Monthly Archives: November 2008

Everyone interested in Irish consumer trends needs to pay particular attention to demography. Demography is destiny in terms of future consumer numbers and needs. The European Commission have published an excellent Demography Report 2008 for the EU that is packed … Continue reading →

A big problem in every focus group is getting people to image themselves doing something they’ve never done before. Nearly as hard as wine tasting. Which is why we like the Wine Flavor Visualizer. Now if we can extend the … Continue reading →

We like this one from across the pond: it looks like the recession is making lots of folk re-think the purpose and priorities of marketing. It seems the 4Ps – product, place, price and promotion – have been replaced by … Continue reading →

It’s that time of year when many of us reach into our wallets, purses and pockets to donate to charities. But with the Credit Crunch now deepening are we set for a Charity Crunch? That certainly seems to be the … Continue reading →

The 2008 Accenture Global Digital Advertising Study points to a very rosy future indeed for digital advertising. Already they estimate the global market to be worth €45 billion – and growing. By 2012, they forecast digital’s share of the advertising … Continue reading →

That’s the message from today’s Ulster Bank quarterly economic outlook (pdf) for the Republic of Ireland. Consumer spending is forecast to fall -3.0% in 2009; consumer prices will deflate by -0.5%; and house prices by -9.0%. Not a pretty picture. … Continue reading →

We’re big fans of consumer confidence tracking at Amárach Research, so it’s always nice to see how it’s done elsewhere. Take, for example, the daily confidence tracker operated by Gallup and Healthways in the United States. It shows the extraordinarily … Continue reading →

Amárach recently worked with researchers at The Geary Institute to produce ‘emotional maps’ of the journeys to work of commuters in Tallaght. We recruited 30 volunteers and split them between those who drove to work and those who used public … Continue reading →

September’s retail sales data from the CSO makes for grim reading. 11 out of 13 retail business categories have seen the value of sales decline year-on-year. 5 out of 13 categories are now experiencing deflation – prices are falling whether … Continue reading →

Good news from the Central Statistics Office today for hard pressed consumers: inflation fell to 4.0% in October. That’s a full percentage point lower than in June. Leading the way are Clothing & Footwear and Furniture & Electrical Goods: both … Continue reading →