Essentials of Marketing Research Exploratory Research Chapter 5: Audhesh Paswan, Ph.D.

Research Design - I Exploratory Research: Objective: Discovery of ideas and insights. Characteristics: Flexible, Versatile, Unstructured, Often the Front End of total Research Design, Small Non-representative Sample, Analyses typically qualitative. Findings: Tentative, typically followed by further exploratory, descriptive or causal research. Methods: Literature Search, Focus Groups, Experience Surveys, Pilot Surveys, Expert Interviews, Case Studies, Reliance on Secondary Data.

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH INITIAL RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO CLARIFY AND DEFINE THE NATURE OF A PROBLEM DOES NOT PROVIDE CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH EXPECTED

Exploratory Research Unstructured, informal, and sometimes intuitive Used for - Gain background information. Define terms. Clarify problems and hypotheses. Establish research priorities. Diagnose a situation Screening of alternatives Discover new ideas

WHAT IS EXPLORATORY RESEARCH? QUANTITATIVE DATA QUALITATIVE DATA

Exploratory Research Techniques Qualitative Research Experience surveys Case analysis Pilot Studies: Projective techniques. Focus groups Depth Interview. Other qualitative techniques (secondary data & observation, etc.)??

“Knowing when to use qualitative research, and importantly when not to is a crucial skill in a research manager’s judgment.” Malcolm Baker, President The B/R/S Group, Inc.

EXPERIENCE SURVEYS ASK KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT A PARTICULAR RESEARCH PROBLEM MOST ARE QUITE WILLING

“If you wish to know the road up the mountain, you must ask the man who goes back and forth on it.” -- Zenrinkusi

CASE STUDY METHOD INTENSELY INVESTIGATES ONE OR A FEW SITUATIONS SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM INVESTIGATE IN DEPTH CAREFUL STUDY MAY REQUIRE COOPERATION

PILOT STUDY A COLLECTIVE TERM ANY SMALL SCALE EXPLORATORY STUDY THAT USES SAMPLING BUT DOES NOT APPLY RIGOROUS STANDARDS

PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES WORD ASSOCIATION TESTS SENTENCE COMPLETION METHOD THIRD-PERSON TECHNIQUE ROLE PLAYING T.A.T (and PICTURE FRUSTRATION VERSION OF TAT)

“A man is least himself when he talks in his own person; when given a mask he will tell the truth.” --Oscar Wilde

WORD ASSOCIATION SUBJECT IS PRESENTED WITH A LIST OF WORDS ASKED TO RESPOND WITH FIRST WORD THAT COMES TO MIND

WORD ASSOCIATION EXAMPLES GREEN CHEESE MONEY KRAFT

SENTENCE COMPLETION People who drink beer are ______________________ A man who drinks light beer is ___________________ Imported beer is most liked by ___________________ The woman in the commercial ____________________

THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST TAT

FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS UNSTRUCTURED FREE FLOWING GROUP INTERVIEW START WITH BROAD TOPIC AND FOCUS IN ON SPECIFIC ISSUES

GROUP COMPOSITION 6 TO 10 PEOPLE RELATIVELY HOMOGENEOUS SIMILAR LIFESTYLES AND EXPERIENCES

Focus groups Small group of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion about some topic. Goal is to draw out ideas, feelings, and experiences about a certain issues that would be obscured by more structured methods.

Focus Group Objectives To generate ideas. To understand consumer vocabulary. To reveal consumer needs, motives, perceptions, and attitudes. To understand findings from quantitative studies.

Focus Group Moderator The “Man (or woman) with the plan”! Conducts the entire session and guides the flow of group discussion. Must have excellent observation, interpersonal, and communication skills, Interacts, listens, develops rapport. Must be sensitive to participants situations and comments, promotes interaction. Must be prepared.

Reporting and Use of Focus Group Results Some sense must be made by translating the qualitative statements of participants into categories. Demographic and buyer behavior characteristics should be judged against the target market profile.

Focus Group Pros and Cons Advantages Generate fresh ideas Allow clients to observe the group Generally versatile Works well with special respondents. Disadvantages May not represent the population Interpretation is subjective Expensive

Exploratory Research Techniques Quantitative Research Secondary data analyses Observation Physiological measurement

Observation Techniques Observation methods - researcher relies on his or her powers of observation rather than communicating with respondent Direct versus Indirect Disguised versus Undisguised Structured versus Unstructured Human versus Mechanical

Direct or Indirect Direct observation Indirect observation Observing behavior as it occurs Indirect observation Observe effects or results of behavior Use archives or physical traces Archives - secondary data Physical traces - tangible evidence of some event (e.g., garbology)

Disguised or Undisguised Disguised - unaware of observation “Secret shopper” One-way mirrors Hidden cameras Undisguised Laboratory settings “Ride withs” “Knowing” may bias the responses.

Structured or Unstructured Structured - researchers agree beforehand which behaviors are to be observed and recorded. Unstructured - No restrictions, all behavior is observed. Observer must be thoroughly briefed on the areas of general concern.

Human or Mechanical Human - a person observes Mechanical - a machine observes turnstiles, scanners, people meters, etc.

When to use observation Short time interval - involves activities that generally occur over a short time span. Public behavior - setting where researchers can readily observe. Faulty recall - when actions or activities are so repetitive that the respondent cannot recall specifics.

Advantages . . . Subjects are unaware* React in a natural manner* No chance for recall error Less costly and more accurate * Assuming disguised observation.

Limitations . . . Only a small number of subjects are studied (Dracula Syndrome - suck too much out of a few subjects). Is sample representative? Motivations, attitudes, and internal conditions are not observed. Multiple observers (inconsistency) Subjective Interpretation

Other Techniques Depth interviews Protocol analysis - Decision maker’s view Projective techniques Shopping basket Personality completion Cartoon or balloon test Role-playing activity Physiological measurement - Galvanometer, Pupilometer, etc.

SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS DATA COLLECTED FOR A PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE PROJECT AT HAND ECONOMICAL QUICK SOURCE FOR BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Next Stage - Quantitative Research involves structured questions predetermined response options large number of respondents involved. Sizable representative sample of the population Formalized data gathering procedure Specific purpose

Qualitative or Quantitative Research? Does it have to be one or the other? It depends . . .maybe both - Pluralistic Research.