Hungary is one of those countries in Europe that have undergone a tremendous change during the last two years. This political change has basicly influenced economy and the actors of the market as well. The first part of this paper describes why neither research institutions nor clients were interested in carrying out qualitative projects under the socialist era. The second part of the paper analyzes why the present Hungarian society and the Hungarian consumers are in a frustrated situation as a consequence of the distorted social and interpersonal relations. On the example of car drivers and refuelling customers a presently adequate typology is suggested. Further on, it is shown how advertising research and image studies can make use of qualitative techniques in an environment where most actors are not ready to cope with the results. It is described how certain research problems were answered. Finally, the paper gives a general overview of how paradoxical identification efforts work in Hungary and what qualitative research could do to help them assimilate to each other. It is mentioned that the training of qualitative researchers is not sufficient in Hungary.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a phrase that can be very off-putting, yet it sums up three very simple ideas that form the core of the insights and discoveries Grinder and Handler made. The 'Neuro' part of NLP recognises the fact that all human behaviour is neurologically based. We experience the world through sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - the five senses - and then make 'sense' of the information. This neurological process is both invisible and visible, occuring as electro-chemical transmissions in our nervous systems as well as constantly changing physiological responses. The 'Linguistic' component of NLP refers to the fact that we use language to order, classify and communicate these sensory experiences, whilst 'Programming' encapsulates the idea that we we all develop patterns of behaviour that we use (and re-use again and again) to achieve particular results. Thus NLP provides a model of understanding about subjective experience; how we organise it so we can make sense of the scramble of stimuli we receive; how we use language to share our unique experience with others; and how we act in response, either intentionally or unintentionally. The relevence of NLP to marketing, advertising and research lies in the fact that the early founders of this model spent a great deal of time trying to understand how excellent communicators achieve success whilst others do not. They began by studying three famous people - Virginia Satir, a famous family therapist; Gregory Bateson, a high profile anthropologist; and Dr Milton Erikson, a hynotherapist. Through processes of minute observations and careful listening, they found for example that Virginia Satir paid close attention to both the body posture and the linguistic patterns of her clients. Handler and Grinder found that poor communication and misunderstanding occurred when two people (or a person talking to a group) 'mismatched' i.e. diplayed different patterns of behaviour from another person, so breaking rapport. By copying their example and analysing what these excellent communicators were doing instinctively and unconsciously, Bandler and Grinder found that they could improve their communication skills without years of trial and error or intensive personal tuition. They went on to model all sorts of people such as athletes, business people, dancers, teachers and politicians, all the time becoming consciously aware of the processes involved in excellence. This paper will discuss two NLP models which have direct direct application to an understanding of brands and brand communication. These are: Representational systems and Hierarchical levels of communication.
This paper attempts to posit a general theory of cultural differences and their implications to you as the international qualitative research practitioner. The model developed should, we believe, be used as a thought-provoker at the earliest stages of the planning of cross-cultural qualitative research. We believe it can be extremely useful in improving on: - group recruitment quality - the effectiveness of the topic guide - moderating techniques and the response quality All of which make for a "good group". It can also be useful in understanding: - why certain approaches can or cannot be used - why local resources may indicate certain approaches cannot be used when occasionally they actually could, and ought to be tried.
There are many ways of staying in touch with the consumer. As a researcher, I would have to bring up both quantitative and qualitative research. Clearly, quantitative has a major role in understanding the consumer in a lot of detail. At the same time, there is an equally important role for qualitative research in understanding the consumer and staying in touch with the consumer. I am here today to talk about using qualitative research to stay in touch as an integral part of this process. Often times, it seems to me, there is a clear division between qualitative and quantitative research in terms of the role of each in information gathering and in the overall usefulness of each. A number of years ago, I remember some junior marketing executive using some qualitative research as a support point in his marketing plan. When the research director saw this, he threatened to ban the use of all qualitative research. Of course, this did not come about. Over time, from my personal experience, it seems to me, that both marketing and marketing research are more understanding of how to use each approach and the extent to which one approach complements or supplements the other. Of course, I do not know how TRUE this is in other companies. The end point is how do we, as marketers, make or build better products. Marketing research plays a critical role in this process. However, a one-way mirror or a questionnaire should not stand between marketing and the consumer.
Innovation is the key word of the nineties. As changes take place in rapid succession, greater demands will be made on the innovative capabilities of organizations. Innovation is not only needed in the field of product development and the creation of new markets, but also in the field of management and organization. Qualitative research skills can prove to be invaluable for this. The provision of insight into psychological needs and the search for new solutions to problems can be usefully applied in more areas than just traditional market research. Possibilities for diversification are found by shifting the scene to other markets and by shifting focus from research to training. Qualitative researchers can shift the scene from the external to the internal 'market', by doing organization research within organizations. They can also shift the scene from research-intensive sectors to less research-intensive sectors, for example by doing design-research in the creative sector. The focus can be shifted from research to the training of professionals outside the research line of business. This paper will show how these possibilities for diversification can be utilized, which situations may need to be dealt with and which results are aimed at. Diversification offers the current qualitative market researcher different forms of longer-term consultancy and several roles to choose from. Innovative managers and marketeers, as well as designers and creators can benefit from the profound insight into significant groups and the possibilities for stimulating creativity that qualitative research skills are all about.
The paper focuses on the relationship between the research agency and its client and the production of client satisfaction within the context of business-to-business research. Client satisfaction and the quality of qualitative research is to a high degree dependent on the quality of the relationship established between the research agency and the client (and the respondents). Within this relationship research objectives are step by step defined and even redefined. This relationship is essentially framed as a reciprocal learning relationship with mutual responsibilities for a positive outcome. Learning experiences and research should be planned for. The occurrence of new insights and the structuring of them in models is probably the best possible outcome of qualitative research, and at least a powerful tool to ensure satisfaction on the client side. This implies creating together with him relevant and applicable knowledge schemes, action models. By doing so, one can come close to a long term consultancy relationship with the client.
This paper falls into two parts. First we consider the UK governments use of qualitative research, looking both at the circumstances in which it is employed and the means by which it is assessed. Our initial and somewhat imprecise hypothesis - that government under-uses qualitative research - is examined, and is found, on balance, to have been pessimistic: in certain sectors of government, qualitative techniques make a valued contribution to descriptive and evaluative research, both in policy and publicity work. Second, we explore the extent to which those buying research may often be buying a commodity perhaps better described as research-based consultancy. We look at some of the reasons why both clients and practitioners find it expedient to treat qualitative findings as if they resulted from a more rigorous process than is usually the case. We also consider what might be lost and what gained if qualitative researchers were treated less as ad-hoc researchers and more as consultants with a distinctive and effective discipline. Our overall objective is to encourage more open debate rather than impose a particular view on a difficult issue. The two sections of the paper share a concern about the nature and value of qualitative research, and suggest that although an equilibrium seems to have been established between supply and demand, greater clarity - and perhaps greater honesty - in thinking about what is being bought and sold will be to the benefit of both client and researcher
The goal of this paper Is to investigate social advertising in Italy as a concept (what It is, what it means, how people see it) and as communication through some examples of current advertising. It considers a qualitative research concerning the concept of social advertising as well as the language and style used. The research was carried out by Delfo In 1989 on behalf of Pubblicita Progresso, an Institute which promotes socially useful advertising on a strictly voluntary basis. It was one of the first attempts made to study and analyse social language. As a matter of fact, social advertising in Italy Is still something new and consequently research, especially qualitative, concerning them is quite recent. In this paper we will explain the structure of the research project, with particular attention to the methodology and techniques used as well as the sample considered. Descriptions will be provided concerning the different implications that social advertising has for both the individual and the family. The techniques used (creative and analytical/ psychodrama) enabled Delfo to thoroughly investigate expectations and resistance towards this issue. One of the main facts which emerged from this research was the necessity of finding the proper language, the right treatment as well as the most suitable communications tools for social issues. We include descriptions of some examples of social, advertising, in order to clearly stress which aspects must be taken into consideration and which elements could he seen as distracting. The conclusions resulting from the research underline that social advertising must obey advertising rules (In terms of expression, treatment, message). At the same time, since It Is "social advertising" it must also necessarily take Into account people current awareness of social phenomena and society in Italy. After the necessary adjustments, this conclusion can be TRUE also for other countries.
In order to bring system and discipline, without losing depth and sensitivity, into both data gathering and data interpretation of qualitative research, a holistic implicit model was developed. This Model is based upon a socio-biological and psycho-analytic paradigm of implicit dynamic need gratification systems underlying all human behaviour.
The purpose of this paper is to show how accounting for the most recent developments in such a qualitative subject as semiology can profoundly alter the patterns of a quantitative discipline such as media planning. Media planning today is founded on communication models derived from that of Shannon and Weaver, i.e. models which prohibit our accounting for the influence of the actual medium on message perception. Thus, in print media, the evaluation of various magazines is made in terms of target readers, i.e. readers belonging to the relevant target group. Without wishing to appropriate Mc Luhan's deliberately provocative formula of "the medium is the message", we simply wish to explain here why, when talking to the same population, the same message will be more, or less, effective according to the title in which it appears. Because for one and the same product, and with an identical target audience, the impact of the same advertisement can plummet by almost 40 % according to the title which carries the advertisement. In other words, accounting for the medium's specific input influencing the efficacy of the message appears to be just as important (at least) as the breakdown of readers!