If the strategy is to increase sales among infrequent and non- users, items that are strong where the producer's product is weak may be better choices. Products with the highest and lowest correlations are partner candidates. Canned Sardines, Dried Rice, and Frozen Sweet Goods have the largest negative correlations, suggesting that they might be good promotion partners to boost sales in areas with below average indices. This is another example that shows how important product form can be to marketers. By conducting research and forming partnerships with others who have complementary marketing goals, the efficiency of their promotional spending may be enhanced.
Some markets have higher sales indices or greater dispersion than others.
Table 5 shows that many markets in the South and West had more variation in their indices while markets in the East and Midwest often had less. If marketers test new products in only part of the country, these results suggest that projecting the research to the national level may be difficult. Sales in a Southern or Western market, even when adjusted by the number of households, may not be indicative of the product's performance in other markets. If food producers rely on volume data from the East or Midwest to forecast demand and capacity requirements as products enter new markets, they could underestimate their needs. Index means and variances may help forecasters adjust their volume estimates and be more accurate.