Publications
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Psychological Price Profile
Price interest, price knowledge, and price assessment are frequently far more important for the purchase decision than the absolute price level
It is above all crucial to understand the actual course of the decision process in order to make corresponding adaptations when conceiving the project, as the author explains. Author Dr. Florian Bauer is the co-founder of Vocatus AG, a Munich based market research and consulting firm, and a world-renowned researcher in the fields of pricing, customer satisfaction and image analysis.
The Pricing Advisor, November 2011
Collaborating with Gen-Y
Leveraging generational insight to build the best workplace for Gen-Y in China
China’s Gen Y is large, currently in very great demand, and part of one of the world’s fastest growing, largest, most powerful and most rapidly changing economy. As a result, this study breaks China’s Gen Y population apart from the rest and holds them as a unique group of employees. It examines China’s Gen Y from the perspective of China’s managers and employees. It studies international and local companies alike, across various regions in the country. It casts a wide net across the Internet, and probes deeper with in depth interviews. It uses case studies by China-based companies for likeminded China-based companies to create concrete pathways to change and improvement. While global lessons can be garnered from its pages, its perspective remains respectfully focused inward on China and what its companies need to succeed in the next generations.
N-Dynamic Market Research & Consultancy, China, August 2011
Travel Retail Survey
The upsurge in consumer mobility and the quest for new areas boosting retail profitability led to the exploration and measurement of transport architecture as a distribution channel per se. Transit places are at the core of retailing as well as at the foundation of new points of sale featuring excellent consumer appeal. The survey explored shoppers’ POV on three “transit places” in Italy, broken down as follows: 1. Airports with domestic and/or international flights, 2. Medium-to-high traffic railway stations, i.e. railway stations in provincial capitals, 3. Motorway service areas. Trends and attractiveness of these new spaces have been quantified through the data collected among the target groups potentially interested.
"Customized Research and Analysis", June 2011
Almost half of the Romanians in urban areas go to a traditional store every day
Products with a high percentage in the shopping basket, which are part of strictly necessary categories and satisfy primary needs, are also the ones to register a positive dynamic, increasing the percentage in the basket even more.
"Magazinul Progresiv" (Progressive Grocery), May 2011, Romania
The Art of Pricing
Many companies think that price cuts are indispensable in times of crisis. However, this can have disastrous long-term consequences for both brand and profits. It is more productive to analyse whether the crisis actually changes customer motivation, their reason for purchase, and price acceptance.
YanHaas Advanced Market Research, Columbia, May 2011
The Psychological Price Profile
People rarely make decisions as rationally as a homo oeconomicus - particularly in relation to price. However, if one analyses their decision rules and pricing psychology motivation this yields a variety of pricing strategies that at first glance might appear utterly paradoxical, but are nevertheless very successful.
YanHaas Advanced Market Research, Columbia, May 2011
Only 4 in 10 customers usually ask for info on the products purchased
Most shoppers do not ask questions and do not ask for
additional info from the sales personnel in traditional retail.
On the other hand, few sellers make the effort to initiate a conversation with the shopper by spontaneously
offering advice.
"Revista Piata" (Piata Magazine), April 2011, Romania
Fighting Mushroom Brands
Recession or no recession, most Pakistani consumers are hard pressed. While the so-called Pareto effect (affluent few control most resources) is there in all economies, perhaps its severity is the most in Pakistan. In years of economic growth, benefits were arguably restricted to upper tier of society. And now in times of stagflation (stagnant economy and high inflation), it's the middle and lower classes that suffer most. For them often the mundane purchase decision becomes 'whether' to buy, rather than 'which to buy'. As a consequence, making a right purchase decision has never been so critical for housewives - they simply can't afford to make one wrong decision and hence waste the money which is already scarce.
"Foresight Research", April 2011
Pricing beyond the Homo Oeconomicus
In order to understand consumers’ actual decision processes, one has to consider various pricing psychology factors. In order to achieve this, Vocatus designed an international baseline study which examined consumers’ behaviour according to sectors and types of product, thereby defining five different consumer types.
"Research World", March 2011
Meaningful International Studies
International market research studies often provide only superficial results, on the basis of which it is very difficult to deduce and implement possible improvements and individual recommendations for action. However, this tends to squander the immense potential offered by international studies.
"Feedback", March 2011
Consumers on stores performance. Traditional vs. Hyper / supermarket vs. Discount
Promotions and competitions are part of stores’ daily routine, therefore buyers do not pay much importance to them when evaluating any retailer as they got used to these actions being part of stores’ usual offer. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement in all cases. Retailers in Romania have focused little on the emotional attributes of communication programs. However, traditional as well as modern stores perform well when it comes to the atmosphere inside the unit. This is not yet an important criterion for consumers, but it can be seen as an opportunity to exploit in the future.
"Revista Piata" [Piata Magazine], February 2011
Traditional store vs. Discounters vs. Super/Hypermarket
The performances of modern retail is above average, this retail format obtaining scores between 8.2 and 9.5, on a 1-to-10 scale, for criteria such as: prices, shopping hours, atmosphere in the store, personnel’s politeness, waiting time at cash registers, level of supply, products freshness, existent promotions, etc.
"Revista Piata" [Piata Magazine], December 2010 / January 2011
Pricing beyond the Homo Oeconomicus
In order to understand consumers’ actual decision processes, one has to consider various pricing psychology factors. In order to achieve this, Vocatus designed an international baseline study which examined consumers’ behaviour according to sectors and types of product, thereby defining five different consumer types.
"ESOMAR", September 2010
Consumer Confidence Barometer
Behaviour & Attitudes publishes a monitor of consumer confidence every two months. In August 2010, it is starting to show signs of economic recovery.
August 2010
Consumer Savings Monitor
ING Direct launched the ING Direct Consumer Savings Monitor, a unique new tracking study which monitors the levels of savings held by ordinary UK adults, and provides financial services industry and finance commentators with the first measure of average savings that is distorted neither by shifts in the assets of the very wealthy, or by borrowing behaviour.
FDS designed and run the CSM on an ongoing basis.
July 2010
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The relationship between consumer and brand has become mainly functional
Consumers challenge brands and their companies to pay more attention to their needs and bring much more relevant proposals to the foreground.
The crisis seems to be the recoil which repositions today’s consumers at a basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy, the choices they make being governed rather by the need for safety or even by basic needs.
“Revista Piata” [Piata Magazine], July 2010
On line Surveys : representative or not
Using research on research programs, we talk of the right things to do when going from off line to on line collecting methods.
University Exchanges, July 2010
Young Greeks do not expect exit from the financial crisis in the country prior to 2014, they change plans and goals, and are considering immigrating.
The results of the study “Youth and Financial Crisis” reveal that the majority of respondents expect the financial crisis to last at least until 2014. The study was conducted via Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews among a representative sample of 800 men and women 18-35 years old. The findings of the study are helpful in understanding youth during the financial recession.
http://news247.gr, June 2010
Young Greeks change their habits and way of living as a result of the crisis – Cutting back their personal expenses and … little pleasures
According to the study “Youth and Financial Crisis”, 98% of young Greeks claim to have changed their everyday habits, as they are cutting back on shopping for clothes and accessories, while at the same time they use the public means of transportation more and drink less when they go out. The study was conducted via Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews among a representative sample of 800 men and women 18-35 years old. The findings of the study are helpful in understanding youth during the financial recession.
http://news247.gr, June 2010
Measuring B2B Satisfaction – A Neglected Challenge?
There are crucial differences between customer relationships in the business-to-consumer area and those in the business-to-business environment, and they correspondingly have to be considered when conceiving satisfaction studies. Moreover, it is also necessary to take account of the multilayered nature of different business-to-business relationships. Thus, only tailor-made study concepts allow one to deduce targeted recommendations for action.
Planung & Analyse, June 2010
Best Green Companies
As part of the Munro group, FDS International provides research for the annual Sunday Times Best Green Companies award. Available to download here is a report with real data but with the name of the company removed for confidentiality.
May 2010
What Makes Customers Tick
Any satisfaction rating always conceals extremely individual 'experience chains' on the part of customers. Qualitative individual explorations can be particularly helpful here in providing an even better understanding of the customer experience, as well as revealing in detail what drives people's enthusiasm or frustration. One can obtain particularly profound insights if interviews focus upon respondents' individual 'experience ECGs'. Thanks to new technologies, this can also be achieved in a cost-efficient manner within the context of telephone interviews.
Research & Results, May 2010
Conjoint Tuning Kit
Conjoint analysis is seen as a standard tool in pricing research. Nevertheless, it has a shortcoming: because crucial pricing psychology contexts are excluded, one ends up with rationalised decisions and occasionally with considerable distortions. Thus, price motivation and interest, price knowledge, price assessment, and actual purchase behaviour need to be corrected if one is to obtain a more valid database, and thereby deduce more reliable pricing recommendations. These aspects can be seamlessly integrated into conjoint modelling as a kind of ‘toolbox’. This therefore avoids any further increase in complexity, and the essential advantage of the conjoint method (simulation) is preserved.
Planung & Analyse, April 2010
FTA has started with the international standard 20252
(FTA khởi động với tiêu chuẩn ISO 20252)
FTA is the first market research firm among few companies in Vietnam and Asia that have been approved the ISO 20252:2006 - the international quality standard in social and market research by British Standard Institute.
“The Business Review magazine (Nhip Cau Dau Tu), Volume 8, March 2010
Brands Temptation: Who Purchases What
The future purchasing intention seems to continue to favor producer brands. But, given that for consumers the term «private labels» does not have a clear correspondent or a generally accepted definition, this intention cannot be interpreted as reflecting a potential real behavior.
“Revista Piata” [Piata Magazine], March 2010
FTA: Do the market research by understanding the insight of customers
(FTA: Nghiên cứu thị trường bằng sự thấu hiểu khách hàng)
“The Saigon Businessmen magazine (Doanh Nhan Sai Gon), March 2010
Reading the New Irish Shopper
A study undertaken for Efficient Consumer Response, the joint trade and industry body which aims to clarify understanding of shopper behaviour and motivations. A second survey, completed for ECRs annual conference early in 2010.
January 2010
Facebook Users are as Diverse as the Internet itself
Five years ago, knowing that someone used social media might have told you something about them: that they were open to new ways of relating with others, not especially concerned about privacy, and exceptionally comfortable online. Increasingly, how¬ever, social media is like the car: simply knowing that someone is on Facebook, for instance, tells us very little about them. Indeed, recent analysis of Facebook users by Environics Research Group demonstrates that many of the most common assumptions about this group are wrong.
January 2010
Social Media for Professionals: Understanding Early Adopters
What do we know about the professionals who are using social media to connect with colleagues, clients, and thought-leaders in their fields? An analysis of us¬ers of LinkedIn, a social media site catering to profes¬sionals, reveals that entrepreneurs and employees who are making use of this social media platform are among the most engaged, adaptable, and ambitious Canadians.
January 2010
Full Speed to Green
Chinese Firms Go for Pole Position in the Clean Car Race
In 2009, China became the world’s largest car market, but it is a latecomer to petrol-fuelled cars. The Chinese government has made an announcement of plans to make China a world leading manufacturer of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years. The government plans to have 60,000 green cars on the street by 2011 and the annual production capacity of hybrid and electric vehicles is to be 500,000 by 2012. To achieve the goal, the government plans to invest in helping manufacturers to upgrade relevant technology and offer incentives in the form of subsidies to public-sector large fleet users of hybrid cars in 13 cities.
Business Forum, January 2010
Full Speed to Green
When it comes to cars, people’s requirements have changed markedly in recent years. Whereas speed and design used to be important, the spotlight for many consumers nowadays is on eco-friendliness. This has led to the emergence of a totally new market within the automobile sector. China in particular can see major potential here, and is investing heavily in research and the development of new environmental technologies such as hybrid and electric vehicles. The article analyses the current market situation and the challenges that have to be faced if these technologies are to succeed.
BusinessForum China, January 2010
Australian Consumer Perceptions of Canberra as A Short Break Holiday Destination
A study undertaken for Tourism Research Australia (TRA) and Australian Capital Tourism with the aim of understanding the perceptions that Australians have of Canberra as a short holiday destination.
Australia, 2010
More than bums on seats: Australian participation in the arts.
This research paints a comprehensive picture of how Australians participate in the arts today. In an era of increasing competition for discretionary spending and personal time this study will help arts organisations to better understand their audiences and make their art even more accessible. For policy makers, this research identifies the key factors which will impact Australians’ future participation in the arts. It also identifies barriers and incentives which impact our participation. This research aims to provide arts marketers and policy makers with insights into the attitudes and values that influence our creative participation (where we make something ourselves) and our receptive participation (when we attend a live event, an exhibition or read literature).
Australia 2010
Consumption behavior, from spring until autumn: change, consistency, come-back
Quality remains the main purchase criterion, but in November, compared to the previous months analyzed, respondents pay significantly less importance to this criterion, whereas the price and value for money become more significant in the case of all product categories analyzed.
“Revista Piata” [Piata Magazine], December 2009
Is Pricing Just a Lottery?
Magazine publishers' revenues are currently coming under pressure from two sides: sales figures have already been stagnating for ages, and advertising income is in freefall - this is most obvious because titles are folding at an ever increasing rate. The previous strategies that were used to set cover prices are no longer viable; what's needed are fresh approaches that get the most out of the situation without endangering circulation.
Impresso, December 2009
Cereals, between main course and dessert
Over time, consumers have formed various consumption habits in the case of cereals, ranging from breakfast snack to dinner main course. However, at the level of the total sample, most people consume cereals for breakfast, 60.4% of these as breakfast main course and 20% as dessert, after a more consistent meal.
“Magazinul Progresiv” [Progressive Grocery], October 2009
Testing Service Quality
If the quality of service is inadequate, then customer retention programmes won’t be able to sort things out either: customers will still be leaving in droves. This is why service quality has to be regularly tested and improved in a targeted manner.
Competence, October 2009
Method instead of Gut Feeling
When pricing their newspapers, many publishers still rely upon their 'gut feeling' or take their cue from the competition or the economic situation. However, all these aspects are totally irrelevant in terms of how much a newspaper can cost. It's possible to exploit price potentials in a targeted manner if one instead considers that people make assessments in line with the real-life price/utility ratio rather than the theoretical price/performance ratio.
dnv, October 2009
California Voter Opinion: Constitutional Convention
A study undertaken to explore California voter opinion on government performance and support for the Convention Act and the Call for a Convention.
September 2009
Stimulus Package By Indonesia Government Boost Consumer Confidence
A series of surveys aimed at monitoring the changes of consumption in times of economic crisis. The overall sample size per wave was 1,000 distributed among the five largest cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan and Makassar.
3rd Edition of Asia Research Journal, August 2009
Can Social Values Address the Biases in Online Access Panels?
To ensure that online research panels address biases in Internet populations and approach representativeness, Environics has developed a social values segmentation that can guide recruitment and manage strategies to attract underrepresented groups and weight overrepresented groups appropriately.
August 2009
The Word on the Streetscene
Building on FDS‘ work with Serco on improving 'streetscene' services, FDS worked with the New Local Government Network to develop an entirely new approach to researching local area perceptions, that we call 'geo-psychology'. The results of a pilot study in the Archway area are presented in a new report published on 8th July, 2009 by the NLGN, The Word on the Streetscene - Transforming Local Neighbourhoods.
July 2009
Pricing: Expensive Errors and Valuable Chances
In order to make valid predictions about purchase behaviour, we have to consider all the aspects that relate to pricing psychology - including the emotional and motivational level, cognition, and behaviour itself. Using an international baseline study that investigated 10 sectors in 16 countries, Vocatus for the first time systematically examined the interplay of all these factors of the "Psychological Price Profile". What emerged from this was a decision-making typology. It demonstrates the qualitative differences in terms of how people actually deal with the topic of price, thus enabling longer-term pricing strategies and helping to identify additional pricing potential, even during an economic crisis.
Planung & Analyse, June 2009
Optimising magazine prices to enhance profits
Magazine publishing companies are increasingly under pressure, and this includes their strategies for pricing single issues. Insights derived from pricing psychology can avoid expensive errors.
media spectrum, May 2009
Pricing Psychology Is Key to Unlock Revenue Potentials
Today's pricing approaches are based on a rationally thinking and acting "Homo oeconomicus" type of consumer. However, this hardly ever reflects reality resulting in flawed pricing decisions. New perspectives open up when considering the psychology of price-speficic consumer types.
Value Scope, May 2009
Consumerism is dead! Long live consumerism!
Reflecting on the various transformations consumers are going to become aware of in the new context, it is clear for everyone that market research can really lend a hand A major role is reserved to motivational research which enables awareness and in-depth understanding of consumer’s needs and new system of coordinates, consumer undergoing and surviving the crisis.
“Revista Piata” [Piata Magazine]
April 2009
Putting the brakes on discounts
New car sales: Less and less people pay cash, the number of those financing or leasing their car is increasing ever further. This is good news for the trade: Financing and leasing can supercharge margins and put the brakes on discounts - if they're offered in the right way.
Das Autohaus, March 2009
Marketing research: The opportunities for active women
(Nghề nghiên cứu thị trường: Nhiều cơ hội cho phụ nữ năng động)
What is the marketing research? What are the opportunities for women in this industry? What’s your idea of market research? And why the marketing research is suitable for females?
Market research is developing because of growth in consumer goods, and today its reach extends to the role of citizens and broader needs of society.
The Business Women Magazine (Nu doanh nhân), Feb 2009
Changing Wind, Shifting Sands: How CEOs Reorient Their Strategic Focus in Navigating the Raging Storms
Survey to the top executives of Indonesian Companies (with annual turnover of about US$ 2.5 millions) on their preferred product-market mix for their companies in light of the economic crisis.
1st Edition of Asia Research Journal, Feb 2009
Wasted Margins and Unnecessary Price Wars
Price wars are often waged because their instigators confuse cause and effect; thanks to a self-fulfilling prophecy, they may ultimately prove to be the (apparently) correct strategy. In times of crisis, these strategies are pursued with even greater vigour, and lead to even more dramatic falls in value that are neither necessary nor productive.
usp - people in marketing, February 2009
Pfizer Health Index 2009
The fourth year of Behaviour & Attitudes annual health indices for Pfizer, this year with a specific focus on the newly unemployed. Winner of a public relations award for excellence and an acknowledged and widely reported Barometer of Health perceptions in the Republic of Ireland.
Autumn 2009
Mobilers of India
With most Indians who can afford to buy a mobile phone having already bought one, it will be increasingly difficult to keep clogging such growth numbers. With the size of pie not increasing substantially over the next few years, price wars, more players per circle and lower ARPUs may mean that telecom operators may soon have to cater to specific audiences rather than a blanket approach. Planners have to therefore look deeper into demographic and psychographic profiles so that they can plan equally well with tighter budgets. This exercise was an illustration of what is possible as far as strategy is concerned. If players can tie up their distribution (what to push where depending on the target group) this may even serve as a tactical tool.
Marketing White Book, 2009 - 2010
Taste makes the difference when choosing a chocolate bar
Chocolate bars are supported by the everyday rhythm of life, being preferred over other sweets due to their taste, energy potential and convenience. At national level, brands competition is constant, the top of preferences starting with Snickers and Poiana.
“Magazinul Progresiv” [Progressive Grocery], December 2008
Crisis and Marketing strategy
We present here the results of a survey conducted among marketing managers on their feeling toward the impact of the economic crisis on their activity.
SEMO, October 2008
How to innovate using senior motivation
We analyze different success stories of products developed for the elders and use them as example for other targets developments.
SEMO, October 2008
Employee Surveys: Do Not Conceal Critical Events
Employee surveys are just as widespread among large corporations as they are among small and medium-sized businesses - and this not only applies to processes that involve change. Communication during the preliminary stages can contribute to making the survey a success.
PR Magazin, October 2008
Both Sides of the Coin: Analysing Sales Discussions with Online Diaries
Only a holistic understanding of the interplay of customer and employee allows one to efficiently deduce concrete improvements at the point of sale. Online diaries help to authentically record this dynamic and investigate people's impressions on both sides of the counter.
Research & Results, October 2008
Truth Beyond Common Beliefs: Boosting the Validity of Conjoint-Based Modelling
The deduction of partial utilities within conjoint analyses is based on the assumption that people maximize their utility ("homo oeconomicus"). This assumption is contradicted by a broad swathe of empirical findings which have demonstrated that people systematically fail to make rational decisions. They nonetheless make predictable errors, so their decisions essentially remain `calculable´.
ESOMAR, September 2008
Psycho-logical instead of rational pricing
Traditional pricing research implicitly assumes rational decisions and sets its focus on the assessment of different price levels by the surveyed banking customers. But in reality, decisions in the purchasing process are much more complex and often far less rational. Particularly with complex pricing structures and product bundles, the lack of consideration in the decision making process and "psycho-logic" of banking customers can lead to painful mistakes in pricing strategy.
die Bank, August 2008
Types Instead of Labels: Qualitative Insights for Issue Management in the Senior Citizens Market
Demographic developments offer major opportunities for marketing: however, in many places it seems that the focus has hitherto still been on the "correct" labelling of the 50+ target group rather than actually satisfying their requirements. In order to record these diverse needs in the area of (tele)communications in a way that was as authentic as possible and specific to given situations, Swisscom and the Vocatus market research institute conducted a qualitative baseline study using offline and online diaries.
Planung & Analyse, August 2008
Packaging Innovation
In a universe of shopping dominated by hypermarkets and supermarkets, the diversity of products consumer encounters every day satisfies the appetite for novelty and packaging innovation does not go by unnoticed.
Modern Buyer, July 2008
Solid Relationship: Emotional Attachment Influences Advertising Receptiveness
How the customer perceives advertising, depends not only on the range and target group affinity of the medium. It is also the emotional bond the reader has to "his or her" magazine that is decisive. A baseline study shows how these ties influence advertising acceptance.
Research & Results, July 2008
Which countries do the Chinese like?
The Country Image Survey Report released by N-Dynamic revealed that most countries own distinctive images in the eyes of the Chinese. Generally speaking, almost all the countries which enjoy positive images in the eyes of Chinese people are long-term trade-partners of China e.g. France, Germany, Australia, Canada, etc. As Chinese people know more about these countries as well as the people, their images are better. It proves that communication and mutual understanding can enhance country images and bilateral relationships.
Shanghai Magazine, June 2008
Long-term improvements in service quality via staff workshops
Staff workshops offer the first opportunity to adequately include the "providers" in the quality assurance process. In this way it's possible to uncover contradictions in operational instructions that have often previously been hidden, plus areas of inefficiency when it comes to internal processes, and what's actually causing problems. However, they're above all a way of considerably increasing the motivation and commitment of call centre employees - a company's actual ambassadors.
Planung & Analyse, June 2008
Psychological Pricing - Understanding Decisions, Guiding Behaviour
It's insufficient to raise or lower prices on the basis of normative modellings or one's own assumptions, in the hope that this will regulate transport use to the desired degree. Instead, successful pricing relies upon a sound understanding of (potential) customers' decision behaviour. Only once it's obvious when and why customers opt for or reject a specific means of transport, plus the extent to which perceived costs matter here, can corresponding price initiatives be used to achieve the desired change in behaviour.
Straßenverkehrstechnik, June 2008
Customers as Branch Scouts
Banks usually get professional test purchasers to check the quality of service in their branches. They pretend to be "prospects" in order to meticulously examine the employees' specialist expertise, quality of advice, appearance, and service. However, product sales or processes that require an existing bank account can't be assessed in this way. This gap can be filled by regular customers who are used as so-called "branch scouts" for market research purposes.
die bank, May 2008
Customer-centred Pricing Strategy
Classic pricing research methods are based on the assumption that people always decide rationally. Nevertheless, a new pricing study called "Smarter Pricing with GRIPS" conducted by Vocatus in six sectors and sixteen countries demonstrates that, depending on the product, people deal quite differently with the issue of price. Pricing psychology yields a total of five different consumer types who must accordingly be addressed in different ways.
Feedback, May 2008
Looking Behind the Window: Measuring Instrumental and Normative Reasoning in Support for Democracy.
This paper explores the types of rationality that underlie popular choices of political regime in societies that recently completed a transition towards democracy. We discuss the nature of the rational bases used for preference formation by focusing on urban Brazilians. Our attention is centered on the balance between survey respondents’ evaluation of democratic performance and their views of the efficacy of democracy to solve their country’s problems. We also examine the joint impact of these attitudes on molding citizens’ preferences for a particular type of government in Brazil. Results endorse the hypothesis that an instrumental rationality prevails alongside axiological rationality. Additionally, there is strong evidence of the “universality” of these findings given limited socio-demographic effects in the way individuals construct political support.
April 2008
China sheds a light in the global gloom
A global economic confidence survey released in March 2009 by N-Dynamic Market Research & Consultancy Ltd in China revealed that 45% of Chinese respondents believed that the Chinese economy was getting stronger with 23% felt weaker, compared with the global figures of 8% for the former and 71% for the latter. Apparently, Chinese respondents were most confident in their own country among respondents in all the 19 countries researched.
China Daily, April 2008
Chinanews.com.cn, April 2008
Yahoo.com.cn, April 2008
China.com.cn, April 2008
Using the Customer's Perspective to Optimise Sales Systems
A survey that adopts the customer's perspective and duly traces the steps in the purchase process via its individual contact points with the respective company can provide an in-depth understanding of how customers fare in one's own sales channel system. The streams of movement offer compelling conclusions relating to the significance of individual channels within the overall system. The reasons for the visit and any switching between channels and providers/suppliers reveal any shortcomings und provide important insights that will allow one to optimally coordinate the contact points.
Planung & Analyse, April 2008
Strategy via Web analyzing
Using a specifically designed software, we are now able to collect and analyze what’s being said on a company on a dynamic basis on the web (sites, blogs, bulletin boards, etc.).
Client Events, March 2008
Work-life Balance: An Explosive Issue All around the Globe
Mexico, Australia, or Japan. It doesn't matter which country you look at: the issue of work-life balance matters throughout the world. How do employees all over the world view their personal work-life balance, and what are the conditions that can help to ameliorate it? A survey sheds light on this.
Personalwirtschaft, March 2008
Pricing: It's All about Fairness
"Spend a little - live a lot" - companies like using slogans of this sort in their attempts to win new customers. The calculation behind this? People are bound to be tempted by low prices. "Wrong!", says Florian Bauer from Vocatus, the market research institute based in Munich. "People are far likelier to want to feel they're not being ripped off. The false paradigm, namely that customers exclusively want to pay the lowest possible price, means that companies have hitherto also been coming up with the wrong questions."
Sueddeutsche Zeitung, March 2008
The Direct Line to Greater Customer Proximity
Service orientation and customer proximity are becoming ever more vital. "Customer Experience Management" is today's catchphrase, and it entails emotionally enthusing customers in every contact route. This also requires a rethink when it comes to measuring customer satisfaction in call centres.
Call Center Profi, February 2008
Online Diaries: on the Trail of Customers' Experiences
Online diaries allow comprehensive insights into customers' experiences, the development of customer relationships, and the emergence of enthusiasm or frustration. This article offers a detailed presentation of the new "online diaries" tool and reveals how a combination of longitudinal and cross-section analyses can be used to identify the company-specific drivers of this very enthusiasm or frustration.
Planung & Analyse, February 2008
Annual Survey Shows Indonesia CEOs Forsee a More Challanging 2008
Concerns about more uncertain overall situations in 2008 seem to have shifted the leaders of business sectors in Indonesia to become more prudent in assessing the prospects for their business in the coming year. An Annual Survey of Indonesian CEOs conducted by DEKA Marketing Research and SWA Magazine (leader business magazine in Indonesia) show that chief executives representing less than a half of the 22 (Twenty Two) business sectors, i.e. 10 (Ten) sectors, anticipated brisk business prospects for 2008.
1st Edition of Asia Research Journal, January 2008
International Staff Surveys: Success Factors
Internationalisation means that international staff surveys are also gaining in significance. However, in only very few cases is it sufficient to simply take the previous staff survey from corporate HQ, translate it into the corresponding languages, and send it to one's subsidiaries. This is because international surveys can run into many stumbling blocks - including project organisation, cultural and country-specific aspects, and comparability of the results.
Personalmagazin, January 2008
The impact of climate change on business
This statement reinforces the view that climate change is a product of the world’s economic and social “system” as a whole, albeit developed economies have contributed significantly more per their population to date than developing nations. It is an issue that encompasses all leading actors of the market: operational forces such as large companies, regulatory forces such as government, intellectual forces such as think-tanks, research centers, universities, trade associations, foundations, and so on. The challenge for business will be to recognize opportunities amidst the debate, to show leadership while being blamed, and to marshal the strengths of business to address climate change even in times of uncertainty.
Esomar Congress 2008
Modern Communication Measurement
This article provides solutions and available market research tools for effective feedback on PR communication and advertising.
Ideas for marketing and advertising 2008
Puget Sound Transit: A Case Study on Consumer Opinion
Understanding consumer opinion and why Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) Proposition 1 was rejected by registered voters.
November 2007
The Sustainable Cities Index
This study ranks Britain’s 20 largest cities according to social, economic and environmental performance. Working with the Forum for the Future, they hope to bring some rigour to the debate about ‘green’ and sustainable cities.
October 2007
New Poll Finds Hurdles, Opportunity on Global Warming
A poll on global warming released by the Nathan Cummings Foundation shows hurdles for those advocating increasing the price of carbon to reduce global warming, but opportunity when solutions are centered around achieving energy independence, reducing the cost of clean energy, and creating new jobs. The poll follows a review of public opinion on energy and global warming released early summer of 2007.
September 2007
Regarding the Sense and Nonsense Inherent in the Net Promoter Score (NPS)
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) has recently attracted considerable attention in numerous boardrooms as an index for customer loyalty. The article asks critically whether one single question can really be used to measure customer retention, and whether market research can be revolutionised in this way, as is asserted by Fred Reichheld, the "inventor" of NPS.
Planung & Analyse, August 2007
Most dissatisfactory at Work-Life Balance in Japan
Japanese office workers are most dissatisfied in their Work-Life Balance, shown by the 24 country-study
SENDEN KAIGI (Adverting Conference) March 2007
Inspire the Customer...
L'TUR nowadays offers its customers the opportunity of using MOPS (Motive-Oriented Personal Search) to translate personal and individual customer requirements into purely formal offer characteristics, thus illustrating existing personal motive structures in an individualized customer offer. Vocatus was awarded the 1st Prize for German Market Research in 2005 for this project.
Kunde im Focus, February 2007
Work-life balance study in China
The latest IRIS global research results released by N-Dynamic Market Research and Consultancy Ltd show that as high as 59% of Chinese people are severely suffering from work-life unbalance, 10% higher than the 24 countries’ average. This is an alarming issue in China. Priscilla Sze, Managing Director of N-Dynamic Market Research, stated that work-life unbalance in China has stimulated people’s desire to consume. The potential in China is huge. However, only those who understand the specific needs of Chinese consumers could be the final winner.
MSN.cn, January 2007
Xinhua.net, February 2007
ChinaNews.com, January 2007
ChinaFinance.net, January 2007
China HRD, January 2007
Brand Engineering: A Qualitative Approach to Market Research
Research companies, being a support industry, have developed a number of methods for finding relevant consumer insights. Some of these methods are considered to be innovative. Generally, qualitative methods are used to develop or alter brand positioning, and they are discussed in the article.
Planung & Analyse Market Research, 2007
Dynamic Segmentation in the Travel Industry
Even if a customer knows exactly what kind of holiday trip he wants to book, he might not be able to find it on a website with thousands and thousands of holiday offers. This paper presents a conceptual framework and a pragmatic matching algorithm based on an efficient self-correcting customer profiling technique that helps the customer to find what he really wants.
ESOMAR, November 2006
Psychological Price Profile
Price interest, price knowledge, and price evaluation are often far more important for the purchase decision than the absolute price level. It is above all vital to understand the actual sequence of the decision process so as to adapt the conception of market research projects to the decision process.
Feedback, September 2006
The Predictive Power of Research
To increase the predictive power of market research studies, market researchers have to make sure that they do not systematically distort, what they actually want to understand: the consumer. Through the methodology market researchers often implicitly assume rational behaviour, neglect interdependencies and over-generalize from isolated findings.
ESOMAR, September 2006
Branding National Assets amidst Global Diversity: Differences and Similarities across Three Latin American MarketsMeasuring B2B Satisfaction – A Neglected Challenge?
Globalization trends and the regional integration in Latin America have brought a major pressure to define which national assets are unique and, therefore, how a country, its people and its economic profile can be characterized in order to ensure visibility and appeal to the international community of consumers.Across several Latin American countries, government and organized private interests show concerns about how to stand out of the crowd and underscore each country’s specificity amidst globalization and regional integration forces. In few cases, they pursue efforts to develop a country macro-brand imaginary or concept seeking to communicate what is unique, and to emphasize competitive value-added goods and merchandises which are likely to multiply returns beyond what commodities do.
Esomar Global Diversity Conference; Miami, May 2006
Luxury Avenues Project – São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro
Luxury is a word that conveys a concept and personal choice, especially when it comes to services and consumption. The prestige of a luxury brand and service is brokered and announced the consumer the environment where it (the luxury) is present / appears in front of your target audience. When there is a lack of connection between the environment and the concept of luxury that is offered to its audience, it can generate in a vulgarization of brand and services. This is where the Mystery Shopping as an essential technique of examine strength and direction of the connection-luxury environment and services, how to find potential gaps and noises to be resolved.
ESPM, March 2006
Guide to Indian Markets
The Guide to Indian Markets 2006, is a report, based on the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) of 2000 and 2005, an all-India study, with a large, rigorously designed and huge sample size. The key purpose of the guide is to provide to a larger audience, the valuable information that is available in the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) in a succinct form. The initial part of the book proposes new ways of looking at the Indian consumer while providing an overview of trends in consumer behavior. The book grades the Indian Consumer entirely on consumption and ownership and not on income.
Guide to Indian Markets, 2006