May 2017

As a retailer, you are to manufacturers what Ginger Rogers was to Fred Astaire: a principal partner. That’s why they invest with you to help promote their products across your channels – online, in-store and in print. But how can you be sure that you are perfectly in step with each other, and …

According to the results just released from our online international survey, three out of ten people (31%) answered firmly that they “would rather have more time than more money”. In comparison, only one out of ten respondents (9%) disagreed with the same statement. The survey also asked how …

As a manufacturer, you’ll know that the launch phase of a new product is absolutely critical. As our recent POS Analytics study in Japan shows, product life cycles can be short. As much as 90% of the overall sales of mobile PCs and smartphones in this market are delivered in less than 10 months …

As an automotive marketer, you face many pressing challenges. Not only is the auto industry in the fast lane when it comes to change, but so too is the media landscape you must navigate to attract Connected Consumers. Online media’s increasing importance in the purchase journey combined with …

Nothing is more central to society, or more relevant to the fates of so many brands, than the evolving partnership between moms and dads. Parents not only make an extraordinary number of purchase decisions – they also deeply influence the tastes of the generations that come after. But still …

‘You can do without a wallet in Beijing these days but not without a smartphone.’ This came from the cab driver who picked me up at Beijing International airport when I landed with my mother last fall for the first trip back to my home country (and hometown) in years. He was completely …

Breaking news -- people like clean air and water! Now get the fainting couch -- sometimes people may even think about the environment when making a purchase decision! Sarcasm aside, it is easy to become jaded about people’s true levels of engagement with the environment and how this …

The way a country is perceived makes a critical difference to the success of its business, investment, and tourism efforts, as well as its diplomatic and cultural relations with other nations. Those who choose to ignore this fact face a loss of “market share” in these fiercely competitive …

Voice-controlled technology has long excited the minds of sci-fi buffs and technological prophets. Today, its promise of freeing up our hands and eyes in exchange for a more seamless user experience seems closer than ever before. Indeed, voice recognition has evolved from providing farcical …

Whether we are talking shopping, viewing content, traveling or just casually socializing with friends, experience takes center stage for today’s consumers. The reason for this is that experiences are the modern world’s social currency, so the more we fight for them the better we can market …

Internet sales have grown remarkably in recent years in Europe. In the technical consumer goods (TCGs) category, according to our POS Tracking data, online’s share of overall sales in terms of value passed the 10% mark about ten years ago. It exceeded the 20% milestone in 2014 to reach almost …