The recognition of those motives, which, arising from the unconscious or subconscious, become motivations for a certain irrational or "illogical attitude, is not sufficient for the planning of advertising or sales campaigns, nor even for the creation of good public relations. In practice it will be possible to base only policies on motives and motivations which at least show up in qualified minorities (if not majorities). Therefore it seems unavoidably necessary to quantify findings resulting from motivation research. In other words, it is essential to check their "weight". This can be done by serial tests carried out by trained qualified interviewers. Though these tests are, of course, in a simplified form, they are psychologically acceptable, and their results can be judged objectively (without the need of complicated "interpretation"). Long experience of GfM has shown that especially Personality Qualifying (illustrated semantic Differential-Test); Sentence Completion Tests; Polarity Profiles; Projective Tests and Statement Tests are suitable to bring out motives, motivations and images among larger numbers of interviewees.
We think that the authors are not too satisfied with the horizons, opened by their approach, either. The practical conclusions they reach in the case of shipping companies versus airlines did not need the whole mathematical program machinery that has been turned loose on us. Moreover they sounded, frankly stated, rather weak and they constitute rather poor advertising for market research in the eyes of any seasoned advertising executive.
The emphasis in this paper is on the Party Image, rather than on the characteristics of the voter. The Party Image is a similar concept as the Brand Image, but applied to a political party. Fifteen years ago we were asking such questions as What do you think the Conservative Party stands for?". The answers were illuminating and fundamental, but incomplete. The techniques of investigating the problem have come more sophisticated and comprehensive.
Operations Research, in two ways, has established the basis for a new universalism. For one thing, operations research is concerned with the entire system of an organisation or enterprise inclusive of all its executives and their functions secondly operations research links quite heterogeneous sciences in working at a problem. Individual universalism is replaced by universalism in a team. The elements of Operations Research, in and by themselves, are nothing basically new; what is really new that is the method of combining those elements in systematical scientific research.
Operations Research, in two ways, has established the basis for a new universalism. For one thing, operations research is concerned with the entire system of an organisation or enterprise inclusive of all its executives and their functions secondly operations research links quite heterogeneous sciences in working at a problem. Individual universalism is replaced by universalism in a team. The elements of Operations Research, in and by themselves, are nothing basically new; what is really new that is the method of combining those elements in systematical scientific research.
In this article I shall try to consider the subject of factor analysis in market research. Anyone acquainted with the literature of factor analysis will be aware that in a single article one can neither give a complete description of the techniques nor a full critique of the subject. All I can hope to do is to indicate briefly what factor analysis is about and then discuss some of its salient features. Whilst some prior knowledge of factor analysis will no doubt be helpful in reading this article, I hope that Market Researchers without such knowledge will at least be enabled to judge whether or not to pursue the subject further.
Comment on Mr. Ehrenberg's paper: "Factor analysis in market research".
In this article I shall try to consider the subject of factor analysis in market research. Anyone acquainted with the literature of factor analysis will be aware that in a single article one can neither give a complete description of the techniques nor a full critique of the subject. All I can hope to do is to indicate briefly what factor analysis is about and then discuss some of its salient features. Whilst some prior knowledge of factor analysis will no doubt be helpful in reading this article, I hope that Market Researchers without such knowledge will at least be enabled to judge whether or not to pursue the subject further.
«Motivation Research» is a convenient shorthand term and it certainly has great sales, appeal, because every one wants to know why consumers do what they do. The use of this title holds out the hope or perhaps even the promise that this kind of problem will now be successfully tackled. But just therein lies its danger because as I suggest below this claim cannot yet be justified. The purpose of this paper is to try to put the matter into perspective, to sift out what is useful from what as rubbish, even if it glitters, and to try to indicate what these methods, which for the moment we will call «psychological», are likely to settle down into.