Marketers across industries are being charged with cutting back their marketing schedules to fit leaner budgets. However the dilemma for most is deciding what media hits the cutting room floor. Nielsen’s recession analysis demonstrates how a marketer at a movie studio or any industry can offset much of the potential reach/effective reach declines that would be caused by declining marketing budgets due to the recession.

Are consumers shopping more often? Spending less? Buying more store brands? Shifting channels? How are retailers responding? The Nielsen Economic Current tracks trends in 11 linchpin countries, indexes financial health and predicts growth trends on critical measures including GDP, consumer spending, inflation, market value and volume indices.

The days of super sizing are over. The big players in grocery are opting for smaller, niche footprints in urban locations featuring a focus on packaged fresh food offerings. The idea is to make shopping more rewarding, and to reward consumers with coffee boutiques, new ideas, special discounts, free groceries and gas cards.

Learn about how women’s brains are fundamentally different than men’s—and why understanding the critical differences are crucial to marketing success today.

Half of Americans say they want to buy green products, but don’t. As the market has become more crowded – and the offerings more complex – consumers have also become more sophisticated. While the payout for successfully launching a new product as green can be substantial, getting there requires a unique approach.

In perhaps the most challenging and volatile economic climate in over 35 years, holiday spending across food, drug, mass, and convenience stores saw a 5.8% gain. Other bright spots were online shopping, new movie releases and Blu-ray DVDs.

Unemployment is rising in the U.S., hitting sectors of the population typically immune. Growth rates are highest among men, consumers in the upper age ranges, those with college degrees and non-Hispanic whites. Precise targeting of both message and in-store conditions will be necessary for marketers seeking to minimize losses.