http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/articles/index/ en tim.chow@ipsos.com Copyright 2012 2012-01-25T21:42:16+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/brands_and_the_celebrity_effect http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/brands_and_the_celebrity_effect#When:03:15:50Z

]]> 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? Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Industry, Advertising, 2011-11-17T03:15:50+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/social_media_helps_keep_marketing_promises http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/social_media_helps_keep_marketing_promises#When:10:49:37Z

]]> 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. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Industry, Advertising, 2011-11-16T10:49:37+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/the_brand_game http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/the_brand_game#When:16:12:49Z

]]> 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. Area of Expertise, Branding, International, Industry, Advertising, 2011-07-27T16:12:49+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/collect_and_go http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/collect_and_go#When:22:15:57Z

]]> 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.
Though the business model is simple – teaming with merchants to offer low prices to consumers so long as a minimum buy is reached, the aim behind each website differs. Overall though, does collective buying inspire loyalty in brands? Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Customer Experience, International, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, Retail, 2010-11-02T22:15:57+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/india_where_to_now http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/india_where_to_now#When:22:05:12Z

]]> 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.
The grumblings can be heard in the BW-Synovate Urban Infrastructure Survey commissioned by and featured in Businessworld magazine. The survey talked to 1,002 men and women aged between 25-45 in the five big cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, asking them for their views on their city's power supply, public transport system and more. Area of Expertise, Emerging Markets, International, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, Healthcare, Luxury Goods, Retail, 2010-11-02T22:05:12+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/whos_the_boss1 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/whos_the_boss1#When:20:59:56Z

]]> 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. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Customer Experience, International, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, 2010-11-02T20:59:56+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/social_media_blues http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/social_media_blues#When:20:40:16Z

]]> 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.

Data privacy has always been and will continue to be a major sore point for the entire social networking arena, especially as people are putting more and more personal information online. If confidential information from photos of a wild night out to personal information about one’s lifestyle was viewed by employers, parents, creepy stalkers or just got into the wrong hands, it would be disastrous for that person. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Customer Experience, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, Technology, Travel, 2010-09-14T20:40:16+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/the_evolution_of_loyalty http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/the_evolution_of_loyalty#When:20:36:58Z 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.

Synovate is at the forefront of new developments. True Customer View, a new research consulting solution, is currently being introduced in Asia Pacific and Africa, following successful launches in the UK and in the US. The strategy encourages brands to take a broader perspective of how customers view them in the context of competition and the entire marketplace and also allows clients and consumers to customise their responses. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Customer Experience, Emerging Markets, International, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, 2010-09-14T20:36:58+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/wheels_on_fire http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/wheels_on_fire#When:17:28:20Z 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.
These days, most brands choose to sponsor sporting events, or sometimes create them themselves, mainly for reasons of branding and awareness. Find or develop an event that represents the values that chime with your brand, and with the same target market, and set about building something with better cut-through and customer appreciation than traditional advertising alone.
But these examples pale in comparison to the Tour de France, which deserves to be regarded as one of the greatest marketing initiatives of last century. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, International, Product Development, Industry, Advertising, 2010-07-29T17:28:20+00:00 http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/ready_for_kick_off http://www.synovate.com/changeagent/index.php/site/ready_for_kick_off#When:22:05:54Z 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 recent study by Synovate, South Africans are more than ready to show the world their enthusiasm. The study looked at several issues surrounding the event, including stadiums, security, accommodation, travel, electricity and much more, discovering that while gaps may need to be filled, South Africans are ready for a party the whole world will remember. Area of Expertise, Branding, Communications, Customer Experience, Emerging Markets, International, Industry, Advertising, Travel, 2010-06-07T22:05:54+00:00