November 2010
Consumer confidence higher in warmer countries, regardless of current economic situation

As the economy continues to stabilise, at least to some extent, in much of the world, are consumers' feelings following suit? According to Synovate's Consumer Mood Index, part of its ongoing Global Trends study, there are still vast differences in the way that those surveyed view their own and their country's financial future. Interestingly, those surveyed in countries with warmer climates, including those in Latin America as well as Spain, show much more optimism towards the future than colder climates - despite their and their country's actual economic situation.

February 2010
Mastering consumer confidence

If your business depends on consumer sentiment - and let's face it, most of them do - you've probably been on quite a ride over the past couple of years. Words as diverse as 'rocketing', 'plunging', 'plummeting' and 'recovering' have all reasonably described markets and sentiment over a very short period of time. We do not need to document all the economic highs and lows here (we've all lived them) but suffice to say, insight into people's confidence and spending priorities for the coming months helps your business plan and flourish.

October 2009
Money matters: Global survey on money and finance

The year of living dangerously. Synovate surveyed around 11,400 from 16 markets across the world to find out what they had changed about their money management style and attitudes in the year since the global financial crisis hit. And people have changed a great deal. Some use more cash, some less. Many use less credit, but there are still many signing up for it. People have postponed major life decisions; some are living much as they always did. Here's a little more about who's doing and thinking what.

August 2009
Global research shows there is life after credit crunch

You can't get everything you need to know from a survey. Perhaps not what you'd expect to hear from a market research company, but very much what the 2009 Synovate Economy and Prices survey shows. What you can get from the latest survey is that people are slowly regaining their positive outlook on the economy, becoming more optimistic for themselves and their country's economy. You can also get a sense that if habits were going to change, they have largely already changed. And you can see growing boredom and a creep towards small indulgences.

March 2009
Women of the world... material girls or money managers?

No matter where in this world you are from, the traditional way of managing family finances is: man as breadwinner, woman as homemaker. And all you independent ladies out there, before you get het up, note the word "traditional". While tradition still guides many families, these days there are as many ways to manage money as there are households. Single parents; dual incomes; childfree; and large, multi-generation families... the modern family is much harder to define. So what roles do women around the world play in their household finances? Do they feel in control of their own cash? How many women believe they are financially independent? Are women better with money than men? Synovate asked nearly 4,500 women (and a few men) across 12 countries what they thought.

January 2009
Building a recession-proof brand. Fast.

If money makes the world go 'round, will it spin off course in 2009? It's fair to say that this will be one of the most challenging years on record. The old rules no longer apply. But in times like this, brands should show what they're made of. Some will fall by the wayside, some will survive and others will thrive. To make sure your brand is one of the winners, you first need to know what people are doing, feeling and buying. That's why Synovate asked more than 11,500 people across 18 markets of the world.

December 2008
Professions we're passionate about. And those we're not.

Much of who we are is tied up in what we do in the hours from nine to five (and often way beyond). Asking someone what they do for a living is often the first question you ask them; right after 'what's your name?'. So what are people's gut reactions when you tell them what you do? Synovate conducted a seven-market survey in October 2008, covering 5,500 respondents in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States (US). We asked people what makes for an admirable job, which professions they trust (or not), who's overpaid - and even which profession they would prefer to marry. Here's what we found.