New style quality

The term ‘quality’ is one of the most misused in the business world. What exactly does it mean? Quality meant excellence. As defined by the American statistician Edward Deming some 50 years ago, quality means consistency, a lack of defects. Further damage to old-style quality was done by the rise of Japan. When Japanese cars, toys and television sets first reached the market in the US and UK, local manufacturers considered them cheap trash. In the beginning, they were. But under the teaching of Edward Deming, the Japanese were learning about the second definition of quality. In time of course, Japanese cars became stylish and comfortable vehicles. Quality has a third meaning that of value for money. To qualify for that meaning, a product must be of certain standard.

The US fast foods group McDonald’s, for instance, talks of its ‘high quality food’. But at 99c or 99p, its hamburgers are as close to absolute cheapness as any person in the developed world could desire. But as anyone who has eaten a really good American hamburger knows, a McDonald’s is also a long way from quality in its original sense.

FINANCIAL TIMES

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Three promotions

McDonald’s. The famous fast food company, McDonald’s, launched Campaign 55 help it compete against rivals like Burger King and Wendy’s. They had a six-week promotion costing $320 million. McDonald’s offered a Big Mac for 55 cents instead of $1.90.

Pepsi. The Pepsi Cola Company had the idea of offering a Harrier jump jet as a ‘joke’ promotion. The advertisement was shown in the Seattle area in the US. It showed a teenager modeling some merchandise available as part of the Pepsi Stuff promotion. At the end, a Harrier jet landed outside the school and the boy came out of the cockpit saying, ‘It sure beats taking the bus to school.’

Irish Tourist Board. The Irish Tourist Board used to have the shamrock as its symbol. Recently it spent $100 000 developing a new logo to attract tourists to Ireland. The logo showed two people with their arms outstretched in welcome. A tiny shamrock can be seen between the two bodies. The new logo was part of a campaign to promote Ireland as a modern country offering good food and company. The television and advertising campaign included music by the well-known group the Cranberries and showed pictures of a romantic, fun-loving Ireland. It was very successful abroad. Tourism increased by 14% in four months.

From The Economist

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Telepathy … the proof really is all in the mind

Researchers claim that while many people have strange, even bizarre experiences in their lives, almost all can be explained by coincidence. Psychologists Dr Richard Wiseman, an expert in the paranormal from the University of Hertfordshire, and Dr Julie Milton, came to their conclusions after looking at 1,200 published scientific investigations into telepathy from all over the world. Under these rules volunteers sit on their own in a room with half ping-pong balls over their eyes and a strong red light to stop visual distractions. In another room a second volunteer is given a picture and instructed to concentrate on it and transmit the image mentally to the other person. After 20 minutes the first volunteer is shown four pictures and asked to nominate the correct one.

Some strange events which may seem fantastic are actually statistically not so unlikely. For instance, if there are just 24 strangers in a room, there is 50/50 chance that two people will share the same birthday. If these two meet, it will seem like a coincidence. Dr Wiseman has studied the phenomenon of people who dream about death, and then have a close relative or family member die the next day. But in a UK population of 60 million, two people will have this frightening experience each week.

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