Abstract:

Media research in different countries should be more similar than it is. The variety is due to the different scales on which research can be afforded and to the different media available for advertising and hence the incentives for commercial research. Until it develops techniques closer to measuring advertising effectiveness, and not just exposure, no motive to make media research more uniform will be powerful enough to change this pattern. But there are examples of common techniques (TV meters plus diaries, long self-completed media and product questionnaires) and methods will continue to be imported. This paper struggles against these difficulties. It tries to explain why they exist and why change is slow. But successful exchanges do take place and some are mentioned. And some developments in Europe which may be of general interest have been selected for brief description.