Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

According to the seven in ten U.S. adults (71%) who consider themselves holiday cooks, there are a number of challenges that arise when preparing holiday meals, according to a new survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Ipsos. Looking ahead to this coming holiday season, many of their meal planning concerns are the same, with cooking multiple dishes at the same time being the top concern (22%).

According to a new study by The NPD Group, the population growth of kids ages 2-17 increased 1.54% in the U.S., while the gaming population of that age group has grown 12.68%. Today, 91% of kids (approximately 64 million) ages 2-17 are gaming in the U.S. “Year-to-date through August 2011, kids comprised 44% of new physical software dollar sales, representing a vitally important consumer segment for the games industry,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Motion Picture/Video Production Studios. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

Consumers have successfully navigated to the online world for discovering and purchasing recorded music. But they are strongly attached to the concept of owning versus renting music. Music marketers must keep this consumer attitude in mind as they promote their offerings.

Despite a shaky economy, Americans still want to party and will spend to celebrate the season this year. According to a new survey by Interclick, median spending for holiday parties will be $350 per party, with overall spending potentially topping $3 billion this year. Christmas/Holiday party hosts report a median spend of $480 per party, compared to Halloween ($280 per party) and New Year’s Eve ($300 per party).

More than half of U.S. children and adults have never received music education, though a majority (68%) thinks it’s important, says a new IBOPE Zogby poll commissioned by Primrose Schools. Over 70% of adults recognize that music education enhances children’s music appreciation, cognitive development and creativity. Early, consistent exposure to music has been found to support musical ability, language development, motor coordination, social skills and learning.