The following series of pithy essays reflect 40 years of market research experience at Procter & Gamble and the perspective of a pioneer of in-store research.

On with the essays!

• Packages Are Sales Tools, They are Your Billboards at the Point of Sale Date: unknown

[Discusses the best location for new package evaluation.]
• Just a Reminder of "Assessment in Context" ResearchDate:  January 11, 1994

[Real shoppers using real money in real stores.]
• Test Protocols of Possible InterestDate: February 24, 1994

[Describes two studies showing economical use of store environments for testing purposes.]
• Price/ValueDate: June 6, 1994

[Results of brand introduction vs. market leader.]
• Packaging, the Most Neglected Feature of a Brand Date: June 23, 1994

[Functionality, Protection, Appearance, Communication, Image projection.]
• In-Store Research Case StudiesDate: July 3, 1994

[Considers the possible physical and psychological biases involved in test designs.]
• The Disposable Test Market MethodDate: August 7, 1994

[Reality, not simulation, leads to better business decisions.]
• Pair vs. Single Product Testing Date: September 3, 1994

[Discusses how to select one method over the other.]
• Introducing SPACE (Sequential Point Assessment in Concept Evaluation)Date:September 27, 1994

[Outlines a very economical diagnostic concept development/evaluation tool.]
• Concept Evaluations Date:unknown

[Includes need assessment, qualitative one-on-ones, and developing a favorable image profile.]
• NegativeBrand ShareDate: October 17, 1994

[Increasing share in the general category and targeting specific competitive brands.]
• Assessment in ContextDate: November 6, 1994

[Reporting on several recent studies for brand introduction, repositioning and a new line extension.]
• Ten-Step ProgramDate: November 19, 1994

[Taking the steps to develop good ideas prior to market introduction for Blind vs. Identified Concept Tests.]
• Sequential Monadic Testing -- Researching Research Date: December 1, 1994

[Run separate tests to achieve the desired results.]
• Performance vs. Preference Research Date: December 22, 1994

[Using diaries affects the interpretation of the data.]
• Testers vs. UsersDate: January 11, 1995

[Does your study require a real world environment for assessment?]
• Single Variable ResearchDate: February 10, 1995

[Single variable studies are easy to analyze but may miss the opportunities that multi-variable research point out.]
• Could Your Test Results be Misleading????Date:unknown

[Test comparisons for four methodologies lead to recommendations for in-store research.]
• New Opportunity Exploration Date:March 13, 1995

[Attacking market idea generation from different perspectives.]
• What Needs to be Fixed in the Market Research Profession?Date: March 16, 1995

[Analysis of the simulated test market for weaknesses and a more effective way to determine success or failure.]
• Testing a New Car or Testing a Consumer Non durable Product Date: March 18, 1995

[Using consumers to develop the best possible products and to assess the market potential of those products.]
• A Lost Treasure - RelocatedDate: March 25, 1995

[Working in the field to find out why things are happening as well as what is happening.]
• Value Re-EngineeringDate:March 27, 1995

[Evaluating brand changes in relation to the market competition.]
• Statistical Significance vs. Importance Date: May 28, 1995

[Statistical significance may be unrelated to practical importance.]
• Tester vs. Users - RevisitedDate: June 10, 1995

[Excellent and poor products will show bigger differences between panels than average products.]
• Reflection on the Past - Looking to the Future Date: June 18, 1995

[Syndicated CLT offers special research possibilities.]
• Market Failures - Another Perspective Date: July 5, 1995

[Developing sub-components of a brand.]
• The Three "E's" of Consumer Research Date: August 15, 1995

[Exploratory, Evaluative and Experimental research arediscussed.]
• From Idea to the Market - A Vague Image Date: August 23, 1995

[Home use tests measuring performance, vocabulary, acceptance, choices, packaging, extended use, etc.]
• Field Trips - A Dialog Between the Consumer and the Decision Makers Date:September 3, 1995

[In-home visits are ideal for task observations, segmentation, habits & practices and product usage.]
• Startling New EvidenceDate: September 26, 1995

[The test environment can have a major effect on your data.]
• Blind Tests are Poor Indicators of Market Success Date: October 14, 1995

[The characteristics of a product should reinforce the positioning of the brand.]
• DatabasesDate: November 14, 1995

[Separation by product category and also by where and how the data were collected and the need for benchmarks.]
• Pair Test Losers and Market Winners Date: November 22, 1995

[The product's ability to win a pair test has little to do with its potential market success.]
• A Reminder About Dealing With Blind Test Biases . . . Date: December 17, 1995

[The effects of the environment on decision making:  risk, confidence and faith.]
• A Year in Review Date: January 1, 1996

[Review of two successful tests:  RealTest (removes simulation) and SCOPE (monthly CLTs).]
• The "Researching Research" Presentation Date: February 12, 1996

[Identifying five weak areas and four causes of poor research.]
• The "Ten-Step Approach - From New Opportunity to Market"  . . . Date: February 12, 1996

[From searching for options to confirmation of execution step by step.]
• The Republican Primary and Product Research Date: March 2, 1996

[The market is never about choices among two alternatives, it's about choices among many.]
• Field Trips From Another Perspective Date: March 28, 1996

[Audit the field work and build in checks for accurate completion.]
• Ruler vs. Pie Market Models Date: April 13, 1996

[Significance testing, interpreting data, and the individual ratings of products.]
• Understanding and Learning Research Date: April 26, 1996

[Creating the vision, performance and physical characteristics of new products.]
• Focus Groups and Other Options Date: April 28, 1996

[A qualitative method for establishing motivations, attitudes, feelings and prejudices among a group.]
• Package ResearchDate: June 2, 1996

[The package is more than a container; it plays a major role in the success of your brand.]
• Packaging Research RevisitedDate: June 15, 1996

[Multi-purpose packaging and multiple opportunities for brand differentiation.]
• False Alarms vs. Missing the Boat Date: June 26, 1996

[Your approach depends on where you are in the development cycle of the idea.]
• Our Devotion to "Definitely Would Buy" Scores Date: July 17, 1996

[Research contains too many variables.  Controlling them increases accuracy.]
• More on "Definitely Would Buy" Scores Date: July 30, 1996

[Benchmarks should always be a part of our design.]
• The First Five Years (of retirement) Date: August 18, 1996

[Comments on the changes in market research as an industry.]
• Client Responses to In-Store Research ProjectsDate: August 25, 1996

[Quotations from clients about different test results for in-store research versus telephone and lab studies.]
• There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Date: September 21, 1996

[Auditing includes execution but also assessing the limitations of interviewers and observation of respondents.]
• Touch-Screen SurveysDate: October 7, 1996

[Self-selection, demographic and socioeconomic representivity and confidentiality are discussed.]
• It's a Choice, Real Numbers or Estimates Date:  October 15, 1996

[Compared to the cost of a market failure, investing your budget in in-store research is money well spent.]
• Response to "Real Numbers or Estimates" (10/15/96 Views) Date: November 1, 1996

[Projections are a problem with all studies.  Also how to order back issues of the Views.]
• Customer Research Success - Witnessed Firsthand Date: November 2, 1996

[Using research as a learning and understanding tool.  Case history of hotel chain given.]
• Increased AwarenessDate: November 15, 1996

[There is a time to use testers and a time to use shoppers.  Researchers need to select the appropriate time and environment.]
• CHAPTER 2 - There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch Date: November 24, 1996

[When the researcher is attempting to maximize data return by asking direct attribute questions after the use of the first product and before the use of the second product, order effect problems may occur.]
• Evaluating a New IdeaDate: December 6, 1996

[Care and cultivation should be given a promising idea in order for it to succeed.]
• Customer Research is for Everyone Date: December 14, 1996

[Customer Research is not just for companies that make and sell something.  The primary purpose of it is to determine the action steps necessary to develop a stronger and more favorable relationship between two entities that have a mutual relationship.]
• Discriminators vs. Guessers . . . Date: December 21, 1996

[The appropriate test for determining the feature of a brand must be assessed in context with the theme of the brand.  Also covered in this essay is a discussion of how to interpret paired comparison results.]
• House Repairs and Consumer Research Date: January 16, 1997

[Developing a "tool-box" approach to choosing a research protocol or outside partner.]
• Know What You Are Really Selling . . . Date: January 31, 1997

[Success starts and ends with the consumer.  It is our task to identify the needs and the importance of each opportunity relative to one another as it exists today.]
• K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple, Stupid Date: February 8, 1997

[In the search for a solution to problems, we look for elaborate calculations and explanations, sometimes to the detriment of the project.  These complex results may over-promise results or worse, even under-promise the potential of a good idea.]
• Acceptability & Theme Support Date: February 21, 1997

[It is desirable to keep these two elements separate.  If they must be combined it is important that each participant see one pair in one portion and a completely different pair in the other.]
• Why In-Store Research?Date: March 3, 1997

[Case history where conventional research predicted a winner which failed in the market.  Later in-store research not only predicted failure but identified the basis of the failure.]
• Personal Observation on Accountability and Delegation Date: March 17, 1997

[Be extra careful about who you select for your jobs and increase your field auditing.  Each step from the source of the research origin potentially adds loss of control, continuity and quality.]
• Research in the Real World Environment Date: March 22, 1997

[Examples of Spot Tests are given for Negative Brand Share, Price Point Evaluation, Package Assessment, Display Evaluation, Store Location Effectiveness, Price Sensitivity, and True Market Readiness Assessment.]
• Are We Losing Important Data? Date: April 5, 1997

[Case history showing how important it is to investigate just exactly why respondents fail to complete the trial period.]
• Highly Successful Companies and You Date: April 10, 1997

[Identifies the components of a successful company and relates the components to individual goals.]
• Forced RelationshipsDate: April 24, 1997

[Case history illustrating problem solving "on the job."]
• Packaging - RevisitedDate: May 2, 1997

[Lists 5 most important attributes and 10 purposes of every package.]
• Assessment in Context - Revisited Date: May 19, 1997

[Includes excerpt from Herb Sorensen's paper applying Maslow's hierarchy of needs in societal context.]
• Perception or Preference Date: May 25, 1997

[How does the user perceive the performance of a product and how does the product really perform?]
• The World Will Beat a Path to Your Door . . . Date: June 3, 1997

[Considerations of new products from the points of view of Need, Awareness, Reason for Being, Reason to Believe, Does it have a Positive Emotional Value?, Value, Efficacy, and Availability.  Success is not just a matter of being "better."]
• Should it be a Difference or Preference Based Decision? Date: July 1, 1997

[If the objective is to reduce cost while maintaining parity, instead of looking at a preference, should we not look at the ability of the consumer to see a difference in the products?]
• Difference or Preference - Follow-upDate: July 12, 1997

[For cost savings initiatives, brand identified single product studies are recommended.]
• Is it the 3 E's of Consumer Research or is it 3 E's Plus a C? Date: August 4, 1997

[Case histories showing the need for confirmatory research and the valuable role it may play in your decision making.]
• Two Days and a Night in a Mall Date: August 16, 1997

[A personal experience highlights the necessity of visiting your test sites to see the manner in which your tests are being conducted.]
• Packaging -- The Presentation of Your Brand to the Consumer Date: August 21, 1997

[Develop your package so that it is appealing, communicative and intrusive, much like the chef, jeweler, florist and green grocer.  As the chef said, "Customers eat with their eyes first."]
• There is a New Web Site that should be of Interest -- POP-SG Date:  August 30, 1997

[Point-of-Purchase Study Group web site promotes assessment in context.]
• Do the Jury and the Panelists Really Disregard the Evidence? Date: September 28, 1997

[A parallel is drawn from the judicial process in a discussion about introducing bias in screening respondents.]
• The Two Faces of Evaluative Research Date: October 6, 1997

[Analysis of the absolute assessment and the perceptual assessment of products in their market environment.]
• Consumer Research Should Not Stop with Market Introduction . . .  Date: October 21, 1997

[Case history illustrating why follow up is necessary to find out why consumers buy once, but don't repurchase.]
• Breaking Ground for Learning and Understanding Date: November 15, 1997

[The writer shares a personal experience which includes exploring possibilities in new areas, acclimating yourself to a hitherto unknown customer category, and deciding on an effective way to look at the future of the line.]
• Dumb Idea Leads to a Good Idea with a Poor Execution . . .  Date: November 24, 1997

[Case history shows how ideas need to be allowed to develop instead of going through a pass/fail type of evaluation.]
• Standard Rules = Less Thinking, But at What Risk? Date: December 5, 1997

[Revolutionary products may not win paired comparison blind tests but they may still present real opportunities.  Winners are not necessarily the only profitable ideas.]
• It's all about Pigeons and Eagles Date: December 17, 1997

[Discussion of the difficulty in identifying promising new ventures.  Includes a personal experience and a case history which show how small investments in research brought big gains later.]
• Be a Robot for a DayDate: January 3, 1998

[Each consumer has his/her own level of expectations.  It is our job to know and understand how each task variable affects the end result.  An outline of a successful methodology is given.]
• Views in Person Date: January 9, 1998

[Lists a series of titles and outlines the procedure for providing in-person presentations by the author at the request of universities, companies and conventions around the country.]
• In-Store Research for Home Use Placement & Sensory Spot Tests Date: January 24, 1998

[Discussion of new study results which demonstrate the speed and accuracy of in-store research.]
• Remembering the Basics: Reliability and Validity in Marketing Research Date: February 11, 1998

[Guest article by Russell Proops discusses measurement validity.]
• In-Store Research: the Broad Spectrum -- Past, Present, & Future Date: February 21, 1998

[Research that asks "What happened?" "What is going on now?" and "What if . . .?"]
• There's nothing like a good first-hand experience. Date: March 2, 1998

[One-size-fits-all studies sound cheap but really cost where you can afford it the least:  in quality and validity.]
• Concept Writing -- Formatting and Product Price Date: March 15, 1998

[Adequately describe a solution to a consumer need to the extent that the consumer can visualize the product and assess the value of the solution.]
• Getting the Opinions of Our Young Purchase Motivators Date: April 3, 1998

[Describes children's influence on parental choices and the research involving such kids' studies as concept and taste tests.]
• Product Image Assessment and Concept Evaluation Date: April 17, 1998

[Break down the evaluation of the concept into specific segments to determine if any words or descriptors are hindering the acceptability of the concept.]
• There are Better Ways to do Research Date: April 28, 1998

[Case study of security breakdown in executing a national brand's questionnaire by subcontracted interviewers and subsequent follow up discussion with the fielding agency's owner and the corporate client's brand manager.  Three solutions are given to improve security and to help prevent such breakdowns in the future.]
• It's Called Planning for the Future Date: May 7, 1998

[Discussion of the life cycle of a brand, using Negative Brand Share methodology to determine potential changes, and showing that when brands adapt to change, they survive.]
• It Just Seems So ObviousDate: May 14, 1998

[Why would anyone not take advantage of the supermarket environment to assess Purchase motivation, Price Sensitivity, Package appeal, Basis of Brand Rejection, Effects of Store Location, etc.?]
• If They Don't See It, It Will Not Encourage Purchase Date: May 27, 1998

[Case study where new package design did not take into account actual shelf set view by consumers and lessons to be drawn for more effective carton communication in the real physical environment of stores.]
• In-Home ResearchDate: June 7, 1998

[Utilizing in-home studies for obtaining qualitative data about household tasks, and as a replacement or auxiliary for the conventional focus group.]
• Paperboard vs. Plastic for Milk Cartons Date: June 14, 1998

[Case study showing that the package for this product has three customers:  the processor, the retail establishment and the consumer.  A new sales campaign was constructed with the processors in mind.  The results of the study were also utilized in a program aimed at the retailers showing the strength of the consumers' convictions.]
• It Doesn't Take Much to Bring Back Memories Date: July 10, 1998

[Focus groups are the preferred research protocol for many, regardless of the type of problem being addressed.  They may be used for selective situations, but their many drawbacks are listed here.]
• The Greatest Deterrent to Creativity -- I believe it is Fear, Fear of Failure Date: July 21, 1998

[When people get cautious, innovation, creativity and originality go out the window.  People who are afraid of making mistakes are petrified of making decisions.]
• Packaging, Your Billboard at the Point of Purchase Date: August 21, 1998

[How do you do your research to choose the best communication alternative and to determine the investment vs. return of the packaging option?]
• Ten Personalities of a Package Date: August 29, 1998

[Elaborates on the utility of the package as a Container, Protector, Facilitator, Attention Getter, Communicator, Image Builder, Instructor, Educator, Reminder, Secondary Life.]
• List of Presentations Date: September 13, 1998

[Subjects for the last couple of years include Researching Research, Assessment in Context, Packaging - The Most Neglected Feature of a Brand, Keeping the Pipeline Full Because Change is Inevitable, Unique Tools in Consumer Research, A Model for a Ten-Step Approach from Idea Generation to Market, Concept Development and Assessment, Customer Research in Your Everyday Life, Highly Effective Companies and You.]
• The Preferred Product Just may not be the Product of Choice Date: September 24, 1998

[While quality is important, there is a considerable number of other important variables (examples are given to show this point.]
• Field AuditingDate: October 10, 1998

[We are concerned that present research is conducted as intended.  We are also assessing the quality of interviewer training, interviewer eligibility (especially security), the presence of test materials, abilities of supervisors, test security and recruiting practices.  Examples of real audit findings are given.]
• If I know where I want to go . . . Date: October 24, 1998

[Companies are entering a market category with a new idea without building their foundation of knowledge as it relates to the category.]
• Accepted Category Beliefs -- Reveals Real Opportunities Date: November 20, 1998

[Uncover the consumer's negative impressions of product categories and the results may be major category shifts for some brands.]
• I've shared my views with you, will you share yours with me? Date: November 21, 1998

[Survey form for response from readership with invitation to share problems with consumer research today.]
• Solution may be Accountability Date: December 5, 1998

[Two unrelated cases that point to serious problems in marketing and the market research environment.]
• Giving a Speech and Putting a New Brand on the Market . . . Date: December 20, 1998

[Three important phases common to giving a speech and putting a new brand on the market are preparation, execution and review.]
• Principles of Consumer and Market Research Date: December 30, 1998

[A list of 12 principles and a brief explanation of each including ALPHA VS. BETA RISK, RULER VS. PIE MODELS, PRODUCT VS. BRAND RESEARCH, etc.]
• Those All-Important Intent to Purchase Scores . . . Date: January 6, 1999

[Discussions of using benchmarks, the presence and absence of definitely would buy questions, scores by product category, scores by regionally balanced city groups, scores by agencies, and a review of the year 1998.]
• Needs vs. Desires ResearchDate: February 9, 1999

[If we can identify a real consumer need and can develop a solution to that need, we will have a successful product.  But there are only a few real needs.  Other brands are based on desires, what the consumer would like to have rather than what they really need.]
• Market Research and the Sales Department Date: February 23, 1999

[Two good examples of helping clients to expand the market of one of their brands by using in-store research results to convince the retail corporate managers that the addition of the client's merchandise boosted sales for the whole category.]
• Concept Evaluation Date:  March 10, 1999

[One of the most frequently mentioned purposes for Concept Testing is the assessment of the market potential of the product idea.  The problem is with the execution of the evaluation.]
• Getting Up Close & Personal With the Consumer Date: March 19, 1999

[The vast majority of market research resources are focused on the resolution of specific questions and not understanding.  Ask yourself:  Who is your client?  Are you using your expertise to the maximum for your company?]
• The Question: Is it Really What You Meant to Ask? Date: April 10, 1999

[Good examples of clarifying questions so that respondents answer with more accuracy and meaning.]
• Disposable Test Market (DTM) Date: April 17, 1999

[Identifying failures that conventional methods say are going to be successful and testing to find out how or in what way they did or did not live up to expectations and the reasons for not purchasing.]
• Idea Evaluation, Concept Testing, Concept Appeal and . . . Date: June 1, 1999

[Idea Evaluation is the assessment of the core idea.  Concept evaluation is the assessment of the description of the product. Concept appeal is the evaluation of the product appeal.]
• It's New, It's Relevant, It's Scary Date:  June 11, 1999

[New research shows that in a year, between 20% and 23% of adults are accounting for ALL survey responses, and between 4% and 5% of adults account for more than half the survey responses.]
• Yesterday Was One of Those Sad Days That Comes Once or Twice in a Lifetime Date: July 1, 1999

[Looking back over a lifetime of research and chronicling the developments.]
• It May Look Entirely Different From Another Perspective Date: July 18, 1999

[Three examples of walking around a problem and viewing it from all sides.]
• The Effects of the Order of Presentation Date: August 5, 1999

[Sequential monadic testing and the order effect.]
• It's New, It's Relevant and it Could be Fun and Informative  Date: August 14, 1999

[New web site for professional market researchers to present problems, new ideas, etc.]
• The Acceptance of In-Store Research Continues to Grow Date:  September 2, 1999

[Review of three articles by noted researchers who are now advocating the assessment in context approach.]
• Customer/Consumer Satisfaction and CommunicationDate:  September 17, 1999

[There are a lot of opportunities to uncover problems but you have to look for them and be interested in solving them.]
• Negative Brand ShareDate: September 27, 1999

[Measuring "consumer dissatisfaction" can be an internal training tool, a good method to uncover potential new opportunities, and helps discover the basis for the consumer's acceptance of one brand over another.]
• Liquid Tide in Environmentally Friendly Containers Date: October 22, 1999

[Emotionally grounded products are hard to evaluate without observing the consumer's actual habits as they select and buy these items in the store.]
• The Marketing Game -- How the World's Best Companies Play to Win Date:  November 4, 1999

[Review and recommendation of new book, The Marketing Game, by Eric Schulz.]
• How is Your Package Like a Lawyer and the Consumer Like the Jury? Date:  November 16, 1999

[Does your package persuade the consumer and does your product fulfill promises and expectations?]
• Packaging, Your Billboard at the Point of PurchaseDate: December 5, 1999

[Finding relevant attributes to set your product apart from the competition.]
• It's Obvious, it is a No Brainer -- Really???Date: December 15, 1999

[Even it a new idea appears to be obvious, take the time to confirm and reconfirm your assumptions.]
• Speed is Important, But it is the Balance of Speed and Thoroughness Date:  January 4, 2000

[You can be too slow in making adjustments or you may not devote enough time in understanding the implications in the market -- it's all in the balance that counts.]
• "We Don't Get Any Respect" -- the Rodney Dangerfield Factor  Date:  January 18, 2000

[How do we regain the respect of management for our marketing departments when we only have a 10% success rate?]
• Listening Counts -- The Competitive Edge (It's a skill, tool and a job.)  Date:  February 1, 2000

[Outlines a seminar exercise which helps assess listening skill.]
• From Reliability and Validity to Usable and BeneficialDate:  February 15, 2000

[Discusses the disturbing trend which promotes substituting Internet survey data for traditional market research even when the universe is not computer-related.]
• A Halloween Scare -- Should Others be Scared?Date: February 23, 2000

[If you design research or use it in your planning, you may want to question how the data is collected.]
• Responsibilities Date: March 6, 2000

[Researchers should be accountable; they need to think of more than getting a cheap, fast and easy way to collect data.]
• CHANGE -- Death and Change the Only Two Things You Know are Going to Take Place  Date:  March 26, 2000

[Stimulating change is a difficult task.  Change can be your enemy or your ally but regardless, it will happen.]
• More on Listening -- the Competitive Edge Date: April 5, 2000

[If we want to improve communication, we need to listen intelligently, understandingly and skillfully.]
• Analogies --  A Creative Way to Understand & Learn  Date:  April 17, 2000

[Outlines exercises that break down the operations of a successful company into categories which could make a person more effective and valuable to the company.]
• Do We Really Have Things Backwards? Date: April 26, 2000

[Suggested readings on dealing with change, gaining perspective from the past and other management ideas.]
• Confirm Your Hypotheses/AssumptionsDate: May 8, 2000

[Success in the market is all about learning and understanding, it is about challenging the status quo.]
• A Walk in the Woods -- What do You See and How Might That Relate to . . .    Date: May 17, 2000

[An interesting exercise that shows participants how a single scenario can generate a wide variety of expectations.]
• There are Two Laws of Central Tendency -- Reality and Perception Date:  May 25, 2000

[The more you know about market research, the more you are concerned with how projects are carried out.  While those with little knowledge seem to be far more confident and may believe their abilities to be beyond what they are.]
• Why did you Buy that Brand Rather than any Other One?  Date: June 10, 2000

[This information helps interpret purchase motivation but reliability and validity of the data are affected by time.  The question is best asked in context, i.e.. at the point of purchase.]
• It is not What it is that Counts, it is Why it is  Date:  June 20, 2000

[Shouldn't concept, ad copy, and containers on the shelf in the store be evaluated to see if they have the meaning we intend them to have?
• Failure Requires Effort Date:  July 5, 2000

[Do you encourage comments from members of other departments -- and do you listen to them?]
• Benchmarks  Date:  July 14, 2000

[The benchmark is the trigger for letting you know if something out of the ordinary is affecting your data.]
• Friend or foe -- Reflections Date:  July 25, 2000

[Now that the telephone companies are advertising ways to "hang up" on researchers, what are the alternatives?]
• Discriminators and non-DiscriminatorsDate:  August 9, 2000

[The pair repeat method is illustrated as a good technique to use for a better understanding of preferences.]
• Ready, Fire, Aim Date: August 15, 2000

[Discusses how the physical and psychological conditions of the research can have an impact on the results.]
• Don't do as I do, do as I sayDate: August 27, 2000

[What do long telephone interviews do to respondent cooperation and why isn't customer service the responsibility of everyone in your company?]
• First Impressions Date:  September 5, 2000

[How much time do you spend on the first impression your brands make before going into the market?]
• Confirm - Confirm - Confirm Date: September 14, 2000

[Many mistakes can be avoided with a little work and at little extra cost.]
• It's Not Your Father's P&GDate:  September 27, 2000

[We need to ask how well the nimble, small and fast operating system works in concert with the goals of the company.]
• Dinner at the Blue Fox Date: October 5, 2000

[Discusses how you can avoid accidentally designing research that gives misleading results.]
• The Miracle Food Processor Date:  October 16, 2000

[How can you take a sample that doesn't contain some element of the population and twist it so that it does?]
• Consumer Product Testing - Words from the Distant Past DATE:  October 28, 2000

[Wise advice from the past has significant bearing upon research today.]
• Whatever Happened to the "Comparison with Own" Question? DATE:  November 12, 2000

[What advantages does your new brand have over the current state of the art?]
• Product Ratings in a Single Product Test DATE:  November 21, 2000

[Would it be advisable to ask preference and rating questions at the end of an interview?]
• Customer Satisfaction Research - Wise Use of ResourcesDATE: November 29, 2000

[How do you identify why the consumer switched and what would be required to reverse the switch?]
• In-Home Group Discussions DATE:  December 8, 2000

[Alternative to focus groups:  fast, easy, reliable and very inexpensive.]
• Continuing Education DATE:  December 18, 2000

[Program at University of Georgia covers basics and may be utilized by groups or individuals for further study.]
• Concept Writing -- Formatting and Product PriceDATE: December 28, 2000

[What is needed before deciding on the appropriate format for testing a new concept?]
• Cost Saving Products Date: January 11, 2001

[Discussion of which test is really appropriate during the last phase of product launch.  Also recommends establishing a "Standard of Excellence" for reference.]
• Little things do Count in the Big Picture DATE:  January 19, 2001

[Secondary attributes of a product motivate people to use one brand over another.  Also feedback of recent Views.]
• Riddle of the Month - PricingDATE:  January 26, 2001

[Price is a signal sender.  Do you know what message your prices are sending?]
• A Few Thoughts on Innovation and Creativity DATE:  February 13, 2001

[Looking at different perspectives helps in understanding a problem and finding a possible solution.]
• Innovation DATE: March 1, 2001

[Examples of innovative ideas and some resources for exploring the topic.]
• Is it a Measure of Precision or a Measure of Accuracy? DATE:  March 26, 2001

[Interpreting samples and polls:  precise estimates of subsets that may or may not represent the whole.]
• Where's the Quality Control? -- He makes a good point.  DATE:  April 9, 2001

[Discusses the decline in quality research and urges responsibility and accountability.]
• Do Our Clients Really Know the Risks and Limitations of Our Research?  Do We Know the Risks and Limitations of Our Own Research?  DATE:  April 27, 2001

[Research is about estimating, sampling, execution and analysis.  Is it possible to conduct  perfect research?]
• Putting Things into Perspective - Using the Listener's Experiences  DATE:  May 3, 2001

[Consumer researchers may be missing the advantages of the in-store sample for home use tests.]
• The Two Eyes of Sales  DATE: May 29, 2001

[We hear that research has to be fast and cheap.  No one sells based on being reliable and valid.]
• Previous Views DATE:  June 12, 2001

[Some papers thought to be worth reviewing are listed with their respective links.]
• Looking for the Movers and ShakersDATE: June 26, 2001

[If you really want to know how you can deliver meaningful change in the market, go to the source of action.]
The End of Focus Groups DATE: July 2, 2001
[Discussion of how the Focus Group may be used as an exploratory research method in learning and understanding research and whether or not it should be used in decision making.]
Words Out of the Past DATE:  July 12, 2001
[Describes the author's first in-store research project and includes comments from his first client about the results of the test compared to expectations.]
E-Mail Research and Selling in a Supermarket DATE:  July 17, 2001
[Companies doing research on the internet may run into the same problems of brand recognition that they do in the supermarket, only e-mail has far more limitations than a package on the shelf.]
Further Research - Users vs. Testers DATE: August 7, 2001
[Those who participate in a test expecting to give an evaluation, often give less favorable answers.  We should be aware of the potential negatives of a product, but these must be put in perspective.]
Competition - Maintaining the Winning Edge  DATE:  August 14, 2001
[Discussion of national brands vs. store brands and the role supermarkets have played in the past and how they might be involved in the future.]
Exploratory Segmentation Research DATE: September 6, 2001
[One way to know how to approach this research is by using a special Spatial Mapping technique.]
Has Dishwashing Really Become This Difficult?  DATE:  September 12, 2001
[Discusses whether all the options on the shelf are really necessary for such a simple task.]
In Praise of Simplicity DATE: September 24, 2001
[Is the technology industry alienating a whole marketplace of consumers?]
Personal Reflections on Changes Over the Past Half Century DATE:  October 1, 2001
[In the name of cost cutting, have we sacrificed quality research?  What is the overall effect?]
Looking Beyond the Idea to Expectations DATE: October 23, 2001
[A promise may deliver a sale but a broken promise will result in an unhappy customer.]
The Second Step DATE: November 4, 2001
[Importance of transforming market opportunity into a verbal description for product development.]
When Should We Test? DATE:  November 19, 2001
[Describes testing from conception, exploration, experimentation, evaluation & brand maintenance.]
Is the Answer "PathTracker"? DATE: November 26, 2001
[Introducing a system showing the route of shopping carts linked to what the shopper purchased.]
Winners and Losers  DATE: December 6, 2001
[Contrasting traits useful in our personal development.]
Hello Out There, Is Anyone Listening DATE:  December 12, 2001
[Which protocol yields results with the highest degree of validity?]
Promises Not Kept?  DATE:  December 28, 2001
[With the advent of technology, we have more tools.  Have they lived up to their promise?]