Market Research Data Research Articles

The market research contribution to new product failure and success

This paper examines the use made by management of market research data in the evaluation of new product development (NPD) projects. Stressing the need for a systematic approach to NPD the paper sets out four brief case histories, the products being Crocodillo, Paul Masson wine, the Prudential's Holburn UK Unit Trusts, and Golden Wonder's Preludes. These case histories illustrate both the value of a systematic approach to NPD by building up a market research programme and also the limitations of market research data which cannot alone be any guarantee of success.

Systematic design of effective marketing research requirements in health maintenance organizations.

Systematic design of effective marketing research requirements in health maintenance organizations.

National Patterns of Aspirin Use and Reye Syndrome Reporting, United States, 1980 to 1985

The number of cases of Reye syndrome reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control declined markedly between 1980 and 1985. In this article, we present pharmaceutical marketing research data that suggest sharp decreases in the use and purchase of children's aspirin between 1980 and 1985. These trends appear to correspond to the decrease in reporting of Reye syndrome cases. Additionally, analysis of physician mentions of aspiring and acetaminophen for treating flu and chickenpox showed statistically significant trends toward decreasing recommendations for the use of aspirin and significant trends toward increasing recommendations for use of acetaminophen. Trends in wholesale purchases of aspirin and acetaminophen by drug stores from 1979 through 1985 demonstrated a significant decline for the 81-mg children's aspirin tablet and an increase in purchases of children's acetaminophen products. Many factors may influence physician and parents' choice of analgesic/antipyretic medication, including information about Reye syndrome. Data suggest that a continuing decline in the use of aspirin for children may be accompanied by a continuing decline in the reported number of Reye syndrome cases.

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Incomplete Information on the Dependent Variable

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Incomplete Information on the Dependent Variable

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Incomplete Information on the Dependent Variable

The author presents the general EM algorithm for analyzing incomplete data. As a specific application of the EM algorithm, a model is proposed for analyzing incomplete data in an important class of problems in marketing research. A simple estimation procedure also is developed. The model is investigated through Monté Carlo studies as well as empirically with encouraging results. Some of the advantages and limitations of the approach are discussed.

Oral contraceptives in the United States: trends in content and potency.

Data from the National Prescription Audit, a nationwide pharmaceutical marketing research data base, were reviewed to study changes in the type of oral contraceptives marketed in the US, their content and their relative oestrogen and progestin potency over the 21-year time period of 1964-84. Three major types and 42 brands of oral contraceptives were marketed in the US during this time period. All oral contraceptives dispensed in the US have contained one of nine different progestins and one of two oestrogens or, in the case of the progestin-only pills, no oestrogen at all. A comprehensive classification listing all 42 brands of oral contraceptives by content and strength is presented. Secular changes in oral contraceptive potency are described in terms of a categorization scheme which simultaneously ranks both the oestrogen and progestin potencies of each oral contraceptive. Over the time period studied, oral contraceptives have evolved from high strength, high potency drugs to much lower strength, lower potency drugs. The epidemiological implications of these shifts in oral contraceptive content and potency are discussed.

The status of the in-house marketing research department in large South African companies

Working relations between marketing researchers and managers have merited some attention in marketing literature with particular emphasis on the responsibilities of both parties. In this article the authors report the results of a survey of large South African companies, concerning the level of job satisfaction of marketing research managers; managers' perceptions of in-house marketing research departments; and the perceptions of both parties concerning role expectations of marketing research. Brief attention is also given to the reasons why a majority of companies do not have marketing research departments. Marketing researchers evince a general level of job satisfaction, although there is a measure of dissatisfaction with the procedure for proceeding problems to the research department and also with their role in formulating marketing strategy. Managers mark marketing research departments lower regarding creativity and also on the relevance of marketing research data to decision-making. Significant differences also exist between researchers and managers regarding their role expectations of marketing research. It is evident that these differences in expectations could contribute towards intra-organizational conflict in the marketing department and the recommendation is made that top management give their attention to this matter.

The Contribution of Market Research to…the Testing of New Concepts

Market researchers have a major creative contribution to make in the testing of new concepts; market research data alone has a destructive role when applied uninterpreted to new concepts. There is no other area of market research in which the contrast is as dramatic or as important. This article is therefore about the ways in which market researchers can enhance their creative contribution to new concept testing. Creativity depends on the talent of the individual, not on the techniques used, and an uncreative researcher let loose with a so‐called creative research technique is a recipe for disaster. This means that this cannot be an objective, technique‐led paper, but has to be a subjective view to encourage the subjectivity of others. It also has to focus on the general principles of creative development to make its main point.

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Association Models

The author demonstrates the usefulness of some association models for ordered cross-classifications. The models are applied to problems common in marketing research, including analyzing the association in tables, determining criteria for collapsing categories in tables, assigning category scores to cross-classified ordered variables, and deriving correlation coefficient estimates for cross-classifications. These methods are shown to be particularly useful when the variables are partially ordered, for example in cases in which the variables contain “don't know” responses.

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Association Models

Analyzing Marketing Research Data with Association Models

A Market Dynamics Model for New Industrial Products and Its Application

New product planning models attempt to predict the market consequences of product line and product design decisions. One output of such models, especially those driven by subjective or market research data, is usually theoretical market shares based upon consumer preferences under idealized conditions. This paper describes a class of models that bridge the gap between such theoretical market shares and dynamic sales forecasts. This model accounts for differences in customer awareness of different products, for differences in product announcement dates, for differences in product availability, for differences in marketing efforts, for customer inertia and for customer purchasing delays. The paper describes specific details of such a model used in a system developed for market analysis of high speed nonimpact computer printers.

Predicting Future Random Events Based on Past Performance

There are many situations where one is interested in predicting the expected number of events in period 2 given that x events occurred in period 1. For example, insurance companies must decide whether or not to cancel the insurance of drivers who had 3 or more accidents during the previous year. In analyzing marketing research data an analyst may wish to predict the number of future purchases to be made by those customers who made x purchases in the previous 3 months. The owner of a baseball team may wish to estimate the number of home runs a batter will hit this year given he hit (say) 40 home runs last year. When the events (e.g., accidents, purchase occasions, home runs) can be assumed to occur randomly over time a very general result due to Robbins (Robbins, H. 1977. Prediction and estimation for the compound Poisson distribution. Proc. National Acad Sci. USA 74 2670–2671.) is available. This approach has certain advantages and disadvantages with respect to the negative binomial model that is commonly used to analyze purchasing and accident data. The Robbins result is particularly appropriate for predicting what the zero class in period 1 will do in period 2. The main purpose of this paper is to present the Robbins result in a form that can be readily understood by applied researchers in a variety of disciplines. Data on consumer purchases, motor vehicle violations and accidents are analyzed and applications to other areas are discussed.

Control of “Error” in Market Research Data

Control of “Error” in Market Research Data

Control of "Error" in Market Research Data

Control of "Error" in Market Research Data

A review of Antihistamines and the Common Cold

Antihistamines, used alone and in combination with other drugs, were initially promoted for the treatment of a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) during the late 1940's. Their popularity grew with the claim that these drugs aborted further development of a cold if taken shortly after the onset of symptoms. Increasing use of antihistamines resulted from subsequent claims that they appeared to shorten the duration of a cold and, at present, antihistamines and combination cold preparations containing these agents are promoted for the symptomatic relief of colds. Current use and expenditure reflects the general acceptance of these drugs by both patients and physicians for use in treating a cold. National marketing research data estimate that approximately 94% of office visits for a cold result in prescriptions for the patient, of which one third are prescriptions for antihistamimc combination preparations. Other data estimate that 3.5 million prescriptions were written for cough and cold preparations containing antihistamines in 1972. Consumer expenditures were over $600 million a year for nonprescription cough and cold remedies in 1972. Despite their apparent popularity, many cough and cold remedies contaming antihistamines have been deemed less than effective by the National Academy of Science, and the Food and Drug Administration has begun an inquiry which may result in action to require manufacturers of these agents to comply with limitations on components and advertising claims. Although there are a number of reports in the literature regarding the effectiveness of antihistamines for the treatment of the common cold, the conflicting nature of the results has led to considerable confusion over the merits of these drugs.

On the Analysis of Interactions in Marketing Research Data

On the Analysis of Interactions in Marketing Research Data

On the Analysis of Interactions in Marketing Research Data

This article discusses a number of topics related to the interpretation of interaction in experimental designs. A common set of data is used to illustrate the techniques, and implications for marketing experiments are considered.

Average milk and mineral intakes (calcium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium) of infants in the United States from 1954 to 1968; implications for estimating annual intakes of radionuclides.

Dietary intake is one of the parameters needed to test metabolic models relating radionuclide burdens to environmental contamination fevels. With respect to 90Sr, the tissues of greatest potential hazard are the infant skeleton and marrow, yet the dietary intake of 90Sr by infants is less well characterized than that for any other population segment. Pertinent information from balance studies conducted in this and other laboratories, dietary surveys, and previously unavailable market research data was collected and summarized. The results were used to estimate the daily volume ±S.D. of milk products consumed by the average U.S. infant month by month from birth through the second year. Milk intake increases rapidIy from about 350 ml/day at birth to a maximum of about 840 ml/day at the end of the second month. This intake level is maintained through the sixth month, at which time nearly all infants are receiving some solid food. A decline then begins: by the tenth month milk consumption has fallen to 670 ml/day, and by 2 yr, to 530 ml/day. Milk intake varies because of differences in appetite, growth rate, body size, and solid food consumption-between-child variation–and because of fluctuations in the daily intake of each infant–within-child variation. The standard deviation (between-child variation) of the ayerage daily milk intake is about 25% for a large infant population, when measurements are averaged over enough days to eliminate daily within-child fluctuations. Market research data defined the age trends and chronological trends in the kinds of miik fed to infants–human milk, ready-to-use low-mineral formula, evaporated milk, or whole cow's milk. Average total mineral derived from milk was estimated for the average U.S. infant month by month from birth through 2 yr from (a) the daily milk intakes estimated above, (b) the fraction of infants drinking each kind of milk at each month of age, and (c) the published mineral concentrations in each kind of milk. During the first year the average daily mineral intake in milk of a large U.S. infant population was calculated to be 826 mg calcium, 660 mg phosphorus, 386 mg sodium, and 948 mg potassium. The average amounts of solid foods eaten month by month were estimated; by 6 months of age the average infant in a large U.S. population is consuming 129 mg/day of solid food, and this rises to 554 g/day by 18 months. The average mineral intake in solid foods was calculated; by 6 months of age solid foods contribute daily 104 mg calcium, 17.5 mg phosphorus, 403 mg sodium, and 391 mg potassium. A sample calculation of 90Sr intake is presented for a cohort of infants born in the vicinity of New York City on 1 January 1965; it is based on (a) the calcium intakes in each kind of milk and food month by month through 2 yr of age as developed in this paper, and (b) the published 90Sr analyses of these milks and baby foods purchased in New York city in 1965 and 1966. During the first year of life the average infant in a large U.S. population takes in 320 g calcium: 30.3 g in solid foods, 4.9 g in breast milk, 45.9 g in prepared formulas, 21.6 g in evaporated milk, and 216.3 g in whole cow's milk. During the second year total calcium intake is estimated to be 328 g: 260.4 g derived from whole cow's milk and 7.6 g from solid foods. 90Sr intakes for this cohort were estimated to be 6651 ± 1682 pCi during the first year (1965), with all but 813 pCi contributed by milks, and 5059 ± 718 pCi during the second year (1966). Estimates of both the total calcium and the total 90Sr intakes of this average group were lower than previous estimates based on different dietary assumptions.

A Practical Microsimulation Model for Consumer Marketing

A microsimulation model is described which is applicable to certain types of market for frequently purchased, consumer packaged goods. The model can make direct use of existing market research data, in particular of the detailed purchasing data from consumer panels. The simulation has been fitted to a particular market and has been found to provide a satisfactory description of behaviour in that market. It has also suggested changes in marketing strategy that could produce improvements in brand share.

Prescribing patterns of physicians

The widespread use of many new and powerful drugs and the increasing recognition of adverse effects has stimulated interest in the manner in which physicians prescribe drugs. The three main sources of information about the prescribing patterns of physicians are marketing research data, studies of general practice and monitoring of prescribing in hospitals. These sources show that prescribing patterns vary greatly among physicians according to their place and type of practice and the community in which they prescribe. The need for further research into the prescribing practices of physicians is stressed and a possible approach to these studies is outlined. Improved information systems for the monitoring of drug consumption is prerequisite to more detailed investigations into physicians' prescribing patterns.