This paper has argued that the sample size necessary in a survey does not primarily depend upon the size of the population from which the sample is to be drawn, but from other factors concerning the basic characteristics of the population and the quality of the information required from the sample. Hence the idea of a constant percentage sample size is a myth; there never has been, or will be, a sampling plan that requires a constant percentage of the population to be sampled, valid for all population sizes. To determine the correct sample size, for defined precision and confidence, some knowledge is required of P for attribute sampling or S for measured variates. This knowledge is not always available and thus, it may sometimes be argued, the procedures outlined earlier are vitiated. But, whilst it is often true that P or S are not precisely known, an approximate value is commonly available and this may well be good enough. Furthermore, a small error in P or S may not vitally affect the value of N obtained. If a big error is found, this would become clear as the sampling progressed and, should circumstances warrant it, a re-calculation of N can made and the remaining balance of the freshly estimated sample size N obtained on a statistical basis. Finally, this paper has only discussed straightforward single sample plans. Whilst the basic thesis of the paper holds whatever the kind of sampling plan envisaged, e.g. double sampling, or stratified sampling, the determination of the necessary sample size becomes more involved and the reader must be referred to the more specialised standard works on sampling, whether for the general background, the mathematical theory, or the survey design and analysis necessary for rigorous sampling.
The aim of market research is to classify the individuals into as homogeneous groups as possible according to their common features in the social structure and according to their consumer orientation and to find out the formation and workings of these groups; to identify the lines of communication inside and outside these groups. We speak about segmentation of the market.
It is a common misconception to view motivational (or qualitative) research as a special brand of market research. But, primarily, it is not a special branch of knowledge or methodology, but a skill. Some people have more aptitude for it than others - we all have some - and a background of formal study or knowledge - as in psychology and the social sciences - may be conducive to developing it. But it remains essentially a skill, and one that all marketing men engage in, whether more or less effectively. Both formal market research and the less formal motivational research are part of the same general operation: the intelligence work of marketing, informing its general strategy and specific campaigns. Within this general dispensation, the special emphasis of motivational research is to enable the marketing man to handle the abstractions of quantified market research with a sound sense of their relation to âreal lifeâ, with a genuine and rounded sense of the feelings and motives of the consumer. From study in depth of the case histories of specific consumers emerge the generalisations as to attitudes and behaviour, with which the particular investigation is concerned. Broadly speaking , quantified market research yields descriptive intelligence, while qualitative (or motivational) research yields explanatory theory, although there is some overlap of these functions.
When we analyse a series of sales data, the first problem posed is to find out the meaning of each figure which makes up the series; identification of the possible links which each figure has with the preceding one can be the starting point for constructing the basis of forecasts of the succeeding figures which continue the series. It would be ideal, when preparing forecasts, to be able to quantify exactly each variable which has to be considered when preparing the sales figures, so that in this case everything is reduced to a simple mathematical calculation, completely eliminating the risk of subjective estimates. This situation, however, is unrealistic and the best level which one can hope to reach is the limitation of these estimates to a well-defined margin. The scope of our brief comments is to initiate the study of sales forecasts as parts of a whole and to seek a method of solving each element. On the one hand, there exist sales figures which, projected into the future, give us the basis of theoretical forecasts; on the other, a mass of information (inserted into a single element of the forecasting pattern) which permits calibration of theoretical data in the "real world" of the market.
Since October 1 1968, Swiss Television Research has depended on telephone interviews. They reveal how many and which viewers see the individual broadcasts, as well as the four advertisement spots. In the foreseeable future penetration studies are envisaged which should give an indication of the memorability of individual commercials. Another interesting problem, at present only arising in connection with specific cases, is the direct measurement by telephone of the penetration of individual television commercials.
The object of this paper is to analyse some of the relationships which exist between social status and prestige, on the one hand, and consumers' behaviour, on the other.
From a general point of view the object of market research is to provide information for the industrial producer of a product or service as to the quantitative needs of consumers and the role that this product or service can hope to fulfil in the market; also to probe into the opinion of users as to the quality of his products and services, improvements requested and purchasing motivations. These last can moreover not only help to improve the product but also assure its promotion. If the overall objectives are identical for all types of market study, the same does not apply to the methods used. Too often, people do not distinguish between a market study and an opinion survey. This is a serious mistake, especially where industrial market studies are concerned. In fact, a distinction is usually drawn between market studies of consumer goods and services sold to the public, and studies of industrial markets where the buyers are professionals rather than private individuals. In themselves, the techniques of studying industrial markets are no different from those used for consumer goods, but their fields of operation have little in common and there are great differences in the way they are carried out.
The significance of technological forecasting for an individual business lies above all in the designation of 'production-targets' within the framework of a long-term project. By this we mean the positive appointment of possible future areas of activity from which the business can ascertain its research programme - and also in rough outline its future production programme - by means of a comparison with the present structure of the business. For the economy as a whole, as for a single business, a better knowledge of future technological developments - together with other forecasts - seems desirable, if indeed such forecasts are possible. Potential limitations imposed by fundamental obstacles will next be examined .
The aim of the paper is to summarise considerations and some precautions which would help best to evaluate the problems and the practical exercise in market research.
To most people "market research" means the concept of questioning by which a picture of the market is built up by representative methods. Even though by far the greatest number of surveys are carried out by means of questionnaires, this is not the only method of good market research. Thus observation, as against questioning, ekes out a miserable existence. The text books only mention it in passing - if at all. Our aim is therefore to highlight observation as a method of research, to distinguish it from other methods of data collection in the field and to indicate the practical experiments which some market research or similar institutes have carried out on the subject.
The Company was considering marketing a new product in a section of the highly competitive food market. Consumer tests on samples of product from a small pilot plant had given favourable results. The decision had then to be taken either to put the product on national sale as quickly as possible or to proceed more cautiously by test marketing in a limited region first, to get a better indication of the likely national sale. The former course involved risking large expenditures on plant and promotional activities; the latter approach allowed the collection of additional information before deciding whether to incur the major part of the expenditure, but increased the time before it would become an established profit-making product. In trying to relate their information to the marketing decision to be made, our market research colleagues felt that there must be a logical way to make the decision. Accordingly, it was decided to try to formulate the problem in terms of a mathematical model.
From the commencement of this seminar the question arose as to how to define the concept segmentation . The definition of concepts seems to me to be a basic duty. Doubtless there is a time when it is unnecessary, or even harmful. Such a case is when a new field of research is being outlined, when new techniques of analysis are being created. Then it is better to leave the coast clear for creative imagination. But at the point to which we have advanced, when research is reaching full maturity, clarification of concepts is necessary. Ambiguity at that level causes misunderstanding and puts a brake on the expansion of research. Now, the concept of segmentation conceals a twofold ambiguity. Some confusion is apparent between segmentation techniques and market segmentation, and also between segmentation and typology.