The present paper discusses recent findings regarding brain lateralization and its implications for the study of consumer behaviour. This research suggests a new view of the way in which consumers react to different media and creative solutions. It should be possible to identify individual differences in the extent to which people rely upon left or right brain informational processing.
The present paper describes a sampling procedure, which has been especially developed with the purpose of having local daily newspapers with widely different circulation represented in a study which can also be reported as a national probability survey, covering readers of magazines, national newspapers , etc. The sampling plan has been developed in Denmark in co-operation between the Danish Media Committee (DMK) and AIM Research.
The Danish National Consumer Union was formed in 1946. On this background the present project has been carried out. The major tasks were: a) Identification of major dimensions along which consumers perceive consumer policies and consumer tactics; B) Measurement of the extend to which various tactics and political views are adapted among different groups of consumers; C) Identification of different combinations of views on consumer policies and consumer strategies; D) An examination of the acceptance of various political views and tactics among consumer union officials, politicians, and members of local consumer groups.
The present study shows a technique for studying the discrepancy between audience's and source's perception of communication. In the process of doing so findings are presented from a study of the perception of TV programs by the audience and by the producers. Tor the purpose of the study, 55 TV programs were selected. These programs were described on cards in the same way as they appear in the TV programs published in newspapers and TV magazines. Subsequently, a sample of TV viewers and one of producers were asked to judge the similarity among the programs.The paper presents mappings as well as hierarchical clustering of the programs. Since preferences for the different programs were measured, preferences of the different groups can be shown, too.
A communication model based upon exposure, information transmission and attitude change is proposed. Particularly the information transmission is dealt with in connection with a campaign for the Danish Railroads. This campaign has as its main purpose to inform about the introduction of the Intercity trains in Denmark. To control the extent to which this purpose was met a test program was designed covering a sequence of pre and post campaign measures. In both pre- and post-tests, attention, attitude and knowledge was measured. The latter which was of major importance for the campaign was measured with the use of true/false statements covering items being critical for the campaign. Results of the pre-test suggest that the campaign is communicating extremely efficiently. When exposure is obtained, the post-test shows that the campaign actually did get across the information to an extent which was predicted by the pretest. In conclusion it is discussed how the combined use of pre and the post-test procedures provides a way of increasing our understanding of the communication process, and how the definition of campaign content and communication purpose is vital to the testing procedure.
In the paper changes in the functions performed by newspapers are analyzed. It is shown how the type of information carried, the role of entertainment and the ability to act as a social reference point for the reader has changed. Also it is discussed how the relative importance of these three major functions can be studied, and how the kind of audiences, the papers attract depend upon how they mix these functions. In addition to the "content factors" "treatment" factors are analysed. The importance of understandability readability, and optimal complexity is discussed, and It is shown how it varies depending upon the nature of the audience. Based upon the above analysis, a model of the interactions between a publication and its audience is built. It describes how the audience's use of and satisfaction with the media varies with variations in "content" and "treatment". In support of the model it is shown how stable media "content" and "treatment" factors exist across different types of newspapers. Based upon factor analytical studies of consumers ratings of media a general factor structure is suggested. Additionally a strong relationship is demonstrated between interest in different types of "content" and treatment" factors and the papers which are being chosen, and it is discussed hew different segments can be defined in terms of interest in and preferences for different combination of "content" and "treatment".
Two basic questions facing the researcher when dealing with backwards segmentation relate to the choice of the data handling technique and the choice of variables to work with. The findings reported here suggest that the latter question is far more crucial than the first. Whereas choice of technique to a large extent may be a question of the type of data available (metric/nonmetric, etc.) the choice of variables to work with turns out to be highly critical. For that reason it may be advisable to put more time into the latter question. Another conclusion established in the studies reported here is that backwards segmentation is useful in the sense that it makes it possible to identify segments, which differ in relation to the product studied. Moreover in the two studies reported here (and a couple of others not described) it seems that the segments which emerge normally will consist of one totally positive and a number of segments being negative for different reasons. Finally, a somewhat negative--but not unexpected--conclusion can be mentioned. Seemingly the segments thus identified do not differ largely in terms of more traditional variables such as income, age, sex. etc.
The model has behaved well in forecasting total sales in the different countries, and it is noteworthy that it has predicted extremely different sales developments in different countries. Moreover, it will be discussed how its application has resulted in significant changes in product and sales strategies. In conclusion, the model has made it possible to predict unwanted sales developments, and it has made it possible to adjust marketing policies so that the sixties can be characterised as a period of expansion for the company.
Predicting consumer behavior with attitude measures has not always been successful. It is proposed to deal directly with the attitude components. In this article one such approach is discussed. Consumer decisions are studied in simulated choice experiments. It is hypothesized that prediction of choice should be based upon the cognitive elements which are aroused in the choice process, rather than upon single preference or attitude ratings. To illustrate that such predictions can be made, measurements are made, prior to the choices, of the subjective importance of the aroused values, and of the perception of the alternatives to these values. From these scores the attractiveness of alternatives is computed using a multidimensional subjective expected utility-type of model. In the experiments, different choices are studied and predictions based upon different kinds of values are compared. In all the choices highly significant predictions can be made, and the findings suggest that for this a relatively limited number of values are sufficient, so that the procedure is applicable in most consumer choice situations. Major problems with the model relate to the identification of relevant values which are not interdependent, and to the rating techniques applied.
In this article an attempt has been made to outline some features of an attitude theory. This can in itself fulfil a function in the company's communication planning. Here it has formed the starting point for some more concrete reflections on management problems in connection with the company's communication. This has resulted in a discussion of the interaction between analysis, planning and control which also is important within this field. It concerns a process which takes place in a language different from the accounting figures with which the management is accustomed to work. It places particular demands on the management who attempts to use new methods of analysis for its work.