This paper describes an approach that allows us to take the findings of a large scale health survey of more than 3,000 Canadians and analyse these findings so as to assess Canadians' reactions not just to specific reform measures but also to broad themes of reform, thereby providing a bigger picture of the overall direction in which health care reform might be taken over the next few years in Canada.
In the United Kingdom an annual Conference is held under the auspices of the Advertising Association, to which are federated Advertisers, Advertising Agencies and Media Houses through various trade associations. There were widely divergent views about subjects which would appeal in 1970. Hence research was undertaken. It was thought that simple rank order of preference for subjects could he misleading. Since the aim was to maximise interest of a broad segment of the advertising industry it might he necessary to cater for specialised minorities. Accordingly, the following steps were undertaken: 1. A primary target group was identified. To this group a mailed questionnaire was despatched, asking for ratings of Jk potential subjects for the Conference; 2. Returned questionnaires were analysed initially for the rank order of the topics. Certain clear preferences emerged; 3. Topics were then organised into a correlation matrix which showed relationships different from those anticipated. The data was thereafter subjected to further analysis. Four different approaches were employed: A. Factor analysis; B. Quadratic programming; C. A media schedule building programme; D. Empirical compilation of three potential programmes using the results of the factor analysis and the two previous scheduling results.
In many cases, a manufacturer will market not one item but several in a given product group. These may either be in the form of a range, such as a range of different flavours of soup, or as an assortment, such as a mixed assortment of confectionery, or as multiple brands, where the same manufacturer markets two or more different brands in the same product field. Research in these cases must take into account the interactions of the different items with each other. In addition to this, it may also be necessary to establish the extent to which the items provide each other with mutual marketing support and, in the case of multiple brands, the way in which the market is segmented from the consumer's point of view. The paper outlines research approaches which can be used in these types of situations.
This year has seen not only the continued growth of market research in the U.K. hut also a number of developments which consolidate the scientific status of the profession. On a more general level two related developments are of considerable interest for the future. The first of these is the increasing interest that is being shown in an operational research approach to marketing and in the formulation of marketing models.