Consumer Panels are well situated to play an important part in the problems of evaluating advertising and promotional expenditures for consumer products, by measuring the effect they have on purchasing behaviour: A) They measure consumer purchasing behaviour accurately and sensitively; B) They measure this behaviour on a continuous basis, and this is important because the effect of advertising and promotion needs to be observed over time preferably in the same consumer sample; C) They also measure some of the principal ingredients in the advertising/promotional mix; they can measure exposure on the part of the consumers to press and TV advertising (and to radio and cinema also) and they can determine when purchases are made involving promotions (most types of promotions, at any rate) Despite all these advantages, however, the resulting measurement of the relationship between advertising/promotion and consumer purchases can be elusive and even when successfully measured is often difficult to interpret as an indicator of future action. Why this should be, and the type of measurements available from Consumer Panels are discussed in the next sections.
The presentation focuses on the use of marketing experimental techniques by most of the Major United States grocery and drug product companies. It will be based on over 100 marketing experiments and simulations. fhree significant improvements in accuracy developed through careful data analysis including the following: 1. Improving the accuracy through greater product exposure control; 2. Using individually paired stores instead of balanced panels of stores; 3. Evaluating the data in matched panels with co-variance analyses instead of using base period data for comparing the data. Basically, the experimentation involves tight control over the marketing variables coupled with the careful statistical analysis. Simulation is replacing testing. Experimentation is applied to pricing, packaging, merchandising, and advertising decisions. The experimental approach is producing definitive and actionable marketing intelligence and predictions. The management value of the research is also quantifiable in this type of study a significant breakthrough.
The results of modern psychology on various aspects of memory - recognition, retention and recall - are all of interest but of varied practical use to market researchers. The problem of respondent memory in market research is illustrated from behaviour studies on readership and purchasing habits. Three alternatives are available to the researcher in handling memory. He can devise techniques which eliminate any reliance on memory. He can attempt to ensure its accuracy by reducing reliance on memory. Alternatively, by the use of aids and questionnaire techniques, he can stimulate memory to the limit which still returns accurate results. The clear advantage is that as much information as possible is extracted at the interview. This paper illustrates the use of each approach - elimination, reduction and stimulation. The advantages and drawbacks of each are examined. Some new ideas and developments are raised for discussion. Conclusions are drawn for the future about the need for more attention to methods, and about the correct handling of memory.
In the United Kingdom some 85% of homes have a television set capable of receiving at least two different channels. The results to be described in this paper concern the use these viewers make of the choice available to them. There has been much speculation in the past on the ways viewers use television, the extent to which they identify with particular channels or stations, the lengths they go to to seek out particular programmes and so on. . This paper presents quantitative results on actual viewing behaviour.
DAPHNE is a programming language for file analysis. Most of the operations currently used in file analysis can be easily programmed in DAPHNE. Among these operations are percentages, valuation, selection, editing and output of the results. This paper aims at describing the general features of this language and of the associated data processing. It also shows the value of such a tool for all firms, irrespective of whether they are specialists in survey analysis and file manipulation.
DAPHNE is a programming language for file analysis. Most of the operations currently used in file analysis can be easily programmed in DAPHNE. Among these operations are percentages, valuation, selection, editing and output of the results. This paper aims at describing the general features of this language and of the associated data processing. It also shows the value of such a tool for all firms, irrespective of whether they are specialists in survey analysis and file manipulation.
In recent years surveys regarding industrial development have taken on ever increasing importance; they are generally promoted on the initiative of international Communities, Government or local administrations. In the concrete case dealt with by us , the research - which had as initial basis for the selection of the development initiatives in Sardinia a market research of industrial type - led to the definition of the preliminary plans for two plants for the production of extruded semi finished products and laminates, and for some collateral plants (production of aluminium window frames, etc, flexible aluminium tubing, kitchen ware and various containers in aluminium).
In recent years surveys regarding industrial development have taken on ever increasing importance; they are generally promoted on the initiative of international Communities, Government or local administrations. In the concrete case dealt with by us , the research - which had as initial basis for the selection of the development initiatives in Sardinia a market research of industrial type - led to the definition of the preliminary plans for two plants for the production of extruded semi finished products and laminates, and for some collateral plants (production of aluminium window frames, etc, flexible aluminium tubing, kitchen ware and various containers in aluminium).
According to the researches performed up to now may be seen that the results of such and similar inquiries may very efficiently contribute to making such decisions (measures) which will influence upon the recovery of economic trends and improvement of market situation. With regard to the experiences gained by previous inquiries smaller sampling of enterprises should be made in future, but their influence upon production of the special branch should be taken into account. Four inquiries per year should be made. The research results illustrate a very significant differentiation in the operation of the enterprises under economic reform. In addition to several (many) technological factors, the prosperity of the enterprises is also influenced frequently by such factors as: organization, business policy and staff situation especially
This paper shows not only the development of the retail trade in Slovenia as a consequence of rapid urbanisation but also some methods of research work and their application to the field of the spatial distribution of retail establishments.
Advertising is an activity which can be defined in many ways. One definition is of particular interest in the context of this paper. It is a definition which is suggested by more or less simple theories which are used when defining advertising norms and tasks. Although this definition of advertising is not yet explicitly given, it should read roughly as follows: Advertising usually intends to reshape properties of the product in such a way that conformity to cultural norms increases and adoption is facilitated. At first sight this definition seems to be valid only with regard to advertising for new products, but basically the same applies for all products. In those cases where advertising was really successful in putting old-fashioned products on their feet again, it owed its success to a large extent to finding e. g. new applications for the product, or "reshaping" product-properties to make them different and modern. For this reason a general theory of diffusion of innovations is an important feature in modern marketing with a relevance going beyond that of introducing new products alone.
Information about events which happen with great regularity are, individually, of such small importance that no individual could be relied on to list them accurately from memory. But each individual event, when added together, can have very important implications from a marketing point of view. In order to collect data related to such events, we have used a diary technique - asking an individual, generally the housewife, to ensure that a complete record is kept of each event over a limited period - not only for those events for which she, herself, is responsible but also for all those involving other members of the household. In this paper, we shall-refer to some cases where this technique has been used successfully, and also discuss briefly, some of the pitfalls which might occur. We shall emphasize that this is an ad hoc technique, but it does not replace the more usual ad hoc surveys using normal aided or un-aided recall methods. It is a slightly more expensive tool to be used for problems where memory failure is likely to be acute, and where data are required from all household members, rather than from an individual within the household.