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.

In Canada, an 87% year-over-year increase in audio on-demand streaming has helped alleviate a 17% decrease in album sales and 20% decrease in digital track sales.

It’s been an action-packed first half of the year for music in Canada, with records broken and chart history made. A significant streaming milestone was also reached in April, when weekly on-demand audio streaming surpassed 700 million.

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.

What impact will the digital transformation have on the FMCG industry? What will it mean for the consumer, retailer and manufacturer? And what can we learn from digital disruption in other industries?

July 1, 2017 marks Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation. Retailers stocked with camping-related items could have very good reason to celebrate, as consumers plan their holiday getaways.

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?

The variety and increasing scale of data, as well as the scope of activity it is meant to inform, demands a solution that goes well beyond a simple enterprise data warehouse. So what might that more robust solution look like?

For the sports industry, one challenge stands above all others. How, in a truly multimedia environment, can sponsorships be accurately measured to provide a true picture of value generated for rights holders and brands?

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.

As Canadians take charge of their health, increasing their water consumption is a guilt-free way to stay hydrated and energize the body. Staples like water give manufacturers and retailers an opportunity to partner with consumers in their quests for healthier lives.

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.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is now top of mind for many consumers, but the approaches individuals take are as individual as the people themselves. A majority of Canadians have health on their minds, as more than two-thirds say they’re making conscious efforts to improve their health.

93% of Canadians listen to music, up from 89% a year ago. This rise may be explained by the continuing move toward mobile consumption—over half the Canadian population are now listening to music via smartphone in a typical week. Listening on tablet devices has also increased, and is up to 30% for the general population.

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.

If music were a brand in Canada, it would be flying high—living on cloud nine. That’s because despite the wealth of new technology and media constantly being unveiled to tempt and engage consumers, music consumption is rising.

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.

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.

Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day, but when and where Canadians eat breakfast is changing as time-starved individuals and families rush out the door to start their days.

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.

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.

With global sponsorship spend forecast to reach over $62 billion in 2017 and global media rights spend expected to hit $45 billion, the top-line metrics remain positive. This report detail what we regard as the 10 major commercial trends in sports.

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.

More and more consumers in Canada are becoming mobile payers, using their smartphone and tablet instead of a physical plastic card to make purchases or collect reward points. But are they using mobile wallets to do so?

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.

Amid great political and economic change around the world, global consumer confidence moved modestly in 2016, rising three points between the first and fourth quarter to 101.

Smartphones are no longer just for keeping in touch and playing games. Today, consumers also use the technology at their fingertips to research, run price checks and read reviews for a growing array of products they use in their daily lives.

In addition to being hyper connected and digitally driven, Millennials are focused on personal experiences. And for many, those experiences happen away from home. Notably, Millennials are very interested in travel—and shopping along their journeys.

In addition to being hyper connected and digitally driven, Millennials are focused on personal experiences. And for many, those experiences happen away from home. Notably, Millennials are very interested in travel. In fact, they travel more than any other generation, including Baby Boomers.

Without data integration, the only thing cool technology can do is stare helplessly at a pile of bricks it can’t assemble into anything useful.

Digital has disrupted a whole host of interactions, including the way we watch video content and the ways we communicate with friends and family. The way we shop is no exception.

Not surprisingly, online shopping is pervasive among the growing online population. But when it comes to buying online, category dynamics are fluid and evolving.

Consumer confidence rose in Canada for the second quarter in a row in 2016, bolstered by immediate spending intentions and greater optimism about employment.

Music consumption is at an all-time high. Overall volume is up 3% over 2016, fueled by a 76% increase in on-demand audio streams, enough to offset declines in sales and return a positive year for the business.

While Canadian shopping spend is about where it was a year ago, spend and frequency at the major channels are down slightly. So how can retailers entice repeat visits and increased spending?

The premium sector is growing globally, and as it turns out, it isn’t ritzy categories like diamonds and champagne that are topping the charts. Rather, global consumers are most often willing to trade up for everyday consumables.

Global sport's top-line metrics, notably global sponsorship and media rights spend, continued to point in the right direction in 2016 but it was also a year of rapid change across the industry.

As the year comes to a close and retailers plan ahead for 2017, it’s helpful to look back and see what topped consumers’ grocery lists in 2016.

In the coming decades, machine learning will transform work as we know it. And unlike previous revolutions, which primarily affected blue-collar workers, the smart machine revolution has white-collar workers in its sights.

Understanding what drives shoppers to the store—and why they make the choices they do—is foundational when it comes to gaining a complete view of today’s consumer.

Around the world, consumers are looking for a taste of the good life. And it’s not just those who are wealthy. Sales of products in the “premium” tier are growing at a rapid pace. In fact, the growth of the premium sector in many markets is outpacing total growth for many fast-moving consumer goods categories.

This study identifies the attributes consumers are looking for in premium product offerings, and reveals the underlying sentiment behind the reasons for purchase. We explore what “premium” means to consumers, and we identify the categories for which they’re most willing to pay a higher price.

Consumers are faced with a dizzying array of retailers vying for their attention, and a retail loyalty program can be a determining factor for where they decide to shop. In fact, 72% of global respondents agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

31% of Canadians say they plan to spend between $250 and $500 this year, followed by 24% who plan to spend $100 and $250, and 21% who plan to splurge on their friends and family by spending between $500 and $1,000.

The recent passing of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen highlights the impact that the passing of an artist can have on music sales and streaming. Canadian fans paid tribute to Cohen not only by consuming music from across his catalogue, but by engaging with music from related artists’ repertoires as well.

When it comes to the most-valued loyalty-program benefits, monetary incentives top the list in every region. However, creating meaningful differentiation requires offering more than generic deals, and thinking beyond monetary perks can help brands stand out.

What drives consumers’ interest in non-profits? A cohesive blend of tangible and intangible elements that create powerful bonds between consumers and non-profit brands—bonds that make these brands not only important, but personally relevant.

Most new product launches are “small” or “sustaining” innovations, which include the many, many brand extensions that large companies launch year after year. These launches are absolutely essential for growing existing brands and defending shelf space.

Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit quite like holiday music, and if you were in Edmonton, Canada, last holiday season, you were in the country’s merriest city. That’s because its radio stations played the most holiday music between Nov. 1 to Dec. 27, 2015.

Global consumers, by and large, have more shopping choices at their disposal than ever before. For retailers, differentiating your brand in such a crowded space is critical. A retail loyalty program can be an effective way to create competitive advantage by reducing customers’ likelihood to switch stores.

Done well, loyalty programs can help drive more frequent visits and heavier purchasing. More than seven in 10 global respondents (72%) agree that, all other factors equal, they’ll buy from a retailer with a loyalty program over one without.

Who should you include on your media plan? That’s the question media planners face on a day-to-day basis. So as we turn to 2017, how can agencies separate fact from fiction?

A social responsibility strategy isn’t the only way to manage corporate reputation, but it is increasingly becoming a critical piece of the puzzle.

While the third quarter of 2016 saw considerable economic diversity across the markets measured by Nielsen’s Global Survey, consumer confidence in the U.S. remained on solid footing with a score of 106, despite a decline of seven points from the second quarter.

“Smart” technologies—including televisions, refrigerators, home security systems and more—can be found in different rooms in homes today. To better understand Canadian consumers’ level of familiarity with these technologies, Nielsen's Connected Home report segmented consumers into four key categories.

Retail players have long believed that large-format stores will eventually take over the landscape, but today’s reality disproves the “bigger is always better” myth. Although large stores still account for 51% of global sales, smaller channels are growing sales up to eight times as fast their larger counterparts.

Third-quarter 2016 global consumer confidence remained stable at 99, up one point from the second quarter and unchanged from third-quarter 2015. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.

Third-quarter global consumer confidence increased one point from the second quarter to 99. Country-level scores, however, varied dramatically throughout the regions, reflecting considerable economic diversity around the world.

The sheer volume and variety of data can seem overwhelming, and the retail industry is wrestling with how to harness it, find insights and drive action. So how do we do that?

While paying bills, checking account balances and transferring funds from a mobile device may be convenient and easy, security is an ever-increasing consideration—and a critical barrier to success.

Consumers today are taking an active role in managing their health, which includes following proper nutrition guidelines to prevent and control health issues. These healthy attitudes are having an impact on food trends, providing Canadians with a multitude of options to help them achieve their goals.

Most of the customer data companies gather about innovation is structured to show correlations rather than causations. Yet after decades of watching great companies do poorly at innovation, we’ve come to the conclusion that the focus on correlation is taking firms in the wrong direction.

Though mobile shopping habits are on the rise, there’s certainly a method to the madness, as global consumers are also using digital tools to monitor their spending and manage their finances.

What causes a consumer to pull a product into their lives? Simply put, we bring a product into our lives because it meets a need or desire. That’s the crux of Jobs Theory: doing a job that needs to be done.

Among global respondents, 74% say they appreciate the freedom of being connected anywhere, anytime, and 70% strongly or somewhat agree that their mobile device has made their life better. This constant connectivity has not only changed the way we keep in touch, but also the way we shop, bank and pay for goods and services.

Mobile devices may not be critical to survival, but a majority of consumers around the world can’t imagine life without them. And now, they’re transforming the world of commerce.

Grabbing a bite to eat outside of the house is a weekly occurrence for almost half of global respondents, but are we stopping to savor our entrees or eating grub on the go? As it turns out, we’re doing quite a bit of both.

We’ve become so accustomed to our fast-paced lifestyles that it’s even crept its way into how we consume food. This is especially the case when you look at breakfast. So what does the future of the most important meal of the day look like?

It is not just the Thanksgiving feast and family time that have Canadians excited for the upcoming holiday, manufacturers and retailers are looking forward to one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year.

While today’s consumers certainly scrutinize the foods that fill their pantries, they aren’t just eating at home. In fact, eating out isn’t just for special occasions; it’s a way of life for nearly half of global respondents.

Brands armed with new products have always rushed to be first to market, as first movers often establish a stronghold that can be difficult for later entrants to break into. But being “first mover” at the expense of being “best mover” can often lead brands to competitive disadvantage.

The ins-and-outs of what a healthy diet looks like may vary somewhat around the world, but simplicity resonates globally. While there is some variation across regions, the story stays the same: Artificial is out, many of us avoid food with long lists of ingredients and consumers are intent on removing the bad and adding the good.

Canada has developed a strong roster of successful homegrown country music talent, and those artists have likely helped the genre maintain its large, loyal fan base in an era of ever-fragmenting tastes. In fact, about one in five Canadian music listeners say they often tune in to country.

With such an extended age gap between Canadian Millennials and Baby Boomers, it’s no surprise that they shop differently and have varying tastes and preferences. However, these preferences may not be as different as you might think.

In addition to representing their countries and competing for medals, para-sports athletes participating in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games this month will be challenging stereotypes, increasing inclusion and breaking down social barriers—something these competitors have been doing since the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy in 1960.

Nielsen Sports' latest report examines not only the rising interest in para-sports and the Paralympics, its growing status as a media product and how the Games already works for partners, but also notes the opportunity it provides to change attitudes – and, critically, what that might mean for current and future para-sports sponsors.

As a consumer group, Millennials are just starting to flex their spending power, which will grow significantly in the coming years. While they’re years from fully establishing themselves, they’re already having a marked impact on the global consumer landscape.

Nearly two-thirds of global respondents say they follow a diet that limits or prohibits consumption of some foods or ingredients. Taking a closer look, a majority of global respondents say that when it comes to ingredient trends, a back-to-basics mind-set, focused on simple ingredients and fewer artificial or processed foods, is a priority.

Growing a brand isn’t easy, especially for those in in crowded categories. But even the most established categories change over time, and even categories that appear stable may be one critical innovation away from awarding one brand a significant long-term advantage.

As consumers seek healthier options and continue to enjoy their treats when they’re looking for an indulgence, how do candy manufacturers make sure their offerings remain at the forefront of consumers’ purchase considerations?

In a recent analysis, 37% of digital campaign ads in Canada didn’t resonate with their audience. In other words, more than one in three campaigns failed to drive any brand lift in consumer awareness, favorability or intent among consumers who saw them. Why is that?

Consumers around the world are increasingly focused on clean eating and the benefits of eating more healthfully, with 70% of global respondents saying they actively make dietary choices to help prevent health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Almost anyone you ask will tell you that eating a healthful diet is important—a sentiment that isn’t new. So why is there a seemingly heightened focus on clean eating?

Vinegar may primarily serve as a versatile cooking ingredient, but its list of uses stretches far beyond cooking and the kitchen. With the list of its uses expanding every day and being shared by the masses online, vinegar sales are rising.

In Canada, women account for 60% of primary shoppers, giving them significant influence over the household basket. With the never-ending rise in technologies to assist in purchase decisions, how can retailers and manufacturers connect with these female consumers?

While location plays a key role in consumer purchasing decisions, shoppers’ living conditions and whether or not they have room to stock up and store products also influences what (and how much) they buy.

For many companies, cost reduction efforts become an endless downward spiral. As soon as one cost reduction program is completed, it’s followed by another. It’s a dangerous cycle, but it’s one we know how to break.

Though global consumer confidence remained flat in the second quarter of 2016, confidence in the U.S. maintained positive momentum, increasing three points to 113 from the previous quarter. In fact, confidence has been at or above the optimism baseline of 100 for more than two years.

Global consumer confidence held steady in the second quarter of 2016 at 98, an index score that was flat from the first quarter and two points higher than a year earlier. North America was the only region to sustain growth momentum in the second quarter, demonstrating a three-point increase in confidence to 111.

Global consumer confidence remained stable in the first quarter and below the optimism baseline score of 100, edging up one index point to 98. The score reflected mixed confidence levels reported in every region.

By looking at the accuracy and efficiency of your audience delivery together, you can maximize the ROI of your media investment and run smarter digital campaigns.

Today, the enterprise needs a big data warehouse that combines on-premise and in-the-cloud datasets into a comprehensive view of its business and the environment in which it operates.

With over 35 million residents living in almost 10 million square kilometres, Canadians have an abundance of choice when it comes to choosing where to live. Their choice defines them as urban, suburban or rural households.

As the world collaborates on the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, good data are critical to the world’s ability to set goals, generate plans and measure our collective progress.

In the first six months of 2016, total music consumption in Canada grew more than 7% on a year-over-year basis, streaming volume continues to grow, but total album sales were down almost 20%.

The confidence of Canadian consumers fell sharply in the first quarter of 2016, amidst concerns about job prospects.

While 'over the air' AM/FM radio still dominates how Canadians discover new music, consumers are increasingly discovering music from online and app streaming services operated by AM/FM radio stations.

Marketers want to know who their digital advertising reaches, no matter what screen it appears on or who sees it. That’s the clear message from recent Nielsen research about Canadian on-target rate data—an increasingly relevant metric as marketers increase their digital ad spend.

In modern retail, the use of promotions has slowly escalated to become a now-standard practice that has resulted in a shared reliance among retailers and manufacturers, but decent returns are increasingly hard to generate. So knowing which categories are more or less sensitive to pricing changes is essential for driving growth.

Quebec has been settled by immigrants from countries with distinct languages, cultures and ways of life. With their richly ingrained traditions, the populations in Quebec display varying demographic and consumer behaviours compared to the rest of the country.