Expanding customer satisfaction measurement to the broader concept of Reference Group Management - to include customer satisfaction, employee orientation and image measurement, where appropriate - ensures that the correct decisions to improve customer satisfaction are taken, and that they can be implemented. Introducing the concept of Customer Retention enables the effect of customer satisfaction to be quantified in profit potential terms, providing a link between the 'soft' data of customer satisfaction measurement and the 'hard' data required for business management. The two together can have very substantial implications for the way a business manages the environment in which it operates, and consequently for the way it manages itself.
For 10 years, Infratest has been continuously investigating the relevance of building society advertising for the LBS in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is shown that the question commonly used in such advertising tracking studies is problematic and how it could be improved. The experience from more than 120 ad post tests integrated into this tracking study has been systematically summarized in an "electronic ad handbook". This has made it possible to analyze new ways of understanding the operation of print advertising in the home loan market. The practical significance of this advertising research for LBS communication policy is illustrated by concrete examples.
Market Research and Strategic Planning have a common task: To support management in the never-ending challenge to shape the future of companies and organisations. Neither market research nor strategic planning have the knowledge or the instruments to fulfil this task without the complementary support of each other. Still, there is no intensive cooperation or communication between both professions up to the present day. Market researchers in companies have been living in their own world with little contact to strategic planners. They dealt with their suppliers, the market research agencies, which also existed neatly and tidily separated from the consulting companies. While market research developed increasingly sophisticated and accurate methods, they still gained little or no influence on company policies and actions. Strategic planners on the other side appeared to be a kind of unchallenged wizards, who created visions of the future development of companies and markets with little need for such profane information as the current number of customers, market shares etc. But now this lack of contact to reality is jeopardizing the confidence of management in strategic planning. The strategic planners have lost their formerly powerful position, the days of creative meetings and metaplan sessions are gone forever. Now, for a change, the accountants have taken over! It is so much easier not to face uncertain market prospects and not to look at "intangible" corporate strengths and weaknesses but to analyse the past financial performance of a business and to grow by buy outs and mergers.
This paper covers the problem of: envisaged changes to the current market situation. The analytical method used to establish a micro simulation model is an advanced approach to Conjoint Measurement Analysis of survey data. The final aim of this research issue is to provide the suppliers of products with a Decision Support System representing problem solving tools that enable marketing management to simulate the consequences of different marketing strategies. Along with a written report giving the main results of the study carried out, the client will receive a simulation disc by means of which he will be able to achieve the necessary simulations by himself. The application of this new approach will be demonstrated by the case study: "Product Development, Pricing and Competitive Situation for Airline Services".
In recent years, this has completely changed: technology has intruded to a great extend on the bank-customer relationship. Automated cash dispensers and account-with- drawl printers were the forerunners in the area of self- service. Electronic money, which is paid in at POS terminals, videotex and home banking are the fundamental new technologies which have began to change the customer's relationship towards his banking institution. This change will certainly continue in the future. Is this what the customer wanted? With the introduction of this new technology, this didn't always seem to be the most important question. Technical capabilities were sometimes confused with requirements and the new technology was discussed and adapted from the standpoint of rationalisation in an intensively competitive business.
In recent years, this has completely changed: technology has intruded to a great extend on the bank-customer relationship. Automated cash dispensers and account-with- drawl printers were the forerunners in the area of self- service. Electronic money, which is paid in at POS terminals, videotex and home banking are the fundamental new technologies which have began to change the customer's relationship towards his banking institution. This change will certainly continue in the future. Is this what the customer wanted? With the introduction of this new technology, this didn't always seem to be the most important question. Technical capabilities were sometimes confused with requirements and the new technology was discussed and adapted from the standpoint of rationalisation in an intensively competitive business.
The paper explains, how periods of economic instability have led to new demands for market research data amongst the suppliers of financial services. During times of stagnating or even reduced market research budgets, the structural survey of the Establishments-FMDS has been positively judged and accepted by the leading banking and insurance companies. The success of the Establishments- FMDS lies mainly in the fact that it was developed in close cooperation between market researchers from Infra- test and the companies involved as well as banking and insurance experts. In addition it was conceived as a multi-client study and therefore does not overburden the budgets of the single companies.
The paper explains, how periods of economic instability have led to new demands for market research data amongst the suppliers of financial services. During times of stagnating or even reduced market research budgets, the structural survey of the Establishments-FMDS has been positively judged and accepted by the leading banking and insurance companies. The success of the Establishments- FMDS lies mainly in the fact that it was developed in close cooperation between market researchers from Infra- test and the companies involved as well as banking and insurance experts. In addition it was conceived as a multi-client study and therefore does not overburden the budgets of the single companies.
For our initial evaluation we undertook a discriminant analysis to see if the age groups varied from one another with respect to attitudes towards living. The main objective of this phase was to compare the attitudes of the respondents towards living ten years ago to their attitudes today to see if identical age groups have changed their position in discriminant space, and when yes, then in which direction.
For our initial evaluation we undertook a discriminant analysis to see if the age groups varied from one another with respect to attitudes towards living. The main objective of this phase was to compare the attitudes of the respondents towards living ten years ago to their attitudes today to see if identical age groups have changed their position in discriminant space, and when yes, then in which direction.
During the last 10 years IMR has enjoyed a positive evolution, expressed not only in terms of volume of research, but also of the increasing application of more- sophisticated methods and evaluation techniques. The expected future development of IMR will be essentially determined by the economic evolution and by the resulting specific objectives and requirements. This paper describes the present status of IMR and its expected evolution in the course of the 80's, with the repercussions of this evolution on research methods and techniques. It is limited to the Federal Republic of Germany but takes into account the essential points of the English paper, in order to bring out possible differences in the evolution of both countries.