Three experienced international qualitative practitioners (two from Germany and one from the UK) across two research agencies draw inspiration from a classic Spanish novel to put forward a transformation agenda. A new and more collaborative model for international qual is advocated for in this presentation, while challenging the underlying assumption that the same approach everywhere will yield the same level of insight. We should learn the lessons of Don Quixote who to his detriment exported his own point of view (an outside-in approach); rather we should adopt the more pragmatic and clear-sighted approach of Sancho Panza to achieve far greater insight when working across borders.
German radio stations began a large-scale multi-method test in 1995 in order to validate and improve radio survey methods. After five years of research experience and an investment of more than DM 2 million the Joint industry committee for media research in Germany (AG.MA) decided to change the method in 1999. Radio audience and radio coverage be collected using the CATI method. This final report presents the conclusions of these tests and the development of the CATI method for a dio research in Germany. The first part of this paper briefly reviews our decision to change the method of radio research. The paper will then review the methodological approaches towards a gold standard for the measurement of radio audience using CATI. In conclusion final results will be summarised and outlook and recommendations for future radio research will be given.
The radio survey method test carried out in 1995 by the German radio organisations within AG.MA was a milestone in German radio research in many respects. This was the first time that a method test of this kind had been carried out in Germany, at great expense, in order to validate reach figures. As a result the knowledge gained will also have far- reaching implications for radio survey methods. The concept of this large-scale multi-method test was presented at the 1st ESOMAR Radio Research Symposium, which took place in Paris two years ago. This report presents the most important results of this multi- method test to a large international audience of experts for the first time. In the first part of this report the different test models and the motives which led to carrying out the study will be briefly reviewed. The most important and interesting results will then be presented. In conclusion the results will be summarised and the outlook and recommendations for future radio research will be provided.
At the beginning of 1995 a multi-million Mark research project was launched by the radio networks involved in the media analysis association, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse e.V. or AG.MA for short. The object of this project is to investigate the best possible methodology for radio research as part of AG.MA media analysis (MA). In parallel with the optimisation of radio research, these methodology tests also represent an attempt to obtain additional marketing information which is complementary to MA and which will support sales of advertising airtime. A glance at the advertising market highlights the necessity for such research: In Germany, radio has had a more or less constant share of around 7 per cent of the advertising market. The advent of daytime TV offering advertising at attractive CPT rates has added another competitive dimension which must be taken seriously, underlining the need for additional sales arguments.
The study group "readership analysis of medical journals" - called LA-MED - usually once a year presents actual data for media planners obtained by a standard interview, which is comparable to that of the German readership analysis for general magazines. This year parallel to the standard LA-MED 81, an experiment was again carried out which mainly aimed at two objectives: 1) to check whether a completely different method will deliver coverage values comparable to those of the interview; 2) to bridge the gap between coverage values and advertising contact. For this purpose a group of methods was designed to observe the fate of a certain copy of a magazine from the receipt by post to the reading of specific articles within it.
The present report describes a new system of questioning for self-completion media questionnaires in which all instructions were expressed in terms of symbols. The questionnaire as it has been drawn up was considered easy to understand by the persons with whom it was tried out. The failure rate was very low in the first written test. The questionnaire has got a comparatively strong inviting character.
In the course of the readership analysis of medical journals in 1977 (LA-MED 77), a number of methodical experiments were carried out in addition to the standard interview with the aim of supporting the existing methods and acquiring additional information concerning reading habits. One of these experiments involved the attempt to acquire readership data with the aid of a diary. This diary experiment was run with approximately N=100 physicians who were recruited as a sub-sample out of the large main study involving N=2.000. As a result we had at our disposal for purposes of comparison the statements from the main interview and those from the diary from identical persons.
In the course of the readership analysis of medical journals in 1977 (LA-MED 77), a number of methodical experiments were carried out in addition to the standard interview with the aim of supporting the existing methods and acquiring additional information concerning reading habits. One of these experiments involved the attempt to acquire readership data with the aid of a diary. This diary experiment was run with approximately N=100 physicians who were recruited as a sub-sample out of the large main study involving N=2.000. As a result we had at our disposal for purposes of comparison the statements from the main interview and those from the diary from identical persons.
It is such a difficult problem to pre-test the effects of price increases in the magazine market that attempts in this direction are made only seldom, although the problem plays a central role in marketing. The common price policy in German prohibits test markets and the only other possibilities left open are either letting the customer estimate his own reaction to price changes or predicting the customers' behaviour indirectly by means of other variables. Market research has made attempts in both of these approaches. Especially GUTJAHR's model has become well known, which takes the approach of indirect findings. IVE in cooperation with the publisher Gruner & Jahr has worked on the development of a price elasticity test for some time and undertaken the attempt to check out the basic draft and to improve it step by step.
It is such a difficult problem to pre-test the effects of price increases in the magazine market that attempts in this direction are made only seldom, although the problem plays a central role in marketing. The common price policy in German prohibits test markets and the only other possibilities left open are either letting the customer estimate his own reaction to price changes or predicting the customers' behaviour indirectly by means of other variables. Market research has made attempts in both of these approaches. Especially GUTJAHR's model has become well known, which takes the approach of indirect findings. IVE in cooperation with the publisher Gruner & Jahr has worked on the development of a price elasticity test for some time and undertaken the attempt to check out the basic draft and to improve it step by step.
The attitude of a magazines' selection by the reader himself indicates a system of preferences towards specific magazines based on values, which are not to be explained by reading probabilities only and which finally could be explained by "Reader-Magazine-Relationship". Within this paper we therefore would like to demonstrate on base of the results of experimental surveys done by the Reader's Digest in Germany since 1972 how "Reader-Magazine- Relationship" can be measured and which influence on ad effectiveness "RMR" has. This, because the assumption that a reader with "RMR" towards a specific magazine has a higher ad noticing probability in his "favourite magazine" than in any other magazine he reads, since he reads this magazine more leisurely, more thoroughly, picks it up repeatedly etc.
The aim of the analytical evaluations presented here is to make better use of the information contained in the copy-test data than it has been happening thusfar. Better use must be made of such information in order to obtain more exact indications for an optimal combination of the editorial offer. The principle of this new method of approach consists of coordinating in a proper manner the evaluation per article with the evaluation per person. A three stage evaluation system was formulated on the basis of these considerations. It consists of a table, simulation and optimization program that can be adapted to the demands of actual situations in a flexible manner.