Consumer Research Methods

1. Consumer Research Methods • Methods of consumer research • Primary research methods • Advantages and disadvantages of each method

2. Two Research Methods • Secondary: use of existing research already done • Government • Consulting firms • Newspaper and magazine articles • Primary: creation of specific studies to answer specific questions e.g. why do you like our product, groups to discuss the att, react, motiv, lif its to find the inner feelings, perceptions etc.

3. Business & Industry • Great coverage of trade journals e.g. world trade magazine, internt. Trade reporter, business star, int. trade forum, trde finance r thr • Excellent indexing of articles by • Country/region • Industry • Business/marketing concept—e.g. • “Consumer marketing” • “Market Research” • “Teen Market”

4. Primary Research Methods • Surveys • Experimentation • Focus groups(group of experts) • In-depth interviews(why, what abt the product) • Projective techniques(inkblots, sentence completion, TAT, WAT, SCT(to reveal motivation, attitude, personalities and feelings)

5. Surveys Planned questions • Open-ended • Closed-ended • Forms • Mail • Telephone • Computer/Internet • Observation • Personal Interview

6. Computer/Online surveys • Getting people to follow instructions • Opportunities for branching (contingent questions) • Sampling frame and response • Possible emerging opportunities • Correlating data on which not all respondents have answered the same questions e.g. there is Softpac.com, pricemonkey.com, paidsurvey.co.in

7. Focus Groups • Groups of 8-12 consumers assembled • Start out talking generally about context of product • Gradually focus in on actual product

8. In-depth interviews • Structured vs. unstructured interviews • Generalizing to other consumers e.g. it is to check the motivation, attitude, lifestyle, feelings and usage of the product

9. Projective Techniques • These are like the TAT, WAT, SCT Measurement of attitudes consumers are unwilling to express • Consumer discusses what other consumer might think, feel, or do

10. Various Methods of the Projective Techniques:- Thematic Appreciation Test:- The respondents are shown Pictures or Cartoons concerning the product or topic under study and asked to describe what is happening in the picture. The respondents shall reveal their own motivation, attitudes, personalities and the feelings about the situations. Word Association Test:- The respondents are asked to study a series of Words or Phrases, one at a time and asked to answer quickly with the first word that come to their mind after hearing each one to reveal their true feelings. Sentence Completion Test:- The Interviewer reads the first part of the sentence and the respondent is required to express the rest of the sentence, this can be used to develop promotional campaign. Laddering(Means- End Ladder):- This concerns with an in-depth interview with the customer over three things which are Product Attributes, Consumption Goals, Terminal values. The assumption is that very specific attributes of the Product are linked to the increasing abstraction to terminal values e.g. to buy a diamond ring, laddering for the Overnight Delivery Service e.g. FEDEX with Satellite Tracking System. Zaltman Metaphor- Elicitation Technique (ZMET):- Zaltmen and Coulter developed a new Technique in 1990. This concerns the metaphor elicitation which is A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea. His process also includes an interview in which the pictures about the object in for research, product or service is given ad the Metaphors like the image you see in the thoughts or feelings about the pictures also the final accomplishment like the self –esteem, confidence, fuller life it is for the mental model or meaning structure as responded by the respondent

11. Observation • Consumer is observed--preferably unobtrusively--while: • Examining products prior to making a purchase • Using a product • Engaging in behavior where the product may be useful e.g. the looking at the consumption pattern in the consumer market

12. Scanner Data • Panel members in test communities agree to • Swipe a card prior to each purchase • Have purchases matched to • demographic profiles • media/coupon exposure • promotional status of competing brands • past purchases

13. Issues in International Primary Research • Social desirability/ willingness to “stand out” • Willingness to criticize products • Familiarity with being surveyed • New technologies (e.g., scanner data) • Reach-a-bility of respondents • Selection of appropriate respondent is very important