The global recession seems to have only lightly brushed India. Despite some slippage in the fourth quarter (growth slowed to only 14.7%), overall ad spending was up 25 percent in 2008. And while it remains to be seen how India and the rest of the world endure in 2009, all signs seem to point to continued ad spend growth in the country as the national TV networks work toward setting up regional and local channels.

Since mid-May an additional 200,000 U.S. homes prepared their homes for the June 12 transition to digital television, leaving roughly 3.1 million homes (or 2.7%) unready for the switch. While these new figures show an improvement in the level of preparedness among African American and Hispanic households, but both groups remain less ready than the national average.
For details on a market-by-market breakdown of DTV readiness, read the complete media release.

% OF HOMES COMPLETELY UNREADY FOR DIGITAL TRANSITION

DATE
Total
White
African
American
Hispanic
Asian
Under 35
Over 55

May 25, 2009
2.7
2.1
5.4
4.7
3.2
5.0
1.5

May 10, …

In the current volatile economic environment, consumers are shifting their money from higher-risk investment accounts into more conservative savings and non-interest checking accounts, according to the quarterly Market Audit from Nielsen Claritas. Based on findings in the 4th quarter of 2008, the Market Audit, a comprehensive assessment of the financial products being used, the opportunity exists for financial institutions to attract new customers and retain existing ones by offering low-risk accounts such as fixed interest savings accounts, variable interest money market accounts and CDs, together with non-interest checking accounts. Although …

Roger Entner, SVP, Head of Research and Insights, Telecom Practice
With the telecom landscape in constant flux, carriers continue to find unique ways to add to their bottom lines. While the Kindle, Amazon’s wireless reading device , has been touted as a savior for the newspaper industry, it also represents the first example of the long-predicted ad hoc subscription model for Sprint, which provides the wireless access for Kindle as subsidized by Amazon. Sales of the Kindle drove a majority of Sprint’s 394,000 wholesale additions …

On Friday, May 22, Nielsen Vice Chair Susan Whiting sat down with Fox Business News to discuss the latest television viewership data, which shows that Americans are watching more TV than ever.

On May 28, Susan Whiting also published an editorial for The Huffington Post.

While Americans have always enjoyed television, high definition (HD) TVs are opening a new chapter in that historic love affair. Not since color TV was introduced more than 50 years ago has a new TV technology been so rapidly adopted. And despite the recession, Americans seem willing to continue to spend their hard-earned money on this new technology.
As of February 2009, slightly more than one-third of American TV homes had at least one HDTV, a marked increase from November 2008, when 29.2 percent of homes had one, and …

Despite recent optimism about a turnaround in the global economy, consumer activity in the United States and China showed significant declines during the month of March. The change was led by a continued decrease in shopping trips and consumer transactions, according to the Nielsen Economic Current scorecard. The U.S. decline may be partially attributed to the Easter holiday occurring in March last year, while it took place in April this year. Similarly, the drop in China may have been affected by the Chinese New Year (a high sales peak), which …

Americans may choose to consume video on the “best screen available,” yet traditional TV remains the screen of choice.
The recent results of Nielsen’s Three Screen Report – a quarterly analysis from Nielsen’s Anywhere Anytime Media Measurement initiative (A2/M2) – show that the average American watches approximately 153 hours of TV every month at home, a 1.2% increase from last year. In addition, the 131 million Americans who watch video on the Internet watch on average about 3 hours of video online each month at home and work. …

Web sites like Drugstore.com have been on the scene in the U.S. for several years now. But Germans have now taken to the convenience of ordering over-the-counter (OTC) medications over the Internet. According to Nielsen new MailTrack Pharma service, nearly 48 million OTC packs were sold through mail-order pharmacies in 2008 in Germany, accounting for 5.2 percent of total sales volume. On a value basis, share is even higher, with 7.3 percent or €521 million in sales.
“These numbers confirm the acceptance and attractiveness of mail order. Indeed, one in two …

Toyota is tops when it comes to positive brand advocacy among major automotive brands, according to Nielsen Online’s new “Brand Advocacy Quotient” research. This quarterly measurement of consumer advocacy looks at online survey data and customer experiences shared through online buzz. Results, based on responses from more than 2,000 consumers, are indexed on a scale of -100 to 100.

Thanks to raves about its quality, size, style and dealer experience, Toyota achieved the highest rating of 69 followed by Honda (68), Lexus (68) and Acura (67).
Creating a positive brand image online …