The economic decline has affected most parts of the world, but some have been hit harder than others.  One region that seems to be holding its own is Asia Pacific (APAC).  Although consumer confidence in APAC has declined in recent months, those declines have generally not been as steep as in Europe or North America.  Eight of the twelve markets for which Nielsen tracks ad spending posted growth in 2008 over 2007.  That said, most of the markets were registering declines by the fourth quarter.
Main media, defined by Nielsen as …

Global declines in consumer activity appear to be moderating or hitting bottom, according to the new edition of the Nielsen Economic Current, which is based on the company’s key consumer trend data as well economic data to create a concise indicator of consumer behavior.  Out of the 11 major GDP countries, only Germany showed an increase in consumer behavior in February.
“Consumers worldwide appear to be in a holding pattern and we see evidence that consumer spending might be positioned to turn around,” said James Russo, Vice President Global Consumer Insights …

Indians tend to be optimistic by default: there is a popular adage that “whatever is happening, that is for the good!”  But Indians have cause to be optimistic in the current economic environment as the global recession seems to only have just brushed India thus far.  According to Nielsen’s consumer confidence index for the second half of 2008, India had one of the highest rankings among the 52 markets the company conducted its survey.
The survey found that 77 percent of Indian respondents considered the state of their personal finances to …

Having a website may no longer be optional for India’s travel agents and operators, according to Nielsen and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
Nielsen and PATA’s most recent “India Outbound Travel Monitor” survey found that more than half of Indian travelers have used the Internet to search for information about destinations abroad. 
While traditional media like newspapers and magazines remain the primary source for travel advertising and information for many, the Internet has become a popular advertising channel, drawing greater attention from Indians traveling internationally.  
Among travelers from India’s smaller cities, the Internet …

In the wake of the global financial meltdown, India’s top business school graduates are most eager to work in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, according to Nielsen, which reported the results of its Campus Track B-School Survey on Monday.
Management Consulting (35% of respondents), Software/IT Consulting (23% of respondents), Foreign Banks, and Retailing (both 22% of respondents) rounded out the top five most popular sectors among students. 
“Preferences seem to have shifted in favor of large business conglomerates and the IT sector as a consequence of the current global financial turmoil.  …

Most global consumers agree that their countries have hit recession, but opinion on how long the recession will last remains mixed, Nielsen reported Wednesday.
While 53% of those surveyed by Nielsen think their country has hit a prolonged recession that will last more than 12 months, 18% of consumers, concentrated in a handful of emerging markets, like India, Vietnam, China, and Russia, told Nielsen they expect their countries to be out of recession within the next 12 months.
In contrast, consumers in Japan, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, Turkey, Italy, Taiwan, the U.S., and Spain were the …

Boosted by their country’s booming economy and armed with growing disposable incomes, Indians are increasingly venturing abroad for leisure and business travel. 
According to the Nielsen India Outbound Travel Monitor 2008, most international travelers from India are well-educated urbanites.  Countries in Asia — Singapore (24% of Indians), Dubai, Australia, and Malaysia (17% of Indians, respectively) — are the most popular destinations for India’s new travel elite. 
Overall, Asian destinations account for 72% of international leisure trips and 63% of business trips originating in India, Nielsen reported.  In comparison, travel to Europe accounts for just …

Mobile Internet users in the growing Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) mobile markets are likely to visit entertainment-themed websites while on the go, according to a report released Tuesday by Nielsen.
Meanwhile users across the U.S. and Europe commonly use their phones to access news and information online, Nielsen found. 
Entertainment, gaming, and music websites rank among the top five categories visited via the mobile Web in all four BRIC countries, while email, weather, news, and search are the top categories for both American and European mobile Internet users. 
In the U.S., entertainment, …

Just one in seven people with savings in India are aware of mutual fund investment opportunities, Livemint.com (India) reported Tuesday.
Mutual funds are most popular in urban areas, as well as in northern India and in well-developed western states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, according to Kalyan Karmakar, Associate Director, Customized Research, Nielsen. 
Meanwhile, investors in the eastern and the southern regions of the country still focus on land and gold, Karmakar noted.
“There is a huge portion of India which is yet to participate and be a part of the mutual fund bandwagon,” he told Livemint.
Learn …

Nielsen announced Thursday that it will join forces with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) to study travel consumers in India. 
Based on a sample of 2,000 respondents across 10 cities in India and updated annually, the Indian Outbound Travel Monitor will explore the behavior and considerations of Indian travelers when planning for, during, and after a trip abroad. 
The Monitor, which will track travelers’ destination preferences and travel decision-making processes, aims to help tourism professionals identify and optimize growth opportunities in India.
The Indian outbound travel market has expanded by nearly 10% annually …