Marketers need to think more strategically beyond cheap tricks, making things pink, or adding female icons to labels to reach women.

The only metric that never changes is sales, which begs the question: Will we eventually see an industrywide guarantee on sales?

2017 was a good year for global consumers, with consumer confidence ending the year at a near-record level. Notably, 51 markets finished the year with higher confidence than they did in 2016, and the gains were bigger than 2 points in 46 markets.

Given today’s competitive landscape, brands that leverage proven go-to-market strategies will likely be more successful than those that simply move forward without careful thought and preparation.

Competition to light up Kiwi homes is high, with new energy companies bringing their offerings to the table. Across New Zealand there are more than 30, together spending over $33 million dollars on advertising in 2017.

Despite a drop in sales, beef still remains the most popular meat protein for Australian shoppers, with fresh beef representing close to one-third of all meat value sales.

One consumer product category that shows promise is snack foods. A rare global growth story, snacks are satisfying consumer cravings around the world—in fact, the snacking business grew US$3.4 billion globally in 2017.

Sport really is Australia’s favourite past time and with the introduction of more channels, platforms, leagues and codes, our hours spent watching sport in Australia has gone up by 8% since 2014. With more eyeballs on TVs and screens, and fan bases growing, the opportunities to reach and resonate with the captive Australian sports fan are massive.

New regulations restricting the sale of codeine to a prescription only medication has left retailers and manufacturers with a keen interest in the future trends in analgesics. In 2017 codeine was worth $170 million dollars, making up 20% of the analgesics industry. Understanding where this value may move to is key for the pharmaceutical industry in the coming year and beyond.

More than any other consumer industry, beauty and personal care are driven by trends. New trending ingredients, formulations, colors and brands come around every season. Walk into your average retail store and you’ll see this reflected on shelves.

There’s a new retail revolution underway, and it’s going to affect the global food industry in ways the market hasn’t seen before. The revolution comes at the hand of store-branded products, which continue to gain share across all major geographies.

The continued growth of the grocery e-commerce channel is undeniable with 403K new households adopting online shopping. Australians are overcoming online barriers of physical inspection and doubts about quality and accuracy. In the past 12 months there was a 22.9% increase in new grocery online shoppers, as well as a small increases in spend per trip. In fact, the average household purchased online on 6.7 occasions over the last 12 months, and with the average online transaction of $107.85, up from $104.65 last year.

While sales of fast-moving consumer goods in some traditionally successful markets like the U.S. saw signs of softness in early 2017, opportunities for growth are still readily available if you know where to look.

Consumers today have access to a wider array of products than ever before thanks to globalisation and connectivity. So when it comes to country of origin, just how much does being a 'local' or 'global' brand influence the purchasing behaviour of consumers in Australia and New Zealand?

Five years ago, mainstream alcohol segments drove the majority of the alcohol sales growth in New Zealand. More recently, niche products have emerged, and Kiwis are increasingly opting for more premium and unique beverage offerings.

As a result of more digital entertainment options, Australians are consuming more content and changing how they consume it. Knowing the Australian entertainment consumer provides new opportunities for Australian brands to engage and connect with them on a more personal and emotional level.

Compared with the everyday consumer products we buy frequently, like paper towels and boxed cereal, durables have a much longer shelf life. Items like electric razors, coffee makers and irons fall into this category, and they play key roles in the everyday lives of consumers—yet in much different ways than fast-moving consumer goods do.

What do dental chews for pets, adult incontinence undergarments and sweetened light beer have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. A closer look, however, reveals that each solved a specific "job to be done."

The esports industry is growing quickly, with new leagues, teams and distribution channels. And this growth is attracting new high-profile esports investment from brands, media organizations and traditional sports rightsholders.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, Baby Boomers (Australians aged 55+) are a segment not to be ignored. Compared with the overall Australian 18+ population, this important demographic segment certainly enjoy a drink, with more than two-thirds saying they have consumed an alcoholic beverage in the past month, compared to just over half of Millennials (aged 18-34) and 64% of Gen X (aged 35-54).

Bringing attention to the importance of assortment is easy. It’s getting it right that is highly challenging. Here are the top six hurdles companies face in building an optimal assortment.

The “input button,” an often misunderstood piece of remote control real estate, unlocks a wide range of content for consumers with an array of devices, and it’s no longer invisible to audience measurement.

The world is changing. Fast. The way we work. The way we travel. The way we watch videos and shows. The way we simply interact with each other. And because the pace of change is happening so incredibly fast, it can be hard to understand what, and just how much, change has happened over a week, month or year.

As marketers seek greater accountability in today’s increasingly omnichannel shopper landscape, demand for outcome-based ROI measurement has become more important than ever across the media, retail and FMCG industries.

Backed by rising consumer confidence and optimism, many of the world’s economies are experiencing degrees of positive momentum. In some cases, that momentum is strong; in others, it’s subtle, but still worth noting.

With summer just around the corner Down Under, you’d think Australians would be gravitating toward healthful diets packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. Last year, however, total consumption of fresh produce actually declined.

More consumers are using product information and labels on food packaging, nutrition and fitness to meet personal health goals. Fusing Nielsen data with nutritional information from The George Institute reveals the positive impact the Health Star Rating is having on brands in particular categories.

When identifying how valuable sponsorships and brand activation can be in esports, it’s worth exploring the issue from the perspectives of the many stakeholders involved: leagues, franchisees and teams.

Neuroscience shows us that, when used correctly, music can put viewers and listeners in a more positive mood, leading to a greater reliance on intuition and a reduction in both critical thought and focus on detail.

Saying that driverless cars will have a huge impact on the automotive industry in the next decade is a truism. Saying that driverless cars could also have an equal impact on retail, however, is not.

Thanks to globalization and connectivity, consumers around the world have access to a wider array of products than ever. So how much weight does the “made in” moniker carry when it comes to purchase motivation?

We’ve been talking about health and wellness for years. There are two critical forces at play that are shifting this topic from niche to mainstream: increasingly complex needs and massive digital engagement.

This year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup well and truly lived up to its reputation as one of the biggest events on the Australian sporting calendar. Nielsen’s Social TV Ratings revealed that our nation’s most prestigious horse race was the biggest social episode on TV this year.

How can manufacturers and retailers win on price in a changing FMCG industry? Here are five opportunities to help drive profitability despite today’s challenging marketplace.

This year, a range of ad execs have said digital advertising is broken and in need of repair. While they’re right to insist for better performance, their focus has been on surface issues related to the ad experience, while a larger problem lies beneath.

In today’s cooling real estate market, it is increasingly critical to understand where buyers and sellers are on their real estate journey, and to connect with them at the right time. In the next 12 months, 254,000 New Zealanders intend to buy a property and 115,000 expect to sell a property.

Global FMCG retail is pegged at $4 trillion today, growing at a rate of just 4%, with signs of continuing sluggish performance in developed markets. On the other hand, total retail e-commerce is predicted to grow by 20% (combined annual growth rate) to become a $4 trillion market by 2020.

For many Australians, the winter energy bill is one of the highest household expenses for the year. With three major retailers announcing energy price increases of up to 20% taking effect on 1 July 2017, Australian families are bracing themselves for an extra big hit on their household budget when their winter bill arrives this spring.

New Zealanders love a good drop - 78% of us, to be exact, are drinkers of some variety. Baby Boomers and Millennials collectively account for 58% of the drinking population.

We’ve gotten used to emphasizing the divide between digital and physical, but it’s quickly disappearing: when digital data about the physical world is comprehensive, real-time and freely available, the physical and digital augment each other.

Authentic Italian grocery brands are growing in popularity. In some categories, products made in Italy have enjoyed strong sales gains over the past year driven by a rise in the number of Australian shoppers spending more on these brands. Despite this, category share for these brands is still relatively low - highlighting significant opportunities for expansion.

When testing innovations, it’s risky to ask consumers to compare a new concept against an actual product that they currently purchase. This unbalances the entire evaluation by setting up an unfair comparison.

Creative is the thing that drives what we engage with, share, talk about, debate, remember and buy. Creative has great power, regardless of where, when and how it runs.

Beyond in-store clinics and the traditional health care aisle of the store, a handful of departments should be top of mind for drug store retailers where more multicultural dollars are spent in comparison to non-Hispanic whites.

Africa’s vast potential is the stuff of investors’ dreams, but capitalizing on that opportunity is less about identifying or quantifying prospects and more about execution stemming from knowledge, insights and data to enable on-the-ground success.

The market for dairy products is highly saturated, and driving new growth can prove challenging. However, Nielsen research shows that consumers who purchase cheese on a weekly basis have a very distinct profile and appealing to this group of cheese lovers could uncover new growth opportunities.

Backed by improving global consumer confidence, many regions are seeing improved conditions for businesses and the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Here, we’ll look at trends in a few select countries.

Consumers globally were more confident in the second quarter of 2017 than at the end of 2016, but concerns remain. So where are consumers spending any extra cash and cutting back on expenses?

On-the-go Kiwi consumers want their meals to be quick and convenient. Over the past year we’ve seen big increases in those who eat on the run (+22%) and buy take-away food to eat at home (+25%). For those with limited time, meal kits and prepared meals are proving to be invaluable.

For a long time, no one outside IT showed much interest in APIs, but MIT research shows that the most successful digital companies make above-average investments in APIs; these companies know that APIs are fundamental to their strategic success. Why do they think that?

Australians love sport. And the ways in which they engage with sport is changing before our eyes. There are new ways to watch, new ways to connect and the audience demographic is also changing.

In the lead up to Father’s Day this year, partners and children across the country will no doubt be racking their brains to pick the perfect gift for dad. Nielsen research reveals that millennial dads (aged 18-34) are a particularly different breed of dad compared to their older counterparts, with lifestyle and aspirations of this age group having evolved notably over the past few years.

Nielsen’s latest consumer confidence results for the second quarter of 2017 reveals Australian and New Zealand consumers paint a very different picture of their future outlook. New Zealand continues to ride its wave of positivity with a consumer confidence score of 103, the highest it has been in nine years. Australia, on the other hand, recorded a consumer confidence score of 89 - well below the global average of 104.

With the advancements in big data, advertisers know more about consumers than ever before. And yet, they’re still challenged with how to drive the greatest return for their marketing budgets. And we all know what happens when executives don’t see the ROI they’re expecting—they cut budgets.

Millennials (aged 18 to 34) are less likely to drink than their elders. As such, Millennials pose a challenge to alcohol marketers because of the range of factors that influence their drinking choices.

In contrast to the ongoing market challenges facing global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers and retailers, consumers are in better spirits than they were at the end of 2016. In fact, global consumer confidence has risen three index points since the close of last year.

New Zealanders love to read. Around 1.9 million Kiwis aged over 10 say they read a book every week – the second most popular leisure activity after walking. In 2016 alone, Nielsen BookScan revealed that 4.9 million books were sold in New Zealand for a total value of $114.2 million.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last couple of years, you’re seeing the FMCG industry transform right in front of our eyes. That’s scary, but equally exciting. So here are three things big FMCG marketers need to do to win as the industry evolves.

Has the traditional planning process become obsolete? Many signs within the industry point to “yes.” So in order to succeed today, companies need to move to a new form of adaptive planning that is responsive to continuous market change.

Advertising campaigns that resonate in the minds of consumers are hard to find. Encouragingly, understanding frequency - the number of times consumers see a campaign - has a demonstrated impact on resonance, and can ensure brands maximise their digital spend.

Australians love seafood. And while most of us already purchase seafood, there is still an opportunity to encourage more consumption, and grow the category further with innovation that caters to consumers’ evolving needs and tastes.

For on-the-go Aussie consumers with limited time between the end of the workday and dinner time, food boxes and prepared meals are invaluable. Delivered directly to households, food box meal kits include portioned ingredients and easy to follow instructions, allowing consumers to skip extensive meal preparation and dive right into creating their meals.

Your kid tore his favorite pair of jeans and you need to know if your local store will be open after work so you can pick up a replacement pair. If only you had a personal shopper who could find out what time the store closes.

Australians are voracious consumers of broadcast TV and other video, and they have a growing array of options by which to access this content - anywhere, anytime. The first edition of the Australian Video Viewing Report – from Regional TAM, OzTAM and Nielsen – shows video viewing behaviour continues to shift with growing content, device and platform choices.

FMCG success today is now dependent on quality product images, solid SEO and prominent placement on e-tailer websites—far more so than simply having an abundant quantity or variety on the shelf at the local store.

Marketing teams strive to show how their smarts and silver deliver Return on Investment (ROI). Some global brands are looking for efficiencies by centralising marketing teams and exploring the merits of wider Pacific campaigns - so how alike are we to our Aussie neighbours and what are the differences to watch out for?

While unexpected by many, the Amazon-Whole Foods linkage highlights just how profoundly consumer expectations are changing with regard to food and beverage shopping—and will continue to do so moving forward.

Premium purchases are not just made in glamorous, luxury product categories. In the Pacific, it is the grocery sector that has the most premium potential. Consumers are trading-up everyday products in their shopping trolleys; and marketers can capitalise on premiumisation trends and consumers’ willingness to consider a higher price tag in key categories.

Unbeknownst to most consumers, tremendous thought goes into developing even the most commonplace products. As a result, product development in the FMCG industry is anything but fast-moving. But what if algorithms could help streamline the process and the outcomes?

Nine million Australians say they have travelled domestically in the past six months or internationally in the past 12 months. But are all travellers the same? Using Nielsen research, we identified six distinct types of Australian travellers and looked at how best to reach and engage each group.

After a long day spent on a sunny beach, there isn’t a meal quite as perfect as fish and chips. This time-honoured, classic fried feast is synonymous with summertime in Australia. Research from Nielsen’s Consumer & Media View (CMV) survey shows that almost a third (32%) of Australians aged over 14 years old have claimed to have eaten or bought fish and chips in the past six months, with consumption peaking during the warmer months (October to February).

Global sports are thriving, but media consumption is changing before our eyes. And as the media world grapples with these issues, so too must the sports industry. But these challenges aren’t the only obstacles facing the sports realm.

Measuring an ad’s ability to communicate trust is a tricky business: perceptions of trust can be non-conscious, formed almost immediately and biased by subtle factors. Given these nuances, explicit research methods aren’t sufficient.

Innovations in the U.S. liquor market are creating new avenues for growth; and there are a number of key trends that New Zealand can learn from to boost local liquor sales. Danny Brager, Senior Vice President of Nielsen’s Beverage and Alcohol Practice presents the latest Beer, Wine, Cider and Spirits trends.

You’ve heard it a million times – you need to eat more vegetables, particularly your greens. In Australia, this adage appears to be ringing true. Nielsen Homescan data showed that volume sales for Asian vegetables jumped by 22% versus the previous year, while dollar sales jumped by 17%.

Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) data revealed 11.2 million Australians visited online content related to the sports category via any device during the month of March 2017, up 8% compared to February 2017.

As retailers ramp up their health and wellness offerings, and the lines between channels blurs, it’s interesting to think about the role that drug stores will play in an increasingly crowded, wellness-oriented marketplace.

Australians are willing to take to the seas with more than half (55%) considering going on a cruise. Strong growth in advertising spend from cruise operators is driving consumer enthusiasm, but questions have been raised as to whether Sydney’s infrastructure can support demand. If tour operators pull Australian ports from their routes, the current trend in advertising growth could face a sudden change in course.

Amazon’s expansion into the Australian market is expected to launch by the end of 2018. Three-in-five Australian shoppers are looking forward to buying from the (soon to be local) online retail powerhouse.

Aussie consumers are still bananas for bananas. It is the nation’s most popular fruit. Nine-in-10 Australian households purchased bananas in the year ending 24 February 2017 and total volume sales grew by 7.5% during this period.

It’s no surprise that more and more items are being outfitted with built-in connectivity. Consumers’ adoption of internet-enabled devices isn’t a given, however, and it’s worth exploring why acceptance has been so fragmented across categories—as well as what the industry can do to accelerate usage.

Whether it be a domestic getaway or a long-haul international holiday, over 2 million New Zealanders have travelled in the past year and 3 million intend to travel over the next 12 months. Our love of travel has translated into strong sales for travel and holiday guide books.

Different consumer needs demand varied experiences. Enter precision marketing. The good news for marketers is that the fundamentals (and tools) remain the same across industries.

Today, 393,000 Kiwis aged over 15 wear a device on their wrist that can do more than tell the time. A status symbol, motivational fitness piece and functional gadget all in one, these smart devices are attached to their owners 24/7, providing new ways for brands to connect with consumers.

How many things can you say for certain that you're paying attention to, or even seeing, at any given moment? Our brains just aren’t good at recalling the kinds of details marketers need to evaluate their efforts in a complex world. That’s where the right neuroscience tools can help.

In an age where consumers say they are increasingly health aware, New Zealanders still regularly indulge in fast food. Research from Nielsen’s Consumer and Media Insights (CMI) survey reveals that in the past month, as many as 80% of New Zealanders ate fast food. Fish and Chips continues to be our fast favourite, with 1.7 million Kiwis eating it in the last month - an increase of 11% over two years.

Australians are big fans of the humble, yet versatile, cauliflower. In 2016, dollar sales for cauliflower increased by 12% on the previous year - and while this was partly driven by higher prices - consumption also continued to grow at a steady pace, with volume sales up by 2% on 2015.

China, with its huge population and increasing affluence, is a very lucrative market for companies and brands in the Pacific. The Demand Institute, projects that consumers in China will spend $56 trillion over the next decade, with a largely young, affluent, connected consumer base with disposable incomes leading the charge.

Australians are voracious consumers of broadcast TV and other video, and they have a growing array of options by which to access content. However, while viewing patterns continue to change as consumers embrace connected devices – most viewing still goes to broadcast TV channel content watched in the home.

Over the next decade, the New Zealand population will undergo some profound shifts. Larger households, ethnic diversity, ageing consumers, increased device usage and growing concern about the environment, will all need to be factored into future marketing and advertising planning for companies and brands. And this is especially true for energy retailers.

This summer’s record-breaking heatwave stretched Australia’s energy supplies to unprecedented levels; intensifying consumers’ concerns about rising energy prices. In an attempt to reduce climbing power bills as many as 10% of Australians (or 1.4 million) aged over 18 plan to switch electricity retailers in the next two months.

As we head into the winter months, Australians aren’t slowing down on purchasing their favourite frozen dessert, ice cream. The category has experienced diverse product innovation and creativity, with a broader range of products now available to consumers.

Companies striving for “leaner, bigger, better” innovations require realistic marketing inputs and an accurate forecast to identify their most promising initiatives. Proving that “consumers love it” without a realistic volumetric assessment simply isn’t enough.

Dubbed the social media generation, the ‘me’ generation and even the lazy generation, Millennials (aged 18-34 yrs) have been given a bad rap. This generation, however, is growing up; and while they haven’t quite established themselves, their purchasing power is increasing at an exponential rate.

It’s no secret that consumers are increasingly connected online, both in-and-out-of the home. In fact, eight-in-10 Australians now own a smartphone, and six-in-10 use this device to connect daily. Whether they are grocery shopping, watching sport, studying, commuting to work or connecting with friends - these activities are no longer purely offline experiences.

Two-thirds (63%) of Australia’s digital advertising inventory across all devices is now bought through programmatic or ad network services, according to 2016 data from Pathmatics and Nielsen. The data is collected from digital creatives and ad technology tags found in 2,000 websites visited by Australians across desktop, mobile and tablet browsers.

A publisher’s website frames the conversation between brands and consumers. This context is powerful and can have a meaningful impact on a brand’s campaign performance. Research conducted by Nielsen revealed that the context of the carsales website, positively shifted brand metrics for automotive brands, to increase active recommendation by 50%.

New Zealand consumer confidence index reached 103 in the fourth quarter of 2016 – the highest score in nine years (since Q3 2007 where it reached 115). The index represents a two point increase from Q3 2016 and a four point increase on a year ago (Q4 2015).

Global consumer confidence increased modestly in 2016, a time of great political and economic change around the world, rising three points between the first and fourth quarters to 101. Confidence scores finished the year more strongly than they began in every region except Africa/Middle East.

Unconstrained by physical walls, e-commerce retailers offer a huge inventory of products in endless aisles. Unfortunately, our physical world product coding processes can’t scale to e-commerce: they’re too costly and too slow.