CONSUMER RESEARCH www.AssignmentPoint.com

CONSUMER RESEARCH PARADIGMS Comparisons between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Designs QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH Study Purpose Studies designed to provide insights about new product ideas and positioning strategies. Ideas uncovered should be tested via quantitative studies. Often used in exploratory research to refine the objectives of quantitative studies. Studies aimed at describing a target market-its characteristics and possible reactions of various segments to the elements of the marketing mix. Results are use for making strategic marketing decisions. Types of Question and Data collection Methods Open-ended, unstructured questions and further probing by the interviewer. Projective techniques include disguised questions where the respondents do not know the true purpose of the questions and are asked to freely respond to stimuli such as words or pictures. Depth interviews and focus groups are used. Closed-ended questions with predefined possible responses and open-ended questions that have to be coded numerically. Most questionnaires include attitude scales and, generally, the questions are not disguised. Questionnaires are used in surveys conducted in person, by phone or mail, or online. Observation of respondents is also used. Experimentation is used to test cause-and-effect relationships. www.AssignmentPoint.com Continued……

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH Sampling Methods QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH Sampling Methods Small, non-probability samples; the findings are generally not representative of the universe under study. Large, probability samples. Providing that the data collection instruments are valid and reliable the results can be viewed as representative of the universe. Data Analysis Data collected are analyzed by the researchers who have collected it and who have expertise in the behavioral sciences. the analysis consists of looking for "key words" and establishing categories for the respondents' answers; it is subjective because it reflects the researchers judgments. The data is collected by a field force retained by the researcher, and then coded, tabulated, and entered into the database. The researcher analyzes the data by using objective, standardized statistical methods consisting mainly of comparisons of averages among the predefined variables and significance tests that estimate the extent to which the results represent the universe. www.AssignmentPoint.com

THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS Developing research objectives: The first and most difficult step in the consumer research process is to carefully define the objectives of the study. Develop Objectives Collect Secondary Data Design Quantitative Research Method Sample design Data collection instrument Design Qualitative Research Method Screener questionnaire Discussion guide Exploratory Study Conduct Research (using highly trained interviewers) Collect Primary Data (Usually by field staff) Analyze Data (Subjective) Analyze Data (objective) Prepare Report www.AssignmentPoint.com Prepare Report

COLLECTING SECONDARY DATA DESIGNING PRIMARY RESEARCH THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS/Cont… COLLECTING SECONDARY DATA A search for secondary data generally follows the statement of objectives. Secondary information is any data originally generated for some purpose other than the present research objectives. (Original data performed by individual researchers or organizations to meet specific objectives is called primary data.) Secondary data includes both internal and external data. External secondary data consists of any data collected by an outside organization. DESIGNING PRIMARY RESEARCH The design of a research study is based on the purposes of the study. If descriptive information is needed, then a quantitative study is likely to be undertaken; if the purpose is to get new ideas (e.g., for positioning or repositioning a product), then a qualitative study is undertaken. www.AssignmentPoint.com

THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS/Cont.. Quantitative research designs: A quantitative research study consists of a research design, the data collection methods and instrument to be used, and the sample design. Observational Research: Observational research is an important method of consumer research because marketers recognize that the best way to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between people and products is by watching them in the process of buying and/or using the products. Mechanical observation uses a mechanical or electronic device to record customer behavior or response to a particular marketing stimulus. Marketers also use physiological observation devices that monitor respondents' patterns of information processing. Experimentation A controlled experiment of this type ensures that any difference in the outcome (the dependent variable) is due to different treatments of the variable under study and not to extraneous factors. www.AssignmentPoint.com

THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS/Cont.. Surveys Personal interview surveys most often take place in the home or in retail shopping areas. The latter, referred to as mall intercepts are used more frequently than home interviews because of the high incidence of not-at-home working women and the reluctance of many people today to allow a stranger into their home. Telephone surveys are also used to collect consumer data; however, evenings and weekends are often the only times to reach telephone respondents, who tend to be less responsive-even hostile-to calls that interrupt dinner, television viewing, or general relaxation. The difficulties of reaching people with unlisted telephone numbers have been solved through random-digit dialing, and the costs of a widespread telephone survey are often minimized by using toll-free telephone lines. Other problems arise, however, from the increased use of answering machines and caller ID to screen calls. Some market research companies have tried to automate telephone surveys, but many respondents are even less willing to interact with an electronic voice than with a live interviewer. Mail surveys are conducted by sending questionnaires directly to individuals at their homes. One of the major problems of mail questionnaires is a low response rate, but researchers have developed a number of techniques to increase returns, such as enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, using a provocative questionnaire, and sending pre-notification letters as well as follow-up letters. Online surveys are sometimes conducted on the Internet. Respondents are directed to the marketer's (or researcher's) Web site by computer ads or home pages. Because the sample's respondents are self-selected, the results cannot be projected to the larger population. www.AssignmentPoint.com

SAMPLING AND DATA COLLECTION THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS/Cont.. SAMPLING AND DATA COLLECTION A sample is a subset of the population that is used to estimate the characteristics of the entire population. Therefore, the sample must be representative of the universe under study. There are two types of samples: in a probability sample, respondents are selected in such a way that every member of the population studied has a known, non-zero chance of being selected. In a non-probability sample, specific elements from the population under study have been predetermined in a nonrandom fashion on the basis of the researcher's judgment or decision to select a given number of respondents from a particular group. www.AssignmentPoint.com

THE CONSUMER RESEARCH PROCESS/Cont.. SAMPLING PROBABILITY SAMPLE Simple Random Sample Every member of the population has a known and equal chance of being selected. Systematic Random Sample A member of the population is selected at random and then every "nth" person is selected. Stratified Random Sample The population is divided into mutually exclusive groups (such as age groups), and random samples are drawn from each group. Cluster (area) Sample The population is divided into mutually exclusive groups (such as blocks), and the researcher draws a sample of the groups to interview. NONPROBABILITY SAMPLE Convenience Sample The researcher selects the most accessible population members from whom to obtain information (e.g., students in a classroom). Judgment Sample The researcher uses his or her judgment to select population members who are good sources for accurate information (e.g., experts in the relevant field of study). Quotal Sample The researcher interviews a prescribed number of people in each of several categories (e.g., 50 men and 50 women). www.AssignmentPoint.com