This paper approaches designing of questionnaires for the personal interview from the point of view of attempting to illustrate ways in which the questionnaire designer can make the interviewer's task less difficult. It starts off by explaining why there is an apparent incompatibility between the requirements of the questionnaire designer and those of the interviewer, in particular the fact that complex and sophisticated marketing models have necessitated the use of long and complicated questionnaires. The paper then goes on to suggest ways in which the interviewer can be helped, covering 4 specific aspects of questionnaire: design; length; complexity; layout and wording. Finally 4 Golden Rules for questionnaire designers are presented.
The purpose of this paper is to argue that the supplier and the buyer of research should and can communicate with each other. This argument is developed with fieldwork, sampling and questionnaire particularly in mind. As background to this argument, the nature of communications is briefly discussed, and reference is made to the general influences that condition the ease and effectiveness of communications. Most problems encountered in market research are common to other fields of activity. Reference is made to the subjects on which it is appropriate for communications to occur. The summary of these subjects covers not only areas requiring contacts, but also makes suggestions of certain areas not so commonly considered. It is thus proposed that communications should be wider as well as deeper. It is recommended that the number and kind of participants involved in communications should be extended. The paper deals subsequently with obstacles of communications, since only by frankly recognising these and genuinely wishing to overcome them can real progress be achieved. In conclusion the paper, highlights the very real advantages to be gained from good communications, and makes positive recommendations on the ways in which communications can be improved.
Test markets have been strongly criticised, particularly because it is extremely difficult to project the results and obtain reliable estimates for the total market. This is especially the case in countries where markets vary considerably from region to region and where advertising media are not sufficiently flexible to be used on a local basis. In these conditions, test areas are considered as a crude instrument: - to get rough estimates of possible future sales volume; - to adjust particular aspects: e.g. price, package, size, etc. We can change this attitude if: - we look at test areas from a different point of view; - we use a suitable technical approach. Test areas can be considered as a method for checking a complete strategy. In fact the firm is interested in checking if a certain number of results can be achieved when a product is introduced into the market. These results have to be measured not only in sales volume but also in the number (or quality) of outlets; the segments of consumers; the penetration of communication; the image obtained; the market share achieved; and so on.