The prevailing belief is that Japanâs markets are protected from the entry of foreign competition by a host of complex barriers. These range from conventional trade barriers such as tariffs and quotas on the import of certain items and complex product regulation to more subtle barriers such as Japanâs unique culture and traditions and its labyrinthian distribution channels. Nonetheless, despite these barriers, a number of Western firms have been successful in penetrating Japanese consumer markets. Although no single formula for success is apparent, all appear to have developed an understanding of the unique characteristics of the Japanese market, and adapted their products and marketing strategies accordingly. A number of examples of successful Western products in Japan are discussed here. These show the importance of creating a strong brand or corporate image, attention to product quality and packaging, and establishment of an effective distribution and service network by fostering strong personal relations and trust with distributors.
One of the most striking developments in data collection procedures in the U.S. over the past several years has been the increasing interest shown in protocol analysis. Protocol analysis aims to examine the individual's choice process in making decisions by getting the individual to think aloud while performing or recalling choice behavior or problem solving. This verbal record or protocol provides the basic data from which the individual's choice model is deduced. The approach thus avoids the artificial imposition of a hypothesised decision model as in structural models, and their impact on the choice process.
The present paper first examines the various concepts of fashion underlying previous research, focusing in particular on the clothing and related fashion industries. The main preoccupations of this research are then examined in the light of current developments in fashion marketing. Finally, a number of suggestions and guidelines for further research are proposed.
The paper examines some of the problems involved in teaching consumer behavior in management education programs in Europe. These stem in large measure from the current embryonic stage of research in consumer behavior in Europe, which make it extremely difficult to develop a course directly relevant to the European context. Course content and organization is frequently based on U.S. experience. This gives unsatisfactory results from a teaching standpoint in terms of arousing student interest and involvement as well as posing a number of issues in relation to course content and relevance. Some steps towards improving this situation are suggested. Improved collaboration between management and academics is urged as critical in accomplishing this, and some possible formulas for collaboration are outlined. Some ideas for a course outline and for creating "alive" course material, getting students involved in observing behavior, conducting experiments in supermarkets, are discussed.
Since this was the first ESOMAR seminar on Fashion Research, there was no precedent to provide any guidelines. At the first programme committee meeting, we again tackled this problem. We didn't manage to come to any conclusions about what we really meant by fashion, other than deciding that, whatever it was, it probably affected industries apart from the textile industry. Consequently we decided to throw out a broad net, and to try to attract anyone who thought that "Fashion" was sufficiently important to them to come to the seminar, leaving it to the participants to define for themselves what they meant by fashion.
This paper presents the results of research currently underway to develop more efficient life-style studies and to identify which aspects of life-style are most relevant to management. In particular it examines three principal issues: 1) the use of a conceptual framework for developing lifestyle statements; 2) alternative procedures for collecting and analysing life-style data and; 3) the type of life-style profile likely to be most useful to management. The present research suggests a number of guidelines for developing improved life-style studies. In particular the use of a conceptual framework for developing life-style statements and for analysing life-style data is strongly advocated. Further research is however, needed to test the use of alternative scales and methods of collecting life-style data as well as to assess the relevancy and efficacy of alternative kinds of life-style profiles.
Identification and examination of characteristic behaviour patterns of target markets is thus a key element in the planning process. The present paper describes the first phase of a project to examine and compare alternative ways of profiling customers based on their product purchasing behaviour. The purpose of the study is 1) to determine what measures of product purchase behaviour and what analytical procedures can most effectively be used to characterise customers and; 2) to compare the efficacy of such classifications with those based on other types of variables, such as socio-economic characteristics or media exposure habits.
As more and more companies seek new opportunities overseas, the question of how to select the "right" markets becomes an increasingly important issue. In particular the wide range of possible markets and the plethora of available information suggests the need to establish systematic evaluation and information collection procedures. The paper provides a conceptual framework for developing such a procedure. The proposed approach consists of a series of steps for screening countries based on global country characteristics so as to select a set of countries for examination in depth. The relevant criteria and specific research procedures to be used at each stage in the evaluation process are determined in relation to the specific objectives, constraints and other idiosyncratic characteristics of the individual firm.