This paper proposes that marketing in different product sectors and in different national cultures changes over time in a consistent and predictable way. The progress from commodity selling to post-modern marketing is based on evolutionary principles.
The future evolution of marketing seems destined to expand beyond the confines of the selling of goods and services. The energies and skills used to manage the abstractions of added values will probably be extended to encompass social and ethical issues. There has been focus recently amongst politicians upon whether or not there are capitalist market mechanisms that will automatically correct some of the imbalances of the present system, particularly with regard to issues where apolitical co-operation is required. The power of the discriminating consumer may prove to be one such mechanism, working through their choice of brands.
"Qualitative research is: a) an attempt to capture the sense that lies within, and that structures what we say about what we do; b) an exploration, elaboration and systemisation of the significance of an identified phenomenon; c) the illuminative representation of the meaning of a delimited issue or problem" (Bannister et al 1994). Qualitative research is commonly defined in terms of its relation to quantitative research; where quantitative research measures, and answers questions like âHow many, how often, what proportion, what size ...?â, qualitative research leads to understanding and answers questions like âWhy did, how can, in what way...?". Like quantitative research, it consists of many different types of practice and methodological approach: it is eclectic, some would say a ârag bagâ of disciplines and theoretical frameworks.
Opening speech from Mary Goodyear at ESOMAR Congress 1993.
Culture is a word frequently used but insufficiently defined and delineated, especially in the marketing context. This paper offers some definitions of culture and its component dimensions, which are intended to be of use to marketing decision-makers. The importance of exploring and cataloguing the new cultural dimensions of the consumer society is stressed, and some candidates for inclusion are proposed.
This is a brief case history about the role of multi-country qualitative research in helping to develop a global campaign for a ski manufacturer. The company is Salomon, a well-established French manufacturer of ski boots, bindings and other ski accessories. They have a strong corporate philosophy which can be summed up as a commitment to product quality and innovation, and a reluctance to introduce products on the market unless they have a real technical advantage. They had been aware for some time that their image amongst consumers lacked warmth and presence, and they hoped that this would be remedied by the introduction of their new ski, a unique construction which had proved very successful in performance trials. The job for research was to provide Salomon, and their agency Saatchi and Saatchi, with information that could help them define their advertising objectives and, subsequently, develop a worldwide press campaign to meet these objectives. The first stage of the three-stage study helped to provide an understanding of the attitudes of skiers at different levels of proficiency, in terms of skiing in general, and about equipment and brands. This, together with the specific knowledge of the Salomon image, helped Saatchi create a very strong campaign, which was rejected by consumers in a further stage of research because of its lack of universal acceptance. A further campaign proved more acceptable in the third stage of research although not in one of Salomon's most important markets, the U.S.A. A final compromise was suggested which illustrates the fact that globalism is an ideal which has to be approached gradually.
In this paper I identify three factors that I believe are responsible for the past lack of quality in much of the research in the Arabian peninsula. Of the three factors I propose that the differences between the value systems of the Middle East and the European research industries will be the most difficult to reconcile. The industries in both regions have much to learn from each other but it is important for buyers to understand the assumptions that each works from. Moreover, as ESOMAR expands its influence and authority beyond Europe, it must address the question of which values should prevail and how they can be integrated into an overall code of ethics.
This paper describes a qualitative research project undertaken in a developing country, whose fundamental aim was to understand cultural dynamics in order to improve the marketing communication of a large multi- national company.
The paper describes how qualitative research conceived on a very large scale and analysed by a multi-disciplinary team, can help to establish a data-base of value to decision-makers in all areas of marketing in West Africa. The AdAfrica project is also unusual in that it was initiated by researchers rather than commissioned by manufacturers. The broad geographical and conceptual scope of the project appears to have considerable utility for those multi-national companies who are looking for economies of scale in regional, if not global, marketing. We believe this type of research, which provides a rounded picture of society from the point of view of individual psychology, anthropology, advertising and economics, is likely to become increasingly in demand as the economic recession leads to greater competition in international marketing, and a need to really know the consumer in depth.
This paper describes a system that I have been developing within the MRB International Group of companies: a system designed to overcome some of the problems associated with co-ordinating/quality-controlling qualitative research in multi-country studies.
The paper sets out to show the unique role that carefully executed qualitative research can play in providing a detailed understanding of consumer behaviour within a given market, and of the attitudes, imagery, wants and needs which underlie and determine that behaviour. The contribution that qualitative research can make is illustrated through a case history of research carried out for a regional brewery group operating in the North-West of England: The Greenall Whitley Group. The paper describes the company and its history and outlines the reason why research was initiated. It goes on to describe the research method used (group discussions), the research findings at each stage of research (there were two stages of research separated by an interval of one year), and the recommendations which were made to the client. The research brief was wide open: to explore consumer drinking and pub-going behaviour in the clientâs marketing region, and to provide information about consumersâ attitudes towards pubs and beers generally, and towards Greenall Whitley pubs and beers in particular. The objective of the research could also be stated quite simply: to help an already successful brewery group to increase its success and profitability. The paper indicates the type and quality of data gathered, illustrates how these have been translated into marketing and advertising action, and demonstrates the success of the project.