This paper presents in a certain elements of the story of the development of the marketing plan of the leading European casino. It first describes the crisis which led casino management to discover the need for a marketing approach to business, and to call in a strategic consulting firm which, in turn, immediately requested the professional assistance of a market research company. It then outlines the analytical process employed to understand the profile of gamblers, their changing needs, their attitudes, and their spending potential. It details the particular market research techniques used to penetrate the secretive, guilt and anxiety - filled world of gamblers. Additionally, it describes how the market research data were key to the development of a marketing plan which moves the casino light years away from Doestoevsky's -1 compulsive gambler, Roulettburg, and much closer to a theme park. Finally, it outlines the implementing plan, its expected results, and lessons learnt from an experience of cooperation between management, strategic consultants, and market research experts.
It's our intention to outline in this paper some thoughts on the role research can, and should take in the development of a succesful brand strategy. In particular, we wish to expand on the central theme of the seminar, the primary objective is to demonstrate that qualitative research is a critical stage required in the decision making process in any marketing problem a company is facing. These can go from trivial issues (eg- type of gadget for promotions) to fundamental decisions (eg: implementation a price decrease strategy). More specially, and as the title of the paper suggests, we will be focussing our attention on the concrete contribution qualitative research can provide in the creation, development and managment of a suitable integrated communication support plan for a brand. Based on different inputs such as overall company policy, legislation, profitability objectives, and previous market research findings, the marketing manager develops a number of working hypotheses that could eventually influence marketing decisions. Thruogh qualitative research these working hypotheses are or can be tested and verified before any final decision is taken. As many marketing decisions have an impact on various elements of the company's structure (sales force, senior management, the trade and in some cases the A+SP agency) it is vital that these elements also are involved in the qualitative research. As such, qualitative research becomes a consensus builder that guarantees the commitment and adherence of all these elements to any decision taken by the marketing staff.
Ecotel Portugal had its first TV audience results available by March 1991. The experience with a nationwide meter system in Portugal is thus limited to about one year. Taking this fact into consideration and after an introduction, this paper starts with a brief comparison between the "old" diary method and the new Metered Panel. Following this, it shows two Consolidated Rating Charts with "typical" daily audience curves of working days and week-ends, for both existing Channel 1 (RTPl) and Channel 2 (RTP2). Proceeds to an assessment of TV Consumption both on a monthly and a weekday basis, focusing also on a six hour long "prime-time". Continues with a Gender Analysis of ratings vs broadcasting time (with segmentation of Targets by sex). Concentrating on RTPl and with the "expanded" prime-time of six hours (7 p.m. to 1 a.m.) a look is taken at the audience evolution of programs in four days of the week (mondays, thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays). A Lead-in/Lead-out perspective is attempted and the target segmentation by sex is maintained. The absolute top rating program being the brasilian "soap opera" normally broadcast at 8,3 p.m. in RTPl (ratings between 40 and 45 percent) a frame is shown with the consolidated ratings of this soap for each working day. Further analysis is made, using a time unit of 30 seconds, of the behaviour (ratingswise!) of the said soap opera in RTPl with competitive time period tracking of RTP2 programs. The cases when football in RTP2 competes with the RTPl soap are extracted and presented on a non consolidated fashion. The sharp plunge in soap break advertising block ratings shows an obvious "zapping" action induced by a few minutes of football. Using the same example, RTPl-Soap and RTP2-Football, the concept of "abrupt change" in audience is introduced (the criterion for "abrupt" being a slope of minimum one rating point change per time unit). It is verified that these abrupt changes occur at the beginning, break, restart and end instants of the soap. The time unit considered is still 30 seconds.