Market Dominance In Hands Of Three Brands

TNS Norms Surveys More Than 300,000 Regional Consumers And Shows Marketers Need To Re-Visit Campaign Strategy

Dubai, UAE April 2014: A newly-published benchmark programme from TNS reveals that most business categories in the region are made up of three dominant brands.

According to Steve Hamilton-Clark, CEO, TNS MENA, the TNS Norms research shows that there is generally a market leader and two challengers present, each vying for the largest chunk of market share.

He said the Norms programme is ‘unique to TNS’ and cited a recent delve into the FMCG sector that places 75 per cent of market share in the hands of a trio.

“Our ‘Brand Health’ Norms programme has unearthed what we are calling ‘The Rule of Three’.  This is when consistent patterns of ‘market share inequality’ are present, often with three brands taking three quarters of the market,” Hamilton-Clark said. TNS is one of the world’s largest custom market research organisations.

He confirmed that the Norms findings come from a strong base comprising more than 300,000 consumers conversations, region-wide.

“We have gathered ample insight enabling us to model key behavioural and attitudinal metrics upon which marketing strategies can be based,” explained Hamilton-Clark.

He observed that in the main consumers are resource-poor, information-starved, energy-optimising decision makers who decide on their perceived best course of action by taking mental shortcuts.

“The emergence of market share inequalities with market leaders taking more than their fair share seems to indicate that marketers must work differently to get the message right. They must ensure that the message is relevant, timely and present at the right point on the consumer’s path to purchase,” Hamilton-Clark concluded.

TNS MENA’s unique syndicated programme, ‘TNS Brand Health Tracking Norms’, reflects actual consumer decision-making, with specific focus on Middle Eastern brands. The benchmark spans more than 120 brands, including 45+ FMCG, durable and financial categories across the GCC region.