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| Homes and Property: The Global Picture |
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A universal interest?
However, we should not assume this enthusiasm is universal; a third of South Africans* say home décor is of no particular interest to them and 48% of people in Turkey* say they only fix things around the house if they absolutely have to. Across Western Europe the greatest interest in DIY and home and garden tends to come from the middle aged sector of the market and from those in the higher socio-economic levels – consumers who are more settled in their homes and more able to spend money on improvements.
Alternative means of brand promotion
These concerns, along with a relaxation of government restrictions in some countries, are prompting brand owners to look at new means of promoting themselves on TV. One alternative is product placement, which has been used in the US for years; half of Americans don’t mind brand name products being used in TV programmes and a quarter say they would remember brands shown in their favourite show. In other countries, sponsorship is a more common option, although only 18% of people in Greece and 6% in Ireland say they tend to buy products from companies who sponsor TV programmes.
About TGI
The Global TGI network operates single-source consumer and media studies in over 50 countries worldwide. Used by brand owners, media owners and agencies, it measures consumers' product and brand usage, media consumption and attitudes, based on large samples - over 700,000 respondents annually worldwide. A typical survey will cover around 4,000 brands and 500 product categories.
TGI was originally developed in the UK by BMRB, one of the UK's leading marketing research companies. BMRB is part of the KMR Group, which markets TGI globally.
In East Africa Consumer Insight have the sole rights to conduct TGI in this region. The first survey was conducted in 2005 in the 3 countries and since then Consumer insight has continued to conduct the study in East Africa. This is one of the largest surveys in this region with a sample size of 18,000 across 30 towns in this region.
Source: Global TGI
Contact
Githinji Njogu – Branded Research Manager: 020-535809/536765
www.ciafrica.com , gnjogu@ciafrica.com
Getting on the property ladder
In recent years, the media spotlight has been firmly on the booming property market in some parts of the world. Affordability is a key issue; in highly developed markets such as Britain, New Zealand and Canada home ownership stands at only around 60 - 70% of the population, and a third to half of these buyers are currently paying off mortgages.
In contrast, in East Africa (where they are a much newer concept) mortgage levels are much lower - for example, only 9% of Kenyan home-owners currently have a mortgage. They are similarly unusual in Latin America, often because people find it difficult to obtain official loans and because in some regions they inhabit houses before they can afford to finish building them.
The pressure to get a foot on the property ladder can clearly be stressful – in China*, for example, 69% of people say they will only feel stable once they have bought their own home.
Home sweet home
Bought or rented, it’s clear that for most of us, our homes provide a welcome retreat. In most countries, a majority say they enjoy entertaining at home, including around half of people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (although only 40% of people in Singapore agree likewise). The British and Polish are similarly home oriented, with two thirds of them liking to spend much of their time there. Likewise, almost 70% of Americans consider their homes ‘an important part of who they are’.
Keeping up appearances
It’s therefore not surprising that many of us take considerable pride in the appearance of our houses. Three quarters of Kenyans describe their homes as ‘lively and colourful’, nearly 80% of Peruvians* and over two thirds of Indians** say they are always looking for new ideas to improve their homes and 53% of Saudi Arabians* change the decorations at home as often as they can.
Property and the media
The popularity of property and DIY features in the media also seems a clear indication of our enthusiasm. 43% of Brits ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ watch property or DIY programmes on TV. In East Africa*,half of people say magazines give them ideas on how to improve their homes and 37% are interested by property articles in the press. Similarly, 39% of Germans are interested in home and garden articles and 34% of French people in DIY related pieces.
