Waiter, my portion’s too big
Most Americans believe some restaurants serve portions that are too large, according to a nationwide study by Decision Analyst, an Arlington, Texas research firm.
In its ongoing Health and Nutrition Strategist syndicated study, Decision Analyst asked 4,156 survey respondents about the amount of food they are served by restaurants. Among all surveyed, 57 percent agreed completely or agreed somewhat that some restaurants often serve portions that are too large. About 23 percent of respondents neither agreed nor disagreed, and 20 percent disagreed completely or disagreed somewhat that restaurant portions are too large.
By gender, 67 percent of female respondents said restaurant portions are too large, while 47 percent of male respondents felt the same way. Older respondents (over 65) also tended to think portions are too large (68 percent), while only 55 percent of younger folks (18-24) think portions are too large.
The survey shows that the higher one’s income, the more likely she or he is to believe that portions are too large. For example, 45 percent of respondents earning under $25,000 annually said food portions are sometimes too large, while 70 percent of respondents earning at least $150,000 said portions are sometimes too large.
Those respondents who “don’t worry about nutrition when they eat out” are much less likely to agree that portions are too large (53 percent) than those who “try to make healthy choices when they eat out” (70 percent).
Decision Analyst’s Health and Nutrition Strategist was conducted online via its American Consumer Opinion panel from January 2006 through December 2006 using a nationally representative, statistically balanced sample of 4,156 American adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percent, at a 99 percent confidence level. For more information visit www.decisionanalyst.com.
Visiting social networking sites favorite activity for many
More than 70 percent of Americans aged 15-34 are actively using social networks online, according to a new study. The research further showed that social networking sites are taking a strong foothold in the prime-time hours; enriching existing relationships with family and friends; and initiating meaningful brand connections.
The Never Ending Friending study was conducted by research firms TRU, TNS and Marketing Evolution for Fox Interactive Media, Isobar and Carat USA. It incorporated both quantitative and qualitative feedback from approximately 3,000 U.S. Internet users, as well as MySpace clients for in-depth case studies.
As part of the study, Marketing Evolution delved into the impact of social interaction on campaigns within MySpace. The research found that brands such as adidas and Electronic Arts attributed more than 70 percent of their marketing return on investment to the Momentum Effect, a term coined by Marketing Evolution to quantify the impact of a brand’s word-of-mouth within a social network.
According to the study, more than 40 percent of all social networkers said they use social networking sites to learn more about brands or products that they like, and 28 percent said at some point a friend has recommended a brand or product to them.
The findings showed that Internet users aren’t just trying social networks, they’re using them more than other forms of communication and entertainment. Of U.S. social networkers asked which free-time activity they would choose, users chose interacting on sites such as MySpace.com as their favorite activity online or offline, ahead of television viewing and on par with cell phone usage.
And, more consistent with the offline world than might be expected, the vast majority of time was spent connecting with family and friends as opposed to meeting new people. Of those polled, 69 percent said they utilize social networks to connect with existing friends and 41 percent said they use the sites connect with family members.
In addition, the study revealed that current social networkers spend on average more than seven hours per week on social networking sites, and that those hours are driving the growth of overall time spent online. More than 31 percent of online social networkers claim they spend more time on the Web in general after starting to use a social network. They were also more inclined to engage in other entertainment media and activities including listening to music, playing games and talking on a cell phone.
The study also reinforced that MySpace was the Web’s most popular social networking site, with an overall user satisfaction rating of nearly 80 percent.
In addition to tracking overall usage of the site, the study focused on the reasons why users are continuing to flock to online social networks. The data indicated that social networkers use the sites not just to improve their online lives but also to make their offline lives richer and more exciting. More than 48 percent said they are having more fun in life in general and 45 percent said their lives are more exciting as a result of spending time networking online. In addition, 57 percent said they’ve found more people with similar interests and 52 percent said they feel more in tune with what’s happening socially in their lives due to social networking sites.
The Never Ending Friending study was conducted in multiple phases encompassing independently-fielded qualitative, quantitative and in-depth client case study research. A series of focus groups of MySpace users in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York was conducted by TRU, Northbrook, Ill. An online survey of 3,000+ U.S. panelists aged 14-40 was conducted by TNS, Horsham, Pa., and included three segments: MySpace users, social networkers from other sites and non-social networkers. Finally, case studies including behavioral tracking and survey measurement with two MySpace clients, adidas and Electronic Arts, were conducted by El Dorado Hills, Calif.-based Marketing Evolution. For more information visit www.tns-global.com.
Low-income households turn to in-store banks
In-store branches can be an effective way to market credit services to under-banked households, according to a study by Atlanta-based Synergistics Research Corp. entitled Marketing Credit to Low Income Households. The national telephone survey was conducted in December 2006 with 1,100 consumers age 18 or older, with 1,000 having household incomes of less than $40K. Overall, one-third of low-income households have used a branch inside some type of retail establishment.
This includes close to three in 10 who have used a grocery store or supermarket branch; one in 10 who have used a branch in a department or discount store; and one in 20 who have used a branch in some other type of retail location. Close to half of the low-income respondents who use in-store branches say this is their primary branch.
Although an equal proportion of those with income of $40K+ use in-store branches, less than one-quarter of these higher-income consumers say that an in-store branch is their primary branch.
Those who indicated using an in-store branch were further asked if they have ever applied for a loan or other credit service at an in-store branch. Close to one-fifth of the low-income households who use in-store branches have applied for credit at this type of facility. (One-tenth of the users with income of $40K+ have done so.)
“In-store bank branches are an established element of the branching system and have significant relevance to many under-banked households,” says Synergistics CEO William McCracken. “In-store branches represent a very effective channel for financial institutions to deliver credit and other financial services to the low income market. Offering credit and loan services is an important next step in broadening relationships with this market. Currently, the possible competitive threat of a major retail chain - such as Wal-Mart or Home Depot - having the ability to operate its own bank inside its stores is being held at bay by legislators. In addition, Kroger recently introduced Kroger Personal Finance through which customers can apply for mortgages, home equity credit, identity-theft protection, pet insurance or a credit card. Financial institutions with an interest in serving the low-income market via this channel should take steps to strengthen their retailer alliances and bolster this valuable conduit.” For more information visit www.synergisticsresearch.com.
The more you drive, the more tech-savvy you are
New York-based Scarborough Research released an analysis showing that people who spend the most time on the road are more tech-savvy than the average consumer.
The country’s top road travelers (defined as the 20 percent of U.S. adults who traveled the most miles “in a car, van, truck, or bus either as a driver or passenger” in the past seven days) have a wide variety of personal and household technologies.
Given the amount of time spent on the road, it is clear that this consumer group values portability. They are 17 percent more likely than the average consumer to have a cell phone; 40 percent more likely to have a PDA in their household; and 21 percent more likely to have an MP3 player in their household.
This consumer group also has a wide variety of home entertainment technologies. They are 23 percent more likely to have HDTV, 15 percent more likely to have a DVD player, and 20 percent more likely to have purchased 10 or more DVDs during the past year. These road travelers are 23 percent more likely to have a video game system in their household, and 13 percent more likely to have a digital video recorder such as TiVo.
Their Internet habits are also consistent with their active and high-tech lifestyle. The country’s top road travelers are 48 percent more likely than the average consumer to have spent $1,000 or more online during the past year; 17 percent more likely to have broadband, and 28 percent more likely to have spent 20 hours or more online weekly.
Demographically, the top road travelers are a desirable group. They are more affluent (35 percent more likely to have an annual household income of $100,000+); own more expensive homes (11 percent more likely to have a home with a market value of $500,000+), and are more educated (20 percent more likely to have a college degree or advanced degree).
“This analysis demonstrates a very simple but compelling point: the more time consumers spend on the road, the more likely they are to have the latest media and information technology devices,” says Carol Edwards, vice president, out-of-home media services, Scarborough Research and Arbitron Inc. “Apple made this connection when it launched the now-iconic iPod campaign, of which out-of-home media was a key component. The research suggests that other personal and entertainment technology brands could benefit from the medium.” For more information visit www.scarborough.com.
Google takes top spot in brand ranking
In the second-annual BRANDZ Top 100 Most Powerful Brands ranking, published in cooperation with The Financial Times and research firm Millward Brown, Google has risen to the top of this year’s ranking, taking the No. 1 spot with a brand value of $66,434 million. This was followed by General Electric ($61,880 million), Microsoft ($54,951 million) and Coca-Cola ($44,134 million).
Produced by Millward Brown Optimor, the firm’s finance and ROI arm, the ranking identifies the most powerful brands in the world as measured by their dollar value.
The aggregate value of all brands in the BRANDZ Top 100 increased by 10.6 percent in one year, from $1.44 trillion in 2006 to $1.6 trillion in 2007.
“Success stories from this year’s BRANDZ Top 100 demonstrate that winning brands leverage major market trends effectively to create business value,” says Joanna Seddon, global CEO Millward Brown Optimor. “Strong brands are capable of extending into areas of opportunity to access new revenue streams and to help businesses respond to market changes.”
The most notable trends emerging from this year’s BRANDZ Top 100 include:
- The rise of the East – Today, consumers in emerging markets - especially the ones known as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China) - have more disposable income than ever before. In order to succeed in the BRICs, Western brands must offer products or services that are relevant to the local consumers. Fast-food brands such as KFC ($4,485 million) and McDonald’s ($33,138 million) appeal to BRIC consumers looking for a Western dining experience. Apparel brands including Nike ($10,290 million), Levi’s ($1,041 million) and Zara ($6,469 million) fill the gap between local brands and imported luxury brands by providing affordable fashion to young consumers. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton ($22,686 million) and Rolex ($5,387 million) are also seeing significant growth in these markets as wealthy consumers look for brands that represent their status.
- Converging technologies – Convergence is the hot topic in technology: The ability to mix and match different services (voice, data, GPS, music, Internet, e-mail, etc.) and deliver them over different devices has the potential to improve the lives of consumers. In the face of increasing complexity, branding has been leveraged to simplify and contrast different offerings: from Apple’s ($24,728 million) basics-but-smarter iPhone to Sony Ericsson’s Walkman-branded music phones to Nokia’s ($31,670 million) all-in-one mobile computers, manufacturers are crafting coherent offerings that are aligned with their brand identity. Like Apple and Nokia, strong brands are able to stretch so parent companies can increase revenue streams by investing in high-growth ventures.
- Corporate social responsibility – Delivering on the promise of corporate social responsibility helped boost the value of major brands including BP ($5,931 million), Shell ($4,679 million) and Toyota ($33,427 million). BP was the first major oil company to address climate change with its “beyond petroleum” brand positioning. BP executed on that brand positioning to become one of the top-three global suppliers of solar energy. Shell followed suit. Toyota’s success in marketing its hybrid model Prius contributed to its positive brand image and its continued leadership in the automotive sector.
- Fast-food brands react to health-conscious consumers – Rising concerns about healthy eating disrupted the fast-food industry that had enjoyed continuous growth since the 1980s. Most fast-food chains, including McDonald’s ($33,138 million), repositioned themselves with the introduction of healthier food alternatives. Burger King ($1,401 million) took the opposite stance through marketing campaigns that called attention to the chain’s original offering: the high-calorie and masculine hamburger. The 63 percent increase in Burger King’s brand value proves that strong brands succeed whether they follow or defy market trends.
The complete BRANDZ Top 100 report with category and regional breakdowns as well as additional analysis is available at www.millwardbrown.com/mboptimor, www.brandz.com and at www.ft.com.