FMCG Manufacturers Study Consumer Behavior With Unprecedented Intimacy

Manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are going beyond the usual consumer research, using intimate studies that increasingly rely on new media such as blogs and social networking Web sites to gain a clearer understanding of why consumers behave the way they do. Aside from direct-to-the-customer studies, FMCG companies also rely on various experts, such as historians, psychologists, and anthropologists, to tailor their messages to customers’ needs, requirements, and specific socio-economic conditions. Because FMCG vendors demand accurate consumer data, which has helped unveil ethnic and cultural differences in consumer preferences, consumer research is a fast growing business.