Alfred Politz Papers - St. John's University · Alfred Politz Papers 1942-1983 (Bulk Dates...
Transcript of Alfred Politz Papers - St. John's University · Alfred Politz Papers 1942-1983 (Bulk Dates...
Alfred Politz Papers
1942-1983
(Bulk Dates 1942-1967)
MC 62
5.5 linear feet
(14 boxes, additional oversized material)
Processed by Roxana Hnateyko-Charkewycz, June 1991
Last updated by Alyse Hennig, November 2013
University Archives and Special Collections
St. John’s University St. Augustine Hall - Room B20
8000 Utopia Parkway
Jamaica, New York, 11439
Tel. (718) 990-1465
Fax (718) 990-2024
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
2
Provenance
Gift of Martha Politz, January 1990.
Abstract
This collection documents the career of Alfred Politz, founder of the market research company
Alfred Politz Research Incorporated (ARPI). He was known especially for developing new
techniques in polling and opinion analysis. The collection includes biographical and
autobiographical information, correspondence, speeches, news clippings, articles, research studies
and other published and unpublished material written by, or about, Alfred Politz and ARPI.
Biographical Note
Alfred Politz was born in Berlin on 6 July 1902. He attended the Institute of Physics, which was
part of Humbolt University in Berlin, where in 1924 at the age of 22 he earned a doctorate.
Afterward, according to Mr. Politz ("Highlights of My Biography"-- Box 1, Folder 1) he taught
physics and evening classes "for engineers who wanted to brush up on their math." In the 1930s he
started Alfred Politz Werbertung, a consulting firm that worked on the marketing of industrial
products. He was also involved in consumer advertising and market research that necessitated
frequent trips to Sweden.
In 1937, at the age of 35, Alfred Politz immigrated from Berlin to New York. Two years later he
succeeded in bringing his wife (then his fiancée) Martha Bruszat out of Germany. As in
Germany, he continued working in the field of advertising and research. He was first hired for a
research position with Roper Research Associates -- Elmo Roper was a well known public
opinion pollster. After three years of working his way to the position of study director, Mr. Politz
was hired away from Roper Research Associates to become research director at Compton
Advertising. The job lasted only eight months, when at the request of Procter & Gamble, their
biggest client, Mr. Politz was let go. Upon discharge, Richard Compton offered Mr. Politz free
space in the Compton offices and Alfred Politz Research Incorporated (APRI) was born. The
company included Martha as assistant, secretary, and typist, and Janet K. Elligett another ex-
Roper employee. Sucony-Vacuum Oil Company (now Mobil Corporation) was one of Mr.
Politz's first clients.
In 1949, APRI was awarded the Life study of magazine audience readership. Employing
techniques of probability sampling or precision sampling developed by Mr. Politz, the study
became a landmark in the field of market research. At the time, the common sampling procedure
in survey research was quota sampling, which was based on the assumption that if a sample is
stratified on a few known characteristics (sex, age, class ...), then the unknown automatically
reveals itself. Alfred Politz replaced quota sampling with probability sampling. He argued that
quota sampling, distorted by various unknown factors, did not reveal anything other than the
stratification of the quota. In order to make sure that unknown factors did not distort the sample,
it is necessary to arrive at a scientific way of reaching a truly "random" sample. His procedures
using probability sampling did not produce a random sample in the strictest sense of the word,
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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but were far closer to being random than quota sampling and much more desirable if data was to
be projected. In this sense probability sampling is a scientific method by which one reaches a
truly "random" group. Thereafter, Mr. Politz was considered by many to be the premier
magazine researcher in the US, conducting what were often pioneering, sometimes famous and
always expensive studies for magazines such as McCall's, The Saturday Evening Post, Redbook,
and Reader's Digest.
By 1959, a new central office in New York City was staffed by 220 persons, 85 of whom were
professionals in the disciplines of psychology, statistics, economics, and sociology. The field
staff consisted of 600 interviewers who worked exclusively for the Politz company and an
additional 600 nonexclusive interviewers. APRI conducted consumer and industrial research for
individual clients with the goal of improving the competitive position of their client's products or
services. It made recommendations for the introduction of new products or product changes, for
marketing methods, and for advertising policy. The recommendations were based upon surveys
designed to determine mechanical and psychological causes of consumers' and dealers' behavior.
Because of the nature of the work, APRI worked for only one client in each filed. Its client list
included at one time or another: Anheuser Busch, Colgate Palmolive, Chrysler, Dupont Florida
Citrus Commission, Rheingold Beer, Sears Roebuck & Company, United Fruit, and US Steel; as
well as retainer clients: Coca Cola, Seagrams, Mobil, Kimberly-Clark, and Brown and
Williamson.
For over two decades Mr. Politz played a key role in the growth of the market research industry,
winning several awards for his innovation in the sampling and assessing of public opinion and
tastes. Mr. Politz won the American Marketing Association's top leadership award in 1947 for
developing more scientific standards and better techniques in marketing research. He won the
Media-Scope magazine award in 1960 for creativeness and the magazine's award in 1963 for
creative media research. At the annual conference of the Advertising Research Foundation in
1976 he was honored as a founder of advertising research and cited as a sampling innovator.
Alfred Politz retired in 1967 when he sold APRI to Computer Science Corp., and moved to
Odessa, Florida. There he wrote long "think piece" articles for publications such as Advertising
Age, some of which were published as late as 1974. Mr. Politz died of cancer at the age of 80 on
8 November 1982 at his home in Odessa, Florida.
Scope and Content Note
The Alfred Politz Papers (1942-1982) document the career of opinion analyst Alfred Politz. The
bulk of the material falls into the period of his active career (1942-1967). The papers are
arranged in two series: I. Alfred Politz, and II. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI). Materials that
were in poor condition were photocopied and the originals discarded.
Series I. Alfred Politz consists of three subseries: Personal, Works, and Publicity.The Personal
subseries contains biographical and autobiographical material, as well as the infamous 19 page
monograph mailed to 1,500 advertisers, agencies and media representatives in December 1961,
"Is Progress in Advertising Research Endangered by the Advertising Research Foundation?" The
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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Works subseries documents how Alfred Politz worked outside of his responsibilities as president
of APRI, speaking at engagements and writing articles. The Publicity subseries consists of
material collected by Alfred Politz about himself.
Series II. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) consists of two subseries: Studies and Publicity.
The Studies subseries is not all inclusive, but rather a sample of the type of product generated by
APRI. Information about specific studies may be found in numerous articles located in the
Publicity subseries. The Publicity subseries represents APRI's heyday during the 1950s when
revenues for the company grew from $2 million in 1955 to $3 million in 1956 to $3.5 million in
1957.
Organization
The collection is organized into two series:
Series I. Alfred Politz
A. Personal
B. Works
C. Publicity
Series II. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI)
A. APRI Studies
B. APRI Publicity
Series Description
Series I.A. Alfred Politz - Personal, 1953-1977 (bulk 1972-1977).
0.6 linear feet (Box 1-2) (books-Box 14)
Arranged topically.
Included are biographical as well as autobiographical materials, drafts of an unpublished
monograph, materials relating to the film "The Founding Fathers of Advertising Research,"
correspondence relating to various awards received, and books. Books in the collection include
presentation copies, titles that include Alfred Politz as a contributor, and titles that cite Politz.
Series I.B. Alfred Politz - Works, 1942-1976 (bulk 1942-1963).
0.83 linear feet (Box 3-4)
Arranged chronologically.
Consists of speeches, articles, and papers written or presented by Alfred Politz.
Series I.C. Alfred Politz -- Publicity, 1945-1975.
0.6 linear feet (Box 5-6)
Arranged chronologically.
Contains "publicity" Alfred Politz collected about himself and his company. Includes pamphlets,
articles and advertisements that may be found in various newspapers and the following
publications: Advertising Age, Broadcast, Newsweek, Printers’ Ink, and Tide.
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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Series II.A. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) Studies, 1944-1963.
0.83 linear feet (Box 7-8)
Arranged alphabetically by sponsor or topic; chronologically within.
Consist of research studies by Alfred Politz Research Inc. for various clients/sponsors. Most are
bound volumes. Clients/Sponsors include: Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co., Con Edison,
Time/Life Inc., McCall's, The Saturday Evening Post, and the National Transportation Association.
Series II.B. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) - Publicity, 1954-1965
2.5 linear feet (Box 9-14)
Arranged chronologically.
Publicity gathered by Burrelle's press clipping bureau about APRI, Alfred Politz, and all work
associated with either. Includes articles as well as advertisements. Some publicity associated
with Alfred Politz is duplicated in series I.C. Alfred Politz- Publicity, materials gathered by Mr.
Politz himself. Also included in this series is the publicity of the American Dairy Association (a
client) following the APRI publicity.
Container List
Series I. A. Alfred Politz – Personal
Box 1
Folder Title Date
1 Biographical 1972
2 Reminiscences of Alfred Politz 1972
3 Alfred Politz Book [not published], Outline, notes & drafts 1971-1973
4 Alfred Politz Book- unpublished material
5 Annotated draft of Alfred Politz Book, prepared by Nancy A. Leary November 1972
6 Draft sections of book – manuscript
7
"Is Progress in Advertising Research Endangered by the American
Research Foundation," (monograph) 1961
8 Dwight Eisenhower Correspondence - Photocopy 19551
9
"The Founding Fathers of Advertising Research," Advertising
Research Foundation 1976-1977
10
American Market Association Meeting, showing film, "The
Founding Fathers..." 1977
11
Correspondence and copies of "The Founding Fathers of
Advertising Research"
Box 2
Folder Title Date
1 A Few Facts About Alfred Politz Research, Inc. 1962
2 Clients (of APRI), (Coca-Cola, Mobil, US Steel) 1958- 1963
3
Correspondence (Darell Lucas, NC Gent), [original folder title -
Current and Pending] 1972-1974
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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4 Correspondence, RE: Advertising Hall of Fame 1974-1975
5 Transit Advertising Hall of Fame Award Ceremony 1977
6 Market Research Council - 1st Annual Award April-July1977
Series I. B. Alfred Politz - Works (papers/articles/speeches)
Box 3
Folder Title Date
1
"Method For Determining Number of Readers per Copy of
Magazine Circulation," Journal of Applied Psychology, [reprint] R.
Frazen, co-author.
2
"Family v. Individual in Measurement of Audiences," Journal of
American Statistical Association. June 1943
3 "Can an Advertiser Believe What Surveys Tell Him?" Printers' Ink.
4
"Can an Advertizer Believe What Mail Surveys Tell Him?"
Printers' Ink. June 20, 1947
"Measuring the Size of Spot Commercial Audiences," Printers' Ink. April 11, 1947
"How to Evaluate and Compare Advertising Media," Advertising &
Selling. April 1947
"Do Respondents Tell the Truth?" Advertising & Selling. May 1947
"A Critical Appraisal of Media Research," Advertising &Selling. June 1947
5 "The 1948 Election Forecast-- A Useful Disaster," Printers' Ink. November 12, 1948
6
"A Critical Appraisal of Media Research," pamphlet reprint of
series in Advertising & Selling. 1949
7
"An Attempt to Get the Not-At-Homes into the Sample without
Call Backs," Journal of American Statistical Association. March 1950
8
"Market and Opinion Surveys - Their Role in Industry & Society,"
Speech. October 1950
9 "Effective Market and Opinion Research," Address, Boston. October 21, 1952
10 ''Research and Prediction," The Advertiser's Digest. February 1953
"Research Should Not Scoff At the Advertiser's Hunches,"
Advertising Agency Magazine. May 1953
"On the Necessity to Present Consumer Preferences as Predictions,"
Journal of Marketing. July 1953
"Questionnaire Validity Through the Opinion Forming Question,"
Journal of Psychology. 1953
11
"Some Practical Ways to Increase the Sales Power of Your
Advertising Dollar," Speech, AMA Meeting. March 17, 1954
12
"Is a National Tourist Market Study Desirable?" Florida State
Chamber of Commerce, Advertising and Tourist Development
Division. June, 6, 1954
13 "New Motivation," Sales Executive Club. July 12, 1955
14
"What is Consumer Motivation Research? – An Appraisal," Boston
Conference on Distribution, Boston, Mass.
October 17-18,
1955
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
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15
"Design and Success in Marketing Research," Harvard Business
Review. October 10, 1956
16
"Science and Truth in Marketing Research," Harvard Business
Review.
January-February
1957
17
"Ten Pitfalls in Marketing Research," Monthly Bulletin of Di Cyan
& Brown (Consulting Chemists). March 1957
18
"Motivation Research from a Research Point of View," Public
Opinion Quarterly. Winter 1956-1957
19
“A Research Program or Surveys?" Market Research Council, New
York City. April 12, 1957
20
"Market Research Evaluates Advertising -- Tools Used Today--
Plans For Tomorrow," Pharmaceutical Advertising Club (PAC),
New York City. May 27, 1958
Untitled, (Perception). September 1958
"Attraction and Distraction in Advertising," 3rd Annual Newspaper
ROP Color Conference. September 16, 1958
21
"The Underestimated Consumer -- A Research Man's Viewpoint,"
presented before the Association of National Advertisers, Hot
Springs, Virginia. November 11, 1958
22
"What Is It Essential To Know From Magazine Research?"
Media/scope, Annual Awards Issue. April 1959
23
"Does Today's Advertising Understand the Consumer?" 31st
Annual Boston Conference on Distribution. October 19, 1959
24
"Can Research Increase the Trustworthiness Through Elimination
of the Human Error?" International Congress of Outdoor
Advertising, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. July 12, 1960
25 "The Dilemma of Creative Advertising," Journal of Marketing. October 1960
26 "Media Performance vs. Copy Performance," Media/scope. November 1960
27
Is Progress in Advertising Research Endangered By The
Advertising Research Foundation. 1961
28
"Copy Performance Vs. Media Performance," (in Spanish) Impetu,
Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1961
29
"Dilemma of Creative Advertising," (in Swedish) Agenda,
Stockholm, Sweden. 1961
Box 4
Folder Title Date
1
"How Advertising Affects Attitudes and Buying Decisions," ANA
Advertising Evaluation Workshop. January 26, 1961
2
"Applying Research to the Determination of Advertising Value,"
ANA Spring Meeting, Washington, DC. April 18, 1961
3
"Analysis vs. Creativeness," 3rd Annual Marketing Conference,
Hanover, Indiana. October 5, 1961
4 "The Dilemma of Creative Advertising," (in Italian) Mercurio. October 1961
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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5
"The Relationship Between Research and Creativeness," Atlanta
AMA, Atlanta, Georgia. March 9, 1962
6
"Can Advertising Effect and Advertising Efficiency Be Measured
Before Advertising Being Placed Into Media?," Draft. May 5, 1962.
7 "Motivational vs. Statistical Research," Draft. May 5, 1962
8 "The Problem of Hard Sell," Draft. May 5, 1962
9
"The Effect of Advertising, It's Measurement and the Excess of
Power of Groups," Chicago AMA. September 13, 1962
10
"About Understanding Progress in Research," Association of Allied
and Medical Publications. October 3, 1962
11
"Copy Function and Product Performance," ANA Advanced
Advertising Management Course. March 14, 1963
12
"Advertising Budget, Copy and New Profit," Harvard Business
Review. April 1963
13
"The Study and Formation of Good Will," Pub1ic Utilities
Advertising Association, Tampa, Florida. May 10, 1963
14
"Politz Looks at Business Papers," Associated Business
Publications. June 13, 1963
15
"Case for the Complete Analysis of Audience Services," ARF
Conference. October 1, 1963
16
"Copy Function and Product Performance," ANA, Advanced
Advertising Management Course. March 10-15, 1963
17
"On the Theory of Product Testing," British-American Tobacco
Marketing Research Conference. October 22,1963
18
"The Effect of Advertising, It's Measurement and the Excess
Power of Groups," International Advertising Association. June 9, 1964
19
"Imaginative Use of Marketing Research in Strategy
Development," 7th Annual Marketing Strategy Conference, New
York, NY. October 10, 1967
20
"The Future of Marketing Research," AMA Special Chapter
Meeting. April 23, 1968
21 "Issues in Advertising," Issues in Advertising. February 27, 1973
22 "The Illusion of Image and the Excess Power of Large Groups." September 13, 1973
23
"Things to Know About Research and Excess Power of Large
Groups," Advertising Age. November 4, 1974
24 "Creativeness and Imagination," Journal of Advertising. Summer 1975
25
"Systematic Reduction of Advertising Affect – A Comment On
Imagination and Logic." April 1975
26
"The Function of Advertising and Its Measurements," Journal of
Advertising. 1975
27 Keynote Speech - New York. July 1, 1976
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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Series I. C. Alfred Politz – Publicity
Box 5
Folder Title Date
1 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1945
2 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1946
3 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1947
4 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1948
5 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1949
6 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1950
7 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1951
8 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1952
9 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1953
10 Alfred Politz – Publicity, Foreign – Norway 1953-1962
11 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1954
12 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1955
13 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1956
14 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1957
15 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1958
16 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1959
Box 6
Folder Title Date
1 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1960
2 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1961
3 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1962
4 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1963
5 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1964
6 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1967
7 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1970
8 Alfred Politz – Publicity (Business Week) 1974
9 Alfred Politz – Publicity 1975
10 Alfred Politz – Publicity (Advertising Age) 1980, 1983
Series II.A. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) Studies.
Box 7
Folder Title Date
1
Sponsor: Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. "The Study and
Development of Advertising Guides" December 1962
2
Sponsor: Con Edison "A Study of Public Attitude Towards Con
Edison." November 1950
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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3 "Evaluation of Electional Methods." September 1944
4 Sponsor: Life "A Study of the Accumulative Audience of Life." 1950
5
Sponsor: Life "A Study of Four Media-- Their Accumulative and
Repeat Audiences." 1953
6
Sponsor: Life "A Study of Duplication" (based on the Study of
Four Media). 1954
7 Sponsor: Life "Study of Consumer Expenditures," Volume 1. 1957
8 Sponsor: Life "A Study of Consumer Expenditures," Volume 5. 1959
Box 8
Folder Title Date
1 Sponsor: McCall's' A Measurement of Effectiveness." 1962
2 Sponsor: McCall's "Female Audiences." n.d.
3 Media Studies/Audit. 1963
4 Sponsor: Mobil "Suggestions & Recommendation by APRI." 1961
5
Sponsor: Saturday Evening Post "The Readers of The Saturday
Evening Post." 1957
6 The Continuing Study of Transportation Advertising." 1946
Series II.B. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) – Publicity
Box 9
Folder Title Date
1 APRI Publicity
November-
December 1954
2 APRI Publicity
January-February
1956
3 APRI Publicity March-April 1956
4 APRI Publicity May 1956
5 APRI Publicity June 1956
6 APRI Publicity July-August 1956
7 APRI Publicity
September-October
1956
8 APRI Publicity
November-
December 1956
9 APRI Publicity
January-February
1957
10 APRI Publicity March-April 1957
11 APRI Publicity May 1957
Box 10
Folder Title Date
1 APRI Publicity March-April 1957
2 APRI Publicity May 1957
3 APRI Publicity June 1957
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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4 APRI Publicity July-August 1957
5 APRI Publicity September 1957
6 APRI Publicity October 1957
7 APRI Publicity
November-
December 1957
8 APRI Publicity
January-February
1958
9 APRI Publicity March 1958
10 APRI Publicity April 1958
Box 11
Folder Title Date
1 APRI Publicity May 1958
2 APRI Publicity June 1958
3 APRI Publicity
January-February
1959
4 APRI Publicity March-April 1959
5 APRI Publicity May-June 1959
6 APRI Publicity July-August 1959
7 APRI Publicity
September-October
1959
8 APRI Publicity
November-
December 1959
9 APRI Publicity January 1960
10 APRI Publicity June-July 1960
11 APRI Publicity
September-October
1960
12 APRI Publicity July-August 1961
13 APRI Publicity
September-October
1961
Box 12
Folder Title Date
1 APRI Publicity
November-
December 1961
2 APRI Publicity
January-February
1962
3 APRI Publicity March-April 1962
4 APRI Publicity May-June 1962
5 APRI Publicity May 1963
6 APRI Publicity June 1963
7 APRI Publicity July 1963
Alfred Politz Papers, 1942-1983
St. John’s University Archives and Special Collections
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8 APRI Publicity
August-September
1963
9 APRI Publicity October 1963
10 APRI Publicity November 1963
11 APRI Publicity December 1963
12 APRI Publicity January 1964
13 APRI Publicity February 1964
14 APRI Publicity March 1964
Box 13
Folder Title Date
1 APRI Publicity April 1964
2 APRI Publicity May 1964
3 APRI Publicity June 1964
4 APRI Publicity July 1964
5 APRI Publicity January 1965
6 APRI Publicity February 1965
7 APRI Publicity March 1965
8 APRI Publicity April 1965
Box 14
Books Title Date
Editors of Fortune, The Amazing Advertising Business. New York:
Simon and Schuster. 1957
Halsman, Philippe, Philippe Halsman's Jump Book. New York:
Simon and Schuster. 1958
Honomichl, Jack J., Honomichl on Marketing Research.
Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC Business Books. 1986
Honomichl, Jack J., Marketing/Research People. Chicago, Illinois:
Crain Books. 1984
Hopkins, Claude, Scientific Advertising. New York: Moore
Publishing. 1952
Issues in Advertising, ed. Robert Karp. New York: MSS
Information Agency. 1972
Sherwood Dodge: He Spoke for All of Us. New York: Advertising
Research Foundation. 1971
Oversized Title Date
Advertising Age. (I.C. Alfred Politz Publicity; Box 6, folder 10) October 31, 1983
A Study of Four Media. (II.A. Alfred Politz Research Inc. (APRI) -
Studies; Box 7, folder 5) June 1953