There is a New Web Site that Should be of Interest -- POPSG (Point-of-Purchase Study Group)
There is a new web site that should be of interest to all marketers and market researchers involved in purchase motivation, package design (especially copy and graphics), promotional effectiveness and market segmentation. The name of the web site is POPSG and can be found at: http://www.popsg.org
The general purpose of the POPSG is to serve as an educational information
exchange among a network of researchers interested in conducting consumer
research at the point-of-purchase. The group will focus on:
Why have the researchers joined the group? Actually there are probably as many reasons as there are members. some, myself included, believe that simulation in our conventional research protocols has needlessly introduced much of the testing bias into our research. Point-of-Purchase research, which has been called such things as "In-Store Research," "Assessment in Context," "In Situ Research," and "Natural Research" eliminates much of the simulation encountered in the more conventional research environments. It is our contention that Point-of-Purchase will deliver much more reliable data to the researcher.
The web site has been organized by Sorensen Associates Inc, one of only
a few research companies that recognizes the utility of this type of research.
Sorensen Associates Inc has specialized in this type of research for over
twenty five years but mostly in the area of food research. It has
been my experience that few manufacturers are aware of the potential of
Point-of-Purchase research. Procter & Gamble is an exception.
In my career at P&G, we were utilizing this type of research as early
as the 1970's. maybe this was one of the competitive advantages we
had over our competition.