EP2195770A1

EP2195770A1 - Integrated device known as integrated marketing research model (imrm) for statistical and marketing research

Info

Publication number: EP2195770A1
Application number: EP07835587A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pervin Olgun
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-08-13
Filing date: 2007-08-13
Publication date: 2010-06-16
Also published as: WO2009022996A1

Abstract

The invention is a new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis wherein it comprises an improved terminal capable of performing continuous data transfer of various statistical and marketing data of the persons or the institutions from a single source and houses to the statistics- or marketing- oriented central research servers via cable/wireless internet connection, and owing to said specially developed terminal, it is able to bring solution to the frequently encountered problems of security, quality, speed and the inability to perform the relational analysis, said terminal being capable of continuously transferring the various marketing data from a single source to the research center servers via cable/wireless internet connection and being capable of fulfilling the customer demands in a very comprehensive manner.

Description

DESCRIPTION

An integrated device known as Integrated Marketing Research Model (IMRM) for Statistical and Marketing Research

The invention is an integrated system capable of carrying out new and comprehensive statistical and marketing researches based on "IMRM Integrated Marketing Research Model" that combines the digital possibilities provided by the technology, in order to find a solution for the existing limitations of IMRM, known Ad-hoc and Continuous Market Researches.

This model, which will be able to provide a solution for the problems including security, quality, speed, incapability of performing a relational analysis encountered in Adhoc Researches and Continuous Researches, continuously transmits various marketing data from a single source to the research center servers by means of a specially developed terminal and over the cable/wireless internet connection. This system comprises the terminals formed from a group of patented or unpatented electronic parts and devices, saving the data flowing from said terminals in the databases and the specifically developed software to control and process the same. The primary characteristic of the system is that it is capable of combining in a meaningful manner all the personal data likely to light the way for marketing obtained from a single source and houses, and transmitting the same to the research center in a secure and fast way and in a manner suitable for relational analysis.

State of the Art

Ad-Hoc Research: In this type of research, the most frequently used and most reliable information gathering method is the face-to-face interview. The information collected in this way makes it possible to establish a mutually confident ambience, which is the basis to receive the healthy answers, because of the asker and the answerer being able to see each other. Therefore, the participation rate is higher for the face-to-face interviews as compared to the other methods. Also, in this type of research, it is possible to demonstrate the product or communication descriptions or the pictures thereof or the test products to the person being interviewed.

However, face-to-face information collection (public surveys) requires higher cost and longer time as well as it becoming gradually more difficult to carry out, due to the crime and terror increasing all around the world in the recent years. The rate of answering the questionnaires decreases gradually, and the nonresponse rate increases. However, for the statistical reliability of the research and for producing an overall reflection of the data obtained, the nonresponse rate among the individuals involved in the population must be kept to a minimum level. For such reasons, alternative methods are employed rather than the face-to-face interviews, and the efforts are oriented towards the phone or computer aided phone surveys or on-line survey studies. Especially in USA, the on-line market research rapidly becomes widespread, with the other western countries closely following this trend. On the other hand, the on-line information gathering over the internet may produce misleading results, because the actual person who at that instant is answering the asked question is unknown.

For the reasons we have stated above, the need has emerged to develop a new method, which may be an alternative to face-to-face interview method, by utilizing also the other possibilities provided by the technology for Ad-Hoc researches.

Continuous Researches: Currently, it is the continuous research that is most widely used method in the world and in Turkey for the planning of the marketing activities and the establishment of the pricing, sale and advertising strategies.

• TV audience Measurement: This is a study implemented in the selected houses to represent the overall population. The TV channels watched by the individuals in the house are monitored by means of a device called peoplemeter installed in said houses. By the examination of the demographic properties of the mass included in the population and of their certain characteristics related to the television watching behaviour, the data are provided for those who advertise and for the advertising agencies to guide their media planning according to their target groups. A separate number is assigned to every individual who live in the house and he/she is asked to enter this number to the peoplemeter every time the TV room is entered and to repeat this procedure at every exit from said room. The analyses performed by combining the information pertaining to these individuals and the information about the channels watched and the time and duration thereof are able to yield minute by minute audience measurement. On the other hand, the difficulty in ensuring that said procedure is carried out by everyone without negligence at every entry to/exit from the room is the weakeast side to this research. Another point of weakness is that a single TV is being monitored in the house. However, today's houses have more than one TV receivers and the individuals of the house might watch different programs in different locations. The existing method is not able to provide a solution for these problems. o Moreover, because only the TV audience measurement is carried out in the selected houses, what pattern of behaviour said houses follow regarding the other subjects that concern the marketing is unknown, in other words, the relational analyis may not be performed. However, bringing many issues such as the relationship between the advertisement audience behaviour and the purchasing behaviour or the brand awareness among those who watch/do not watch the advertisement under the light is of great significance for the advertising entities to assess the return of their investment, but this ability remains insufficient. o Also in this research, there is not any possibility to separately access the houses to ask questions on various issues and to compare the answers received to the TV watching behaviours.

• Household Panel: Household panel is a market research technique that is based upon the regular and continuous collection of the daily consumption expenses from the population selected to represent the overall household population. The information which is continuously collected sheds light on the issue of purchasing and consumption habits. o The families subscribed to the household panel mark on the questionnaire forms such information including the product purchased, the brand purchased, the place of purchase, the time of purchase, the purchase price and the person for whom the product is purchased. These forms are collected by the survey staff and are delivered to the research company. o In this research, only the purchasing behaviour of the persons is monitored, and there exists no integration to enable a relational analysis such as the living styles or the TV watching habits.

Among the other continuous researches utilized by the marketing specialists are "point of sale panel" performed to trace the sales and the prices at the retail sale points; "prescription panel" that monitors the drugs that the doctors write in the prescriptions and the TGI (Target Group Index) researches conducted at regular intervals to question the media and product use. Even though each of the aforementioned continuous researches provides very valuable information needed by the marketing professionals, provision of the information from different populations (different persons) does not allow the possibility to establish relations between said variables. The marketing specialists, while utilizing said information collected from different sources in their work, they have to consider them as the data collected from a single source. For example, it is not possible to know the ratio of the purchasers of a product among those who have watched a certain advertisement spot for at least three times, looking at the results of the existing studies. Consequently, new opportunities must be created to collect all the said continuous information from a single source and in a reliable manner, in order to integrate the researches presented herein above.

Our invention appears as a system that eliminates the aforesaid limitations of the current researches and makes it possible to conduct the analyses, which may not be made at the present. In this regard: a) It makes possible the face-to-face interviews for both continuous and Ad-Hoc researches to be performed without knocking at the doors of the people (on-line survey). b) Since ad-hoc records versatile data to enable the production of the research reports with a maximum diversity, it minimizes the required time for research. c) In order to determine the exact person watching the program at a certain instant, which is the basic problem in TV audience researches, more reliable TV audience data are obtained by eliminating the problem of entering the personal numbers to the device. d) In continuous researches, it is possible to perform relational analyses between the data by obtaining the information from a single source, with the information collected from different sources and able to continuously monitor the products entering the house (via the barcode reader). e) Since ad-hoc records versatile data to enable the production of a maximum diversity of research and statistical reports, it minimizes the research costs.

As a result, it is a more economic system, which provides access to more reliable information in a shorter time, in an integrated manner and at a more suitable cost and contributes to the companies, the country and the worldwide economy owing to its integration of many researches and its reliable research data, and it is a unique system in the world, owing to such features.

Terminal : On the integrated device shown in the annex (Figure-1), (Figure-2) and (Figure-3), there are present the camera, thermographic camera, fingerprint, TV remote control, barcode reader, eye retina reader, scanner, satellite receiver, RFID reader, GSM Modem, computer keyboard and screen. The device continuously transmits the following information to the particular server of the research company, via the wireless access system. a) The information about the TV channel watched, zapping and the person who does the zapping determined by the fingerprint and thermographic camera/eye retina reader, b) All the products entering the house (by the barcode reader / RFID / Barcode reader), c) Purchase prices, purchase dates and purchase places for the products bought for the house (by scanner ),

^■ information collected from the retail shops,

^■ information obtained from TV audience measurement,

^■ house consumption data, ■ data gathered by the Ad-Hoc research method (TGI data)

^■ drug purchasing/prescription information

The system continuously collects and combines (single source) the data for all the consumption that would be made in an house, like the ones listed above and enables the cause-effect analyses to be carried out between these.

Second, information is sent regarding the face-to-face interviews to the house by phone, and the call is made at the instant the selected person would be available in the house, and the survey may thus be carried out in a mutual ambience by displaying both the asker and the answerer on the screen. Moreover, the elements including the definition, picture, package, advertisement of the test product, etc. may be displayed onscreen to the person, to perform an on-line query of his/her opinion and impression. In this way, face-to-face interviews will be able to be conducted without being subject to any obstacle of door or any rejection (with the nonresponse problem being minimized).

Also, as the demographic information and the other characteristics of the nonresponders are available in the database of the panel, it will be possible to access the information about the nonresponders and to determine the sources of statistical error.

Implementation of the study:

Since this research will provide information for all the sectors in need of consumer marketing researches, it will be implemented among the panel members to be constituted for the overall or a particular target mass in the related country. Separate panels are formed in all the aforesaid continuous researches; hence this method does not exhibit an extra inconvenience, rather it brings together five separate panels to provide maximum benefit. The information will be continuously collected and reported as schematically illustrated in the attachment, via Super B terminals to be placed into the houses, for which the population basis is determined by statistical methods, which are selected for this research and which approve the research. Description of the figure to help better define the invention:

Figure 1. General usage scheme of Super B terminal Figure 2. Super B terminal

Figure 3. Special hand computer developed to collect all the research data from the house and to transfer the same to the servers Brief description of the part numbers indicated in the figures:

1. TV, Radio, Data transmitters

2. Sample Population Houses 5 3. Manufacturer Companies

4. Data Process/Reporting software

5. Database server software

6. Demographic database for house residents

7. Adhoc research database

10 8. Continuous research database

9. House x database relational systems

10. Internet connection

11. TV Screen (LCD screen)

12. Barcode Reader

15 13. Mobile optical camera

14. RFID (radio frequency identification)

15. Speaker

16. Microphone

17. Integrated keyboard 20 18. Fingerprint reader

19. Satellite Receiver

20. Scanner

21. Magnetic card reader

22. Remote control for household electronics 25 23. Thermal camera

24. Wireless data transfer (Wireless, Bluetooth, GSM)

25. Visual and audio data transfer via hand device (Super B Terminal)

26. Radio broadcasts data transfer via hand device (Super B 30 Terminal)

27. TV broadcasts data transfer via hand device (Super B Terminal)

28. Radio broadcasts in the house

29. TV broadcasts in the house 30. Super B Terminal (the special hand computer developed to collect and transfer all the research data of the house)

31. Research participants in the house

With the Super B Terminals placed in the houses (2) shown in Figure- 1, the residents of the house (31) may watch the TV and radio broadcasts (1) received via air and satellite (25, 26, 27) without needing any separate device, and the audience may also transfer his/her preferences and comments to the server databases (6, 7, 8) using the integrated keyboard (17) on the device and via a software (5) running over the internet, to enable the same to be utilized for media researches. The detachable remote control on the Super B Terminals may control the devices in the house including another television, radio, video, music centre, air conditioner etc. (22). In this way, even in the cases when the satellite receiver (19) inside the terminal is not used, the usage information is determined for the channel watched and the data is completely transferred to the servers via online or offline means.

A program (processor) (4) continuously prepares live and relational reports, said program processing and presenting the data in the house residents demographic database (6), Adhoc research database (7) and continuous research database (8) according to the online demands of the manufacturer companies or the companies whose products are being promoted (3). One of the most critical points in such data collection for media use is the ability to distinguish between the media preferences and impressions of more than individuals resident in the house (31). Inability to obtain this critical information in an accurate form (paper, button, etc.) is the deficient part of the existing systems. Super B terminal, being a part of the proposed system, permits access to the system by means of the fingerprint reader (18), and thus determines the identity information with such an accuracy that will not lead to any mistake.

In addition, the thermal camera (23), which operates with the previously obtained biological database of the individuals in the house, transfers the data about the number of persons in the house and their positions inside the house to the center and continuously transfers to the database their house living style, such as what the individuals are doing in the house and what TV channel they are watching (subject to the permission of the participants). Any kind of PC (personal computer) software will be able to be used with the microprocessor and one of the up-to-date operating systems on Super B Terminal. In this way, as the Adhoc surveys are being answered in the house via a file sent from the center to the device or via web, it is possible to establish visual and audio live communication between the participant and the survey staff in the center, by means of the on-line internet connection and optical camera (13) (11,15,16). If desired, this image on the screen may be reflected onto a bigger TV screen by means of wireless data, image and voice transmitter (24). Thus, an ambience of questionnaire (data collection) forms, wherein the individuals from every age in the house may easily give answers.

In order to determine all the retail products entering the house, 3 electronic devices are placed onto super B terminal. a) Barcode reader (12): For the identification of the products bearing barcode b) RFID (radio frequency identification) (14): For the identification of the products bearing the radio frequency transmitter c) Scanner (20): For scanning the paper documents like receipt, invoice, prescription, official certificate, etc. Owing to GSM, GPRS Modem (24) on the terminal, the communication may be established with the central databases even in places where there is no terrestrial phone network.

Claims

CLAIMS: - The invention is a new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis characterized in that it comprises an improved terminal capable of performing the data transfer of various statistical and marketing data of the persons or the institutions from a single source and houses to the statistics- or marketing-oriented central research servers via cable/wireless internet connection. - A new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis according to Claim 1 characterized in that it comprises a special software that processes the data obtained from the improved terminal capable of continuous data transfer. - A new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis according to Claim 1 characterized in that it comprises sufficient number of server computer systems (9: ) at the center, in order to transfer the audience preference and comment data obtained by super B terminal for statistics and marketing. - A new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis according to Claim 1 characterized in that it comprises the Super B terminal (Figure-2) in order to enable the TV, radio broadcasts arriving from air and satellite to be watched without the need for another device, and the integrated keyboard (17) to be used in the media researches.- The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises a remote control device (22; 26, 27) which may be detached from Super B terminal and may command and control the electronic devices in the house including the other television, radio, video, music center, air conditioner, etc., and plays a role in online or offline complete data transfer to the servers by determining the usage information about the channel watched in cases when the satellite receiver inside the terminal is not used.- The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises the fingerprint reader (18) in order to determine the media preferences and impressions of more than one residents in the house with such accuracy that it will not mislead. - The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises the thermal camera (23) which, based on the previously obtained biological database of the individuals living in the house, continuously transfers to the database the household living style including the number of individuals in the house, their positions in the house, the things they do in the house, and the

TV they watch. - The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises the microprocessor and one of the up-to-date operating systems, in order to enable that while the Adhoc questionnaires are being answered in the house by means of a file sent from the center to the device or via web, a visual and audio live communication is established on the big TV screen (27; 11) between the center and the survey staff and the individuals from any age in the house may easily participate and answer the questionnaire. - The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises GSM, GPRS modem to establish communication with the center and to carry out data transfer in places and times where and when there is no territorial phone network, barcode reader (12) to identify the products bearing barcode, RFID (radio frequency identification) (14) to identify the products bearing the radio frequency transmitter and the scanner (20) to scan the paper documents including the receipt, invoice, prescription, official certificate, etc. - A new and comprehensive integrated system capable of providing security and speed in the statistical and market researches and performing relational analysis according to Claim 1 characterized in that it comprises the research center, which combines all the personal data likely to light the way for marketing obtained from a single source, from the houses, in a meaningful way and reports them in a reliable, fast and relational analysis-compatible manner.- The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises a software capable of carrying out the visual and audio data transfer. - The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises the software and terminal capable of transferring the radio and TV broadcasts. - The Super B terminal according to Claim 4 characterized in that it comprises the special hand computer developed to collect and transfer all the research data from the house.