Hi
This is to remind all the Marketing Research students that the final exam will take place on Tuesday, 2nd February in E-121 at 11:30. The first three chapters of the book are NOT included. That leaves chapters 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 22. The exam will also include The First Habit from Steven Covey's book. The paper will contain MCQs as well as a few short questions.
Best of luck!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Method and Research Design
I wanted to post this prior to our projects, but it got delayed.
This links shows you the method and way of doing a research design; the common problems we face and how to write our own research design.
Please post your comments.
http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/el21meth.htm
This links shows you the method and way of doing a research design; the common problems we face and how to write our own research design.
Please post your comments.
http://www.languages.ait.ac.th/el21meth.htm
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Exam day and time
Hi all
Our exam is scheduled for 2nd February at 11:30am in 121.
Please be there :)
Also, i have NOT received all presentations. Please do email them today to avoid penalties.
Regards
Mannan.
Our exam is scheduled for 2nd February at 11:30am in 121.
Please be there :)
Also, i have NOT received all presentations. Please do email them today to avoid penalties.
Regards
Mannan.
The Gestalt Approach to Advertising Research
Editor's note: Daniel Oromaner is president of The Qualitative Difference, Inc. This article was adapted from a presentation to the Advertising Research Foundation Conference in April 1991.
The power of advertising is illustrated in every American history text. Five hundred years ago Columbus discovered America, and for years afterward he communicated very little about his discovery. After all, he was looking for gold and he didn't want competition.
On the other hand, Amerigo Vespucci was five years behind Columbus, but he wrote extensively of his discoveries and theories. One of his letters was translated into 40 languages over a 25-year period. As a result, Vespucci was credited with the discovery of America. It even has his name. When he returned to Europe, Spain granted Vespucci citizenship and gave him a high-level government post.
What happened to Columbus? We celebrate his discovery, but Christopher Columbus died in jail. The moral of the story: it pays to advertise.
Advertising works, and some campaigns work better than others. In the past 50 years, there have been products that became category leaders with great help from their advertising--Charmin, Perdue, IBM, Budweiser, McDonald's, and Nyquil. There have been products that became category leaders with little help from their advertising--Polaroid, Xerox, Canada Dry, Edge, and Kleenex. And, some products have failed because their advertising never gave them the needed boost--Gablinger's beer, Vote toothpaste, Handy Andy cleaner, Univac computers, Rheingold beer, and Datril pain reliever.
Can advertising research improve the batting average of our companies? Yes, validation efforts in the past ten years have shown that copy test measures can identify the advertising that will influence sales.
As part of the increasingly sophisticated advertising research procedures, there has been a steady increase in the use of advertising-related focus groups and in-depth interviews. They have been used for strategy/copy development, copy refinement, competitive assessments, and the ubiquitous "disaster checks." During that time, I have tested executions for television, radio, print, free standing inserts, and direct mail.
A particular theoretical framework has guided me in planning and conducting those sessions. It has answered questions such as: how many ads should we test, and what reaction variables are important? The framework is Gestalt psychology.
This school of psychological thought originated in Germany in the 1920s. Its founders held that, "perception is not an unorganized mosaic of elements, which are subsequently associated into meaningful contents in the mind." They believed that perception is an "organized, structured entity--a configuration, a Gestalt."
The German noun "Gestalt" (pronounced Gesh-talt) is usually translated as "shape," "pattern," or "form." The word is difficult to translate precisely into English, but it implies making perceptions into a comprehensible whole.
The whole is more than the sum of its parts
In Gestalt psychology the whole possesses properties of its own, related to, but not merely the sum of its individual parts. We do not experience the parts of our environment separately; we try to organize those parts into a meaningful whole. Further, we want things and events to make sense in terms of what we already know.
Thus, an advertisement is more than the sum of its parts. An ad is more than the talent, music, costumes, copy, and setting. The elements of an ad interact with each other--the way ingredients interact in a recipe.
For example, think of one of the best dinners you had in the past five years. Didn't the seasonings, textures, tastes, aromas, visual appeal, even the ambiance have an effect? How many of those elements could have changed without diminishing the total experience? Very few, I would bet.
Similarly, virtually all great actors and directors recognize the importance of even the slightest nuance in making the characters and story credible. Directors have asked for take after take until they were satisfied with a scene. Some actors have been no less demanding.
In looking back upon your favorite movie--or dinner--you probably thought of it as a whole experience. The organization of discrete elements into a Gestalt is a common process, "It is primitive, direct, spontaneous, and mostly unlearned." Gestalt research has shown that even animals respond to organized wholes.
Figure versus ground
In addition to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and our natural tendency to see Gestalts (patterns), the importance of "figure" versus "ground" is a key Gestalt concept. Figure is a point, object, or subject on which a person focuses his or her attention. Ground is the background, or environment.
A thousand years ago the ability to select and pay attention to important aspects of the environment was a matter of life and death for our ancestors. Today's police officers and others in high-risk occupations must also be acutely attuned to their surroundings. Even though our needs are generally not as acute, we all pay attention to certain sights and sounds.
When we are hungry, we pay attention to restaurants we pass. When we are in a meeting, we pay attention to the facial expressions of our superiors. When leaving the office late at night, we carefully scrutinize anyone who enters our elevator.
Implications for Gestalt advertising research
Gestalt psychology would predict that the order of presentation of executions has an effect, and of course it does. No matter how often you remind respondents to view each execution without regard to what was seen previously, they make the silent comparisons. Our minds must constantly decide what will remain as figure and what will fade into the background.
Gestalt psychology predicts that reactions to commercials are influenced by program/media content and other ads viewed at the time; and, we have evidence that such is the case. A print ad for a Jaguar stands out more in Yachting than it does in Motor Trend.
Gestalt psychology would also predict that certain key elements in a commercial stand out (figure) and are remembered over time, disproportionate to the actual amount of time that element took in the ad. We have research that confirms that hypothesis as well. For example, the near accident in the BMW TV spots is well remembered even though it lasts only a few seconds.
Applications for Gestalt qualitative advertising research
It is always a good idea to test more than one execution. It gives the respondents a basis for comparison, and you can notice which of the executions (or which parts of each ad) stand out and communicate well. Of course, it is recommended to rotate the order of presentation of the ads.
In order for an ad to stand out among other ads, it needs to grab the attention of the consumer. Therefore, you must discover if the ad is attention getting. What good is it to have respondents dissect an execution in excruciating detail, only to tell you later that in real life they never would have stopped to read (or watch) the ad; or, they never would have opened that direct mail piece! Magazine publishers know that newsstand sales are dependent on what is on the cover--an important consideration for all of us.
Consumers don't live in a vacuum. Advertising constantly bombards them. Not only are 4,000 to 6,000 commercials aired each week on national networks, consumers see ads on taxis, at sporting events, on clothing, and even at the movies. What will they pay attention to, and what will they tune out?
To many men and women, all automobile commercials are the same-- sleek sedans speeding on winding mountain roads. Others say weight loss ads are the same--before and after shots of satisfied customers. Similarly, lite beer commercials generally show trim young men and women having fun.
Therefore, in order to secure the most realistic reactions to your new executions, it is important to elicit reactions to them and how they compare to competitive commercials (and possibly to your previously-seen commercials). A good campaign will probably not meet its objectives if your competitor simultaneously launches a great campaign.
Consumers see everything in context. The Academy Award-winning best picture in some years might not have even been nominated in other years. Just as all recently seen movies are the ground for the Academy's judges, all recently seen ads are the background for your new execution.
In order to determine the key elements within the ad, it is also important to ask respondents, "What stands out to you about this commercial?" Key elements are the things consumers will remember over time. They are the elements that either should (if they reacted negatively) or should not (if they reacted positively) be changed during the development process. A certain two seconds of a 30-second commercial may make or break the ad. Qualitative research can help identify that segment or segments.
In some commercials the specific colors, costumes, actors, music, or action, may not make a difference. In other ads, one change could make all the difference in the world. Part of the job of qualitative advertising research is to identify those key elements that disproportionately affect the Gestalt or overall impression.
Question: Would the recent Citibank credit card campaign be as good if they had picked "You've Got A Friend" as their music rather than "Stand By Me"? The theme of both songs is the same, but the total Gestalt would have been very different. What about the movie "Ghost" without "Unchained Melody"? Would the Memorex commercials work as well if the recorded sound shattered a pair of eyeglasses instead of a wine glass?
These key elements contribute greatly to the effectiveness and overall feeling of these communications. Qualitative research can help identify winning elements, and explain why those elements have such a strong effect.
Copyright 1992 Quirk's Marketing Research Review (www.quirks.com). All rights reserved.
The power of advertising is illustrated in every American history text. Five hundred years ago Columbus discovered America, and for years afterward he communicated very little about his discovery. After all, he was looking for gold and he didn't want competition.
On the other hand, Amerigo Vespucci was five years behind Columbus, but he wrote extensively of his discoveries and theories. One of his letters was translated into 40 languages over a 25-year period. As a result, Vespucci was credited with the discovery of America. It even has his name. When he returned to Europe, Spain granted Vespucci citizenship and gave him a high-level government post.
What happened to Columbus? We celebrate his discovery, but Christopher Columbus died in jail. The moral of the story: it pays to advertise.
Advertising works, and some campaigns work better than others. In the past 50 years, there have been products that became category leaders with great help from their advertising--Charmin, Perdue, IBM, Budweiser, McDonald's, and Nyquil. There have been products that became category leaders with little help from their advertising--Polaroid, Xerox, Canada Dry, Edge, and Kleenex. And, some products have failed because their advertising never gave them the needed boost--Gablinger's beer, Vote toothpaste, Handy Andy cleaner, Univac computers, Rheingold beer, and Datril pain reliever.
Can advertising research improve the batting average of our companies? Yes, validation efforts in the past ten years have shown that copy test measures can identify the advertising that will influence sales.
As part of the increasingly sophisticated advertising research procedures, there has been a steady increase in the use of advertising-related focus groups and in-depth interviews. They have been used for strategy/copy development, copy refinement, competitive assessments, and the ubiquitous "disaster checks." During that time, I have tested executions for television, radio, print, free standing inserts, and direct mail.
A particular theoretical framework has guided me in planning and conducting those sessions. It has answered questions such as: how many ads should we test, and what reaction variables are important? The framework is Gestalt psychology.
This school of psychological thought originated in Germany in the 1920s. Its founders held that, "perception is not an unorganized mosaic of elements, which are subsequently associated into meaningful contents in the mind." They believed that perception is an "organized, structured entity--a configuration, a Gestalt."
The German noun "Gestalt" (pronounced Gesh-talt) is usually translated as "shape," "pattern," or "form." The word is difficult to translate precisely into English, but it implies making perceptions into a comprehensible whole.
The whole is more than the sum of its parts
In Gestalt psychology the whole possesses properties of its own, related to, but not merely the sum of its individual parts. We do not experience the parts of our environment separately; we try to organize those parts into a meaningful whole. Further, we want things and events to make sense in terms of what we already know.
Thus, an advertisement is more than the sum of its parts. An ad is more than the talent, music, costumes, copy, and setting. The elements of an ad interact with each other--the way ingredients interact in a recipe.
For example, think of one of the best dinners you had in the past five years. Didn't the seasonings, textures, tastes, aromas, visual appeal, even the ambiance have an effect? How many of those elements could have changed without diminishing the total experience? Very few, I would bet.
Similarly, virtually all great actors and directors recognize the importance of even the slightest nuance in making the characters and story credible. Directors have asked for take after take until they were satisfied with a scene. Some actors have been no less demanding.
In looking back upon your favorite movie--or dinner--you probably thought of it as a whole experience. The organization of discrete elements into a Gestalt is a common process, "It is primitive, direct, spontaneous, and mostly unlearned." Gestalt research has shown that even animals respond to organized wholes.
Figure versus ground
In addition to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and our natural tendency to see Gestalts (patterns), the importance of "figure" versus "ground" is a key Gestalt concept. Figure is a point, object, or subject on which a person focuses his or her attention. Ground is the background, or environment.
A thousand years ago the ability to select and pay attention to important aspects of the environment was a matter of life and death for our ancestors. Today's police officers and others in high-risk occupations must also be acutely attuned to their surroundings. Even though our needs are generally not as acute, we all pay attention to certain sights and sounds.
When we are hungry, we pay attention to restaurants we pass. When we are in a meeting, we pay attention to the facial expressions of our superiors. When leaving the office late at night, we carefully scrutinize anyone who enters our elevator.
Implications for Gestalt advertising research
Gestalt psychology would predict that the order of presentation of executions has an effect, and of course it does. No matter how often you remind respondents to view each execution without regard to what was seen previously, they make the silent comparisons. Our minds must constantly decide what will remain as figure and what will fade into the background.
Gestalt psychology predicts that reactions to commercials are influenced by program/media content and other ads viewed at the time; and, we have evidence that such is the case. A print ad for a Jaguar stands out more in Yachting than it does in Motor Trend.
Gestalt psychology would also predict that certain key elements in a commercial stand out (figure) and are remembered over time, disproportionate to the actual amount of time that element took in the ad. We have research that confirms that hypothesis as well. For example, the near accident in the BMW TV spots is well remembered even though it lasts only a few seconds.
Applications for Gestalt qualitative advertising research
It is always a good idea to test more than one execution. It gives the respondents a basis for comparison, and you can notice which of the executions (or which parts of each ad) stand out and communicate well. Of course, it is recommended to rotate the order of presentation of the ads.
In order for an ad to stand out among other ads, it needs to grab the attention of the consumer. Therefore, you must discover if the ad is attention getting. What good is it to have respondents dissect an execution in excruciating detail, only to tell you later that in real life they never would have stopped to read (or watch) the ad; or, they never would have opened that direct mail piece! Magazine publishers know that newsstand sales are dependent on what is on the cover--an important consideration for all of us.
Consumers don't live in a vacuum. Advertising constantly bombards them. Not only are 4,000 to 6,000 commercials aired each week on national networks, consumers see ads on taxis, at sporting events, on clothing, and even at the movies. What will they pay attention to, and what will they tune out?
To many men and women, all automobile commercials are the same-- sleek sedans speeding on winding mountain roads. Others say weight loss ads are the same--before and after shots of satisfied customers. Similarly, lite beer commercials generally show trim young men and women having fun.
Therefore, in order to secure the most realistic reactions to your new executions, it is important to elicit reactions to them and how they compare to competitive commercials (and possibly to your previously-seen commercials). A good campaign will probably not meet its objectives if your competitor simultaneously launches a great campaign.
Consumers see everything in context. The Academy Award-winning best picture in some years might not have even been nominated in other years. Just as all recently seen movies are the ground for the Academy's judges, all recently seen ads are the background for your new execution.
In order to determine the key elements within the ad, it is also important to ask respondents, "What stands out to you about this commercial?" Key elements are the things consumers will remember over time. They are the elements that either should (if they reacted negatively) or should not (if they reacted positively) be changed during the development process. A certain two seconds of a 30-second commercial may make or break the ad. Qualitative research can help identify that segment or segments.
In some commercials the specific colors, costumes, actors, music, or action, may not make a difference. In other ads, one change could make all the difference in the world. Part of the job of qualitative advertising research is to identify those key elements that disproportionately affect the Gestalt or overall impression.
Question: Would the recent Citibank credit card campaign be as good if they had picked "You've Got A Friend" as their music rather than "Stand By Me"? The theme of both songs is the same, but the total Gestalt would have been very different. What about the movie "Ghost" without "Unchained Melody"? Would the Memorex commercials work as well if the recorded sound shattered a pair of eyeglasses instead of a wine glass?
These key elements contribute greatly to the effectiveness and overall feeling of these communications. Qualitative research can help identify winning elements, and explain why those elements have such a strong effect.
Copyright 1992 Quirk's Marketing Research Review (www.quirks.com). All rights reserved.
List of Companies for Internships..
Guys you are supposed to list down the companies in which you are willing to do internships by posting comments on this ....
Thanks.
Thanks.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
"Money Making With Affiliate Marketing" by Anthony Parker
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2486229
"Affiliate Marketing is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts."
How to make money online is a difficult proposition for those new to Internet marketing. However, it is quite an achievable goal as long you understand how Internet marketing operates and the dos and donts of online success. This detailed review will assist you to decide whether the online marketing world is right for you.
Affiliate marketing is a system where you are an affiliate of the company that has the product. You are given the right to market that company's products and earn yourself a commission for each sale that you make for the company. The commission can range from 10 per cent to 40 per cent or more depending on the company and product that you are selling.
One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that it is a great way to get into a new business quickly with low start-up costs. Another great benefit is that many affiliate programs are free to join. After you have chosen your product or products to market there are only a few steps to follow. It is essential that you make sure your affiliate website has optimal key words for it to be Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly. Next you need to develop an affiliate marketing plan to succeed in driving traffic to your website landing page. Search the Internet for reputable articles and blogs that will educate you further for money making with affiliate marketing. Verify this information by checking for reviews of these articles, blogs and websites.
There is potentially very good money to make out of affiliate marketing. The best programs can generate $2,000 to $5,000 a month if you work hard. This is useful money by anyone's standards. Another great thing is that the best affiliate programs offer ongoing residual income. In other words, every time a buyer revisits your affiliate weblink to make another purchase, you get rewarded with another commission. However, you need to remember that such success takes time so you need to be patient.
"Affiliate Marketing is an Internet-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts."
How to make money online is a difficult proposition for those new to Internet marketing. However, it is quite an achievable goal as long you understand how Internet marketing operates and the dos and donts of online success. This detailed review will assist you to decide whether the online marketing world is right for you.
Affiliate marketing is a system where you are an affiliate of the company that has the product. You are given the right to market that company's products and earn yourself a commission for each sale that you make for the company. The commission can range from 10 per cent to 40 per cent or more depending on the company and product that you are selling.
One of the best things about affiliate marketing is that it is a great way to get into a new business quickly with low start-up costs. Another great benefit is that many affiliate programs are free to join. After you have chosen your product or products to market there are only a few steps to follow. It is essential that you make sure your affiliate website has optimal key words for it to be Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly. Next you need to develop an affiliate marketing plan to succeed in driving traffic to your website landing page. Search the Internet for reputable articles and blogs that will educate you further for money making with affiliate marketing. Verify this information by checking for reviews of these articles, blogs and websites.
There is potentially very good money to make out of affiliate marketing. The best programs can generate $2,000 to $5,000 a month if you work hard. This is useful money by anyone's standards. Another great thing is that the best affiliate programs offer ongoing residual income. In other words, every time a buyer revisits your affiliate weblink to make another purchase, you get rewarded with another commission. However, you need to remember that such success takes time so you need to be patient.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Internet Business Ideas - Why The Article Marketing Works by Juhani Tontti
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2489844
When you market internet business ideas, it is important to understand that it is the marketing of ideas not products. This means, that it is wise to use a strategy, which supports the main choice, the marketing of ideas. This was the starting point, when I selected the article marketing as my main tool.
The article marketing is a very personal way to communicate with the big audience. This makes it a good brand builder, because every reader creates an image of the writer and his internet business ideas. This means that the selection process has just started. Some readers like, some do not and this is how it shall be.
1. The Magic Of Preselling.
When the article is self written, it is an ideal tool to presell the internet business ideas. This means a big advantage, because the reader has already gotten an idea about the landing page, before he will land on it.
Actually the idea of the article is, that the reader gets enthusiastic and really wants to see the whole story and to click the link in the author box. So the purpose is not, that the article will reveal everything. The idea is to tease the reader and to help him to click the link to the landing page.
2. Articles Appear In Many Places.
The fact is that the marketers of the internet business ideas are always in the need to get useful material to their own sites or blogs. This is the reason, why they search good articles from the article directories and will click at the same time the links in the author boxes. This means related traffic.
Because the article directories have high page ranks, the keyword optimized articles can climb high on the search engine result pages. The first page rankings mean lots of targeted traffic. The writer can improve these rankings by writing articles and by putting the article domain into the author box.
3. Traffic From Two Sources, At Least.
The keyword optimized articles live online for many years. They are real residual income sources, which can bring a nice traffic after a couple of years, when they are written. The main traffic sources there are two. The traffic, which comes from the article directories and the another one, which comes from the search engine rankings.
4. Articles Are Effective In Brand Building.
The well written articles are never ads. They do not try to sell anything but to present useful internet business ideas and to make the reader to click the link in the author box. If they succeed in doing this job, the articles have done their jobs.
When you market internet business ideas, it is important to understand that it is the marketing of ideas not products. This means, that it is wise to use a strategy, which supports the main choice, the marketing of ideas. This was the starting point, when I selected the article marketing as my main tool.
The article marketing is a very personal way to communicate with the big audience. This makes it a good brand builder, because every reader creates an image of the writer and his internet business ideas. This means that the selection process has just started. Some readers like, some do not and this is how it shall be.
1. The Magic Of Preselling.
When the article is self written, it is an ideal tool to presell the internet business ideas. This means a big advantage, because the reader has already gotten an idea about the landing page, before he will land on it.
Actually the idea of the article is, that the reader gets enthusiastic and really wants to see the whole story and to click the link in the author box. So the purpose is not, that the article will reveal everything. The idea is to tease the reader and to help him to click the link to the landing page.
2. Articles Appear In Many Places.
The fact is that the marketers of the internet business ideas are always in the need to get useful material to their own sites or blogs. This is the reason, why they search good articles from the article directories and will click at the same time the links in the author boxes. This means related traffic.
Because the article directories have high page ranks, the keyword optimized articles can climb high on the search engine result pages. The first page rankings mean lots of targeted traffic. The writer can improve these rankings by writing articles and by putting the article domain into the author box.
3. Traffic From Two Sources, At Least.
The keyword optimized articles live online for many years. They are real residual income sources, which can bring a nice traffic after a couple of years, when they are written. The main traffic sources there are two. The traffic, which comes from the article directories and the another one, which comes from the search engine rankings.
4. Articles Are Effective In Brand Building.
The well written articles are never ads. They do not try to sell anything but to present useful internet business ideas and to make the reader to click the link in the author box. If they succeed in doing this job, the articles have done their jobs.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Facebook vs. Twitter Competitors or Complements?
The fastest-growing and most popular social network worldwide is Facebook - it seems like everyone is on it, and if not, they're talking about it. So what about Twitter? In this article you can see the difference between Facebook and twitter. You can also find out the specialties of both sites and advantages,disadvantages according to users eye.the link is given below:
How to use Facebook for Market Research
Facebook has attracted millions of ordinary people to social networking and claims to be offering new solutions to old problems, here are some of the key ways of doing market research on facebook, its easy,its cheap and the most important, it is effective. the link is given below:
6 tips to make great a presentation!
i found out some very interesting points on which we can improve our presentation style or add new ways to it. The link is given below:
Ethnographic Research
Ethnographic Research uses naturalistic observation to record systematically the behaviour of research subjects in their own settings. With its origins in anthropology, the focus is on cultural aspects of behavior.Some of the methods and techniques are being described in this post through which we can get behavioral research for getting consumers insight
marketing research companies operating in Lahore
hey guys i found out some of the major marketing research companies operating in Lahore. You can know more detail about their profiles by clicking the link given below.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Pakistani Banks now on internet
Now a day internet is the most used, low price and easy tool to advertise. banks in west use this mediam to attrect maximum customers but pakistani bank heavily reliable on tv and print media. But this thing is starting to change as now Bank like Habib, Alfalah and UBL start onlne advertising. It is a good sign that they follow the new trend and start using this mediam of communication. Hope they go further in this direction..
http://propakistani.pk/2010/01/07/pakistani-banks-pushing-for-online-advertisements/
http://propakistani.pk/2010/01/07/pakistani-banks-pushing-for-online-advertisements/
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Marketing Research applicable in Brand Management as well
I just realized today that we will be applying all the Marketing Research skills we have used so far in out Brand Management course as well. The project that Sir Sufian has assigned requires primary data as well. Cheers! :p
Advantage of mobile add
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2476680
Are you looking for launching a new product online or want to enhance the business of your product? An online advertising or a mobile ad is an effective means of achieving an effective result. People these days have become very busy and tech-friendly seldom get any time to read newspapers or switching on their television. They lead a life where cell phone and their desktop or laptop is major part of their lives; they tend to seek every information and news from their cell phones and laptops by browsing through websites, mails, MMS and SMS. People don't want to waste their time browsing through different pages of newspaper for their desired news instead click on a link that would take them to news of their choice or subscribe a SMS package wherein you get your daily dose of news and updates. There are many websites provide you with an opportunity to advertise through their sites. These sites allow their clients to put up some of their advertisements on their sites which would cost them almost nothing compared to traditional methods of advertising. It does not restrict your product just to a local market but put your product on the global market accessible to every person across the globe. You can advertise you product via a floating ad, an expanding ad or a pop-up. A mobile ad has become very popular these days since every person on earth has a cell phone nowadays. A bulk SMS of a product to be advertise reaches millions of people at a same time. Some of the salient features of these websites: Provide an excellent interface wherein your ads are clearly visible and attract many customers. The amount of money you have shell out for advertising is almost negligible and you need not depend upon lazy and unprofessional people for the marketing of your product. They provide an effective mass marketing by their SMS facility. Has a large database of the customers, you need not research or depend upon some third party for obtaining cell numbers of customers.
The PAISAFREESMS.COM is an excellent website for online advertising; provide an effective means for marketing your product. The website offers their clients to advertise their product through advertisements like putting up a client's ad on their sites. Also one can advertise their products via SMS. The website has free SMS service for their users, while sending a free SMS an advertisement is attached with the message. The message generally has 160 characters out of which some characters can be utilized for ads. The number of people who uses free SMS facilities is numerous so literally your product would be able to reach a larger group of people, thus providing an effective marketing of your product.
Are you looking for launching a new product online or want to enhance the business of your product? An online advertising or a mobile ad is an effective means of achieving an effective result. People these days have become very busy and tech-friendly seldom get any time to read newspapers or switching on their television. They lead a life where cell phone and their desktop or laptop is major part of their lives; they tend to seek every information and news from their cell phones and laptops by browsing through websites, mails, MMS and SMS. People don't want to waste their time browsing through different pages of newspaper for their desired news instead click on a link that would take them to news of their choice or subscribe a SMS package wherein you get your daily dose of news and updates. There are many websites provide you with an opportunity to advertise through their sites. These sites allow their clients to put up some of their advertisements on their sites which would cost them almost nothing compared to traditional methods of advertising. It does not restrict your product just to a local market but put your product on the global market accessible to every person across the globe. You can advertise you product via a floating ad, an expanding ad or a pop-up. A mobile ad has become very popular these days since every person on earth has a cell phone nowadays. A bulk SMS of a product to be advertise reaches millions of people at a same time. Some of the salient features of these websites: Provide an excellent interface wherein your ads are clearly visible and attract many customers. The amount of money you have shell out for advertising is almost negligible and you need not depend upon lazy and unprofessional people for the marketing of your product. They provide an effective mass marketing by their SMS facility. Has a large database of the customers, you need not research or depend upon some third party for obtaining cell numbers of customers.
The PAISAFREESMS.COM is an excellent website for online advertising; provide an effective means for marketing your product. The website offers their clients to advertise their product through advertisements like putting up a client's ad on their sites. Also one can advertise their products via SMS. The website has free SMS service for their users, while sending a free SMS an advertisement is attached with the message. The message generally has 160 characters out of which some characters can be utilized for ads. The number of people who uses free SMS facilities is numerous so literally your product would be able to reach a larger group of people, thus providing an effective marketing of your product.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Project Progress
Today me and my group members started conducting the surveys. We started with FCC first. Our survey form is seemingly quite long, almost four pages. I had expected some expressions of uninterest or boredom when the students started it. But surprisingly the response was quite warm and people actually gave time and read the whole thing carefully before filling it. I must say thats a surprise for me. These students are human after all :p
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Customer Satisfaction Research Surveys
The article briefly explains how customer satisfaction can be measured. Do look at it and please comment!!!
"Customer satisfaction research data -- collected by phone survey or online survey -- are a core component for a marketing research information system. We research customer views about satisfaction using an innovative approach that uncovers customer loyalty, brand loyalty, and importance of your brand and the full market category."
http://www.powerdecisions.com/customer-satisfaction-loyalty-research.cfm
"Customer satisfaction research data -- collected by phone survey or online survey -- are a core component for a marketing research information system. We research customer views about satisfaction using an innovative approach that uncovers customer loyalty, brand loyalty, and importance of your brand and the full market category."
http://www.powerdecisions.com/customer-satisfaction-loyalty-research.cfm
What’s Working for Social Media Marketers?
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007449
JANUARY 5, 2010
A look at effectiveness
A September 2009 MarketingProfs survey of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers found that the marketing tactics most often used on social sites are not necessarily the best ones.
The most common marketing tactic used on Facebook was attempting to drive traffic to corporate materials through status updates, followed by friending customers.
But the most effective tactic for consumer-oriented companies was creating a Facebook application, which was done by less than one-quarter of total respondents. Both B2B and B2C companies also reported surveys of their fans as effective; fan surveys were the third-most-common tactic attempted.
Unsurprisingly, buying ads—even targeted ones—was the least effective type of social media marketing overall.
Like those on Facebook, marketers using Twitter were also most interested in increasing traffic. Driving traffic by linking to marketing Webpages was the most common activity on the microblogging site, followed by driving sales by linking to promotional pages. But again, the most effective tactics were different.
B2C marketers had the most success with monitoring Twitter for PR problems (done by one-half of all respondents) and contacting users who posted negative comments about their brand (done by only 22.4% of total respondents). B2B companies also succeeded with brand monitoring, as well as with using Twitter invites for in-person events (the least common tactic of all).
Though some firms, such as Dell, have reported success in the area, the study found that driving sales was the least effective marketing tactic attempted by companies using Twitter.
JANUARY 5, 2010
A look at effectiveness
A September 2009 MarketingProfs survey of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers found that the marketing tactics most often used on social sites are not necessarily the best ones.
The most common marketing tactic used on Facebook was attempting to drive traffic to corporate materials through status updates, followed by friending customers.
But the most effective tactic for consumer-oriented companies was creating a Facebook application, which was done by less than one-quarter of total respondents. Both B2B and B2C companies also reported surveys of their fans as effective; fan surveys were the third-most-common tactic attempted.
Unsurprisingly, buying ads—even targeted ones—was the least effective type of social media marketing overall.
Like those on Facebook, marketers using Twitter were also most interested in increasing traffic. Driving traffic by linking to marketing Webpages was the most common activity on the microblogging site, followed by driving sales by linking to promotional pages. But again, the most effective tactics were different.
B2C marketers had the most success with monitoring Twitter for PR problems (done by one-half of all respondents) and contacting users who posted negative comments about their brand (done by only 22.4% of total respondents). B2B companies also succeeded with brand monitoring, as well as with using Twitter invites for in-person events (the least common tactic of all).
Though some firms, such as Dell, have reported success in the area, the study found that driving sales was the least effective marketing tactic attempted by companies using Twitter.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Are short survey forms the only answer?
I was wondering this all along while preparing our survey form for our project that a lot of experts say that the survey form should be as short as possible. But what of it contains all important and mandatory questions? What if it cant be shortened and has to span three pages? Would anybody like to comment?
The Entrepreneurs Strength and Curse
The Entrepreneurs Strength and Curse
by David Mammano
Bringing New Products to Market
Otherwise known as the idea train, an entrepreneurs' way if thinking is her biggest strength and, if not carefully managed, could be her biggest curse.
I probably have a new idea every day. And at the time I have it, I usually get so excited that I think it's the next best thing. In mind, at that time, I have just made Steve Jobs look like an amateur.
Ok Dave - whatever...
But, at the same time, some of my ideas are pretty good. I wouldn't have a successful business if they weren't. And of course, some of my ideas are....let's say, put on hold.
If I actually acted on all my ideas, my company would have imploded a long time ago. One can stretch a company too thin where it begins to lose focus. I started in this direction a few years ago. A member of my team made a comment to me that was very enlightening. She said, "I feel as though lately we are growing like a shrub instead of a tree."
It was a very powerful statement and made me think about pruning the shrub so we can grow like a tree again. And we have.
Now when I have ideas, I present them to my managers first to flesh them out. This can be a frustrating experience because entrepreneurs and managers think differently, thank God. If he's smart, the entrepreneur has surrounded himself with detailed managers who can say no to him when appropriate. Most entrepreneurs don't like their ideas to be grilled and possibly put on hold or nixed for the benefit of the company. So, he will give his managers the right to set him straight if the idea is not the best for the company at that time; or needs to be altered/killed.
Of course, I can do whatever I want within my own company. But in my mind, it's not my own company. If I don't have the buy in from management and the rest of the team the idea will never take shape.
So here is my 10 step plan on how to entrepreneurs can deal with their ideas:
1) Marry well. Your spouse should be the first one to tell you if the idea has merit or if you're smoking something. You can save your team a lot of time if your spouse can nix the idea first. My wife has a special talent to see through my special"forest" and if I am in "DaveLand" with one of my ideas, she'll let me know. "DaveLand" is actually a great place! The sky is red and there is fun everywhere (and great food), but it's not for everybody...
2) Hire well. It's obvious, but some ego maniacs surround themselves with minion-like people. I have empowered my team to challenge me and let me know when I am getting off course. If I did not do this years ago, my idea train could have derailed the company.
3) Develop a process to discuss ideas with your management team. Form a R&D committee or just have a discussion at your weekly manager meeting
4) Explain the opportunity or problem to solve and see what they come up with first.
5) Present your thoughts at a very high level. Don't get tactical yet. Just the 50,000 foot view.
6) Be calm. Don't try to "sell" your idea. Stick to discussing the opportunity in a calm, rational way and let the conversation flow. If your managers feel they are being sold an idea, their BS meter may go off. This could really change the direction of the discussion.
7) Ask them to pitch the idea back to you. Then ask, "What does it look like when we, as a company, execute this idea really well and so that it doesn't strain the company?"
8) On a white board, brainstorm all the reasons why you shouldn't move forward with the idea. Then, list all the reason why it's a good idea.
9) Listen half as much as you talk.
10) Be ready to walk away from the idea, or alter it.
It seems like a lot to go though, I know. Many entrepreneurs might be reading this and saying, "Bull! The reason I started a business is to do whatever I want, whenever I want!" That may work if you are a one man show. But if you have people working for you, you'd be smart to rely on their intelligence to guide you. Hopefully, that's a big reason why you hired them.
Another big reason to go through this process is the actual execution of the idea. Traditionally, entrepreneurs are builders of ideas but not always great at seeing them through. You'll need your team to embrace the idea if you expect them to execute it well.
Bottom line; make sure you allow really great passengers on your idea train who can help you drive.
Enjoy your ride.
http://www.marketingscoop.com/entrepreneur-strategy.htm
by David Mammano
Bringing New Products to Market
Otherwise known as the idea train, an entrepreneurs' way if thinking is her biggest strength and, if not carefully managed, could be her biggest curse.
I probably have a new idea every day. And at the time I have it, I usually get so excited that I think it's the next best thing. In mind, at that time, I have just made Steve Jobs look like an amateur.
Ok Dave - whatever...
But, at the same time, some of my ideas are pretty good. I wouldn't have a successful business if they weren't. And of course, some of my ideas are....let's say, put on hold.
If I actually acted on all my ideas, my company would have imploded a long time ago. One can stretch a company too thin where it begins to lose focus. I started in this direction a few years ago. A member of my team made a comment to me that was very enlightening. She said, "I feel as though lately we are growing like a shrub instead of a tree."
It was a very powerful statement and made me think about pruning the shrub so we can grow like a tree again. And we have.
Now when I have ideas, I present them to my managers first to flesh them out. This can be a frustrating experience because entrepreneurs and managers think differently, thank God. If he's smart, the entrepreneur has surrounded himself with detailed managers who can say no to him when appropriate. Most entrepreneurs don't like their ideas to be grilled and possibly put on hold or nixed for the benefit of the company. So, he will give his managers the right to set him straight if the idea is not the best for the company at that time; or needs to be altered/killed.
Of course, I can do whatever I want within my own company. But in my mind, it's not my own company. If I don't have the buy in from management and the rest of the team the idea will never take shape.
So here is my 10 step plan on how to entrepreneurs can deal with their ideas:
1) Marry well. Your spouse should be the first one to tell you if the idea has merit or if you're smoking something. You can save your team a lot of time if your spouse can nix the idea first. My wife has a special talent to see through my special"forest" and if I am in "DaveLand" with one of my ideas, she'll let me know. "DaveLand" is actually a great place! The sky is red and there is fun everywhere (and great food), but it's not for everybody...
2) Hire well. It's obvious, but some ego maniacs surround themselves with minion-like people. I have empowered my team to challenge me and let me know when I am getting off course. If I did not do this years ago, my idea train could have derailed the company.
3) Develop a process to discuss ideas with your management team. Form a R&D committee or just have a discussion at your weekly manager meeting
4) Explain the opportunity or problem to solve and see what they come up with first.
5) Present your thoughts at a very high level. Don't get tactical yet. Just the 50,000 foot view.
6) Be calm. Don't try to "sell" your idea. Stick to discussing the opportunity in a calm, rational way and let the conversation flow. If your managers feel they are being sold an idea, their BS meter may go off. This could really change the direction of the discussion.
7) Ask them to pitch the idea back to you. Then ask, "What does it look like when we, as a company, execute this idea really well and so that it doesn't strain the company?"
8) On a white board, brainstorm all the reasons why you shouldn't move forward with the idea. Then, list all the reason why it's a good idea.
9) Listen half as much as you talk.
10) Be ready to walk away from the idea, or alter it.
It seems like a lot to go though, I know. Many entrepreneurs might be reading this and saying, "Bull! The reason I started a business is to do whatever I want, whenever I want!" That may work if you are a one man show. But if you have people working for you, you'd be smart to rely on their intelligence to guide you. Hopefully, that's a big reason why you hired them.
Another big reason to go through this process is the actual execution of the idea. Traditionally, entrepreneurs are builders of ideas but not always great at seeing them through. You'll need your team to embrace the idea if you expect them to execute it well.
Bottom line; make sure you allow really great passengers on your idea train who can help you drive.
Enjoy your ride.
http://www.marketingscoop.com/entrepreneur-strategy.htm
Internet Marketing In 2010 Without Sugar Coating It
http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Jeff-Schuman-3128/internet-marketing-78065.php
There are many reasons to be excited about internet marketing as we prepare to enter into a new year. However you need to be realistic and understand exactly what challenges are ahead of you.
I thought in this article we would talk about the realities of Internet marketing without sugar coating it. Hopefully you will be able to take these thoughts and use them to motivate yourself to become more successful in 2010.
1. Plan on doing paid advertising and not just relying on free advertising. Depending on the niche your Internet business is in will determine how much paid advertising you must do.
Your competitors are already planning on how they will increase their business next year. The chances are extremely good they will be increasing their advertising budgets as well.
It's just not reasonable to think you can build a business on the Internet today doing 100% free advertising. So what kind of advertising should you be doing?
Pay Per Click advertising on search engines other than Google is a trend I see happening. For example I know of one Internet marketing guru who gets 65% of her traffic doing PPC advertising on Yahoo.
Bing and other search engines also have programs that can provide you with quality traffic at a fraction of the price that Google Adwords charges. Go to payperclicksearchengines.com to find hundreds of ppc search engines to promote on.
2. For once in your life put some focus into your business. If you are going to be an affiliate marketer concentrate on becoming the best one you can be.
Learn affiliate marketing inside and out and implement what you learn into your business. Focus on getting one niche making money before adding another one.
The same thing is true if you decide to join a network marketing company. Learn network marketing inside out and use it to build as large of a business as possible.
Write down a goal to focus 100% of your business on getting one website successful before jumping into another one. This tip alone can make you a lot of money in 2010.
3. Whatever your strategy for building an Internet marketing business be sure and incorporate email marketing into it. This means building an email list that you can promote to.
Anyone who makes considerable amounts of money online today has a large email list. If these top Internet marketers are doing it why do you think you don't have to.
This is another area where you should learn the ins and outs of list building and then put together a strategy to add new subscribers every day. In the long run your Internet business will thank you.
4. The bottom line is Internet marketing is getting extremely competitive. No longer can you write a handful of articles and expect to generate a lot of traffic from them.
Unless you are outsourcing some of your Internet marketing activities it is not reasonable to expect to survive online working five hours a week either.
The good news is there are more people making money on the Internet today than at any time in history. If you will buckle down and make a solid commitment to do a few things correctly you can be one of them in 2010.
COMMENT:
Well as far as i think,this article talks about that using free internet as a free medium for marketing some times dont work.....So in order to make it work one needs to have paid advertisment(Because when we pay for something we mean that)....Secondally he talked about the PPC(pay per click )search engines like Bing etc.....because it charge less as compared to mostly use engines like Google....thirdlt it talked about netwrok marketing(it is a method of marketing that utilizes independent representatives to reach potential customers that a company otherwise would not reach with traditional online or offline marketing methods.)...at the end making email list of potential audince is very essential for doing email marketing.....
There are many reasons to be excited about internet marketing as we prepare to enter into a new year. However you need to be realistic and understand exactly what challenges are ahead of you.
I thought in this article we would talk about the realities of Internet marketing without sugar coating it. Hopefully you will be able to take these thoughts and use them to motivate yourself to become more successful in 2010.
1. Plan on doing paid advertising and not just relying on free advertising. Depending on the niche your Internet business is in will determine how much paid advertising you must do.
Your competitors are already planning on how they will increase their business next year. The chances are extremely good they will be increasing their advertising budgets as well.
It's just not reasonable to think you can build a business on the Internet today doing 100% free advertising. So what kind of advertising should you be doing?
Pay Per Click advertising on search engines other than Google is a trend I see happening. For example I know of one Internet marketing guru who gets 65% of her traffic doing PPC advertising on Yahoo.
Bing and other search engines also have programs that can provide you with quality traffic at a fraction of the price that Google Adwords charges. Go to payperclicksearchengines.com to find hundreds of ppc search engines to promote on.
2. For once in your life put some focus into your business. If you are going to be an affiliate marketer concentrate on becoming the best one you can be.
Learn affiliate marketing inside and out and implement what you learn into your business. Focus on getting one niche making money before adding another one.
The same thing is true if you decide to join a network marketing company. Learn network marketing inside out and use it to build as large of a business as possible.
Write down a goal to focus 100% of your business on getting one website successful before jumping into another one. This tip alone can make you a lot of money in 2010.
3. Whatever your strategy for building an Internet marketing business be sure and incorporate email marketing into it. This means building an email list that you can promote to.
Anyone who makes considerable amounts of money online today has a large email list. If these top Internet marketers are doing it why do you think you don't have to.
This is another area where you should learn the ins and outs of list building and then put together a strategy to add new subscribers every day. In the long run your Internet business will thank you.
4. The bottom line is Internet marketing is getting extremely competitive. No longer can you write a handful of articles and expect to generate a lot of traffic from them.
Unless you are outsourcing some of your Internet marketing activities it is not reasonable to expect to survive online working five hours a week either.
The good news is there are more people making money on the Internet today than at any time in history. If you will buckle down and make a solid commitment to do a few things correctly you can be one of them in 2010.
COMMENT:
Well as far as i think,this article talks about that using free internet as a free medium for marketing some times dont work.....So in order to make it work one needs to have paid advertisment(Because when we pay for something we mean that)....Secondally he talked about the PPC(pay per click )search engines like Bing etc.....because it charge less as compared to mostly use engines like Google....thirdlt it talked about netwrok marketing(it is a method of marketing that utilizes independent representatives to reach potential customers that a company otherwise would not reach with traditional online or offline marketing methods.)...at the end making email list of potential audince is very essential for doing email marketing.....
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
3D TV.....Possible!!!!!!!!
In these days every thing is possible such as 3D Tvs. Big companies like SONY and LG thinking of lounching first 3D tv in the market which will defintly of high price but question arises that what will be the price of that product and is their enough customer in the market willing to pay such a price! Although LG predict that it will sell 400,000 3D tvs in 2010..... is this possible???
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091230_436389.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091230_436389.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories
Monday, January 4, 2010
Video: How to do Market Research with Google and Yahoo
http://blogs.bnet.com/intercom/?p=1850
overview:
Who needs thousands of dollars worth of studies and polls and focus groups when you’ve got Google and Yahoo right in front of you? In this new BNET Video,Chris Tancer, explains that all you really need to find out what people want, and when they want it, is a web browser and some common sense.
Steve Jobs on why Apple doesn’t do market research
http://bokardo.com/archives/steve-jobs-on-why-apple-doesnt-do-market-research/
I’ve heard it said again and again, but I had never seen an actual quote in which Steve Jobs says that Apple doesn’t do market research. I finally found one.
It comes care of this excellent article arguing why you can’t innovate like Apple.
Here it is:
“We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants. The only consultants I’ve ever hired in my 10 years is one firm to analyze Gateway’s retail strategy so I would not make some of the same mistakes they made [when launching Apple's retail stores]. But we never hire consultants, per se. We just want to make great products.”
Jobs elaborates on how Apple designs for themselves. (I wrote about the same idea here.)
“It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do.”
The source of this is an interview with Fortune Magazine. The entire sequence is worth reading.
Another data point:
Jonathan Ive in a recent interview (also worth reading) explaining how Apple’s primary goal is not to make money, but to make great products.
“Apple’s goal isn’t to make money. Our goal is to design and develop and bring to market good products…We trust as a consequence of that, people will like them, and as another consequence we’ll make some money. But we’re really clear about what our goals are.”
It seems to me that Apple has a pretty clear story here: “Make the very best products. Business will follow.”
Sunday, January 3, 2010
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People in Five Minutes
for those who have not yet had the chance to read the book! not that the video is as effective as the book it self, it is certainly interesting and might just motivate a good read..
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Amazing software for online meetings
Hey guys while working for YLES me and my team tried this amazing SKYPE software which let us make free conference call online. Its very useful for group works especially when members are unable to meet after or between classes or can't come for meetings on weekends or during vacations. All the group members can interact with each other at the same time as if they are sitting in front of each other. It helped me to interact with my team when I wasn't able to give them time in university. Its download and installation is done in few minutes if you are using a good braodband or DSL connection. If you want to try, you can follow this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4s5qe369u0&feature=related
All the best for your project guys =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4s5qe369u0&feature=related
All the best for your project guys =)
Friday, January 1, 2010
Telecom Industry in Pakistan in 2009
ProPakistani.Pk is a website that consistently updates about latest happenings from Pakistan’s Telecom and IT Industry. They present a review of pakistan telecom industry in 2009 in which they showed all the information like cellular subcribers and market share of cellur companies. One of the intresting thing is that Ufone slipped down to forth position with Warid ahead of it at 3rd. They also showed us the broadband user and market share of different companies which tell us that there are 550 hundred thousands broadband users in Pakistan, which are expected to cross 5 million mark in 3 years.
There is the link to all these informations. i think u like to know the trends of telecom industry in 2009
http://propakistani.pk/2009/12/31/year-in-review-for-telecom-industry-2009/
There is the link to all these informations. i think u like to know the trends of telecom industry in 2009
http://propakistani.pk/2009/12/31/year-in-review-for-telecom-industry-2009/
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