http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/research-news/ Marketing and Market Research News from Asia en-us Thu, 14 Aug 2003 20:17:10 +0800 http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/images/amricon.gif http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/research-news/ 88 31 Asia Market Research dot com's August update to the Asian Consumer Growth Prospects Index is marked by the first tentative upturn for the long suffering Japanese consumer market, more confidence in the Chinese consumer market with the containment of SARS, and a quite substantive uptick for India (and to a lesser extent Pakistan), where decreased tensions with each other has reduced country risk significantly. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000317.htm According to one Asian based consumer market and brand research company, the proportion of Requests for Proposals for market research so far this year reduced for China and East Asia, and increased for Thailand. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000316.htm Similar to the yuppies of the 80's, Asian women are earning and spending, but this newly found wealth is part of a newly found freedom as well as an economic evolution. According to a recent study in Thailand a key female demographic go on brand shopping sprees four times a month. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000309.htm Latest data on recent tourist arrivals to Thailand reveals major plunges in the usually leading incoming tourist countries of Japan and China but less or nil affect on travel from Europe and Australia. Nobody really knows when the travel and tourism industry and business travel in Thailand and South East Asia will rebound now that all ASEAN countries apart from Singapore are seen as 'SARS free'. Best guesses are that it will be a gradual and steady recovery. Managing perceptions is key. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000305.htm Market research is an essentially social activity when it requires primary data collection among consumers. While much publicity on the effects of SARS in China has been focused on the airline, health-care, tourism, and restaurant industries, secondary effects are wide ranging. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000302.htm April's Asian Consumer Growth Index, AMR's index of consumer growth prospects for the next 12 months, shows almost all of the 12 economies surveyed on the decline, in particular Hong Kong, Singapore and China. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000299.htm SARS is already perceived as a greater threat to the sustainability of the market research and advertising business in Asia than the war on Iraq according to a quick survey of major market research and advertising agency executives based in Asia yesterday. Postponements and cancellations of projects due to inability to attend briefings and observe focus groups by clients are the major cause http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000294.htm There's a bull-fight shaping up in Thailand for the TV ratings measurement market with Video Research Japan announcing this week that they have developed Thailand's 'most accurate audience measurement technology' following two years of research and development by their local unit Video Research International (Thailand). http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000291.htm War is on the minds of many consumers in Asia, possibly causing many to delay purchases due to increased unknowns from an anticipated war in Iraq. Both foreign and domestic investment has also slowed in most Asian equity markets this month. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000289.htm It was only a matter of time before the center of the IT and computer programming world moved towards Asia. A new IDC report estimates that the Asia Pacific will house more computer programmers than any other region including North America and Europe by 2006. http://www.asiamarketresearch.com/news/000285.htm Copyright 2002, Asia Market Research dot com rdavies@asiamarketresearch.com webmaster@asiamarketresearch.com