Opening speech to the Conference from the Committee.
After a brief history of marketing in Japan, the market environment and the strategy of Japanese companies in 1983 is discussed, as the first subject of the presentation. Japanese marketers believe that innovative product development is the most essential for their growth and survival. An unique method of product development in Japan - total staff participation - is also discussed. As the second subject, the importance of market research and management attitude toward it is discussed. Total responsibility system in the Japanese management culture is emphasised. Thirdly, factors affecting Japanese management culture is delineated and described in some detail. Transferability of Japanese management systems to Western society is also discussed. Finally, the necessity of re-introduction of marketing concept and marketing culture is stressed, with a few key words to world marketers.
The main aim of this paper is to focus on the role of research in strategic planning for a drug company, taking a particular programme of surveys amongst doctors as an example of the contribution which research can make.
The title of trie seminar suggests that strategic planning could be obsolete. I would not blame people in many industries for taking the view that strategic planning is dead. When survival itself is uncertain one simply can't afford to devote resources - particularly management time - to thinking of anything else. However, in the airport business strategic planning is all-important. One can't change direction quickly in the way an airline can and above all one can't get large additions of capital built into an airport quickly. This is more true in some countries than others, but I would say that in the richer democracies it takes a minimum of about 7-8 years to bring major additions to capacity on stream and it can very often take much long.
At Philip Morris we are convinced that market research is an important strategic management tool. But, as with any tool, its effectiveness is largely dependent upon the skill of the user.
The purpose of this paper is to propose that consumer research can contribute even more if some efforts were to be spent - by researchers and corporate managers alike - on observing how consumers interact with technology, that is to say, with the technology imbedded in the current and future products and services. The suggestions made find their roots on previous research on the consumer-technology interface and some ideas and research designs being currently in an R&D stage.
The strategic planning process has changed very significant since the early 1970s. Planning has changed in terms of scope (it needs to encompass a mere diverse range of publics) in terms of time span (the need fox' greater flexibility dictates shorter time spans), and in terms of priorities (evaluative elements have taken precedence over statistical procedures). The paper's main emphasis is on the changes in planning since 1974 why they came about, what they are, why they nearly led to a rejection of the whole concept of planning, and bow management is now coping with them. In conclusion, the paper draws inferences about the contribution to be made by marketing research.
Western Europe, viewed from overseas, appears to be a homogenous group of countries linked in harmonious union. Nine countries are linked, politically and economically through the European Economic Community and a further six through E.F.T.A. - The European Free Trade Association. When subject to closer scrutiny, however, the myth of homogeneity is replaced by a complex system of economic, political and social relationships.
This paper describes the use of mapping as a strategic research technique. Case histories are described in which the use of mapping lead to major changes being made in long-term plans. The specific mapping technique used uses nominally scaled data as input. The question of assessing the viability of market segments is also addressed. A methodology is proposed which uses a manual form of cluster analysis. Data generated by the clustering technique are then mapped so as to identify the composition of segments in the market as perceived by consumers. The value of market segments can then be determined by an analysis of the brands lying close to the centres of gravity of the segments. The topic of attribute selection in order to define attitude is discussed, using a case study on the liquor industry as an example. The overall objective of the paper is to put forward a step-wise methodology of attribute definition, measurement of consumer perception, and measurement of business viability, as an integrated approach to using marketing research as an aid to understanding consumers needs, and hence formulating long-term plans.
This case study refers to the "A" Company, one of Japan's leading manufacturers of audio/video equipment and home electric appliances. For a long time, the company remained to have a small share in the Sendai Metropolitan district, one of the business territories supervised by its regional branch office, but has achieved a substantial increase of the share by incorporating the area market development strategy into the corporate strategy for the district. At the "A" Company, the area market development strategy was formulated and implemented perfectly on the basis of full understanding by all concerned from the top management and managerial staff at the Regional Branch Office and the Sales Company's field personnel, to operators of retail outlets.
This paper shows a case of the off-line foreign carrier which moved into the Japanese market to develop its market potentiality and used a simple in-house telephone monitoring survey from its customers such as travel agents, wholesalers and airlines. The airline used the data to formulate its strategic marketing and operation plans in order to maximize the limited resources. After a year and a half of operation, the company conducted a mail survey among the travel trade people to measure the performances executed on the basis of telephone analysis. The result of the measurement proved to be a success. The cause of success lie in the excellent coordination of research, advertising, sales promotion and management. This is a good example of how market research is applied to plan and check day to day operations and marketing performances of a new company into a foreign market.