For the sake of consistency across markets in today's global environment are we as researchers becoming insensitive to the subtle variations that exist in respondents' understanding and processing of the questions we pose to them? This question is pertinent not just across markets but within the same market itself... and gains even more significance in a large and diverse country such as India. This paper puts forth experimental work which re-examines the way quantitative research is done in India in the hope the learnings would find application in other countries which face similar issues. More specifically it brings the consumers' perspective in developing appropriate research design and framing of questions thereby permitting researchers to use scales that would be closer to the consumers' own response pattern and hence elicit a truer response. It also helps identify the differences in the capability to respond to a quantitative questionnaire amongst consumers representing various social strata.
Regular research in twenty non-western but new European countries helps decision makers at top political levels (European Union parliament) analyse and better understand the opinion of the general public in their respective countries with regard to their standard of living confidence in the economy respect of human rights and development of democracy evaluation of the European and NATO-membership their respective advantages and disadvantages overall image and evaluation of the European Union and the ways they inform themselves about the west. In the ten candidate countries of central Europe a parallel study was run with some of the same questions amongst decision makers and opinion formers (1996-1997) thus completing the picture perfectly. Some remarkable differences could be noticed from 1990 on. This paper shows how the results were and are used by politicians and social and economic organisations and put into practice and is an excellent example of how to solve problems (or prevent them) by using data collected through specific market research in emerging markets.
The willingness of potential respondents to participate in surveys is obviously a major concern for the market research industry not only in relation to individuals acting in a private capacity but equally in the business-to-business market where limitations in the number of potential contacts in some specialist sectors periodically lead to fears of over- researching which in turn can lead to escalating recruitment problems as refusal rates increase. This paper describes perceptions of market research by business respondents identified in an investigation by the Research Development Foundation in the United Kingdom. The main findings from this qualitative and quantitative research are presented as well as a discussion of the production of guidelines to ensure that maximum willingness to participate is achieved from the business respondent audience. Issues investigated include general willingness to take part in surveys differences by business sector and specifically comparison with the general public audience contacted for consumer research.
A combination of growing prosperity and technological advances has brought a vast increase in complexity to many markets. Inevitably this has had a major impact on market research. Many simple techniques which used to work adequately now no longer do so. But the same factors which created the research problems also help to provide at least partial solutions. The paper contrasts two British markets the grocery sector and television. Both in recent years have experienced an exponential growth in the amount of data that have to be collected. These requirements have been met by research contractors. However there is a considerable difference in the extent to which research users in the two areas effectively employ the additional data to which they have access. The paper considers the steps that need to be taken to maximise the value of the databases and to overcome the reluctance to use the information effectively.
The paper describes the relationship between market research and competitive intelligence and discusses the evolution of competitive intelligence: the definition the need it fulfills where it evolved and the penetration of the discipline by industry and geographical region. The paper also reviews the methodologies employed in competitive intelligence both qualitative and quantitative and analytical methods. Comparative differences between competitive intelligence and market research are included which describe the different research methodologies skills/educational background and experience of the disciplines and the comparative analytical methodologies. The final section addresses the issues of the future of both disciplines: the integration of both methods and the potential demise of strategic planning. It also identifies opportunities for market research firms to branch out into the competitive intelligence business.
The psychology of judgement and decision making is a discipline dedicated to understanding the process which underlie people's judgements and decisions. This paper introduces some of the research findings and demonstrates how they can be applied to market research.
The introduction of the Euro will create a single currency area with about the size and the economic power of the United States. Beginning 1 January 1999 the Euro is the sole currency for all eleven countries participating in the European Monetary Union (EMU). Of course there will be a an official exchange rate for each of the eleven currencies. A possible solution for the pricing problem could therefore be to multiply all prices with this single factor. But this would not be an adequate solution. Two problems in particular are addressed: how to handle price differences between different countries; and how to handle price thresholds
Strategic market research is the glaring opportunity for value addition for market research - the customer is already in the board room in this era of customer-focused business strategy; the CEO is closely involved in the process of strategy development; the matter is central to company health and not a peripheral functional area issue; the stakes are high and no price is too high to get it right (certainly home out by the price premium that management consultants command over market researchers!). Even better strategic market research is a weapon that is capable of adding value to strategy development because it provides the winning edge to business strategy of superior customer and market understanding. This paper describes the business strategy development process and points out specifically where and how strategic market research can contribute; provides examples of some types of strategic market research products; and concludes by identifying the points of similarity and difference from conventional market research in concept operational processes and skills.
The thesis of this paper is that senior executives in most companies (if the major pharmaceutical companies are a fair indicator of corporate management) have little incentive to anticipate the long term let alone act upon it. Any paralysis toward worrisome prognostications about the future is compounded by the fact that junior executives in these companies find it hard and sometimes even career-threatening to advise their senior officers of their very real concerns. This paper tackles a few forbidden questions: Does an industry want to know the future? Does everyone in a company have the same interest in the future? How should researchers present the future when it contradicts conventional wisdom?
This paper describes how an international research project using standard quota sampling methods was used as part of an epidemiological study investigating the relationships between cold weather and excess winter mortality in eight different temperature zones in Europe. Surveys provided unique evidence of how the increase in deaths with greater cold can be affected by the actions people take to protect themselves both in the home and in the open air. The study supported by a grant from the European Community was later followed by similar studies in Ekaterinburg Russian Federation and Yakutsk north-eastern Siberia (this last awaiting publication).
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the sharing of information between retailers and manufacturers. Over the past five years there has been a revolution in the information that retailers have had at their disposal on which to make business decisions. Over the past couple of years they have also become more prepared to share these information sets with manufacturers their suppliers. There is the potential for both the retailer and manufacturer to gain by using shared information as a method of driving enhanced business performance. However this will only be achieved where there is wide and equitable access to data.