MIDI releases psychographic study of Latin American consumers

Market Development, Inc., San Diego, has released MDI Compass, a psychographic segmentation study ofLatin American consumers. Based on 2,000 in-depth, person-to-person interviews with adults in four major markets of Latin America - San Paulo, Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Santiago, the study identifies attitude dimensions that influence not only what products these consumers buy but why they buy them.  Using psychographic segmentation and multivariate statistical methods, MDI found that Latin Americans are divided into five psychographic segments based on shared attitudes toward life. They are: Relaxed Realists (17.4 percent), Careful Copers (28.9 percent), Cosmopolitan Climbers (24.1 percent), Hurried Handlers 6.6 ercent) and Hopeful Homebodies 23.1percent).

Equifax debuts database of Mexican market and new versions of ON-CD

Equifax National Decision Systems has released its first demographic database for consumer market research in Mexico, which provides 1996 estimates as well as projections to the year 2000 for key Mexican demographics. The database was jointly developed with economic forecasters CIEMEX-WEFA. The Pop-Facts Mexico database includes information on more than 70 variables from the 1990 Mexican Census conducted by the National Institute of Statistical and Geographic Information (INEGI), 1996 estimates and 2000 forecasts and key variables. Reports and datasets including 1990 population, age, gender, income, education, housing and employment variables are available for the 32 Mexican states down to the AGEB (Area Geo-Estadistica Basica or Basic Geo-Statistical Area) level. An AGEB is equivalent to the block groups used by the U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates for 1996 and projections for 2000 are available for more than 85 metro areas down to the AGEB level.

Equifax National Decision Systems has also introduced new versions of ON-CD, its stand-alone CD-ROM-based market analysis data and software line. Pop-Facts ON-CD provides 1990 U.S. Census data, with estimates for 1996 and projections for 2001 of key demographic variables such as population, households, age, occupation and income. Business-Facts ONCD includes business counts for SIC codes, sales volume and employment size ranges and daytime population counts. The ON-CD products can be used alone or downloaded for use in other software packages such as spreadsheets, database managers or GIS mapping programs. Data sets can be exported into ASCII, dBASE, ArcView and MapInfo.

Business intelligence courses from Tyson

Kirk Tyson International’s Business Intelligence Institute now offers a management development program in business intelligence. Courses are offered year-round at the company’s Chicago headquarters. Course categories range from beginner to advanced - foundation skills and knowledge, practitioner applications, management strategies, and specialized tools and techniques - arranged into "knowledge modules" of one-half day or two days in length. Participants are eligible to become certified business intelligence professionals upon completion of the certification curriculum.

Access ABI Web site for free information services

Internet users who visit the Web site of American Business Information, Inc. (ABI), Omaha, can now locate addresses, phone numbers and credit ratings for businesses free of charge. The new Web site includes three free information services:

  • American Directory Assistance, which allows searching for business by name, within ABI’s database of 10 million U.S. businesses. Information provided includes full address and telephone number. Soon, users will be able to find people by name as well from a residential database of 88 million households.
  • American Yellow Pages lets users find businesses by Yellow Page heading, within any city in the country.
  • American Business Credit provides credit rating scores for more businesses, based on demographic factors such as number of employees, years in business, industry stability and barriers to entry, and government data. The scores are practical indicators of probable credit-worthiness.

New recruiting management software from DBM

DBM Associates, Whitehouse Station, N.J., has introduced a recruiting management software package suitable for any research application that requires qualified consumer or inhouse employee test subjects. The Automated Recruiting Control System (ARCS) is Windows-based software that automates the process of identifying, selecting and recruiting qualified consumer respondents based on the researcher’s search criteria.

The database manages extensive product and brand usage history for each test subject and tracks user-defined features/restrictions, previous testing history, demographics and psychographics. Users can create multiple relational searches of the database to identify the best consumers or in-house employee test subjects. The voice/response recruiting module uses data generated by the database. In the database, ARCS users select a group of consumers who meet qualifying criteria and then the recruiting module creates a call list, autodials and qualifies these potential test subjects for one or more projects. The system screens potential testers through a series of user-defined qualifying questions which the user can record on a PC using his or her own voice. The voice/response module can also be used to collect data for home use tests and forward the information to almost any statistical package. Once qualified, the consumer schedules his or her test time over the phone using the touch-tone buttons. Users and test participants can call into ARCS 24 hours a day, seven days a week to check test schedules, reschedule tests, find out if sessions are full and obtain other information.

SPSS offers Chinese and Catalan versions; how-to book on surveys

SPSS Inc., Chicago, has introduced local language versions of SPSS for Windows in Traditional Chinese and Catalan for users in Taiwan and the Catalonian region of Spain, respectively. Local language products include localized graphical user-interfaces for the menus, dialog boxes, glossary of statistical terms, help and on-line documentation. The packages also include manuals in the local language.  The company is also offering a book, "Surveys with Confidence: A Practical Guide to Survey Research Using SPSS," which shows how to create, analyze and administer many types of surveys. The book is available directly from SPSS for $29.95.

REZIDE available through LEXIS-NEXIS

Marketers can now access U.S. ZIP code demographic data on-line with the LEXIS-NEXIS services. The demographic database from Claritas, Inc., called REZIDE, is. a national ZIP code encyclopedia searchable by congressional district, area code plus exchange, county, state, MSA and DMA. REZIDE provides a detailed demographic portrait for every residential ZIP code in the U.S., including age, income, race, ethnicity, household composition, employment and more. Claritas updates the database annually using data drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau and from more than 1,600 local, public and private sources of demographic data.

Ag study Will measure grower perceptions of new products

Doane Marketing Research, Inc., St. Louis will conduct a shared-cost "Bt Corn and Roundup Ready Study." The primary purpose is to assess corn and soybean growers’ experience with and perceptions of these new products. The study will be fielded post-harvest and measure both users and non-users of enhanced seeds. Use intentions for 1997 will also be determined.

New Ci3 from Sawtooth

Sawtooth Software, Sequim, Wash., has released Ci3 v2.0 for Windows 95. The new version offers all the features of version 1 plus advanced features available in Windows applications. Windows 95 interviews can now include graphics, sound, font control and a tree Windows look and feel. Ci3 v2.0 creates interviews for both DOS and Windows 95.

3D revamps CATI system

TelePrompt, a Windows CATI system from 3D Software Services, Foster City, Calif., has been re-engineered as an executable program that can fit on one diskette but can also run hundreds of workstations at one time. The Client/Server version is compatible with Oracle, Sybase and SQL Server. Local files can be read by Word and Excel. TelePrompt features multiple projects, questionnaire setup, branching, validation and unlimited open-end responses.

New hand-held edition of Opinionmeter

Opinionmeter, Inc., Berkeley, Calif., has introduced Opinionmeter Jr., a handheld version of the stand-alone Opinionmeter V polling machine. Offering the same capabilities as the fullsize unit, OP-Jr. can fit into smaller places. It can be hand held for intercept surveying, fit on check-out counters and attach next to product displays. The unit’s flip-up questionnaire piece folds down for transport into a 7" x 4" x 2" overall size, weighing 1.5 lb., and its alphanumeric keyboard permits entry of respondents’ phone numbers, ZIP codes, etc. It operates on rechargeable batteries and offers access for infrared hard-copy printing and for serial cable data transfer to PC.

Syndicated survey to monitor magazine readers

Audits & Surveys Worldwide, New York, has launched the ASW Primary Audience Database to monitor household demographics, product usage and lifestyles of subscribers and newsstand buyers of U.S. magazines. The syndicated survey will use complete subscription lists and newsstand counts to generate the same sample size for all titles surveyed. Data will be obtained from a 12-page questionnaire. Product usage responses will be supplemented by existing databases, whenever advisable, to reduce the burden on respondents and maximize completion rates. The complete survey will be in the field from September through November and reports will be made available to subscribers by the end of January.

MSA intros marketing data analysis system

BusinessWEB 2.0, a decision support system for accessing and interpreting sales and marketing data, is now available from Management Science Associates, Inc., Pittsburgh. The system enables users to employ customizable applets, or macros, to manipulate raw business information such as pricing, market share and promotions data into reports, creating multidimensional graphics, charting and table information almost instantaneously. Business WEB 2.0 also offers ad hoc charting support, slide show support and enhanced printing options.