This paper describes the methodology involved in what we have called the "Continuous Qualitative Panel". The tool is a result of the combination of different research techniques, such as individual interviews, group sessions, consumer panels, market surveys and the observation of purchase behavior. The research method has operating and financial advantages and is based on the management of and attention to information needs through the hiring of exclusive project executives who are assigned full time to one specific client. The contract with the client defines the payment of a fixed monthly fee for the research. The technique finds the opinions of the focus segments of the research in an environment in which the researcher is totally at ease, since he/she is selected because his/her experience profile is ideally suited to the industry in question. The technique may be adapted under very varied conditions and it may be focused on goods or services. It can be applied to situations ranging from housewives preparing food at home to the evaluation of the service offered by a salesperson at the sales point. In the first part of the paper, the general operating scheme of the "Continuous Qualitative Panel" is discussed, and in the second part, two real-life applications of the methodology are explained.
This paper describes the methodology involved in what we have called the "Continuous Qualitative Panel". The tool is a result of the combination of different research techniques, such as individual interviews, group sessions, consumer panels, market surveys and the observation of purchase behavior. The research method has operating and financial advantages and is based on the management of and attention to information needs through the hiring of exclusive project executives who are assigned full time to one specific client. The contract with the client defines the payment of a fixed monthly fee for the research. The technique finds the opinions of the focus segments of the research in an environment in which the researcher is totally at ease, since he/she is selected because his/her experience profile is ideally suited to the industry in question. The technique may be apphed under very varied conditions and it may be focused on goods or services. It can be applied to situations ranging from housewives preparing food at home to the evaluation of the service offered by a salesperson at the sales point. In the first part of the paper, the general operating scheme of the "Continuous Qualitative Panel" is discussed, and in the second part, two real-life applications of the methodology are explained
Technological developments and market factors have caused or stimulated strong growth in most Western economies in recent times. Over the years, the level of market research activity in different directions has also increased considerably. With strong growth in activities and turnover - both at the demand and supply levels - the entire research business system has also undergone major changes. This has also affected the significance of research. What does research contribute to marketing? What is the added value of market research in organisations? The purpose of this paper is to give a broad outline of MR dynamics over the course of time from the user's perspective. The emphasis here lies on the presumed place and contribution of market research. We shall first discuss recent developments; then the significant trends and issues are dealt with, with the possible consequences for the profession. It is not our intention to give a total overview of all the driving forces and phenomena, but rather to stimulate further discussion on the scope, identity and changes in market research. When we refer to the users perspective, we mean the experiences within: AHOLD: an internationally operating retail company (particularly in food = non- durable goods); the organisation has been in existence for more than 100 years and has, among other assets, 1500 outlets in the Netherlands, ca. 600 supermarkets in the USA and 130 stores in the rest of Europe; quality and turnover speed are key managerial concepts maintained by the management. Philips Consumer Electronics: operates world-wide as manufacturer and seller of high-quality durables (= consumer goods); through technology and business characteristics, there are clear differences with the retail trade, such as longer lead times in development, production and marketing. In both sectors, however, the importance of information management is becoming ever greater under pressure from the better-informed customer and the intense competition. To what extent does market research help the user in obtaining "the right knowledge to take effective action?"
A research project undertaken for the owners/operators of the World Trade Center investigated the multiple impacts of the terrorist bombing on various constituent groups. A combination of qualitative, quantitative and secondary research was used to identify and understand individual reactions to the bombing and major concerns and needs resulting from this crisis. This information was used to inform the overall communications strategy and crisis communications. A unique aspect of this research was the use of psychological theory on trauma to inform the analysis of research findings and the resulting communications strategy.
In focusing on the need for a new mental model, we cite two issues of central concern to transnational business firms. These two issues are 1) recognizing the influence of national culture on the normal life of customers and the ways culture affects marketing plans and product development for that market and 2) recognizing the impact of global influences such as worldwide television culture on the environment of customers in foreign markets and how global TV culture influences values, lifestyles and the very perceptions of the firm's customers, and the firm's reputation in foreign markets. These customer-oriented issues have been neglected in the business literature or inadequately realized because of the absence of a conceptual model for dealing with the rapid, almost unconscious, influence of information on the perceptions of the customers
This paper gives an overview of the complexity of South African society, with special reference to cultural, language and geographical differences. It clearly illustrates that South Africa has a variety of cultures similar to the United Europe - but in one country. It discusses the difficulties being experienced with multicultural research in respect of habits, traditions, body language and the application of Westernised methodology to a non-Westemised community. These difficulties have lead to the development of a research method which gives consideration to the realities and challenges of a multicultural society. Furthermore, it has not cost an exorbitant amount to create an infrastructure. The expertise and existing infrastructure of the in-house research department of Nasionale Tydskrifte is the foundation of the Hen-and-Chicken (H-a-C) method. People living in the various societies are recruited, and are then the contact persons (Hens) in that specific community. Questionnaires are sent to them by mail and they are requested to distribute them to respondents (the Chickens) according to specific instructions. Control over the Hens and sample control were two of the major pitfalls identified during exploratory work. Some of the major advantages are that this method addresses the multicultural issues satisfactorily and utilises an existing infrastructure, therefore making it a cost effective method.
This paper illustrates the appropriateness of computer graphics for the creation of realistic representations of products that are not (yet) available, for the benefit of market research applications, particularly concept tests. An experiment is conducted to study the effect of the realism of computer-created product representations on the validity of consumer evaluations. We varied the degree of realism of representations of a shaver and a picture telephone. These representations as well as the actual products are evaluated by samples of respondents. The validity of consumer evaluations increased with an increasing degree of realism, particularly for the picture telephone. That means that it may be worthwhile to invest in additional degrees of realism to get more valid consumer evaluations. Particularly, the amount of detail of the products form affected the validity of consumer evaluations. Investments in additional CAD options, such as a ray tracer or a mapper to provide a more natural impression of the products' material properties, tended to be less relevant. The improvement in validity was small in comparison with the costs. Investments in a modeller that supports an efficient and effective description of the product's form was considered to be more relevant than investments in additional CAD options, such as ray tracing and mapping.
This paper will show that qualitative research methods can contribute to an increased effectiveness of traditional market research and can offer a solution to a variety of management problems related to the development and implementation of a (new) strategy within the organization. The effectiveness of market research can be increasedby combining traditional research designs focussed on the external market (consumers and end-users) with research on the internal market (employees of the organization). The application of qualitative research methods and techniques to the decision making process involved in developing a new strategy, can be very helpful in providing a certain integration of internal and external markets. This aspect is very important since many marketing desicions have an impact on various elements of the companys structure, the organization and its employees. Strategies fail due to a lack of acceptation and problems with the implementation of the strategy. This creates new challenges and opportunities for research managers: for researchers at agencies: the effectiveness of research is enhanced, new markets are opened up and longer-term consultancy can be assured, for researchers at companies; their role changes from information supplier and/or marketing consultant to internal agents of change.
This paper discussed the relationship between a research buyer, Yorkshire Water, and a research provider, Robertson Bell Associates (RBA) Limited. It explores how this relationship has developed over time, and at how a flexible approach has been adopted, particularly beneficial in times of economic frost. The first part of the paper looks at the economic pressures that face the UK water industry, monopoly suppliers who are not associated, generally, with the concept of competitive pressure. A background picture of Yorkshire Water, and of how the research function within the organisation has developed, is provided. The agent-client relationship is introduced in Part One of the paper, but is explored in much greater detail in Part Two. This section also looks at the changing needs of the client, and at how the flexible response from the agent has developed. It details the research that has been carried out, explores the range of techniques employed, and looks at some of the results to date. The final part of the paper explores the benefits to the client of the flexible approach. It discusses how research is managed within the organisation in a way that minimises cost and maximises customers benefit.
This paper demonstrates that those random procedures for selecting individuals in households will lead to enormous shortcomings in the representativeness of the individual sample while the agencies will need a second or third wave to obtain a minimum of representativeness. This is a costly sampling procedure which can easily be avoided. The basic assumption underlying the study presented in the paper is that nowadays one-person households and two-person households are in the majority in most European countries. This means that individuals living in such households have a far greater chance of being drawn in random individual samples than persons living in three-or-more person households. As persons living in smaller households have different socio-economic characteristics from persons living in larger households, random samples of individuals lead to wrong results - not only in terms of socio-economic characteristics, but also in the results of practically every market research study based on individuals. The study described was performed in NIPO's Telepanel where a questionnaire was used by applying different selection procedures. The paper describes the results of a few questions about political preference by applying the various methods. Finally an extremely practical solution will be discussed. This selection method - whose value is borne out by the results - is to select within the household: in a panel situation: youngest person (from a certain age) in a cross-section situation: youngest male and if not present youngest female (from a certain age).
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.
This paper discusses the political marketing problems inherent in the Polish new democracy. Since 1989 the political system has been developing in a state of constant change. It was very hard for voters to grasp the programs, goals and ideas proclaimed by the parties. Often the only thing that distinguished these parties was the figure of their leader. In order to function effectively in the political market it is thus essential to find out what social expectations concerning political leaders are: what kind of politicians would voters be willing to support at the polls. Voters most want representatives who have high moral qualities. This picture of the "moral politician" is made up of the following elements: concern for ordinary people, responsibility, credibility and patriotism. There is also another aspect as regards the social perception of politicians. The problem centers on the political programs and goals with which voters identify political leaders. The liberal-conservative model of politics was created. The knowledge about the place of political leaders within that model is fundamental to creating an efficient electoral campaign.