Marketing Research Foundation releases population Updated AMPS 2016

Following the support from a significant number of South Africa’s top advertisers for a new subscription based replacement for AMPS, the MRF has been hard at work preparing for the replacement for AMPS – to be called MAPS – to be available from mid-2018. In parallel with that work, the MRF decided to commission an update to the final AMPS survey, reweighting the datafiles to the most current 2016 population estimates as provided by IHS, which had traditionally provided the annual population estimates for the AMPS® releases. This bridge between AMPS and MAPS is available to marketers and agencies free of charge.
The new MAPS survey will build on the legacy of AMPS, but with an enhanced consumer based product and brand focus. It will be a fully national single source study built and controlled by marketers, independent of any research house or media owner interests. It will also contain exciting additional elements that will give marketers deeper insights into consumer attitudes and behaviour towards brands, and powerfully enhanced segmentation based on marketers needs.

With the demise of AMPS, and MAPS only being released in 2018, there would be a three-year data gap for marketers. The 2016 population updated AMPS thus provides something of 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.
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 contacting the MRF. Email us on mrf@mrfsa.co.za.

Note:
The Marketing Research Foundation (Formerly SAARF) is an independent non-profit company, acting as the custodian and repository of research expertise for marketers and their advertising industry partners. Its main objectives are to establish, commission and manage comprehensive, valid, reliable, and continuous consumer behaviour research, surveys, investigations and reports that provide data for targeting and segmentation, as well as multi-product/brand usage and multi-media information that reflects the totality and complexity of the South African society.
Issued by the Marketing Research Foundation (MRF)
For more information contact:
Greg Garden
Tel: 011 463 5340
Mobile: 082 902 3328
Greg.Garden@marketingsa.co.za