Complexity, in the past decade, found itself a seemingly large research area in bio-sciences (genetics, artificial life), physics, engineering, mathematics, computer sciences, economics and even in social sciences and politics. The mathematical tools that are employed range from non-linear differential equations to fuzzy logic, information theory, neural networks. The functioning of marketing research, however, is somewhat similar to a meteorology department - responsible for constantly supplying weather reports for the aviators of both economics and social sciences.Mathematics and methods designed to deal with complexity general can be adapted and used in marketing research. The paper takes this initiative.
The marketing research community has hitherto examined consumer behavior using mathematical models derived from non-human systems. We have adopted classifications demanding unequivocal decisions in allocating judgements to clear-cut categories such as light, moderate and heavy. Consumers, on the other hand, often exhibit vagueness or fuzziness in their TRUE attitudes to the question asked. Fuzzy Logic enables us to acknowledge human nature in such respects. We can ask: How true? How black? How beautiful?. Information theory also helps us in grading values and in providing better analysis of subjective inputs. This paper discusses the concept of fuzziness and its application in social trend analysis. Its authors have enjoyed examining the issues in shades of gray, instead of in black and white.
Values and lifestyles are taking on an increasingly significant role in, product communication and environment design. Social, economic, demographic, anthropological changes lead to the differentiation of products and services that are targeted to a segmented market. Researchers are after new methods and formulae to keep up with the changes. The problem is to decide which characteristics to be chosen and which method is best to analyze. This paper discusses methods of data analysis in lifestyle surveys and presents a practical contribution by introducing information theory concepts as an alternative to factor analysis for reducing the number of variables. As an application. Values and Lifestyles Survey held in Turkey during 1988-1989 by DAP is chosen and the results of both factor analysis and information theory approaches are tabulated and compared. The results indicate that the new approach for data reduction is worthy of consideration as an alternative. An approach is presented for the use of proposed method and some possible improvements are discussed. Furthermore a computer program and its manual is available on request.