The Consumer Research Process

CHAPTERTWO

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.

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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.

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Why Do Marketers Regularly Test Print Ads Like This One Before They Are Placed in the Media?

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To Test the Impact of the Message Before Spending Large Amounts of Money

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The Importance of the Consumer Research Process

• Marketers must understand customers to design effective:– marketing strategies– products– promotional messages

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The Consumer Research ProcessFigure 2.2

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The Consumer Research Process

• Secondary research• Primary research– Qualitative– Quantitative

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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.

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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?

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Secondary Data

• Data that has been collected for reasons other than the specific research project at hand

• Includes internal and external data

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Types of Secondary Data

Internal Data• Data generated in-house• May include analysis of

customer files• Useful for calculating

customer lifetime value

External Data• Data collected by an outside

organization• Includes federal

government, periodicals, newspapers, books, search engines

• Commercial data is also available from market research firms

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Discussion QuestionsPersonal 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?

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Designing Primary Research

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Qualitative Collection MethodDepth 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

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Probing Options for InterviewsFigure 2.3

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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

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Discussion Guides for Research

• Step-by-step outline for depth interviews and focus groups

• Interviewers will often “improvise” and go beyond the discussion guide

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Focus Group Discussion Guide - Figure 2.4

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Qualitative Collection Method Projective Techniques

• Research procedures designed to identify consumers’ subconscious feelings and underlying motivations

• Consist of a variety of disguised “tests”

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Common Projective ExercisesTable 2.1 (excerpt)

Description

Word Associations

The researcher has a list of words, some of them to be studied and some 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.

SentenceCompletion

The researcher has a series of incomplete sentences that the respondent(s) needs to complete with a word or phrase.

Photo/Visual for Storytelling

The researcher creates/selects a series of photos of consumers, different brands or products, range of print ads, etc., to serve as stimuli. The 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.

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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.

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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

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Designing Primary Research

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Data Collection MethodsObservational 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

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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

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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

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Discussion Questions

• What might direct marketers test in experiments?

• How can they use the results?

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Data Collection Methods Table 2.2

Mail Telephone Personal Interview

Online

Cost Low Moderate High Low

Speed Slow Immediate Slow Fast

Response rate Low Moderate High Self-selected

Geographic flexibility

Excellent Good Difficult Excellent

Interviewer bias

N/A Moderate Problematic N/A

Interviewer Supervision

N/A Easy Difficult N/A

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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.

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Attitude Scales

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Customer Satisfaction Measurement

• Customer Satisfaction Surveys– Analysis of

Expectations versus Experience

• Mystery Shoppers• Customer

Complaint Analysis

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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.

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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.

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