Segmentations can be an incredibly powerful tool for businesses, providing strong platforms for innovation and a targeted approach to customer relations. However the strength of segmentation hinges on the level of similarity between the individuals in each segment. The greater the similarity the...Read More

There’s no limit these days to the volume and type of data that companies use to improve their competitiveness. Much of this data is unique to the industry in question, but some market indicators such as purchasing power have nearly universal application. A measure of the population’s...Read More

With access to quality data, a flexible tool and a dedicated team, millions of conversations happening on social media can be turned into insights for brands. Businesses see the value and are getting involved, but social media monitoring is not without its naysayers.Recent pieces of research...Read More

The internet is both market place and exchange platform – also for luxury buyers. Mobile devices keep paving new ways online for them when it comes to information about their favorite brands and online shopping. The good news for stationary trading: The special meaning of the point of sale...Read More

The youths of India remain loyal to shopping in person. 78% of young people surveyed said they will continue to shop in-store at least to the same extent as now or more, compared to 69% of older shoppers. In fact, 51% of youths said they will visit shops more. This is significantly more than the...Read More

Understanding today’s market and where it’s going is increasingly problematic. Getting blindsided by consumers’ constantly-evolving preferences and evolving consumer culture is a very vivid reality for many business managers.Did you know that Generation Z is less concerned about...Read More

Brands have found that a lot can be learned from monitoring what is being said online about their products, services, employees, campaigns and competitors. Those a bit more advanced in social listening have found that broadening searches to cover the product category or industry can create a more...Read More

Today’s media companies are not using data as effectively as they could be. This is what was argued during the first half of this presentation. The role of data in media companies has created ‘unhappy sandpits’, and trying to aggregate the various silos of data across the...Read More

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of presenting alongside our client, Times Media, in South Africa at their roadshow, The Future is Now. The General Manager of Group Sales and Marketing, Trevor Ormerod, discussed some of the company’s key initiatives including recent work to measure print...Read More

At the Mobile Payments Conference in Chicago last month, Jack Connors, Google’s head of commerce partnerships, told attendees that Android Pay would launch “very soon.” A week later, Google announced a soft rollout of its revamped mobile wallet.Android Pay is 100...Read More

The retail landscape has changed dramatically in the UK over the last few years with the recession seeing the closure of many well-known retailers, often leaving high streets vacant and desolate. But last year, Black Friday saw many flood to the high streets again to grab a bargain.GfK recorded...Read More

Customer loyalty is a divisive topic – for many brands it is their stated aim, while some commentators have said that loyalty doesn’t even exist. But perhaps the real point about customer loyalty is that it’s complex, and it changes.   As a society we have become less...Read More

Let’s start by stating the obvious: no organization sets out to create a bad user experience (UX). Yet, poor user experiences frequently happen. Enter the Piñata Effect.As many of us know about piñatas, they are filled with candy – and everyone wants the candy. Each boy...Read More

As experience experts, ethnographic projects are some of our favorite opportunities to explore everything from the American mediascape to journey mapping patient experiences. For many of these projects, we have leveraged traditional in-home ethnography to gain an authentic look into the lives of...Read More

In my last article, I briefly introduced the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it has the potential to revolutionize how a number of industries conduct business. Recent estimates from McKinsey suggest that by 2025, the IoT could have an economic impact of up to $11.1 trillion per year, with over...Read More

As PAMCo, the Publishers Audience Measurement Company, announces its replacement for the National Readership Survey, it is worth pausing to reflect on the key issues that all media audience measurement currencies have in maintaining their evolution to meet the increasingly intense commercial...Read More

While the consumer wearables market fizzles rather than explodes, with suspicions that sales of the Apple Watch haven’t met expectations fueled by Apples reluctance to release this data, there’s growing buzz about the use of wearable technology in the Enterprise. The Enterprise market...Read More

Regardless of whether consumers are clicking “buy” at the virtual checkout, online remains a major sales channel and an irrefutable part of today’s purchase journey. Fact: from cosmetics to TVs, online is where brands and consumers hook up – whether that’s to find...Read More

Habits are a fundamental part of human behaviors and have a huge, often understated control over the decisions we make every day. Anyone who has tried to break a habit will understand just how difficult that can be and understand that willpower is often secondary to the external factors in play...Read More

Modern shoppers have an array of payment options available to them, with the recent addition of Apple Pay users are offered the option to pay for goods and services via the use of an Apple iPhone 6 or smartwatch. Along with other wearable accessories such as Barclays bPay which features the...Read More

The mobile revolution: it’s one of the most talked about phenomena in consumer technology. Yet advertising spend on mobile is still far behind use and the number of eyeballs that might see it – and we all know that advertising needs to follow the users to be effective. So what’s...Read More

The evolution and revolution of payments continues to unfold before our eyes. Everyday there are more announcements of new products, partnerships and services that move us closer to the inevitable ubiquity of paying for nearly everything using new and exciting methods. Although there is much to...Read More

On September 12, 2015, at this year’s IBC, I have the pleasure of moderating a panel called “Future Consumer, Content Everywhere and Always On!” which investigates the implications of video being everywhere for consumers and the media industry. Executives, experts and...Read More

Only 13% of 27,000 people, across 22 countries agree completely that it is essential to store or access their created content in the cloud. Only? Really? I’m surprised the figure is so high! Remember, this is the percentage of people that gave the most extreme score (7, out of a 7-point...Read More

Without accuracy an answer is meaningless, but when designing research are you really focused on how accurate the answers could possibly be? Here are four key factors to consider in order to ensure insights are based on a solid foundation of accurate answers.Predictive versus behavioralIt is...Read More

Last week, the IAB posted the second of their 5 “IAB Believes…” blog pieces, focusing on viewability of digital ads. Their focus in this post is the inconsistency of digital ad measurement definitions when it comes to the visibility and viewability of ads on the page. They are...Read More

Amazon Prime’s acquisition of the yet to be re-titled “Son of Top Gear” looks set to be one of the defining moments in recent TV history. It may not be the first original series that the video service has commissioned but it is, without doubt, by far the most significant.Viewers...Read More

Last week, the IAB posted the first of their 5 “IAB Believes…” blog pieces, focusing on brand safety. In this first piece, they focus on the bad PR when an ad is delivered in inappropriate places and there is a passing reference to the spend that is wasted. The solution pushed...Read More

Sitting at a recent media conference, I once again heard someone tell how their family – and especially their teen – is the example of how the media market is being disrupted, or even dying. These “my family” anecdotes are so prevalent at media conferences that, for the...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We have addressed these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail&rdquo...Read More

When developing visions for Future Fashion Retail, as we have been doing in a creative and complex process over the past few months, it is essential to examine the consumer of the future. What characterizes these consumers, whose attention and money do we rely on?Reports from recently opened and...Read More

There has been much talk about mobile payments revolutionizing payment. But what does this mean for the payments value chain?From four parties to fiveApple Pay gained 1 million downloads within 72 hours of launch in the US. As we have come to expect of the tech giant, Apple offers a finely...Read More

I came across a job advert the other day from an advertising agency for a ‘Research Scientist’. Just to be clear, I was not looking for a new job having just acquired one! But it was the job title that caught my eye. They were looking for a data scientist who understood market...Read More

So you’re in the department store. Your basket is nearly full. There’s just one last pair of pants to look at. And what’s that? A discount for it pops up on your phone.Bargain!The trousers are coming with you. And it’s time to go. You wave your phone at the checkout.That...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We address these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail&rdquo...Read More

Whether it’s breathing new life into aging patents or capitalizing on the quantified self craze, pharmaceutical companies are finding ways to expand the reach and utility of their drug brands by developing digital companion applications that track, monitor, log, and calculate therapeutic...Read More

Take a moment to recall “Back to the Future (Part 2)”. Now picture Marty McFly’s surprise if he’d hopped in his time-traveling DeLorean in 1985, emerged in 2015 and discovered that he can watch TV on a mobile phone.In his day people actually fitted their activities around...Read More

Another season to write off. Farmers lamented the shortage of water, while fashion retailers bemoaned the shortage of customers. Very few could report an increase in sales over the spring months from March to May. For most high street fashion retailers, the results of their clothing business were...Read More

Yes, the title of this post refers to your product. That isn’t to say your product isn’t selling. Indeed, customers are out there purchasing your product—but it’s not what they’re buying. What customers actually buy is the experience of using your product. Unless...Read More

I notice from my own life how over-stimulated I am sometimes. Whether I’m bombarded with video messages on screens on a commuter train, or am subjected to ambient noise while in the city center, I’m constantly receiving messages about my environment.It’s no wonder that when I...Read More

In today’s experience economy, consumers are bombarded with new experiences every day – proposals for new products, new services, and new consumption models – to improve their lives. In a world that promises compelling experiences, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands...Read More

The pressure to look good surrounds us. TV programmes, advertisements on the high street and in magazines, newspaper stories on celebrities, even the endless selfies on social media – there are really very few major communication channels are not promoting images of good looking people.In...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We address these in a series of four blogs entitled “The future of retail”. We now have more...Read More

Thirty years ago today (July 13, 1985), the nation was gripped to its television screens to watch Live Aid. It was a dual-venue charity concert in Wembley and Philadelphia, watched by around 170,000 in the two stadia and by a further 2 billion worldwide on live television. That’s nearly 40%...Read More

Big brands, glossy magazines, celebrities and lavish advertising campaigns have traditionally set the agenda in the fashion industry. But with the rise of social media, a medium that is by its nature democratic, the rules about what defines a trendsetter are being completely transformed. In a...Read More

Research has often indicated that consumers in markets like China, like consumers in other emerging Asian countries, place a lot of importance on brands. Brands are surrogates of quality and brands imply trust. That is why more Chinese and Indian consumers agree to statements like...Read More

How do today’s 16-21 year olds (aka Generation Z) shop for fashion compared with other consumer age groups? The answer is that their purchase journey differs according to the country they live in – as it does for other age groups. So while fashion retailers have more opportunities...Read More

Social media monitoring is an essential reputation management activity for brands around the world. “Listening” to consumers via social media is now standard practice for brands seeking to understand what is said about them online. But it is effectively a one-dimensional process that...Read More

5% – this is the percentage of all payments made globally, in a store, using a mobile device last year. So, why should anyone care? Put simply, in-store mobile payments are the future. Yes, there are barriers – logistics and security are the main ones – but there are also...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We will address these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail”. As...Read More

You’ve been test driving cars and researching the vehicle you want to buy. Now it’s down to decision time.How exactly will you choose the brand, the features and the color you want?Most of us imagine that our choice will be completely rational and based on pragmatic thinking. Of...Read More

The availability of more information and choice has changed consumers’ expectations about how, where and when they shop. Consumers are less willing to settle for a ‘one size fits all’ shopping experience. When we asked a panel of retailers and retail experts in an international...Read More

1.2 billion smartphones were sold globally in 2014, and in the first quarter of 2015, smartphone unit demand was up +7% on the same period of last year. So what is driving this continuing success story? We’ve identified four key trends influencing the global smartphone market.1. Bigger...Read More

While attending this year’s Emerge Conference in Austin last week, it became apparent to me that the financial services industry and the tens of millions of Americans hoping to successfully manage their financial affairs, are at a critical crossroad.Emerge is the annual conference run by...Read More

I found a great new yoga outfit when I was doing some online shopping the other day. First I zoomed in to see the fabric up close. This helps to see if the quality is good and stretchable and feels soft – so needed as you cannot “touch” it. I glanced at some reviews, chose my...Read More

In our latest video blog, Korey Johnson (SVP, User Experience, GfK) discusses the importance of integrating User Experience research into the innovation process of healthcare-related products. Johnson advises product developers to consider real-world applications, use environments and user...Read More

Car tire makers are keen to position themselves in hot new markets, and signs point to Indonesia as an interesting market for replacement car tires. Sales in Indonesia rose by 11% in 2014, compared to 2013.Which ASEAN markets will follow Indonesia and experience strong growth? And what will this...Read More

With so many options for today’s consumers, how do brands succeed in understanding and influencing their shopping choices? Our research shows that when it comes to where shoppers aged 16-21 go to discover new grocery and personal care products, and how they say they are made aware of them...Read More

Why security, well-being, gratification and freedom are the cornerstones of consumer needsAs developments in technology stretch the boundaries of what is possible, how can the automotive industry understand what it is that consumers actually need and desire? In our Connected Car study, a major...Read More

In our recent IAB Europe award-winning study with Facebook we proved that Facebook ads deliver a strong return when used in conjunction with TV, even if TV still has the edge on reach (but at what comparative cost I hear you ask).The content we have put out there and the presentation at this week...Read More

GfK and Facebook joined forces to make a direct comparison of the impact produced by advertising delivered via both TV and Facebook.Traditionally, research on digital ad effectiveness has used tags to identify panel members exposed to a digital ad. But this often assumes that each person uses a...Read More

The internet has undeniably revolutionized how businesses operate, engage with their customers and bring their products to market. From sole traders to large multinationals, IT is at the heart of every business function, raising the question of risk (and therefore security) that has found itself...Read More

The case for Relevance driving further Switching ActivityA further piece was added to the ‘enabling switching puzzle’ at the end of March in the form of comparison site GoCompare’s Current Account Comparison tool. This allows customers to upload their transactional and balance...Read More

“So Jim, what’s the household chore you hate the most?” I queried my office mate. “Cleaning toilets” was his prompt reply.“And what would make it better?” He thought a moment, then, laughing, he said, “Having someone else do it!”Boom &ndash...Read More

Turbulent economic times in Russia are making their mark on sales of car tires and spare parts in Russia. Not only are currency fluctuations skewing prices and sales volumes, but consumers are adjusting their behavior.For car tire sales, I expect a decline of 20% in 2015, since the car tires...Read More

Based on our study findings, being green attracts consumers. But, before brands leap for their strategy plans, let’s analyze what really motivates consumers in this area. Here are the facts.Three quarters of consumers internationally say that brands today have to be environmentally...Read More

Imagine a home managed from the owner’s smartphone or tablet, with multiple devices linked via an intelligent network or “hub”. The owners could view status reports, access information and manage functions wherever and whenever they wanted. Preheating the oven, changing the...Read More

The connected car will be a reality within a few years, as enhanced safety, economy and entertainment become standard features of most new vehicles. So how do the British feel about the car of the future?In this extensive global project carried out at the end of 2014, we interviewed 5,800...Read More

For stakeholders in the television ecosystem, the impact of streaming viewing is the mystery of the year – probably the decade. Of course, their biggest concern is streaming’s effect on so-called “regular” TV viewing and TV networks. But the streaming phenomenon is also...Read More

Mobile payment is being adopted all over the world in different ways, whether it is via SMS transactional payments, direct mobile billing, mobile web payments (WAP), mobile banking apps or contactless NFC. In developing countries mobile payment solutions have been used successfully as a way of...Read More

Despite their love of and ease within the online world, today’s young people are not exclusively virtual shoppers, glued to their screens throughout the purchase journey. This new generation of digital natives loves the environment of the store, and values the interaction it offers. And...Read More

What is an SMB? Having spent a decade conducting business-to-business (B2B) market research across a variety of industries, I’ve learned that if you asked ten clients to define a small and medium-sized business (SMB), you’re very likely to get ten different answers. For some it&rsquo...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multimedia and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car.What they wanted differed by market...Read More

How seriously should manufacturers of small appliances take social media as a channel for communicating with consumers? According to our Social Media Intelligence (SMI) analysis focusing on power blenders, German consumers are very willing to share their experiences, views and advice with others...Read More

Indonesia often falls into the long shadow cast by other developing markets – Brazil, Russia, India and China – also known as the BRIC countries. But with the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the growth in smartphones.The digital...Read More

In 2013 Vertex Pharmaceuticals introduced Kalydeco® (ivacaftor), the first orphan drug to successfully treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in a well-defined patient subgroup, into the Irish market. The annual cost was €234,804 per patient. With this price tag the new drug had...Read More

Business intelligence (BI) systems and solutions have long been a valuable tool used by companies to organize and analyze information related to their markets and operations. The amount of data available to companies has grown exponentially in the past decade, which has increased demand for BI...Read More

At the recent Mobile World Congress 2015, despite the onslaught of new devices (e.g. smartwatches) and technologies (e.g. connected car), handsets still dominated media headlines and buzz. So what new innovations and offers have manufacturers of these ubiquitous devices offered to consumers this...Read More

Men are increasingly engaged in the personal care and male grooming category – good news for companies targeting these important consumers. So just how are young men choosing personal care products? Where are they shopping and what influences their purchase decisions? Our Global Young...Read More

Who’s talking most about financial technology? Consumers are – on social media. Of all the content relating to financial technology online, 60% is generated by consumers. Consumers are talking about financial technology on social media, forums, blogs and brand websites and by doing so...Read More

In 2015, the promise of market research—and marketing, in general—is bound up in our ability to build healthy and vibrant information ecosystems. Rivers of data feed campaign streams across the media and marketing landscape, shifting and readjusting in a real-time evolution. The goal:...Read More

Do Germans love their cars? They sure do. Do they spend a lot on outfitting and tuning them up? Well, it depends…Surprisingly, it not only depends on the social group and individual consumption preferences, but also on consumers’ place of residence. So, take control and gain ...Read More

In a global survey, we asked 28,000 consumers in 23 countries about the measures they take to maintain their physical health. The results show that people are taking their health seriously and investing time in their physical well-being. Against this backdrop, we see a real opportunity for...Read More

There has been a seismic shift in the way some brands operate in recent years. The traditional “push” approach is being replaced by a more customer-centric model that uses the full range of customer / brand experiences to strengthen relationships. Born from the desire to put customers...Read More

When I discuss my excitement over the rapidly changing Mobile Payments industry with family and friends they just don’t get it. Sure, they are familiar with Apple Pay and yes, they understand that if they had the new iPhone or Samsung 6 that they could possibly pay for things using their...Read More

We asked consumers around the world what activities they regularly engage in to maintain their physical health – and getting enough sleep topped eating healthy food, exercising or taking vitamins1.Globally, two-thirds of consumers (66 percent) say that they regularly get enough sleep in...Read More

 In our latest video blog, Cathy Saraniti (VP, New Product Sales Development at GfK MRI) discusses differing fashion attitudes between two distinct age groups of female Millennials. A new analysis from our Survey of the American Consumer® suggests that marketers may be turning...Read More

The use of mobile payment is in its infancy in Belgium, yet awareness is relatively high. Our latest research highlights some of the obstacles to widespread adoption, and suggests how the market might develop in the future.Our FutureBuy study of 17,000 consumers across 17 countries identifies...Read More

With the launch of Apple Watch looming, wearable devices are garnering more attention than ever. We conducted a survey (Wearables: Geek Chic Or The Latest “Must Have” Consumer Tech?) to understand users’ attitudes towards smartwatches and activity trackers. One trend that caught...Read More

New services are focusing on impeccable design in web, mobile, and broader support services to allow them to engage consumers in new ways. On the one hand, we are seeing services overcome the hurdles of expensive financial advice by promoting their use of “robo-advisors,” or asset...Read More

First it was central locking, then the transponder key. Will wearable watches be driving the cars of the future? As yet, the wearables market overall remains significantly untapped. Both industry leaders and smaller players have launched products onto the market in an attempt to capture consumers...Read More

We recently undertook a study to understand how consumers in Singapore buy tablets. While tablets may attract highly discerning, online savvy consumers, the vast majority (87%) of consumers browse both virtually and in person for these high ticket items. If the importance of the physical store in...Read More

The only constant is change and this is particularly true for the payments industry. Very big changes are coming to the industry later this year and it’s going to have a ripple effect across the entire purchasing experience in the US.On October 1st, there is a shift of fraud liability from...Read More

Loyalty: “a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior”...Read More

As blatant homage from Gabriel García Márquez’ “Love in the Time of Cholera”, it seemed fitting given the media blasts about Ebola, the measles and the flu in the past few months.After watching a couple of episodes of “The Walking Dead”, you&rsquo...Read More

Pretty much most things generate data these days. You get up in the morning and your Fitbit records your first step. You walk down the road and your footfall is measured in at least two ways (most likely by CCTV if you live in the UK, and by your mobile). Even when you go to the toilet (sorry...Read More

Which technology trends will be big this year? Where will we see the strongest growth of tech device ownership? How can businesses stay on top of this fast-changing environment? We interviewed GfK technology and media expert, Tilman Rotberg, to find out.ScriptWhere is the greatest growth...Read More

With its soft-blue label and taupe package, the Relax 100% natural health bar looks like the type of good-for-you product you’d expect in an upscale food chain like the U.S.A.’s Whole Foods. But its provenance is India. And that says a lot about where the snack-food market – and...Read More

A growing number of Americans are hungry for good health. They try to eat right – and, in many cases, exercise environmental responsibility at the same time. To satisfy these customers, food stores are adding organic, fresh and local fare. The percentage of U.S. adults who regularly...Read More

With nearly three out of four consumers globally (71%) having access to the internet via a smartphone, retailers would be justified in thinking that the time is finally right for people to pay for goods and services via their mobile phone. However, in our study* of 17,000 consumers carried out in...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multi-media and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car. What they wanted differed by market...Read More

Not so long ago it was a concept associated with science fiction. Now the dream of the self-driving car is on its way to becoming reality.Obviously there are legal and regulatory hurdles still to overcome, but self-drive technology has been developed and refined, and self-driving cars will be on...Read More

“A brand is a living entity—and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.” Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney)It’s 2015 and our relationships with brands are deeper and more complex than ever. Social media has...Read More

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is one of the most revolutionary trends in technology today. It is often referenced in relation to the ‘smart home’, where household appliances, meters and devices autonomously communicate with each other via the internet and wireless signals...Read More

“I want to understand the world from your point of view. I want to know what you know in the way you know it. I want to understand the meaning of your experience, to walk in your shoes, to feel things as you feel them, to explain things as you explain them. Will you become my teacher and...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multi-media and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car.What they wanted differed by market...Read More

Despite the fact that we all know better, at times we eat food we shouldn’t, we don’t get enough exercise, and we don’t get enough sleep. In short, we put off things that cause us short term pain even though there are tremendous long term health benefits.Our financial...Read More

Retail parks are currently a hot topic of conversation: This retail format is increasingly the first choice among retailers and consumers, and investors are now following suit. GfK retail expert Manuel Jahn explores why retail parks constitute a sustainable investment with genuine substance...Read More

The mobile instant messaging (IM) market has been a phenomenon of the past 4 years. The growth of IM has been staggering with players such as Japan’s LINE and China’s WeChat acquiring over 500 million users within 2 years of launch. A large proportion of the global IM user base...Read More

While marketers tend to focus on what people are sayingabout their brands in social media, they sometimes overlook the people who are driving these conversations.In our latest video blog, Cathy Buena (Research Director, GfK Digital Market Intelligence) discusses how GfK helped a...Read More

Recent valuations of major mobile instant messaging (IM) players on the market suggest that the larger the user-base the more valuable each user becomes. This premise may be based on advertising revenues alone so monetizing more features is likely to increase the value per dollar per-user. For...Read More

GfK conducted a seven-month study of India’s tire retailers to find out more about the country’s market. So – what have we discovered?Over 50,000 tire shops exists in India’s smaller cities and rural area; more than half of which are in ruralA younger population and...Read More

The words beauty and buzz are almost synonymous in social media. If there’s one category where consumers have pushed the “social” in social media to the max, this is it. From blogs to forums to videos, beauty buyers want to share their advice, tips and expertise. In fact, a new...Read More

“Only connect!” wrote the English novelist, E. M. Forster. “Live in fragments no longer.” This famous injunction could serve as an information-management strategy for the modern-day reinsurance industry and any other industry in which location-based factors play a role...Read More

I used to associate gaming with spotty teenagers sat in their bedrooms killing aliens at four in the morning. But, I have since come to realize that gaming is much more than just that. Gamification is a technique that marketers are using to connect with consumers on a deeper level.Gamification is...Read More

Ever since the days of comic book detective Dick Tracy and his two-way wrist watch, wearable technology has held a fascination for consumers. So the potential of the next generation of smartwatch technology, which is set to go well beyond communications and into data applications, could be a real...Read More

GfK and AutoScout24 surveyed around 8,800 people for the report ‘The Cars We Want Tomorrow’. Drivers aged 18-65 in seven European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain), were surveyed on a wide range of topics from safety to cost, comfort to...Read More

Have you heard of Michalle Phan, Zoella, Tanya Burr or Pixiwoo? No, neither had I until I recently ventured into the world of the beauty video logger or “vlogger”. These are some of the most influential people in the cosmetics industry and they’re doing it from their bedrooms...Read More

While coins and paper money have remained the predominant means of conducting everyday transactions, technological advances in the 20th Century heralded the advent of increasingly sophisticated electronic transactions. The majority of financial market transactions are now conducted...Read More

According to our latest Mobile Insights data, more than half (55%) of UK smartphone users visited retail sites or apps from their device in July 2014. They spent almost 21 minutes and visited on average 4 retail sites, with fashion most popular, followed by technology and supermarkets...Read More

Companies eager to profit from the growing market for smart home products and services should feel encouraged by our latest research from the UK. It shows an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers to the idea of a fully-connected, smart home, with more than three-quarters keen on the...Read More

Every brand wants their marketing to be memorable. But no one wants to have it remembered for the wrong reasons. However, learning from mistakes is important. We took the chance to highlight a few unfortunate marketing “happenings” at the Unleashing Data Summit in Amsterdam so...Read More

The constant changes in today’s digital world are revolutionizing the retail experience, for both consumers and retailers. Consumers can now shop virtually any time, anywhere and for anything. But with new possibilities and new technologies comes a thirst for even greater change and...Read More

The advent of digital has changed – and continues to change – the way we shop for everything, from clothes to cars.Our latest research shows that rather than seeing digital as a one stop shop, consumers are enjoying an omnichannel shopping experience that blends digital with...Read More

The automotive aftermarket in Japan consists of four main sales channels, and who uses which one to buy tires depends on the driver’s age.Our research shows the main sales channels are: car accessories specialists, tire specialists, car dealers and the online channel. Among these, the car...Read More

Unlike the rapid uptake of tablets, the wearables market remains significantly untapped. Industry leaders and underdogs alike have launched products onto the market in an attempt to capture consumer imagination, but, according to our latest research, sales of wearables remain a long way from...Read More

The growth of wearable technologies has been a true revolution in the technology market, generating excitement for a variety of reasons. Wearable technology addresses a number of consumer needs, such as the need for the latest innovations and the need for maximum convenience and simplicity in...Read More

Some of the most perplexing questions in marketing are indeed some of the most intellectually interesting ones. There’s so many ways to approach a research question. Which is the right approach? Is my model the best-suited? What about the data in my model?As the leader for automotive in...Read More

The amount of spending potential for retail expenditures differs widely among European consumers. Manufacturers and retailers who plan new locations need to be aware of these differences to make realistic turnover and growth plans for their branches in various countries.Examining not only the...Read More

There are lots of clichés in the development of mass media over time.  We talk about the ‘fragmentation of the media landscape’ and ‘device proliferation’.  These are now predictable changes occurring gradually over a relatively long time frame.  Our...Read More

GfK has mapped the market for engine oil in Nigeria and found that large engine oil brands have an opportunity to gain share in Africa’s most populous country.A majority of engine oil in Nigeria is sold at gas stations – roughly 70% of total market volumes. If you remove these sales...Read More

If you are wondering what mobile payments look like in the future, look no further than your current travel rewards programs.Personally, I’m a loyal airline flier and credit card user – and due to my loyalty, my behavior is easily influenced when I book travel and make large purchases...Read More

As new brands gain approval and brand teams begin to manage in-line business imperatives, they are starting to ask their ATU trackers to move beyond the “what” of measuring awareness, trial and usage. With valuable brands at stake, they are beginning to require answers to why their...Read More

Who hasn’t had poor experiences with their bank branches? The mere thought of waiting in lines to transact with a teller, sitting with a customer service rep who started work the week before and has no idea who you are, what you need or how best to serve you gives me a stomach ache...Read More

As financial institutions continue to struggle to attract younger customers and companies compete to capture a share of the ever elusive millennial wallet, we may want to step back and take a closer look at the way their grandparents use their phones and shop online. Like a genetic trait that...Read More

Picture the scene: It is the 1990s, and a family is gathered around the dinner table to discuss the events of the day. The landline rings and the teenage girl leaps up to answer it, to which her father responds ‘leave it! We are eating’. Fast forward to the 2000s, and the Nokia 3310...Read More

As a mind-boggling array of new devices provide a constant supply of information and social connection, consumers are demanding that their TVs keep pace. At this year’s CES and SXSW, smart TVs were at the forefront of the discussion about the evolving role of television. At their core...Read More

Sure, we’ve made huge strides in technology in the last decade – but adoption is not only a pragmatic decision, but also one of style. Tesla made electric cars the thing of middle-aged mens’ dreams, with its incredible performance and sleek design coming together to exceed our...Read More

From activity trackers to data glasses to smart watches, wearable technology is heralded by many as the next big thing. As a result the market is not only becoming crowded but extremely competitive as brands from a range of sectors fight it out for a piece of this big business. But do consumers...Read More

The verdict is unanimous: Prepaid cards are the fastest growing segment of the card industry.However, despite the time and devotion spent by card companies on innovation, product design, awareness, and usage, there remains a cloud of negative perception and potential misinformation surrounding...Read More

Marketers are always looking for new ways to bring their brands to life for their high-value target audiences. And, according to a GfK analysis, tablet magazine advertising shouldn’t be overlooked as an effective addition to print and other media campaigns.In our latest video blog post...Read More

I have been working with retail panels for 14 years, but something I experienced recently marks a “first” in my career.GfK is now tracking truck tire sales in southwest Europe. We started in the UK in 2012 and then with France and Italy. In June, we had a full year of data from the...Read More

The shift to mobile devices is big news for retailers. Now, half of UK mobile internet users visit a retail site at least once a month, spending on average 25 minutes shopping.By combining big data usage metrics from a global mobile network operator with our own world-class consumer panel data...Read More

The Internet of Things (IoT) is coming, and will transform the way businesses function forever. Many organizations are still unsure exactly what the IoT is, how they’re going to take advantage of its huge apparent potential, and vitally, what new threats it poses…A definition and a...Read More

We all know that streaming video is at the forefront of entertainment, though perhaps it has been undersold. Data from our recently released report, How People Use® Media: Comparing Streaming Services, indicate that streaming video services may be leaving a lot of money on the table...Read More

How do shoppers in different markets research a major purchase like a smartphone or tablet? How does their behaviour differ by country? That was the question we set out to answer in this cross-country study where investigating smartphone and tablet purchase journeys in the UK, Belgium, Russia and...Read More

Technology will continue to play a powerful role in the future of medicine, not just in the direct delivery of care, but also in communication within the care system. This includes doctor/patient interactions, which are diversifying away from strict reliance on the exam room. Health plans are...Read More

Smartphones and tablets are becoming involved in almost everything that we do. This societal shift to a mobile lifestyle presents challenges as well as opportunities to market research. And being proactive is essential for researchers. In our latest video, Pat Graham (Chief Solution Strategist...Read More

In 2013, 3.5 million Chinese couples filed for a divorce – an increase of 12.3% over the previous year. With more and more Chinese choosing to part ways with their partners and live on their own, the Chinese marriage is in crisis. In addition, many more, particularly educated women (often...Read More

Getting the price right for their models in each market is vital for car manufacturers to achieve that all-important market share with target audiences. But it’s a challenging part of any global sales strategy. Here we look at how Volvo met that challenge when launching the new premium S60...Read More

M-commerce is well established in a number of sectors, but retailers in other categories have been slower to adopt it. As more people turn to smartphones to research and buy, what should retailers do to catch up? One upcoming category is DIY where m-commerce is currently at a low level compared...Read More

Our latest Roper Need to Know report covers four key markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this first of three posts covering some of the major findings from the research we look at the Achiever mindset. From Ghana to Kenya, Nigeria to South Africa, ‘Achiever’ is by far the most...Read More

Within as little as three years, 69% of the planet’s population will own a smartphone. That’s 5.2 billion people with a smartphone by 2017, from Abuja to London, Mumbai to Zagreb. As the market continues to expand it gets closer to saturation point. What impact will this have on the...Read More

It is becoming clear that technology is affecting how disgruntled consumers complain about poor products and services and, as a result, how companies must respond. We asked UK consumers which channels they had used to make complaints to a company or service provider.[1] The results show that the...Read More

It looks like we’re coming out of the worst days of the recession, and research from GfK shows that UK consumers are starting to return to brands they trust. But when times were tight, people learned to look for value and they now expect incentives for their loyalty. How should financial...Read More

Segmentations can be an incredibly powerful tool for businesses, providing strong platforms for innovation and a targeted approach to customer relations. However the strength of segmentation hinges on the level of similarity between the individuals in each segment. The greater the similarity the...Read More

There’s no limit these days to the volume and type of data that companies use to improve their competitiveness. Much of this data is unique to the industry in question, but some market indicators such as purchasing power have nearly universal application. A measure of the population’s...Read More

With access to quality data, a flexible tool and a dedicated team, millions of conversations happening on social media can be turned into insights for brands. Businesses see the value and are getting involved, but social media monitoring is not without its naysayers.Recent pieces of research...Read More

The internet is both market place and exchange platform – also for luxury buyers. Mobile devices keep paving new ways online for them when it comes to information about their favorite brands and online shopping. The good news for stationary trading: The special meaning of the point of sale...Read More

The youths of India remain loyal to shopping in person. 78% of young people surveyed said they will continue to shop in-store at least to the same extent as now or more, compared to 69% of older shoppers. In fact, 51% of youths said they will visit shops more. This is significantly more than the...Read More

Understanding today’s market and where it’s going is increasingly problematic. Getting blindsided by consumers’ constantly-evolving preferences and evolving consumer culture is a very vivid reality for many business managers.Did you know that Generation Z is less concerned about...Read More

Brands have found that a lot can be learned from monitoring what is being said online about their products, services, employees, campaigns and competitors. Those a bit more advanced in social listening have found that broadening searches to cover the product category or industry can create a more...Read More

Today’s media companies are not using data as effectively as they could be. This is what was argued during the first half of this presentation. The role of data in media companies has created ‘unhappy sandpits’, and trying to aggregate the various silos of data across the...Read More

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of presenting alongside our client, Times Media, in South Africa at their roadshow, The Future is Now. The General Manager of Group Sales and Marketing, Trevor Ormerod, discussed some of the company’s key initiatives including recent work to measure print...Read More

At the Mobile Payments Conference in Chicago last month, Jack Connors, Google’s head of commerce partnerships, told attendees that Android Pay would launch “very soon.” A week later, Google announced a soft rollout of its revamped mobile wallet.Android Pay is 100...Read More

The retail landscape has changed dramatically in the UK over the last few years with the recession seeing the closure of many well-known retailers, often leaving high streets vacant and desolate. But last year, Black Friday saw many flood to the high streets again to grab a bargain.GfK recorded...Read More

Customer loyalty is a divisive topic – for many brands it is their stated aim, while some commentators have said that loyalty doesn’t even exist. But perhaps the real point about customer loyalty is that it’s complex, and it changes.   As a society we have become less...Read More

Let’s start by stating the obvious: no organization sets out to create a bad user experience (UX). Yet, poor user experiences frequently happen. Enter the Piñata Effect.As many of us know about piñatas, they are filled with candy – and everyone wants the candy. Each boy...Read More

As experience experts, ethnographic projects are some of our favorite opportunities to explore everything from the American mediascape to journey mapping patient experiences. For many of these projects, we have leveraged traditional in-home ethnography to gain an authentic look into the lives of...Read More

In my last article, I briefly introduced the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it has the potential to revolutionize how a number of industries conduct business. Recent estimates from McKinsey suggest that by 2025, the IoT could have an economic impact of up to $11.1 trillion per year, with over...Read More

As PAMCo, the Publishers Audience Measurement Company, announces its replacement for the National Readership Survey, it is worth pausing to reflect on the key issues that all media audience measurement currencies have in maintaining their evolution to meet the increasingly intense commercial...Read More

While the consumer wearables market fizzles rather than explodes, with suspicions that sales of the Apple Watch haven’t met expectations fueled by Apples reluctance to release this data, there’s growing buzz about the use of wearable technology in the Enterprise. The Enterprise market...Read More

Regardless of whether consumers are clicking “buy” at the virtual checkout, online remains a major sales channel and an irrefutable part of today’s purchase journey. Fact: from cosmetics to TVs, online is where brands and consumers hook up – whether that’s to find...Read More

Habits are a fundamental part of human behaviors and have a huge, often understated control over the decisions we make every day. Anyone who has tried to break a habit will understand just how difficult that can be and understand that willpower is often secondary to the external factors in play...Read More

Modern shoppers have an array of payment options available to them, with the recent addition of Apple Pay users are offered the option to pay for goods and services via the use of an Apple iPhone 6 or smartwatch. Along with other wearable accessories such as Barclays bPay which features the...Read More

The mobile revolution: it’s one of the most talked about phenomena in consumer technology. Yet advertising spend on mobile is still far behind use and the number of eyeballs that might see it – and we all know that advertising needs to follow the users to be effective. So what’s...Read More

The evolution and revolution of payments continues to unfold before our eyes. Everyday there are more announcements of new products, partnerships and services that move us closer to the inevitable ubiquity of paying for nearly everything using new and exciting methods. Although there is much to...Read More

On September 12, 2015, at this year’s IBC, I have the pleasure of moderating a panel called “Future Consumer, Content Everywhere and Always On!” which investigates the implications of video being everywhere for consumers and the media industry. Executives, experts and...Read More

Only 13% of 27,000 people, across 22 countries agree completely that it is essential to store or access their created content in the cloud. Only? Really? I’m surprised the figure is so high! Remember, this is the percentage of people that gave the most extreme score (7, out of a 7-point...Read More

Without accuracy an answer is meaningless, but when designing research are you really focused on how accurate the answers could possibly be? Here are four key factors to consider in order to ensure insights are based on a solid foundation of accurate answers.Predictive versus behavioralIt is...Read More

Last week, the IAB posted the second of their 5 “IAB Believes…” blog pieces, focusing on viewability of digital ads. Their focus in this post is the inconsistency of digital ad measurement definitions when it comes to the visibility and viewability of ads on the page. They are...Read More

Amazon Prime’s acquisition of the yet to be re-titled “Son of Top Gear” looks set to be one of the defining moments in recent TV history. It may not be the first original series that the video service has commissioned but it is, without doubt, by far the most significant.Viewers...Read More

Last week, the IAB posted the first of their 5 “IAB Believes…” blog pieces, focusing on brand safety. In this first piece, they focus on the bad PR when an ad is delivered in inappropriate places and there is a passing reference to the spend that is wasted. The solution pushed...Read More

Sitting at a recent media conference, I once again heard someone tell how their family – and especially their teen – is the example of how the media market is being disrupted, or even dying. These “my family” anecdotes are so prevalent at media conferences that, for the...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We have addressed these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail&rdquo...Read More

When developing visions for Future Fashion Retail, as we have been doing in a creative and complex process over the past few months, it is essential to examine the consumer of the future. What characterizes these consumers, whose attention and money do we rely on?Reports from recently opened and...Read More

There has been much talk about mobile payments revolutionizing payment. But what does this mean for the payments value chain?From four parties to fiveApple Pay gained 1 million downloads within 72 hours of launch in the US. As we have come to expect of the tech giant, Apple offers a finely...Read More

I came across a job advert the other day from an advertising agency for a ‘Research Scientist’. Just to be clear, I was not looking for a new job having just acquired one! But it was the job title that caught my eye. They were looking for a data scientist who understood market...Read More

So you’re in the department store. Your basket is nearly full. There’s just one last pair of pants to look at. And what’s that? A discount for it pops up on your phone.Bargain!The trousers are coming with you. And it’s time to go. You wave your phone at the checkout.That...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We address these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail&rdquo...Read More

Whether it’s breathing new life into aging patents or capitalizing on the quantified self craze, pharmaceutical companies are finding ways to expand the reach and utility of their drug brands by developing digital companion applications that track, monitor, log, and calculate therapeutic...Read More

Take a moment to recall “Back to the Future (Part 2)”. Now picture Marty McFly’s surprise if he’d hopped in his time-traveling DeLorean in 1985, emerged in 2015 and discovered that he can watch TV on a mobile phone.In his day people actually fitted their activities around...Read More

Another season to write off. Farmers lamented the shortage of water, while fashion retailers bemoaned the shortage of customers. Very few could report an increase in sales over the spring months from March to May. For most high street fashion retailers, the results of their clothing business were...Read More

Yes, the title of this post refers to your product. That isn’t to say your product isn’t selling. Indeed, customers are out there purchasing your product—but it’s not what they’re buying. What customers actually buy is the experience of using your product. Unless...Read More

I notice from my own life how over-stimulated I am sometimes. Whether I’m bombarded with video messages on screens on a commuter train, or am subjected to ambient noise while in the city center, I’m constantly receiving messages about my environment.It’s no wonder that when I...Read More

In today’s experience economy, consumers are bombarded with new experiences every day – proposals for new products, new services, and new consumption models – to improve their lives. In a world that promises compelling experiences, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands...Read More

The pressure to look good surrounds us. TV programmes, advertisements on the high street and in magazines, newspaper stories on celebrities, even the endless selfies on social media – there are really very few major communication channels are not promoting images of good looking people.In...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We address these in a series of four blogs entitled “The future of retail”. We now have more...Read More

Thirty years ago today (July 13, 1985), the nation was gripped to its television screens to watch Live Aid. It was a dual-venue charity concert in Wembley and Philadelphia, watched by around 170,000 in the two stadia and by a further 2 billion worldwide on live television. That’s nearly 40%...Read More

Big brands, glossy magazines, celebrities and lavish advertising campaigns have traditionally set the agenda in the fashion industry. But with the rise of social media, a medium that is by its nature democratic, the rules about what defines a trendsetter are being completely transformed. In a...Read More

Research has often indicated that consumers in markets like China, like consumers in other emerging Asian countries, place a lot of importance on brands. Brands are surrogates of quality and brands imply trust. That is why more Chinese and Indian consumers agree to statements like...Read More

How do today’s 16-21 year olds (aka Generation Z) shop for fashion compared with other consumer age groups? The answer is that their purchase journey differs according to the country they live in – as it does for other age groups. So while fashion retailers have more opportunities...Read More

Social media monitoring is an essential reputation management activity for brands around the world. “Listening” to consumers via social media is now standard practice for brands seeking to understand what is said about them online. But it is effectively a one-dimensional process that...Read More

5% – this is the percentage of all payments made globally, in a store, using a mobile device last year. So, why should anyone care? Put simply, in-store mobile payments are the future. Yes, there are barriers – logistics and security are the main ones – but there are also...Read More

The meteoric rise of digital combined with economic uncertainty has changed the path to purchase forever, creating a whole new raft of challenges for anyone selling through retail channels. We will address these challenges in a series of four blogs, entitled “The future of retail”. As...Read More

You’ve been test driving cars and researching the vehicle you want to buy. Now it’s down to decision time.How exactly will you choose the brand, the features and the color you want?Most of us imagine that our choice will be completely rational and based on pragmatic thinking. Of...Read More

The availability of more information and choice has changed consumers’ expectations about how, where and when they shop. Consumers are less willing to settle for a ‘one size fits all’ shopping experience. When we asked a panel of retailers and retail experts in an international...Read More

1.2 billion smartphones were sold globally in 2014, and in the first quarter of 2015, smartphone unit demand was up +7% on the same period of last year. So what is driving this continuing success story? We’ve identified four key trends influencing the global smartphone market.1. Bigger...Read More

While attending this year’s Emerge Conference in Austin last week, it became apparent to me that the financial services industry and the tens of millions of Americans hoping to successfully manage their financial affairs, are at a critical crossroad.Emerge is the annual conference run by...Read More

I found a great new yoga outfit when I was doing some online shopping the other day. First I zoomed in to see the fabric up close. This helps to see if the quality is good and stretchable and feels soft – so needed as you cannot “touch” it. I glanced at some reviews, chose my...Read More

In our latest video blog, Korey Johnson (SVP, User Experience, GfK) discusses the importance of integrating User Experience research into the innovation process of healthcare-related products. Johnson advises product developers to consider real-world applications, use environments and user...Read More

Car tire makers are keen to position themselves in hot new markets, and signs point to Indonesia as an interesting market for replacement car tires. Sales in Indonesia rose by 11% in 2014, compared to 2013.Which ASEAN markets will follow Indonesia and experience strong growth? And what will this...Read More

With so many options for today’s consumers, how do brands succeed in understanding and influencing their shopping choices? Our research shows that when it comes to where shoppers aged 16-21 go to discover new grocery and personal care products, and how they say they are made aware of them...Read More

Why security, well-being, gratification and freedom are the cornerstones of consumer needsAs developments in technology stretch the boundaries of what is possible, how can the automotive industry understand what it is that consumers actually need and desire? In our Connected Car study, a major...Read More

In our recent IAB Europe award-winning study with Facebook we proved that Facebook ads deliver a strong return when used in conjunction with TV, even if TV still has the edge on reach (but at what comparative cost I hear you ask).The content we have put out there and the presentation at this week...Read More

GfK and Facebook joined forces to make a direct comparison of the impact produced by advertising delivered via both TV and Facebook.Traditionally, research on digital ad effectiveness has used tags to identify panel members exposed to a digital ad. But this often assumes that each person uses a...Read More

The internet has undeniably revolutionized how businesses operate, engage with their customers and bring their products to market. From sole traders to large multinationals, IT is at the heart of every business function, raising the question of risk (and therefore security) that has found itself...Read More

The case for Relevance driving further Switching ActivityA further piece was added to the ‘enabling switching puzzle’ at the end of March in the form of comparison site GoCompare’s Current Account Comparison tool. This allows customers to upload their transactional and balance...Read More

“So Jim, what’s the household chore you hate the most?” I queried my office mate. “Cleaning toilets” was his prompt reply.“And what would make it better?” He thought a moment, then, laughing, he said, “Having someone else do it!”Boom &ndash...Read More

Turbulent economic times in Russia are making their mark on sales of car tires and spare parts in Russia. Not only are currency fluctuations skewing prices and sales volumes, but consumers are adjusting their behavior.For car tire sales, I expect a decline of 20% in 2015, since the car tires...Read More

Based on our study findings, being green attracts consumers. But, before brands leap for their strategy plans, let’s analyze what really motivates consumers in this area. Here are the facts.Three quarters of consumers internationally say that brands today have to be environmentally...Read More

Imagine a home managed from the owner’s smartphone or tablet, with multiple devices linked via an intelligent network or “hub”. The owners could view status reports, access information and manage functions wherever and whenever they wanted. Preheating the oven, changing the...Read More

The connected car will be a reality within a few years, as enhanced safety, economy and entertainment become standard features of most new vehicles. So how do the British feel about the car of the future?In this extensive global project carried out at the end of 2014, we interviewed 5,800...Read More

For stakeholders in the television ecosystem, the impact of streaming viewing is the mystery of the year – probably the decade. Of course, their biggest concern is streaming’s effect on so-called “regular” TV viewing and TV networks. But the streaming phenomenon is also...Read More

Mobile payment is being adopted all over the world in different ways, whether it is via SMS transactional payments, direct mobile billing, mobile web payments (WAP), mobile banking apps or contactless NFC. In developing countries mobile payment solutions have been used successfully as a way of...Read More

Despite their love of and ease within the online world, today’s young people are not exclusively virtual shoppers, glued to their screens throughout the purchase journey. This new generation of digital natives loves the environment of the store, and values the interaction it offers. And...Read More

What is an SMB? Having spent a decade conducting business-to-business (B2B) market research across a variety of industries, I’ve learned that if you asked ten clients to define a small and medium-sized business (SMB), you’re very likely to get ten different answers. For some it&rsquo...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multimedia and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car.What they wanted differed by market...Read More

How seriously should manufacturers of small appliances take social media as a channel for communicating with consumers? According to our Social Media Intelligence (SMI) analysis focusing on power blenders, German consumers are very willing to share their experiences, views and advice with others...Read More

Indonesia often falls into the long shadow cast by other developing markets – Brazil, Russia, India and China – also known as the BRIC countries. But with the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is growing rapidly, as evidenced by the growth in smartphones.The digital...Read More

In 2013 Vertex Pharmaceuticals introduced Kalydeco® (ivacaftor), the first orphan drug to successfully treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in a well-defined patient subgroup, into the Irish market. The annual cost was €234,804 per patient. With this price tag the new drug had...Read More

Business intelligence (BI) systems and solutions have long been a valuable tool used by companies to organize and analyze information related to their markets and operations. The amount of data available to companies has grown exponentially in the past decade, which has increased demand for BI...Read More

At the recent Mobile World Congress 2015, despite the onslaught of new devices (e.g. smartwatches) and technologies (e.g. connected car), handsets still dominated media headlines and buzz. So what new innovations and offers have manufacturers of these ubiquitous devices offered to consumers this...Read More

Men are increasingly engaged in the personal care and male grooming category – good news for companies targeting these important consumers. So just how are young men choosing personal care products? Where are they shopping and what influences their purchase decisions? Our Global Young...Read More

Who’s talking most about financial technology? Consumers are – on social media. Of all the content relating to financial technology online, 60% is generated by consumers. Consumers are talking about financial technology on social media, forums, blogs and brand websites and by doing so...Read More

In 2015, the promise of market research—and marketing, in general—is bound up in our ability to build healthy and vibrant information ecosystems. Rivers of data feed campaign streams across the media and marketing landscape, shifting and readjusting in a real-time evolution. The goal:...Read More

Do Germans love their cars? They sure do. Do they spend a lot on outfitting and tuning them up? Well, it depends…Surprisingly, it not only depends on the social group and individual consumption preferences, but also on consumers’ place of residence. So, take control and gain ...Read More

In a global survey, we asked 28,000 consumers in 23 countries about the measures they take to maintain their physical health. The results show that people are taking their health seriously and investing time in their physical well-being. Against this backdrop, we see a real opportunity for...Read More

There has been a seismic shift in the way some brands operate in recent years. The traditional “push” approach is being replaced by a more customer-centric model that uses the full range of customer / brand experiences to strengthen relationships. Born from the desire to put customers...Read More

When I discuss my excitement over the rapidly changing Mobile Payments industry with family and friends they just don’t get it. Sure, they are familiar with Apple Pay and yes, they understand that if they had the new iPhone or Samsung 6 that they could possibly pay for things using their...Read More

We asked consumers around the world what activities they regularly engage in to maintain their physical health – and getting enough sleep topped eating healthy food, exercising or taking vitamins1.Globally, two-thirds of consumers (66 percent) say that they regularly get enough sleep in...Read More

 In our latest video blog, Cathy Saraniti (VP, New Product Sales Development at GfK MRI) discusses differing fashion attitudes between two distinct age groups of female Millennials. A new analysis from our Survey of the American Consumer® suggests that marketers may be turning...Read More

The use of mobile payment is in its infancy in Belgium, yet awareness is relatively high. Our latest research highlights some of the obstacles to widespread adoption, and suggests how the market might develop in the future.Our FutureBuy study of 17,000 consumers across 17 countries identifies...Read More

With the launch of Apple Watch looming, wearable devices are garnering more attention than ever. We conducted a survey (Wearables: Geek Chic Or The Latest “Must Have” Consumer Tech?) to understand users’ attitudes towards smartwatches and activity trackers. One trend that caught...Read More

New services are focusing on impeccable design in web, mobile, and broader support services to allow them to engage consumers in new ways. On the one hand, we are seeing services overcome the hurdles of expensive financial advice by promoting their use of “robo-advisors,” or asset...Read More

First it was central locking, then the transponder key. Will wearable watches be driving the cars of the future? As yet, the wearables market overall remains significantly untapped. Both industry leaders and smaller players have launched products onto the market in an attempt to capture consumers...Read More

We recently undertook a study to understand how consumers in Singapore buy tablets. While tablets may attract highly discerning, online savvy consumers, the vast majority (87%) of consumers browse both virtually and in person for these high ticket items. If the importance of the physical store in...Read More

The only constant is change and this is particularly true for the payments industry. Very big changes are coming to the industry later this year and it’s going to have a ripple effect across the entire purchasing experience in the US.On October 1st, there is a shift of fraud liability from...Read More

Loyalty: “a deeply held commitment to rebuy or repatronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior”...Read More

As blatant homage from Gabriel García Márquez’ “Love in the Time of Cholera”, it seemed fitting given the media blasts about Ebola, the measles and the flu in the past few months.After watching a couple of episodes of “The Walking Dead”, you&rsquo...Read More

Pretty much most things generate data these days. You get up in the morning and your Fitbit records your first step. You walk down the road and your footfall is measured in at least two ways (most likely by CCTV if you live in the UK, and by your mobile). Even when you go to the toilet (sorry...Read More

Which technology trends will be big this year? Where will we see the strongest growth of tech device ownership? How can businesses stay on top of this fast-changing environment? We interviewed GfK technology and media expert, Tilman Rotberg, to find out.ScriptWhere is the greatest growth...Read More

With its soft-blue label and taupe package, the Relax 100% natural health bar looks like the type of good-for-you product you’d expect in an upscale food chain like the U.S.A.’s Whole Foods. But its provenance is India. And that says a lot about where the snack-food market – and...Read More

A growing number of Americans are hungry for good health. They try to eat right – and, in many cases, exercise environmental responsibility at the same time. To satisfy these customers, food stores are adding organic, fresh and local fare. The percentage of U.S. adults who regularly...Read More

With nearly three out of four consumers globally (71%) having access to the internet via a smartphone, retailers would be justified in thinking that the time is finally right for people to pay for goods and services via their mobile phone. However, in our study* of 17,000 consumers carried out in...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multi-media and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car. What they wanted differed by market...Read More

Not so long ago it was a concept associated with science fiction. Now the dream of the self-driving car is on its way to becoming reality.Obviously there are legal and regulatory hurdles still to overcome, but self-drive technology has been developed and refined, and self-driving cars will be on...Read More

“A brand is a living entity—and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures.” Michael Eisner (former CEO of Disney)It’s 2015 and our relationships with brands are deeper and more complex than ever. Social media has...Read More

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is one of the most revolutionary trends in technology today. It is often referenced in relation to the ‘smart home’, where household appliances, meters and devices autonomously communicate with each other via the internet and wireless signals...Read More

“I want to understand the world from your point of view. I want to know what you know in the way you know it. I want to understand the meaning of your experience, to walk in your shoes, to feel things as you feel them, to explain things as you explain them. Will you become my teacher and...Read More

In a competitive global marketplace, one key way for auto manufacturers to keep customers satisfied is to anticipate and meet their future wants and desires. We asked drivers what multi-media and entertainment features they might want in tomorrow’s car.What they wanted differed by market...Read More

Despite the fact that we all know better, at times we eat food we shouldn’t, we don’t get enough exercise, and we don’t get enough sleep. In short, we put off things that cause us short term pain even though there are tremendous long term health benefits.Our financial...Read More

Retail parks are currently a hot topic of conversation: This retail format is increasingly the first choice among retailers and consumers, and investors are now following suit. GfK retail expert Manuel Jahn explores why retail parks constitute a sustainable investment with genuine substance...Read More

The mobile instant messaging (IM) market has been a phenomenon of the past 4 years. The growth of IM has been staggering with players such as Japan’s LINE and China’s WeChat acquiring over 500 million users within 2 years of launch. A large proportion of the global IM user base...Read More

While marketers tend to focus on what people are sayingabout their brands in social media, they sometimes overlook the people who are driving these conversations.In our latest video blog, Cathy Buena (Research Director, GfK Digital Market Intelligence) discusses how GfK helped a...Read More

Recent valuations of major mobile instant messaging (IM) players on the market suggest that the larger the user-base the more valuable each user becomes. This premise may be based on advertising revenues alone so monetizing more features is likely to increase the value per dollar per-user. For...Read More

GfK conducted a seven-month study of India’s tire retailers to find out more about the country’s market. So – what have we discovered?Over 50,000 tire shops exists in India’s smaller cities and rural area; more than half of which are in ruralA younger population and...Read More

The words beauty and buzz are almost synonymous in social media. If there’s one category where consumers have pushed the “social” in social media to the max, this is it. From blogs to forums to videos, beauty buyers want to share their advice, tips and expertise. In fact, a new...Read More

“Only connect!” wrote the English novelist, E. M. Forster. “Live in fragments no longer.” This famous injunction could serve as an information-management strategy for the modern-day reinsurance industry and any other industry in which location-based factors play a role...Read More

I used to associate gaming with spotty teenagers sat in their bedrooms killing aliens at four in the morning. But, I have since come to realize that gaming is much more than just that. Gamification is a technique that marketers are using to connect with consumers on a deeper level.Gamification is...Read More

Ever since the days of comic book detective Dick Tracy and his two-way wrist watch, wearable technology has held a fascination for consumers. So the potential of the next generation of smartwatch technology, which is set to go well beyond communications and into data applications, could be a real...Read More

GfK and AutoScout24 surveyed around 8,800 people for the report ‘The Cars We Want Tomorrow’. Drivers aged 18-65 in seven European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain), were surveyed on a wide range of topics from safety to cost, comfort to...Read More

Have you heard of Michalle Phan, Zoella, Tanya Burr or Pixiwoo? No, neither had I until I recently ventured into the world of the beauty video logger or “vlogger”. These are some of the most influential people in the cosmetics industry and they’re doing it from their bedrooms...Read More

While coins and paper money have remained the predominant means of conducting everyday transactions, technological advances in the 20th Century heralded the advent of increasingly sophisticated electronic transactions. The majority of financial market transactions are now conducted...Read More

According to our latest Mobile Insights data, more than half (55%) of UK smartphone users visited retail sites or apps from their device in July 2014. They spent almost 21 minutes and visited on average 4 retail sites, with fashion most popular, followed by technology and supermarkets...Read More

Companies eager to profit from the growing market for smart home products and services should feel encouraged by our latest research from the UK. It shows an overwhelmingly positive response from consumers to the idea of a fully-connected, smart home, with more than three-quarters keen on the...Read More

Every brand wants their marketing to be memorable. But no one wants to have it remembered for the wrong reasons. However, learning from mistakes is important. We took the chance to highlight a few unfortunate marketing “happenings” at the Unleashing Data Summit in Amsterdam so...Read More

The constant changes in today’s digital world are revolutionizing the retail experience, for both consumers and retailers. Consumers can now shop virtually any time, anywhere and for anything. But with new possibilities and new technologies comes a thirst for even greater change and...Read More

The advent of digital has changed – and continues to change – the way we shop for everything, from clothes to cars.Our latest research shows that rather than seeing digital as a one stop shop, consumers are enjoying an omnichannel shopping experience that blends digital with...Read More

The automotive aftermarket in Japan consists of four main sales channels, and who uses which one to buy tires depends on the driver’s age.Our research shows the main sales channels are: car accessories specialists, tire specialists, car dealers and the online channel. Among these, the car...Read More

Unlike the rapid uptake of tablets, the wearables market remains significantly untapped. Industry leaders and underdogs alike have launched products onto the market in an attempt to capture consumer imagination, but, according to our latest research, sales of wearables remain a long way from...Read More

The growth of wearable technologies has been a true revolution in the technology market, generating excitement for a variety of reasons. Wearable technology addresses a number of consumer needs, such as the need for the latest innovations and the need for maximum convenience and simplicity in...Read More

Some of the most perplexing questions in marketing are indeed some of the most intellectually interesting ones. There’s so many ways to approach a research question. Which is the right approach? Is my model the best-suited? What about the data in my model?As the leader for automotive in...Read More

The amount of spending potential for retail expenditures differs widely among European consumers. Manufacturers and retailers who plan new locations need to be aware of these differences to make realistic turnover and growth plans for their branches in various countries.Examining not only the...Read More

There are lots of clichés in the development of mass media over time.  We talk about the ‘fragmentation of the media landscape’ and ‘device proliferation’.  These are now predictable changes occurring gradually over a relatively long time frame.  Our...Read More

GfK has mapped the market for engine oil in Nigeria and found that large engine oil brands have an opportunity to gain share in Africa’s most populous country.A majority of engine oil in Nigeria is sold at gas stations – roughly 70% of total market volumes. If you remove these sales...Read More

If you are wondering what mobile payments look like in the future, look no further than your current travel rewards programs.Personally, I’m a loyal airline flier and credit card user – and due to my loyalty, my behavior is easily influenced when I book travel and make large purchases...Read More

As new brands gain approval and brand teams begin to manage in-line business imperatives, they are starting to ask their ATU trackers to move beyond the “what” of measuring awareness, trial and usage. With valuable brands at stake, they are beginning to require answers to why their...Read More

Who hasn’t had poor experiences with their bank branches? The mere thought of waiting in lines to transact with a teller, sitting with a customer service rep who started work the week before and has no idea who you are, what you need or how best to serve you gives me a stomach ache...Read More

As financial institutions continue to struggle to attract younger customers and companies compete to capture a share of the ever elusive millennial wallet, we may want to step back and take a closer look at the way their grandparents use their phones and shop online. Like a genetic trait that...Read More

Picture the scene: It is the 1990s, and a family is gathered around the dinner table to discuss the events of the day. The landline rings and the teenage girl leaps up to answer it, to which her father responds ‘leave it! We are eating’. Fast forward to the 2000s, and the Nokia 3310...Read More

As a mind-boggling array of new devices provide a constant supply of information and social connection, consumers are demanding that their TVs keep pace. At this year’s CES and SXSW, smart TVs were at the forefront of the discussion about the evolving role of television. At their core...Read More

Sure, we’ve made huge strides in technology in the last decade – but adoption is not only a pragmatic decision, but also one of style. Tesla made electric cars the thing of middle-aged mens’ dreams, with its incredible performance and sleek design coming together to exceed our...Read More

From activity trackers to data glasses to smart watches, wearable technology is heralded by many as the next big thing. As a result the market is not only becoming crowded but extremely competitive as brands from a range of sectors fight it out for a piece of this big business. But do consumers...Read More

The verdict is unanimous: Prepaid cards are the fastest growing segment of the card industry.However, despite the time and devotion spent by card companies on innovation, product design, awareness, and usage, there remains a cloud of negative perception and potential misinformation surrounding...Read More

Marketers are always looking for new ways to bring their brands to life for their high-value target audiences. And, according to a GfK analysis, tablet magazine advertising shouldn’t be overlooked as an effective addition to print and other media campaigns.In our latest video blog post...Read More

I have been working with retail panels for 14 years, but something I experienced recently marks a “first” in my career.GfK is now tracking truck tire sales in southwest Europe. We started in the UK in 2012 and then with France and Italy. In June, we had a full year of data from the...Read More

The shift to mobile devices is big news for retailers. Now, half of UK mobile internet users visit a retail site at least once a month, spending on average 25 minutes shopping.By combining big data usage metrics from a global mobile network operator with our own world-class consumer panel data...Read More

The Internet of Things (IoT) is coming, and will transform the way businesses function forever. Many organizations are still unsure exactly what the IoT is, how they’re going to take advantage of its huge apparent potential, and vitally, what new threats it poses…A definition and a...Read More

We all know that streaming video is at the forefront of entertainment, though perhaps it has been undersold. Data from our recently released report, How People Use® Media: Comparing Streaming Services, indicate that streaming video services may be leaving a lot of money on the table...Read More

How do shoppers in different markets research a major purchase like a smartphone or tablet? How does their behaviour differ by country? That was the question we set out to answer in this cross-country study where investigating smartphone and tablet purchase journeys in the UK, Belgium, Russia and...Read More

Technology will continue to play a powerful role in the future of medicine, not just in the direct delivery of care, but also in communication within the care system. This includes doctor/patient interactions, which are diversifying away from strict reliance on the exam room. Health plans are...Read More

Smartphones and tablets are becoming involved in almost everything that we do. This societal shift to a mobile lifestyle presents challenges as well as opportunities to market research. And being proactive is essential for researchers. In our latest video, Pat Graham (Chief Solution Strategist...Read More

In 2013, 3.5 million Chinese couples filed for a divorce – an increase of 12.3% over the previous year. With more and more Chinese choosing to part ways with their partners and live on their own, the Chinese marriage is in crisis. In addition, many more, particularly educated women (often...Read More

Getting the price right for their models in each market is vital for car manufacturers to achieve that all-important market share with target audiences. But it’s a challenging part of any global sales strategy. Here we look at how Volvo met that challenge when launching the new premium S60...Read More

M-commerce is well established in a number of sectors, but retailers in other categories have been slower to adopt it. As more people turn to smartphones to research and buy, what should retailers do to catch up? One upcoming category is DIY where m-commerce is currently at a low level compared...Read More

Our latest Roper Need to Know report covers four key markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this first of three posts covering some of the major findings from the research we look at the Achiever mindset. From Ghana to Kenya, Nigeria to South Africa, ‘Achiever’ is by far the most...Read More

Within as little as three years, 69% of the planet’s population will own a smartphone. That’s 5.2 billion people with a smartphone by 2017, from Abuja to London, Mumbai to Zagreb. As the market continues to expand it gets closer to saturation point. What impact will this have on the...Read More

It is becoming clear that technology is affecting how disgruntled consumers complain about poor products and services and, as a result, how companies must respond. We asked UK consumers which channels they had used to make complaints to a company or service provider.[1] The results show that the...Read More

It looks like we’re coming out of the worst days of the recession, and research from GfK shows that UK consumers are starting to return to brands they trust. But when times were tight, people learned to look for value and they now expect incentives for their loyalty. How should financial...Read More