For more than a year, the U.S. consumer hit by the recession has changed the way he or she shops: a focus on value for money has led to some dramatic shifts in behavior that some say will last far beyond the current economic environment.  With 80 percent of Americans saying they were stressed due to the economy, savvy retailers and consumer goods manufacturers have shifted their marketing to appeal to consumers watching their money more closely.  But have those ads been successful?  Nielsen IAG examined 67 such ads from …

Advertisers are aiming to reach the value-minded consumer with creative advertising executions that deliver recession-themed messaging.

In today’s tough economic times, advertisers are under increased pressure to gain market share while working with shrinking budgets. Should they cut back on media investments? How will they succeed?

Overall ad spending stayed afloat in Q1 ‘09 vs. Q1 ‘08
Toward the end of 2008, the global downturn was adversely impacting advertising spending throughout many key markets around the world, with Europe and the Americas struggling more than others.  The exception to this was Asia Pacific (APAC), which appeared to be relatively impervious to the worst of the downturn. Beginning in late 2008, and escalating as the first quarter of 2009 unfolded, the majority of APAC markets were finally succumbing to declining economic conditions with substantial declines in advertising activity. …

Seven in 10 consumers agree that advertising contributes to economic growth, while eight in 10 agree that advertising helps create jobs, according to a new survey of 25,420 consumers in 50 countries conducted by The Nielsen Company for the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) in March-April 2009.
Additionally, 68% feel that, as a critical driver of competition between companies, advertising leads to better products and lower prices. Consumers’ views on the economic benefits of advertising are broadly consistent across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
The survey also shows …

Advertising spending around the world dropped 7.2 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, according to Nielsen’s Global AdView Pulse.  European countries were hit the hardest, with ad spending down in Spain 28.2 percent, Ireland down 21.2 percent and Italy down 19.1 percent.  The U.S. recorded a decline of 12.7 percent.  Ad spending in Asia Pacific was down just 2.3 percent in the first quarter.  Indonesia actually recorded growth of 19.1 percent due largely to the elections there, while China’s growth slowed to …

Recommendations from personal acquaintances or opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising, according to the latest Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey of over 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries.
Ninety percent or consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online.
“The explosion in Consumer Generated Media over the last couple of years means consumers’ reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process, either from people they know or online consumers they don’t, has increased significantly,” …

While national TV advertising as a whole grew at a slower rate last year than in the past, Spanish-language TV advertising posted a 3 percent gain in 2008, with growth in every major product category other than those related to the automotive sector. Satellite communication services showed the most growth – up 124 percent in 2008 — followed by car insurance and pharmaceuticals.  Overall, the top 10 categories recorded growth of 8 percent over the prior year, reaching $2.9 billion in 2008.

The dollar shift accompanies a rise in audience size …

Spanish-language ad spending is on the rise—posting gains in just about every major product category in 2008. What is the best strategy to reach an audience whose language proficiencies and preferences range from Spanish-only through various degrees of bilingual skills to English-only? Language holds the key to success as a strong emotional link is forged with the Hispanic consumer when ads are rendered in their native language.

As most top industries cut their ad budgets in 2008, the travel and hospitality industry saw its ad spend increase four percent, according to an analysis by The Nielsen Company. The industry spent $3.9 billion in total advertising across 16 media last year.
“In a year where ad spending declined across the board, it’s refreshing to see travel and hospitality companies were expanding their reach to consumers,” said Annie Touliatos, VP for Sales Development at Monitor-Plus, Nielsen’s ad tracking service. “It shows the confidence they have that Americans are still looking to travel even in this …