Challenge
A leading global financial services firm wanted to better understand how consumer behaviours and attitudes were changing across key markets, to inform branding, digital product, and investment decisions.
Despite having internal data, they needed a reliable external approach to uncover cross-market patterns and country-specific insights. These insights would help them to build brand equity, validate ideas, and guide investments in fast-moving sectors like e-commerce, social media, and energy.
These sectors are closely tied to consumer lifestyles, digital habits, and sustainability trends. The firm wanted a clearer picture of how people viewed their brand and how shifting opinions could affect future growth.
They needed a research partner who could quickly and consistently run a multi-market program, while meeting strict privacy and legal standards. The data collection and analysis had to comply with regulations in each market and deliver clear, actionable insights to stakeholders.
Approach
The Profiles team at Kantar worked closely with the client to design and run consumer surveys across multiple regions, including North and South America. The program was split into three research streams: (1) brand equity tracking to measure consumer perception and brand strength across markets, (2) behavioural trends to identify shifts in preferences and digital engagement, and (3) investment-surveys to understand how economic changes influence consumer choices.
The investment-focused survey, in particular, helped identify new consumer segments and shaped recommendations for energy-related investments.
Kantar managed the full research process, including survey design, programming, translations, data processing, and quality assurance. The team also handled sample quotas by region and income, and delivered clean, validated data that highlighted emerging segments.
For each wave, Kantar delivered:
-SPSS data files, banner tables, and raw datasets
-Status reports with timelines and fieldwork updates
- Legally approved survey language for privacy compliance across regions
Insight
Findings from these studies showed how consumer behaviour was evolving across markets, for example, where consumers were trading down in certain categories or shifting to online channels. These insights helped the firm confirm internal hypotheses and anticipate how broader economic trends could affect energy sector performance.
The energy-focused study, specifically, provided new insights into consumer sentiment around transportation and cost concerns, guiding strategic recommendations for energy investments.
Today the firm continues to partner with Kantar across the US, APAC, South America, and Europe, collaborating on a range of strategic projects—from global reports that identify cross-market patterns to country-specific insights that inform marketing decisions.
Impact
Across all survey waves, the firm used Kantar’s insights to:
- Refine brand messaging and strengthen brand equity globally
-Support investment decisions with credible data
-Prioritise markets based on emerging behavioural and attitudinal trends
- Align teams around a consistent, trusted source of consumer intelligence
By combining high-quality data with actionable analysis, the partnership helped the firm move from assumptions to evidence, using consumer insights to drive both brand and business strategy.