Data-Adviser Ivo Bock

🔍 The Future of Market Research Data: Integration and Flexibility in Focus The days when data was sourced from just a single provider are over. 🌐 Modern companies now rely on their own systems, which enable the integration of various data sources—including highly sensitive data like margins—that would never be included in the systems of market research institutes. Thanks to advanced technologies, today’s data management systems can easily handle diverse data sources: from retail panel and household panel data to store-based information 🛒 and promotion data from service providers. The glue that holds all of this together is the GTIN code, which is now available in high quality—including product reference data—through GS1. This flexibility allows companies to source certain data from one institute and other data from another. ✔️ This is not only strategically sound to maximize data quality or coverage but also crucial for managing costs efficiently. 📈 Service providers and data integrators specializing in this type of data integration are giving businesses even more options. They enable flexibility and enhanced analytics capabilities, making it easier for companies to break free from the restrictions imposed by institutes. The goal of these restrictions is often to create dependency and, in turn, to push through annual price increases effortlessly. 💡 We must not forget: market research should empower FMCG companies by delivering precise analyses that generate insights, offering them at least a short-term competitive edge. 🏆 Over-standardization by market research institutes works against this goal—flexibility and a variety of data sources are the keys to success! 🔑 #nielseniq #niq #gfk #gs1 #circana #kantar

📊 Die Entscheidung von Aldi und Lidl, ihre Scannerdaten ab Januar 2025 zur Verfügung zu stellen, ist sicherlich ein Schritt, der von vielen begrüßt wird. Allerdings sollten wir nicht vergessen, dass diese Daten bereits indirekt über Haushaltspanels von NielsenIQ und GfK YouGov erfasst wurden. Die „neuen“ Daten sind also weniger neu, sondern ermöglichen es uns vielmehr, die bisherigen Schätzungen genauer zu validieren. Wichtig ist aber auch, dass dies nicht nur in Deutschland vollzogen wird, sondern auch in anderen europäischen Ländern ansteht. ⚖️ Handelspanelanbieter wie Circana und NielsenIQ sollten auch weiterhin stark auf Haushaltspanels setzen. Diese Panels bieten eine Art Versicherung 🛡️, falls Handelsunternehmen ihre Kooperationen vorübergehend aussetzen. Genauso wie Produkte 🛒 aus den Regalen verschwinden können, könnten auch Daten gestoppt werden, wenn Unstimmigkeiten zwischen Handel und Institut auftreten. Die enge Zusammenarbeit 🤝 von Circana mit dem GfK-YouGov-Panel, das nun auf 50.000 Haushalte erweitert wird (NielsenIQ auf 30.000 HH), zeigt, dass dies verstanden wurde. 🔄 Ein altbekanntes Problem bleibt jedoch bestehen: Die Aufschlüsselung von Artikeln in Mischkartons 📦, wie sie bei Aldi und Lidl häufig vorkommen. Selbst die Discounter kennen oft nicht den genauen Split der verkauften Geschmacksrichtungen 🍌🍓. Dieses Problem wird durch die Scannerdaten nicht gelöst – hier wären individuelle Codes pro Variante erforderlich. 🔍 Spannend wird es auch, wie granular die Daten von Aldi und Lidl tatsächlich sein werden, besonders bei Eigenmarken 🏷️. Häufig werden Informationen maskiert 🛑, was die Analysen erschwert. 💡 Insgesamt bleibt abzuwarten, welche neuen Insights diese Daten wirklich liefern werden. Sicher wird sich NielsenIQ daran messen lassen müssen, insbesondere im Vergleich zu einer sicherlich stattfindenden Preiserhöhung 💸. Ein Blick 👀 in die Verträge hilft zu verstehen, ob Sonderkündigungsrechte bei einer besonders hohen Preisanpassung vereinbart wurden. 🏆 Glücklicherweise gibt es in Deutschland einen funktionierenden Wettbewerb im Bereich der Handelspanel-Marktforschung, der aus Circana (ehemals IRI) und NielsenIQ besteht. #nielseniq #circana #gfk #yougov https://lnkd.in/eqY8kHXX

"Quote prices that will yield a fair profit. Never change your price unless warranted by a change in specifications." How would we perceive a company with this principle today? 🤔 Would we trust it, or dismiss it as mere rhetoric? For me, this corporate code from Arthur Charles Nielsen, written in 1931, holds significant value. 💡 It built strong trust and fostered long-term contracts with clients. 🤝 However, in today’s market research industry, I often see my clients facing arbitrary price increases, hidden hikes through service reductions, or charges for services that were once included. 📉 Is this erosion of trust inevitable, or can we return to the principles that create lasting partnerships? 🔄💬 #TrustInBusiness #FairPricing #MarketResearch #ClientRelationships #LongTermSuccess #nielsenIQ #Circana #Gfk #Kantar

Daten-Direktbezug bei Globus: Eine spannende Entwicklung für die FMCG-Industrie 🔍 Dass Globus seine Daten direkt an die Industrie verkauft, ist eine großartige Nachricht! 🎉 Für FMCG-Unternehmen bietet das eine riesige Chance: Sie können nun Abverkaufsdaten auf Einzelshopebene analysieren und ihre Preis- und Promotionsmodelle selbst gestalten – und das weitaus kostengünstiger als über die traditionellen Marktforschungsinstitute. 🛒📊 Ein weiterer Vorteil: Die Integration von Loyalty-Daten eröffnet tiefere Einblicke in die Shopper Journey. Somit entstehen noch bessere Möglichkeiten, das Verhalten der Konsumenten besser zu verstehen und gezielte Maßnahmen abzuleiten. 🔎👥 Mein Wunsch? Dass die FMCG-Unternehmen auch wirklich Zugriff auf alle Daten erhalten – inklusive Eigenmarken und Wettbewerber. Nur so lassen sich fundierte Analysen erstellen. Im „eigenen Saft“ zu schmoren, bringt wenig. 🧃 Insgesamt ein toller Schritt in Richtung Unabhängigkeit: Mit eigenen Data Warehouses wird die Abhängigkeit von den zunehmend dominanteren Marktforschungsinstituten reduziert, deren aktueller Fokus die Gewinnmaximierung mit fragwürdigen Ansätzen ist. 📈🚀 #Datenstrategie #FMCG #ShopperInsights #DataWarehouse #Marktforschung #RetailAnalytics #Globus #Kaufland https://lnkd.in/eMFUem96

❓ DATA DEMOCRATIZATION IN MARKET RESEARCH: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY? Data democratization is advancing rapidly thanks to new technologies. In market research, product attributes – such as packaging size, brand, or ingredients – play a crucial role in segmenting and analyzing sales data in a meaningful way. 💡 Without these attributes, the data is barely usable for customers. But did you know that there is no central product information database available for institutes to access? Instead, they classify this data independently – often still manually, in stores, or with the help of manufacturers and online research. This process is very resource-intensive. In the past, these tasks were often outsourced abroad, which frequently led to significant declines in data quality. 🆓 In my opinion, institutes should increasingly rely on standards such as “Verified by GS1” to centrally cover most product attributes. This would reduce costs and allow more resources to be used to close gaps where GS1 doesn’t provide coverage, such as product attributes for private labels or customer-specific requirements. ❗ It is surprising, however, that some institutes are now charging an additional fee for reference data – which, in my view, is unjustifiable. The use of these attributes has always been part of the service. Rather than leveraging innovative approaches like artificial intelligence or shared data pools to create synergies, this route is being taken as a disguised price increase. 🛑 Customers facing such demands should be aware that not all market research institutes charge an extra fee for this data, and that there are also alternative sources for this information that are freely available. Under no circumstances should an additional fee be accepted for data that has always been an integral part of the licensed service. #MarketResearch #Innovation #DataDemocratization #DataQuality #verifiedbygs1

Back to work after a relaxing holiday – or should I say, almost relaxing. My day-to-day never left me, as I flew with the airline Discover – a name that haunts me daily thanks to my clients in the market research space. Ironically, a general strike with Discover led to numerous issues, of course at the expense of the customers. Does this sound familiar? Some discoveries, it seems, are better left undiscovered...

The report on the enhanced integration of POS data in the UK is great news for FMCG customers, as these channels have largely been a blind spot. Fortunately, in the UK, retailers do not grant exclusive contracts to a single market research firm. Instead, this information is also available to other companies like Circana. In the US, however, NIQ and Circana are competing for exclusive contracts with retailers to gain a USP. In my view, this is not beneficial for either the retailer or the FMCG customers overall, and I am curious to see how Kroger in the US will decide in the future (currently, only Circana offers key account data here). In any case, customers should thoroughly engage in negotiations about the coverage, also assess its quality (census, scanning sample, hidden audit projection) and the granularity of product data. Depending on the FMCG company, certain channels may be more or less important. #NIQ #CIRCANA #KEYACCOUNTDATA #MarketResearch https://lnkd.in/g8RyUyEt

22 leaders of the world’s biggest retail and consumer goods companies, present in over 160 countries, have come together to call for the transition to QR Codes powered by GS1 Read the Industry Global Joint Statement and learn how to get ready https://bit.ly/4cg10ZR #GS1Barcode50 #Scanniversary #QRCode #PoweredByGS1

"Data is the new oil. It's valuable, but if it can only be refined by one refinery, we are using only a very small portion of its great potential." If two or more of the following statements apply to you, then we should talk, because I can help you properly address these issues and develop a strategy for current or future negotiations: 💸 The COST of my market research data has significantly increased. 🧘♂️ The FLEXIBILITY to adjust my contract volume to future changes is zero. 💸 The COSTS of my service providers are rising because they have to re-license the data I already licensed from the institutes. 🔗 Integration COSTS are incurred if I want to store my already licensed data in my own internal system. ♻ Data EXTRACTION from online systems is significantly limited and only expanded through an additional fee. 🆘 I feel that my supplier prioritizes PROFITABILITY far ABOVE SERVICE. #Circana #NIQ #ConsumerPanelServicesGfK #Kantar

This article from "Planung und Analyse" contains two very explosive pieces of information. I am very curious to see how this collaboration will continue to develop for the benefit of customers and what this means for other countries outside Germany. 1) The panel leadership will remain in the hands of GfK Consumer / Yougov. NIQ will remain well below the household panel with GfK Consumer / Yougov - even after their panel-boost. 2) The use of Circana's (IRI) more mature platform will certainly offer all Circana clients the opportunity to analyze consumer data together with retail data. #NIQ #NIELSENIQ #GFK #Yougov #Nielsen #CIRCANA #IRI #CONSUMERPANEL https://lnkd.in/gwugggYs