Empirical Marketing Generalization Using Meta-Analysis

A decade of work in marketing meta-analysis has produced empirical generalizations concerning parameters in models of advertising, price, diffusion, and consumer behavior. Results from these meta-analyses should replace the now discredited zero null hypotheses of such parameters in future work. Probably more important than nonzero “grand mean” average effects is an approach called Parametric Adjustability, which provides estimated parameter values for specific conditions reflecting markets and research technologies. Systematic application of the methodology can also help guide research along productive routes and away from repetition of work which has little potential to add new knowledge.