New survey planned to focus on trends in gift purchases and what gift buyers will be shopping for in 2010 and beyond

At the close of 2009 most economists believe the worst of the recession is over, but they also predict a slow recovery through 2010 and beyond.  Further marketers and retailers are not likely to find this year's holiday gift shopping season to be significantly better than last year -- even if it isn't any worse.  With the holiday gift shopping season drawing to a close, now is an ideal time for marketers and retailers to get ready for Christmas 2010 and beyond.

Marketers and retailers dependent upon the gifting consumer market have a unique opportunity to get a read on the consumers and their plans for gift giving throughout 2010  by sponsoring a new multi-client study of the gifting consumer market.

Unity Marketing, a research firm in the forefront of market research about the gift buying and giving behavior of American consumers, is ready to launch a new investigation into the gifting market.  Unity Marketing plans to conduct a survey among 1,000 recent gift buyers in early 2010 in order to capture the latest information about gift purchases for Christmas 2009 and plans for gift purchases through 2010.   This report will update the Unity Marketing's Gifting Report 2007: The Who, What, Where, How Much and Why of Gift Giving & Shopping.

Unity Marketing needs sponsors for the new multi-client research study of the gifting market.  Sponsors pay for the final research report up-front and in exchange they guide and direct our research efforts and provide invaluable input into the survey questionnaire.  They also get the earliest results from the survey.  

Becoming a sponsor is a 'no-brainer' for companies that rely upon market data to plan their promotion and marketing strategies for gift shoppers.  By becoming involved in the research process upfront, you can be assured that the final study will address your company's specific information needs.

Research sponsors needed for new study of the gift buying behavior of American shoppers

Your company can participate as a sponsor for the survey in order to have input into the survey questionnaire, receive early survey results, have your company's brand and key competitor brands included in the survey, and receive the final analysis report with all the latest data and consumer insights.

In order to make the research both relevant and actionable for marketers and retailers that compete in the gift-giving market, Unity Marketing needs a select group of companies to sponsor the research efforts.

Research sponsors define the objectives of the research investigation. Sponsors review the survey form and make recommendations that to refine the questions asked. They are afforded the opportunity to add exclusive questions to the survey study. They get the results of the research early and first in order to implement competitive marketing strategies ahead of the rest.

Best of all, the costs of research are shared so sponsors gain many of the benefits of a custom research study at less than one-tenth of the cost.

Sponsors will gain consumer insights that will give competitive advantage

The research study planned will include an in-depth survey of 1,000 recent gift buyers. The companies that sponsor this research will gain new an understanding about the mindset of the gift consumer, including the gifts they buy for holidays and other gift giving occasions, how they make their gift selections and their gift shopping experiences.  The research will focus specifically on the needs, desires and passions of the gift consumers, as well as those customers who enjoy shopping in specialty gift stores.

Giftware manufacturers and marketers, specialty gift retailers, national retail chains that seek to expand their market for giftware, including internet and direct marketers, and advertising agencies and sales representative firms that support giftware marketers and retailers will benefit from the new insights into the giftware consumers' and the gift store shoppers' mindset.

The results of the survey will provide sponsors with these important insights that will improve their marketing and business planning:

• Gifting behavior by holiday and occasion: Discover key characteristics of the gifting market, such as on what holidays and occasions consumers buy gifts, how many people they buy gifts for and how much they spend. The survey will also reveal what range of products people choose for gifts, what drives their selection of particular gifts and what drives their selection of stores to shop for gifts.
• Demographics of the gifting market: How many households buy gifts, what types of gifts do they buy, how much they spend, where they shop for specific types of gifts and what are the different demographic segments within the gifts market (e.g. HHI, age, size, composition, education, etc.)
• Gifts market buying behavior: What are the primary characteristics of the consumers' buying behavior related to different gifts? What makes a good gift? What attributes and qualities make gifters want to buy? Where do they shop for these items; how do they decide to purchase one item over another? What is the role of brand in gifting buying behavior? What is the purchase incidence and spending on key categories of gifts?
• Psychographic profile and segmentation of the gifting market: The psychographic profile of gift consumers reveals their different drives and motivations in purchasing gifts. What factors are more or less important in driving gift purchasing decisions? How can gifts marketers and retailers better understand the hearts and minds of their consumers and use that insight to capture a greater share of the consumers' gifting budget? In essence we reveal "why people buy gifts."

Over 60 Specific Gift Products Will Be Studied

Over 60 specific categories of gift items within nine major categories of goods and services are detailed. The major categories of gifts include:

• Consumables (such as food, candy, wine, gift baskets, etc.)
• Clothing and/or fashion accessories (such as handbags, shoes, wallets, etc.)
• Jewelry and/or watches
• Personal care products (such as cosmetics, perfumes, bath products, etc.)
• Home furnishings and household operations products (such as home furnishings, decorative accents, housewares, home textiles, china, glass and tableware, small household appliances)
• Giftables (such as flowers, candles, figurines, collectibles, crafting kits and supplies, seasonal decorations, gifts for pets and/or other popular gift-type items)
• Entertainment and/or recreation goods (such as books, toys, sporting goods, video/audio, DVDs and entertainment equipment, photographic equipment, computers, games, etc.)
• Store gift certificate and/or gift of cash
• Gifts of experience (such as spa treatments, dining and restaurants, vacations, trips, travel, special events, etc. which are often presented as a gift card or gift certificate)
• Alternative Gifts (such as gifts to charities, donations, etc.)

Sponsorships Available Now

By participating as a sponsor you are assured that your company's product categories, brands, key competitors and your company's most important consumer issues are addressed in the study.  As a sponsor you will receive the following:

• Review draft survey questionnaire making suggestions and recommendations, including product categories to be included in  the giftware survey and add key brands and 5-6 competitor brands.
• Topline results and cross-tabs delivered immediately after survey is conducted which will include answers to all survey questions.
• Final in-depth Gifting Report 2010 including all major findings from quantitative study.
• Telephone conference presentation of an executive summary of major findings with question and answer period.

About  Pam Danziger and Unity Marketing