Author: anacanhoto

15 pitfalls to avoid in marketing research

Is Marketing Research an Art or a Science? Well, neither, according to Bors Hulesch, Captain at Marketing Research firm, Brains and Cheek. In a recent talk at Oxford Brookes University Business School, Bors explained why he believes that Marketing Research is a craft – more specifically, the craft of managing anxiety about uncertainty. To reduce … Continue reading 15 pitfalls to avoid in marketing research

When technology is taken for granted

In today’s class we explored some contextual factors of great importance to organisations operating in the digital marketplace – for instance, the relationship between economic development and e-business success, or the opportunities and threats presented by economic recessions. We also looked at technology (hardware, software and network) in terms of how it affects the value delivered … Continue reading When technology is taken for granted

Group buying – The web breathing new life into a long established behaviour

Zagat has recently launched Zagat Exclusives, a group-buying scheme where customers who sign up can save up to 50% on meals at Zagat-rated restaurants. The deal is available for a limited time only, and the price point decreases as more and more people take up the promotion. When time is up, everybody (who signed up … Continue reading Group buying – The web breathing new life into a long established behaviour

On the use of credit bureaus to fight benefit fraud

The UK government has just announced plans to use credit bureaus to fight benefit fraud. The exact role of these agencies and the process for screening benefit applicants are yet to be decided[1], but there are high expectations regarding the savings that such collaboration may generate. How do credit reference agencies work? These agencies collect … Continue reading On the use of credit bureaus to fight benefit fraud

Pricing: focus on the customer and the marketing eco-system

Pricing is a key element of the marketing mix. It is so important that large organisations such as GE have whole departments managing it. Price a product too high, and you may kill it; price it too low, and you leave money on the table. But pricing decisions impact on other variables, in addition to … Continue reading Pricing: focus on the customer and the marketing eco-system

‘A good beginning makes a good end’ – Thoughts on getting the best possible start on your PhD

UPDATE: I posted a revised and updated version of this advice here.  Some tips if you are thinking about doing a PhD… or are starting one… or, indeed, have been doing one but are not making as much progress as you wanted to. Recently, I co-chaired the ICISO2010 doctoral consortium, and was reminded that while … Continue reading ‘A good beginning makes a good end’ – Thoughts on getting the best possible start on your PhD

Screening for bad customers: the difficult balance between proof and intuition

I’m back from the Academy of Marketing conference, in Coventry, where I presented on the challenges of modelling undesirable customer behaviour. The topic of profiling dysfunctional or undesirable behaviour is a key interest of mine, that I investigated in my PhD, and addressed in a previous posting here and a range of publications and presentations. … Continue reading Screening for bad customers: the difficult balance between proof and intuition

The other role of Sales Promotions (and the most important one, if you ask me)

Sales promotions are a popular tool to generate a short-term increase in sales. For instance, your local DIY store may give you a voucher offering a discount on purchases made on, or up to, a particular date. The initiative encourages you to visit the store sooner or more often than you would do otherwise, possibly … Continue reading The other role of Sales Promotions (and the most important one, if you ask me)