bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation of an online database for tables of contents of books
Authors: Jett M. , Reuse B. , Kessling G.
Published: February 2008

Many small libraries do not have the resources to build a holdings database. Thanks to the avail‐ability of affordable scanners and improved OCR software, a new approach for creating an online database is possible. This database is filled through a series of stages. First, the book information and table of contents pages are scanned and converted to text using OCR software. Then, a computer program is used to extract as much information as possible, with a human making corrections and supplying missing information. Finally, the information, which consists of the title, author, ISBN, publication year, call number and other relevant information for books, as well as the entire table of contents, is stored and added to an Ovid database.
CD Recorders
Authors: Falk Howard
Published: February 2008

In 1997, some 1.6 million CD recording units were sold. One reason is that you can now buy a CD recorder at a street price that starts below $400.
Factors and Issues in Creating an Internet Strategy
Authors: Raitt David
Published: February 2008

An organization may make use of the services provided by the Internet in a variety of ways, for instance for electronic mail or public relations‐type activities. The rapid development of the Internet, and in particular the World Wide Web (WWW), coupled with the commercialization of very advanced information technology to exploit it, opens avenues for an organization to make more effective use of this resource.
News
Authors: Colony George F. , Nagle Green Emily
Published: February 2008

A new British Government‐funded learning/teaching information service is to be created under the aegis of a consortium of the universities of Stirling, Napier, and South Bank, together with Blackwell's Bookshops and Blackwell's Information Services. Project HERON (Higher Education Resources ON‐demand) aims to develop a national database and resource bank of electronic texts which will widen access to course materials and improve the quality of learning throughout Higher Education in the UK.
Reality Check: Today's library automation marketplace
Authors: Cibbarelli Pamela
Published: February 2008

Judging from the press, conference exhibit halls, and titles of papers at library conferences everyone is automating with Web browsers, graphic interfaces, client/server interfaces, and new operating systems. But how many libraries really have implemented these technologies?
Challenges and opportunities in the automation of large public libraries: A Mexican experience
Authors: Leal Cueva Alejandro
Published: February 2008

This is a brief account of the successes and failures encountered over the last twelve years of working in library automation in a large university institution in the Northeast of México, together with a sketch of future perspectives.
Library automation at the interface of the World Wide Web
Authors: Forrester William
Published: February 2008

The emerging consensus seems to be that, in UK Higher Education anyway, automation of local library holdings is passing into history as a hot topic, and that the use of the Web to deliver global catalogue information constitutes the primary terrain of discussion, and area for development, in terms of automated library systems. Elsewhere in the world the issue of library automation is not so stale, but, as can be seen from Alejandro Leal Cueva's article elsewhere in this issue, the interface with the Web is still a major factor when considering and implementing automated library systems outside the First World. Even in countries like the UK, though, automating the paper catalogue is not an issue to have disappeared entirely. In the News section of the present issue of The Electronic Library is an item covering the immense job of converting and automating the 1920–1988 catalogue of the Bodleian Library in Oxford that has been carried out by OCLC. Nevertheless, the automated library, in the sense of a library whose collections are interrogated via information technology rather than bits of card or bound ledgers, does increasingly belong to the future of the recent past, it would seem.
The future of books in an electronic era
Authors: Barker Philip
Published: February 2008

Books form an important part of human culture. They can be used to document, entertain, inform and instruct. Conventional approaches to book production have involved either manual or mechanical binding of sheets of paper in order to form an organised, structured, composite entity. New publication media now offer many alternative approaches to the creation of books and the ways in which they can be disseminated and used. This paper therefore discusses the growing importance of electronic publication. It then uses a case study to illustrate the influence that online books and other forms of electronic document might have on conventional publishing processes.
After the Tsunami: The Information Profession in the post‐Internet world
Authors: Dunn Ronald G.
Published: February 2008

This guest editorial is based on a presentation delivered by Ron Dunn at the National Online Meeting in New York on May 13, 1998. At the time, Ron was President of the Information Industry Association, but he has since moved on to become CEO of the Higher Education and International Group of International Thomson Publishing.
A Distributed National Electronic Resource? MODELS workshop 6 report, 5–6 February 1998, Bath
Authors: Russell Rosemary , Dempsey Lorcan
Published: February 2008

A Distributed National Electronic Resource? was the sixth MODELS workshop and one of the largest to date. Around 50 invited participants gathered at the Stakis Hotel in Bath on 5–6 February 1998, to discuss management and access approaches to the growing mass of currently unconnected resources provided by libraries, data centres, archives, subject gateways, electronic journals, clumps and others. We are grateful to Richard Heseltine of University of Hull, for once again chairing a workshop which posed a number of challenging management questions.
CLEAR design: Developing an Electronic Copyright Management System for Project ACORN
Authors: Gadd Elizabeth , Goodman Richard , Muir Adrienne
Published: February 2008

Outlines the copyright clearance difficulties faced by librarians in the development of the Electronic Library and states the need for an electronic copyright management system (ECMS) to log the clearance process and to protect electronic documents. Reports the absence of a suitably priced commercially available ECMS for the academic sector and describes the design process for the eLib project ACORN's Rights Management system entitled CLEAR (Copyright Licensed Electronic Access to Readings) based on Microsoft Access. Describes the functionality of the CLEAR database and concludes that it might provide a template for other institutions in the design of subsequent ECMSs.
Does the Virtual Classroom really exist………or is it still……….out there
Authors: Sinclair Jim
Published: February 2008

Educators are currently very enthusiastic about the potential of online education. But, is this really achievable? In distance education literature and meetings the current ‘hot topic’ is technology supported learning. This conjures up visions of seamless educational practice that enables learners to progress unaided through a programme of instruction supported only by the benefits of access to the supposed ubiquitous information and communication technologies.
Driving the bush track to the superhighway: The Maroochy Mobile Library experience
Authors: Osborne Lyndall
Published: February 2008

As non‐traditiona! entry to higher education increases, combined with high quality distance education and parttime learning opportunities which create an emphasis on the concept of “lifelong learning”, the demand for learning resources and library services in all communities will increase. Provided that public libraries can rise to the inherent challenges in meeting the needs of lifelong learners, they will become the institution of choice for the general public for support of learning and education, offering prospective learners potential access to a wide range of high quality learning resources, no matter where they, or the resources, may be geographically situated. In this, by taking advantage of the advances of technology, the mobile library may expand its traditional role and be a major player in repositioning the library as an information broker in support of lifelong learning in remote or marginalised communities.
The use and importance of the Internet in literature‐based services in children's libraries
Authors: Ormes Sarah
Published: February 2008

This paper explores some of the issues surrounding the development of Internet services in public library children's services. It notes that IT services have generally been undeveloped in children's libraries and that this trend must not continue with networked computer services. It recognises that the lack of net‐worked computer service provision in children's libraries may lead to them seeming ‘irrelevant’ and ‘old fashioned’ to their users. The paper focuses on literature and literacy issues in relation to information and communication technology (ICT). It notes that few libraries have been using ICT to support their literature‐based services. One possible service model for the integration of ICT into literature services, UKOLN's Treasure Island Web site, is described and the results of an evaluation of it interpreted. The paper concludes looking forward to the Stories From the Web project which will develop the Treasure Island model further.
Technical Service and the World Wide Web: Building the NTU Library Cataloging Home Page
Authors: Harizan Amanda , Ke Khoon Low
Published: February 2008

More and more technical service divisions world‐wide, especially American libraries, have created Home Pages on the World Wide Web. These Home Pages vary in design and content, including traditional print based, electronic and on‐line tools, department policies and manuals, staff job descriptions, links to other Internet resources, etc.
Newspaper Cover Prices: Management Behaviour in Conditions of Joint Supply
Authors: Henry Harry
Published: February 2008

Newspaper publishers produce two closely‐linked products in one run—selling copies of the paper to its readers and at the same time selling space in that newspaper to advertisers. This is a case of joint supply, but it is unique inasmuch as the way one product is sold and the success in doing so, affects the very nature of the other product.
Limited Strategic Innovation: Coping with the Complexity of New Product Development
Authors: Foxall Gordon
Published: February 2008

Industrial innovation is a highly valued element of advanced economies which is expected to result in faster economic growth and the social and economic benefits associated with it. But innovation is principally a strategic issue for individual companies and may not be of the quality or quantity required to meet the requirements of particular macroeconomic policies. There is a pressing need to understand better the new product development process within the firm in order to appreciate why managers are rarely responsible for radical innovation. The currently fashionable portfolio approach to business management emphasises the need to administer the product mix as an integrated whole. The problem of accommodating innovative products within the firm's established product mix or portfolio is considerable in view of the need to obtain synergystic effects from the multiplicity of marketing mix components involved. The array of marketing mixes managed by the company comprises its marketing portfolio, a concept which suggests an alternative framework within which corporate innovative strategies can be understood. Analysed within this framework, several practical examples indicate that many companies seek limited, strategic innovation rather than radical new product development. The article suggests that such companies are as marketing‐oriented as they currently need be and that their constrained strategies of innovation make good sense in view of the limits of the product development process as a means of reducing uncertainty.
Industrial Sales Forces — Their Role in Product Planning and Development
Authors: Moss C.D.
Published: February 2008

The information contained in this article was collected during the course of a research study of the role and activities of industrial salesmen, particularly focusing on the types of information they generate as a result of their contacts in the market place. The article examines how certain companies are utilising the knowledge of industrial salesmen in product planning and development.
It's Not the Research, It's the Action after the Research
Authors: Birn Robin , Dickson Brian
Published: February 2008

This article aims to demonstrate that although no company carries out market research for the sake of doing research, an industrial supplier, and hence a company operating in an industrial market, can use market research to make a positive contribution not only to its own product but also to that of the final consumer products. Therefore its market research is not just about its own markets and products, but it provides the company with an opportunity to extend the results of the research beyond its own industrial marketing strategy, thus directing it towards its customers' markets.
Understanding Organisational Buying: Some Guidelines for Marketing Decision Makers
Authors: Dnes' Jennifer M. , Dnes' Antony W.
Published: February 2008

Little, if any real work has yet been undertaken which attempts to quantify simple relationships in industrial buyer behaviour which recur in the various models. These relationships broadly encompass the influence of organisational dynamics on group decision making, interaction between the organisation and its environment, specification of the characteristics of the items purchased and the extent to which a purchase is a new departure for the buying organisation.
How Should We Initiate Effective Research?
Authors: Greenhalgh Colin
Published: February 2008

It is commonplace that survey research should be initiated by a properly constructed “brief”. Yet despite this, there is very little guidance in the literature as to what it should look like, how it should be written etc. We cannot expect research users to know what sort of document they should write for us, unless we provide guidance as to what we, as researchers, find helpful and conducive to effective research.
An Overview of Marketing Planning in UK Service Companies
Authors: Greenley Gordon E.
Published: February 2008

This article focuses on the approaches that companies' marketing services take in the planning of their marketing operations, based on a recent survey of UK companies that market services as opposed to physical products. Results indicated that the planning of the marketing operation in many service companies is not as well developed as it could be.
Predicting Consumer Choice in New Product Development: Attitudes, Intentions and Behaviour Revisited
Authors: Foxall Gordon
Published: February 2008

The new product development process comprises a series of information‐gathering phases intended to reduce the uncertainty which surrounds the management of innovation. To the extent that this is a rational process, new product failures can be attributed to a lack of high quality, relevant information for decision making. In view of the particularly high failure rate for consumer non‐durables, it makes sense to look critically at the quality of market research information employed in new product decision making. Concept and product tests, which rely heavily on measures of attitude and intention, are very frequently used to gain such information relatively early in the innovative process, but, while they have sometimes been indicted for their inability to predict managerially‐useful aspects of new brand choice, there appears to have been no attempt at understanding why they are often ineffective. Without this understanding it is impossible to suggest an alternative approach. There is no panacea for the problem of predicting consumer choice in new product development but there is great need to come to grips with this problem. This article attempts to provide the necessary understanding and suggests an alternative means of conceptualising the attitude — intentions — behaviour relationship in marketing.
The Meaning of Marketing Productivity Analysis
Authors: Thomas Michael J.
Published: February 2008

The use of productivity measurement in relation to the marketing function is relatively new. The central role of marketing can be expressed as the management of consumer demand and the translation of this demand into sales and profits. Marketing productivity analysis is an important tool in evaluating the performance of the marketing department in carrying out this role. It measures the efficiency with which marketing inputs are used to generate target levels of marketing outputs.
Buyer Behaviour and the Market for Status Goods
Authors: Mason Roger
Published: February 2008

In recent years business organisations have recognised the great profits potential offered by the demand for status goods and have sought to encourage still higher levels of status seeking among consumers. To this end, many products are designed and promoted either wholly or partly as status symbols, with marketing strategies geared to securing rapid rates of social obsolescence in goods and services on offer. At the same time, we still know remarkably little about conspicuous consumption itself or about buyer behaviour in the market for status goods. This article examines the special characteristics of the conspicuous consumer and explores ways in which marketing planning may be improved.
Maximising Marketing Research Effectiveness through Data Analysis
Authors: Kiel Geoffrey
Published: February 2008

This article aims firstly to show how the introduction of new computer hardware can bring considerably more power and control to data processing for marketing researchers. Secondly, it discusses the use of basic statistical techniques as an aid to effective marketing decision making. Thirdly, it comments on the effective use of multidimensional and mutivariate techniques. It concludes that, given that the major expense in marketing research is often data collection, it is essential that data analysis be effectively used to unveil the true marketing implications of the findings.
A Buyer's Guide to Qualitative Research
Authors: May John
Published: February 2008

Understanding consumers is of vital importance and commissioning market research is one way of developing that understanding. However, the author argues that quantitative data alone are not sufficient to provide a real understanding of consumers. Qualitative research studies are being increasingly employed in an effort to understand better the world as consumers see it. The article describes the kinds of qualitative research used and their uses.
Applying Portfolio Management to Retailing: Some New Insights
Authors: McDonald Malcolm H.B.
Published: February 2008

The purpose of this article is to address one aspect of management (port‐folio management) that will help set the future of an organisation as well as provide an input to short‐range operational planning.
Rational, Irrational and Other Reasons for Commissioning Research
Authors: Bailey Lawrence F. , Scott‐Jones Gill
Published: February 2008

A programme of group discussions among buyers of research revealed a variety of reasons for commissioning work. Although much research is conducted for rational reasons, the evidence suggests that power struggles within companies are of major importance in deciding exactly what projects shall be undertaken and several categories of “political” research emerged. The relationship between the research buyer and his researcher can be adversely affected if one or other (usually the researcher) suffers from “boffin syndrome”. A classification of research projects is offered. For research buyers, jobs can be boring or interesting; in type, there are methodical jobs, “panic” jobs and “couch” jobs—which begin and end in therapeutic advice from the buyer to the research user.
Politics in Organisations: An Essential Consideration for Decision Making
Authors: Kakabadse Andrew
Published: February 2008

Decision making is considered an important topic in management studies. However it is postulated that current thinking in decision making is out of date and inapplicable in today's organisations. Hence, a more realistic approach needs to be considered. A political framework is offered as the alternative mechanism for understanding decision making processes in organisations.
Planning is Alive — and Recovering
Authors: van Mesdag Martin
Published: February 2008

This article focuses on the very sweeping changes which have affected the process of strategic planning since 1974. It describes why these changes came about, what they are, why they nearly led to a rejection of the whole concept of planning, and how management is now coping with them.
The Corporate Environment for Marketing Management:
Authors: Piercy Nigel
Published: February 2008

This article attacks, in a novel way, the continued gulf between the theory and practice of maketing. By adopting the tools of organisational behaviour, drawn particularly from information processing theories of organisation and models of organisational power and political behaviour, the writer proposes an information‐structure‐power theory of corporate marketing. This theory has been developed through the writer's work on marketing information systems, marketing organisation, marketing budgeting and the impact on management of new information technology, but is now aimed more widely at analysing and, ultimately, controlling and managing those processes which determine strategic marketing decision‐making outcomes in organisations.
Identifying and Qualifying Industrial Market Segments
Authors: Hlavacek James D. , Mohan Reddy N.
Published: February 2008

This article exposes common pitfalls in the practice of segmenting industrial markets and shows how previous industrial segmentation research has been of limited managerial value. An operational approach to conducting industrial market segmentation is presented and explained.
The Contribution of Market Research to…the Testing of New Concepts
Authors: Wilding David
Published: February 2008

Market researchers have a major creative contribution to make in the testing of new concepts; market research data alone has a destructive role when applied uninterpreted to new concepts. There is no other area of market research in which the contrast is as dramatic or as important. This article is therefore about the ways in which market researchers can enhance their creative contribution to new concept testing. Creativity depends on the talent of the individual, not on the techniques used, and an uncreative researcher let loose with a so‐called creative research technique is a recipe for disaster. This means that this cannot be an objective, technique‐led paper, but has to be a subjective view to encourage the subjectivity of others. It also has to focus on the general principles of creative development to make its main point.
Child's Play—Developing a Savings Account for Kids
Authors: Goudge Peter , Green Frances
Published: February 2008

This article examines the role and contribution that market research played in the development and launch of Midland Bank's savings account for children, Griffin Savers.
Marketing Planning for Maximum Growth
Authors: Giles William
Published: February 2008

Originally written as a workshop manual with the intention of closing the gap between current accepted marketing planning concepts and actual management practice, this special issue is a clear, methodical guide to the planning process covering corporate goals, market analysis, competitive comparison, internal allocation, SWOT analysis, strategies and tactics, marketing plan evaluation, and controls and measurements. Included are 32 worksheets to encourage systematic organisation of relevant information. The text's method relies on the shared experiences of managers, and has been successfully used in diverse areas, from computers and banking to industrial packaging.
Small Orders Reduce Retailer Information Power
Authors: Seto Hiroaki
Published: February 2008

New information technology has the effect of increasing retailer information power. Under decreasing sales growth and produce‐line proliferation, retailers (with electronic point‐of‐sale systems) place small orders. However, the small order placed by retailers makes the difference between the sale to retailers and the sale to consumers (the retail) trivial. Hence, sellers (manufacturers or wholesalers) wish to receive retailer information of the sale to consumers. On the other hand, the small order increases physical distribution costs. In an attempt to avoid these increased distribution costs, manufacturers use wholesalers who deal with many kinds of commodities. In this case, manufacturers, who still expect to have retailer information, should also be connected on‐line by electronic computer systems with the wholesalers, who record sales of commodity items to each and every individual retailer. This is the practice of a Japanese butter‐processing manufacturer.
Toward a Professional Concept for Marketing
Authors: Mueller‐Heumann Guenther
Published: February 2008

This article attempts to position marketing as an academic and professional discipline. It discusses potential differences between the needs of marketing academics and other marketing professionals with respect to the definition of the subject matter of marketing. The politico‐ideological basis of marketing in a free market economy is seen as an external criterion, which can help to identify the most appropriate concepts for marketing theory building and applied marketing knowledge.
Market Share and Competitive Rivalry
Authors: Kitchen Philip J.
Published: February 2008

This article is primarily concerned with top management perceptions towards competitive rivalry in differing UK fmcg market structures. Moving away from concentration measures, the author develops a new methodology measuring “market rivalry” based on management response criteria. In all, 21 markets are examined in which indices of competition are outlined. To some extent there are certain areas where gaps could be closed by emphasis on differing elements of the marketing mix.
Corporate Star Wars — Can Entrepreneurs and the Marketing Department Co‐exist?
Authors: Strage Henry M.
Published: February 2008

Entrepreneurs have always existed but it is only recently that they have come to the forefront of business. A profound shift from a managerial to an entrepreneurial economy is occurring in the business world. In 30 years' time it is unlikely that the structures of large corporations as we now know them will still exist. The reasons behind the sudden predominance of entrepreneurs are examined and the ways in which the corporate marketing department can minimise the conflict between themselves and the entrepreneur (and even put it to good use) are discussed.
Marketing Productivity Analysis: A Research Report
Authors: Thomas Michael J.
Published: February 2008

The conceptual problem associated with marketing productivity analysis is examined followed by an examination of currrent practice in marketing productivity in the following areas — on the product line, in advertising and promotional mix, in the salesforce, in distribution and in customer activity tracking. It provides UK companies with some guidance on how they can improve their performance measurement using marketing information systems and reorganising existing information for more effective marketing action. The research concentrates on 50 well‐known British companies in oil, chemicals, various engineering disciplines, food, pharmaceuticals, insurance, construction and chain‐store retailing. The findings are based on 28 viable responses, and a further 21 (different) responses from companies which were personally visited. Although the research techniques need to be refined they conclude that the management of resources invested in marketing activities can never be refined to the point where an incremental investment in any specific marketing application can be measured with great accuracy. Yet a great deal of measurement is possible and marketing managers can be well enough informed about the behaviour of marketing inputs so that allocation decisions in future periods will benefit.?
The Marketing Concept and the Smaller Firm
Authors: Dunn Mark , Birley Sue , Norburn David
Published: February 2008

This article describes the perceptions of 177 senior executives within smaller firms as to the extent to which the marketing concept is practised within their company. The study was conducted amongst manufacturing firms in the Northern Indiana, Southern Michigan, Eastern Illinois triangle in the United States. The aim of the research was to discover the extent to which size delineated firms with respect to their marketing activity. Would the popular wisdom that small firms do not market, and as a corollary that larger ones do, be supported?
Sales Forecasting, Market Research and the Value of Information
Authors: Barron Michael , Targett David
Published: February 2008

Forecasting experts are not always sufficiently knowledgeable about the way their forecasts are used by managers. Consequently there is a tendency for them to focus excessively on forecast accuracy instead of decision usefulness. This article draws on modern information theory to provide some insights into the problem of identifying relevance and recognising value for money in market research and sales forecasts.
The Marketing of Financial Services to the Small Business Sector — A Research‐based Approach
Authors: McKibbin Geraldine , Gutmann Justin
Published: February 2008

Small businesses account for over 90 per cent of business establishments in the United Kingdom and a similar proportion of Barclays Bank's corporate customer base. Until recently, they had been dealt with individually, the marketing built around customers rather than a particular product. This article looks at events which led to an emphasis being placed on this sector and the use of research in the marketing process.
Product Liability — Legal Changes and Marketing Responses
Authors: Moss C. , Evans A.
Published: February 2008

Product liability legislation is to take place in the late 1980s. At present too many companies are complacent in their attitudes to product safety. They should adopt the attitude that if anything can go wrong, it will, and use this as a basis for identifying risks and determining strategies to reduce them. Companies with subsidiary or parent companies abroad, or who export abroad, will be prepared for UK legislation since such legislation already exists overseas. British‐only manufacturers will have to upgrade standards of design and manufacture, clarity of instructions, and impose stricter standards on overseas suppliers.
Practical Business Development — What Works, What Does Not
Authors: Kraushar Peter
Published: February 2008

Business development is a big subject which can never be covered properly in a book, never mind an article. Moreover, anyone who claims that he has all the answers is either an idiot or a charlatan. Nevertheless, after over 20 years of specialisation in this area and after being involved in 2,000 projects, one can make some hopefully useful observations of general use. The subject is covered in much more detail in the author's book under the same title, recently published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Towards Compatible Objectives — The Production Marketing Interface
Authors: Payton T.H.
Published: February 2008

This article argues that the conflict between marketing and production can only be resolved by an understanding and recognition of the extent to which marketing influences and is dependent on the production function. It further argues that this understanding must begin during the planning process, when areas of joint responsibility (e.g. for setting stock levels) are identified and responsibility is jointly assigned for establishing objectives which are vertically and horizontally compatible. A classification system to assist the process of understanding the nature of objectives is put foward, and a theory of objective sets to assist the development of rational planning and review procedures is developed. The classification system and the theory have general applicability as well as specific value in facilitating and integrating marketing planning at strategic, tactical and operational levels.
The Impact of the Market Environment on the Subjective Revision of Short‐run Sales Forecasts: Some Preliminary Evidence
Authors: Diamantopoulos A. , Mathews Brian
Published: February 2008

The forecast revision process is shaped by the environment in terms of the nature of the revision activity and in terms of its perceived effectiveness. A study on forecast revision focuses on the variables that describe the market situation for a product and so shape the context within which sales forecasting takes place, using a study of manufacturing companies operating in the UK health care industry. The three most important environmental factors that influence the revision process are the number of competitors in the market, the degree of market concentration and the intensity of non‐price competition.
Consumer Brand Categorisation: Basic Framework and Managerial Implications
Authors: Laroche Michel , Rosenblatt Jerry A. , Brisoux Jacques E.
Published: February 2008

This article presents the basic framework of the Brisoux‐Laroche conceptualisation of the brand categorisation process. Included is a complete description of the model. The importance to managers of fully understanding how and why consumers categorise brands into the evoked, hold, foggy and reject sets is discussed. Sample results are presented. The major contribution is that a number of actionable marketing strategies are presented for brand managers to employ, given that they are aware of how their brand is categorised.
Developing Marketing Strategy: A Framework
Authors: Jain Subhash C. , Punj Girish
Published: February 2008

Strategic marketing is linked to marketing management. The process is presented by a model, the framework of which can be used for understanding the interrelationships between strategic and practice/implementation considerations within marketing. An attempt is made to synthesise existing knowledge on strategic and practice/implementation linkages with a view to identifying fruitful areas for additional research.
Understanding Pressure Groups
Authors: Smith N. Craig
Published: February 2008

Business is increasingly coming under attack by pressure groups. Many managers, and particularly those in marketing functions, are having to respond to these challenges. Others are at least having to take cognisance of pressure groups. The nature of pressure groups, their role, the different types that may be found and how they operate are considered. Pressure group actions involving business are also discussed, but activity is emphasised. Managers are urged to seek an understanding of pressure groups, especially those groups likely to take an interest in their business.
Using Demand Forecasting Models
Authors: Bernard Trustrum Leslie , Blore F. Robert , Paskins William James
Published: February 2008

Demand forecasting models are past the point of academic curiosity, and although they are still in the early stages of their life cycle, they are well beyond the development stage. The modelling of demand phenomena may be viewed as having two main thrusts: the first is a scientific one that leads to a greater understanding of the phenomena. Here, the goal is to build either normative or descriptive models which advance knowledge. The second is a pragmatic thrust concerned with the capability of management science to aid decision makers. A model is demonstrated and its future potential assessed.
Test Marketing: An Exposition
Authors: Tamer Cavusgil S. , Yavas Ugur
Published: February 2008

With the increasing costs of product failures, marketers need to be more systematic in their approach to assessing acceptance of new products. The general principles of test marketing are described and some of the errors which occur in a test market noted.
Communication and the Nature of Consumer Decision Processes
Authors: Fletcher Keith
Published: February 2008

Manufacturers use communication strategies to inform potential consumers of their product's existence, its main features and benefits, its advantages over competing products, with the aim of persuading them that purchase is a desirable action. This set of promotion objectives is based on models of consumer decision making which are coming under increasing attack. The relevance of the accepted process of choice with other conceptions is compared. How manufacturers may have to modify their promotional activities to satisfy our present knowledge of how consumers acquire and use information is considered.
Generic Products For Retailers In A Mature Market
Authors: Moutinho Luiz
Published: February 2008

Since their introduction, generic grocery products have been a major centre of controversy. Statistics indicate that the rapid growth phase for generics has ended and that this concept has now entered the maturity phase of its life cycle. Since generics have now become a permanent feature of the grocery industry, retailers and manufacturers must formulate their marketing strategies carefully, whether these strategies are for offensive or defensive reasons. These critical strategic questions are focused on and recommendations for future strategies now that generics have reached maturity are made.
Improving Marketing Intelligence at Du Pont UK
Authors: Tibbert B.A.
Published: February 2008

Marketing intelligence is seen as a vital part of any organisation's ability to compete now and in the future. It is established through “procedures and sources used by executives to obtain their everyday information about pertinent developments in the marketing environment” (Kotler, 1984). The detail discussed here considers how Du Pont UK executives can improve their knowledge of their marketing environment so as to enable them to make more effective strategic decisions in the future. To do this, they need information, but they also need to reveal by analysis the messages this information contains — in fact, their goal — i.e. marketing intelligence.
THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF QUALITY AS A STRATEGY
Authors: McCosh A.M. , Walsh M.
Published: February 2008

The management accounting aspects of quality are focused on. The traditional approaches of production and marketing are summarised with questions, such as how these can be combined, what relationship is there between price and quality, how can the various departments concerned in the strategic management of quality be drawn together, how one can decide on a quality strategy and what would be a suitable control system, being asked. A solution to these is proffered by looking at the management of quality from a strategic viewpoint, relating the appropriateness of seven pure quality strategies to the product/market life cycle.
GETTING CLOSER TO THE CUSTOMER
Authors: Thomas Michael J.
Published: February 2008

Customer satisfaction is the key to repeat business. Dissatisfied customers not only switch brands but spread their dissatisfaction. Managing the customer requires a strategy for customer care that involves a number of interfaces: management‐customer, staff‐customer, management‐staff, customer‐system, and management‐system. Each interface is defined.
“QUOTE UNQUOTE”
Authors: Wilson Aubrey
Published: February 2008

A well‐prepared and presented proposal or tender can give a company a strong competitive edge. It is, however, an aspect of marketing that is often neglected.
THE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN INSURANCE MARKETING
Authors: Watkins Trevor
Published: February 2008

The growth in usage of marketing information systems (MIS) within insurance companies is examined. It is based on a series of in‐depth personal interviews with marketing executives and data processing specialists in a selection of UK, US and Canadian life insurance companies.
MARKETING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS — A REVIEW OF CURRENT PRACTICE
Authors: Johnston Steve , Woodward Sarah
Published: February 2008

The main findings of an ESRC‐funded research project which was aimed at evaluating current UK company practice with reference to marketing management information systems is summarised. The extent to which companies could and have developed these systems, the extent to which these systems could and have been improved by the adoption of new technology, and the extent to which these systems are used for effective decision making were examined. It is concluded that, in terms of financial performance, the benefits of MkIS have not yet been measured; very few companies have planned, fully integrated MkIS; the availability of information is good; processing (storing, retrieving, disseminating, evaluating) is poor; analysis by executives is simple and informal; most companies do not attempt to combine data from various sources; the use of statistical techniques is limited; availability of computers to marketing executives is high and increasing, but the applications are limited, and few software packages are specifically designed to deal with marketing problems.
USER ATTITUDES TOWARDS MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEMS — A UK SURVEY OF MANUFACTURING COMPANIES
Authors: Jobber David , Watts Martin
Published: February 2008

Personal interviews with 84 marketing information system (MkIS) users in 33 UK marketing companies were conducted in order to determine attitudes towards MkIS and to relate attitudes to usage. In general, user attitudes were favourable regarding usefulness of information, ease of access, user orientation, improvement in managerial performance, competence in channelling information to the right people and ease of reading and understanding reports. However, attitudes regarding timeliness and reliability of information were less favourable. Significant relationships were found between some usage variables and attitude factors. It is important that user attitudes are favourable regarding the sophistication of, and prestige conferred by the MkIS, the degree of assistance provided and the capability of the system to discriminate between the needs of different users.
THE FALLACY OF GENERICS IN THE UK
Authors: de Chernatony L.
Published: February 2008

By clarifying what is meant by brands, own labels and generics, this article shows that neo‐generics, rather than generics, were launched in the UK. It clarifies that neo‐generics are in a terminal stage and through an understanding of consumers' perceptions explains why this has occurred. The advent of true generics in the UK is described and the transition from neo‐generics to own labels abroad is noted.
WHY PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST MUST FORM AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE MARKETING MIX
Authors: Lane Chris
Published: February 2008

Of the considerations in formulating the marketing mix there is one element which is often neglected — people. This includes not only customer reaction to the marketing proposition, but also the service provided to the customer. The role of the service giver is central to the analysis of the marketing mix in practical terms.“Putting people first” is described and its potential impact — as it pertains to customers, but, just as important, its impact on staff — is assessed.
RESEARCHING BRAND NAMES
Authors: Blackett Tom
Published: February 2008

The name is at the core of a brand's personality, symbolising the sum of the attributes that make up the brand and quickly become synonymous with the satisfactions that the brand delivers. In view of this, it seems ironic that the name is frequently the one element of the brand which, prior to launch, attracts the least expenditure and often the most superficial research. Whether this is due to ignorance or indifference is not known. Very little good brand name research is done, not for lack of technique, more for lack of a true appreciation of the role that the brand name plays. The function of the brand name and how to conduct brand name research are described.
FROM INFORMATION PROVIDER TO BUSINESS PARTNER: WHAT ROLE FOR THE MARKET RESEARCHER?
Authors: Szwarc Paul
Published: February 2008

In a rapidly changing business environment market researchers are facing challenges to their industry from other suppliers of information services. This may result in market researchers becoming information providers rather than being business partners to management. However, for market researchers to develop a meaningful business partner role, will require changes in terms of their skills and approach to senior management. Ways in which these changes can be achieved are suggested.
BRANDING
Authors: Murphy John
Published: February 2008

Brands are important and valuable assets which are frequently underacknowledged and misunderstood. The processes of new‐brand development and of brand management are similarly mysterious. This is not to say that certain important components of the branding process — for example, design, market research, advertising — are inadequately developed or unprofessional. Rather, that integrating these particular areas of expertise into a systematic and coherent approach to branding frequently relies mainly on intuition. Furthermore, certain key parts of the branding process — for instance, brand‐name development — have generally in the past been tackled haphazardly and, at times, illogically. The author's view of what branding is all about is presented and the role of one vital component in a brand's personality — the brand name or trademark — is discussed.
KNOWLEDGE, ITS ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT
Authors: van Mesdag Martin
Published: February 2008

Based on the new book Think Marketing by the author, to stimulate the thinking of business managers about the fundamental issues before them. It is argued and demonstrated that these fundamental issues are simple and that, unless they are addressed, the business will be plunged into wasteful firefighting and panic, and run the risk of suffocating in the complexity of reactive responses to events in the business environment. The view is taken that it should be the purpose of managers to foster and stimulate a marketing attitude in the mind of every person in a business organisation. Creativity is there to be stimulated and harvested; innovation (exploiting that creativity) is an essential, down‐to‐earth, everyday task for every manager.
THE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF THE MARKETING INFORMATION SYSTEM: A GUIDE FOR MANAGEMENT
Authors: Fletcher Keith , Buttery Alan , Deans Ken
Published: February 2008

The needs of marketing executives for information are examined and how well these are satisfied within a management information system is considered. It is shown how a marketing system should be considered as a subject, or module, of a total Management Information System, and guidance is given for the development of such a system. Three case studies are included to highlight the main issues raised.
THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF LIFESTYLE RESEARCH IN MARKETING AND ADVERTISING FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Authors: Beadle David
Published: February 2008

The background changes in consumer financial markets over the last ten years are outlined and the future developments examined for which marketing packages like Tyne Tees Television's “Financial Pulsebeat” have been specifically designed, helping advertisers identify — and reach — the right consumers of their products.
Editorial
Authors: Crowther David
Published: February 2008

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility has assumed the stauture of ubiquity and it is not possible to be oblivious to the concern with this issue which is gathering pace throughout the world. Nor it is possible to escape from the plethora of alls for action or statements of intent which surround this concept as far as corporations are concerned. The concept of responsibility also needs however to apply to other forms of organisation such as not for profit organisations and governments. More significantly it needs also to apply to us all as individuals.