Agency evaluation process

The process by which a company evaluates the performance of its advertising agency. This process includes both financial and qualitative aspects.

Attitude-toward-behaviour model

A model that proposes that a consumer’s attitude toward a specific behaviour is a function of how strongly he or she believes that the action will lead to a specific outcome (either favorable or unfavorable).

Administratively guided market economy

An economic system in which there is a great deal of cooperation among government, management, and workers to achieve growth on non - mandated basis.

Agglomeration schedule

It is one of the statistics associated with cluster analysis. It gives information on the objects or cases being combined at each stage of a hierarchical clustering process.

Anticipative marketers

It refers to a proactive marketer who acts proactively in addressing not only the existing needs of the customers but also the likely future needs.

Allowable error

This term is used in the context of marketing research. It refers to the amount of sampling error in the estimate (of the parameter) that is acceptable to the researcher.

Acquired advantage

A term used in the context of foreign trade which refers to a form of trade advantage owing to technological superiority rather than the availability of natural resources, climate etc.

Approach development process

In the context of undertaking a research project in marketing research to a specific marketing problem this includes formulating an objective or theoretical framework, analytical models, research questions, and hypothesis and identifying the information needed. This process id guided by discussion with management and industry experts, analysis of secondary data, qualitative research, and pragmatic considerations.

Alternative forms reliability

This term is used in the context of marketing research with regard to data collection process. The researcher tries to estimate reliability by giving a respondent two equivalent questionnaires to the same group of people. The results are compared on a question-by-question basis for degree of discrepancy in scores, as in the test-retest approach.

AIO inventories

A list of consumer activities, interests, and opinions constructed to measure empirically lifestyle components. Also referred to as Lifestyle or psychographic variables. Using data from large samples, marketers create profiles of consumers who resemble each other in terms of their activities and patterns of product usage.

Alternate proposal close

One of the methods of sales close where a choice is offered to a prospect for a prompt buying decision. The alternate close is one of the most popular closing techniques. The principle behind this technique is that the prospect is moved to the buying decision by being asked to make a smaller, less threatening choice.

Affirmative disclosure

It refers to a requirement whereby advertisers may be required to include certain types of information in their advertisements so consumers will be aware of all the consequences, conditions, and limitations associated with the use of the product or service. The goal of affirmative disclosure is to give consumers sufficient information to make an informed decision.

Activity report

Used in the context of sales management where the salespeople are required to fill up a record sheet listing a salesperson’s calls and accomplishments over a specific period of time. The most common time periods for reporting are a week and a month.

Aggressive personality

One of three personality types identified by Karen Horney. The aggressive person is one who moves against other (e.g. compete with others). It is often used in developing advertising appeals and in market segmentation.

Analysis sample

In discriminant analysis the entire sample under consideration is divided into two parts. One part of the sample, called the estimation or analysis sample. This sample is used for estimation of the discriminant function.

Advertising wearout

It refers to a condition where due to repetitive advertising, individuals exposed to it become satiated and subsequently their attention and retention declines.

Account planner

An outgrowth of British advertising agency structure where a planner initiates and reviews research and participates in the creative process. In some agencies, the planner is considered a spokesperson for the consumer, works closely with account executive, prepares the creative brief, and coordinates departmental work on a campaign.

Asynchronous communication

A type of stored communication in which users can communicate without immediate response. E-mail is prime example.

Association techniques

One of the projective techniques used that come under the qualitative research. In these techniques, an individual is presented with a stimulus and asked to respond with the first thing that comes to mind. Most commonly used associative technique is word association test.

Analog model

A retail management technique. It is a computerized site selection tool in which potential sales for a new store are estimated based on sales of similar stores in existing areas, competition at a prospective location, the new store’s expected market share at that location, and the size and density of a location’s primary Trading area .