reinvent its category by striving to provide guests with a deeper brand experience. Unique amenities include “haven-like” open room design, elevated public space for more relaxing socialization, and smart meal options.
GfK surveys.com marketing marketing research word of mouth advertising brands