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Page 30
C) INNOVATION
The mjor thrust of innovation and development that will take
place in F'85 will be a complete revamping of our survey in-
formation into an integrated whole which will see us through
the 80's.
The C.M.A. and Monthly Monitor have served us well, but they no
longer suit the current dynamics of the market nor take advan-
tage of today's level of informtion processing technology
(in£ormation processing covers the areas of data collection
through to computer reporting and analysis).
Project Brand ID and various other studies leading up to that
project, plus numerous opinions in and out of Research have
identi£ied the draw backs of our current survey tools. An
overall approach to overcome these flaws, that is not cost
prohibitive, will be tackled and resolved in F'85.
This undertaking is a major one and involves the formulation
of a critical path which will aid us in meetinE our commitment.
The main focus of this restructuring is titled Project Survey,
which basically calls for a monthly telephone survey
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supplemented by an annual tandem in-home interview. The
monthly survey will replace the C.M.A. with a shortened'
computer assisted questionnaire concentrating on switching.
Image data will be collected in the annual in-home survey
which will also probe on issues which require, or are
better delt with, using a visual stimulus. Tracking cur-
rently being done in the C.M.A. over the telephone is un-
responsive in providing proper measures o£ new brand or ad
performance, and will be removed and replaced with a sore
appropriate methodology.
In summary then, the focus of the Research Group for F'83
is on three major projects: Survey, Image, and Track.
There are numerous secondary projects to these three but all
have implications on one another. They are currently scheduled
and managed independently. In April, a master plan will be
developed to indicate the critical points and implications each
has on the other.
The following is a description o£ each of these projects.
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I) Project Survey
The C.M.A. is currently conducted using a quota sample of
urban smokers collected monthly using a telephone method-
ology and typed questionnaire with numerous skip patterns
and VQB' s.
Various inadequacies exist because of such a methodology:
- a brand identification problem due to the inability
through the restricted use of words to identify the
proper brand;
- length of questionnaire as it is weighted down by
tracking, image statements and various other questions is
driving down the completion rate and quality of response
and at the same time driving up cost;
- because of time restrictions and the type of scaling
used, image data is currently inadequate; and
- lack of random sampling methodology imposes restrictions
on the fore of analysis that can take place.
Project Survey will initially be a feasibility study on the
use of a computer assisted questionnaire administered to a
urban sample which probes primarily on demographics, usual brand,
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and previcus brand.
A computer assisted questionnaire can make better
use of deep probes for proper brand identification
by allowing detailed question blocks for every
brand on the market.
Built in editing can occur to help reduce coding and
secondary editing.
Flow of questionnaires will be flawless and less time-
consuming thus reducing length of questionnaire, thus
reducing cost and increasing quality of response.
As a means to secure the right supplier for this
proposed design, we will be considering a proposal to
be submitted by Adaom before the end of F'S/ as well
as explore what other suppliers have to offer.
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2) Pro)ect Im~e
Project Image is an umbrella project. Its ultimate
goal is to develop and implement a comprehensive,
quantitative instrument to measure and interpret
consumers' attitudes and beliefs towards cigarettes.
Phase I of this project was the development of a
cons~ner smoking vocabulary. Constructs, dimensions,
and their meanings, as employed by smokers, was eval-
uated. Phase II of this project was a refinement of
our cigarette typology, the relative positioning of
brands on image dimensions, as well as further assess-
ment of methodological considerations. Phase III of
this project will be a large ad hoc research project
designed to give relative positionings of relevant
brands on image dimensions; in order to provide a
comprehensive description of brand images in the
Canadian cigarette market. A pilot stud)' on 40 brands
and 10 dimensions will be undertaken. Areas such as:
switching, smoking & health, price sensitivity and "ideal"
needs and wants will be collected at the same time. The
use of ~itivariate analysis will help uncover the complex
relationships that exist and help in our understanding of
the marketplace.
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3) Pro)ect Track
There is a need to set up and implement a system incorporating
a set of benchmarks (criteria, standards) that can be utilized
to track new cigarette brands both own and opposition. We
presently track new brands with various tools:
- retail audits;
- C.M.A. - awareness, purchase, trial; and
- focus groups.
The system that will be set up may or may not differ fr¢m our
present system. Present tools will be evaluated and possible
additional/alternate tools will be looked into. Benchmarks
will be set up utilizing a combination of our historical data
[i.e. a~reness at time intervals of first generation, second
generation, etc.) and possibly some external consultation. 'No
money has been set aside for such consultation, however.
4) C.M.A. Reporting
Currently, we are reporting C.M.A. consumer data based on crossed
tabulation of key variables for market analysis. It is difficult
for users to identify when trends occur. Also, our information
is sometimes not very meaningful to most, in certain areas such
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as imagery, tracking, etc. Hence, they usually rely
on market research to hand out comprehensive summary.
and analysis. In order to respond more adequately
to our users, we must take full advantage of system
flexibility. Thus, in F'83 we will undertake the
necessary, steps to do so by validating, testing, and
implementing modifications to our survey reporting
system. The presentation of the information will be
in response to various identified needs such as target
group switching, imagery for non-users of a product,
media target groups, etc. The project will be broken
into phases that will see separate examinations of the
different components of the information. Implementation
of new approaches will most probably be staged depending
on the above.
5) Cordcall
Project Cordcall is to establish a means of measure of
consumer data that does not generate a bias resulting
from consumer memory. Currently under investigation is
the implementation of a diary panel study of smokers to
monitorat different times of the year, consumption levels
of cigarettes, product defects, and purchasing behavior.
Phase I currently under progress, which is a test-study
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of this methodology, should have results available by
mid-March 1982. Upon positive assessment o£ the test,
we would proceed with two waves of diaries.
6) Plus/Minus
Project Plus/Minus delves into the areas o£ our market
which we cannot predict accurately. The specific area
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o£ interest is young smokers between the ages o£ IS and
19. Among the things that we do not have, besides
quantitative incidence and branded information, are the
causal factors that create these responses. In 1978,
exploratory research was done on this issue. Subsequent
to this study, switching data shows that the young are
following their elders with regards to starting on lower
tar products. As the youth stream from the baby boom
diminishes and market potential matures, we should
better understand what their smoking and quitting behav-
iors are today. Have these attitudes and behaviors
changed in the past three to four years? Are we respon-
ding to their needs? How do they perceive current
advertising trends? The purpose of project Plus/Minus
is to update our portraits o£ starters and quitters,
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explore starters' smoking history, attitudes and
behaviors, explore causal factors leading to
quitting and ultimately provide better predictors.
A two-pronged approach will be taken on this proj-
ect, one involving quantitative desk research on
starters and quitters among the young as well as
qualitative work on the youth, both smokers and
non-smokers.
7) Smoking & Health
We are currently gathering in£ormation twice a year
on smokers' perceptions of smoking and health. The
method o£ obtaining this in£o~tion has been con-
stant since the early 7O's. Among the latest results,
one can find little change over time on the issues.
Horeso, our actual means of collecting the data nmy
not reflect the concerns that exist today, such as
social environment pressure, prices, quality of prod-
uct, CO issue, etc. Project Image will explore this
issue initially with the use of the consonance/disso-
nance approach employed by B.A.T. The structure of
our questions appear weak and could benefit from a
redesign. The purpose of doing a smoking and health
review is to better define and bring up-to-date
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our methodology (i.e. more in tune with reality and
pertinent to the concerns of mokers). Possible ap-
proaches to resolving these issues are:
1] qualitative work on smokers around a point time
when certain issues are more relevant;
2] evaluate relative strengr~hs of different itess
of concern :in. smokers' mind; and
3) redesign the VQB adopted for the 80's for smokers'
concern.
8] Regional Information
A project to be undertaken byMarketing Research in
response to informtion needs involves providing better
regional information; a response to the establishment of
regional marketing analysis. The current information
forwarded to regions is not meeting their market analysis
needs. The strategy for establishing what regional infor-
mation needs are, involves having the four RIA's participate
on an orientation program in Research the first two weeks
of March. They will be putting together a positionpaper
on their in£ormationneeds. This paper will be presented
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