Ipsos Update - July 2018

July’s edition features new papers on ethnography, audience measurement and food waste, as well as new global reports on the inclusiveness of nationalities and artificial intelligence.

This month we start with ethnography; a research method investigating cultural practices, rituals, consumer behaviour, routines and social norms. In this new Ipsos Views paper, we go back to basics to present a practical guide to the subject exploring how we can make decisions based on ethnographic insight.

Staying on the cultural theme, The Power of Culture is a new report highlighting the effect of culture on our social norms and the underlying tensions it can create – whether that be in brands, business, politics or society. The report showcases examples and practical solutions to building cultural understanding.

Meanwhile, who is and is not a “real” national? Inclusiveness of nationalities is the topic of our latest 27-country Global Advisor study, with results finding Canada and the US have the most inclusive definition of nationality, followed by South Africa, France, and Australia. The study reflects social acceptance of diversity as it applies to religion, immigration, sexual orientation and gender identity, political views, and criminal background.

In another global poll, our latest What Worries the World survey finds people in Italy (86%), Mexico (85%), Brazil (83%) and Spain (80%) have the greatest levels of concern that their country is on the “wrong track”. Once again, China is the nation which inspires the most confidence about the direction it is taking: 92% say things are going in the right direction.

Turning our attention to artificial intelligence (AI), this study – conducted in Canada, China, France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and the US – finds overall optimism towards artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, but also significant worries about privacy, job security and economic equality.

Meanwhile, The Numbers Game is a new paper examining how the emergence of digital media has changed the way planners and buyers look at audience measurement. We explore the current digital advertising and audience measurement landscape, including the challenges faced by the industry and what the future might hold.

Audiences are also at the forefront of this new paper on “Moodvertsising” during the World Cup, setting out how the mood of a crowd at a sporting event can influence the ROI of your advertising and play a critical role in how consumers respond to a brand. We showcase our learnings from ad testing during sporting events and examine the risks and benefits for advertisers in this situation.

Finally, with global waste estimated to rise to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, A Wasted Opportunity explores the complex obstacles and hurdles faced in the war on food waste, including where the concern and responsibility lies.