AGB Index: Measuring Personal Finance By Continuous Consumer Panel Research

After health, personal wealth is one of the most important determinants of behavioural patterns. It is also a very private and confidential matter. Not surprisingly, therefore, it has always been considered an extremely difficult area to research. To operate an effective, continuous research measurement providing usable quantified data on personal finance was the challenge that AGB Research decided to tackle in the late 70's when the competitive consumer advertising and marketing in this sector of the British economy increased in level and intensity. As the poet indicated, it seemed prudent to temper boldness with caution and research carefully the methodology and the scope of the research. A dipstick check, rather than a continuous monitor, of personal savings was carried out successfully by AGB INTOMART in Holland in 1976, and in 1977 a test market of a continuous consumer panel measurement of spending, credit and savings was conducted by AGB in the North and South of Britain, supported by 12 financial and marketing companies. The name INDEX was an abbreviation for “Indicator of Discretionary Expenditure” but was such an appropriate brand name that it was retained when the credit savings sectors were included in the measurement.