Standardized Sources of Marketing Data

Sales data

Marketing data

Advertising data

Surveys

Growth of Standardized Sources

Contributing Factors:
Multitude of information users having common information needs When cost of satisfying individual user's need is prohibitive

The increasing use of scanner systems at the check out points

Audits and Surveys: National Market Audit

Bi-monthly audit focused on products

irrespective of the type of outlet carrying

the product

Retail Store Audits

Every two months a team of auditors from a research firm visits a sample of stores to count the inventory on hand and record deliveries to the store since the last visit
Beginning inventory + deliveries ending inventory = sales

Nielsen Retail Index

Nielsens auditing services cover four reporting groups:
Grocery products
Drugs Other merchandise Alcoholic beverages

Contents of a Nielsen Store Audit Report

Sales Sales district, state, type of store, some large markets Volume, trend and share) on the basis of retail Rs and units equivalent cases for the total market, major brands by size, flavour and types as appropriate to the category Distribution Percentage of all stores and all commodity sales, carrying each brand and size Out of stock conditions Retail inventories Stock cover (stock lasts with current rate of sales) Source of delivery (wholesaler, interstoe transfer, manufacturer, warehouse) Selling prices : Volume sold at each price or deal Retailer support in terms of shelf space/ facing, special displays, instore advertising Media advertising for total market & major brands Special analyses Analysis of combinations of brands stocked to determine the extent that individual brandscompete 6 Cumulative distribution of new products

Consumer Purchase Panels

To cover the gap between store audits/warehouse withdrawal services and actual purchases, two methods of data collection are used: Home Audit Approach Panel member agrees to permit an auditor to check the household stocks of certain product categories at regular intervals Mail Diary Method

Panel member records the details of each purchase and returns the
diary by mail at regular intervals
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Advantages of Consumer Panels

Can provide information on aggregate sales activity, brand shares, shifts in buyer characteristics and types of retail outlets Knowledge of sequence of purchases makes it possible to analyze:
Heavy buyers and their characteristics

Brand-switching rates and the extent of loyal buying

Cumulative market penetration and repeat purchase rates for new products
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Limitations of Consumer Panels

Selection Bias
Mortality Effect

Testing Effects

Scanner Services
Benefits of Scanner-Based Audit
Services:
High degree of accuracy Time saving Ability to study very short time periods of sales activity

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 Radio Frequency Identification Technology may replace the bar codes. Utilizes a tiny silicon chip to store information; a small transmitter then sends this information to a scanner. Advantages over UPC:
The ability to store more information The ability to change the information on the tag The ability to transmit all the information on the chip to a scanner without clear line of sight
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RFID