The paper focuses on issues associated with ethical behaviour and research on the internet. The authors note the reasons for increased interest in research on the internet and describe the link between ethical behaviour and research quality, examining the role of codes of conduct. The issues covered include respondent privacy, poor research practice, researcher indulgence and cookies as well as security breaches designed to be destructive (cyber-anarchy) or gain profit (cyber-terrorism/ extortion) or simply to steal research stimuli, data or even research innovations and tools (netspionage). The paper is based on a review of the literature and interviews with research colleagues in the United Kingdom and United States.
This paper describes the impact of the internet on international industrial research. The author discusses the different aspects of the www such as new research objectives and methods and the suitability of these future tools for international industrial marketing research. Furthermore the paper explains the development of communication from traditional research work to the current information exchange and will give an outlook to future networking using the web. This networking will offer opportunities as well as threads that are discussed in detail. In the conclusion the author recommends researchers not to miss the opportunity to adapt and adopt the new technology, but in a selective way.
Relationship, one-to-one, and permission marketing are just some of the new marketing lexicon terms used to describe online marketing strategies. It appeared to the authors that although these terms were much in evidence, little empirical work had been undertaken to measure the components of such strategies. This paper describes the results from a unique pan-European research study designed to understand the determinants of one of the elements in these strategies: a sticky website. It provides an explanation of the construction and parameterisation of a unique stickiness metric and explains why such a metric is important in helping eCommerce companies optimise their marketing mix. Fundamentally it demonstrates why purely behavioural measures are not enough and why attitudinal measures are important.
This paper looks at the human side of the arrival of new information technology. The authors argue that the market research industry should now explain to the outside world how it is making sense of 21st century marketing information. We believe this will give market research more external credibility and will also provide a focal point for fresh thinking about how to recruit and train the next generation of knowledge workers, including market researchers.
This paper examines the differences between telephone and internet interviewing. In particular, it compares responses from a survey that used both traditional telephone interviews and the internet. Using a long established panel, this paper looks at differences in responses and offers some possible explanations.
The paper relates to the use and value of business-to-consumer online communities in the network economy. It uses empirical research, such as observation and moderated email groups to understand the value of online communities in building and maintaining relationships with online users and customers.
This paper presents a forecast of how brands and branding can and will be used in the new converging marketplace of the 21st century. The authors suggest a new model for developing and managing brand relationships will be required. The initial theory and concepts for this new brand relationship model are presented and discussed. As support, the use of the proposed model is illustrated through a real-world example. Finally, a research methodology for developing the approaches required by this proposed new branding/relationship model are presented and illustrated through a best practices study recently completed in the United States.
The ESOMAR Congress 2000 deals with networking and its impact on business and society.
Qualitative research has at its essence the search for a consumer truth, an insight into behaviour or attitude that will guide the marketer to a product positioning distinctive and relevant enough to cut through the data smog and advertising clutter of the contemporary marketplace. As companies require more and more insights from qualitative research, it is incumbent on leading edge researchers to find ways of pushing back the frontiers of knowledge about the consumer, and his/her behaviour. Sometimes we can allow ourselves to imagine that the sanitised world of qualitative research is real life. We believe that the 21st century qualitative researcher, therefore, needs to be able to get closer to the consumer, to smell him or her, to get under his or her skin and to talk the same language. This paper examines different ways of taking a more holistic view. Let us examine some of the alternative and supplementary methods available to us.
This paper explores why some technologies (e.g. IT and telecoms) are well embraced whereas others, such as biotechnology, are more likely to generate anxiety. It examines the role of the internet in disseminating information about biotechnology itself, and the issues surrounding it. It concludes that attitudes are themselves dynamic, but that a new era of consumer dialogue will require consultation mechanisms. The internet may (or may not) have a role to play.
Commerce players have a compelling economic incentive to retain customers, because it is more expensive to acquire new customers than it is to retain existing ones. While companies have used a multitude of tactics to foster loyal relationships, special loyalty programs have experienced exceptional growth in the United States. While effective in driving transactions, these programs are often costly and inefficient. Consumers, in most cases, remain loyal when companies meet their needs and expectations, changing allegiance only when they experience a disappointment or they believe a superior alternative exists. Does loyalty manifest itself differently online than in traditional channels? What are commerce players doing effectively and ineffectively to drive loyalty? Will consumers be loyal to commerce players on the web? What solutions are available to implement loyalty strategies?
This paper explores how PC vending is changing and adapting to the challenges of new technologies and attitudes. Business and consumer desktop PC markets are the topic of investigation. These markets are particularly suitable for investigation as they embody many of the new technologies and are the scene of rapid growth and innovation (in both product and marketing). The principle source of data is IntelliTrack IQTM, a global IT tracking survey. This paper draws heavily on the business and consumer desktop PC modules. Interviews are conducted with Purchase Influencers those who have bought or influenced the purchase of a desktop PC in the past 12 months or who plan to do so in the next 12 months. Data are collected monthly and normally reported on a quarterly basis. In the paper the data are aggregated for the whole of 1999 to provide a robust picture. The business data comprises France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States. The consumer data comprises France, Germany, United Kingdom, and United States.