MR too has become increasingly international. The process of adapting the organisation, the concentration and the growth of international research has been client-driven. But just how well does the industry handle diversity in 2005? For several years now we have been taking snapshots of the MR situation in various countries. These country profiles provide us with evidence of a rich diversity with major differences determined by local circumstances. A very interesting typology could be drawn up for each development phase, based on, for example, sales turnover, ways of working, the presence of and compliance with quality standards and possibly other professional characteristics. Global vs local remains a difficult challenge to operating successfully in the different markets. But the concept of diversity is a key condition. Respect for differences in values is essential. The extent to which we succeed in developing this concept is also a question of skills and competences. Are MR managers who operate on an international basis really capable of implementing an inclusive, cross-cultural approach to products and services? In other words, are there actually enough true internationalists? It is time that learning to handle diversity was given a more prominent place in MR training programmes. Its true indeed that if a country is different, the market is also different. Once we clearly recognise this, we can decide what can be integrated and which values bring us together.
New criticisms of the UK research industrys business weaknesses coincide with the toughest time it has had for years. But the picture is patchy, with some agencies, or parts of agencies, still doing well while for others the party is over. The industry still spends too much time talking to itself rather than to clients.
The Latin American market is more diverse than many companies, especially some multinationals, would like to believe. At the same time, it is bigger and more encompassing than most people realise: it stretches from the Canadian border to Cape Horn.
This presentation aims at demonstrating that qualitative research is a powerful tool when a brand is faced with the complexity of differing markets. It starts with the presentation of the current situation of the Hennessy brand, explaining why it is fragmented. It then demonstrates how qualitative methods have successfully informed the evolutionary brand strategy, both at an ad hoc and above all at a continuous level.
Market researchers should be comfortable with taking more risks and trying to elevate their position proactively. That's the major challenge currently posed to the industry,.
Papers included in this volume examine the impact of local culture both within European markets and further afield, in countries such as the Middle East and India. To what extent can a brand that is successful in one culture be transferred to another seemingly distant one?
As the Internet has now become a legitimate and often critical business medium, it has also forced those of us in the market research profession to confront a wide assortment of new challenges, including reevaluating traditional market research techniques and practices and embracing new ones. In this paper, I will highlight some personal experiences that I have encountered in the past two and one-half years at one of the worlds largest technology corporations - IBM. I will share some learnings from several web site surveys and use these examples to illustrate how the complexities of online market research will force change in the how market researchers approach their work and in the skill sets required of successful research professionals.
Against the background of European integration and globalisation of the aerospace industry competitive intelligence receives new significance. More than ever before good knowledge of ones competitors is essential if one wishes to succeed in the market. Structures such as those existing in the aerospace industry which are becoming more and more complex make it increasingly difficult to keep all relevant areas of competition under observation. In addition a global company spread over various locations suffers from a growing lack of transparency in its internal knowledge base and with a flood of external information swelling by day. This paper describes the structure and process of competition analysis at DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) which enables the competitive scene to be kept under continuous observation and events relevant to the companys competitive position to be identified and announced in an early-warning system. The paper shows how it is possible to build such a system. The central area of activity is the formation of competitor working groups operating across the borders of individual departments.
A combination of growing prosperity and technological advances has brought a vast increase in complexity to many markets. Inevitably this has had a major impact on market research. Many simple techniques which used to work adequately now no longer do so. But the same factors which created the research problems also help to provide at least partial solutions. The paper contrasts two British markets the grocery sector and television. Both in recent years have experienced an exponential growth in the amount of data that have to be collected. These requirements have been met by research contractors. However there is a considerable difference in the extent to which research users in the two areas effectively employ the additional data to which they have access. The paper considers the steps that need to be taken to maximise the value of the databases and to overcome the reluctance to use the information effectively.
This paper describes the work that has been carried out for the BBC World Service to further understanding of the image and identity of the station and to assist appropriate positioning in rapidly changing media environments. The paper examines the pitfalls and limitations associated with some common measures of awareness, and presents some alternative qualitative methods which may be used to help us gain a deeper understanding of the distinct character and personality of a given radio station that lies at the heart of its relationship with the listener. The paper draws on BBC research throughout the world, but focuses in particular on some recent case studies from countries of the former Soviet Union, and eastern and central Europe.
As media markets across Europe become more complex with new and different media channels available, there is an increasing onus on research to assess the performance of an advertisement in a particular medium as well as providing an understanding of its contribution to a mixed media schedule. It is our belief that any evaluation of marketing and advertising effectiveness must start with the brand vs. the overall campaign - is it meeting its marketing objectives? However, whilst it is important to evaluate the current performance of the marketing activity on the brand, it is equally important to diagnose how and why it is having that effect, and to identify leading indicators of future potential. Understanding is key to the development of existing campaigns and the creation of new ones.
The communication is questioning the role of the New Information and Communication Tools in the development of inter-organizational buyer-seller cooperative relationships. Based on an integration of information systems and marketing theories, this paper's objective is to show that new information technologies have a structuring effect on buyer-seller relationships. A cross-section multi-activities study among 151 purchasing managers, all members of the French Buying Association (C.D.A.F.), has been undertaken. Results confirm that structural dimensions of complexity and formalization are positively influenced by New Information and Communication Tools. But the hypothesis of a decentralizing effect is not supported. The restrictive operationalization of New Information Technologies as a set of information and communication tools allows a specification of the structuring effect as function of the nature and type of tools adopted.