Summary
This report discusses recent marketing activity by Gillette, a shaving brand owned by Procter & Gamble, in India. The brand owner has adopted a new strategy for the subcontinent, basing its approach around social "movements", seeing the target as individuals, not just consumers. In order to create such a movement for a brand, marketers are advised to find social and cultural tension points, aim to tap the collective unconscious with a marketing message and stimulate conversation via ads. From a corporate point of view, P&G concentrates on getting internal support for a campaign among employees and to aim for an "agile" structure to allow for rapid decision-making.

Summary
This article looks into social media usage trends among the Hispanic population in the US, based on analysis of Wave, a global tracking study run by UM, the media agency. Hispanics have been leading the way in social media uptake in the US and are ahead of other groups in their level of interactivity. This is due to Hispanics' comparatively high smartphone ownership and their desire to share content aimed at their communities - a trend which opens the door for marketers. The key point of difference is their general communal attraction to one another - Hispanic populations cluster in large cities - and pride in their culture. Two key trends are also discussed: social shopping and geo-location sharing. The article concludes with advice for marketers in reaching Hispanic consumers via social touchpoints.

Summary
This article looks at how the value of respect has declined in India and the social trends that have contributed to the change. The author argues that this development has led to a culture in which personal respect is demanded but rarely given. He calls on brands to fulfil this desire for respect by focusing on customer retention and consistently aiming to meet needs, rather than merely acquiring new customers. Brands which take this action now will demonstrate a real point of differentiation in the short term and be better equipped to compete in the long term, when respect for customers becomes a basic operating requirement. Areas in which brands can demonstrate greater respect include customers’ time, business, opinion and intelligence.

Summary
Disney, as with many brands in China, has faced a problem with copycats. But while fake handbags and running shoes are one thing, attempting to closely replicate an entire theme park is quite another. In such a context, the important thing for the US company is to understand shoppers better than its rivals. Given the speed of change observable in Chinese consumer culture, the firm is attempting both to gain an appreciation of current preferences, and to try and anticipate what alteration they may undergo by the time its planned theme park in Shanghai opens in 2015.

Summary
This paper provides some general advice for brand owners planning a global launch, and features insights from experts and senior leaders at ANA member companies on creating, developing, and maintaining lasting brand value globally. Many marketers remain unsatisfied with their global strategy, meaning that executing a multi-market launch remains difficult. But there are some general points of advice to follow: use a fixed brand positioning, focus on universal truths, tell a powerful story, find the right organisational structure and be open to ideas from offices around the world. Examples of successful brand launch strategies cited by the paper include Coca-Cola, Mazda, Magnum and Terracycle.

Summary
This paper identifies four key misconceptions held by Western marketers and researchers that impact the ability to understand consumers in emerging Asian markets. These are: 1. "Emerging" means becoming more like developed Western countries. 2. Best research practices derive from underlying scientific principles and these principles apply across all countries. 3. The primary research challenges in Asian markets are largely a matter of infrastructure and skills levels of local researchers. 4. Getting the language translation correct is all that really matters. Each of these beliefs is countered with an in-depth analysis of local, cultural understandings and the paper proposes countermeasures to reduce the impact of these misconceptions: recognise the potential for bias and abandon preconceptions, add divergent thinking to the study design process, work closely with local staff and channel partners and demand more from local research agency partners.

Summary
This paper argues that India is an untapped market for the creation of innovative, belief-based brands and that researchers are well-placed to help Indian marketers see these opportunities. Areas of particular growth potential are discussed, including targeting older consumers with disposable income and middle-aged men who are the first of their generation in India to be experiencing mid-life crises. It also identifies respect as a value that brands can pander to in a nation where individualism is growing. Market research agencies can assist marketers in developing these opportunities by providing knowledge management and segmentation data, as well as insights into demographic shifts and product consumption.

Summary
This paper reports on a study that decoded the different cultural and generational meanings of colour in China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, in order to provide brands with a better understanding of the impact and implications of their colour choices. The research is based on findings from a market research online community of "nowsumers", whose close connection to digital and mobile technology enables the collection of constant ethnographic data ("24/7 diginography"). The paper includes an investigation of aspects of these consumers' everyday lives, with emphasis on their non-spoken observations in relation to colour symbolism.

Summary
This round-up of the ESOMAR Asia Pacific conference has the guiding theme of the need to differentiate approaches across Asian markets and not to treat the region as a monolithic bloc of like-minded consumers. Among the themes covered by individual presentations are co-creation, the "myth" of global branding, female empowerment, research and rationality, the use of online communities and the rise of people-centric research. The report concludes with discussion of client views on MR, with advice for what clients want to see more of from their agencies.

Summary
This paper offers a semiotic analysis and cultural exploration of masculinity in India, providing a comprehensive examination of the codes that have defined Indian masculinity from antiquity to the present day. The analysis draws on history, popular culture, sociology (impact of the caste system), religion, and emergent Indian feminism. It also focuses on the implications of today's conflicted Indian masculinity for businesses and marketers, as they develop culturally relevant brand positioning and communication strategies.