The Politz Papers Science and Truth in Marketing Edited by Hugh S. Hardy (Chicago: American Marketing Association, 1990).

Transcription

1 The Politz Papers Science and Truth in Marketing Edited by Hugh S. Hardy (Chicago: American Marketing Association, 1990). This book is a compilation of selected works of Alfred Politz, a leading marketing researcher in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The admiration of Politz by Hugh Hardy, the editor, is apparent. Hardy refers to Politz as employer, mentor, and friend and his effort to contribute to Politz's legacy is obviously a labor of love. The foreword is by Darrell B. Lucas, a contemporary of Politz. Lucas points out the two dimensions that really describe Politz his dynamic personality and his profound insights. He describes Politz as supremely self-confident and suggests that the reader try to unclerstand his personality and his analytical genius. In the preface (referred to as "notes"), W. Edwards Deming, a friend and colleague, provides an insight into the technical thinking of Politz's very powerful mind and how he and Politz worked together for their mutual benefit. The chapters consist of material from various journals and other publications, as well as public and private speeches. Because the book is a compilation of Politz's writings and speeches, there is some overlap between chapters. It is therefore an unusual "research" book, but its uniqueness enables the reader to "see" Politz better. Some of the best insights into his thinking can be gained from the analogies and examples of practical situations that Politz uses throughout to back up his point of view. The following is a summary review of each chapter. Chapter 1 is about Politz the man his upbringing in Germany, his escape from Hitler, and his coming to America in the late 1930s. It summarizes, in about a dozen pages, his growth, accomplishments, decline, and legacy. It is his legacy that is most stimulating ^his application of probability sampling to commercial research, the application of logic and experimental design to the research process, and, most important, the development of the professional training of so many researchers. This is the only part of the book in which others write about him the rest consists of his writings and thoughts about research. Jack Ross BOOK REVIEWS 79

2 Chapter 2 is titled, "Imaginative Uses of Marketing Research in Strategy Development." In 1967, after he had retired to Florida, Politz came back to New York to make a speech at the Seventh Annual Marketing Strategy Conference on October 10. In essence, the speech is a summation of his accomplishments over 25 years. One of the most in:iportant statements he makes is to point out that a useful researcher is not one who presents just the facts to the marketer, but rather one who draws conclusions from the facts and makes practical recommendations. He also points out how creativity and objective research, though sounding as though they conflict, do in fact go together in the decision-making process. Several examples of his efforts in this area are included. In Chapter 3, "The Product, The Majesty," Politz asserts that the product itself is more important to its marketing success than its advertising. Advertising is no substitute for product performance, but the relationship between the two is multiplicative. This was a basic philosophy with Politz. He suggests it "pays to be honest" in advertising because if advertising promotes a product property found not to exist, consumers discover the deficiency faster than normally would have been the case. Several practical examples are given to back his premise. He goes on to discuss what good "creative" advertising is and suggests how advertising people should be thinking when they are "creating." Chapter 4, "Design & Analysis of Predictive Market Research," is a very important chapter consisting of eight sections. Politz talks about numerous technical considerations in doing good research. This chapter is one of the longest, but is very relevant to understanding why Politz was a topnotch researcher. He points out the extreme importance of: proper sampling procedure, questioning technique to come up with the "right" answer, experimental design procedures, and being "creative" when designing and executing research. He mentions 10 common pitfalls in market research which, though stated in 1957, I believe are still appropriate today. And the yardstick for effective research is in its performance for marketing decisions that is, productive research must be predictive; good research solves problems. In Chapter 5, "Research & Prediction," Politz states there is a fallacy in marketing, namely the notion that marketing research exists to find out what consumers want. Consumer wishes play only a small part in the total analytical process that leads to meaningful conclusions. Politz states emphatically that consumers do not know what they want or why they act and they don't solve problems by simply answering questions. Research must solve the problems by intelligent experimental design and by drawing intelligent conclusions from consumers' opinions and behavior together. However, it is not the business of marketing research to tell the manufacturer what to do because the manufacturer is in possession of more information than the predictions furnished to him by the researcher. But with predictive research 80 MARKETING RESEARCH, SEPTEMBER 1991

3 results, Poiitz says, the manufacturer is in a position of making a rational decision, one that is based on reason. Chapter 6 is titled, "Advertising & Advertising Research." Politz was a strong believer in the value of advertising. He stated with conviction that advertising's purpose is not to be remembered, admired, or liked, but rather to make the product remembered and liked, thereby increasing its purchase. He talks about the efficiency of advertising and the copy appeals that are most effective, and provides his points of view on the value of headlines, body copy, and illustrations. Politz talks about the value of familiarity as a contributor to advertising effectiveness and the selling of the product. He suggests that something known to a consumer (e.g., a familiar brand name) generates greater trust in the quality of a product than an unknown brand name, even though the consumer has not had any experience with the product. He states that persuasive advertising involves both emotion and reasoning, yet the main reason for buying is not necessarily the main sales point of the advertising. He points out that advertising is a cause, not just a message or a piece of communication. It is a cause that produces a change in something else (e.g., attitude, knowledge) and not necessarily a purchase. Effective advertising can be considered advertising that does at least that. Chapter 7 is "Advertising Media Research." It was in this area that Politz perhaps became most famous. His first study was in 1944 and for the next 20 years or so he conducted more media audience studies than any other company. He came up with the "accumulated audience" study procedures and the "advertising page exposure" procedure that showed about 1.7 exposures per reader to be the average ad page exposure in magazines. That finding resulted in a famous Politz quote, "Repeat exposure without repeat payment." This chapter is particularly meaningful to all users and practitioners of this very specialized survey research area. Chapter 8 is "Sampling Procedures in Consumer Research." It has an introduction by Lester Frankel who, along with Politz, Deming, and Lucas, was instrumental in causing the "probability" sample to be used in executing consumer research studies. Frankel provides an interesting summary about the sample procedure used in the early 1940s (quota sampling) and how Politz, the scientific researcher, came to use what we commonly call probability sampling in the execution of survey research. The chapter goes on to show how Politz executed a household probability sample and clearly points out his belief in the "random" sample procedure. Thinking presented here covers a time frame of 40 to 50 years ago. I'm of the opinion that readers not only will find this thinking not outdated, but also will conclude that we in the industry should in fact be executing more studies today in the manner shown by Politz than we actually do. Chapter 9 is "Politz & Political Polling." Alfred Politz Research did only one political polling study and that was in BOOK REVIEWS

4 1953, shortly before a meeting between President Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Though the details are not covered, there is a quote from a letter written to Politz by the President thanking him for his efforts. The rest of the chapter discusses the 1948 presidential election ("Dewey defeats Truman") and Politz's point of view about the incorrect sampling procedure used. Chapter 10, "The Influence of Politz on European Research," is an interesting one because it covers the perception of Politz as a researcher by Wolfgang Schaefer, a German researcher who, along with a few colleagues, came to America to study research operations in It was then that he first met Politz and he goes on to describe how he was influenced by this "most impressive person" over the next 10 years or so. In fact, in 1962 he was hired by Politz to start a subsidiary company in Cermany. The chapter also gives specific examples of Politz's influence in the media research area on various measures of readership and exposure in numerous European countries from the late 1950s through the 1960s. Chapter 11 is Hardy's epilogue of Politz, which he calls "The Legacy of a Research Legend." In five pages. Hardy summarizes Politz, the professional, extremely well. Though the chapter is an excellent summary of the preceding 300 pages, it is more appropriate to read Hardy's thoughts after absorbing Politz's writings and speeches; the understanding of the man is much clearer that way. When asked to take on this book review assignment, I emotionally reacted with a "yes." You see, I was a member of the Politz team beginning with a part-time job while an undergraduate student at The City College of New York. It was more than three years later that I left because I was called into the service. Politz was not a personal friend. I never met Darrell Lucas or W. Edwards Deming. My time at the company crossed over with Hardy's, but I don't believe we ever met. Yet, I looked forward to this assignment with great eagerness Politz's influence rolled downhill, even to my relatively low level. The principles of professional research I took away from there are still with me today more than 30 years later. As Lucas points out, Politz did not allow his research findings to be sent to clients without relating the results to the client's problems, and neither do 1. Alfred Politz was one of the leaders of the research profession. He was a true pioneer. He touched and guided hundreds of us who are either still today a part of the research community or have recently retired. The book is a must to read by all who work in research but never knew or heard of Politz. It is also a must for those of us who were a part of his company or were influenced by him because it brings back so many good memories. Jack Ross President }. Ross Associates, Inc. Port St, Lucie, Florida 82 MARKETING RESEARCH, SEPTEMBER 1991

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