This paper is a call to action to think about bias in a different way - by going back to basics. It is an outline about how to develop greater empathy from the beginning of a project to the end. Far from a touchy-feely or softâ luxury, empathy is a critical tool that must be carefully cultivated in order to provide the understanding and explanation of data that yields truly meaningful and effective consumer insight and thereby helps overcome bias and stereotyping.
This study showcases how combining methods to form a 360° approach can provide mind-blowing insights and lead the field of qualitative research into new directions. In this whitepaper, we share why we embarked on this research, what we did, how we went about it and what we have learned during this journey. We'll share some of the key insights from the study and shed light on some of the bumps and hurdles we encountered along the way.
The research had two main objectives: Get to know the typologies of the Mexican on one hand, and relate them with coffee consumption. 2688 interviews were taken house by house within 27 cities of the Mexican Republic. The main results obtained were the following: a. We segmented Mexican population into 14 groups (typologies). We broke with the stereotype of Mexican women: submissive and unselfish; and with the stereotype of the Mexican "macho". Some "niches" in the coffee market were found. We discovered some brands of coffee with undefined positioning.
The research had two main objectives: Get to know the typologies of the Mexican on one hand, and relate them with coffee consumption. 2688 interviews were taken house by house within 27 cities of the Mexican Republic. The main results obtained were the following: a. We segmented Mexican population into 14 groups (typologies). We broke with the stereotype of Mexican women: submissive and unselfish; and with the stereotype of the Mexican "macho". Some "niches" in the coffee market were found. We discovered some brands of coffee with undefined positioning.
It could be argued that the most significant development in recent years has been the growth of world trade. The benefits which have accrued to those countries who have participated actively in the phenomenal rise of world trade may also be seen to have provided the spur which ultimately provoked the profound changes currently taking place in Eastern Europe and South Africa. One of the first manifestations of the growth in world trade was the emergence of the multinational corporation - powerful global organizations often with turnovers exceeding the entire gross national product of half the countries in the United Nations. A more recent result is what has been described as the "increasing pluralization of consumption" i.e. people being exposed to more products from different countries. The latter development in particular raises the question of the image people have of different countries and the impact of this image on a wide range of purchasing decisions. This in turn raises the issue of national stereotypes. The question of national stereotypes has been dealt with extensively in the literature on prejudice and ethnocentricism. In some of its more extreme manifestations this century, racial prejudice or feelings of racial superiority have led to war. The major wars and all of the "minor" trouble spots that continue to erupt from time to time can be blamed partly on the consequences of the stereotyping of one community by another. But the subject of this paper is to do with the consequences of this stereotyping for a country's economic performance. The paper argues the case for considering countries as brands and discusses the problems of managing and measuring national brand images.
In the early decades of this century it was not uncommon for someone to be worn out by 50 after a lifetime of hard labor. The notion that the age of 50 is a marker separating the productive from the less productive worker lingers on in many quarters - even though today's typical 50-year-old is commonly better educated, enjoys better health, and is more open to new ideas than his or her counterpart in previous decades. There often exists a cultural lag between outdated preconceptions and reality. The lag is cultural because it derives from the conservatism of our culturally encoded habits of thinking. It is difficult to rethink our assumptions about age categories, as about other assumptions that seem axiomatic. But as Sweden's work force ages and young workers become in short supply in the '90s, Swedish employers cannot afford to conserve stereotypes that obscure the resource offered by employees who are 50-plus. This paper examines the fit or lack of fit between conventional attitudes toward the middle-aged worker and the worker's own views and experiences. It presents the findings of seven face-to-face nationwide surveys that SIFO The Swedish Institute for Opinion Research conducted in 1988 as well as results from in-depth interviews carried out by the writer at numerous work- places in Sweden. The findings clearly indicate a need for a fresh look at the 50-plus employee and recognition of the hidden asset he represents.
At a recent conference in New York on the issue of age stereotypes, the spokesperson said: "Old people are ugly, decrepit, stupid, forgetful, toothless, sexless after sixty-five, ready to fall off the conveyor belt of life... this is the way the media has portrayed us, the old, and we don't like it." This speaker went on to say that "we feel that the media is largely responsible for the perpetuation of this stereotypical image of the old. We are trying to change this because we believe that it is the cause of negative attitudes, prejudices, and behavior patterns toward the elderly. She believes that the image of old people now being portrayed in TV programs and advertising is frequently unrealistic. I personally believe that the way to overcome stereotyping in advertising and in media is not through exhortation or social pressure, although these are the tools of social activists, but rather through awareness of social change and the impact of that change on the nature of the consumers with whom we wish to communicate.
Report of the working group on the papers from Maggie Stanway and Yves Evrard.
The paper discusses the influence of more non-married women, more working women, more supermarket shopping and a generally increased need to share activities with their husbands, as reasons why women are encroaching into traditionally male markets.