Summary
This brief article provides examples of failed semiotics and discusses the difficulties in communicating meaning clearly to different cultural groups. He describes situations in which intended meanings have not been understood, and cautions that it is necessary to check that these meanings translate to target groups successfully.

Summary
This article lists five challenges that brands must overcome in a social and mobile-centric world: these challenges are termed "insults" by the author, as chief marketing officers seem insulted by the implications that brands must learn to retell its story due to these emerging digital formats. The five insults are: that most emerging middle-class consumers haven’t heard of most global brands; that social media must be a central part of brand building; that the small mobile interface is the first touchpoint between a brand and a consumer; that customers are less attentive to marketing messages; and that there is a lack of transparency in social media and measurement.

Summary
This paper outlines how convenience foods and western convenience food culture is starting to take a foothold in emerging and developing economies around the world. As consumers in these countries become wealthier, local and global brands are responding with products that make preparing and eating food faster and simpler – but without sacrificing important cultural traditions or compromising on taste or freshness. Examples of different brands and markets are discussed, including the popularity of powdered drinks, which range from milk flavourings to fruit juices. Innovation in products, marketing and packaging plays a key part in growing these convenience food brands, as manufacturers adapt to changing consumer needs and habits in different territories. The paper sees an opportunity for brands to introduce new products into emerging markets into categories that are currently under-developed, such as ready-made ingredients and ready meals.

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.