Increased Awareness of "Assessment in Context"

The awareness of the concept of "Assessment in Context" is gaining in popularity. A soon-to-be-published article by Dr. Stephan Nowlis, Arizona State University, and Dr. Itamar Simonson, Stanford University, in the Journal of Marketing Research, cites a series of eight experiments involving purchase decisions based on the context in which the studies were conducted. I believe the article will be titled, "Positioning the Product Know Where Your Rivals Are." To quote the authors, "People let the buying situation determine a lot about how they see products."

Of secondary interest is that the research they conducted took place in real supermarkets involving real shoppers and not in a simulated environment.

We have been seeing more and more articles on how the environment affects the results of tests. In particular we are seeing a significant trend towards testing in real stores with real shoppers as opposed to test environments, utilizing respondents recruited to be testers. It can and does have a profound effect on the results.

As I have pointed out in my talks, there is a time to use testers and a time to use shoppers. As researchers, it is our job to select the appropriate time and environment.

Views Readability -- Message or Transmission?

I don't want to address the readability of the Views message, I'll leave that up to the readers. But I do think it is time to address the readability of the FAX transmission of Views.

For months, Allen Rau, Jergens, has been complaining about the black line in this FAX copy. I've tried two different cleaners without success. Rick Thompson, IBM, has been suggesting that I move into the Twentieth Century now that the Twenty-first is about here, and get a new computer. You can guess what brand he suggests. Jack Stratton, General Mills, has not complained about the readability. He just has his secretary re-type the Views, before circulating them.

It's a good thing I'm not running a business or it would be doomed to failure for a lack of listening to the customer. Herb Sorensen, Sorensen Associates Inc, must be a little embarrassed sponsoring a paper with this quality of transmission. He has offered to pay for an upgrade of my computer or the purchase of a new FAX. I decided to go with the modem. I hope you have noticed the difference in the quality.