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Synovate EMS reveals latest purchase behaviour and media trends among Europe's most influential consumers

11 February 2009

AMSTERDAM — Synovate, a leading global market intelligence company, has released the winter data from its European Media & Marketing Study (Synovate EMS). Designed to track media, prosperity and influence across 20 Western and Central European countries in Europe, the study covers Europe's most affluent consumers and top business decision makers (the top 13% of the population). The latest results show that affluents are still spending their money on travel and electronics despite the downturn in the economy in many parts of Europe.

The EMS study, which is considered an industry standard by top media and marketing companies for their multi-national and pan-regional planning, includes EMS (top 13% of affluents in Western Europe), EMS Select (top 3% of affluents in Western Europe), CEMS (top 13% of affluents in Central Europe) and CEMS Select (top 3% of affluents in Central Europe). EMS covers affluent consumers in Austria, Belgium / Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK while CEMS covers Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Russia.

The survey is conducted year-round and results are released twice a year. Synovate spoke with 18,241 affluent Western and Central European residents for the latest EMS winter results.

More frequent travellers

The study shows that Europe's elite are still travelling frequently, taking 6 return flights a year. Europe's most frequent travelers are the EMS Select respondents (top 3% in Western Europe) who are taking 11.84 return trips per year. Though they take fewer trips than their Western European counterparts, Central Europe affluents are currently making 4.63 return trips per year, an increase of 15% since the summer EMS results.

Ownership of consumer goods

The EMS survey also shows that the affluent respondents are still enjoying their electronics. While a DVD player is the most widely owned product, LCD / Plasma Screens have enjoyed the greatest growth with ownership increasing by 2 million people (16%) since the summer release of EMS data.

LCD / Plasma Screens are likely to enjoy even more rapid growth in the future, with more then four million affluents intending to purchase one in the next 12 months. In Central Europe ownership of a 'Home Cinema' is slightly more widespread than LCD / Plasma Screens (26% versus 23%).

While MP3 players and Lap tops/Notebooks have reached 54% and 62% penetration respectively, it is Lap tops/Notebooks that are likely to grow fastest in the next 12 months, with 10% of affluents intending to purchase one. In Central Europe this purchase intention is even higher at 13%.

Media consumption

Affluents across Europe are heavy media consumers with 46% reading at least three publications, 52% watching 13+ hours of TV a week and 23% spending at least 13 hours on the internet (excluding e-mail).

There are some cultural differences though, Central European affluents read less, watch more TV and use the internet more frequently. However, the top 3% of Central Europeans (CEMS Select) are more interested in print than their less affluent counterparts.

International media continues to thrive among affluent European adults, with relatively limited duplication between the international TV channels and their websites. This is also applicable to the international print titles and their websites. It allows these prestigious media brands to extend to a new, wider but equally valuable audience.

While readership of international print titles is more limited among affluents in Central Europe, these media websites are being introduced to a new larger audience in this region.

Intl Print = Financial Times, International Herald Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Economist, Newsweek, Time, Forbes, Fortune, CNBC European Business, Euromoney, Harvard Business Review, Institutional Investor, National Geographic Magazine (English edition), Scientific American

Intl TV = Aljazeera (English) Arte, BBC Prime, BBC World News, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Discover, DW-TV, E! Entertainment, Euronews, Eurosport, France 24, FTV Fashion TV, MTV, National Geographic Channel, Sky News, Travel Channel , TV5 Monde

Inflight Magazines = Aeroflot Inflight Magazine, Air France Magazine, B There! Magazine, Blue Wings, Business Life, Cara, CSA Review, EasyJet Inflight Magazine, High Life, Holland Herald, Horizon Magazine, Iberia Ronda Magazine, Kaleidoscope, Lufthansa Magazine, Ryanair Magazine, SAS Norge Magasinet, Scanorama, Swiss Magazine, Ulisse, UP, Voyager, Flying Dutchman, Sky Europe - Runway Inflight Magazine, Sky Lines

Download EMS fact sheet (PDF, 27kb)

Notes to editors:

Synovate's major consumption surveys, EMS and PAX cover affluent consumers and influential business decision makers in 45 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. EMS offers agency planners and advertisers the ability to evaluate all aspects of behavior among the top 13% of consumers across 20 countries in Europe. EMS represents 46 million of Europe's most affluent and influential consumers and incorporates EMS Select, which represents the top 3% of Europeans and is designed for advertisers targeting only the most elite Europeans. Synovate will be launching EMS Middle East including eight countries across the region in the first quarter of 2009. More information about EMS is available in the attached EMS fact sheet or you may visit here.