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Synovate PAX and EMS surveys to tap affluent digital consumers
MUMBAI: Global market research company Synovate, has announced its two regional media surveys PAX and EMS, to synchronise their offerings to cover affluent digital consumers. Both the Synovate PAX and EMS media surveys will now probe into the digital media consumption and lifestyles of affluent consumers and top business decision makers in Europe and Asia Pacific, says Global head of media Steve Garton, and head of EMS, Reinier Schaper. |
The addition of digital media to the current TV and print audience measurement will make EMS and PAX full cross-media planning tools. Synovate has confirmed that CNN will be the first sponsor to commit to PAX and EMS Digital, states an official release. The new digital component of the surveys will commence fieldwork in July this year while the first results will be delivered to clients in early 2008. “Synovate is moving quickly to address one of the most important things on its clients‘ minds – digital media and how its consumption impacts on other media and purchase habits,” said Garton. While there are other digital media surveys, this one will be unique as it covers upscale audiences – a crucial target group – across an enormous geography,” he added. “We will be able to provide multi-regional reports to clients – which makes a great deal of sense as many campaigns are multi-regional in scope.” PAX Digital and EMS Digital will include additional information covering detailed online behaviour, sites visited and the influence of the web on purchase decisions. |
| “Organisations will typically have plenty of data on the total number of visitors to their websites, but it is rare for them to have more detailed information on these visitors, such as their income, levels of home ownership, purchasing interests and so on,” said Schaper. “The work we will do with PAX Digital and EMS Digital will be so much more than basic web statistics.” “Companies are naturally very interested in the buying intentions of upscale consumers and senior business professionals, who are the early product adopters and trend setters,” he added. Synovate‘s PAX media survey has been running for over ten years and is the currency for upscale audiences in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. It launched in Latin America in January 2007. |
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
