The swift adaptation of digital computer programs and languages to public opinion poll data processing has revolutionized the working methods of market research firms. However, while the data processing methods have undergone radical changes, the fact remains, nonetheless, that "field" data collection and their coding into a language processable by electromechanical or electronic data processing systems have not followed along and are presently still relatively "archaic". Taking the example of data transcription into a computer exploitable language, various methods have already been employed: "the transfer sheet" , the "Mark Sensing and magnetic cards, etc...", "the precoded questionnaire", etc... None of these methods yields satisfactory results either in terms of transcription accuracy, time limits or cost requirements. We have in the course of the past three years, together with MARPLAN France and IBM France, been the first in the world to develop an infrastructure for the collection and checking of rough field data directly by electronic data processing systems "without human intervention", at a heretofore unequalled accuracy, rapidity and cost.
When the results of two surveys based on various samples are to be used simultaneously, a merged file will be generated by grouping individuals from both origins, according to certain criteria. If the explained variables (behavioural), special to each of the A and B surveys to merged, are closely correlated, whereas they offer but few relationships with the usual socio-demographic characteristics common to both surveys, the link between behaviours described by A and B, which subsists after merging, is almost entirely due to random marriages between individuals. To get rid of this difficulty, two methods have been proposed: - some surveys dealing at once with all the behavioural information that are to be put in conjunction: all media and product surveys (AMPS) - some reduced surveys limited to some strongly correlated questions from A and B: bridge surveys. As the problem of merging listenership and readership surveys arises in assessing media campaigns, the Orphee Association (Havas, Publicis and SINCRO) has carried out the following experiments.
When the results of two surveys based on various samples are to be used simultaneously, a merged file will be generated by grouping individuals from both origins, according to certain criteria. If the explained variables (behavioural), special to each of the A and B surveys to merged, are closely correlated, whereas they offer but few relationships with the usual socio-demographic characteristics common to both surveys, the link between behaviours described by A and B, which subsists after merging, is almost entirely due to random marriages between individuals. To get rid of this difficulty, two methods have been proposed: - some surveys dealing at once with all the behavioural information that are to be put in conjunction: all media and product surveys (AMPS) - some reduced surveys limited to some strongly correlated questions from A and B: bridge surveys. As the problem of merging listenership and readership surveys arises in assessing media campaigns, the Orphee Association (Havas, Publicis and SINCRO) has carried out the following experiments.
The task of the panel study was to measure changes in consumer attitudes towards various brands and to check in how far positive changes, conceptual and behavioural, may be ascribed to the influence of advertising. The advantage of the panel technique, as opposed to several surveys with different samples, is obvious. The question of how many consumers have changed their conception and attitude towards a given product between two or more dates can only precisely be answered by multi-stage interviewing of one and the same circle of consumers.
The task of the panel study was to measure changes in consumer attitudes towards various brands and to check in how far positive changes, conceptual and behavioural, may be ascribed to the influence of advertising. The advantage of the panel technique, as opposed to several surveys with different samples, is obvious. The question of how many consumers have changed their conception and attitude towards a given product between two or more dates can only precisely be answered by multi-stage interviewing of one and the same circle of consumers.
Informatics and integrated data processing are foremost in the minds of company managers who want to keep on making their decisions in a quickly changing business world. The use of the electronic computer has added a new dimension to the possibilities of analysing and processing the information which the company has at its disposal. However, although the technical possibilities available to the company manager are vast, only very little use is actually made in Europe of these possibilities and particularly in marketing this field has been insufficiently explored. The aim of this paper will be to survey the present situation and to make an assessment of the future prospects for the use of electronic computers in marketing: - the first part will deal with the informatics tools which to our knowledge are now constantly used to solve marketing problems; - the second part will deal with the development prospects for these tools and with the problems which have to be overcome before arriving at an integrated system of "commercial management".
Informatics and integrated data processing are foremost in the minds of company managers who want to keep on making their decisions in a quickly changing business world. The use of the electronic computer has added a new dimension to the possibilities of analysing and processing the information which the company has at its disposal. However, although the technical possibilities available to the company manager are vast, only very little use is actually made in Europe of these possibilities and particularly in marketing this field has been insufficiently explored. The aim of this paper will be to survey the present situation and to make an assessment of the future prospects for the use of electronic computers in marketing: - the first part will deal with the informatics tools which to our knowledge are now constantly used to solve marketing problems; - the second part will deal with the development prospects for these tools and with the problems which have to be overcome before arriving at an integrated system of "commercial management".
The controversy as to whether or not attitude change precedes behaviour change has raged for a considerable time. This paper reviews in detail the more recently published data on this subject: some of which would lead us to believe that attitudes can predict behaviour, some of which would tend to make us reject this proposition. Most of these published data relate a generalised measure of attitude towards a brand to its use.
This paper presents a theory of change in household decision-making. The general contention is that household decisions are a function of family and social organisation. Over the last few decades family organisation has undergone and is continuing to undergo major changes. Consequently, it is to be expected that the way in which decisions are made, and their significance to the decision-maker, will also have changed. An attempt is made to describe some of these changes at least as they appear upon the U.K, Marketing scene. The changes to be described have been accompanied by, and have been partly caused by a number of political, economic and technological factors. An account is given of micro-economic factors bearing upon decision-making and choice behaviour.
This paper is centred around the results of two studies on planned and impulse purchases, by housewives, in four different super-markets. The method of the first study is similar to those of the DU PONT studies. The results emphasise factors bearing on decision behaviour, in particular: product and type of brand bought; situation of the item in the store; shopping habits of the housewife; etc. . . The other study aims at defining more precisely what is meant by an "impulse" purchase, and the reasons why some purchases, although planned are not performed. A preliminary sorting out shows how the final results will help to correct the common appraisal of planned and impulse purchases, and suggest conclusions on branding and point of sale policies.
This paper is centred around the results of two studies on planned and impulse purchases, by housewives, in four different super-markets. The method of the first study is similar to those of the DU PONT studies. The results emphasise factors bearing on decision behaviour, in particular: product and type of brand bought; situation of the item in the store; shopping habits of the housewife; etc. . . The other study aims at defining more precisely what is meant by an "impulse" purchase, and the reasons why some purchases, although planned are not performed. A preliminary sorting out shows how the final results will help to correct the common appraisal of planned and impulse purchases, and suggest conclusions on branding and point of sale policies.
Continuous measuring of a market trend is normally carried out through the data collection system known under the name "Panel' . A Panel can he composed of different subjects (house wives, men, households, retail shops, etc.), according to the scopes of the survey, whilst also the continuous measuring of a market development is peculiar to each panel. In this particular case we refer to a household panel; this shows the following characteristics: - the household is sampling unit; - the members of the households are the persons whose purchases must be surveyed; - normally it is only one member of the household that records the purchases of ail members. We deal here with a case that gives particular difficulties with a view to the data collection, just because the sampling unit (household) is an abstract element, that becomes concrete in more subjects (single members of the household) whose purchases are recorded - in behalf of the survey - by only one of the household's members (in general this is the housewife). If these three elements (household, single members, person that records the purchases of all the family) can be considered as subjects of survey, let us now study their purchases of a particular type of semi-durable goods, viz. textile consumption. In this case the products being studied are all textile articles that can be bought in a household, either for individual use (dresses, coats, knitted goods, etc.}, or for collective use (household linen, carpets, furnishings, etc.)