The latest data to emerge from Kantar Media’s TGI survey shows how consumer attitudes are largely reflective of the downturn in the economy. For instance, 71% of adults claim to “spend money more carefully than I used to” – a rise of 10% in the past five years.

In some sectors, a change in attitudes is already affecting consumer behaviour. To take one example, 54% of consumers believe that “it is important to be well insured for everything”, a steady fall from 59% in 2008.

Over the same period, TGI reveals a fall of 650,000 being fully comprehensively insured on their main car, with many motorists opting for third party cover as an alternative.

The data points to consumers tightening the purse strings given the added pressures brought about by a tougher financial climate. However, in spite of the general malaise in attitudes towards spending, consumer behaviours are rarely clear cut.

As far as insurance is concerned, TGI has documented the continuing rise of price comparison websites – with almost 4 million more adults searching for insurance on these sites than was the case in 2010.

This would suggest that many consumers are committed to searching for value in their purchases, rather than abandoning them all together. To bear this out, over the past five years there has been a 25% rise in the number of British adults who “often refer to the internet before making a purchase”.

Delving deeper, TGI can reveal how the economy does not exclusively shape opinions towards personal finance. Just over a third of British adults believe that “the economic outlook heavily affects my purchasing behaviour” but for other consumers, personal factors are more likely to alter spending habits.

TGI’s Life Events data reveals that the most likely group of consumers to “spend money without thinking about it” are those who have started their first job or finished school in the past twelve months. Interestingly, however, recent divorcees are also 60% more likely to agree with the statement.

Moreover, consumers who agree with the statement “I look for profitable ways to invest my money” are 50% more likely to have recently purchased a property or finished mortgage repayments.

Advertisers in this sector should also note that parents of new-born babies are 50% more likely than average to be “interested in financial services advertising”.

The economic climate is a likely indicator of shifts in attitudes to personal finance but nonetheless has limitations. As TGI insights demonstrate, significant changes in personal circumstances, for many consumers, will trump the boom and bust of the stock market when it comes to making decisions that affect their personal finances.

Accurate and quantifiable targeting is therefore crucial to ensure that the most appropriate message reaches the right consumer group, at the right time – rather than inefficiently adopting a “one size fits all approach” based on the health of the economy.

As featured in BRAD

The study delivers unique insights, data and remarkable photos revealing new and exciting opportunities for brand success in China.

For a summary, video and to download the entire report, please follow this link.

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Chinese New Year in Next Growth Cities

For years, the official line has been that a daily drink is OK provided it does not exceed three units for women or four for men. The aforementioned Committee has this month suggested that, for health reasons, people should have at least two days a week completely clear of alcohol. Most would agree that without a public health campaign, any change in policy along these lines would be piecemeal and ramshackle. However in a context of government austerity, Kantar Media’s TGI survey reveals that this may not be the case.

Compared with other drinkers, those who claim a daily tipple are a quarter more likely to find advertising a waste of their time. By contrast those who claim to drink 2 or 3 times per month view advertising in a more positive light. They are 23% more likely than the average drinker to agree that advertising helps them choose what they buy. This same group is also over a third more likely to agree that the point of drinking is getting drunk, often binging once a fortnight.

Daily drinkers take a more responsible attitude to their consumption, being nearly 20% less likely than the average to share the same sentiment.  

Alcohol producers also advocate sensible drinking. This has obvious moral foundations but is also commercially shrewd.

Those who drink every day are 31% more likely than the average drinker to be social grade AB. They are a third more likely to earn over £50K a year. More than half of them are over 55, while they are 57% more likely to do their drinking at home. They are a third more likely to agree that it’s worth paying extra for good quality beer and wine.

TGI Worldpanel data (which links TGI’s consumer insight with Kantar Worldpanel’s extensive purchase data) reveals that this group of wealthy, older and more sensible drinkers do indeed spend more on booze.

The heaviest 20% of wine buyers by spend are a third more likely than other main shoppers to be over 65. They are also 60% more likely to be social grade A. The heaviest fifth of gin purchasers are 46% more likely to do most of their drinking at home and far more likely to be social grade A or B. They are three quarters more likely to be pensioners than other shoppers. Sensible drinkers are the purchasing powerhouses when it comes to off-the-shelf alcohol.

Marketers will be keen to hear how best to reach these mature bacchanals. Any government campaign to reduce daily drinking would be aimed at this group. Many alcohol producers would seek to target this group anyway for reasons outlined above.

Those who drink once a day are 40% more likely than the average drinker to be in the heaviest fifth of newspaper readers. They are 50% more likely to read The Daily Mail and 87% more likely to read the Daily Telegraph. They are also a quarter more likely to be in the heaviest 20% of radio listeners, Classic FM being a notable channel for reaching this group.

So while daily drinking is deemed unadvisable, most daily drinkers are mature and relatively wealthy individuals. Any attempt to alter their behaviour should be backed up with an advertising campaign and relevant media insight. This same insight is useful for alcohol brands seeking to target this lucrative segment.

But what makes them particularly valuable to marketers is that when it comes to spend, they are almost three times as likely as the average holidaymaker to spend at least £2,500 on their holiday.

Winter holidaymakers are particularly likely to have limited family ties enabling them to holiday during school term time. Insight from TGI reveals those in TGI Lifestages ‘Flown the Nest’ (aged 15-34, not married or living as couple, do not live with relations) and ‘Unconstrained Couples’ (aged 35-54 married or living as a couple but no son or daughter) to be the most likely to holiday at this time of year. They are, therefore, significantly more likely to holiday with their partner, their friends or on their own.

These early-holidaymakers are a particularly financially-astute bunch, almost three times as likely as the average holidaymaker to own investment trusts. They are also 74% more likely to own shares in the company for which they work, 61% more likely to own an ISA as well as being more likely hold at least four credit cards. This indicates their potential for having big spending power.

This is a flashy group who like to stand out from the crowd, being 73% more likely than the average holidaymaker to say their car should catch people’s attention. They are also significantly more likely to say they would consider plastic surgery as well as wearing designer clothes.

A desire for the finer things in life also characterises this group and they are not afraid to pay for them. TGI reveals they are 40% more likely to pay extra to personalise products to suit their taste. They are also significantly more likely to go for premium services over standard ones and are prepared to pay more for good quality wine and beer.

In terms of reaching this group, insight from TGI reveals that these early-holidaymakers are 54% more likely to be amongst the heaviest fifth of consumers of internet. In terms of what they do online, they are over twice as likely as the average holidaymaker to regularly visit sites on business information. They are also particularly likely to visit sites on share prices, magazines and price comparison websites. Again this indicates how financially-astute and potentially lucrative this group are.

They can also be reached effectively in other ways given that they are 76% more likely than the average British holidaymaker to be willing to pay to access content on newspaper sites. They are also significantly more likely to claim relevant direct mail can change their opinion of a brand, but are more likely to pay attention if it is about something advertised on TV. This hints that they could be an easily-influenced group to tap into, which along with their potential spending power will be welcome news for marketers.

As featured in MediaTel Newsline, January 2012

This group who do a lot to keep in shape are a particularly lucrative group for marketers to tap into. They are 26% more likely than the average British adult to have an income of at least £50,000. They are also a knowledgeable group when it comes to financial services, being close to one third more likely to own bonds. Due to this they are 38% more likely to follow stock exchange prices, indicating just how financially-aware they are.

This does not, however, mean they are frugal with their money; they are a group that likes to spend. They are 30% more likely than the average British adult to admit to often buying products because of nice packaging. They readily admit to spending a lot of money on toiletries and clothes. They also like to eat out, being 24% more likely to visit restaurants at least once a week. This health-conscious group also like their coffee, being 48% more likely than the average British adult to visit coffee shops at least four times a week.

Insight from TGI reveals that this group are particularly likely to be amongst the heaviest fifth of consumers of cinema. In terms of the types of films they enjoy they are most likely to have seen art house films, war films and disaster movies. Being a group that like to keep active in their spare time, it fits that they are also 21% more likely to be amongst the heaviest fifth of consumers of outdoor media. These are not the only ways to reach this group, however, as they are also 55% more likely than the average adult to be willing to pay to access content on magazine websites.

In addition, TGI data reveals they are an easily-influenced bunch, responding well to advertising. They are one third more likely to happily admit that advertising helps them choose what they buy. They are also 39% more likely to say relevant direct mail can change their opinion of a brand. Even better news for marketers is that this group are hooked are on the culture of celebrity. They are 54% more likely than the average British adult to claim that celebrities influence their purchase decisions. They are also 31% more likely to admit that they particularly enjoy watching adverts featuring their favourite celebs. Clearly the astute use of the right celebrity could reap dividends.

These fitness fanatics also respond well to sponsorship, being 65% more likely to buy products from companies who sponsor sports events, teams and TV shows. This fits with their lifestyle of keeping in shape and their love of celebrity. The two could tie together nicely for savvy marketers when it comes to promoting gyms and diet products. Now is, therefore, the time to target these people who in January will be at their most receptive to messages of keeping fit and staying healthy.

As featured in Brand Republic, December 2011

When analysing the activities that internet users do while surfing the net, listening to or watching television comes out on top with over 15 million people multitasking in this way, equating to just over a third of all internet users. Many consumers also connect with their friends or family offline while surfing the net – 20% send text messages and 16% chat on their mobile phones.

Listening to music is one of the most popular activities while using the internet – a quarter of users listen to their own music collections and, although eclipsed by television, radio still attracts 23% of multitaskers. Interestingly, 5.5 million consumers listen to radio offline (through a separate device) with the same number listening via an online radio player – although these are two distinctly different groups of multitaskers.

Online radio listeners are, on average, four years younger than their offline counterparts and also 80% more likely to be in the TGI Lifestage group “Flown the Nest” (15-34, unattached, not living with parents). On the other hand, TGI Life Events data reveals that offline radio listeners are 80% more likely than the average internet user to have finished their mortgage repayments in the last 12 months.

TGI’s in-depth measurement of radio also enables marketers to analyse these groups at a more granular level. For instance, online radio listening multitaskers are 60% more likely to specially choose to listen to Dave Gorman’s show on Absolute Radio and 50% more likely to listen to BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat. Meanwhile, offline radio listeners are most likely to tune in to World Music on BBC Radio 3 and they are 40% more likely to specially choose to listen to Classic FM’s Evening Concert.

Moreover, the heaviest users of the internet are also the most likely to multitask – suggesting that lighter users and relative newcomers prefer to focus solely on their screen. For instance, 24% of consumers who use the internet once a day watch DVDs / videos while surfing, compared to just 4% of consumers who use the web less than once per week.

TGI’s Net Europa data can place these findings within the context of other major Western European market. For instance, 30% of internet users in each of Germany, France and Spain listen to any type of radio while surfing the net – far higher than the 23% in GB. When it comes to television, GB is beaten into second place by France with 40% of their internet users listening to or watching the box while online – compared to 38% in GB, 37% in Germany and just 27% in Spain.  

Savvy consumers are no longer faced with choosing one medium over another as the internet has allowed for simultaneous exposure to a variety of media channels, often blurring the lines between the traditional and digital.

As featured in BRAD

With the return of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ and the likes of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pulling in the Saturday night ratings, British fascination with celebrity culture is as fixed as ever. This is good news for marketers as putting a celeb behind a product can do wonders for sales. Stories on celebrities regularly make the headlines, as seen in the ongoing phone hacking saga which has brought debates over celebs and the media to the forefront of popular discussion.

Celebrities can be particularly influential when it comes to children, with the wish to be famous a popular mantra amongst the X Factor generation. Latest insight from Kantar Media’s Youth TGI survey reveals that 34% of 11-19 year olds say they want to be famous.

In terms of which celebs are most popular amongst this group, these aspiring celebs are 56% more likely than the average British 11-19 year old to admire Paris Hilton, closely followed by by Katie Price and Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame. On the other hand, these kids are 26% more likely than average to dislike JK Rowling and Chris Hoy. While the first group of celebs are ones you might expect a wannabe-celeb to look up to, JK Rowling topping the list of most disliked celebs perhaps suggests a desire to be famous for fame itself rather than a concern for the means of getting there.

With this in mind, these young aspiring celebs are 47% more likely than the average British 11-19 year old to class physical beauty as one of the most important thing in life. They are also 47% more likely to regard meeting important people highly, no doubt to become better connected.

In keeping with the desire to be famous, these kids are much attuned to the need to make money. Demonstrating just how highly they value wealth, they are 58% more likely than the average 11-19 year old to see making money as more important than being a good person. Although quite extreme, this hints at the reasons behind such a desire to be famous.

They are a stylish and flashy bunch, being more likely to find the brand name most important when buying something and also finding a product’s style and design as important as its quality. Even when it comes to hobbies like sport, they are 37% more likely than the average 11-19 year old to think having the latest equipment is important.

Insight from Youth TGI reveals these aspiring celebs are a well-connected and well-informed bunch. They are most likely to be amongst the heaviest fifth of consumers of magazines. Not only that, but they are 51% more likely to be willing to pay to access content on magazine websites. They are also 20% more likely than the average 11-19 year old to go to the cinema two to three times a month. TGI data also reveals that these kids can be reached most effectively at different times by different media. On Sundays, for instance, they are close to a third more likely to watch more than seven hours of TV.

Added to this, their consumption of digital media is on the increase with 31% of these wannabe-celebs spending at least five hours online at the weekend. A year ago this figure was only 26%, indicating how many more of these kids are becoming engaged online. More kids spending large amounts of time in front of screens will be welcome news to marketers looking to reach these aspiring celebs in more varied and interactive ways.

As featured in MediaTel Newsline, December 2011

Kantar Media’s TGI survey has revealed television viewing insights for over 40 years, enabling marketers to track consumer uptake of the major milestones in television broadcasting ranging from colour televisions to widescreen to personal video recording. With 55% of British viewers now recording television programmes, time-shifted viewing can now be considered among the most significant innovations in the evolution of television.

Moreover, the number of viewers preferring “to watch television programmes at the time of broadcast, rather than record them” has fallen by over 4 million in just two years, reaffirming how viewing habits continue to change. The “time-shifted viewers” are 26% more likely to be in the 15-34 age bracket and a third more likely to use the internet more than once per day. With that said, there are more than 40% of viewers who prefer to watch programmes at the time of broadcast, giving a sizeable proportion of viewers who prefer linear viewing to catch-up TV.

For many consumers, it is now second nature to watch TV shows after they have been broadcast via PCs or set-top boxes – besides personally recording them. In Britain, 15 million adults use TV on Demand services (30% of the total television viewing population), an increase of over 1 million in the past year alone.

More than half of TV on Demand users access these services via their PCs, watching an average of 1 hour 45 minutes content per week. Improved video streaming capabilities on smart phones has also allowed over 600,000 GB consumers to watch TV on Demand on their mobiles. In fact, regular viewers of technology and gadget programmes are four times more likely to watch programmes on their mobiles than the average TV viewer.

Global TGI data reveals that levels of viewing TV on Demand in GB are significantly higher than many other major markets. For instance, 27% of TV viewers in the USA, 19% in France and just 7% in Australia use On Demand services.

Insight from TGI’s USA survey also reveals that TV on Demand viewers in America often interact with multiple devices whilst watching programmes online: 54% make calls on their mobiles, 46% use their PC to email and 10% play video games.

In Britain, linear television is of course still hugely important for many households, particularly when it comes to major television events. However, increasing take-up of TV on demand suggests that catch-up services are no longer limited to early adopters but are now being accessed by the wider, internet-enabled, TV audience.

As featured in BRAD

Mince pies have arrived on supermarket shelves, Starbucks’ cups have turned red and the Christmas Coca-Cola advert will soon be taking up its annual residence on TVs across the country. The festive season is upon us and now is the time marketers look to kick-start their efforts to entice both parents and children alike.

Latest insight from Kantar Media’s TGI survey reveals which parents are the most lucrative when it comes to the Christmas period.

Those in the TGI Lifestage ‘Primary School Parents’ group (people living with children with the youngest aged 5-9) are particularly big spenders, almost three times as likely as the average parent to have spent over £200 on kids toys and games in the last year. When it comes to what they are buying relative to other parents, these Primary School Parents are close to three times as likely to buy electronic games for their children, with bikes, action figures and board games close behind.

Possibly due to their busy lifestyles, as a group school parents generally (including TGI Lifestage Preschool Parents, Primary School Parents and Secondary School Parents) tend to turn to the Internet. They are 30% more likely than the average British adult to claim shopping online makes their life easier. Even if they choose not to buy, they still like to shop around and do their research online, being 28% more likely to often refer to the Internet before making purchases. They are also significantly more likely to be influenced by comments posted online by other Internet users. So the power of ‘word of mouth’ is an important tool when it comes to school parents, something marketers should be tuned into.

Aside from children’s toys and products, school parents are most likely to regularly buy groceries, alcoholic drinks and toiletries online. Their online shopping, however, spreads further than supermarket goods. They are 64% more likely than the average adult to regularly buy furniture online as well as shopping around for mobile phones and clothing.

Despite being so au fait with the Internet, savvy marketers would do well to target school parents offline. Insight from TGI reveals parents are being driven online through more traditional media. For example, Primary School Parents are 51% more likely than the average British parent to find out about websites on TV. The types of programmes they particularly watch are children’s TV, Sci-fi and reality TV.

Secondary School Parents, however, are 89% more likely to find out about websites through radio adverts. Not only that, they are also 31% more likely to find radio adverts most useful when making purchasing decisions. This means that ads these parents hear when listening to their favourite fashion and beauty shows (which they are 52% more likely to listen to) could well persuade them to go online.

In the coming weeks school parents will undoubtedly be key targets for marketers. Reaching children, however, is just as important due to the ‘pester power’ factor. Primary and Secondary School Parents are collectively 65% more likely than the average parent to buy brands their kids prefer. So if kids profess an undying love for the latest gadget or toy, this may well be enough to persuade parents to buy. Therefore, in order for marketers to make the most of this year’s festive season, it is crucial they target both groups.

As featured in Brand Republic, November 2011

Back in 2001, when home internet penetration was at only 34% in GB, online purchasing was limited to a relatively small proportion of early adopters – for instance just 6% of the online population purchased books on the internet. By 2011, when home internet has now reached 80% of consumers, almost 40% purchase books online.

Online purchasing has risen year on year for almost all measurable categories as consumers search for the best deals at a time that suits them. For instance, 23% of internet users purchase computer games online, up from 19% just two years ago. One area that has seen the most rapid rise is online grocery shopping – now used by 7.7 million consumers, more than double the number who used these services five years ago.

Aside from specific product areas, consumers are purchasing online with increasing frequency – the latest TGI survey reveals that 45% of internet users make an online buy at least once every month, up from 35% of consumers two years ago. One reason for this trend is perhaps rising consumer confidence in e-commerce – there has been a 57% rise in the past two years in the proportion of the GB online population believing that “to do my shopping by internet makes my life easier”.

TGI also enables in-depth profiling of online shoppers with the most recent GB data revealing that men are slightly more likely than women to shop on the internet. However, the most frequent shoppers, ie those who make an online buy once per week, are 70% more likely to be in the TGI Lifestage group “playschool parents” (live with son/daughter aged 0-4) with a quarter of these avid online shoppers living with a child under the age of four.  Online shopping is also likely to be used as a time-saving measure for many of these consumers as they are also 20% more likely than the average internet user to work full time.

More than 40% of the most regular online shoppers are in the affluent AB social grade with this group having an average family income in excess of £40,000, which is £8,000 greater than the average internet user. However, the average online shopper has only a fractionally greater income than the average internet user, suggesting that frequent online shoppers are using these services to buy premium goods, both online and on the high street. In fact, these consumers are more than 50% more likely to “tend to go for premium rather than standard goods / services”.

The web is, of course, a crucial means of reaching frequent online purchasers but they are also very keen social networkers – being twice as likely as the average internet user to leave comments on blogs and write twitter feeds. However, they can also be found regularly watching the latest films with a quarter of them heavy cinema goers (at least once per month) and, because of their busy schedules, they are almost 30% more likely be heavily exposed to outdoor media.

As featured in BRAD