Advancing technology, global competition, fragmented and demanding markets, the internet, and the growing power of consumers are major forces, placing intense pressures upon local and global management to understand and better meet the needs of consumers. This paper evaluates the benefits of ethnography observational research in contributing to management consumer understanding. We illustrate the everyday lives of Asian and western consumers with case studies, video clips and analyses, and demonstrate the power of the ethnographic approach to new product development (NPD), branding and communications. Consumers are often unwilling or unable to expose their personal lives in interviewing, and observational research permits direct contact with real Asian everyday life behaviour.
This paper deals with the relationship between two issues: ethnicity and its impact on everyday life; and the relationship of brand affinity to perceived ethnic origins. The fieldwork was conducted by means of an Internet survey and the results are examined in the context of studies on acculturation and brand loyalty.
The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the basic characteristics and potential applications of the SINUS Everyday Life Research Program which explores new ground both in terms of theory and methodology. Initially, the research program was developed as a result of the dissatisfaction with the traditional approaches commonly used in empirical social research. These approaches are not sensitive enough to capture the diversity and complexity of the respondents' everyday-life experiences particularly with regard to changing attitudes and values.
The purpose of this paper is to provide information about the basic characteristics and potential applications of the SINUS Everyday Life Research Program which explores new ground both in terms of theory and methodology. Initially, the research program was developed as a result of the dissatisfaction with the traditional approaches commonly used in empirical social research. These approaches are not sensitive enough to capture the diversity and complexity of the respondents' everyday-life experiences particularly with regard to changing attitudes and values.