The twenty-first century has brought with it an inundation of information with which business has to grapple. For those who have to make sense of information on a day-to-day basis, a new set of information skills and competencies, a new set of habits are required to handle the new world of multi-source data.
In this book help is at hand. It is full of practical guidance on how to effectively process and action modern marketing and business information to maximum competitive advantage. The authors provide a step-by-step practical approach to the holistic analysis of information and data, complete with tools and checklists.
For 'knowledge workers' who have to make sense of new sources of business information for effective marketing decision-making, this book provides: * the 'craft skills' to scan, gut and action information * the tools to effectively apply qualitative and quantitative marketing information to the decision-making process If you use market research data to make commercial decisions, this book will show you: * how better to understand what qualitative research is telling you * what questions to ask about surveys in order to get the most robust evidence * what you need to know about commissioning new research
For market research practitioners who supply data, this book will also be invaluable. It defines, for the first time, the holistic data analysis process in a way that will generate debate within the industry on how to best advance these methods and approaches.
About the Author
DR DAVID SMITH is Chairman of DVL Smith Ltd, a business research agency, part of the Incepta Group plc, and also a Visiting Professor at the University of Hertfordshire Business School. He is a Fellow and Vice President of the Market Research Society, and a former Chairman of the Society. He is a silver medal holder of the Market Research Society, and has received Best Paper Awards for papers presented at Market Research Society, ESOMAR and also Business and Industrial Group conferences. He is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society and a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Institute of Management Consultants. He holds a doctorate in organisational psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London.
JONATHAN FLETCHER is a Director of DVL Smith Ltd. He holds a research degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining DVL Smith Ltd he worked in the Bank of England. He has given papers at various ESOMAR and Market Research Society conferences, in addition to contributing chapters on market research methodology to various books. With the Managing Director of DVL Smith Ltd, Andy Dexter, he won the Best Methodological Paper Award at the 1999 ESOMAR Congress.
Features
Allows marketers to draw on market research theory to make practical and informed strategic decisions
Provides easy ways to navigate the information maze - using existing knowledge to make material manageable
Packed with helpful checklists, insights, anecdotes, vignettes, case studies and action points
