Abstract:

The time is early 1989. The Berlin wall is up. The Soviet Union is just what its name implies: a union. 1992 is a soon-to-happen promising event - and Europe is a private club of old-world nations, not an open concept. The client is the toughest collective decision-making body a communication agency can have to convince and bring to action: the Turkish government (talk about approval levels and multiple presentations!). The problem is: how to "market" Turkey as an acceptable candidate to the EC - against a tidal wave of prejudices and misconceptions, both in the EC and in Turkey. This paper: tells the story of how research succeeded in finding a visionary solution to this difficult problem (truly visionary at that time) but failed to make it happen: the right decision was made, but not acted upon then asks lohy this occurred, leading to a reflection about what research for decision-making means for a communication agency or any researcher acting as a TRUE marketing consultant: how to mix research, strategic planning, presentation power and plain old politics, so that a "decision" does not remain just that but becomes an action.