Research News South Africa

Free update to Amps 2015 database out now

Pending the release of the replacement for Amps - to be called Maps - available from mid-2018, the new Marketing Research Foundation (MRF) has released an update to the Amps 2015 database, using the 2016 SA population statistics.
Roman Fedin ©
Roman Fedin © 123RF.com

Since the release of the final Amps survey for the full 2015 year, brand owners and media agencies have not had single source data that relates to current population figures. This has resulted in media planning based on a snapshot of the South African market as it was two years ago.

This bridge between Amps and Maps is available to marketers and agencies free of charge.

The 2016 population updated Amps provide a bridge as an interim measure leading to the first release of Maps. It gives a clearer picture of population shifts and brings the Amps data more in line with current media currency data. This update will also result in Maps data with more stable population shifts than would have been the case after a 3-year period.

Larger population shifts

The application of the 2016 year-end population update to the 2015 Amps® (which was based on 2015 mid-year statistics) results in an 18-month period between population updates, and population shifts are thus indeed larger than previously seen. This new release reveals a 4.0% increase in the Amps® Universe of 15+. The population has grown by 1,519,000 adults from 38,259,000 to 39,778,000. Users should note that changes in market shares therefore only reflect the trended updated population, and are not real brand movements, as the base survey data is obviously unchanged.

The Amps 2016 update is available with immediate effect from the usual market research software houses. Brands that have not yet indicated their interest in the new Maps survey are invited to do so by emailing az.oc.asfrm@frm.

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