2. Learning Objectives
1. To Understand the Importance of Consumer
Research for Firms and Their Brands, as Well as
Consumers.
2. To Understand the Steps in the Consumer
Research Process.
3. To Understand the Importance of Establishing
Specific Research Objectives as the First Step in
the Design of a Consumer Research Project.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 2
3. Learning Objectives (continued)
4. To Understand the Purposes and Types of Secondary
Consumer Research That Is Available for Making
Decisions or Planning Future Consumer Research.
5. To Understand Specific Features and Applications of
Different Research Methods to Be Carried Out in
Consumer Research Studies.
6. To Understand Where Data Analysis and Reporting of
Findings Fit in the Research Process.
7. To Understand How Each Element of the Consumer
Research Process Adds to the Overall Outcome of the
Research Study.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 3
4. Why Do Marketers Regularly Test Print Ads
Like This One Before They Are Placed in the
Media?
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 4
5. To Test the Impact of the Message Before
Spending Large Amounts of Money
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 5
6. The Importance of the Consumer
Research Process
• Marketers must understand customers
to design effective:
– marketing strategies
– products
– promotional messages
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 6
7. The Consumer Research Process
Figure 2.2
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 7
8. The Consumer Research Process
• Secondary research
• Primary research
– Qualitative
– Quantitative
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 8
9. Developing Research Objectives
• Defining purposes and objectives helps ensure
an appropriate research design.
• A written statement of objectives helps to
define the type and level of information
needed.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 9
10. Discussion Questions
• Assume you are planning to open a new pizza
restaurant near your campus.
– What might be three objectives of a research plan
for your new business?
– How could you gather these data?
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 10
11. Secondary Data
• Data that has been
collected for reasons
other than the specific
research project at hand
• Includes internal and
external data
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 11
12. Types of Secondary Data
Internal Data External Data
• Data generated in-house • Data collected by an outside
• May include analysis of organization
customer files • Includes federal
• Useful for calculating government, periodicals,
customer lifetime value newspapers, books, search
engines
• Commercial data is also
available from market
research firms
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 12
13. Discussion Questions
Personal Privacy
• Many people do not like the fact that their
personal data are used for marketing.
• How can marketers justify their need for data?
• How can they acquire data and maintain
customer privacy?
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 13
15. Qualitative Collection Method
Depth Interview
• Also called one-on-one interview
• Usually 20 minutes to 1 hour
• Nonstructured
• Interviewer will often probe to get more
feedback (see following slide for probing)
• Session is usually recorded
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 15
16. Probing Options for Interviews
Figure 2.3
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 16
17. Qualitative Collection Method
Focus Group
• 8-10 participants
• Respondents are recruited through a screener
questionnaire
• Lasts about 2 hours
• Always taped or videotaped to assist analysis
• Often held in front of two-way mirrors
• Online focus groups are growing
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 17
18. Discussion Guides for Research
• Step-by-step outline
for depth interviews
and focus groups
• Interviewers will
often “improvise”
and go beyond the
discussion guide
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 18
19. Focus Group Discussion Guide - Figure 2.4
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 19
20. Qualitative Collection Method
Projective Techniques
• Research procedures designed to identify
consumers’ subconscious feelings and
underlying motivations
• Consist of a variety of disguised “tests”
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 20
21. Common Projective Exercises
Table 2.1 (excerpt)
Description
Word The researcher has a list of words, some of them to be studied and some
Associations just as “filler.” The researcher asks the respondent(s) to react, one-at-a
time, to each word by stating or (in a focus group setting) writing on a
pad the first word that comes to mind, and to explain the link.
Sentence The researcher has a series of incomplete sentences that the
Completion respondent(s) needs to complete with a word or phrase.
Photo/Visual The researcher creates/selects a series of photos of consumers, different
for brands or products, range of print ads, etc., to serve as stimuli. The
Storytelling respondents are asked to discuss or tell a story based on their response
to a photo or some other visual stimulus.
Role Playing Is quite similar to storytelling; however, instead of telling a story, the
participant(s) will be given a situation and asked to “act out” the role(s),
often with regard to a product or brand, or particular selling situation.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 21
22. Qualitative Collection Method
Metaphor Analysis
• Based on belief that metaphors are the most
basic method of thought and communication
• Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique
(ZMET) combines collage research and
metaphor analysis to bring to the surface the
mental models and the major themes or
constructs that drive consumer thinking and
behavior.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 22
23. Qualitative Collection Method
“Looking-In”
• Look at information from threads and postings
on social media, including blogs and
discussion forums
• Methodology to capture consumers’
experiences, opinions, forecasts, needs, and
interests
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 23
25. Data Collection Methods
Observational Research
• Helps marketers gain an in-depth
understanding of the relationship between
people and products by watching them buying
and using products
• Helps researchers gain a better understanding
of what the product symbolizes
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 25
26. Data Collection Methods
Mechanical Observational Research
• Uses mechanical or electronic device to
record consumer behavior or response
• Consumers’ increased use of highly
convenient technologies will create more
records for marketers
• Audits are a type of mechanical observation
which monitor sales
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 26
27. Data Collection Methods
Experimentation
• Can be used to test the relative sales appeal of
many types of variables
• An experiment is usually controlled with only
some variables manipulated at a time while
the others are constant
• Test markets are conducted on a single
market area
• Experimentation can be conducted in
laboratories or in the field
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 27
28. Discussion Questions
• What might direct marketers test in
experiments?
• How can they use the results?
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 28
29. Data Collection Methods
Table 2.2
Mail Telephone Personal Online
Interview
Cost Low Moderate High Low
Speed Slow Immediate Slow Fast
Response rate Low Moderate High Self-selected
Geographic Excellent Good Difficult Excellent
flexibility
Interviewer N/A Moderate Problematic N/A
bias
Interviewer N/A Easy Difficult N/A
Supervision
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 29
30. Validity and Reliability
• If a study has validity, it collects the
appropriate data for the study.
• A study has reliability if the same questions,
asked of a similar sample, produce the same
findings.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 30
32. Customer Satisfaction Measurement
• Customer
Satisfaction
Surveys
– Analysis of
Expectations
versus Experience
• Mystery Shoppers
• Customer
Complaint Analysis
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 32
33. Sampling and Data Collection
• Samples are a subset of the population used
to estimate characteristics of the entire
population.
• A sampling plan addresses:
– Whom to survey
– How many to survey
– How to select them
• Researcher must choose probability or
nonprobabililty sample.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 33
34. Data Analysis and Reporting Findings
• Open-ended questions are coded and
quantified.
• All responses are tabulated and analyzed.
• Final report includes executive summary,
body, tables, and graphs.
Copyright 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall Chapter Two Slide 34
Consumer research has developed from the more general field of market research. It is a field of study that has been influenced by researchers and practitioners in several other fields, including psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Consumer research is important for marketers as the competitive landscape in almost every industry becomes even more challenging and with growth in global and cross-cultural markets.
Here we see an overview of the consumer research process that a typical marketer might follow when conducting research. As you can see, the marketer will first develop objectives to guide their research. Next comes the collection of secondary data which we will learn is data that is available because it had been collected previous to the marketer’s particular research. In the next phase, the marketer branches to both qualitative and quantitative research. In each of these areas, the marketer collects and analyzes data and then presents it in either a written report, a presentation, or both.
Information can be classified as either primary or secondary. Secondary information is information that has been collected for another purpose. It is already available to the researcher often for a fee. Primary research can be either qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative research includes focus groups and in-depth interviews. The more numerically-oriented quantitative research includes observational research, experimentation, and survey research.
It is extremely important that research objectives are determined at the beginning of the process. Without this agreed-upon roadmap for the research, money can easily be wasted and research objectives not fulfilled. At this point, it is important to define the purpose of a particular study. A small-scale exploratory study might be executed upfront if more information is needed by the researcher. This might include a few focus group sessions or a limited number of one-on-one interviews.
What might be three objectives of a research plan for your new business? To determine the target market, to set pricing strategies, and to design effective marketing messages How could you gather these data? Primary and secondary research. Primary research might include focus groups, surveys, and observation studies of local students and their traffic patterns.
Before jumping into primary data collection, a researcher will collect all the relevant secondary data that is available. Some of this data is within the organization and some of it can be collected or purchased from outside organizations. Collecting secondary information is important in guiding primary research decisions.
Secondary data is readily available. As an employee of a company, you may have access to the company’s internal records and databases, which are rich with customer, intermediary, and company data. In addition, as a student, you can access many databases through your school library. Most of this external data comes from online databases which combine articles from books, newspapers, periodicals, as well as trade and academic journals. Some schools supply access to commercial data including Nielsen, Arbitron, SRDS, and MRI/Mediamark. These are four of the many research companies that gather information and then sell the data to companies and institutions. Another excellent source of information is the government. The web link on this slide will bring you to the U.S. Census Bureau. This site is full of statistics and data on the U.S. population and commerce.
How can marketers justify their need for data? In many instances, marketers are gathering this data to truly provide better products and services. In addition, they want to know their customers better so they can better predict their needs. For example, if a company knows a customer’s policy is about to expire, they can contact the customer to determine if they want to renew their policy. How can they acquire data and maintain customer privacy? A couple of things must happen here. First of all, companies should be careful when sharing information. If the information is sold, it should always be in aggregate and never expose a customer’s personal information. Second of all, they must be clear with the customer when and how information will be shared. Finally, companies must carefully screen their employees who work with personal information to prevent such problems as identity theft.
Qualitative research is a great way to begin your primary research. It is extremely helpful in identifying attitudes, thoughts, and beliefs about your product. Because these methods generally use small samples, qualitative research techniques are often followed by quantitative processes. The major types of qualitative research are shown in this slide and explained in more detail on the following slides.
Depth interviews provide important information for targeting, positioning, and product redesign. They can be as short as 20 minutes or last up to an hour. The interview is often recorded, either with video or audio recordings so that the interviewer can play it back or transcribe the session to have all the details. To get the most from the subject, an interviewer will usually ask probing questions in order to gain more insights from the subject.
Probing subjects for more information can be very challenging, especially for people who are new to conducting research. Here is a group of questions which can be very helpful should you need to interview subjects for this course or another class. Note how the questions will be more effective in different questioning situations.
Whereas one-on-one interviews are conducted directly with the interviewer and a respondent, a focus group uses a small group of subjects for the research. Some researchers favor this approach because the respondents interact with each other and build off of each other’s comments. In addition, many people’s opinions are included in a shorter amount of time than individual interviews. A disadvantage of focus groups is that participants might not always be honest and are less willing to expose private thoughts and personal views due to the presence of other members. Researchers must balance the advantages and disadvantages of this method when deciding if it is right for their research project.
Discussion guides are an important part of focus groups and depth interviews. They provide an agenda for the session and help ensure that the researcher’s objectives that were established for the research plan are met. Some interviewers follow the guide exactly, but most will “go with the flow” and let the participants partly drive the direction of the research. This is not to say that the points on the discussion guide are not covered, just that the session has a more natural flow based on the feedback of the participants.
This is an example of a discussion guide for the research done for a food manufacturer and marketer. The participants would be screened and then invited to participate in the focus group. The moderator or leader of the focus group would use this guide to bring them through the session.
Projective techniques have their roots in psychoanalytic theory and practice. As a group, they tap into the consumer’s unconscious associations and motivations. There are a variety of these techniques and they are generally administered one-on-one with the respondent in a closed setting. In many situations, the research purpose is disguised and the respondent simply knows they are answering questions for a researcher.
Here are four of the most common projective exercises. You can see by the description of the techniques that it is often important that the researcher does not tell the subject the nature of the study. Many of these theories are based on the fact that people cannot easily locate and verbalize their true feelings toward a product category or brand.
It is believed that much of communication is nonverbal and that people do not think as much in words as they do in images. Given this, they also use metaphors at the root of their thoughts and communication. The Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique is based on this use of metaphors. In these studies, respondents are asked to find pictures that describe their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about products, companies, and brands. The results are then combined to see if there are common themes or constructs that consumers mention in their results.
There is an emerging field of consumer research that works to interpret online conversations. The web link on this slide brings you to Converseon, a company that is working in the field. With the growth in social marketing, there are increasing conversations and comments online regarding products and brands. Marketers can use this information to develop new products, introduce new features, and to gain a better understanding of their customers’ needs and wants.
Quantitative research findings are descriptive and empirical. Unlike qualitative research, they can often be generalized to larger populations. Quantitative research helps marketers “predict” future needs, trends, and levels of satisfaction and are heavily used in research. Observation and experimentation can often be done without the subject’s input but a survey always needs direct cooperation from the subject.
In observational research , the researcher does not interact with the subject but watches their actions and behavior. Observation research can be done in stores, in malls, and in people’s homes. Observation research is very helpful in uncovering problems with a product as well as to gain ideas for product improvements and new products. This type of research is often done to understand how people interact with the product, each other, the design of the stores, and complementary products.
Mechanical observation research eliminates the need for a trained observer gathering data on behaviors. These mechanical tools can count and record customer behavior. Examples of mechanical observation methods are electronic traffic counters, videotape technology, and meters. In addition, a customer’s usage of frequent shopper cards at stores will help provide data to the retailers and brand managers. Researchers working in this area must always respect the consumer’s right to privacy.
Experimentation is useful for researchers in testing variables, including package design, alternative price points, and promotional offers. It is helpful for understanding cause-and-effect situations like the change in sales that is associated with a coupon. An example of an experiment might be to find out how much the use of a celebrity endorser will affect sales. Experiments can be carried out in the field as is the case for test markets. Test markets involve bringing the product to market in only one area and then measuring customer response. With this limited roll-out, marketers can decide if a national campaign and introduction make sense for their product. Experiments can also take place in a lab, on the Internet, and by using virtual reality methods. These more “remote” types of experiments are growing in usage because they are very cost efficient for marketers.
What might direct marketers test in experiments? Direct marketers often test their promotion. For example, a catalog marketer can send one catalog that offers free shipping and another can offer 20% off. The marketer will then see which offer is stronger and results in the most orders and the larger order sizes. How can they use the results? They use the results in designing future promotions and to refine their marketing.
These are the four major survey methods. This table summarizes their advantages and disadvantages. As you can see, they differ in their speed, costs, response rate – three very important factors to consider when designing market research. Online surveys are becoming increasingly popular because they are easy to use, inexpensive, and can reach very spread-out respondents. This web link is to surveymonkey.com which is one of the most popular online survey websites.
It is important for research to be both valid and reliable . It is only with these two characteristics that you can ensure that the data you have collected is useful for the purpose and can be expanded from the sample to the population. Validity asks the question of whether the data is really applying to the objectives you have set and reliability tells you, the researcher, if the results would be repeated if conducted on a similar group at the same time.
Attitude scales are used to help researchers understand evaluations of certain product and brand attributes. The four scales in this slide are the most commonly used attitude scales. In general, these scales are easy to administer and provide excellent information for the researcher. You have probably taken many surveys that were full of attitude scales.
It is important for every company to measure the level of customer satisfaction . Analysis can be quantitative as in the case of customer satisfaction surveys. With these surveys, it is important to measure the difference between what the customer expected from the company and their perception of what they received. Qualitative analysis might include mystery shoppers who pose as customers in order to interact with service personnel. The mystery shopper files a report on how effectively the employees work with customers. Companies should have a system where they can analyze their customer complaint data so that they can make changes for improvement. A good complaint analysis system should encourage customers to complain and provide suggestions for improvements in service and products.
It is almost always impossible to get information from every member of the population. This is why marketers need to use a sample of the population. To determine the sample a researcher will use, it is important to put together a sampling plan which includes the details on whom to survey, how many to survey, and how the survey respondents will be chosen. Once this is decided, the marketer can choose a probability or nonprobability sample. The basic difference between these two types of samples is that in a probability sample, every member of the population has a chance of being selected as opposed to a probability sample, where the researcher uses their judgment to select the respondents for the sample.
The responses from qualitative research are analyzed in addition to the results of the quantitative research. For survey data, the open-ended responses are coded so that they can be entered into a spreadsheet or analysis software. Once all the data is entered, it is tabulated and then analyzed. The final step of the research process is to put together a report . In addition to the executive summary, body, tables, and graphs, the research report might include strategic recommendations based on the research findings.