What Have You Done for Me Lately?

New York, NY - A recent study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods shows that while global consumers do not find the consumer packaged goods sector to be particularly innovative, there is high demand for new food, household and personal products in the market.

The study revealed that when compared to other sectors, consumer packaged goods (notably, food and beverages, personal products and household products) rate among the lowest in terms of consumer perceptions of innovativeness. And within consumer packaged goods, household and personal products are viewed to be more innovative than food and beverages.

This is not to say that consumers do not seek innovation in consumer packaged goods. When specifically asked how willing they would be to try new food, household and personal products, consumers were overwhelmingly interested, as evidenced by top two box scores ranging from 81% to 89%.

"It's not surprising that consumer packaged goods would not rank as high as more obvious technological products," says Lauren Demar, CEO of Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods Sector. "What is interesting is that consumer packaged goods are viewed to be innovative by almost one-third of global consumers - not bad for an industry that, generally speaking, has been unfairly tagged as sluggish on the innovation front."

While other industries and market sectors ranked higher in terms of perceptions of innovation, the study's central finding was that consumers want to try new food, household and personal products.

According to Demar, "This is an opportunity waiting to be taken."

Demar continues, "It is also worth noting that, while food and beverages are viewed as less innovative than household and personal products, consumers crave new food products the most. This presents an opportunity for food manufacturers to fulfill the need for new and different food experiences."

Demar concludes, "A critical step in the new product development process is communicating to consumers when new products become available and what differentiates them from products currently on the market. Assuming the product is relevant to consumers - that is, it meets consumers' needs - and is not perceived as too expensive, our data suggests that consumers are very willing to try a new consumer packaged goods experience."

These are the findings from a study conducted by Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods via the Ipsos Global @dvisor, an online survey of citizens around the world. Interviews were carried out between October and November 2008. Approximately 1,000 interviews were carried out in each of 18 countries: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey and the U.S.

Where possible, Ipsos online panels were utilized - in cases where this was not possible the survey was administered through carefully vetted partnership alliance panels.

Complimentary access to the data in this report for each of the 18 countries is available upon request from Ipsos Marketing, Consumer Goods.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Or Lauren Demar CEO Ipsos Marketing, Global Consumer Goods (212) 584-9259 [email protected]

About Ipsos Marketing

Ipsos Marketing - The Innovation and Brand Research Specialists - is the Ipsos brand for Marketing Research.

Ipsos Marketing operates under a global structure that brings clients unequalled research expertise throughout their innovation and brand development process. Supported by specialized teams, Ipsos Marketing offers in-depth understanding of the drivers of consumer choice and of the marketing challenges faced by our clients. Our experts provide integrated qualitative and quantitative research solutions, as well as advanced modelling and forecasting techniques that include simulations and linkages to in-market data.

Ipsos Marketing is a specialization of Ipsos, a global survey-based market research company that offers expertise in advertising, customer and employee loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research. Ipsos is present in 64 countries, with a leading position in both mature and emerging markets. In 2008, it achieved global revenues of 979.3 million euros, Marketing research contributing to 48% of Ipsos' total global revenues.

Visit www.ipsosmarketing.com to learn more.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2008, Ipsos generated global revenues of e979.3 million ($1.34 billion U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.