John Bassler, Ph.D., Director, MSMR Program
The University of Texas at Arlington
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-----Original Message-----
From: Marketing Research Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 3:42 AM
Subject: MRA Student Focus Edition #8

MRA Student Focus
Edition #8
December 2, 2002

Welcome to MRA Student Focus, a monthly e-newsletter published by MRA and
targeted for the opinion and marketing research student or recent graduate.

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CONTENTS

Term of the Month
Internship Listings
MRA Student Membership
Interview with David Ashley
Thank You to our Volunteers

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TERM OF THE MONTH -  Anthropomorphic or Brand Personality Research
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A research technique in which participants describe a product, service
or brand in terms of a human being with personality traits so that the
participants' feelings about the object/brand can be determined.  Also
called Brand Personality Research.

Based on the premise that brands can have personalities in much the same
way as humans, Brand Personality describes brands in terms of human
characteristics.
Brand personality is seen as a valuable factor in increasing brand
engagement
and brand attachment, in much the same way as people relate and bind to
other people. Much of the work in the area of brand personality is based
on translated theories of human personality and using similar measures
of personality attributes and factors.

In today's market, the value of brand equity cannot be overestimated.
The value that is added to a product by its brand name is of critical
importance.
 While the building of a brand personality rests in the hands of those
in marketing and advertising, the identification of the consumers'
perception
of brand personality requires the tools of marketing research.   A large
part of such research might utilize psychographic techniques to expose
emotional associations that are relevant to the consumer.  From this
research
should emerge a host of perceived and actual product personality traits
that are unique to a particular brand.


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INTERNSHIPS
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MRA lists internships at no charge as a service to our members. If your
company has an opinion and marketing research internship you would like
to list here, please contact [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
Internships are printed in the MRA Student News and listed online for 2
months.


Assistant (St. Louis, Missouri)
HEURIS
The ideal candidate will have both a marketing or business background and
also computer skills or multimedia interests, grad level students are
strongly
encouraged to apply. It is expected that the intern will walk away from
this experience with a true understanding of what it takes to be successful
in the entrepreneurial world, as well as knowledge of the sophisticated
marketing and sales practices of the Software industry. Duties will range
from helping with the phones, sales orders entry, dealers files maintenance,

marketing research, as well as assisting with development of marketing
tools and usage of E-Commerce tools. Additionally, this person will assist
with our involvement in the many marketing and sales opportunities and
events that take place. And finally the individual must be comfortable
working in a small team, and able to work flexibly in a fast pace
environment.
http://www.heuris.com/AboutHEURIS/jobs/interns/

Data Research Intern (Santa Monica, CA)
Edmunds.com
Edmunds.com is currently seeking a Data Research Intern to assist in our
Edmunds Data Services department. For immediate consideration, please email
resume to [log in to unmask] or fax to 310.309.6466. Please submit resume
only once and no phone calls please.

Entertainment Marketing Internship (LA, CA)
Buzztone.com
Entertainment Marketing Internship Description: An internship in
entertainment
marketing. The intern will conduct research online as well as participate
in guerilla marketing tactics. Help promote movies and bands! Requirements:
Must be internet savvy! Must be creative and willing to learn. Excel and
Word skills are required. Number Available: 10 Timeframe: Continuous Hours
per week: 15 State: California Country: United States Compensation: College
Credit Application Process: E-mail [log in to unmask] with your resume
in the body of the e-mail. No attachments! Contact: Jeff Elson Information
url: www.buzztone.com

Internet Marketing Research Internship (Seattle, WA)
GoTech, Inc.
The intern will work with our marketing and sales department. One of the
activities will be a research project related to local corporate use of
Internet and Intranet technologies. The project will involve telephone
surveys of participants each week, entering the response information into
the Web front-end of our database. At the end of the quarter the intern
will analyze the data gathered and discuss the findings with GoTech company
principals. Other projects will include the production of documents for
the internal marketing team, assistance with other research projects and
special projects as assigned. http://www.gotech.net/about/careers_intern.cfm

Market Research Intern (Golden Valley, Minnesota)
Sights on Service
Interning in market research involves the opportunity to participate in
the next phase of advancing our corporate productivity. It is hard to
believe,
but just a few years ago, our business was totally pencil and paper and
conducted over the phone and through the mail. Today it is almost completely

over the internet. The first phases of our technological reinvention
involved
moving our forms from paper to the internet. That has been accomplished
and the productivity increases have been phenomenal. Our next step involves
actually changing those forms so they are literally "self-edited."
Significant
time and effort are currently expended by our company to assure completeness

and consistency of reports submitted by our shoppers. We now want to
eliminate
that by modifying the answer possibilities of our questions, replacing
"filling in the blank" options with a complete set of alternatives that
cover all situations. This should be an exciting opportunity for a college
student in a wide array of disciplines. This is an unpaid position. We
would like full-time work until school begins, and then part time effort
for sometime thereafter. This should be a great skill enhancing experience
and will result in a wonderful entry on your resume which should enhance
your permanent employment search. If you are interested in this position,
please complete this job application.
http://www.secretshop.com/job_descriptions.htm

Market Research Internship (Frankfurt/Main, Germany)
PM&P
PM&P offers 2 internships, usually for a 6-months period starting in
February/March
or September/ October. Please apply for the internship by sending us your
CV and an application letter by post, fax or e-mail
([log in to unmask]).
http://www.pm-p.de/jobs/internship.htm

Marketing Research Competition for Students (Quebec, Canada)
Professional Marketing Research Society
The marketing research specialty is emerging in Québec and an urgent need
of new talent is required to work in this sector. That is why the
Professional
Marketing Research Society is holding a competition among students for
the 2002-2003 academic year, in partnership with Bell Canada.
http://www.pmrs-aprm.com/Montreal/


Marketing Research Intern (Orlando, FL)
Orlando Sentinel
Collect and prepare marketing research information and statistics and update

research files and databases. Search for and collect information on local
demographics, economic activity, real estate development and other pertinent

marketing topics from Internet sites, published documents and telephone
contacts. Analyze information on newspaper readership, newspaper circulation

and other media usage
measures.http://www.sentinelcareers.com/collegeprograms/springfallinternship
s.shtml


Marketing Research Intern (San Francisco - CA )
IDG Global Solutions
IDG Global Solutions seeks an energetic, highly motivated International
Research Intern. The intern will support IDG sales and management by
providing
international IT knowledge - including tracking technology and marketing
trends in foreign markets, designing and coordinating global brand studies,
creating market research presentations and responding to client inquiries.
The ideal candidates will posses, or be in the process of obtaining, a
Bachelor's degree. Strong PC (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and analytical skills

are preferred, along with the ability to work under deadline restrictions.
Strong customer satisfaction orientation, highly-motivated self-starters
who thrive in a fast-paced environment and desired. International work
experience and languages are a definite plus. The position is an unpaid
full-time internship with employment potential. Contact: E. Chareonlap
Fax: 415-974-7368 Phone: 415-974-7382 Email: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

Marketing Research Intern (New York, NY )
Pfizer Pharmaceutical
Interns are assigned to work with the market research manager on a specific
marketing team (based in New York) and will assist the research manager
on a variety of market research activities, within the US or globally.
In addition, they will have at least one project that will be their
responsibility
to complete and present at the end of the internship. Interns will gain
experience with both primary and secondary marketing research techniques,
and will have the opportunity to help develop, assess and recommend
marketing
strategies. http://www.pfizer.com/pfizerinc/career/intern.html#pgmr

Marketing Research Intern (Philadelphia, PA)
Red Cross
Assists various projects to support the Market Research and Analysis
efforts,
including Customer Satisfaction Surveys, assists in developing market and
customer trends, profiles/segments and with market
research.http://www.redcross-philly.org/jobs/o_25182.asp

Marketing Research Intern (San Francisco - CA)
TechTV
The TechTV Research department is looking for enthusiastic students with
an interest in learning about television, have a positive attitude, and
are team players. Interns will work with the Research team to support
requests
from many departments within the company including Ad Sales, Affiliate
Sales, Programming, and Marketing. Research Interns will also have the
opportunity to learn about Nielsen ratings and how they are used at a cable
television network.
http://www.techtv.com/aboutus/workattechtv/jobs/story/0,23350,3004345,00.htm
l

Marketing Research Internship (Secaucus, NJ)
MSNBC
This Intern will assist in supporting MSNBC and CNBC Primetime research
efforts by helping in the compilation of Nielsen audience data for MSNBC,
CNBC and our competitors. Intern should be a self-starter, who is organized
and detail-oriented. Knowledge of Microsoft Office products including;
Excel, Word and PowerPoint necessary. Should also have an interest in the
business side of television. Background in mathematics or statistics
helpful.
Good writing skills a plus. http://www.msnbc.com/m/info/ineastcable.asp


Research Intern(Sarasota, LA, Arlington)
Market Access
Intern assist with data entry, filing, telephone interviewing, scanning,
copying and database management. Intern will learn about federal and state
& local procurement as it applies to the acquisition of information
technology.
They will also be exposed to primary and secondary market research
methodologies
and tools. http://www.marketaccess.org/careers.asp#reseach_intern

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MRA STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
==================================================================
Holiday To Do List:

1.  Party Goods
2.  Gift for Mother
3.  Join MRA

By joining MRA you give yourself a gift that lasts throughout the year.

*  Chapter Involvement - attend local events and seminars and network with
professionals in your area

*  Information in the monthly Alert! newsletter keeps you up to date on
the industry

*  Use the Member's Only Access on the MRA Web Site as a resource to expand
your knowledge - an especially valuable resource during your education!

* You'll receive savings all year on MRA publications, advertising, and
training

JOIN ONLINE:  <https://www.mra-net.org/ecom/showitems.cfm?DeptID=1>
FORMS TO FAX: http://www.mra-net.org/shop/application.pdf


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INTERVIEW WITH DAVID ASHLEY
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David Ashley works in the Office of Communication and Public Liason at
the US Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C., where he conducts
marketing research studies gauging customer satisfaction and performance
of SBA programs and services. David serves on the faculties of Johns Hopkins

University, George Washington University and the University of Maryland
where he teaches marketing and marketing research. He has an MBA from the
University of New Mexico.


Q.  WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU BEFORE YOU BEGAN
YOUR CAREER?

The value of taking every opportunity that arises and the need to create
your own opportunities rather than always waiting for one to arise.

Q.  THINKING OF YOUR FORMAL EDUCATION, WHAT ONE OR TWO THINGS THAT YOU
LEARNED WERE USEFUL IN YOUR REAL-LIFE CAREER?  WHAT ONE OR TWO THINGS WERE
NOT USEFUL AT ALL?

Learn as much quantifiable information as possible such as statistics,
accounting and research methods.  Having quantifiable knowledge will set
you apart form the rest of the pack.  I know most people don't like math
related subjects; however, that's why you will be a hot commodity if you
do know it.  Least helpful subjects for my career, I suppose Latin.

Q.  WHAT SHOULD A STUDENT BE DOING NOW TO PREPARE HIM OR HERSELF FOR A
PAYING JOB AFTER GRADUATION?  WHAT SKILLS WILL HE OR SHE NEED?

Quantifiable skills such as statistics and math will set you apart - believe

me.  If will pay dividends later in life even though you probably don't
want to take those subjects.  Also, I would ensure you have excellent
writing
and oral communications skills.  Join some civic groups to practice your
speaking and presenting skills.

Q.  WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE CAREERS/POSITIONS IN THE FIELD OF QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH?

Research Director, Project Managers, Data Analysts, Survey Designers.

Q.  WHAT ABOUT QUALITATIVE RESEARCH?

Focus group moderator, interviewer, market tester, secondary research
analyst.

Q.  WHAT ARE SOME OF THE JOB FUCTIONS AND SPECIALTY AREAS IN MARKETING
RESEARCH?

Survey research/questionnaire manager, many of the topics addressed in
the previous questions.

Q.  WHAT DOES A FULL SERVICE RESEARCH COMPANY DO?

The whole package, from developing the analytical model to research design,
run the focus groups/interviews, conduct the secondary research, write
the questionnaires, distribute the questionnaires and enter them into a
data base, analyze the data, write a report on the findings and present
the report to the organization hiring you to do the work.  Many research
companies are not full service. They specialize in components of these
functions.

Q.  HOW SHOULD A STUDENT FIND AN INTERN POSITION?

Start calling around to research companies and make inquiries. Contact
career placement office at universities for information on career fairs,
find specific people within a research agency and contact them directly
- and ask for any advice/referring they can provide.

Q.  IF YOU WEREN'T IN MARKETING RESEARCH WHAT CAREER WOULD YOU HAVE PURSUED?

Not really sure - I like the university teaching I'm doing so I suppose
pursuing a career as a full time professor would be a good option - that
or lottery winner.


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THANK YOU TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER VOLUNTEERS
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We could not put the MRA Newsletters together each month without our
wonderful
volunteers, who offer their time to write articles and answer questions.
 Three cheers for all of these dedicated marketing researchers!

David Ashley, US Small Business Administration
Pam Bracken, University of Georgia
Linda Brazel, Galloway Research Service
Jon Last, The Golf Digest Companies
Mike Naples, Marketing Research Institute International
David Nelems, ActiveGroup
Rick Pink, IBM
Merrill Shugoll, Shugoll Research, Inc.

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If you're a university student interested in opinion and marketing research
you are eligible for MRA Student Membership.  Student Membership, at only
$50/year, is a great way to learn more about this profession.  You'll
receive:
Alert!, our monthly magazine, and discounts on MRA publications and
conferences.
 Extra bonus: Get involved in a local chapter, a great networking
opportunity.
 If you aren't an MRA Student Member now, join at
<http://www.mra-net.org/ecom/>
or http://www.mra-net.org/shop/application.pdf.  Proof of student status
required for $50 rate.

If you know someone who might like to receive this newsletter, please
forward
this e-mail. To subscribe or unsubscribe:
<http://www.mra-net.org/publications/email_news.cfm>

MRA Student Focus is published the first of every month. Copyright 2002
Marketing Research Association. All rights reserved.

MRA is a professional association dedicated to promoting excellence in
opinion and marketing research. MRA's goal is to advance the application,
use and understanding of opinion and marketing research. For additional
information, visit the MRA Web site at http://www.mra-net.org or call (860)
257-4008.

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