Research process

1. The Consumer
Research Process
Prepared By,
Anabella Mok

2. The Importance of the Consumer
Research Process
Largely Influenced by Psychology, sociology, and anthropology
• Marketers must understand customers
effective:
to design
–
–
–
marketing strategies
products
promotional messages
Chapter Two Slide 7

3. The Consumer Research Process

4. The Consumer Research Process
•
•
Secondary research
Primary research
– Qualitative research includes focus groups and in‐depth
interviews
– Quantitative
research
observational research, experimentation, and survey
Chapter Two Slide 9

5. 6 steps in
Research
1 Define the problem and research
‐ not too broad or narrow
Develop the research plan
Collect the information
Analyze the information
Present the findings
Make the decision
objectives
2
3
4
5
6

6. 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.

7.  Whatever the key research question, it is important for the
marketing manager and research manager to agree at the
outset as to the specific purposes and objectives of the
proposed consumer study.
 Objective is to come up with new ideas for product
 Qualitative study – focus group and/or one-on-one depth
interviews
 Objective is to find out how many target consumers who
use a particular product
 Quantitative study

8. •
•
Secondary Data
Data that has been collected
for reasons other than the
specific research
hand
project at
Includes
external
internal
data
and

9. Types of Secondary Data
Internal Data
Data generated in‐house
May include analysis of customer
files
Useful for calculating customer
lifetime value which include
customer acquisition cost ,
profit generated from
individual sale
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
•
•
•
•
•
•

10. CENSUS OF POPULATION

11. Designing Primary Research

12. Qualitative Collection Method
Depth Interview
 Also called one‐on‐one interview
 Usually 20 minutes to 1 hour
 Non‐structured
 Establish atmosphere that encourages the consumer respondent
 It provide marketers with valuable idea about product design or re design
 Listen to words as well as observe “body language”
 Session is usually recorded
 Interpreted by trained researcher

13. Examine Options for Interviews

14. Qualitative Collection Method
Focus Group
•
•
8‐10 participants
Respondents are recruited through
questionnaire
Lasts about 2 hours
a screener
•
•
•
Always taped or videotaped to assist analysis
Online focus groups are growing

15. Focus Group Discussion Guide
Chapter Two Slide 22

16. Qualitative Collection Method
Projective Techniques
• Research procedures designed to identify consumers’
subconscious feelings and underlying motivations
– Done one on one & in closed settings
• Consist of a variety of “tests”

17. Common Projective Exercises
Table 2.1
people cannot easily locate and verbalize their true feelings toward a product category or brand.
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.
Sentence
Completion
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.

18. Qualitative Collection Method
Metaphor Analysis
• Based on belief that metaphors are the most basic method of thought and
communication
– much of communication is nonverbal and that people do not
think as much in words as they do in images
• 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.
– Respondents are asked to find pictures that describe their
thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about products, companies, and
brands.
– The results are then combined to see if there are common
themes or constructs that consumers mention in their results
Chapter Two Slide 25

19. Qualitative Collection Method
“Looking‐In”
• Look at information from threads and postings on social media, including
blogs and discussion forums
– Emerging field of consumer research that works to interpret online
conversations
• Methodology to capture consumers’ experiences, opinions, forecasts,
needs, and interests
– Growth in social marketing, there are increasing conversations and
comments online regarding products and brands

20. Designing Primary Research

21. Quantitative Research
 The objective of quantitative research is to
develop mathematical models, theories and/or
hypotheses phenomena.
 Quantitative methods can be used to verify which of
such hypotheses are true.
 Qualitative research, on the other hand, asks broad
questions and collects data from participants.

22. Data Collection Methods
Observational 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

23. Data Collection Methods
Mechanical Observational Research
• Uses mechanical or electronic device to record consumer behavior or
response
– electronic traffic counters, video technology
• Consumers’ increased use of highly convenient technologies will create
more records for marketers
– frequent shopper cards / smart cards‐freq
• Audits are a type of mechanical observation which monitor sales

24. Foxwoods Casino Uses Mechanical
Observational Research

25. 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

26. Discussion Questions
• What might direct marketers test in experiments?
• How can they use the results?
Chapter Two Slide 31

27. Surveys
Data Collection Methods
Personal Interview
Mail
Telephone
Online

28. MAIL TELEPHONE
PERSONAL
INTERVIEW
ONLINE
Cost Low Moderate High Low
Response
rate
Low Moderate High
Self-
selection
Geographic
flexibility
Excellent Good Difficult Excellent
Interviewer
bias
N/A Moderate Problematic N/A
Interviewer
supervision
N/A Easy Difficult N/A
Quality of
response
Limited Limited Excellent Excellent
Table 2.2 Comparative Advantages

29. Validity and Reliability
• If a study has validity, it collects the appropriate data for the
study.
– Validity asks the question of whether the data is really applying to the
objectives you have set
• A study has reliability if the same questions, asked of a similar
sample, produce the same findings.
– Reliability tells you, the researcher, if the results would be repeated if
conducted on a similar group at the same time.

30. Quantitative Research
Data Collection Instrument
I. Questionnaires
II. Attitude Scale
III. Customer Satisfaction Measurement
IV. Sampling and Data Collection

31. Questionnaires
 Primary data collection instrument for quantitative
research
 Interesting, objective, unambiguous, easy to complete
and generally not burdensome.
 Disguised or undisguised
 Open ended or closed ended

32. Guidelines for Wording
Questionnaires
 Avoid leading questions
 Avoid two questions in one
 Questions must be clear
 Use words that consumers routinely use
 Respondents must be able to answer the question
 Respondents must be willing to answer the question

33. Attitude scales
 Researchers often present respondents with a list of
products or product attributes for which they are asked
to indicate their relative feelings or evaluations.

34. Attitude Scales
*Semantic differential is a type of a rating scale designed to measure objects, events, and
concepts.

37. Customer Satisfaction
It is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company
meet customer expectation.
It is defined as "the number of customers whose reported experience
with a firm, its products, or its services exceeds
specified satisfaction goals.“
In researching satisfaction, firms generally ask customers whether their
product or service has met or exceeded expectations.
Thus, expectations are a key factor behind satisfaction. When
customers have high expectations and the reality falls short, they will be

38. Customer Satisfaction Survey

39. Customer Retention
 Customer retention refers to the ability of a company or product
to retain its customers over some specified period.
 Successful customer retention involves more than giving the
customer what they expect. Generating loyalty of the brand might
mean exceeding customer expectations.
 Customer retention has a direct impact on profitability.
 It is the measure of how well the customer STAYS and STAYS
ENGAGED with the organization OR with specific products and
services

40. Customer Satisfaction Measurement
• Customer Satisfaction
Surveys
– Analysis of
Expectations versus
Experience
Mystery Shoppers
Customer Complaint
Analysis
•
•

41. Sampling and Data Collection
• Samples are a subset of the population
used to estimate characteristics
entire population.
of the
• A sampling plan addresses:
–
–
–
Whom to survey
How many to survey
How to select them
• Researcher must choose
non‐probabililty sample.
probability or

42. Copyright 2007 by Prentice Hall
Table 2.4 Probability Sampling
Designs
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.
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.
Stratified random
sample
The population is divided into mutually exclusive
groups (such as age groups), and random samples
are drawn from each group.

43. Copyright 2007 by Prentice Hall
Table 2.4 Nonprobability
Sampling Designs
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).
Quota Sample The researcher interviews a prescribed number of
people in each of several categories (e.g., 50 men
and 50 women).

44. 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.
Chapter Two Slide 37

45. Secondary Research vs.
Primary Research
Advantages Disadvantages
Secondary research
e.g census
• Inexpensive
• Easy to access
• Immediate
• Often outdated
• Potentially unreliable
• May not be relevant
Primary research • Applicable & useable
• Accurate & reliable
• Up-to-date
• Expensive
• Not available immediately
• Not always readily accessible

46. Thank You…!!!