International Execs Say Market Research is Weakest Link
Market research in the technology corridor should be a key concern for executives, according to a new report, "High Technology: The 1998 Vision in Manufacturing." Market research also is one of the missing links in major PR projects as PR executives try to implement market research to improve results.
Market research ranked lowest among six areas of competitive strengths. Top-ranked among these strengths are brand awareness and customer relationships.
The findings are based on comments, from more than 3,000 top manufacturing execs from both industrialized countries and emerging markets, who have participated in ongoing surveys since the mid 1980s. The study was produced by Deloitte & Touche and Deloitte Consulting. (D&T High-Tech Group, 408/920-2435)
Pharmaceutical Ads: All That Hooplah About Nothing
This may be the moment to pitch pharmaceutical companies on the power of PR given the results of a recent study that shows that direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising hasn't had the impact that many mainstream business experts predicted.
A survey by CDB Research & Consulting Inc., of New York, reveals that fewer than two in five adults have asked their doctors about prescription drugs they've seen advertised on TV or in print. That number reflects what customers reported last year before the Food and Drug Administration approved DTC advertising.
Additionally, only one in three adults has encouraged someone else to ask a doctor about advertised drugs, the study says. (CDB, 212/367-6815)
Heed "Whispers" About Financial Forecasts
If you're an investor relations pro ignoring unofficial corporate earnings forecasts ("whispers") that circulate among traders and investors, you're more than likely missing a major chunk of how your company's financial health is perceived, according to a new study.
Whispers tend to be more optimistic and often more accurate than traditional earnings forecasts, according to First Call Corp., a division of Thomson Financial Services of West Lafayette, Ind., which helped produce the research.
The conclusion grew out of an analysis of unofficial forecasts culled from Web sites and electronic bulletin boards which were juxtaposed with traditional analyst forecasts. More than 900 whisper forecasts were compared with more than 3,500 traditional reports. (First Call, 617/856-2208)