Market research insights
driving global business

• November 2011

Brands and the celebrity effect

Brands frequently turn to celebrities for endorsements to help connect consumers with their products and services. But celebrity reputations can change like the wind. So who does America trust?

• November 2011

Social Media Helps Keep Marketing Promises

Social media allows people to share more about the brands they love, or hate. Opinions expressed in social media can build or break a brand, especially if they don’t take the opinions seriously.

• July 2011

The brand game

Our love of sports leads brands to build a symbiotic relationship with sporting events in the hope that people will channel some of their fanaticism to the brands supporting the events.

• November 2010

Collect and go

Prior to the boom of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, group online shopping in Asia was never that popular. But with internet evolution and consumer sentiment rebounding collective buying is gaining full force to offer consumers more value for their money.

• November 2010

India: Where to now?

It's easy to have a changing relationship with India – people love its colourful culture and rich heritage but lament about its infrastructure that is struggling to keep up with the country’s rapid economic growth. Find out more about Synovate's research in this area, commissioned by Businessworld magazine.

• November 2010

Who’s the boss?

It's widely accepted that the strength of the relationship between a person and a brand or business is influenced by many factors, including planned communications such as advertising. Other factors such as consumption experience, incidental communication and competitor activity also play their part. Within this mix of influences, some believe that the role of the CEO or other leaders can be pivotal. Synovate conducted a quantitative study with 100 adults in the US looking at this very issue.

• September 2010

Social Media Blues

There appears to be a growing dissatisfaction, and a rather public one at that, among users of social media sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Ironically, people are using these very networks to voice their opinions, which range from issues about poor security to being bombarded with too many ads; and not to mention the stress of coping with a high maintenance digital lifestyle.

• September 2010

The evolution of loyalty

Ensuring loyalty to a brand has become increasingly complex as new approaches and online technological platforms change the dynamics of company-customer interaction, and businesses explore various new ways of communicating with consumers.

• July 2010

Wheels on fire

That the Tour de France rivals the football World Cup for Europeans' affections reflects the Tour’s status as the world's greatest example of events-based marketing and one that will truly astonish any marketer unfamiliar with the history of the race.

• June 2010

Ready for kick-off

The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa on 11 June, signalling the first African hosting of a major football tournament. According to a study by Synovate, South Africans are more than ready to show the world their enthusiasm. Here are the some of the key findings from the study.

• June 2010

The right chemistry

After decades of bad press for their attitudes concerning profits over social responsibility, the pharmaceutical industry faces a challenge from within. Is this the change we’ve been waiting for?

• June 2010

Building the hits of tomorrow

New music artists are achieving their dreams of stardom, including great sales, fans, hitting the charts and critical success, all without the marketing support of a major record label. How are they doing it? We find out in part two of a music investigation, with a focus on the role brands are playing.

• May 2010

In too deep?

Three-dimensional images have been a part of photographic history since the very early days of image reproduction, but the technology is now at point where electronics manufacturers feel confident about taking it to the mass home market. With everything from the World Cup to Avatar being presented in 3D, are consumers ready to take the plunge?

• May 2010

Building the hits of tomorrow

New music artists are achieving their dreams of stardom, including great sales, fans, hitting the charts and critical success, all without the marketing support of a major record label. How are they doing it?

• May 2010

The new experience of luxury

‘Luxury’ is perhaps the most overused term in the marketing industry’s vocabulary, selling everything from hotels to toilet paper. However, because the globe’s richest are today able to afford most things material, their focus has moved towards using their money to discover otherwise unobtainable experiences and adventures.

• April 2010

Leave it to the experts

Unique products that reflect one’s taste, personality, and lifestyle are the ultimate sign of sophistication and identity. In the past, only the wealthy could afford custom-made products but nowadays, everything can be customised. Mass customisation is something companies can and should adopt to gain a competitive advantage over rivals.

• April 2010

Reports of newspapers’ death greatly exaggerated

Recent research provides a glimmer of hope for newspapers, and also an interesting lesson for businesspeople in the law of unintended consequences and the need to measure what's really important.

• March 2010

Striking a balance

As people’s time online has increased, so too has their time watching television - an important lesson that despite people's love for all things interactive, they still need the downtime where they aren't asked to click, forward or comment.

• March 2010

Stand up and be counted

When Lehman Brothers collapsed and the rest of the economy followed, many brands ducked and ran for cover - marketing and advertising budgets were among the first on the chopping block. But was this a rational response, or knee-jerk reaction?

• February 2010

Walking the green mile

Being an environmentally friendly consumer takes more than just feeling good about your purchases. It all depends on how green the brands providing those “green products” you opt for are.

• January 2010

Krafty marketing got a lot right

What most pundits, real or self-proclaimed, overlooked is that the Kraft's Vegemite team actually came up with a solid new product, well received by consumers (ok, other than the name), selling well – and arguably a surplus of brand engagement.

• January 2010

Marketing in Society 2.0

Accepting the longevity of social media is just the first baby-step. Follow many of the discussions on social media occurring within the marketing space and it quickly becomes apparent that many still fail to grasp the major mind-shift that is now required.

• December 2009

Trial by fire

In the Middle Ages, a common method for judging the guilt of those accused of crimes would be to force them to retrieve a stone from a pot of boiling water. For brands using shock tactics in advertising, the process is akin to this trial.

• October 2009

Sponsorships on the cheap

While your brand may not have the financial resources to grab yourself a spot on next season’s Manchester United jersey or sign up Kim Clijsters, there is great value to be found in up-and-coming stars and sports that reach your target audience.

• March 2009

Trends with nine lives

The past is cooler than ever, and every industry looks back to previous trends to find inspiration for future ones. What was once outdated is now kitsch, what was once “so last season” has now become collectible.

• March 2009

The green commandment

The right car, the right food, the right travel arrangements, the right soap, the right bag when you go to the supermarket – living green can be overwhelming but that isn't necessarily deterring consumers.

• March 2009

Here comes the silver market

The silver market is generally considered to be consumers over the age of 50 – a huge market that is growing rapidly due to simple demographics: people all over the world are living longer.

• March 2009

The colour of money

Colour matters. It affects our everyday life, our everyday behaviour, and constitutes 80% of all of the visual information our brains receive each day. Colours play a huge part in the choices we make.

• August 2008

Social networking myths and facts

Synovate spoke with over 13,000 respondents in 17 markets around the world to find out who's connected and who's not, as well as attitudes and online behaviours. Some of what we found surprised us...

• July 2008

Is ‘green’ the new black?

The second annual Synovate and BBC World News climate change study showed that more and more people are concerned about climate change (72% across the globe and as high as 88% in Spain).

• June 2008

Owning the media channel

If the medium is the message, which medium do today's hottest brands and companies choose to get their messages out? Is simply buying an ad on a website or a 30-second spot on TV the best use of today's advertising dollars?

• June 2008

What people say, what people do

Social scientists have struggled for generations with the issue of what people say versus what people do. If we as researchers cannot trust what people tell us, how can we predict what will happen with the products and services we research?

• June 2008

“Til death do us part” marketing

The dating/courtship/marriage analogy has been used for many years to describe the progression of a relationship between a customer and a brand. Practitioners find it a useful device for conceptualising the goals of relationship marketing.

• June 2008

What would you do to be beautiful?

Beautiful things give us great pleasure. Art, music, landscapes... it goes without saying. But where do we stand on beautiful people? It's a tougher proposition because, frankly, we're not all 'Brangelina' or Aishwarya Rai.

• June 2008

Powering up loyalty

Measuring customer loyalty in a generally non-competitive industry, such as utilities, requires one to think about loyalty in non-traditional ways.

• June 2008

That’s show business

Branded entertainment - marketing strategies that integrate products into entertainment venues with a high degree of engagement and interactivity - is a key way to reach the elusive 18-to-34 year-old demographic.

• June 2008

Giving it all away

Sample Lab, a store in Tokyo Harajuku district, offers customers free samples in return for providing valuable feedback to market researchers.

• September 2007

China’s pre-Olympics pulse

Brands have spent mega-millions on legitimate sponsorship deals to secure their connection to the Olympic Games. How is all this affecting the grass roots population of China? To be brutally honest, very little!

• September 2007

The fantasy is reality

Forget about fantasy sports being a pursuit solely covered by a small group of fanatics, it boasts a range of sponsors including Barclays, Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Toyota.

• September 2007

The Olympic ringmasters

Exciting the public should be a breeze, but that's not always the case with the greatest show on earth. It's not easy to keep the public happy, but in every host city there's a team of people geared up to do just that.

• September 2007

The marketing marathon

Massive marketing campaigns for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing have been in place for several years, but it's only recently that companies have begun splashing their logos on billboards and products across China.

• September 2007

Capturing the world’s attention

Seven years in the making and billions of dollars spent in preparation, the 17-day Summer Olympic Games draws millions of overseas fans to the host city and is televised to billions.

• September 2007

Olympic sponsors vie for China’s passion

Big name sponsors are spending heavily on the 2008 Olympic Games. But are the Chinese paying attention?

• September 2007

To love or loathe a logo

The logo for the London 2012 Olympics has been the subject of much heated debate. Two experts weigh in on why they feel so strongly about one little graphic.

• September 2007

Lording the Olympic rings

Running the Olympics is tricky business. On the one hand, the organisers want to reach every corner of the globe. On the other, they need to keep the Olympics' proprietary insignia away from unauthorised users.

• April 2007

Brand and deliver

When women in Japan line up for hours to buy a Louis Vuitton bag they can't afford, it's much more than a bag or some accessory they hope to own. They want an image - a lifestyle even. They want a modern brand.

• December 2006

Do motorsports rev up brands?

More than one-third of motor racing fans would be influenced by a manufacturer's success on the racing circuit when buying a car or motorcycle, according to a recent global study by Synovate.

• November 2006

What’s cool about TV

In Egypt, a TV is more important than a refrigerator – even in the summer heat. If Egyptian TV is at the stage that European TV was at a decade ago, and American TV a decade before that, then there is plenty of mileage left in it – for viewers and advertisers.

• November 2006

Thailand - no longer on a shoestring

A new, three-year marketing campaign, “Thailand Unforgettable,” aims to lure high-end travelers and niche holiday-makers to a country known more for backpackers, hostels and rock-bottom prices.

• June 2006

World Cup 2006

Brazil are the overwhelming favourite to win the 2006 World Cup, a recent Synovate survey has found.

• April 2006

Marketing on mobile phones

Mobile phone marketing is full of potential, laden with pitfalls and the only new marketing channel to emerge since the Internet. A Synovate survey found that an interactive approach to mobile marketing is the best way to capitalize on the trend.

• April 2006

Multicultural marketing

Racial and ethnic minorities number about 100 million (or one-third) of the United States population, so marketers of all stripes need to stay on top of multicultural ideas, trends and sensitivities.

• March 2006

Understanding product placement

A growing body of research suggests that product placement is an effective marketing strategy, and that active product placement where viewers actually see the product being used is more effective than passive product placement.

• March 2006

Marketing on mobile phones

Mobile phone users are receptive to mobile marketing, but only when the messaging is personalized, exclusive and uses interactive elements like discounts, coupons and special offers, a Synovate study of Korea and Australia found.

• December 2005

Selling beauty to men

A Synovate survey of men in the Philippines, China, Hong Kong and Korea found that the pretty boy mindset is pretty strong and might lead to some excellent opportunities for marketers.

• November 2005

New media matters for health marketing

Driven largely by limited growth potential for traditional medical care services, hospitals in Korea are keeping in tow by developing specialised services — but marketing these offerings is a healthy challenge.

• August 2005

The lives of Asian youth

Today's young Asian is a multi-tasking, interactive, digital-driven consumer according to Young Asians, a new survey released by Synovate.

• July 2005

Road rage

Fourteen per cent of drivers in India claim they have been physically assaulted or were at the receiving end of a weapon wielded by other drivers in the past 12 months, according to a new survey by Synovate.

• February 2005

Drinking habits around the world

A majority of people in China, Korea, Poland and the United Kingdom drink alcohol, but the amount and type of beverage consumed varies considerably by market, a Synovate study has shown.

• November 2004

We study students

Just ten years ago, poverty was a rite of passage and a badge of honour for Britain's students, who were often defined by their political activism. But a study by Project Edge found that today's undergraduates eschew activism in favor of an aspirational lifestyle. The marketers who make students feel special and who tailor innovative campaigns to the habits, routines and nuances of their lives, will reap the rewards.

• November 2004

Drug dealers

The targets of prescription drug advertisements are doctors who prescribe them. But marketing is not free, and the costs gets passed on to consumers. How should the industry regulate itself to make sure patients come first?

• September 2004

The Athens Olympics

A Synovate survey found wide interest in the Athens Olympics, with 82% of respondents saying they watched the event.

• June 2004

Tracking the Vanguardistas

Marketers reach out to Vanguards - the well-connected creative-types that set trends and influence people - in order to generate buzz and promote their brands. But they have to be careful - Vanguards are wary of corporate courtship.

• April 2004

From cool, to uncool and back again

In the 1980s, Levis jeans managed to revitalize a tired brand by turning a negative into a positive. The uncool jeans your parents grew up in became the original jeans, helped by some stylish TV commercials featuring James Dean look-alikes.

• January 2004

Fan: short for fanatic

Professional sport is a huge and growing global business and with billions of people regularly tuning in to watch their favourite teams, no marketer can afford to ignore sports, according to a Synovate survey.