Issue 97 January 2002
The global leader in market research, information and analysis
inside
Retail Shake-Up in Taiwan
2
Exclusive Web deal in China
3
Double Homepanel Launch
in Manila
3
Jump-Start for Business
in New Zealand
5
Online Success Secrets
6
Billion-Dollar Brands
8-9
Private Labels Take Off in HK
10
Shopping Turnaround in
Korea, Thailand
14
A Time to Remember
16
Retail Markets Due for Shake-Up
The grocery trade can expect a period of
continued consolidation across the region,
according to the latest research into Asia
Pacific retail trends.
A newly released ACNielsen Retail Study
provides useful clues about how this market
is structured and the forces that are likely
to drive change.
While the highest concentration of grocery
stores is in New Zealand, Japan and
Taiwan, China and Indonesia dominate in
terms of total number of stores. Between
them, the two countries boast 83% of the
5.5 million retail stores in Asia Pacific,
excluding India.
City dwellers in Taiwan shop at modern
grocery stores 41 times per month, more
often than their counterparts in Hong
Kong and Singapore.
There is one grocery store for every 100
people in Indonesia, with one store for
every 740 people in Taiwan, one for every
800 in Japan and one for every 1,500
in Hong Kong.
The study shows the trend towards
concentration in the grocery trade
continuing in Asian markets.
“Although Indonesia has the highest
penetration of grocery stores, the majority
“Differences between
countries have implications
for marketing strategies
across the region …
[country-specific patterns]
should be known and
understood by marketers.”
are traditional stores,” said Jessie Lai,
senior associate director, ACNielsen Retail
Measurement Services.
“For modern trade channels, New Zealand
ranks first with one convenience store per
2,000 people while Japan ranks second with
one store per 3,000 people and Taiwan third
with one store per 4,000 people.”
In terms of supermarket penetration, Japan
leads the region with one supermarket
per 2,000 people, followed by Korea with
one per 3,000 people. By comparison,
Taiwan has only one supermarket per
17,000 people.
Concentration is evident in the fast growing
market share of the large grocery chains
based on turnover. In many markets, the
combined share of the five biggest chains is
growing each year, reaching almost 90% in
New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong, and
more than 50% in Singapore.
Continued on page 2.
Continued from page 1.
“Faced with growing internationalisation
of grocery chains and the corresponding
competitive challenges, we expect Asia
Pacific to see a continued trend of alliances,
mergers and acquisitions,” Lai said.
“Consumers in metropolitan cities in Taiwan
are used to frequenting grocery stores and
they visit different types of stores on
different occasions. This pattern should
be known and understood by marketers.”
The ACNielsen study covers grocery outlets,
traditional stores, discount marts,
supermarkets, convenience stores and
personal care stores. Besides annual
tracking of the grocery trade channels,
ACNielsen also interviews consumers in main
cities to find out their shopping behaviour.
ACNielsen’s Asia Pacific Retail Study is used
by retailers and manufacturers to provide
analysis of changes and comparisons among
the Asia Pacific grocery market.
“Differences between countries have
implications for marketing strategies
across the region,” Lai said. “For example,
an average Taiwanese consumer visits
convenience stores 41 times a month,
far higher than the 28 trips for consumers
in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Prices
Make a Difference
Hong Kong consumers care more about
price fluctuations than their counterparts
in Singapore.
Such insights into price elasticity can be found
in the latest ACNielsen research into regional
retail trends.
The study is complemented by
ACNielsen|Advisor, web-based software
that allows clients to obtain and analyse
up-to-date market information over the
Internet.
The average brand price elasticity in Asia Pacific
is about 2.5. Hong Kong is among the highest,
with a price elasticity of 3.7, which means price
changes have a stronger influence on Hong Kong
consumers.
In Singapore, meanwhile, price elasticity is only
1.2, showing that Singaporeans are less
sensitive to price changes.
The average brand price elasticity in Taiwan
is 2.1.
China on the Web: Exclusive Access
for Nielsen//NetRatings
Nielsen//NetRatings, the world’s fastestgrowing Internet measurement service, has
received government approval to conduct
Internet research in China.
In doing so, Nielsen//NetRatings is the
first market research and measurement
service to be officially approved by the
Chinese Government to measure Internet
behaviour in the world’s most important
emerging economy.
Nielsen//NetRatings has worked diligently
with the Chinese Government to adhere to
all regulations and policies and to ensure
the integrity of its Internet measurement
information, as well as the protection of
panelists’ privacy.
In compliance with regulations
and to localise the service offering,
Nielsen//NetRatings has involved a
Chinese company in software development
and testing.
“This official approval marks a watershed
for the Nielsen//NetRatings service in
Asia and on a global level,” said Bill
Pulver, president, ACNielsen eRatings.
“It means we are the only Internet research
company with our finger directly on the
pulse of Web trends in the most populous
nation in the world. We will also be in a
position to deliver the most comprehensive
2
Chinese-language service to the Greater
China community in mainland China, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
“We are the only Internet
research company with our
finger directly on the pulse
of Web trends in the most
populous nation in the
world … to deliver the most
comprehensive Chineselanguage service to the
Greater China community in
mainland China, Hong Kong,
Nielsen//NetRatings tracks the entire
spectrum of Internet user behaviour in real
time – who’s online, where they’re going,
what banner ads they’re viewing and
clicking on, and how much time they spend
using the Internet.
This information is derived from randomly
selected consumer panels of home Internet
users, continually refreshed to reflect the
most current Internet universe.
Nielsen//NetRatings has started to build its
audience measurement panel in China and
the service is expected to be operational
in early 2002. Nielsen//NetRatings will
initially offer services that track Internet
audience and advertising activity on a
monthly basis, with more value-added
services to be rolled out as the market
develops.
Taiwan and Singapore.”
“Industry estimates reveal the Asia Pacific
region is set to become the engine-room of
growth for global Internet access and usage
over the next few years – and China will
spearhead this trend. The addition of
China adds the Internet activity of over
20 million people to our global
measurement footprint.”
2
KN Tang to Retire after 33 Years
KN Tang, chairman of ACNielsen Asia Pacific,
is calling it a day after 33 years of service.
From 2002, he will relinquish day-to-day
duties and act as chairman emeritus
of ACNielsen Asia Pacific.
Over the past three decades, KN has
participated in the birth of market research
in the region, promoting its acceptance and
application in many areas of business and
public policy decision making.
“KN will leave a legacy that will long
outlast his 33 years in the industry,”
said Michael P Connors, vice chairman,
ACNielsen Corporation. “He will be long
remembered by an organisation that will
forever carry his imprint.”
In recent years, KN helped integrate and
transform The SRG Group, an entrepreneurial
set-up, into a global business as part
of ACNielsen and VNU.
“I am very fortunate to have worked in
an organisation that has provided me with
the opportunity and support to achieve
all that I have wanted to accomplish,”
KN said.
Farewell letter, see page 16.
Double Homepanel Launch in Manila
ACNielsen has launched its largest
Homepanel service in the Philippines,
monitoring the shopping habits of
1,200 households in the Greater
Manila area.
For the first time, retailers and
manufacturers receive valuable insights
into consumer purchasing behaviour for
any segment of the population across
all retail outlet types.
The size of the panel means accurate
readings for all categories, even for
products with low penetration levels, and
the ability to drill down for deeper analysis.
To coincide with the Homepanel launch,
the Philippines is also the roll-out market
for a new integrated retail and consumer
panel product in Asia Pacific.
A proven performer in the tough European
market, it combines Homepanel results with
Retail Index data in a single-access
database, which can also be accessed via
the Internet.
The single-access nature of the database
means common delivery tools, coding
structures, store definitions and regular
reporting periods. As well, clients have
the benefit of single-servicing across the
different research segments of trade, panel,
media and consumers.
3
Soft Drinks Fail to Quench China’s
Love Affair with Tea
Tea continues to defy all challenges to its
position as the most popular beverage in
China, unlike other parts of the world where
soft drinks are number one.
Tradition also reigns supreme when it comes
to the variety most favoured by Chinese
consumers – the best-selling thirst quencher
is traditional Chinese flavour.
Within the tea market, ready-to-drink tea is
enjoying a surge in popularity. In the twomonth period of June and July, the sales
value of ready-to-drink tea grew 94% over
April – May, according to the latest Retail
Index report released by ACNielsen.
With sales volume growing at an equally
impressive 95%, ready-to-drink tea has
become the fastest-growing beverage category
in China.
The China Experts
ACNielsen Retail Services has been providing
sales trend information and market insights to
manufacturers and retailers in China since 1994.
Our extensive reach means we measure FMCG
sales in over 50 categories in 8,000 retail
outlets in over 200 cities and towns throughout
the country.
It’s no wonder we are the number-one market
research company in China.
“Ready-to-drink tea, a relatively new category
that emerged just two years ago, has become
a significant force showing sustained high
growth,” said Alistair Watts, managing
director, ACNielsen China.
“Health consciousness
among Chinese consumers is
driving growth. Besides tea,
other health-driven subcategories including juice,
yoghurt and packaged
water have all gained in
value importance.”
“The combined appeal of traditional Chinese
flavour and convenience is driving the success
of this category, which is gaining share at the
expense of carbonated soft drinks.
“It is a worldwide trend that while soft drinks
are the fastest-growing among the drinks
market, non-carbonated drinks have grown
faster than carbonated ones. It may be fruit
juice or bottled water in some markets, but in
China it’s tea, naturally.”
According to ACNielsen Retail Index (June –
July 2001), the relative value of tea among
the entire beverage market has grown to 13%
from 9% last year in the four mega cities of
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.
In contrast, the share of carbonated soft
drinks shrunk to 48% from 58% during
the same period.
In Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Chengdu alone, ready-to-drink tea increased
58% in sales volume and 59% in value during
June and July 2001 compared with the same
period last year.
The four-city total non-alcoholic beverage
market increased 16% to RMB713 million
(US$86 million) from last year.
“Health consciousness among Chinese
consumers is driving growth,” Watts said.
“Besides tea, other health-driven subcategories including juice, yoghurt and
packaged water have all gained in
value importance.”
Strong sales growth has been supported
by increased marketing, with Jan – July 2001
adspend up 160% (rate-card based) for the
top 30 tea products compared with the same
period last year. This is in comparison to a
mere 7% rise for the total beverages category.
A major tea manufacturer, Ting Hsin,
led the big spenders with over RMB91
million (US$11 million) advertising in
the first seven months, a 150% increase
over last year.
Asia Pacific Claims 39 Spots in
Top 100 Global Internet Properties
The importance of Asia Pacific to world
Internet usage and growth has been
confirmed by the latest survey of the
world’s most popular online destinations.
Asia Pacific has 39 of the world’s 100 most
visited Internet properties, with Korea’s
Daum a stand-out performer with the
second-highest number of visitors
worldwide.
Asia Pacific’s regional total is second only
to the US, which has 49 places, led by
Internet giants Yahoo!, MSN, AOL Time
Warner and Microsoft.
The top-100 list is based on home usage
analysis in June of more than 12,000
properties in 28 countries constantly
monitored by Nielsen//NetRatings
worldwide.
4
Regionally, Asia Pacific accounts for 39 top
properties by unique audience, led by South
Korea with 24, Japan with 14 and Taiwan
with one. The Americas have 52 and
Europe has nine. (See Table 1, facing page.)
Yahoo! is the biggest mega-brand with a
total audience of close to 100 million in
seven countries, followed by MSN with
75.1 million in five countries, AOL Time
Warner with 73.7 million in three countries,
Microsoft with 44.5 million in four countries
and Lycos Network with 42.7 million in
four countries.
“The global list is dominated by USheadquartered properties including AOL Time
Warner, Lycos Network, Microsoft, MSN and
Yahoo!, but Asia Pacific is well represented
by Korea and Japan among the markets
where these global players are active,” said
Hugh Bloch, managing director, ACNielsen
eRatings.com, North Asia. (See Table 2.)
“South Korea has consistently come up
in our Internet research as the active and
growing market. Korean Internet users
lead the world in the number of Internet
sessions per month, average time spent
online and the number of pages viewed.”
Of the 15 properties that broke the one
billion pages benchmark for viewing, six
were from Korea and one each from Japan
and Taiwan.
Daum, with 5.8 billion pages, was second
only to Yahoo! US (7.5 billion pages) but
ahead of MSN US (5.5 billion pages).
(See Table 3.)
NZ Moves to Improve Business
New Zealand organisations are embracing
business improvement programs to counter
long-established complacency and prepare
for the challenges of today’s turbulent
economic climate.
by New Zealand amid a loss of international
competitiveness.
“The research found that not only is there a
huge increase in the number of New Zealand
organisations undertaking improvements, but
they are occurring across all sectors and
sizes of organisation,” said James
Armstrong, executive director, Customised
Research, ACNielsen New Zealand.
New research by ACNielsen New Zealand
shows 86% of senior managers have
launched business improvement programs
in the past year, compared to 69% of their
colleagues in the UK.
The research was commissioned by the New
Zealand Business Excellence Foundation to
explore the current environment and identify
issues facing senior managers.
“I’m very excited about the ACNielsen
research findings,” said Sue Wright, chief
executive, New Zealand Business Excellence
Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation
focused on encouraging and supporting
organisations to attain business excellence.
“The complacency seen in New Zealand
organisations as recently as five years ago
is certainly no longer there.”
Previously, the size of an organisation has
typically been a key factor driving business
improvement initiatives, with the skew
towards large organisations; (over 250
employees) implementing improvement
programs. However, in the past year an
equivalent number of SMEs (up to 50
employees) have initiated such programs.
“Being good is no longer good enough – our
organisations have to be better than similar
organisations around the world. In that way,
we will lift the competitiveness of our
nation,” Wright said. “The challenge now
will be in maximising the returns from
initiating these programs.”
Competitive
Auckland
Internal analysis has been widespread
recently, including government and business
forums such as ‘Competitive Auckland’ and
conferences such as ‘Catching the
Knowledge Wave’. The issue has been fuelled
by media coverage of the challenges faced
Over the past three years, and particularly
over the past 12 months, organisations have
rushed to undertake business improvement
initiatives. More than two-thirds (68%) of
organisations surveyed have introduced a
Table 2. Global Properties by
Unique Audience, Home Usage,
June 2001
Table 1. Country Composition
– Global Top 100 Properties
by Unique Audience, Home
Usage, June 2001
Asia Pacific
South Korea
Japan
Taiwan
Americas
US
Canada
Brazil
Europe
Germany
UK
Italy
39
24
14
1
52
49
2
1
9
5
3
1
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
business improvement program in the past
three years, of which half began in the
past year.
Property
Yahoo!
US
Japan
Korea
UK
Taiwan
Germany
Canada
MSN
US
Japan
Korea
UK
Canada
AOL Time Warner
US
Germany
UK
Microsoft
US
Korea
Japan
Germany
Lycos Network
US
Korea
Germany
Japan
Unique Audience
99,841,000
54,493,000
13,424,000
13,136,051
5,140,363
4,692,187
4,591,143
4,364,185
75,120,000
48,371,000
7,783,000
7,522,907
5,935,600
5,507,966
73,662,000
63,532,000
5,617,615
4,512,669
44,487,000
25,746,000
7,778,345
6,762,000
4,200,352
42,679,000
21,971,000
10,041,587
5,737,942
4,928,000
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
“The messages are hitting home, with New
Zealand undergoing a significant change
program,” Wright said.
“We’re seeing evidence of the three key
phases of change management right before
our very eyes: firstly, awareness of the
need to change, followed by people
engaging in the need to change, and finally
organisations taking action. That’s exactly
what appears to be happening.”
Table 3. Global Top 20 Properties by Page
Views, Home Usage, June 2001
Rank by
Page
Country
Views
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
USA
Korea
USA
Japan
USA
Korea
USA
Korea
Korea
Korea
USA
USA
Korea
Germany
Taiwan
USA
USA
Korea
Canada
Korea
Property
Yahoo!
Daum Comm Corp
MSN
Yahoo!
AOL Time Warner
NeoWiz
eBay
Lycos Network
Yahoo!
NAVER.COM
NeoPets
Lycos Network
Damoim
eBay
Yahoo!
Excite@Home
iWon
Korea Telecom
MSN
Freechal
Page
Views
7,453,000,000
5,850,000,000
5,533,000,000
3,728,000,000
3,658,000,000
3,349,000,000
3,244,000,000
1,568,000,000
1,500,000,000
1,348,000,000
1,298,000,000
1,165,000,000
1,150,000,000
1,048,000,000
1,030,000,000
939,000,000
935,000,000
841,000,000
771,000,000
764,000,000
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings
5
Double-Digit Growth for Broadband in Australia
“This secure market is growing by 18% each
quarter, compared to 4.4% growth in the
total Internet population both at-home and
at-work. The 80:20 rule applies here – the
secure market makes up 25% of the total
Internet population; however, users in this
space represent the ‘high-value’ customers
on the Web. These surfers have overcome
the barriers to transacting online and the
majority represent the upwardly mobile
AB demographic.
The Internet “secure market” has been
identified as the key for the future take-up
of broadband services.
A major new report from Australia pinpoints
Internet users who bank or shop with their
credit cards online – those who are used to
secure environments – as the drivers of
future growth.
By pushing the right buttons with this
target audience, broadband operators
can look forward to considerable growth,
said senior analyst Andrew Reid from
Nielsen//NetRatings, which has just
launched a new broadband and streaming
media measurement service, Internet Media
Strategies (IMS).
The inaugural Nielsen//NetRatings IMS report
shows the Australian home broadband market
grew 22% in the six months to August this
year – a faster growth rate than the active
home-based Internet population, which
grew 18% over the same period.
“The key for assessing demand and growth
potential for broadband is for business to
“In terms of broadband uptake, the ‘secure
market’ offers the most potential to providers
of high-speed network access and content
providers. In the US, for example, more than
half of the ‘secure market’ of online buyers
now have connection speeds over 56K.”
focus on the ‘secure market’ on the Internet
rather than the total Internet population,
or the ‘open’ market,” Reid said.
“This is a new way of viewing the online
marketplace – the ‘secure market’ in Australia
currently consists of the three million people
who are used to making secure transactions
on the Internet.
Nielsen//NetRatings IMS is the first
commercially available service in Australia
that measures the line speeds of Web
surfers and provides demographic profiles
on an ongoing basis, reporting these results
every month.
Tickets, Advertising Show
Online Strength
Online retail activity and advertising continue
to remain strong in Australia, in defiance of
international trends.
purchasing ratios of 3.5 times, followed by
videos/DVDs at 2.1 times, office supplies,
wine, music and travel.
Ticketing has become the number-one
category for online consumer retail
transactions, outstripping perennial market
leaders, books and music.
“High customer-satisfaction levels are
delivering increased levels of repeat
purchasing with repeat purchases exceeding
one-off purchasing in over half the product
categories surveyed. Only 4% of regular
Internet users say they are dissatisfied with
their online shopping experience,” Lee said.
The ACNielsen.consult 2001 Online
Consumer Retail Study shows that over
50% of online shoppers have purchased an
online ticket (travel or entertainment) over
the past 12 months. Books are second with
36% and music third with 29%.
“The Sydney Olympics and online airline
ticketing initiatives from Impulse, Virgin
Blue and Qantas have established online
ticketing as the category leading growth in
online shopping transactions,” said Christine
Lee, retail analyst, ACNielsen.consult.
Growth in all leading categories is being
driven by repeat purchases, with food and
groceries attracting the highest repeat
6
Activity across most retail categories
also continues to increase with many
of the traditional retail categories such
as clothing, health-care and cosmetics
beginning to develop useful levels of
activity.
In more good news for Web-focused
operators, online display advertising
spend for the second quarter 2001 reached
A$16.3 million (US$8.3 million), a 3.1%
increase on the first quarter 2001.
“This quarter we recorded three months of
increased spending for the first time this
year,” said Ian Webster, media analyst,
ACNielsen.consult.
“Established online advertisers are
maintaining their spend on online display
advertising with encouraging levels of
activity from the automobile, consumer
finance, FMCG and government categories,
paving the way for an increase in spend
levels in the second half of the year.”
ACNielsen.consult’s AdMonitor service also
recorded a significant increase in the use
of new online display formats as advertisers
learn how to take advantage of the
additional page space publishers are
providing.
Coke, Marlboro, Top Global Brands
Coca-Cola and Marlboro have emerged as the big winners in a survey of the world’s
biggest brands in consumer packaged goods.
Only 43 consumer product brands ring up annual sales of more than US$1 billion each
and can be considered truly global, according to the study released by ACNielsen.
To qualify, brands must have a presence in all four regions of the world: North
America, Europe, Africa/Middle East and Asia Pacific.
The elite list is dominated by beverages, tobacco and snack foods. There are no Asia
Pacific brands in the report titled “Reaching the Billion Dollar Mark – A Review of
Today’s Global Brands” by ACNielsen Global Services.
“Despite a proliferation of brands in the marketplace and a focus by major
manufacturers on being more global, there are relatively few global
mega-brands out there today,” said Jane Perrin, managing director,
ACNielsen Global Services.
“We looked at well over 200 brands in this study and although
more than half had a global presence, they just didn’t have over
US$1 billion in sales. Over the next few years, we expect this picture
will change dramatically.”
All 43 front-runners are present in Asia Pacific and two brands –
Coca-Cola and Marlboro – made the billion-dollar mark on the
strength of their Asia Pacific sales alone.
Both Coca-Cola and Marlboro achieved over US$1.5 billion sales
in Asia Pacific in the 12 months to March 2001.
Although a number of Asia Pacific brands have sales upwards of
US$1 billion, none sell more than the threshold of 5% outside of the
region to be part of the global list.
The study’s findings are based on ACNielsen data from 30 countries
in North America, Europe-Middle East-Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin
America. Together, the countries account for 90% of the world’s Gross
Domestic Product.
In Asia Pacific, the study covers the major markets of Australia, China,
Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
Growth Prospects Remain Strong
Although Asia Pacific is behind North America and Europe in terms of share
of global sales, many brands have recognised and are already capitalising
on the region’s growth potential.
“Fourteen brands in the region experienced 10% growth or more in the 12
months to March 2001, comparing very favourably with the global picture,
where only eight brands achieved similar growth rates,” said Frank Martell,
president, ACNielsen Asia Pacific.
Benson & Hedges, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Kelloggs, Marlboro, Nescafe and Pepsi
were the top brands in Asia Pacific, with sales over US$250 million each.
All brands except Nescafe derived less than 30% of their global sales from
the region.
7
Reaching the Billion-Dollar Mark
More than 200 brands were considered for
inclusion in “Reaching the Billion Dollar
Mark – A Review of Today’s Global Brands”
by ACNielsen Global Services.
To be part of the list, a brand needed to
have not only a geographical presence
across all regions – North America, Europe,
Africa/Middle East and Asia Pacific – but to
have at least 5% of its sales outside of its
home region. Total sales had to be more
than US$ 1 billion.
The 43 brands on the list represent 23
global manufacturers and a total of US$125
billion in sales.
Leading Categories
The category with the most billion-dollar
brands was beverages, with 13 brands
making the final list. (See Table 1)
The total Coca-Cola brand was number one
among beverages at well over US$15 billion
in sales, with its two sub-brands, Coca-Cola
and Diet Coke, being billion-dollar brands in
their own right.
Pepsi Cola and its associated sub-brands,
Pepsi and Diet Pepsi (including Pepsi Light,
Pepsi Max and Pepsi One), ranked as the
number two beverage.
There were three snack foods that registered
over a billion dollars in global sales
(Doritos, Lay’s and Pringles) and four
tobacco brands that had a significant
global presence and met the billion-dollar
criteria (Benson & Hedges, Camel, L&M
and Marlboro).
Soup, cereal, yoghurt, cheese, chewing
gum and chocolate all had one brand each
on the list.
Pet foods were represented by a dog-food
brand (Pedigree), a cat-food brand
(Whiskas) and a brand that caters to
both cats and dogs (Friskies).
What’s in a Brand
The way brands are defined differs across
countries and companies. To ensure consistency
across this project, ACNielsen defined a brand
based on the packaging, marketing and
consumer views of brands.
When brands were seen to have a number of
variants or sub-brands, these were noted.
Each of the brands selected has been measured
within a category. Umbrella brands that cross
category boundaries have not been aggregated
across categories. For example, Nivea is a
billion-dollar brand within moisturisers and
cleansers, although it has a smaller presence
within hair care and deodorants.
Since this is a ‘brand’ study, there is no inclusion
of products that may be similar in formulation
but carry different names in different countries.
Lay’s, for example, is a global brand but Pepsico
markets a similar product in a number of
countries under the Walkers name. The two
have not been added together.
Our Methodology
There were three main criteria that a brand had
to meet to be included in the study:
•Cumulative sales for the 12 months ending
with the first quarter of 2001 had to be equal
to or exceed US$1 billion.
•The brand had to have a measurable presence
in each of the four major geographic regions –
Latin America, Asia Pacific, North America and
Europe, Middle East and Africa.
•Sales outside of the home market had to
represent at least 5% of the global sales value.
World’s Most
Accurate Brand
Study
With coverage in over 100 countries, ACNielsen
Global Services is unique in its ability to provide
a true global perspective on today’s consumers.
The information contained in “Reaching the
Billion Dollar Mark – A Review of Today’s Global
Brands” offers unique insights into the global
spread and diversification of today’s major
consumer packaged goods.
While other branding studies are just a tally of
shipment sales from a company’s annual report,
this ACNielsen report measures actual retail
sales in 30 countries.
8
In terms of sales growth, the annual
average rate across the 43 brands was
less than 10%, but eight of the 43 brands
experienced double-digit growth in the
most recent year. Growth across categories
showed little consistency.
Manufacturer
Predominance
Eight of the 23 companies had more than
one brand on the list, with Pepsico topping
the list with six.
The Philip Morris Companies (including
Kraft Foods) and Procter & Gamble each
had five brands. The Coca-Cola Company
came in at four, with Kimberly-Clark
Corporation, The Gillette Company, Mars
and Nestlé with two brands each.
Nearly three-quarters of these sales were
attributable to the eight manufacturers
with multiple brands on the list.
Regional Highlights
In general, regional sales of the 43 brands
closely follow the global findings. For
example, in each of the four regions,
Coca-Cola and Marlboro were consistently
the top two brands of the 43 studied.
All of the brands had their largest markets
in either North America or Europe, Middle
East & Africa, which aligns with regional
GDP strength.
North America was the dominant region for
24 brands and Europe was dominant for 16
brands. For three brands (Gillette, Pedigree,
Always), both North America and Europe
shared equal importance.
Table 1. Billion Dollar Global Brands
Brand
(# of countries
included,
30 maximum)
Segment
Total Coca-Cola (30)
Carbonated
Coca-Cola (Regular)* Beverages
Diet Coke/
Coca-Cola Light*
Global Sales
for 12 months
ending Q1 2001
(US $)
Asia Pacific Sales
for 12 months
ending Q1 2001
(US$)
Over $15 Billion
Over 1.5 billion
Marlboro (25)
Marlboro (Regular)*
Marlboro Lights*
Tobacco
Total Pepsi (30)
Pepsi (Regular)*
Diet Pepsi/
Pepsi Light*
Carbonated
Beverages
$5 Billion –
$15 Billion
$250-500 million
Budweiser (25)
Campbell’s (21)
Kellogg’s (27)
Pampers (27)
Beer
Soup
Cereal
Diapers
$3 Billion –
$5 Billion
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
$250-500 million
Under $250 million
Benson & Hedges (21)
Camel (24)
Danone (25)
Fanta (29)
Friskies (24)
Gillette (29)
Huggies (25)
Nescafe (29)
Sprite (30)
Tide (11)
Tropicana (17)
Wrigley’s (27)
Tobacco
Tobacco
Yoghurt
Carbonated Beverages
Pet Food
Blades & Razors
Nappies
Coffee
Carbonated Beverages
Laundry Detergent
Still Beverages
Chewing Gum
$2 Billion –
$3 Billion
$250-500 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
$250-500 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
$0.5 - 1.5 billion
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Colgate (29)
Duracell (28)
Heineken (26)
Kodak (13)
L&M (18)
Lay’s (22)
Pedigree (25)
Toothpaste
Batteries
Beer
Consumer Films
Tobacco
Chips & Snacks
Pet Food
$1.5 Billion –
$2 Billion
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Always (22)
Doritos (20)
Energizer (28)
Gatorade (22)
Guinness (23)
Kinder (28)
Kleenex (26)
L’Oreal (27)
Maxwell House (19)
Minute Maid (16)
Nivea (29)
Pantene (30)
Philadelphia (25)
Pringles (30)
Seven-Up/7-Up (30)
Tylenol (9)
Whiskas (24)
Sanitary Protection
$1 Billion –
Chips & Snacks
$1.5 Billion
Batteries
Sports Beverages
Beer
Chocolate
Facial Tissue
Colorants
Coffee
Still Beverages
Moisturisers/Cleansers
Shampoo/Conditioners
Cheese
Chips & Snacks
Carbonated Beverages
OTC Pain Remedies
Cat Food
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Under $250 million
Note: Brands are alphabetised within each global sales dollar segment
* Denote sub-brands which independently meet the global billion-dollar mark but are
included in the total for the brand
Source: ACNielsen
Download the Report
The complete text of “Reaching the Billion Dollar
Mark – A Review of Today’s Global Brands” can
be found at http://acnielsen.com/billion
9
New Media
Coverage for
India
Private Label Consumption on
the Rise in Hong Kong
India’s fragmented media industry is
entering a new era of professionalism
thanks to a joint venture involving
ACNielsen.
Reliable information about TV viewing
figures and advertising expenditure will
be two major outcomes from ACNielsen’s
partnership with Kantar Media Research
(KMR) and Indian Market Research Bureau
(IMRB), part of Kantar, WPP’s worldwide
information and consultancy business.
The deal combines local TV ratings data
from TAM Media, a 50-50 joint venture
between ACNielsen and KMR/IMRB, with
data from ORG-MARG, a VNU company,
in a single service covering 84 cities
across India.
10
Hong Kong has finally caught up with
the rest of the world in stocking up on
private-label products.
While average household spend on
private labels is still fairly low compared
to developed western markets such as
Australia and the UK, a clear growth
trend has emerged.
The combined TV ratings service will be
one of the world’s largest applications of
advanced peoplemeter technology.
Stakeholder beneficiaries – broadcasters,
agencies and advertisers – will have
coverage from nearly twice as many TV
homes, in percentage terms, as either
of the two earlier services.
Latest ACNielsen Homescan data reveals
that more than 90% of all Hong Kong
households have purchased private-label
products in the past eight months.
There are even plans to expand the coverage
to all major states in India – 15 states
versus the current coverage of nine – and
virtually all major metropolitan areas under
a plan to be presented to the industry.
“The growth and popularity of private labels
in other markets is largely attributed to
significant investment by retailers into this
area,” said Fanny Chan, Homescan retail
services director at ACNielsen Hong Kong.
The joint venture will also be the leading
provider of advertising expenditure
information in India, covering more than
90% of the country’s TV and press
advertising spending.
“Some retailers in the UK and Australia have
supported this area so much that their own
private labels have successfully grown into
recognised and preferred brands, such as
Waitrose and Marks and Spencer.”
India is one of 24 major television markets
monitored by ACNielsen Media International,
the leader in international media
measurement and analysis. Together with
Nielsen Media Research, which measures
television audiences in the United States,
the two companies offer the most extensive
coverage of the global TV economy.
In Hong Kong, however, average household
spend on private labels is less than 5% of
the total household budget, unlike Australia
and the UK, where the figures are between
10% and 30% respectively.
Of these households, nearly 70% have
purchased premium private-label products
and 76% have purchased regular privatelabel products.
Homescan reports that the top premium
and regular private labels are:
• Premium: Liquid milk, biscuits, instant
noodles, packaged rice, cooking oil
• Regular: Toilet paper, liquid soap,
dishwashing liquid, biscuits.
“It is definitely true that Hong Kongers are
prepared to pay more for what feeds their
families and are prepared to spend more
money on food than other items on their
shopping list,” Chan said.
“Our overseas research also shows that
private-label sales fluctuate according to
the economic climate – sales are generally
higher during an economic slowdown when
families are more budget conscious.
“The gradual increase in private-label
consumption in Hong Kong may be related
to the current economic situation and we
may expect higher sales of private labels
if the outlook worsens.”
Research into private-label shopping
is made available through ACNielsen
Homescan, an electronic consumer panel
which captures grocery and household
purchases directly from 1,000 homes
throughout Hong Kong.
Monthly data through Homescan, Asia’s
first electronic consumer panel, allows
manufacturers and retailers to know what
Hong Kongers are putting into their
shopping baskets as well as tracking
shopping trends and consumption
patterns over time.
Indonesian Consumer Confidence Bounces Back
The increase has two likely explanations. The
first is inflation, which means people have to
spend more just to get by, and the second is
increased spending power – as the economy
steadily improves, people are able to increase
their standard of living.
Indonesians are celebrating their return
to prosperity by spending more on daily
necessities and consumer durables.
In a sign that consumer confidence is
back, retail sales of most FMCG products
are increasing.
Tracking of monthly household expenditure
by ACNielsen shows 20% of households are
now spending over 1 million Rupiah (US$92)
on day-to-day necessities, compared to
15% one year earlier. Similarly, 40% of
households are spending more than Rp
700,000 (US$65) on necessities compared
to 32% last year.
Chart 1. Indonesian Monthly
Household Expenditure
(on day-to-day necessities)
The upbeat trend is confirmed by living
standards data from ACNielsen Indonesia’s
2001 Media Index, which shows rising levels
of durables ownership. Around 72% of homes
in the nine major cities – Jakarta City, Greater
Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya City, Greater
Surabaya, Semarang, Medan, Denpasar and
Makassar – now have a colour TV (up from
69%), and VCD players have leapt from 24%
to 35%.
“There is no doubt that the living conditions
of urban Indonesians are gradually improving
despite the economic crisis of four years ago,”
said Farquhar Stirling, managing director,
ACNielsen Indonesia.
“VCD players are an interesting case. The wide
availability of cheap, often pirated, VCD films
makes this a very inexpensive entertainment
medium here. A film can be rented for
US$0.50, and bought for as little as US$2.
Chart 2. Indonesian Ownership
of Durables
Source:
ACNielsen Media
International
I think this has impacted the cinema industry
as people prefer to stay at home and watch a
VCD rather than go to the cinema.”
Only 14% of people aged 10 and over have
gone to the cinema in the previous year,
compared to 17% in 2000.
The big winner in the media stakes has been
television, the dominant force with 82% of
the population regularly tuning in. Radio,
meanwhile, has been a casualty, with listeners
dropping from 40% to 38%.
Newspaper readership is stable at 28% while
magazine readership has dropped slightly
from 19% to 18%.
“Television continues to be the strongest
medium among Indonesians as intense
competition among stations brings more
interesting programming,” Stirling said.
“Magazines and tabloids would appear to have
been impacted by price increases as people
are more likely to spend their money on food
and other essentials.”
Chart 3. Media Consumption
People aged 10+, in %
2000 2001
Television on an average day
81
82
Radio on an average day
40
38
Daily Newspaper on an average day 28
28
Any Tabloid
21
20
Any Magazine
19
18
Cinema in the past year
17
14
Source: ACNielsen Media International
Source: ACNielsen Media International
Bali Tops Radio
Charts in Indonesia
Political Goodwill Comes with New
Megawati Government
A diary survey of radio listening habits in
Indonesia has found Bali residents to be king
of the airwaves.
Consumer confidence in Indonesia has soared to levels not seen since late 1999, with the change
attributed to the popularity of new President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Denpasar has the highest penetration among the
nine major metropolitan areas with 96% reach
per week, followed by Semarang (91%),
Makasar (90%) and Greater Surabaya (85%).
Six in 10 Indonesians feel optimistic about the Indonesian economy, double the number just one
month earlier.
The positive outlook is evenly shared among urban and rural residents, according to the monthly
Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by ACNielsen for Danareksa, a leading Indonesian
investment bank.
“There is no doubt that Megawati has brought a new sense of hope and optimism to the
Indonesian public,” said Farquhar Stirling, managing director, ACNielsen Indonesia. “Her
challenge now is to translate this support into real economic progress.”
11
Singapore New Media Players
Perform Well in First Year
The latest ACNielsen review of media trends
in Singapore shows intensifying competition
in broadcast and print.
New players that launched into the media
industry under government deregulation this
year have done well in establishing
bridgeheads. Channel U, the new Chinese
channel under the SPH MediaWorks banner,
has become the second-most watched TV
channel in Singapore.
New figures from ACNielsen Media
International show Channel U with a 19%
share of the terrestrial TV market just four
months after launching in May, overtaking
Channel 5 (12%) in the race to catch
Channel 8 (43%), both owned by
MediaCorps, previously the monopoly
holder in TV.
In print, two new free dailies, Today and
Streats, reached 11% and 14% penetration
respectively as increased competition saw
the circulation of some rivals dip slightly.
Readership of Today and Streats increased to
346,000 and 408,000 respectively, still well
behind Straits Times, which remained the
most popular English daily with 1,334,000
readers.
Lianhe Zaobao led the Chinese newspaper
market with an 11% increase in business
readers.
“All new players have done a fantastic job
under the deregulated environment and the
new TV channels and publications are well
received by Singaporean consumers,” said
Lennart Bengtsson, managing director,
ACNielsen Singapore and Malaysia.
“But we also see competition heating up
and it will require a lot of research-based
market knowledge to command the loyalty
of an increasingly demanding audience.”
If you would like further
information on any of the
products and services
ACNielsen provides or
additional market insights, visit
www.acnielsen.com/asiapacific
12
“Although there are signs
of the economy slowing,
now is the time to invest in
advertising and brand
building because in difficult
times, consumers look for
brands they are familiar
with and trust.”
ACNielsen Media International AIS figures
show overall advertising expenditure of
US$750 million for the first half of the year,
an increase of 5% from the same period last
year. This figure is well down on last year’s
29% growth for the same period.
Outdoor advertising, including bus and
taxi-tops, had the highest growth of 40.2%.
“Although there are signs of the economy
slowing, now is the time to invest in
advertising and brand building because
in difficult times, consumers look for
brands they are familiar with and trust,”
Bengtsson said.
On the airwaves, Mandarin radio stations
continue to beat their English counterparts.
The top three stations are YES 93.3FM,
Capital 95.8FM and Love 97.2FM. YES
93.3FM has been the top radio station in
Singapore since ACNielsen started its radio
diary surveys in 1993.
Among English stations, the top three
performers are Class 95FM, Perfect 10
and Power 98FM.
With the increasing popularity of the
Internet, Web surfing has seen tremendous
growth, with Internet penetration climbing
to 47% from 40% last year. The home is the
most popular place of access, with 34% of
users sending and receiving emails from
home, followed by 24% at the workplace.
Solid Start for E-commerce in New Zealand,
with Hopes High for Profit Surge
New Zealand businesses have been quick to
embrace e-commerce and are optimistic
about future sales growth via the Internet.
A recent report has found a significant level
of e-trading among New Zealand businesses,
with large growth tipped for the next 12
months.
Any barriers that exist are not ones of
opportunity, but are more to do with the
costs of doing business and compliance.
The report, “Electronic Commerce in New
Zealand: A Survey of Electronic Traders”
was prepared by ACNielsen for the Inland
Revenue Department and the Ministry of
Economic Development.
It features the views of 800 general
managers or CEOs, many of whom say the
Internet is a small but profitable channel.
While only one-third of businesses made
a profit from the Internet in the past
12 months, more than half expect to
make a profit in the year ahead.
Internet sales are currently a small
proportion of many e-traders’ annual sales
volume. Half of the e-traders surveyed
generate under NZ$10,000 (US$4,200) per
annum, around a quarter generate between
NZ$10,000 and NZ$100,000 (US$42,000)
per annum, and a further one in six
generate sales in excess of NZ$100,000
per annum.
The report segments e-traders on the basis
of involvement. Distinct categories are:
• High-involvement traders (16%) –
Relatively sophisticated Internet
operators who are making Internet sales
in excess of NZ$100,000 (US$42,000) a
year. Their business and accounting
systems are more likely to be integrated
and they are more likely to have faced
tax issues than other businesses. The
main barrier they see ahead is an external
one – the quality of Internet
infrastructures.
• Medium-involvement traders (26%) –
These are businesses that place
considerable importance on the Internet
and anticipate significant increases in
Internet sales in the next 12 months.
Their customer base is generally consumer
based. Internal barriers, especially
implementation costs, are the key barriers
to further development for this group.
• Low-involvement traders (58%) – With a low level of Internet sales, typically less than
NZ$10,000 (US$4,200) a year, these businesses don’t anticipate significant growth in
Internet sales or online profit levels in the next 12 months. For these operators, a belief
that their customers do not use e-commerce and a lack of Internet knowledge and skills
are barriers for further development of their Internet presence.
Nearly three out of four e-traders admitted to processing Internet orders manually, with
order processing systems and accounting systems that are not integrated. In some
instances, this means sales of up to NZ$100,000 per annum are processed manually.
Internet sales are predominantly delivered physically. That is, customers receive their orders
via the postal system or by courier. Only one in seven customers is shopping for an item
that can be delivered electronically, such as software.
Those who consider the Internet their main source of revenue generally offer customers
additional services from their home site, including:
• Links to other websites
• Customer feedback forms
• Ability to order goods via submit forms
• Online payment by credit card
• Secure transactions
• Customised service via log-on access.
13
Hypermarkets, Discount Stores Win Big
Large-format stores such as hypermarkets and discount stores have
become dominant players in Korea’s grocery market, following a well
established pattern in countries elsewhere.
The mass retailers have a 44.3% share of sales volume despite a
low 2.5% share of outlets, according to the latest Retail Census from
ACNielsen.
The figures indicate an exceptional growth
of large-format stores since the last Retail
Census in 1996, when they accounted for
2% share of outlets and only 25.3% share
of sales volume.
“The developments in Korea resemble what
has been taking place on an international
scale – there is an obvious trend towards
increasing concentration of the grocery
industry in hypermarkets and discount
stores,” said Hugh Kwon, managing
director, ACNielsen Korea.
“More significantly, growth of large-format stores has taken place
against the backdrop of a huge 46.9% growth in retail value and
a 5.5% drop in number of outlets to 114,000 stores during the
four-year period.”
Small supermarkets have increased in share of outlets but decreased
in share of sales, while traditional stores saw declining share both in
number and in sales.
The Retail Census, which covers all areas nationally except Jeju-do,
found that large-format stores have overtaken traditional stores in
sales volume, although traditional stores still maintain the lion’s share
of outlets.
Large-format stores are more dominant in Seoul, Incheon and Pusan,
accounting for close to half of all grocery sales.
“Judging from international trends, there is still much room for largeformat stores in Korea,” Kwon said. “Such stores in Australia attract
up to 3,100 people per store, whereas those in Hong Kong attract up
to 1,500 people and in Japan up to 800.”
.
Hypermarkets Gather Steam in Thailand
In a market shift similar to the one in Korea (see above story), the
continued emergence of hypermarkets in Thailand shows the modern
trade is making serious inroads into consumer behaviour.
Table 1. Among Asian countries, the Thai retail market is
dominated by traditional outlets.
Split of grocery universe by store type (%)
While wet markets and traditional stores remain important channels,
their proportion of the overall shopping dollar is shrinking, according
to a new report, “Consumer Behaviour & Demand: How Product
Markets Are Performing.”
The report, compiled by ACNielsen, comes at a time of uncertain
economic conditions and low growth forecasts which are particularly
frustrating for brand and category managers, as well as store
operators.
On a positive note, however, the report identifies a number of
key areas where decision makers will be able to have the greatest
impact on market share and profitability due to changes in usage
and attitudes:
Vietnam Indon.
Philipp. Thailand China
Other
Malaysia Korea
Traditional
CVS
Taiwan
Minimarkets
Sing.
HK
NZ
Japan Australia
Super/Hypermarkets
• Optimisation of assets
• Breadth and depth of assortment
• Pricing policies
• Level and frequency of promotions and discounts.
Table 2. But the picture is very different when looking at
share based on turnover, where the modern trade is strong.
Share of trade by store type – based on all categories
The report also confirms the need for precise data to drive decision
making. In a complex and fragmented market, such as Thailand,
critical decisions on the Four P’s of the marketing mix – product,
pricing, promotions and place – must be based on deep insights
and critical analysis.
Vietnam
Indon.
China
Other
Minimarkets
14
Malaysia
Thailand
Philipp.
Traditional Grocery
Super/Hypermarkets
Korea
Taiwan
CVS
Drugstores
Sing.
HK
Publishers Opt for Next-Generation Research
“We have sought to refresh and refocus the
way readership surveys are conducted,” said
Gene Swinstead, managing director, News
Limited Community Newspapers.
Australian newspaper publishers are
about to get a whole lot closer to
their readers.
Consumer profiling is one of many
value-added services to be supplied by
ACNielsen Media International as it
begins a two-year contract to measure
readership for the Australian Suburban
Newspapers Association.
“Community newspapers deserve something
better as we progress to increase
significantly our share in the national
advertising market.”
The expanded service pleases three
stakeholder groups:
• Publishers will gain a better
understanding of the lifestyle profiles of their readers
• Advertisers will be able to target consumer segments clustered
in well-defined regions
• Advertising agencies will be in a better position to
determine which titles are the most efficient in reaching
their target markets.
These comments were echoed by Ian
Crowther, general manager, Fairfax
Community Newspapers, who said: “The
association has gone through an exhaustive
tendering process that lasted over 12 months and involved submissions
from four research organisations, including ACNielsen and the
incumbent, Roy Morgan Research. Using methodology tried and proven
in 11 other Asia Pacific countries, ACNielsen offered us a viable
readership alternative, one that ASNA members believe will deliver
greater awareness and credibility for suburban newspapers.”
Community print advertising was worth about A$661 million (US$335
million) last year, about 10% of all major media expenditure in 2000.
MarketPlace: On the Move
Frank Martell, president of ACNielsen Asia
Pacific, has been appointed to the ACNielsen
Board. Frank, who will remain based in Hong
Kong, succeeds KN Tang in the post, who has
announced his retirement as Chairman of
ACNielsen Asia Pacific.
David McCallum has been appointed head
of all Customised operations, based in Tokyo.
To ensure a close alignment of all Customised
capabilities, David will also assume
responsibility for ACNielsen International
Research, ACNielsen.online and
ACNielsen.consult.
Lennart Bengtsson has been promoted to
the position of managing director, ACNielsen
Japan, and will join the Asia Pacific Executive
Committee. Lennart was previously managing
director of ACNielsen’s Singapore and
Malaysian offices.
Laurent Zeller has been appointed managing
director, Business Development and Sales,
ACNielsen Asia Pacific. He has also been
appointed to the company’s Asia Pacific
Executive Committee (APEC), reporting
to Frank Martell, president, ACNielsen
Asia Pacific.
Laurent was previously with Taylor Sofres
Nelson where he held various senior
management roles in Europe, Africa and
Asia Pacific.
A well-known market research professional
in the region, Forrest Didier, has been
appointed managing director of ACNielsen
Media International Asia Pacific.
This is the first time ACNielsen Media
International has appointed a regional
head for its widespread presence in 12
Asia Pacific markets, signifying the company’s
commitment to further strengthen its
leadership position.
Alistair Watts has been promoted to the
position of managing director, ACNielsen
China, where he will oversee the Retail and
Customised businesses as well as provide
executive support for ACNielsen Media
International activities. Agnes Khoo will
continue to lead the highly successful
Customised business.
Prior to coming to China, Alistair had been
managing director, ACNielsen Vietnam, and
executive director, Customised Research
Services, Singapore.
Helen Overmyer has been named head of
ACNielsen Media International in Australia,
replacing Ian Garland, who has moved
to New York to join the head office
of ACNielsen Media International as
managing director, product marketing and
development.
Lisa Rippon has been promoted to the
position of Chief Communications Officer,
Asia Pacific, a role she had been caretaking
since the retirement of Phil Burfurd in
March 2001.
15
A Time To
Remember
After 33 years in the business, I have
decided to retire at the end of this year.
This is the last time I will be talking to
valued clients and colleagues via this
column.
This newsletter was first published in
November 1971. As we celebrate its
20th anniversary, it has been timely for
us to conduct our first ever, on-line
readers’ survey. We are greatly
encouraged by the positive feedback
from both clients and internal readers,
on the frequency, length, design and
coverage of this publication. We will
continue to enhance the depth and
insights to make this publication even
more relevant to the business of our
clients. An electronic version of this
newsletter will also be created to make
this publication even more accessible.
The past three decades have been most
exciting as we experienced almost
uninterrupted economic development in
Asia, with the fast growth of television
and other media including Internet, the
availability of more and better products
and the tremendous improvement in the
quality of life. As an integrated part of
the economic progress, market research
emerged from an unknown business
practice to a widely accepted discipline
by many sectors of industry, government
and public corporations throughout Asia
Pacific. It has also transformed from a
village industry to a respectable global
business. All these would not have been
possible without the support of our
clients and the hard work of many
research professionals. It is now time
for me to say thank you and goodbye
to so many outstanding, talented
individuals with whom I have worked
among our clients and the research
industry.
TV Leaders Select ACNielsen
for Regional Ratings
Leading broadcasters CNBC and Discovery Networks have turned to ACNielsen Media
International for regional TV ratings coverage.
CNBC has signed a three-year deal across eight markets and Discovery has signed a two-year
contract across five markets.
Business news channel CNBC, an annual subscriber to ACNielsen Media International’s
ratings since 1998, will take ratings for Australia, Hong Kong, India, Korea, New Zealand,
the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan.
“We have consistently supported the progressive development of pay-television-accessible
peoplemeter panels across Asia Pacific as the most reliable tool to track the audience
growth of CNBC and the PTV media,” said Mark Froude, vice president, International Sales,
CNBC Asia.
“Our agreement with ACNielsen is a clear symbol of our ongoing commitment to building
better and more transparent viewing measurement standards across the region and will allow
us to deliver an increased level of accountability to our international client base.”
The Discovery contract, the broadcaster’s first regional deal with ACNielsen, covers Taiwan,
Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Taiwan.
“Our decision to sign a regional contract will be cost effective for us as we recognise that
ACNielsen is the only company that has the capacity and operations in these markets to
meet our specific needs,” said Anthony Dobson, director, Research and Strategic Planning,
Discovery Networks Asia.
The two signings are the latest wins for ACNielsen Media International, which has more than
15,000 peoplemeter homes in Asia Pacific and recently expanded panels in Hong Kong,
Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.
“We are very happy CNBC and Discovery have recognised the value and insights of our
peoplemeter data and the unique capability we have to deliver a regional service to them,”
said Forrest Didier, managing director, ACNielsen Media International Asia Pacific.
KN Tang
Regional Chairman
ACNielsen
16
“Their commitment means they will fully benefit from a closer relationship in terms of
consistency in data source and reporting format, as well as enhanced servicing capabilities
throughout the region.”
Copyright © 2002 ACNielsen. All rights reserved. Produced by ACNielsen.
Communications Department. ACNielsen Centre, 11 Talavera Rd, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113, Australia.
Editor: Kylie Ross. Design by ACNielsen Global Creative Services. Writer: Zenon Pasieczny.