Marketing Questionnaires

The Successful Six Maddie Bilderback, Kayla Floyd, Raeann Kane, Libby Muret, Grace Pereski, & Sarah Sailors

Purpose:To explore the components of an effective questionnaire and how to determine which type is best depending on your research objectives.

Learning Objectives:To understand the process in developing quality

questionnaires

To investigate and suggest improvements to the student housing market by utilizing questionnaires

Key Terms:Questionnaire DesignQuestionnaire FormatBad QuestionsSensitive Questions Quota

Questionnaires Gone Bad

Topic Overview

Vignette Summary:

University hired a consulting group to administer surveys to find out students’ attitudes toward on-campus housing to boost long-term occupancy rates.

Problems with vignette:

No defined purpose

New system

Poor pre-screening process

Irrelevant sensitive questions

Recommendations - Ex. Creswell Hall

Define purpose

Ex. Find out what motivates students to continue living at Creswell

Use tried & true systems that have previously been used for university research

Define target audience

Ex. Students who have lived on-campus for years*2 years minimum

Try unstructured questions and use sensitive questions sparingly

ELC Article: Decision-Driven Marketing

Good decision processes break down silos and improve performance.

Idea in Brief:

1.The Challenge - collaboration2.The Solution - break down barriers3.The Payoff - streamline decision making

The Challenge

Marketing organizations must collaborate with other functions

more than ever before.

The Solution

To break down barriers, marketing pioneers are revamping the decision processes at the boundaries between functions.

Decision X-Ray_______________

Diagnose how the decision is currently made

Perform a Decision Reset_______________

Redesigning a decision process

to improve effectiveness

Implement the New Process

_______________

Having buy-in from the various

functions participating in the decision.

The Payoff

Marketing now partners with IT to evaluate and select the technologies that allow it to require the needed analytic

capabilities.

Companies have improved collaboration between marketing and other functions with simple tools that

streamline decision making.

Decision- Driven Marketing: Key Takeaways

1. Marketing works jointly with other functions at the seams.

2. Mine the seams. 3. Find a collaboration

that streamlines decision making.

7 Steps of the Questionnaire Process

1. Confirm Research Objectives

2. Select Appropriate Data Collection Method

3. Develop Questions and Scaling

4. Determine layout and evaluate questionnaire

5. Obtain initial client approval

6. Pretest, revise, and finalize questionnaire

7. Implement the survey

Questionnaire Design

Multistage process that provides the 7 steps of

developing a survey questionnaire.

Essentials of Marketing Research: Ch. 8 Designing the Questionnaire

Why write quality survey questions?Ellen: “Which Queen of Comedy are you?”

Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Quality Survey Questions

Do● Keep objectives in

mind● Take into account

how the data will be analyzed

● Consider which question type and format is best

Questionnaire Format: the combination of sets of questions/scale measurements into a systematic structure

Source: Quirks - “The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Quality Survey Questions”

Bad Questions: questions that obscure, prevent, or distort the fundamental communications between respondent and researcher

Don’t: Create Confusing and Bad Questions

Don’t: Lead respondent towards answers

Don’t: Ask Sensitive Questions

Sensitive Questions: Questions concerning income, sexual beliefs/behaviors, medical conditions, financial difficulties, alcohol consumption, and so forth that respondents are likely to respond to incorrectlySource: Quirks - “The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Quality Survey Questions”

Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Quality Survey Questions

Article: Harvard Tip Sheet on Question Wording

Overall Tips:

Previous questionnaires can be used for contrast

Structured questions (closed) gain more responses

Avoid These:

Emotional words

Double-barreled questions

JargonSource: Harvard University - “Tip Sheet On Question Wording”

Harvard Article Continued...

Include These:

Short questions

and response

s

Mediumconsiderati

on

General questions

firstRandomization

5-7 options to scale

Positive and

negative terms

Sensitive question

s lastSource: Harvard University - “Tip Sheet On Question Wording”

Questionnaire Pretest

Imagine what would happen if respondents:

Didn’t see an answer choice that reflects their

thinkingMisunderstood the

question askedThinks a term has an alternate definition

= Insignificant or Incomplete Results Source: Quirk’s - How Cognitive Interviewing can Improve your Questionnaire

Design

Cognitive Interviewing improving Questionnaire Design

Cognitive interviewing: specialized type of pre-test that focuses on respondents’ thinking process as they hear or read a survey

Source: Quirk’s - “How Cognitive Interviewing can Improve your Questionnaire Design”

Cognitive Interviewing cont.

Methods of Conducting Cognitive

Interviewing:● Rephrase options in their

own words● Ask how easy or difficult

the question is to answer● Look for cues that

indicate an issue

Improving Questionnaire

Design:● Reveals when off target● Identifies what is missing● Helps re-write questions so

they can be answered easierSource: Quirk’s - “How Cognitive Interviewing can Improve your Questionnaire Design”

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys

Advantages

Lower in cost

Automation

Less time and high turnover rate

No interviewer bias

Well-suited for anchored scales (semantic differential, Likert-type scales) and it can accept open-ended, typewritten responses

Much more flexible (branching, skip logic, etc.)

Source: Quirks - “Examining the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys”

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys cont.

Disadvantages

Don’t have the same interactive exchange

Limited sampling and respondent availability

Possible cooperation problems with interactive experience

No interviewer to probe and interpret

No control over the participants environmentSource: Quirks - “Examining the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys”

Combination of Web and Paper SurveysFor BEST results, combine the

two

Increases the response rate

The website should mimic the paper version

Accommodate to a variety of browsers

Have a ‘send’ or ‘done’ button at the end to determine your quota (tracking system that collects data from respondents).

Inform respondents that their data is secure

Help desk supportSource: Quirks - For Maximum Response Rates In Online Surveys

Combination of Surveys: ExampleThis class:

Midpoint paper feedback questionnaire

End of the semester online course evaluation

Restaurants:Paper surveys at your tableOnline surveys via email or

on company websiteTaco Bell’s “Tell The Bell”

Back to the Vignette: Student Housing Stats & TrendsMarket Segment: College Students, ages 18-25+

Consumer Trends:

Nearly 50% students have a “college living” lifestyle

31% live in an off-campus apartment/house because of:

● Freedom● Less distraction● More affordable

“Students still search for properties by walking around campus and flipping through brochures. The student housing market remains painfully offline.”

-College Planning & Management Magazine

Source: Mintel Report - “Marketing to College Students”

Back to the Vignette:Student Housing Marketing & Research Strategies

On Campus Off CampusWho: University/College

Marketing:● Website● Campus Tours

*limited due to housing requirement

Research:● New Student Housing

Questionnaires

Who: Rental Companies (dependent upon school location)

Marketing:● 3rd Party Rental Sites● In-person/Virtual Tours● Promotional Events/SWAG

giveawaysResearch:

● Reviews on 3rd party sites

Source: Mintel Report - “Marketing to College Students”

Issue: Companies are missing key feedback to dominating the market due to lack of surveys/questionnaires

Current Online Survey Tools

The top online survey platform

Goes well beyond surveys

Used for in-depth and long term research

Not the easiest to use

Very quick and easy to use

User friendly

Cheaper

Provides questionnaire templates

Integrates with platforms such as MailChimp and Eventbrite

Twitter Polls

Early polling days: Current:Mobile:

Source: Buffersocial - Guide To Twitter Polls

Buzzfeed Quizzes

Source: Business Insider - How Big An Impact Quizzes Had On Buzzfeed's Facebook Virality

Future Predictions● Push towards digital, specifically

towards apps● More Incentives for participating

in surveys ○ Free swag○ ex. Ibotta app

● Questionnaires part of customer experience

● Student Housing Market:○ Buzzfeed quizzes○ In-person surveys during room

inspections

Conclusion

Conclusion: When creating questionnaires -

Write quality questions with accurate wordingHave a method that aligns with overall research

goalsHousing Market: need to transition into digital

Purpose: To explore the components of an effective questionnaire and how to determine which type is best depending on your research objectives.

Activity

In the past, surveys were taken among viewers who volunteered to be on the show’s mailing list (self-selected group).

Today, they employ a pulling firm, Applied Research-West, to conduct surveys over the telephone.

Source: Wall Street Journal - “And the Survey Says”

Family Feud Questions 1.Name something that little kids have to do

2.Based on what you’ve seen in comics and movies, name a physical characteristic of a martian

3.Name something you own that requires a good deal of money to maintain

4.Tell me how many pounds a newborn weighs

5.Name a season when the most crimes occur

6.Name the age when men start losing their hair

7.Name an excuse people use to get out of jury duty

8.Tell me something every sports fan does the minute he or she is caught by the TV camera

Survey Answers (1-4)Go to bed 33

Take a bath/wash 27

Brush their teeth 12

Clean their room 11

Eat vegetables 5

Pick up toys 3

Go to dentist 2

Take medicine 2

Green body 45

Antenna on head

35

Big eyes 3

Pointy ears 3

Big head 2

No hair 2

House 50

Car 32

Pool 11

Boat 4

7 LBS 39

8 LBS 32

7 ½ LBS 9

6 LBS 9

9 lbs 3

6 ½ LBS 3

1. Name something that little kids have to do

2. Based on what you’ve seen in comics and movies, name a physical characteristic of a martian

3. Name something you own that requires a good deal of money to maintain

4. Tell me how many pounds a newborn weighs

Survey Answers (5-8)

Waves 68

Says “Hi, Mom” 18

Smiles 7

Hand signs “We’re #1”

3

40 25

35 23

30 22

25 10

45 8

50 3

28 2

Summer 50

Christmas 32

Winter 11

Fall 4

Illness 38

Work 35

Care for children 7

Know about the case 5

Know people involved

4

Out of town 3

Can’t afford to 2

1. Name a season when the most crimes occur

2. Name the age when men start losing their hair

3. Name an excuse people use to get out of jury duty

4. Tell me something every sports fan does the minute he or she is caught by the TV camera

Discussion Questions

1. Do you like completing marketing research surveys? If so, why?

2. Do you often complete surveys when their is an incentive offered?

3. Have you ever had a bad question on a survey? If so, what was it?

4. Review from eLC Article: What does “mining at the seams” mean?

When marketing works closely with other functions to execute key decisions, it can avoid organizational bottlenecks and get things done

far more quickly and effectively than in the past.

SourcesAllen, Frank. (2003, January). “For Maximum Response Rates In Online Surveys, Keep Respondents In Mind.” Quirks Marketing Research

Media. Retrieved March 24, 2016, from http://www.quirks.com/articles/a2003/20030104.aspx?searchID=1456694276&sort=9Bailik, Carl. (2008 June, 20)” And the Survey Says.” Retreived March 23, 206, from

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121391284883989979

Hair, Joseph F. Essentials of Marketing Research. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2013. Print.Harrison, Chase. (2007, November.) “Tip Sheet On Question Wording.” Harvard University. Retrieved March 30, 2016 from

http://psr.iq.harvard.edu/files/psr/files/PSRQuestionnaireTipSheet_0.pdf?m=1357530492 Joshi, Aditya, and Eduardo Gimenez. “Decision-Driven Marketing.” Harvard Business Review (2009).Lerner, Steven. (2015, August 14). “17 Incredibly Foolish Questions And Answers That Make Absolutely No Sense.” Retrieved March 22,

2016 from http://aplus.com/a/funny-questionnaires-answersNaiditch, Linda. (2013 July). "How Cognitive Interviewing Can Improve Your Questionnaire Design." Quirks Marketing Research Media.

Retrieved 14 Mar. 2016 from http://www.quirks.com/articles/2013/20130712.aspxOwen, Robert. (2002, February) “Examining the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Surveys.” Retreived March 23, 2016, from

http://www.quirks.com/articles/a2002/20020207.aspx

Plummer, Brett. (2010, October). “The Dos and Don'ts of Writing Quality Survey Questions.” Retrieved March 14, 2016 from http://www.quirks.com/articles/2010/20101008.aspx

SourcesRead, Ash. (2015, October 23). “The Complete Guide to New Twitter Polls: What They Are, How They Work and 9 Ways to Use Them.”

Bufferapp Blog. Retrieved March 20, 2016 from https://blog.bufferapp.com/twitter-polls

Shontell, Alyson. (2014, June 12). “Here's How Big An Impact Quizzes Had On Buzzfeed's Facebook Virality.” Business Insider. Retrieved March 14, 2016 from http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-big-an-impact-quizzes-had-on-buzzfeeds-facebook-virality-2014-6

Taulli, Tom. (2013, September 2013). “Comfy: Cracking The Billion-Dollar Student Housing Market." Forbes. Retreived. 21 Mar. 2016http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomtaulli/2014/09/03/comfy-cracking-the-billion-dollar-student-housing-market/#35f5ec5977f8