William A Belson, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1996 (MRS Gold Medal winner, 1961)
In this article Dr Belson describes a technique for matching population samples. This depends upon the combination of empirically developed predictors to give the best available predictive, or matching, composite. The underlying principle is quite distinct from that inherent in the multiple correlation method. ...

R D Godwin (MRS Gold Medal, 1963)
This MRS Gold Medal winning paper (1963) discusses the difficulties of measuring advertising penetration. Through this example, it makes two propositions: that concepts used in marketing should be formally defined, and that the concept we intend to measure should be distinguished from what is actually measured. Advertising penetration is a concept: what we measure, such as reca ...

L J Rothman (MRS Gold Medal, 1964)
This paper, which won the MRS Gold Medal in 1964, proposes a method of developing a scale measuring individuals' propensities to buy a brand. The theoretical shape of this scale is first discussed. Propensity at any moment depends on the buyer's attitude to the brand, his state of need, and the effect of stimuli received. The probability curve will be S-shaped, bounded by the v ...

N J S Clemens and P Duncan-Jones (MRS Gold Medal, 1965)
This paper discussed multiple regression and its possible use in market research and marketing. It won the MRS Gold Medal in 1965. The first part of the paper describes the linear multiple regression equation, which relates a dependent variable to a number of independent (or predictor) variables. It has two uses: to forecast the effect of a change in one or more predictors, or ...

E J Davis, Vol. 07, No. 3, 1966 (MRS Gold Medal, 1966)
In this paper, which won the 1966 MRS Gold Medal, 44 test market results were analysed to see if general patterns in the sales curves could be found. All the cases came from retail audit data from continuous test panels of stores. Two thirds were grocery products, the remainder from chemist panels. Distribution in the chemists is typically much higher than among the grocers. Th ...

C Greenhalgh, Vol. 08, No. 4, 1966 (MRS Gold Medal, 1968)
This paper won the 1968 MRS Gold Medal, and describes and illustrates discrimination testing (ensuring that a change in product formulation, e.g. to use cheaper raw materials, is indistinguishable from the current formulation to brand users). The test was used on large samples of ordinary users. The method used was triangular testing: each tester is given three samples, two of ...

A S C Ehrenberg (MRS Gold Medal, 1969)
This paper, based on an academic lecture, discusses laws of marketing: how they may be established, and their practical value. It won the 1969 MRS Gold Medal. Establishing marketing laws, as in any other science, requires investment in time and money: few companies have the courage to risk this. Five established laws are describes and illustrated: the average rate of buying any ...

D Johnston and J Inglis, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1996 (MRS Gold Medal winner, 1970)
This important paper takes a critical look at two commonly used multivariate analysis tools - principal component analysis and cluster analysis - which were at the time becoming feasible with the advent of computers, and even easier since through PC power. Uncritical use of these methods may fail to take account of features in the data set (and every survey has some unique char ...

G Hoinville, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1996 (MRS Gold Medal winner, 1972)
The Priority Evaluator research method discussed in this paper was first described in a paper by the author at a Weekend Seminar held by The Market Research Society in February 1970. That paper was then revised and extended to its present form in September 1970. The paper was published in Environment and Planning in 1971 and subsequently received The Market Research Society Gol ...

C Greenhalgh and H A Smith, Vol. 14, No. 2, 1972 (MRS Gold Medal, 1973)
This paper, which won the 1973 MRS Gold Medal, discusses how to pre-test press advertisements for evaluation (i.e. deciding whether to run the campaign or not). Three problems in such testing are identified and discussed in detail: tests involve showing a single exposure, whereas in real life campaigns readers will see multiple exposures; tests inevitably invite unrealistically ...

C D P McDonald, Vol. 38, No. 4, 1996 (MRS Gold Medal winner, 1974)
The method described in this article was first put forward in a paper by McDonald & Blyth published in the 1971 Thomson Gold Medal Awards 'How to Handle Soft Data - A Linguistic Approach' (1971). The judges in their foreword, while commending it for originality, expressed some doubts about the practical applications of the proposed technique. Since then (i.e. during 1972) the t ...

Dick Westwood, David Beazley and Tony Lunn, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Gold Medal winner, 1975)
This 1975 paper marked the launch onto the European market research scene of both the trade-off method of estimating consumer values and also Micro-Behavioural Modelling (MBM) more generally. Both approaches aroused controversy at the time. But they were widely regarded as innovatory, and the paper was awarded the Society's Gold Medal. Revisiting the paper 21 years on was an en ...

K Gorton, E J Anderson and R Tudor, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1976 (MRS Gold Medal, 1976)
This article, based on the 1976 MRS Gold Medal winner, discusses sequential analysis (analysing research results as they are obtained rather than after data collection is completed). It is especially applicable to dichotomies. Sequential theory is largely based on Wald's sequential probability ratio test. Two main applications occur: when it is important to determine which alte ...

J Chidley, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1976 (MRS Gold Medal, 1977)
This paper proposes the application of catastrophe theory to describe how purchase intentions change. The underlying idea is that intentions and behaviour often cross thresholds or `tipping points', even when the underlying beliefs change smoothly. The paper won the 1977 MRS Gold Medal. First, a two-dimensional case is considered, e.g. when brand attitudes and social pressures ...

Paul Harris, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1979)
This paper first reviews briefly the theory associated with clustering used in the design of random samples. A further section deals with some particular intra-class correlation coefficients calculated from various town surveys, where different degrees of clustering were employed. These calculated coefficients are summarised and an attempt made to assess their effect when used ...

Martin Collins, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1981)
This paper presents a review of the problem of interviewer variability in survey data. Results of recent experiments, together with instances of the problem recorded by other researchers, are used to suggest likely causes of interviewer variability and to indicate ways in which the problem can be tackled in survey design and administration. ...

Chris Blamires, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1982)
This paper seeks to review current pricing research techniques from the (hopefully) unbiased viewpoint of the user. Techniques are, for the purposes of the review, divided into direct techniques which simulate the point-of-sale situation (and which include recent applications of 'trade-off' analysis) and indirect techniques - the more 'psychological' measures of which Granger-G ...

Wendy Sykes and Jean Morton-Williams, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1984)
This paper was based on findings from a research programme, funded by the ESRC and instituted at the Survey Methods Centre at SCPR under the directorship of the late Professor Gerald Hoinville. Building on the work of researchers in a number of diverse fields, the programme of research sought to 'lay bare' aspects of the survey process which are normally concealed: namely the i ...

Jonathan Gershuny, Vol. 28, No. 4, 1986 (MRS Gold Medal, 1986)
This paper, which won the 1986 MRS Gold Medal, reviews preliminary results from a study of changing time-use patterns over the previous half-century, as a basis for speculation about future activity patterns. A particular interest is the growing application of IT (information technology). The limited sources available for time use in the past are reviewed. Time spent on various ...

Steve Griggs, Vol. 29, No. 1, 1987 (MRS Gold Medal, 1987)
This paper is the 1987 MRS Gold Medal winner, and discusses methods of analysing qualitative research data, arguing that they should be open and public (i.e. any researcher should be following the same procedures be able to arrive at the same conclusions). The author is troubled about the lack of concern among qualitative researchers, and in the literature, about analysis: they ...

John Samuels and Simon Orton, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1988)
This paper is a case history setting out what we have learned from a major programme of research into public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to the disease AIDS, with the emphasis on research methodology. The research was commissioned by the British Government in relation to its programme of public education and publicity. The paper is in seven sections: Section ...

Maureen Johnson, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1989)
This paper discusses the role of geodemographics in retailing and its contribution to retail segmentation, store ranging and customer service. It provides an overview of the status of this new 'science' in UK retailing, drawing on key interviews with some of the countries leading operators. It discusses how new systems which incorporate geodemographics are leading to more focus ...

David Smith, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1990)
In this paper it is argued that the solution to the problem of how to conduct effective research for small businesses lies not just in improved techniques, but also in redefining the market researcher's role. It is argued that market research should become a more integrated part of the business development process. In this way, market research will be better placed to demonstra ...

Catherine Marsh, Vol. 33, No. 4, 1991 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1991)
Samples of anonymised census records (SARs) are to be released for the 1991 census in Britain. At present the proposals only cover England, Wales and Scotland, but representations are also being made to the Census Office in Northern Ireland to grant a similar request with respect to the 1991 Northern Irish census. In this article, after some background to the request that censu ...

Martin van Staveren and Jenny Turtle, Vol. 34, No. 1, 1992 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1992)
Case history describing a research project carried out by BMRB for the Department of Health. The research was designed to find out why, when safe and reliable vaccines were available, many children remain unprotected by immunisation. The proportion of children immunised against whooping cough, measles and polio varied widely between health districts. The study explored possible ...

Simon Broadbent, Vol. 35, No. 1, 1993 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1993/94)
It is argued that it now seems old-fashioned to assume that a brand has a constant share base, independent of its advertising (and other marketing activities). The assumption can be tested, and more often than not movements are found in the base. The paper reports on two attempts to quantify longer term advertising effects. One is the use of a time series model which was previo ...

David Cowan, Vol. 36, No. 2, 1994 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1994/95)
Argues that market research should be given the same importance as military intelligence in the army. This would imply a market research presence from the top level downwards in companies. Other departments all have their own agenda, and a Chief Executive is not short of conflicting advice when a company is in crisis. He needs, and lacks, an independent and objective intelligen ...

John Turner and Nick Sparrow, Vol. 37, No. 4, 1995 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1995/96)
The failure of the polls to forecast the eventual outcome of the 1992 election has created a period of uncertainty for all political parties. This paper attempts to explore this failure and has uncovered the existence of a spiral of silence which has significant implications for party tactics and strategy in the run-up to the next election. The current uncertainty partly emanat ...

Graham Mytton, Vol. 38, No. 1, 1996 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1996/97)
This paper reviews the function of audience research for a world broadcasting service and traces its history since 1936. The work of the current department -International Broadcasting Audience Research (IBAR) - is described and some of the problems and complexities of conducting surveys in different countries and cultures discussed. The end of the Cold War and economic and poli ...

Humphrey Taylor, Vol. 39, No. 3, 1997 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1997/98)
This review of the methods used by 83 leading marketing research firms in 17 countries shows enormous differences in the ways they design and conduct telephone surveys of the public to obtain information about the population. While the biggest differences are between countries, there are also many differences within countries. Indeed, no two firms, of the 8 surveyed, use identi ...

Justin Gutmann and Alan Wilson, Vol. 40, No. 4, 1998 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 1999)
This paper looks at London Underground's use of mystery shopping as an input to investment decisions relating to the improvement of the travel environment. The paper starts by briefly reviewing the literature on mystery shopping, it then considers London Underground and the procedures involved in its mystery shopping activity. The paper discusses the role of mystery shopping sc ...

Terry Hanby, Vol. 41, No. 1, 1999 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2000)
This paper examines the classical conception of brands before discussing changing views in modern and postmodern brand literature. The implications of brands as holisitc entities with many characteristics of living beings lead into a discourse on metaphor and how this relates to both brands and organisations. The author reviews the deep structures (root metaphors) that underpin ...

Humphrey Taylor, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2000 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2001)
Internet research is revolutionary, but how well does it work? This article considers the question, and includes a comparison between Internet and telephone research. The Internet is different in several ways: sampling is not probability but `volunteer' or `convenience'; it is a visual medium; it captures the unedited voice of the respondent (open-ended replies have been found ...

Fred Langerak, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2001 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2002)
This study is designed to test the relationship between the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market orientation and the manufacturer's business performance, using self-reports and customer (supplier) reports of the manufacturer's downstream (upstream) market-oriented behaviours. The findings from a sample of 72 matched sets of suppliers, manufacturers and customers in the N ...

Phyllis Macfarlane, Vol. 44, No. 1, 2002 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2003)
A review of business or `industrial' markets research and how it differs from consumer research. Covers: a brief historical background to business research; how to define business markets; business market structures; business universes, sampling and statistics; collecting usage information; response rates and dealing with non-response; standard error calculations. ...

Barry Leventhal, Vol. 45, No. 1, 2003 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2004)
The 2001 Census is starting to provide market researchers with updated information on the size and structure of the UK population. The objective of this paper is to identify the most important methodological changes and developments in the 2001 package that will be relevant when using results from this unique source. Section 2 of the paper gives an overview of the Census operat ...

Ben Page, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2004 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2005)
This paper argues that in considering survey results, researchers need to be more sensitive to the impact of place and demography on responses. By looking at what one might expect for a given type of area, or a given type of respondent, we can reach more intelligent conclusions about our results. ...

Andrew Zelin and Roger Stubbs, Vol. 47, No. 5, 2005 (MRS Silver Medal winner, 2006)
For convenience and to save on fieldwork costs, many random samples involve an element of clustering. This paper seeks to explain how clustering of a sample can have a detrimental effect on its statistical reliability, reducing effective sample size, and how precision can be improved more effectively by increasing the number of clusters rather than increasing the number of resp ...