The Market Radar is a new and efficient way to link market research with marketing. It answers a key question in research: Who is the buyer? By doing that it demonstrates the position of a brand or service and allows for efficient marketing planning. It speaks in a language of "maps" rather than "figures". The approach is based on years of testing with psychographic techniques and the designing of a meaningful test. It is also strongly geared towards new, powerful laptops, new software and new ways of data presentation, including CAD. The main purpose of the approach is to define the actual positions of products, services and brands and provide a practical tool for defining targets. In the majority of cases, target groups are based on a psychographic space, constructed with the help of a special algorithm and correspondence analysis. Although emphasis is placed on the sociocultural layout of the markets, the technique also allows target fields to be marked according to traditional socio-demographic criterions. Modem computers and software are used exhaustively to assist the marketing teams in their difficult job of positioning the brand and choosing the proper marketing mix.
Statistics show that political participation in Switzerland, as in many other Western countries, is constantly decreasing. A first analysis has shown, that certain segments of the population are much less participating in polls than others, especially women, young people and the lower social class. Our own research has let us to distinguish between "good", "occasional" and "bad" voters.
This paper shows the development and the volume of market research in a "biogram". This type of graph is commonly used in evolutionary theory and visualises how long it took a species or a profession, for that matter to reach the present state of development. It also provokes thoughts about the selection mechanism that has determined the course of evolution up to date. A comparison between the numerical importance of market research and its apparent importance in society reveals a great discrepancy. The number of market researchers or the turnover made in research is very much smaller than its image suggests. Under these circumstances it is extremely difficult to predict the profession a certain future. Instead of one prediction this paper outlines four different perspectives. While the paper itself intends to demonstrate some of the mechanisms behind the evolution of market research, the talk given at the Congress will concentrate on the different perspectives and try to determine their probability.
This paper shows the development and the volume of market research in a "biogram". This type of graph is commonly used in evolutionary theory and visualises how long it took a species or a profession, for that matter to reach the present state of development. It also provokes thoughts about the selection mechanism that has determined the course of evolution up to date. A comparison between the numerical importance of market research and its apparent importance in society reveals a great discrepancy. The number of market researchers or the turnover made in research is very much smaller than its image suggests. Under these circumstances it is extremely difficult to predict the profession a certain future. Instead of one prediction this paper outlines four different perspectives. While the paper itself intends to demonstrate some of the mechanisms behind the evolution of market research, the talk given at the Congress will concentrate on the different perspectives and try to determine their probability.
ESOMAR has carried out a survey of the scope and the organisation of market researchers in Europe. This was not a field survey, which, on grounds of cost, could not be contemplated, but a series of interviews by experts. The experts were ESOMAR's national representatives in 19 European countries.
Well then , how should I go about putting this puzzle together? How can I give you a synopsis of our discussions? Looking at distribution from a greater distance, shows us that our means of following it up are as yet inadequate. All our attempts to grasp what is going on on the distribution scene are quite awkward.
The Seminar on Market Research and Tourism is coming to an end. Let me briefly summarise its achievements. The thing that has impressed me most at this seminar was the difference between the almost unlimited optimism of the air transport companies and the careful planning of the tour operators with regard to marketing.