1-Retail Measurement Department

2- Data Processing Department

Field Personnel

3- Qualitative Department

4- Quantitative Research Department

Consumer Research Department

Business to Business Research: (Special Projects)

5- Statistic Department

6- Administration and Personnel Department

7- Data Processing Department

2. Salary Policy Remuneration

3. Financial and Accounting Policy

Policies Regarding Assets

Revenue And Payment Policy:

Budgeting policy:

Pricing policy:

Miscellaneous Personnel Policies

Among the various organisational designs the Organizational Design of ACNielsen AFTAB is primarily based on projects. Therefore, managers are responsible for the completion of the projects not to perform functions.

At the same time, it is necessary for any organization to have some work done on functional basis. This necessity is imposed by the inherent of functional nature of same tasks like Accounting & Administration etc. At ACNielsen AFTAB the tasks of Data Processing, Coding & Editing, Accounting and Administration are performed on functional basis when a Project Structure is superimposed on a functional structure, the result is a Matrix Structure. Some times Matrix organization is considered a project organization and the terms are used interchangeably. Hence we can say that a Project plus functional organization is a Matrix organization.

The Advantages of Matrix Designs

The matrix organization attempts to combine the best of both worlds. In an electric manner, it includes the positive aspects of both the functional and the project design. These advantages can be summarized as follows

All the others departments when assist the above departments in completing their projects efficiently are functionally based. In others words, these function based departments perform specific functions each time. In the literature of organizational Behaviour, the department, which is responsible to perform a specific function, each time, is called Service Department.

Service Departments

Fieldwork Logistics

Field work logistics is the integral part of the ACNielsen AFTAB which facilities the whole practices of the research company. ACNielsen AFTAB is fully capable to arrange all the fieldwork logistics. They have the facility of in-house Urdu composing. As for printing of questionnaires are concerned, they also have contracting arrangements with a printing supplier who provide us services on almost daily basis. ACNielsen AFTAB has also arrangements related to interviewers training which would be done through classroom training, mock interview, and field practice.

Classroom Training:

The first part of training is to educate prospective interviewers on:

Mock And Practice Interviews:

Prospective interviewers have to then interview each other and than go out, under supervision and interview members of the public. If interviewers are recruited for a specific project, than their training will focus on the relevant questionnaire, where the objective is to top up their pool of regular interviewers, ACNielsen use a questionnaire from a typical past project that also contain some less straightforward questions or tasks as well.

Duration of Training:

There is set number of days for training. It depends on how quickly interviewers learn the project in hand. It is common occurrence for the prospective interviewers not to complete their training, either because they change their minds or because their work is not of a high standard.

Interviewer Briefing:

In addition, the local researcher executive, field manager or regional manager using interviewer instructions drawn up by the project manager personally briefs all interviewers.

Fieldwork Set-up:

ACNielsen AFTAB has a complete fieldwork department which has 20+ full time field team, including permanent staff, contractual and ad-hoc regional executives..

ACNielsen AFTAB has the field office at the following base stations:

At these base stations, we have more than 1,000 and ad-hoc interviewers who are ready to undertake any kind of survey across Pakistan.

Quality Control:

ACNielsen AFTAB also has separate Quality Control teams, which checks the data through call back and logical checks. Further to data receive from the field is also added to check the consistency in the data. There are several layers of quality control:

Accompanied Interviews:

Regional managers go along with the interviewers to appointments on a routine basis to check that they adhere to procedure.

Call-backs:

Supervisors telephone the respondent the day after the interview was carried out to check that whether interview was properly carried out. This includes repeating key elements of the questionnaire to check that the answers tally.

One in six questionnaires from each interview will be checked in this way. If there are any discrepancies then every questionnaire by that interviewer is back-checked and, depending on the seriousness of the problem, the interviewer returns to get the missing information or the interview is struck off and a replacement one (with a different respondent) is done. If telephone nos. is not available then face-to-face back checking is done.

Visual and logic checks:

All questionnaires are checked for completeness and obvious errors when they come in. additional logic checks are built into the data entry and analysis program to capture mistakes (which tends to be miss-punches rather than interviewer errors).

Client participation:

Representatives of client are welcome to attend the briefings, whose details will be specified. It will be possible for them to accompany interviewers once the study is underway.

Data Processing Department

ACNielsen AFTAB has complete data processing department. Here the open end questions are coded on the basis of the coding frame and entered into the computer. Data punching facility is available in their two offices Lahore and Karachi. The entered data is cleaned through specific cleaning program, prepared for this purpose. Then data is processed in Lahore using Quantum or in other required software.

Personnel & Administration Department

ACNielsen AFTAB has a separate personnel and Administration department. Where all the work of receiving mails and sending mails is handled this department issues .All the stationary required for working and other mattes of departments are handled by Admin Department.

Finance & Accounts Department

No organization now a day can run its business without finance and account departments. As Finance and Accounts Department play an important role in any organization. ACNielsen AFTAB has such department where the budget preparation, invoices, checks are prepared by keeping in view the resources of company.

When any of the departments mentioned services, the project manager or any of his research executives prepares the research budget and get it approved from the F & A department F&W dept. He also asks the former to arrange a briefing, so that the methodology used in the research process is told to the interviewers.

FW department hands over the filled questionnaires to Coding & Editing department. This department review the data forms as the legibility, consistency and completeness’. Open Ended questions are coded here so that they become machine-readable. At the End, the DP Department enters the codes into computer for analysis and generated output according to formats provided. The Project Manager or Research Executive interpret these results and Compile the findings in a report.

The Research Executive, the Incharge of the study tries to remain in touch with all service departments and attempts his level of best to complete the study within the budgeted time In short, the Executive Incharge of the study has to create a link b/w all service departments to complete his project.

Project Schedule

ACNielsen follow certain schedule in the preparation of any report that has to follow all the Departments.

The personnel department performs two functions:

Detail of these departments is as under:

Personnel Department:

Personnel department is the backbone of any organization. It is the source of providing the employees that are appropriate for performing specific tasks or designations. In ACNielsen AFTAB the personnel department is responsible only for recruiting employees other than executives. Executives are recruited and selected by the concerned department head in collaboration with the Managing Director. At ACN, the personnel department is headed by a senior executive.

Selection of Lower Level Staff:

Theoretically the selection of lower level staff is the responsibility of personnel department. But practically the reverse of it is true. The department head that is in the need of an employee select the employee and get it approved from the Incharge of P & A department. The formal procedure of selection involves a long and cumbersome sequence of steps that is generally not followed. When a department needs an employee, it informs to top management, top management asks head of department to give advertisement in newspaper for appropriate candidates. The candidates are interviewed by the head of department in consultation with concerned department head / executive. In this way the best candidate is selected. Approval of selection is obtained from Managing Director.

Training of Lower Level Staff:

The training of lower level staff is the responsibility of the concerned Executive/Head for which he is selected.

Selection of Temporary Staff:

At ACN, the Coding and Editing department gets its work done through temporary staff. Department head in collaboration with personnel department does the selection of this temporary staff. 70-100 in each region is selected as temporary staff members. For example, Division is given as NWFP, 30 in North, 30 in south.

Selection of Surveyors:

Questionnaires are launched and administrated through surveyors. These are also hired on temporary basis. Fieldwork department in collaboration with personnel department does the selection of surveyors.

The major responsibilities performed by Administration department are given below:

ACNielsen AFTAB is not a manufacturing organization so it does not produce any product. ACNielsen AFTAB is a service-oriented organization and it provides the services regarding the Marketing Research to its clients. The services offered by ACNielsen AFTAB are classified into these broad categories.

Customized Research:

A brief explanation of these services is given below:

Theoretically it is one department but practically, it is divided into two departments.

This is the most important department as far as revenue is concerned; a manager heads it. 4 or 5 research executives assist them. Some of the important Research Studies conducted at Business-to-Business Research department are given below.

Consumer Research:

Consumer research done at ACNielsen AFTAB is called custom Designed Consumer Research. It is called “Custom Design” because the research scope and methodology is worked out specifically to cater to the needs of a particular client. ACNielsen AFTAB aim is to help the clients by solving the marketing problems and reducing their business risks by providing informed interpretation of actionable research findings.

In addition to usual field surveys, AFTAB Associates has also handled central Location Tests (CLT’s), Product Testing, Advertising Pre and Post Testing etc.

Broadly the Consumer Research done at ACNielsen AFTAB includes:

Hence we can say that ACNielsen AFTAB is capable of handling any type of consumer research to the best satisfaction of its clients.

The basic purpose of qualitative research is to gain some important insights into specific some problems. Some problems are so vague that they are not properly defined without the help of qualitative research, to handle qualitative research; ACNielsen AFTAB has a separate qualitative research department. The Deputy Manager is the Incharge of this department. The department employs two research Executives who are responsible to conduct qualitative studies in co-operation with the services department. This department helps other research departments in defining the problem, designing the questionnaire, Pre testing and finalizing the questionnaire.

At Qualitative Research department, the production is produced with the help of

Moderators of ACN conduct Focus Group Discussions and In-depth interviews. The moderators of ACNielsen AFTAB are highly experienced and qualified. For this purpose, ACNielsen AFTAB has its own FGD rooms in Lahore as well as in Karachi. Most of the FGDS and in-depth interviews are recorded on tape with full knowledge of participants for future analysis.

AFTAB Associates started Retail Audit service in Pakistan after conducting a census of urban retailers. The census data was used to select a representative sample of retailers for undertaking Retail Audit. The data collected from the sample shops is projected to the urban universe of retail outlets.

Retail Audit is a quantitative survey technique aimed at establishing and tracking:

Market shares of competing brands in selected Product categories.

Market size, expressed in some common unit e.g. Kilograms, litres, tonnes etc.

Comparative distribution coverage of competing brands with shops in stock, out of stock and not handling.

Stocks at retail level with number of days the stock would last.

At ACNielsen AFTAB, the projects handled by Retail Measurement Services include Grocery items, Tobacco, Toilets etc.

Note: (The detail explanation of above three services provided by ACNielsen AFTAB is given in training program.)

The concept of Production facilities is directly applied in case of manufacturing firms, where manufacturing involved hard Physical work, and machine etc. since ACNielsen AFTAB is a service oriented firm so the concept of production facilities cannot be directly applied in this case. But indirectly, this term can be applied to the facilities provided by ACNielsen AFTAB to its executives / employees to provide better and efficient services to its clients.

At ACNielsen AFTAB, the following Production facilities are provided to the executives / employees.

Now a brief discussion of these facilities is given below.

The Conference Hall:

The conference hall also known as FGD room. It is the most important production facility provided by ACN for conducting the qualitative research. This conference hall is sound proof and used for.

Conference hall is equipped with latest sound system. A TV and VCR are available in Conference room. The Presentations by the executives are made with the help of multimedia in the conference hall.

The Observation Room:

The observation room is separated from the discussion room with the help of one-way mirror. The observation room is used to see the responses of the respondents. It is also used for the recording of responses. The executive Incharge of the study and client observed and heard FGD through the one-way mirror to gain in-depth insights in the problems. The observation room is equipped with latest audio and video recording system.

The Executive Hall:

ACNielsen AFTAB’s set up provides a full autonomy to each and every executive to perform the creative task of Marketing Research.This Executive Hall is apportioned into ten open cabins with the help of hardboard walls. There is a separated room for F & A department. One cabin is reserved for computer operators. These computer operators are responsible for the typing of documents letters, questionnaires and reports etc.

The presence of these computer operators in the executive hall helps the executives to get their e-mail and other documents typed quickly and consequently facilitate smooth and efficient communication with the clients. Each Executive is linked with the remaining organization through intercom. Each executive has to look after all the studies vested to him, one study may be in the stage of FW, another may be in the stage of DP department and still another may be going through the process of Coding and Editing. This facility of intercom helps them to supervise each study personally. The hall is fully air-conditioned; very comfortable chairs are available for executives. The tables before them have drawers and a large file cabinet, where record of the conducted studies in process is kept.

The Data Processing Department:

This department has the following production facilities:

Have 45 PC.s, mostly of P-2 version

Latest Computer software for example FoxPro and Quantum and Infact Nite etc

The production facilities have been divided between two broad scions.

Marketing Research Section

Retail Audit Section

A detail discussion of Retail Audit is given in the coming part-4.

The Coding and Editing Hall:

The Coding and Editing is an important step in the Research Process. Editing involves reviewing data forms as the legibility, consistency and completeness. Coding involves establishing categories for responses or groups of responses in order to make data machine-readable.

The Coding and Editing hall is made for the employees handling the tasks of Editing and Coding. All the Coders and Editors are normally hired on contract basis Coding and Editing hall provides a good working environment to facilitate employees to perform their tasks in best and most professional ways. At ACNielsen AFTAB, the employees have given the autonomy to perform task. They are also given the timely feedback so that they can also improve their performance.

Library for Secondary Data:

The importance of secondary data in Marketing Research can hardly be over emphasized but the management of ACNielsen AFTAB fully realized the importance of secondary data. To provide general secondary data, a library has been established. The data information regarding the population of country, Economic conditions of the country, Geographical Information and population census reports etc.

The library also has the Research Magazines, Pakistan and Gulf Economists, Economics Surveys, newspapers and etc. with the help of this, the executive can also done desk research, which is very fruitful for the organization because it acquires less time.

Marketing mix is the integral part of the firms for the evaluation of there marketing objectives. It serves as a tool for the organizations to measure their performance in the fields of Product, Place, Price and Promotion, because it is generally seen that companies meeting their objectives in these fields are more profitable and solvent than companies that don’t.

The production which an organization made is classified into two categories, tangible and not tangible. Tangible items refer to the physical products which companies produce by their standardized or customized procedures, similarly the intangible items are the services that companies produces. Products and services can’t set apart, yet there is a strong relationship between them but the intensity of the products or services or the ratio of specialization in giving products and services can vary.

Keeping the above theme in view we refer ACNielsen AFTAB as a Service Oriented Company which facilitates the different clients with the latest and prior knowledge of the market and prospects they need. For that reason the marketing mix for the services oriented company will be slightly different with manufacturing concerns.

Marketing mix can be defined as“Marketing Mix is the set of marketing tools that the company uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market”.

In order to fulfill clients marketing information needs ACNielsen AFTAB offers a whole range of custom designed as well as syndicated research service. We at ACNielsen AFTAB offer following specialization areas in the marketing research.

We therefore, will discuss the services of ACNielsen AFTAB in the product section.

“The product is defined as the company’s tangible offer to the market, which includes the product quality, design, features, branding and Packaging services are intangible products offered to the consumers”.

Customized research is the most common type of research activity handled by ACNielsen AFTAB. In its scope and methodology is worked out specifically to cater to the needs of particular client.

Broadly, we can say the customized research done at ACNielsen AFTAB includes almost every type and has done to the quality of excellence. We at ACNielsen AFTAB proudly quote that we are capable of handling any type of consumer research to the best satisfaction our clients.

Retail audit as a marketing research technique was developed in mid thirties in the United States of America. Retail audits are currently being carried out by various research companies in many developed and developing countries of the world using an almost standardized methodology. Retail audit is a quantitative survey technique aimed at establishing and tracking and ACNielsen AFTAB is the monopolist in this field in the country

ACNielsen AFTAB aims to help solving clients marketing problems and reducing their business risks by providing in formed interpretation of actionable research findings. Qualified and experienced researches executives prepare tailor made research design and stat of the art survey instrument. Our nation wide network of experienced field investigators is ready to undertake all kinds of surveys involving any type of respondents. A fully quipped data processing department transforms the raw data into meaningful land actionable research finds.

We broadly categorize customized research into two sub categories

One of the very important techniques in the marketing research is the quantitative research by the virtue of which we obtain the finding in numbers about a certain research objective and can truly associate these results with a certain target audience. We can quantitatively analyze these findings using various statistical tools, by generating tables and applying various analytical techniques.

The essence of qualitative research is that it is diagnostic and it is impressionistic rather than conclusive, it probes rather than counts. For its findings, it cannot produce statistical evidence based on probability sampling. But qualitative research is able to provide unique insights to inspire and guide the development of concept research and advertising pre-testing. Keeping in mind the importance f this research, ACNielsen AFTAB has a full service qualitative research department with experienced in house moderators both males and females. In addition to this we can arrange regional language moderation.

ACNielsen AFTAB has developed its expertise in the fields of ongoing surveys, for obtaining data more speedily an economically, names as omnibus surveys. An omnibus surveys consist of a series of short questionnaires on behalf of different clients, administered on a specific panel of respondents representing a certain segment of population.

In order to understand these techniques in a better way we have provide in depth explanation of quantitative, qualitative research and the omnibus surveys on the subsequent pages.

We have our expertise in this department of the research as well and our setup entitles us to perform all the activities in house. We have a panel of experienced statisticians, data processors and analysts who give their input as and when required. We have number of executives working I this department who give their input in the designing of the fieldwork tools and methodology. Furthermore, they coordinate all the activities from preparation and execution of field work to editing, coding punching and data processing. We have a full fledged fieldwork and quality control departments which are responsible for the execution and quality of their respective activities. Below are the main types of researches that we have been handling and claim to have.

There are many instances when we need to know the awareness, buying and using habits of general public about social products, being the largest company we have had the opportunity of handing quiet a lot of projects in the social sector related to these kinds of studies. We have done studies for a wide range of objectives like for contraceptive methods, nutritional supplements, for general understanding of married males and females towards lie and many more projects with similar objectives.

Many times the corporate sector itself seeks our help in order to know the problems pertaining to the employee satisfaction. We have conducted employee satisfaction surveys for a number of clients.

One of the most rapidly emerging types of quantitative researches are the opinion polls about various social political issues prevalent in the societies. For that last few years we have consistently been conducting researches that fall in this category. We have done opinion polls for clients like Gallop USA, PSRA, PARC Dubai, USIA, NDI/IRI, Sydat Hyder and a lot of other international and national agencies.

Another very important and interesting category of the quantitative research is the desk research. Through one to one informal interviews and the already existing publicly available data, we try to extract the required information. Here it is important to mention that conducting desk researches is extremely technical and difficult task however we have been successfully handling these kind of researches conducted through our experienced executives and reliable corporate relations, e have conducted quiet a few desk researches for the electrical households durables, like machines, caustic soda, computer and accessories and few other topics.

For the introductory products I particular and for already existing products we at times need to conduct the CLT. The respondents are recruited on a certain criteria and are brought to a central location. They are offered to test the product on that location and are interviewed right after the product testing to have their most recent and spontaneous responses. For blind testing the product brand is not disclosed and the respondent has to give his views for the contents of that product only without being influenced by the brand name. Very usually we conduct CLT for the fast moving consumer goods category; however we have also conducted this CLT for foods as well as for automobile sector.

At times we need to test the quality of the services provider without letting him now about any activity like this. For that matter we hire mystery shoppers who disguise as the actual customer of that particular provider and observe the quality of services provided by him/her. We conduct these surveys quite often and for a number of sectors ranging from food to nutrition to health providers and chemists.

Exit interviews are conducted in order to know the most recent feed back of the true and actual users of a specific customer right after completing the task and existing the provider outlet. This is also done because it is easy to reach the target audience at the exit of specific outlet instead of moving from home to home and finding these respondents.

Human behavior, being the reflection of a person’s attitude, eruptions, beliefs, inner desires and dealings, is rapidly gaining importance as a major element of marketing research. The quantitative techniques of marketing research often fail to capture the true essence of the above components of human behavior. When it comes to understand peoples feelings about some aspects of buying behavior, a more subtle approach are needed that direct questioning. The greater awareness by marketing researchers of the importance of more subtle forms of investigation has encouraged the use of some of the techniques applied in psychology and sociology. Qualitative research has, thus, become an important and very useful component of marketing research.

We are well versed in use and analysis projective and enabling techniques, of all types, visual, verbal and creative. The basic techniques of qualitative research include depth interviews and focus group discussion. ACNielsen AFTAB offers both these types of qualitative research.

Depth interviews are non-directive interviews in which the respondent is encouraged to talk about the subject matter rather that to answer “Yes” or “No” to specific questions. The interviewer has list of points which the interview should cover and the conversation is guided, without directly i8nfluencing by formal questioning, so that all principal points are covered adequately.

The analysis and interpretation of depth interviews require expert and objective attention.

ACNielsen AFTAB has the expertise and manpower, both in house, as well as in the shape of expert associates, who can handle depth interviews to the best satisfaction of the others.

While depth interviews are concerned with the study of one individual, the focus group discussions study interaction of group members, through free exchange of ideas, beliefs, and emotions, which helps to form the general opinion of people sharing common interests and responsibilities.

Focus group discussion are the most prevalent form of qualitative research in most parts of the world in a typical FGD setting, a small group of around 8 persons belonging to a particular segment of society, selected according to a pre-defined criteria, is assembled at a location, to air their views and ideas about a pre defined topic which is generally not knows to the participants before the start of the FGD.

The discussion leader, who usually has some psychological training in addition to marketing research expertise, acts as a moderator. The group is encouraged to conversation within the boundaries of discussion guide, which sets out the main areas of the subjects to be covered. In case of advertising pre testing, a commercial, in its finished or semi finished form, is shown to the participants and the subsequent discussion revolves around various aspects of that commercial.

The analyses of focus group discussion captures the range of impressions and observations and interprets them in light of possible hypothesis for further testing the underlying assumption usually is that people belonging to certain segment of society and having similar socio- background would have a certain similarity of views and ideas too. Therefore, the group represents the socio-economic segment that it is selected from. A focus group discussion, and for that matter, any qualitative research should not be viewed as substitute to the large scale quantitative survey.

Focus groups discussions are often recorded on tape, with full knowledge of the participants, for later analysis. If the group venue is equipped with one way mirror and audio facility, the clients’ representative can watch and listen to the group proceedings while sitting on the other side of the one way mirror.

ACNielsen AFTAB has fully equipped FGD rooms in Karachi as well as in Lahore where a number of FGDs on various topics have been conducted successfully, to the best satisfaction of local and overseas clients. Highly experienced male and female group moderators are available to handle any qualitative research assignment.

We conduct 90 minutes standard FGDs as well as 2 to 2.5 hours extended focus groups depending on the objectives of the client. Normally when we have to cover more objectives and or have to use more projective and enabling techniques we need much more time to accomplish all the goals.

As the name suggests, paired interviews are conducted with two people at a time. There are two main reasons of use of this technique.

First, because we need t to talk about the sensitive topics and by interviewing two friends together, it is easier for them to discuss the topic while discussing with each other.

Second, is that we require focus group discussion but 7 to 8 respondents are not easily available at a certain time. So we conduct paired interviews with two respondents at a time and extract the information through their discussion with the moderator.

An omnibus survey consists of a series of short questionnaires on behalf of different clients, administered on a specific panel of respondents representing a certain segment pf population. Survey of the specific panels is continuously in operation on a periodic basis but the extent of information sough varies each period depending upon the mix of various client specific questions inserted by different clients in a certain period.

An omnibus survey is a quick and cost effective method of collecting information. Quick, because the sample panel of respondents is already in place and the agency resources are already geared to carry out the survey. Cost effective, because the clients are sharing the cost of the survey. Omnibus panel usually comprise of a sufficiently large sample size and an ad-hoc survey, therefore, omnibus survey offer a larger coverage of respondents at an extremely low cost.

ACNielsen AFTAB’s omnibus surveys have following characteristics

Target respondents & sample size

Panel-1 Urban Housewives 1000

Panel-2 Urban Male Adults 1000

Panel-3 Urban Female Adults 1000

All seven socio-economic classes A1, A2, B, C, D, E1, and E2 are covered in each panel.

ACNielsen AFTAB has a board experience of working in wide range of sectors. Below is a brief explanation of some of the important sectors for which the agency has been providing its services.

In addition to the hard core marketing research services ACNielsen AFTAB has developed an additional expertise, which has become one of the most important segments for our agency, in the field of social marketing research by virtue of handling studies on the social topics such as population planning, prevalence and use of contraceptives, rumors and misconceptions about contraception, mother and child health, breast feeding and infant nutrition, and a whole range of other such studies.

Another sector that has emerged as an important one within the last one year is of the political surveys. We have observed that the world has seen many changes in the socio political scenario and these changes have drastically effected our country as Pakistan has been the up front nation in the recent was against terrorism and has emerged as one of the most important nations on the world. Simultaneously, Pakistan has internally been passing through an era of political instability. Therefore, there are many agencies whether local or international who want to study the political systems existent in the country. For that matter, we have quite a number of studies on our credit like surveys on Post September 11 attacks on USA, war against terrorism, about the existing political systems.

The role of mass media as the all important vehicle for mass communication can hardly be over emphasized introduction of private TV channels, the satellite and the cable TV has provided a range of choices to the viewers who can enjoy the privilege of channel switching through their fingertips.

For advertisers, it has caused a dilemma of how to rationally allocate their advertising budgets to get the maximum mileage. Media research is, therefore, fast becoming an important area of marketing research in Pakistan.

Media habits surveys are periodically conducted by AFTAB. Very recently a mega media habits survey covering 116 cities throughout urban Pakistan has been completed.

Players in the food and beverage industry in Pakistan face still competition fro more another. Strong decisions backed up by verifiable research to keep a pulse on the changing conditions of the market are required.

ACNielsen, a leading marketing research company offers this pulse thought both qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative research for foods and beverage will consist of home usage tests, central location tests, omnibus, usage and attitude tests, qualitative on the other hand will bring in focus discussion groups.

ACNielsen AFTAB has been working for hits sector for quite sometime now. We have been conducting various researches like knowledge, attitudes, and practices, mystery client surveys, and exit interview studies for nutritional supplements, and other health related issues. We have also conducted employee and patient satisfactions surveys for hospitals.

For pharmaceutical sector, however we have been conducting doctor’s surrey for various clients like MSD, Scherring, Otsuka, GSK and some others and have conducted around 25 projects within the last couple of years. During these surveys we have interviewed Oncologists, Orthopedics, chest physicians, and Gynecologists etc. we developed our sampling frame by using the database provided by Pakistan Medical and Dental Association.

It may be noted that conducting interviews with the specialized doctors is an extremely technical task yet we have been able to successfully complete these surveys. Not only have this, looking at our expertise a couple of very valued clients offered us a yearly contract with them as their sole researching agency.

The telecommunication sectors include the following broader categories:

We have conducted a wide range of projects covering the above four categories for a number of local and international clients. Our research scope has covered not only face to face interviews but we have also accomplished a number of desk research projects in the same field.

We have not only research topics on value added services for mobile phone services providers but also conducted research on market segmentation for usage of Mobilink services and Customer Satisfaction survey for Instaphone.

We at ACNielsen AFTAB have a full fledged automotive and transportation sector to cater the needs of national and international clients. These researches range from corporate image surveys to pack testing, market sizing to purchase behavior, target market profiling to customer satisfaction surveys etc.

ACNielsen AFTAB offers both syndicated and custom designed trade researches involving all the major types of traders e.g. General stores, Kiryana stores, departmental stores, medical stores, bakeries, Pan/cigarette/cold drinks shops, etc. ACNielsen AFTAB has the distinct advantage of having a complete listing of all the above types of stores in Urban Pakistan. Such listing is based on a traders census conducted by the company for the purpose of developing a shop panel for the syndicated retail audit service. The listing, nevertheless, provides an excellent sampling frame for conducting any other type of trade researches.

Tobacco industry is the second largest marketing research user in Pakistan. To keep pace wit he wave of change, tobacco companies of Pakistan look for research information that caters to their specific business needs. Because special problems require specialized solution, ACNA offers its expertise in this regard through its qualitative as well as quantitative research department in areas of consumer research, trade research and product research.

Agriculture which contributes to around 25% of the GDP and feeds around 60% of the total population of Pakistan has always bee a sector of great importance for the marketers. Being a market leader, most of the researches activities in this sector also come to ACNielsen AFTAB which carries agricultural research experts on the panel. ACNA has been conducting a panel study for cotton crop Pesticides for four years in Rural Punjab and Sindh. Recently, the agency ahs conducted a usage and attitude survey for the Rice Crop Protection products in rural localities of Pakistan.

ACNielsen AFTAB has been conducting research studies for banks since more that a decade. A whole range of studies such as: mystery shopping, branch location studies, customer satisfaction studies, market sizing and segmentation studies, customer profile studies, new product launch studies, have been conducted. Some of our regular clients are Union Bank, Citibank, Bank Alfalah, HSBC, Prime Bank and Habib Bank Limited etc.

In this sector we have worked for clients like PEL, Waves and MEMRB. We have done a few desk researches on the market sizing and sharing of various brands in household electronic goods.

ACNielsen AFTAB has been conducting qualitative, quantitative and omnibus researches in this sector for quite some time now. We have been doing research business with companies like Unilever, P&G, Packages, Reckitt Benkzir. We have conducted researches like brand perception study, concept testing, usage and attitude studies, and many quantitative studies in this sector.

So these are the wide range of services provided by the company and hence there are lots of services that are much customized in nature. These researches vary from customer to customer.

Price is considered to be the very critical factor in the marketing mix. The reason is that one has to be profitable on the one hand and also have to bargain with the customers on prices. Loosing target market’s prospects is itself a failure for the organization so in the continuum of the price and target market, organizations have to choose the best alternative so that it may be helpful in the long run of the organization, yet there are number of variables and tools that an organization can pursue while deciding on pricing. At that time taking right pricing method is the key to success.

“The Price is the amount of money that the customers pay for the products / services. The price involves the cost of all activities that the company undertake to make the product / service available and accessible to the target customers”.

ACNielsen AFTAB is in its specifications dealing with customized research, that’s why there aren’t any hard and fast formulas for the calculation of the price. It all depends on the size and volume of the research the client requires. The prices are normally dependent on the sample size of the universe and similarly the frequency of the research is another important factor for price determination.

On the other hand the prices for the regular clients may vary from the prices of the clients which require research very often.

ACNielsen Aftab is providing the services to its clients according to their specifications. No research Project is in conformity with the other. Vague criteria formulated by ACNielsen Aftab for pricing its clients is as follow

Hence we can say that on the basis of above points, ACNielsen Aftab Charged price to its clients. No break ups i.e. how many amount would spent on questionnaire preparation, in stationary, in transport etc.50% is collected mostly in advance at ACNielsen Aftab. But this may vary from client to client and study to study.

The place and distribution channel is also in the critical elements and factors of the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. A powerful setup may deteriorate only because of the misallocation of resources or because of poor distribution channels so organizations specifically keep in mind about the place of marketing mix.

The conventional distribution of channels is normally distributors, wholesalers, retailers, and other intermediaries. And it depends on the nature of the product that how much or which channel of distribution is most effective for the distribution of goods and services.

As far as ACNielsen AFTAB is concerned it uses Zero Level distribution channel. The reason is that it doesn’t require any other party for the disbursement of the research reports. Once the research is made it is directly handed over to its client. So there is no need of intermediaries for the services rendered by ACNielsen AFTAB.

ACNielsen Aftab has divided urban Pakistan into the following 14 Market Break Downs (MBDs) for the purpose of reporting Retail Audit data

Irrespective of that whether the organization is product oriented or the service oriented, it has become necessary for the organization to communicate its idea with its true sense to the target market. Because of its intangibility of services the effective communication is necessary so as to ensure its success in such critical field. The various elements which contribute in the promotion are:

One way of being known to others is that to have participation in high level seminars and conferences which serve as that plate form for effective communication of organizations image and its working. ACNielsen is also following the same strategy.

ACN holds a seminar each year, in which the people from Marketing Research field are invited. It helps in promoting the ACN’s image in the Research Market.

Participation in Seminars

ACN has a membership of a large number of Local and International organizations when any of these organizations holds seminar within the country or abroad, ACNielsen participates actively in such accessions

In November 1998, The Chief Executive “Mr. Aftab Ahmad”, addressed the “All Pakistan Marketing Conference” organized by “Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences, of Hamdard University”.

In this conference, he stressed the Importance of Marketing Research in the eyes of the public. In this way, he also promotes the image of ACN in the eyes of the local and International Companies.

The figures in financial statements do not tell the whole truth. To obtain meaningful information relationship between relevant figures must be examined. For instance;

Liquidity ratios are used to measure a firm’s ability to meet short-term obligations. They compare short-term obligations to short term current) resources available to meet these obligations from these ratios, much insight can be obtained into the present cash solvency of the firm and the firm’s ability to remain solvent in the event of adversity.

Current assets divided by current liabilities. It shows a firm’s ability to cover its current liabilities with its current assets.