China is experiencing an increasing emphasis on self-expression. For consumer companies, one consequence is that the importance of emotional considerations in purchase decisions is rising.

Social media is exploding worldwide, and China is leading the way. A new McKinsey survey of 5,700 Internet users in China—the first of its kind—explores the behavior of Chinese consumers on social networks.

German brand-based companies are doing better than ever—and this study shows what needs to be done to ensure that things remain this way.

Businesses looking to engage Brazil’s digital enthusiasts face a big problem: 65 percent of them are dissatisfied with their online purchase experience. Here is what companies need to do.

How well do you understand America's young consumers? Could you describe how they communicate, with what devices? These are half-trillion dollar questions—and McKinsey’s iConsumer can help to answer them.

For multinational corporations, the emerging-markets middle class is a promising frontier. But they will need to develop a nuanced understanding to reach these consumers.

Why and how banks should be investing in emerging markets.

Consumers expect their banks to give them what they want—even when they don't know what they want.

The strains of the current retail bank model are showing themselves, in the form of rising costs and falling loyalty. McKinsey asked 20,000 consumers in 13 countries about what they wanted. Here is what we found.

Who are Brazil's online shoppers? And how do they use the Internet? McKinsey asked thousands of Brazilians those questions. Here are the answers.

Consumer companies know China is important. To succeed there, though, they need to understand the economic and social changes that are redefining the way that Chinese consumers spend.

Retailers need to focus on the right mobile tactics to reach the anywhere-anytime mobile consumer and to combat "showrooming."

Rising incomes and increasingly sophisticated consumers could open the door to more mobile postpaid offerings for operators with the right strategies.

Many European retailers want to replicate the successful models applied by discount stores, but the results are mixed. Here is how to get it right.

Here is how to form a deeper relationship with your customers by creating an engagement ecosystem that reaches beyond your marketing team.

Europe looks like a big and resilient luxury market. But look closer: Most of the growth is coming from Chinese, Japanese and Russia tourists. What are European consumers thinking? And how should the market adapt to these trends?

Buying something is not just a destination; it is a journey of many steps.

The dynamics of China’s mobile phone market are changing, in particular the way that people buy their handsets. Who are the likely winners? And losers?

McKinsey takes a keen interest in the luxury market. Here is a sampling of some our most recent in-depth research on the subject.

McKinsey estimates that about 3 million Brazilians can afford luxury goods. Here is how to reach this ambitious and surprisingly youthful market.

In Asia, South America, and Africa, banks have undertaken lean transformations that have raised profits by 10 to 20 percent within a year. Here is how some leading institutions are using lean management to streamline their operations and expand their business.

Consumer goods companies desperately want to reach China’s millions of emerging customers. To do so, they will need multiple strategies.

The traditional mom-and-pop grocery store is being displaced by modern trade. What’s driving this change—and what’s next?

Mobile usage in new markets has been associated with the pay-as-you-go (or “pre-paid”) model. As incomes rise and prices fall, consumers are likely to shift to the contract (or “post-paid”) model. Here's what companies need to know to make the shift work to their advantage.

Asian banking consumers are changing the way they do their business. Here's how banks can adapt.

Brazil pharmacy retailers have every reason to be optimistic, with strong growth and a surging economy. But there will also be a shakeout. The winners will be those who adapt to three key trends.

American consumers have been using coupons with new enthusiasm. But is this a good thing for companies?

Digital, big data, ethnicity, polarization and other trends that are shaping the US retail landscape.

Economic growth is lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. Will players in telecoms, media, and high tech be prepared to meet their demands?

Once dominated by open-air markets and department stores, Russia’s apparel market now features upscale global boutiques. Foreign players will find the market fraught with considerable, but manageable, peril.

The rush to serve India’s growing middle class has concentrated on the cities—but there’s rupees to be made in rural areas too.

 Prosperous and tech-savvy, Poland’s online shoppers are promising territory for retailers.

Asian markets will drive growth in the global insurance industry. How can insurers make the most of this chance?

Companies that make the deep strategic, organizational, and operational shifts required can accelerate revenue growth.

Companies invest enormous money and effort to create new products and services. Too often, though, they have a serious flaw: Consumers don't want them.

What makes Chinese consumers tick? What are they worrying about? How will burgeoning inflation shape their behavior? See the answers to these questions and more in McKinsey's most recent in-depth survey of Chinese shoppers.

Consumer behavior is likely to transform the European residential energy market in the next decade. How can companies adapt?

Changing consumer preferences and the need for speed are complicating the apparel business along the entire value chain.  Here's how to deal with the most important challenges.

What are marketers thinking about the US economy? And their own company's prospects? A unique survey has the answers.

Keeping customers happy is the key to telecoms success -- but doing so is easier said than done. A cool new approach from McKinsey called ICE suggests how.

Spurred by the spread of the Internet, mobile technology and social networks, global digital tribes are forming. Marketers who ignore the phenomenon will lose out.

This year's Luxury Consumer Survey addresses three key questions: Can South Korea keep it up? What’s changing? And what do these trends mean for the players in the luxury industry?

McKinsey's most recent Personal Financial Services Survey of almost 20,000 people found that across Asia, consumers are looking for a new relationship with their banks.

An interview with Sanjay Kapoor, CEO of India’s Bharti Airtel, plus 10 other recent articles; explore how to tap into a world of digital opportunity, particularly in emerging markets.

The CEO of Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo, Daniel Servitje, reflects on the growth path of one of the world’s biggest packaged goods companies.

The average American spends an astounding 9 hours a day on telecom or media activities. How much further can these industries go? And where are they going?

Consumers say they want both electronic and physical contact points, but the desired mix varies by country and age.

Engaging customers today requires commitment from the entire company—and a redefined marketing organization.

Consumer behavior is shifting rapidly as more people use digital devices and platforms intensively.

Virgin Atlantic Airways CEO Steve Ridgway, American Express CMO John Hayes, and Yahoo! Research scientist Duncan Watts talk about how to stay ahead of the marketing curve.

Everyone's opening app stores—but only a few are succeeding at it. Here's what you need to know to crack the code.

Some branded apps have generated real user buzz. Here’s a few secrets as to how they did it.

Do-it-yourself: The phrase does not evoke visions of grandeur or style—but it does rack up euros. Here's the state of the market in Europe's biggest economy.

Hammered by recession and still uncertain about the economy, consumers are getting pickier. Just look at auto insurance.

How can companies use pricing to increase profits? And what will consumers tolerate?

Consumers love low prices, but retailers shouldn’t overlook the way shoppers perceive value—both online and in stores.

The company once grew fast. Now CEO Howard Schultz wants it to grow with discipline—in emerging and developed markets alike.

Big box stores and malls in China’s top cities are growing fast—14 percent a year. But here’s the surprise: Traditional retail in lower-tier markets is often much more profitable.

The whimsical game has found tens of millions of players. Here’s how online buzz helped to create a phenomenon.

British consumers are inundated with information about how to go green and save energy. But what do they really think?

Selling cosmetics to some of the world's choosiest consumers—Japanese women—is not easy. Here is how Estee Lauder does it.

Japan is the world’s second-largest market for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, but its future growth trajectory is anything but certain.

Customer excitement translates into more buzz, more sales, and premium prices. Here’s how companies can capture the added value created by the “wow” effect.

Consumers are inundated with marketing messages—and sports can help break through the clutter.