March 2014

The evolution of device categories, from computers to home appliances, is both shaped by and drives consumer behavior; changes to their form and underlying technical capabilities have been integral to creating the world we inhabit. If software defines how we interact with technology, then …

Recently, I was reading an article about how consumers' choices are influenced not only by the usual decision drivers of price, quality and reputation, but also by their values and beliefs. This reminded me of our Roper Reports® Worldwide Study which tracks 12 major global trends. In …

The end of the 20th century saw a significant increase in our ability to capture images, with photography becoming a true mass medium. Largely driven by the proliferation of smartphones and our ability to edit, store and share images, what's the picture look like for the future of this …

The mass adoption of digital networked technology is transformative, but we are still only scratching the surface of what is possible. The behaviors that the network enables – like sharing, communicating, collaborating and learning – come naturally to people. The organization which operates …

As the Sochi events end with the Paralympic Winter Games closing ceremony we conclude our month long tracking project of three Olympic sponsors. Sponsorship of a worldwide event, such as the Winter Olympics, is a major investment, so sponsors naturally want to know if their support has …

Timing and relevance – these are the keys to optimising your mobile web strategy. And if you’re operating in the travel sector, there’s no better channel to reach your audience. Our research shows that a quarter of all mobile users in the UK reach for their phones to research and book their …

Back in 2011, the World Economic Forum (WEF) compared personal data to oil, as an asset class of extraordinary economic value. Oil was central to the development of the industrial revolution. Without it, much of the infrastructure we take for granted today (transport, energy, etc.) would not …

Brazilians, despite their tendency to think in a green way, have few options for purchasing an Electric Vehicle (EV), even though Brazil is home to some of the most congested cities on the planet. Sao Paulo, for instance, has the third highest number of inhabitants per vehicle. Brazilians …

New data from GfK’s pilot Shopping Monitor Electro study shows that even in a digital world, with so many shopping channels and customer touchpoints, it is the fundamentals of retailing that remain the decisive factors when consumers select a particular store. Key factors that tend to stay a …

One of the concepts that underpin GfK’s innovation philosophy is that great ideas for new products and services can be inspired by adjacent or even less-closely related ancillary categories. Scanning the marketplace for potentially disruptive new ideas that could spread to other categories is …

Many practitioners are divided into two opposing camps: those who are pro eye tracking, and those who are against it. The proponents seem to want to use eye tracking for every study, regardless of its objectives. The opponents, on the other hand, claim that eye tracking is just “smoke and …

In 2011, the American entrepreneur and software engineer Marc Andreessen, declared that software was ‘eating the world,’ and little has proved him wrong since. Software has long been integral to our interaction with technology, with each new paradigm in user interface creating new …