Flatcapdriver

Why do you keep commissioning them, if they're so ****?

Sbradley

Surveys have a role, especially if you're trying to get money out of someone or influence public opinion.

The way you ask the questions and the questions you ask are hugely influential. For example (and it's made up, obviously), suppose you asked "Do you feel that a mandatory 50mph speed limit across the country is preferable to the deaths of 11,000 children a year from Mosquito borne infection?" You would then be able to publish the 'fact' that a recent nationwide survey showed the public to be overwhelmingly in favour of a blanket 50mph speed limit...

It's not quite that blatant, as there are rules about how these things are supposed to be done, but that's the general principle.

So you commission a survey and load it to give the answer you want - yes, the public support your invading a foreign country, yes this advertising campaign is effective, no, we don't feel our civil rights are being eroded etc...

Simple really.

SB

brickboy

Saved me the trouble of typing all that, SB, ta

We commission them because they work. I should have said survey FINDINGS are bull****.

Journalists will tell you they are deeply suspicious of surveys but they work as a PR tool to create "news". Note the use of inverted commas.

Turbohot

Intersting!

Just as well the title has a question mark at the end.For a minute I thought that Hitler was back!

Leslie

Only problem if you banned terrorists from flying is that I am sure they could find a way to get the bombs in the hold baggage to operate on a time or altitude switch for the detonator.

Les

KiwiGTI

We've discussed that in another thread, but I don't think they could. Most security experts believe this to be an almost impossible route for a bomb to get on board because of the screening and detection systems.

Of course we will hardly ever be able to do anything about corrupt workers.

davegtt

But hasnt it already been discussed that even if a bomb went off in the baggage hold it wouldnt effect the structure of the plane? Bomb proof if you like?

Flatcapdriver

I still don't understand why you continue to commission your surveys if you don't believe in their findings? Whilst it's very easy to construct the outcome by fiddling with the sampling, or mis-directing the respondent's replies based on the question construction it isn't that difficult to get meaningful data out of primary research. I do all of our stuff internally which may alter things but it strikes me as a waste of time and resources if you don't believe in the findings?

Sbradley

It's not a case of believing your own findings or not, because that's a moot point.

It's a case of your target audience believing the findings. And if they're too gullible/ill informed/plain stupid to understand how these things work then you're onto a winner...

SB

2000TLondon

You haven't read this thread very well, I'm from London, and am currently in London until the 10th September........ I've been in Texas for 9 months, which is about as conservative a place as you can get!

2000TLondon

Good quote Shrek, my Grandfather was a Captain at El Alamein, how did you know? Heavily decorated, too......... And yes, I am very proud of that, especially as it allows you to live in a democracy and enjoy freedom of speech!

2000TLondon

Turns out several of the suspects were Christians, and converted to Islam.... Do we now have to consider a blanket ban on Christians flying? Can we now label all Christians as potential Islamic fundamentalists? There must be some sort of extreme generalisation we can use with Christians, too.....

davegtt

No longer are all terrorist black eh There goes the old eating Bacon idea aswell

Flatcapdriver

I think we're talking about completely different forms of surveys. For marketing purposes we need them to be as accurate as possible, otherwise they'll completely muck up your branding/positioning or whatever you're trying to achieve as a result of the survey.

It sounds like you're trying to develop opinion based on your findings.

TelBoy

What has a Christian got to do with a Christian converted to Muslim, 200T? I'm confused. Unless you're talking about the faint chance of onboard conversion?? In my mind it's probably the converted Christians that you really DO have to keep a watchful eye on, after all they're going to be the ones brainwashed by the whole Islamic ideology.

Sbradley

Well, kind of. I'm suggesting how surveys can be used to say whatever the surveyor wants them to say if that's the aim, so that the findings ca then be used to justify an already decided course of action...

SB

2000TLondon

I think you missed the irony in my post, Tel....

Petem95

Ban all muslims from flying?!!

How about just banning them from buying return flights?

charshaun

i like it......

jods