Tourism as' an industry might be better described as the business of personal communication or of mobility and leisure time activities away from homo. For travel is a function of developments in transport, rising standards of living and increased leisure time. The first period of Industrial evolution, in the nineteenth century produced, with the railways, the first large scale development of a tourist industry. The present time is a period of expansion even more far reaching. A second technical revolution, increasing wealth, and the growth of two new forms of transport, the private car and the airplane, are creating fundamental changes. This industry, in its widest conception, representing a complex of consumer goods and services can come to dominate developed economies. If this point is reached the effect of fashion, quickly changing habits, and thus demand, may create fluctuations in business greater and more difficult to solve than those of the old trade cycle, a phenomenon of economies dominated by capital and not consumer goods industries.
The prospects in consumer research over the next few years are likely to be governed primarily by the changing and developing needs of industry. These needs in turn are largely determined by major economic and social trends, such as increasingly active competition, the increasing tempo of marketing, the closer economic contacts in the Western world and increasing populations and living standards. Industry will look more and more to consumer research for still better help and guidance, not only in coping with its day-to-day marketing problems, but also in giving direction to long-term plans in such fields as capital investment and technical research. It may be helpful to look at this situation from the viewpoint of the user of consumer research, particularly of companies manufacturing and marketing mass market, non-durable and branded consumer goods. In this paper it is proposed to discuss some of the main problem areas where industry hopes and expects to get still more effective help from consumer research during the next few years, which will assist commercial judgement and reduce business risks. The direction which this help is already taking can be illustrated by reference to the papers which will constitute the balance of this session.
The prospects in consumer research over the next few years are likely to be governed primarily by the changing and developing needs of industry. These needs in turn are largely determined by major economic and social trends, such as increasingly active competition, the increasing tempo of marketing, the closer economic contacts in the Western world and increasing populations and living standards. Industry will look more and more to consumer research for still better help and guidance, not only in coping with its day-to-day marketing problems, but also in giving direction to long-term plans in such fields as capital investment and technical research. It may be helpful to look at this situation from the viewpoint of the user of consumer research, particularly of companies manufacturing and marketing mass market, non-durable and branded consumer goods. In this paper it is proposed to discuss some of the main problem areas where industry hopes and expects to get still more effective help from consumer research during the next few years, which will assist commercial judgement and reduce business risks. The direction which this help is already taking can be illustrated by reference to the papers which will constitute the balance of this session.
The following considerations aim at determining the criteria decisive for appreciating the value of each interview and as such for the whole study. With this in mind a study among 100 companies which may be considered as potential buyers of a special kind of machine has shown to what extent the quota of refusals differs with various categories of questions response themes. The second step was an analysis under the aspect of in how far the average quota of refusals depends on the operating characteristics of the investigated plant and on the personal characteristics of the interviewed expert.
The following considerations aim at determining the criteria decisive for appreciating the value of each interview and as such for the whole study. With this in mind a study among 100 companies which may be considered as potential buyers of a special kind of machine has shown to what extent the quota of refusals differs with various categories of questions response themes. The second step was an analysis under the aspect of in how far the average quota of refusals depends on the operating characteristics of the investigated plant and on the personal characteristics of the interviewed expert.
In the paper we are presented with a model relating motives of the purchasing public, the activation of these motives, and advertising effectiveness. Whilst in general welcoming any signs of a theoretical, i.e. generalising, approach in market research, my welcome - speaking personally - would tend to be limited to work which is based to a reasonable extent - whatever that may mean - on empirical facts. In the present case, however, I have grave doubts. It looks to me as though the authors' approach lacks contact with reality at three levels.
This paper is based on the experience gained in commissioning research in, at present, eight different European countries. In addition some knowledge has been acquired of research in other European countries and in some British Dominions and the United States of America. When we think about international research we all pay lip-service to the fact that the people living in one country differ in many respects from those in other-countries. We know that the same problem arises in advertising when it is said that copy produced for one market is unsuitable for any other market. However, this vital fact of each nation approaching its problems in a different way has not been investigated, as yet, in any scientific way; what I can do is to give some thoughts based on my practical experience in the hope that you may avoid many of the mistakes which we make until we have learned our lessons.
This paper is based on the experience gained in commissioning research in, at present, eight different European countries. In addition some knowledge has been acquired of research in other European countries and in some British Dominions and the United States of America. When we think about international research we all pay lip-service to the fact that the people living in one country differ in many respects from those in other-countries. We know that the same problem arises in advertising when it is said that copy produced for one market is unsuitable for any other market. However, this vital fact of each nation approaching its problems in a different way has not been investigated, as yet, in any scientific way; what I can do is to give some thoughts based on my practical experience in the hope that you may avoid many of the mistakes which we make until we have learned our lessons.
Among the several possible interpretations of the subject assigned to me, I am assuming the problem to be primarily what type of service should be offered beyond the scope of the market study itself. In discussing this subject I can only provide the point of view of marketing research organizations in the United States, which may very well differ importantly from European attitudes and needs.