The Multivariate Jungle — The Academic's Playground but the Manager's Minefield An Introduction to the Special Edition

Introduces the special edition of EJM Vol. 14 No. 7, 1980, which is involved with use and potential use of multivariate techniques as an aid to marketing decision making. States that marketing practitioners seem less ready to join in the revolution and embrace the power of new techniques. Posits that management and researchers have a lack of communication problem which means a ‘switch‐off’ by management when information is presented in a form which is unfamiliar. Goes on to discuss marketing decision support systems and uses a figure for emphasis, using this as a critical appetiser for the techniques that follow. Closes by saying the techniques available form comprehensive sets of tools to aid the interpretation and presentation of that information.