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 …

Almost half of consumers around the world say that the recession is changing how they buy non-prescription medications. Some (12%) say that they will use less of them, while others are switching to natural and traditional remedies.  According to a major new study from Nielsen, how consumers self-medicate and choose non-prescription medications varies widely by region.  For example, more than half of Europeans tend to look to their pharmacist for advice on which products to use, while only 13 percent of Americans do the same.
Most consumers said that they would …

Do perceptions of physical appearance — specifically, what constitutes a healthy weight — vary throughout the world?
According to a recent 52-country survey by Nielsen, some of these attitudes are universal: almost two-thirds (60%) of the world’s population struggle with their weight — 50% with overweight and 10% with underweight issues.
But as Jonathan Banks, Business Insights Director, Nielsen, notes in the January issue of Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” online newsletter, tactics for paring pounds — and body image — vary by country.
North Americans, for instance, self-identify as “very overweight” at double the …

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 …

Advertising in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America grew by 1.5%, year-over-year, in the second quarter of 2008, Nielsen reported Wednesday.
Strong advertising growth in the Asia-Pacific region (+7.6% over Q2 2007) drove the increase, according to data released in Nielsen’s latest Global AdView Pulse report.
Ad spending trends worldwide showed significant variations — with overall advertising declines recorded in North America (-1%) and Europe (-3%).