by Geoff Wicken, Head of Kantar Media TGI International Showcase Theatre Session 30th April, 10.

40 am
When thinking about some of the major events of the past couple of years, we see new enduring trends that are being fueled by consumer angst, enthusiasm and doubt. Market needs thought-provoking insights to understand why these trends are ascending or descending. Often the key drivers behind consumer attitudes are concentrated in a few segments that can only be fully appreciated via largescale analysis.

The Global Consumer Perspective

The Emergence of the Middle Class

The middle classes form a substantial group, in which rapid population growth has already been seen in emerging markets. With such huge potential, there is a need to understand where the opportunities for marketing to the middle class truly lie. It is important for marketers to understand what the implications are for brands. There are signs that the middle-class is feeling guilty about spending on non-essentials. This shift in attitudes has been most stark among middle-class consumers in economically challenged Western nations. Is it a prolonged shift in mindset and is the opposite true in markets where economic growth has remained robust?

Source: Global

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Influences
It is essential to understand how technology is being used to aid consumer decisions. Mobile phones are a widely adopted technology around the world, yet they dont necessarily get used in sophisticated ways. Social Media has become a widely used marketing tool. However it cant yet be considered a universal driver for brand engagement. A third of the population use social networks at most. And in China, Germany, and Turkey, more people use chat rooms and forums than social networks. There are clear differences on how people of different nationalities prefer to obtain information. This suggests that the application of a single marketing strategy across global markets wont always be appropriate.

Source: Global

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Global Shift in Generations

Changes in demographics over time can have a huge impact on behaviours across the world. Understanding differences in a variable is vital for marketers (Household size, product size or packaging). Higher education levels may have contributed to the disenchantment with autocratic regimes around the world. Add this to declining employment levels and popular uprisings fuelled by youth are maybe not surprising. Will this same disenchantment also apply to advertising acceptance? The 18-24 year old group has been the ideal target audience for many brands for many years. Many see this as the way to get people into the brand in order to build loyalty from being there at the start of their adult lives. But for the moment this group has less financial promise than they have had for many years. It is also the youngest cohort which shows the most anxiety, in all markets. Should brands look to older groups for growth?

The Global Consumer Perspective is a unique in-depth analysis of ten of the worlds major markets: Great Britain, Germany, USA, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Egypt and Turkey. It uses Global TGI data to develop a wealth of consumer insights based, among others, on demographics, purchase behaviour and attitudes. More detailed analysis can be conducted, to connect these trends with the consumption of products, brands and media. For further details: geoff.wicken@kantarmedia.com and www.globaltgi.com