The benefits of using reduced item variable scales in marketing segmentation

This study investigated the use of two reduced item constructs in marketing research, Involvement Scale and Consumer Expertise and their relationships. Previous findings suggested that both constructs could use reduced items and that they would be useful as marketing segmentation tools. Response rates to consumer questionnaires are declining; therefore, shorter questionnaires in marketing communications are more likely to be completed. This study establishes the current reliability of using these two reduced item constructs in automotive research and tests their validity using triangulation questions. Data collection used a novel approach in which respondents to a motor show used the new Apple iPad to complete an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the reduced item constructs are reliable and valid and would be useful for research involving large ticket items. They would be particularly useful to researchers where they are used as part of, rather than the main focus of, the research

Factors influencing the market for branded mass customized buildings

The concept of mass customisation is not new yet the UK construction industry has yet to grasp this opportunity to deliver greater value to its customers. The government report Rethinking Construction [Egan 1998] clearly identifies this issue: ‘ We have repeatedly heard the claim that construction is different from manufacturing because every product is unique. We do not agree. Not only are many buildings such as houses, essentially repeat products which can be continually improved but, more importantly, the process of construction is itself repeated in its essentials from project to project.’ Egan delivered this report in 1998 but CLASP, for example, highlighted the advantages of standardisation in 1959 in the conclusions to their Annual Report [CLASP 1959]:’The consortium is now an established and powerful force in building, responsible for a significant number of the country’s new schools as well as for a growing number of other public buildings. The second year of operations has confirmed that the consortium with its big orders and its design resources, is the kind of organization most capable of realizing the full economic advantage of factory production methods. It leads therefore towards the more enlightened building industry for which we all strive.’ A review of government funded construction reports between 1944-98 [Murray 2003] emphasises the continued presence of these recurring themes in appraisal of the construction process. The opportunity is seemingly clear. Designing and constructing from scratch, each time a client requires building infrastructure, is wasteful and inefficient. A radical market change is needed where built environment customers experience much greater certainty and value whilst retaining choice, and at the same time enabling constructors to improve their profit margins by sharing the rewards of jointly maximising value. This vision requires the replacement of a significant portion of the current bespoke market for the design, delivery and procurement of non-residential buildings with a combination of standardised and customised product offerings. This paper details information obtained to date from an ongoing IMCRC funded study entitled ‘Building the Brand’ at Loughborough University