Marketing qualitative research work presented at the International Marketing Trends Conference hold in Paris in 2013

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Complex Purchase Prescription:
Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model
International Marketing Trends Conference – Paris 2013
Corinne Lamour
IGR-IAE University of Rennes1-France

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Agenda
n Literature Review
n Research objectives
n Methodology
n Results
n Conclusions
n Implications, Limits and Further Research
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Literature Review (1)
n In Latin language:‘praecriptio’ (write before)
n General definition: strict order
n In law: order, injunction, indication (Cornu, 2004)
n In medicine: advice (Quevaulliers, Somogyi et
Fingerhut, 2007)
n In marketing books: idea of advice (Darpy et Volle,
2007) or authoritarian order (Malaval et Benaroya, 2009)
n In marketing scientific literature:‘action of
communication’ (Serraf, 1978)…
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Literature Review (2)
n Main theory (Hatchuel, 1995):
n Knowledge asymmetry
n Trust
n Shared target
n 3 forms of prescription (intensity)
n Prescription limits (prescribers’ independence)
n Very limited field experiments (Benghozi & Paris, 2003 ;
Stenger, 2006 ; Painbéni, 2009)
n Very scarce worldwide research (Olshavsky, 1985)
n Some incoherence between theory and field studies
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Literature Review (3)
Ø Definitions of prescription not challenged in
marketing
Ø Existing definition of prescription in marketing not
fitting with theory
Ø Absence of any marketing model including
prescription phenomenon
Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model
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Research Questions
If no definition nor model do exist…
n How do marketing researchers further study
prescription?
n Why do/should organizations use prescription
techniques?
Ø Need for clear definitions and for a
model on prescription in marketing
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Methodology
n Qualitative survey
n West of France, Spring 2012
n 20 face to face 1h semi-structured interviews
n With prescribers and prescription followers
n Field: pet foods
n Voice recording and transcript of interviews
n Manual and computer data treatment (NVivo9)
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Results per word frequency
A3 – Fréquence de mots cités lors des entretiens semi-directifs (traitement logiciel NVivo)
buy food alimentary animal pet shop animals had before have many good canine
reason dog customer common trust advice advise happy
kibbles other depend dietary direct give between example explain
manufacturers way function works range hills never animallabs owner medicine best better sometimes part pathology pathological think small
physiological take prescription prescribe problem quality somebody diet relation
health know otherwise follow follow-up to follow such time therapeutic always treatment
sell sale veterinarian want vitamins really
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Results per word frequency
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model
20%
15%
15%12%
10%
7%
6%
5%
5%
5%
problème
aliment
animal
santé
savoir
vétérinaire
prescription
solution
confiance
conseil
The 1rst 10 most cited items

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Results per encoded elements
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Definition of prescription
n “A brand or product prescription is an advice
given by a prescriber to a buyer, which intensity
vary according to the given decision making
problem. Based on trust between both parts,
prescription helps solving problems which are
often shared by both the prescriber and the
buyer.”
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Definitions of prescribers
n “Thanks to his knowledge, a prescriber is a
trustful person who prescribes a brand or a
product to a buyer, in order to solve a complex
decision making problem.The prescriber
independently prescribes in the interest of
both parts.”
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Prescription position in the
decision making process
shared
objectives
information
asymmetry
perceived risk trust
use of prescription
purchase
independent subcontracted
need detection
information
search
purchase
decision
prescriber's
knowledge
buyer's
ignorance
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Conclusions
n Prescription è advice
n Varying intensity
n Trust (knowledge, objectives, results)
n Dependence è not an issue
n Absence of prescribers è no exchange crisis
n Use of prescribers limits information search?
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Implications, Limits
& Further Research
n Implications:
n Academic: filled gap - foundation for further research
n Managerial: good tactic to increase sales and improve customers’
loyalty
n Limits & Further Research:
n One qualitative survey on limited number of interviewed
n Only interviews of prescription followers
n Only one field one country
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model

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Thank you for your attention
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Complex Purchase Prescription: Suggestion for Definitions and for a Model