Each of our data sets are designed with a specific purpose, topic, or audience in mind. Here’s how to make best use of them to get the insights you need.
Summary
GWI Core is our flagship data set, built to give you a consistent, global view of consumer behaviour. Generally, if you want an overview of multiple categories across multiple countries, GWI Core is your best starting point.
However, if you want to go in-depth on a particular topic, try an add-on focussed on that topic. If you’re only interested in the US, start with GWI USA - like GWI Core, it offers a broad overview, but with more US specific questions.
GWI Core
GWI Core is your single source of truth for global consumer insights.
Built on a consistent, harmonized survey across 50+ markets
Designed for comparability and trend analysis over time
Best for: global strategy, audience profiling, and benchmarking
If you need global coverage, broad topic access, and consistent analysis over time, GWI Core is your foundation.
GWI USA
GWI USA focuses specifically on the US market.
Larger US sample for deeper national insights
Includes questions tailored to US-specific behaviors and trends
Best for: market-specific analysis and localized strategy
While some topics overlap with GWI Core, these data sets aren’t directly comparable. Differences in sample and focus mean results may vary—even for similar questions.
GWI Core add-ons
Add-ons (e.g. GWI Sports, Gaming) are recontact studies designed to go deeper into specific topics.
Built by recontacting Core respondents
Provide richer, more granular insights on niche areas
Best for: deep dives into verticals and specialist audiences
Because they focus on specific groups or behaviors, results may differ from Core—but they offer a level of detail Core can’t match.
Topics covered by multiple data sets
Many themes are intentionally consistent across our data sets, making cross-analysis possible, allowing you to explore audiences in more depth, depending on your analysis goal.
Common overlapping topics include:
Sports
Lifestyle and attitudes
Travel
Media consumption
Technology usage
Brand engagement
Here’s a deep dive into how we cover sports to give you a clearer picture of how to navigate topics covered across multiple data sets.
Why results can differ across data sets
If you notice differences between data sets, that’s expected—and often valuable.
Results may vary due to:
Audience scope
Each data set may represent a different population (e.g. global vs US-only vs niche audiences)Methodology and sampling
Add-ons are recontacts of Core and therefore share some of the same respondents, while GWI USA and GWI Kids are separate data sets with different sampling approaches.Question design
Similar topics may be explored with different wording, answer options, or levels of detail. In other words, you might not be comparing apples with apples.Timing
Fieldwork periods can differ, especially for faster-moving data sets like Pulse, meaning you may be comparing snapshots of different periods of time.
These differences don’t reduce reliability—they reflect the specific purpose of each data set. Understanding this context is what turns data into insight.
Key takeaway
Comparing data across GWI data sets isn’t about finding identical numbers—it’s about understanding why differences exist and what they reveal.
When you use each data set for its intended purpose, you get:
A consistent foundation from Core
Deeper insight from add-ons
Local precision from market-specific studies
That’s how you move from data to certainty—and make decisions with confidence.