A consumer survey using practical science

Consumer surveys are usually commissioned by brand owners or their marketers to bolster their view or opinion of their market and how to improve their selling skills as well. As such, the survey maker usually tailors the results according to the expectations of the client.

But Synovate Philippines – a subsidiary of leading global market intelligence company Aegis Group of UK which was launched to media and the advertising, publishing and marketing industries last Sept.14 – did exactly the opposite: It surveyed the market (ABCD and ages 15 to 64) using what it calls practical science with the results compiled into a Media Atlas that will be given to interested parties to help them properly allocate their marketing and advertising budgets according to their expectations.

Synovate Philippines is part of the Aegis Group operating in 50 countries worldwide. It was established in 1998. Synovate has strong media capabilities in the Asia Pacific.

Synovate – which has an advisory panel of media experts – used the mixed method initially covering Greater Manila Area (including Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Antipolo and Cainta in Rizal and Meycauayan, Bulacan and Metro Manila) and through the use of a combination of face-to-face and computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) unmasked the "hidden" middle class to upscale consumers and media audiences that have frequently been left out by previous survey groups.

"Synovate will actually help you do better business decisions based on the size of the middle and upper classes that have been wittingly missed out by other groups in the past," said Matec Villanueva, chairman of the advisory panel of Synovate and CEO of Publicis Manila.

Synovate’s Media Atlas tracked the spending patterns and media habits using a combination of CATI and face- to-face interviews, which allowed for a full and accurate representation of over 80 percent of the capital’s population.

"This is a major step for our industry, which has been starved of good information about the structure, purchasing power and media habits of consumers, notably in the GMA area," said Synovate’s advisory panel outgoing chairman JJ Calero.

Telephone interviews have become an increasingly important market research tool representing 22 percent in 2005 as against face-to-face interview which dropped to 21 percent in 2005 from 31 percent in 2004, largely because of security concerns of urban populations.

With over 20 million units of television, this medium continues to be the top choice among advertisers/marketers because of better reach.

But among the upper ABC markets, the print media continues to be a preferred medium, said Steve Garton, head of Media Research of Synovate.

In the Philippines, 71 percent of advertising budget is spent on television while only 11 percent is for print (dailies and magazines) and 18 percent for radio. Of the print budget, more and more are being poured into magazines–though more expensive is the preferred reading for AB and C markets, Synovate said.

Synovate does quarterly updating of its survey results to ensure that changes in consumer patterns and behavior are well monitored and measured to properly guide its clients.

"Our job is not to say what our clients want to hear but to report the reality to them and make them adjust to the reality. We are here to improve their business operations and decisions," said Cyri Pereira, member of Synovate’s advisory panel.

Worldwide, Synovate has specialist divisions for motoring, health care and qualitative market studies and does business consulting, agricultural research, banking and investment research and media research.

Its other services internationally, regionally and locally are: newspaper and magazine measurement; internet audience measurement, multi media planning, upscale multimedia, outdoor and out of home media, media specialists for target/media relationship and print quality readership; media owner surveys for added value of advertisers, positioning and audience value and audience drivers and positioning as well as editorial/programming content.