Ipsos Update - September 2016

We start with our new report on Brazil: Are we looking at Debris or Seeds? That’s the question our Ipsos team in Brazil ask, as our experts paint a picture of the country’s vital signs. It’s a country which faces real challenges, but which still hasn’t lost its sense of humour.

We showcase two comment pieces which look at the opportunities (and challenges) of making your mark in a digital environment. Andrew Green takes us on a tour of the new world of “programmatic buying”, providing some tips of how to get your message seen above the clutter. Meanwhile, Peter Minnium goes back to basics and looks at the art of good storytelling. He then goes on to think about the best ways marketers can tell these stories in digital media.

Still on the subject of storytelling, we have two pieces on virtual reality, where savvy marketers are seeking to tap into its storytelling power. Indeed, VR should no longer be seen as just for gaming: it’s very much applicable in the auto industry, as our case study shows.

One of the most compelling stories of recent months has of course been the Pokémon Go phenomenon. It’s an exceptional example of where great creative, strong “brand purpose” and human aspirations come together. Arnaud Debia looks back on the experience, and pulls out some thoughts on what we can all learn from its success.

Getting to grips with how people make choices about what they buy (and what they don’t) is a feature of Douwe Rademaker and Ben Joosen’s new paper on brands. How to attract more people, more easily, more often? Drawing on new Ipsos R & D, their paper includes a checklist for brand managers.

The task of marketing products and services to the 900 million Indians are aged under 35 brings both opportunities and challenges. This month we feature a new study which sheds light on the behaviours and aspirations of younger people in India. Among the findings: a strong interest in online shopping – provided that discounts are on offer, widespread use of dating apps and a sense that the service on India’s railways is improving.

This month’s Update also sees us taking stock on what we’ve learned about text analytics – an approach which is increasingly at the heart of many research projects. The market has matured, and it’s now a case of which of the available tools are right for your needs. Fiona Moss sets out a series of questions to ask.

Finally, we look at politics in the UK and the US. The British continue to adjust to the new “Brexit” environment, and the Ipsos team in the UK hosted an event where our polling experts joined with journalists and politicians to reflect on the story so far. On the other side of the Atlantic, our US team has new data on the American presidential election, including on the first of the TV debates.