What Happened in the Iranian Household Basket? — Reviewed at the dnaunion Press Conference

Press Conference on “The Importance of Data, Analytical Knowledge, and the Role of Educational Centers in Enhancing Marketing Standards” Held

On the eve of Journalist Day, a press conference on “The Importance of Data, Analytical Knowledge, and the Role of Educational Centers in Enhancing Marketing Standards” was hosted by the dnaunion group. For nearly 23 years, dnaunion has been actively involved in the fields of marketing and market research, assisting producers in obtaining comprehensive insights and trends regarding the market status. This year, as in previous years, the company presented its annual findings to journalists and responded to media inquiries.

Analysis of Media, Market, and Consumer Data

Naser Pashapour Nikoo, CEO of the dnaunion group and Chairman of the Board, stated: “From 2001 to 2024, we have collected data categorized into three groups: market, media, and consumer. Media-related data reveal which programs audiences prefer, how much they watch them, and which shows influence them. The second group, focused on the market, identifies which products are available in retail stores for buyers and the ratio of products they encounter. The third group consists of data obtained directly from consumers.”

Explaining these three categories in more detail, the Chairman said: “X*POS, or retail sales tracking, pertains to market research. Research teams consistently monitor retail outlets to assess various factors: how much merchandise is purchased by retailers from suppliers, how much is in stock, how much is on shelves, and how much has been sold.”

Data for Sales and Marketing Teams

The CEO of dnaunion continued: “We receive all of this data from X*POS, which is then converted into a list of key performance indicators (KPIs) that show us the volume share. That is, how many liters I sold versus how much my competitor sold. Volume sale also indicates how many liters of product left the store. Additionally, it shows the average price and the share of my brand on the shelves. It also presents the monetary sales figures of the brand and its competitors.”

Pashapour added: “These datasets are used by sales and marketing teams of companies. Moreover, the information is refined and analyzed and is presented clearly through various charts.”

Tracking Household Purchases

The Chairman identified the second group of information as related to consumers and said: “This data tracks household purchases. This research is also knowledge-based and is collected via applications and made available to research members. X*ACT, or household purchase tracking, precisely details what each family has purchased throughout the week. It also includes demographic characteristics of the buyer, such as whether the family belongs to category C1 or C2, and where the product was purchased—be it a neighborhood store, shopping mall, or online platforms like Snapp Market.”

Brand Comparisons on a Single Chart

The third dataset concerns MA*X, or campaign evaluation. Pashapour explained: “These data illustrate which brand advertised, when, in which media, and with what sound intensity. The derived metrics show what percentage of people were exposed to your ads, how many times on average they viewed them, the likelihood of ad visibility, the time, frequency, and cost of advertising. For instance, Damdaran company has had 201 ads to date. Charts indicate that although their ad frequency increased over time, their reach did not and remained flat.”

However, these three segments—market, media, and consumer—can be juxtaposed for a single brand and examined on various charts. Competitors can also be included in these analyses.

Impartial Data Collection

During the session, Mohammad Mousavi, CEO of the Eshareh Image Communication Agency and board member of dnaunion, responded to a question about whether purchasing power had increased or decreased over the past year, stating: “Last year, we said household purchasing power had decreased. This trend has intensified over the past two to three years in essential goods and other commodities. While we can’t yet say purchasing power has not declined, the rate of decrease in 2024 compared to 2023 and the prior year has slightly slowed. This can be attributed to price changes, employee salary increases, and inflation levels.”

Pashapour also responded to the question of whether this tracking only considers overt advertising or includes brand publicity campaigns. He said: “If the advertisement resembles an advertorial, it’s included in our tracking. However, pseudo-news ads and public relations announcements are not, as their audience is not consumers but unions and the government. Also, we do not collect data from the brands themselves for this research, so the data is gathered impartially.”

Why Don’t Companies Utilize This Data?

The CEO of dnaunion also addressed how much producers value this data tracking. He explained: “When a private-sector research project continues for 23 years, it must have users. But the question is, why don’t some groups utilize it, and how do they gather their information? Another question is, why are we the only producers of such data, when multiple companies could be doing this?” He noted: “Less than 10% of B2C companies use this data. The rest rely on intuition or trial and error. The reasons are numerous, the most significant being that our market is still not competitive. Competition is not in sales but in production, foreign exchange acquisition, etc. In a truly competitive market, such tracking becomes more valuable. The mindset of producers also plays a role—though it tends to improve when the market becomes competitive.”

Need for Analysts in Companies

Babak Kazemi, head of Av Marketing School and board member of 1001 Branding Agency, stated: “In today’s market, there is also a lack of knowledge in utilizing data. To interpret and analyze these datasets, companies need analysts. The key question is whether someone in the organization sees the value in and feels the need to use data. The mission of Av Marketing School is to close this gap. Marketing managers and advertising agencies must enhance their data analysis skills and aim to build a brand image using these insights. When such knowledge exists in marketing, the data becomes usable.”

Three Target Audiences of the School

The head of Av Marketing School also mentioned three main groups of its audience: “One group, due to the roots of dnaunion and the school within 1000 Branding, comprises our agency and agency clients—those engaged in marketing and communications. These divide further into strategy, project management, market research experts, and support roles like creatives, designers, and artists. We design highly specialized courses to address their core needs in advertising—courses that are rarely offered elsewhere.”

“The second group includes brands and companies aiming to grow their business, increase sales, and elevate brand positioning. These also split into two: marketing and sales implementers, and company managers seeking tools to monitor their agency or internal teams’ performance. The third group is general enthusiasts—students of marketing who hope advanced training will boost their chances of joining specialized firms.”

Av Marketing School’s Shift Toward Education

Kazemi added: “Av Marketing School has been part of dnaunion since the 2010s, but its mission has shifted toward education. Initially, its goal was to enhance the professional knowledge of dnaunion staff using international trainers. Before recent sanctions, we also collaborated with overseas institutions. In its latest phase—spanning one year and three months—we expanded topics and engaged experience-based faculty from top local universities such as Sharif University of Technology, University of Tehran’s Management Faculty, and Shahid Beheshti University. These instructors are practitioners—executives, consultants, and designers. Courses are announced seasonally online and are open to group companies, clients, and the public.”

Currency Surge and Advertising

Mousavi, CEO of Eshareh Image Communication Agency, addressed the question of how currency surges and price hikes affect advertising. He said: “If we consider the market as an ecosystem, many factors influence its dynamics. Producers need raw materials, processing, production, and delivery to consumers, who then purchase and use the products. Any disruption in this chain—lack of raw materials, reduced production, delayed distribution—impacts the market over time. If all else remains stable and only product prices rise, companies usually adopt one of two strategies: offer promotions or increase production—especially for perishable goods—to avoid stockpiling. Sometimes this also leads to more direct advertising.”

Finally, in response to whether there is collaboration between this research center and the government for future policymaking, Pashapour said: “Our main audience is businesses, not governments. We operate at the micro and detailed business level, which is more nuanced. Macro and economic data, however, are of interest to policymakers. That said, we are more than willing to share our data with them anytime they request it.”

Press Conference on “The Importance of Data, Analytical Knowledge, and the Role of Educational Centers in Enhancing Marketing Standards” Held

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