Esomar conference on knowledge of consumers

Consumer research has become the focus of market research lately. As a result of increased interest shown in the subject, Esomar held a conference with the title „Knowledge about consumers 2007” in Milan, at the end of May. Market experts from 52 countries had gathered in Hotel Le Mériedien Gallie to listen to the 16 lectures and many discussions to be held in two days. One of the most successful presentations at the conference was held by Nielsen about research carried out for an Indian brand. Its success was probably due to the approach used, which resembled the procedures used by the heroes of classic detective tales. According to Achala Srivatsa ad hoc director of Nielsen International (USA), the parallels between detective work and market research are obvious, since the process of slowly uncovering facts which are hard to grasp and then identifying the essence of the case is similar. In their case, the marketing task to be completed was protecting and enhancing the market position of ABC, the largest Indian whisky brand. It is a traditional Indian brand targeted at the lower middle class. New brands have recognised the changes in the way lower middle class people think and their communication used the language of the upwardly increasingly mobile group. Research for ABC was expected to identify changes in attitude in order to allow a new marketing approach to be worked out. The conclusion market researchers had arrived at was that the macho image should be emphasised even more markedly than before. As a result, ABC is the only brand in India which produced growth of 13 per cent in the stagnating whisky category.