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Marketing Research White Papers
The following marketing research articles have been published in various
business magazines and research journals. All articles were written by Decision
Analyst professionals. You can view each article by clicking on
the title.
White Paper Topics Include:
Advanced Analytics
Applying Advanced Analytics to B-to-B Branding Research by John Colias
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Version
The importance of branding is understood by serious business-to-business marketing
researchers, but when it comes to analyzing brand equity, most companies fail to
use advanced analytics to its full potential. All too often, branding studies
simply track key measures; they fail to quantify causal relationships, and deliver
weak predictive power. The B-to-B Brand Equity Analyzer is a strategic
tool for assessing the strength of a company’s brand relative to competitors in
its market. Through the use of advanced analytics and modeling, it offers insight
executives need to make better strategic decisions that will drive business success.
Business Segmentation: Emerging Approaches
To More Meaningful Clusters by Michael Richarme
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Version
Consumer opinion research has a well-established track record, stretching over
the past five or six decades. Conducting opinion research among businesses,
however, is much more problematic. This is particularly evident at the simplest
level of analysis, customer segmentation. However, segmentation techniques are
evolving and techniques that were common practice in the recent past are rapidly
being supplanted by newer, more meaningful segmentation techniques.
Choice Model Calibration
by John Colias
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Version
A look at who the calibration of survey-based choice models can make a substantial difference in predicted demand and revenue resulting from price changes. Calibration of brand part-worth utilities based on in-market data such as that derived from store scanner data can deliver more accurate measurement of price elasticity and better market predictions of demand response due to price changes.
Choice Modeling Analytics-Benefits
Of New Methods by John Colias
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Version
An overview of the benefits of several technical
advances in choice analysis, including: experimental
design algorithms, segment- or customer-level models
and model calibration. The recent advances discussed
in this paper have the potential to reduce survey
length for choice modeling research and deliver
more accurate market simulators to measure bottom-line
revenue impacts.
Choice Modeling for New
Product Sales Forecasting by Jerry W. Thomas
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a PDF Version
The choice modeling provides more and better information than old legacy forecasting
systems. Consumers must make brand "choices" when they go to the grocery
store, the drugstore, or the car dealership. Choice modeling makes it possible
to simulate this shopping and decision-making process, with all of the important
variables carefully controlled by rigorous experimental design, so that the
new product's sales revenue can be accurately predicted. Equally important,
choice modeling helps marketers understand the many variables that underlie
that forecast.
Comparison of Segmentation Approaches
by Beth Horn and Wei Huang
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Segmentation approaches can range from throwing darts at the data, to human
judgment, to advanced cluster modeling. We will explore four such methods: factor
segmentation, k-means clustering, TwoStep cluster analysis, and latent class
cluster analysis.
Consumer Decision-Making Models, Strategies,
And Theories, Oh My! by Michael Richarme
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Version
The focus of this paper is to examine the major decision-making models, strategies,
and theories that underlie the decision processes used by consumers and to provide
some clarity for marketing executives attempting to find the right mix of variables
for their products and services.
Eleven Multivariate
Analysis Techniques: Key Tools In Your Marketing Research Survival Kit by
Michael Richarme
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Version
The purpose of this white-paper is to provide an
executive understanding of eleven multivariate analysis
techniques, resulting in an understanding of the
appropriate uses for each of the techniques. This
is not a discussion of the underlying statistics
of each technique; it is a field guide to understanding
the types of research questions that can be formulated
and the capabilities and limitations of each technique
in answering those questions.
Global Segmentation – Dealing with
Cross-Cultural Differences in Survey Rating Scale Usage
by John Colias
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Version
Developing segmentation solutions that are global in scope
requires dealing with cross-cultural differences in scale usage.
Given cross-cultural differences in scale usage, marketing research
analysts frequently develop ways to adjust survey responses, so
that a particular survey response value means the same thing regardless
of country of origin.
Improving Customer Satisfaction
and Loyalty with Time-Series Cross-Sectional Models by
John Colias, Beth Horn and Ellen Wilkshire
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Version
Customer satisfaction and loyalty surveys typically track brand perceptions
both overall and with respect to specific performance areas. For example, a
survey might ask customers to rate brands based on overall satisfaction, likelihood
to purchase again, likelihood to recommend, customer service, product performance,
and brand image. We report an application of timeseries cross-sectional (TSCS)
modeling, which incorporates both across-units and across-time variation in
data variables. The results from this application illustrate the value of adding
the time-series component to the analysis.
Market Segmentation by
Jerry W. Thomas
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When the term "market segmentation" is used, most of
us immediately think of psycho-graphics, lifestyles, values, behaviors,
and multivariate cluster analysis routines. Market segmentation is a much
broader concept, however, and pervades the practice of business throughout
the world.
Marketing Mix Modeling
by Jerry W. Thomas
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A look a how marketing mix modeling
can assist in making specific marketing decisions
and tradeoffs, and also create a broad platform
of knowledge to guide strategic planning.
Modeling Customer Service Segments in the Utilities Industry
by Joel Mincey
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The utilities industry has seen a great deal of consolidation, restructuring and deregulation of
late. Any one of these events has the possibility of negatively affecting the level and quality
of service a utility provides to its customers. Customer service ratings in this category have
a very strong influence on the overall performance of utility companies, including market
growth and stock price. As this paper shows, it is also critical to understand the different
customer segments and the level of attention required to maintain satisfaction
New Product Sales
Forecasting by Jerry W. Thomas
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The development and introduction of a new product
is an inherently risky venture. In an effort to
reduce the risks associated with new products, the
forecasting of year-one sales has become an established
practice within the marketing research industry.
The goal of this article is to take a bit of the
mystery out of the methods used to derive year-one
sales forecasts for new consumer packaged goods.
New Statistical Tools for Key Driver
Analysis by John Colias
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Version
Key driver analysis is used by businesses to understand which brand, product or service components or attributes have the greatest influence on the customer’s purchase decision or a physician’s prescribing decision. The analysis can be based on statistical measures of the relationship between each attribute and an overall measure of the market performance of the brand, product, or service. The focus of this paper is to discuss the potential application of a relatively new tool, Ensemble Prediction, which combines thousands of regression models to produce a prediction of the overall market performance based on attributes which influence the purchase decision or physician’s prescribing decision. As it relates to key driver analysis in marketing research studies, Ensemble Prediction delivers an extremely reliable and robust measure of attribute importance.
Optimizing Messaging & Positioning
With Choice Modeling by John V. Colias and Wei Huang
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Messaging and positioning choice modeling is recommended when the primary
research objective is to obtain information that would allow a company to
develop the most effective communications message to consumers, maximizing
attraction to its specific brand, product line, store, or department within the store.
What do Restaurant Brands Really
Mean? by Michael Richarme and John Colias
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A look at using advanced analytics, including perceptual
maps, in determining the brand positioning in the
minds of consumers. The article includes a perceptual
map of national restaurant chains, this data is
from the Health and Nutrition Strategist™
syndicated study.
Advertising Research
Advertising
Effectiveness by Jerry W. Thomas
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The advertising industry, as a
whole, has the poorest quality-assurance systems
and turns out the most inconsistent product (their
ads and commercials) of any industry in the world.
Unlike most of the business world, which is governed
by numerous feedback loops, the advertising industry
receives little objective, reliable feedback on
its advertising.
Advertising Research
by Jerry W. Thomas
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A summary of recent insights about advertising,
based on latest research findings.
Advertising Tracking
by Jerry W. Thomas
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The promise of media advertising is great. It's
an opportunity for a brand to tell its story directly
to the ultimate consumer. It's an opportunity to
build awareness and project a powerful brand image.
In Creative Self-Defense
by Jerry W. Thomas
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A humorous article about how advertising agencies
can defend their advertising from marketing research attack.
Oh! We Of Little Faith
by Jerry W. Thomas
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An article about the psychological principles that
underlie successful advertising.
New Product Research
The Case For In-The-Box Innovation by Renee Hopkins
Callahan, Gwen Ishmael and Leyla Namiranian
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A groundbreaking international case study proving that a much
larger number of relevant, actionable, and original ideas can be
generated by using creativity techniques that encourage
"in-the-box" thinking as opposed to the
"outside the box" creativity techniques
more typically used.
Creating and Measuring The
WOM-Worthiness Of New Products: A Case Study by Karen Kraft, Felicia
Rogers, and Gwen Ishmael
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Most word-of-mouth (WOM) marketers
would agree that having a great product is a major
key to the success of a word-of-mouth campaign.
However, coming up with and developing great product
ideas that will be talked about can be a daunting
task. Additionally, how can a marketer know that
an idea is really “great” and will be
talked about by consumers?
Is There Such A Thing As "Early Adopters Fatigue"?
by Leyla Namiranian and Renee Hopkins
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This paper uses the “Diffusion of Innovations” model
to explore the concept of new technology adoption
by consumers, in light of recent reports that the
early adopters are becoming fatigued with the fast-paced
rate of technological change. By examining early
adopters of new technologies from a number of countries,
an understanding can be gained of whether fatigue
has set in, how, and why. (Presented at the ESOMAR NetEffects Conference in
Germany, January 2002)
Looking For Ideas In All The Wrong Places by Gwen
Smith Ishmael and Renee Hopkins Callahan
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Version
A look at in-the-box creativity versus outside the box creativity techniques
in new product/services development.
New Products by
Jerry W. Thomas
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An examination of the secret to successful development of new products.
New Products for Tough Times
by Jerry W. Thomas
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Version
Every change in the marketplace creates opportunities for successful new products.
Since these changes are amplified during tough times, new product opportunities
are actually more numerous during economic turbulence. One way to keep new products
flowing to market during tough times is to rely on “hyper-creatives’’ and idea-centric
creativity. This is the creativity of innovative individuals with relevant product
category experience. Hyper-creatives can help generate hundreds of new product
ideas to keep companies driving forward through tough economic times.
Product Testing by Jerry W. Thomas
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A summary of product testing techniques and guidelines for testing consumer
products.
Using Consumers To Fuel Your New Product
Generation Pipeline: The Role Of Idea-Centric Creativity By Leyla
Namiranian and Gwen Ishmael
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This paper discusses the use of consumers and idea-centric
creativity in new product concept development. With
competitive environments and shorter product lifecycles
a company needs to have the various versions and
extensions of its current products ready to release
quickly by having its next-generation products in
the pipeline while its current successful products
are still selling well.
What Drives Innovation? A Heuristic Framework for Corporate Innovation
By Renee Hopkins Callahan and Gwen Smith Ishmael
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Version
The idea that there are factors that, singly and in combination, drive innovation
(successful innovation in particular) has just begun to be discussed. An effort
to understand innovation drivers—those factors that motivate and shape
innovation efforts, and in no small way determine their success or failure—seemed
to us to be a promising way to discover what factors make for success and failure
in innovation.
Online Research
Beyond The Millennium
by Jerry W. Thomas
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A look at the future of Online Marketing Research.
Brave New World by
Jerry W. Thomas
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The strategic implications of the Internet are far
reaching—for global commerce, for global marketing,
and for global marketing research.
A Case For Using The Internet To Track
Offline, Organic Word Of Mouth by Karen Kraft
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Capturing offline, organic word-of-mouth
episodes via an online word-of-mouth tracking program.
The Dot.Com Meltdown
by Jerry W. Thomas
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A look at what different research techniques that
could help your business avoid the next speculative
meltdown. The future belongs to the informed, to
the rational, to those who make decisions based
on objective, research-based realities.
Finding An
Internet Research Supplier by Michael Richarme
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Version
Quietly breath the words "research," "survey,"
or "opinion" in your office. Go
ahead, I dare you. Within a few minutes,
you'll have calls from market research suppliers
wanting to help you find out exactly what your customers
think about pretty much anything.
The Honesty of Online Survey Respondents: Lessons Learned and Prescriptive Remedies by Felicia Rogers and Michael Richarme
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Version
This paper presents a series of preventative measures that researchers can and should take to reduce vulnerabilities of survey cheaters. The measures are based on consumer behavior, statistics, and psychology theory with empirical support. The measures have also been successfully utilized in practice by Decision Analyst and other professional research firms.
Moving Tracking
Research From Telephone To Internet Data Collection: To Compare Or Not To
Compare? by Felicia Rogers
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A rational for moving telephone tracking studies to the Internet.
Public Sector Use Of
Internet Surveys And Panels by Kevin Sharp
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PDF Version
A white paper on the advantages of Internet surveys
and panel usage by the public sector.
The Throes Of Revolution
by Jerry W. Thomas
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The Internet represents a major paradigm shift that
will dramatically change the marketing and advertising
landscape, but it has also brought forth new research
capabilities to help businesses adapt to and exploit
the tectonic changes now underway.
www.research.com? by
Bruce Crandall
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Internet research has its skeptics, but continues
to grow at a fast pace, providing believers with
a valuable alternative to traditional data-collecting
sources.
Qualitative Research
A New Debate by Bruce Crandall
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A comparison between in-person
qualitative and online qualitative techniques and
methods.
Consumer Behavior by Leyla Namiranian
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A case study using ethnographic research to provide
today's consumer in order to optimize brand positioning.
Focus Groups And The
American Dream by Jerry W. Thomas
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Version
Even though the focus group has become a widely
used research technique in the past two decades,
a lot of folks still don’t know what goes on
behind closed doors.
Mock Juries by Jerry
W. Thomas
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A look at the role of mock juries in the legal process,
along with guidelines for their conduct.
Motivational Research by
Jerry W. Thomas
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An explanation of motivational research and how it is conducted.
Ten Keys To Defusing Political Land
Mines In the Back Room by Bruce Crandall
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PDF Version
Focus groups are rarely predictable. Sometimes groups
know embarrassingly little about a given topic.
Time-Extended™
Online Qualitative: The Next Generation In Qualitative Research by
Roger Wallace and Andrey Osiatynski
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This new generation of Time-Extended™ Qualitative is born from combining
the best traditional techniques, with the latest in online technology, enhanced
by the luxury of reflection-time and benefits from Decision Analysts' large
consumer, executive, and medical online panels to recruit respondents.
To Focus Group Or Not To
Focus Group by Bruce Crandall
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Guidelines for when its best to conduct a focus group
Worth A Thousand Words-Online
Ethnography by Gwen Ishmael and Jerry W. Thomas
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A look into online ethnography. This article describes
what online ethnography is and how to analyze it. Online ethnography
provides a snapshot of respondents’ real-life experiences
in order to truly understand not just what they report they do, but what
they are actually doing and how that behavior drives their decisions.
Research Results
Diabetes Fact Sheet by Diane Brewton
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Version
Diabetics constitute a very large market, with the health and nutritional choices
of as many as 20 to 25 million households influences by one or more members
suffering from diabetes. A comparison in the health and nutrition habits of
diabetics and nondiabetics aged 45 or over using data from the Health and Nutrition
Strategist™.
Core Values, Demographics and Home Buying by Tim Gohmann
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As the residential real estate market cools, builders,
realtors and lenders are looking for those who are still in the market.
Interestingly, finding who is in the market for a new or preowned
home is not always easy. Based on a nationally representative sample of
adults in May 2006, only 11.8% expected to buy a preexisting or newly
built home in the next 12 months, but there are some clues.
Core Values, Media Use and Public Issues by Tim Gohmann
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The overall goal of this analysis is to evaluate
the usefulness of core values (as measured in this
study) as the basis for audience segmentation in
studies of public issues and media usage.
Financial Service Consumption Habits of
American Consumers by Michael Richarme
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American consumers utilize financial
services from a wide variety of sources. The notion
of a bank is dramatically different than it was
50 years ago, and is going to change even more in
the near future.
Health and Nutrition Insights by Diane Brewton
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Some interesting data from our
Health and Nutrition Strategist™ syndicated
study. Contains attitudinal data about eating, nutrition,
snacking, nutrition labels, etc.
Incorporating an Economic Index as a Guide to Developing a BRIC
Strategy by Michael Richarme and Leyla Namiranian
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Using the Decision Analyst Economic
Index to track consumer sentiment and predict the
future through the use of forecasting models in
developing countries such as Brazil, Russia, India,
and China.
Measuring Animal Spirits: Economic Indices and the Future by
Michael Richarme, Paul McDonnold, and Edward Carnal
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Using the Decision Analyst Economic
index to track consumer sentiment and predict the
future through the use of forecasting models.
Nutrition and Eating Out: Getting Inside the Consumers Head
by Diane Brewton
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A look at the difference in health
and nutrition attitudes and behaviors between heavy
restaurant visitors and light restaurant visitors.
The data is from our Health and Nutrition Strategist™
syndicated study.
Restaurant Insights from the Health and Nutrition Strategist
by Diane Brewton
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Some of the data from our syndicated
study; Health and Nutrition Strategist™. The
data is about nutrition and eating out in restaurants.
Teenagers And Brand Engagement In Emerging Markets
by Leyla Namiranian
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This paper shows how research
techniques were applied in an online environment
to elicit deeper learning about brand and media
engagement among teenagers.
Texas Construction Industry Outlook For
2006 It Looks Good, But . . . by Rodney A. Carver
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Expect the construction industry in Texas to grow
by roughly 6 percent overall, and at least 5 percent
in all but a few sectors in 2006, unadjusted for
inflation.
Understanding the Use of Financial Services with Values-Based Consumer
Segments by Tim Gohmann
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Similar life goals appear to predict
financial goals and how the primary financial institution
is used.
Strategy/Marketing
Ten Key Societal Trends For Market Researchers:
Domestic and Global
by Michael Richarme
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Forecasts of future social trends can only be developed with an understanding and utilization of underlying demographic and economic trends.
The Basics of Packaging Research
by Jerry W. Thomas
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The market is changing, and the time has come to redesign the package of that old established brand.
Before You make The Call:
How To Hire A Marketing Research Firm by Garry Upton
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If you need to hire a marketing research firm but
have never done so, here are some tips to get you
started.
Buying Marketing
Research Doesn't Have To Be Confusing by Garry Upton
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Here are some tips for hiring a marketing research
firm for those who are not accustomed to marketing
research and marketing research firms.
Hang The Innocent by
Jerry W. Thomas
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So what is marketing research? Marketing research
is collecting data in an unbiased manner and translating
that data into information, which can help solve
marketing problems. Marketing research includes
experiments, surveys, product tests, advertising
tests, promotion tests, motivational research, strategy
research, customer satisfaction monitoring, and
many other techniques.
It’s Not Always Your Fault… Measuring The Impact
Of Economic Factors On Consumer Satisfaction And Pricing Perceptions by
Joel Mincey
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While you can control many factors that influence consumer satisfaction and
perceptions, other factors are beyond the control of even the most attentive
store manager. In this time of rising prices and uncertainty, it is helpful
to understand what external market and economic factors are impacting the attitudes
and perceptions of consumers.
Marketing For HVAC Companies
by Garry Upton
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Version
An summary of the different elements of marketing.
Positioning by
Jerry W. Thomas
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The term "positioning" is often used nowadays
as a broad synonym for marketing strategy. However,
the terms "positioning" and "marketing
strategy" should not be used interchangeably.
Rather, positioning should be thought of as an element
of strategy, a component of strategy, not as the
strategy itself.
Positioning—Marketing's Fifth
"P" by Michael Richarme
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From the very first introductory marketing class, we are inundated with the
4 P's of classical marketing theory—Product, Pricing, Promotion, and Place.
Positioning has emerged as a significant area of consideration, serving as a
marketer's bridge between the levers of the 4 P's and corporate strategy. This
article will examine the basis of positioning from a nontechnical perspective,
exploring the conceptual foundations of positioning and developing some prescriptive
recommendations for marketers.
Six Marketing Silver Bullets by Bonnie Kenoly
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a PDF Version
No company or corporation can do much about the financial panic, credit contraction, or recession. But while times of turmoil pose great threats to a business enterprise, turbulence also creates opportunities. If only companies could find a Silver Bullet to solve all their woes. If you are using the Silver Bullets correctly, you improve your odds of success and also position your company for greater gains when the economic crisis draws to an end.
Small Business
Survival by Jerry W. Thomas
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An article on how small companies can survive and thrive.
Strategic Marketing Tracking
by Jerry W. Thomas
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Version
A discussion of telephone surveys as a way to monitor
marketing performance over time.
Strategy Of Leverage
by Jerry W. Thomas
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Some ideas to help underdog companies defeat their
larger and better-funded competitors.
Survival Of The Fittest by
Jerry W. Thomas
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A review of Charles Darwin's' theory "survival
of the fittest" and how it applies in today's
business world.
Competitive Best
Practices: Win-Loss Evaluation Research by Joel Mincey
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Successful Win-Loss research programs are built
around a well-tailored research tool that collects
crucial information from decision makers and influencers
who are involved in the sales decision process.
The overall goal of the research is to determine
what factors are used as decision criteria in selecting
a company for a project.
Miscellaneous
An Interview With Jerry W. Thomas
conducted by the Wall Street Transcript
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Jerry W. Thomas discusses what has lead to the success
of Decision Analyst.
(Published in the Wall Street Transcript)
The Art Of Consulting: A Taxonomy
Of Experts by Michael Richarme
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One of the most vague and widely misunderstood professions is that
of consultant. The purpose of this paper is to add definition to the
field of consultancy, identifying some of the major types of consultants.
The conclusion contains a brief checklist to help you decide which type
of consultant would work best for your company.
Biometric Systems: The
Next Big Security Opportunity by Michael Richarme
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There is a rapidly growing realization that the low-cost security
measures of the past are not adequate protection against a
determined and clever terrorist assault. It is relatively easy
for a thief to steal or acquire a company identity card, bypassing the
beleaguered security guards at the front door. This is true for
physical location security as well as a much more vulnerable and
potentially more catastrophic nexus—the information systems
that handle the firm’s finances.
The Painfully Slow
Emergence Of Green Energy by Michael Richarme and Tom Allen
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PDF Version
Green, or renewable, energy sources–biothermal, solar, wind, and
others–are emerging, but too slowly to as yet make a noticeable
impact on U.S. energy use. And therein lies a major problem facing our
economy–what if green energy sources aren’t ready to fill the gap
when the gasoline runs out, or when the traditional electric power
plants run out of fuel?
Restaurant Industry Losing Low-Fat
War by Jerry W. Thomas
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PDF Version
A look at the growing importance of low-fat foods
and restaurants’ failures to develop low-fat menu items.
Texas Electric
Deregulation Entering With A Bang Or A Whimper? by Michael Richarme
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Version
Electricity deregulation has begun in Texas, not
with a bang but a whimper. Despite aggressive promotional
campaigns, the average Texas consumer still isn’t
convinced there is much value in switching providers.
Interest does appear to be higher among commercial
and industrial companies, but they aren’t stampeding
to change providers either.
What Your Customers Want
by Garry Upton
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In-depth research of homeowners verifies the importance
of HVAC contractors becoming indoor comfort experts
and personal comfort advisors.
Who Cares? by Garry Upton
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Are you consciously aware of the image you project? Is your image geared toward
success? Here’s a list of questions to consider.
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