CONSUMER

RESEARCH
Consumer Research Paradigms

Quantitative
Quantitative
Research
Research

Qualitative
Qualitative
Research
Research
 Quantitative Research

Descriptive in nature.
Enables marketers to “predict” consumer
behavior.
Research methods include experiments,
survey techniques, and observation.
Findings are descriptive, empirical and
generalizable.
 A consumer behavior
research approach
that regards the
consumer behavior
Positivism discipline as an
applied marketing
science. Its main
focus is on consumer
decision making.
 Qualitative Research

Consists of depth interviews, focus

groups, metaphor analysis, and projective
techniques.
Administered by highly trained
interviewer-analysts.
Findings tend to be subjective.
Findings not usually generalizable
Small sample sizes.
 A postmodernist
approach to the study
of consumer behavior
Interpretivism that focuses on the act
of consuming rather
than on the act of
buying.
 Comparisons between Positivism and
Interpretivism

PURPOSE
PURPOSE
Positivism
Positivism Interpretivism
Interpretivism

Prediction
Predictionof
ofconsumer
consumeractions
actions Understanding
Understandingconsumption
consumption
practices
practices

METHODOLOGY
METHODOLOGY
Positivism
Positivism Interpretivism
Interpretivism
Quantitative
Quantitative
Quantitative
Quantitative
 Comparisons between Positivism and
Interpretivism
ASSUMPTIONS
Positivism Interpretivism
•Rationality; consumers make •No single, objective truth
decisions after weighing •Reality is subjective
alternatives •Cause and effect cannot be
•The causes and effects of isolated
behavior can be identified •Each consumption experience
•Individuals are problem is unique
solvers •Researcher/respondent
•A single reality exists interactions affect research
•Events can be objectively findings
measured
 The Consumer Research Process

The six major steps in the consumer

research process are:
 defining the objectives of the research
 collecting and evaluating secondary
data
 designing a primary research study
 collecting primary data
 analyzing the data
 preparing a report on the findings
 The Consumer Research Process

Develop Objectives

Collect Secondary
Data

Design Qualitative Design Quantitative

Research Research
• Method • Method
• Screener questionnaire • Sample design
• Discussion guide • Data collection instrument

Conduct Research
Collect Primary Data
(Using highly
(Usually by field
trained
staff)
interviewers) Exploratory
Study
Analyze Data Analyze Data
(Subjective) (Objective)

Prepare Report Prepare report

 Developing Research Objectives

Defining purposes and objectives

helps ensure an appropriate
research design.
A statement of objectives helps to
define the type and level of
information needed.
 Data that has been
collected for reasons
Secondary
other than the specific
Data
research project at
hand.
 Collecting Secondary Data

Secondary information is any data

originally generated for some purpose
other than the present research
objectives.
Provides clues and direction for the
design of primary research.
 Original research
undertaken by
individual researchers
Primary or organizations to
Research meet specific
objectives. Collected
information is called
Primary Data.
 Major Sources of Secondary Data

Internal Internal sources include company profit-loss statements,

Sources balance sheets, sales figures, sales-call reports, invoices,
inventory records, and prior research reports.

Statistical Abstract, updated annually, provides summary data

Government on demographic, economic, social, and other aspects of the
Publications American economy and society.
Country and City Data Book, updated every three years,
presents statistical information for counties, cities, and other
geographical units on populations, education, employment,
aggregate and median income, housing, bank deposits, retail
sales, etc.

Marketing Information Guide provides a monthly annotated

bibliography of marketing information.

Other government publications include the Annual Survey of

Manufacturers; Business Statistics; Census of Manufacturers;
Census of Population; Census f Retail Trade, Wholesale Trade,
and Selected Service Industries; Census of Transportation;
Federal Reserve Bulletin; Monthly Labor Review; Survey of
Current Business; and Vital Statistics Report.
 A.C. Nielsen Company provides data on products and
brands sold through retail outlets (Retail Index Services),
data on television audiences (Media Research Services),
Commercial magazine circulation data (Neodata Services, Inc.), etc.
Data Market Research Corporation of America provides
data on weekly family purchases of consumer products
(National Consumer Panel); data on home food
consumption (National Menu Census); and data on 6,000
retail, drug, and discount retailers in various geographical
areas (Metro Trade Audits).
Selling Areas-Marketing, Inc., provides reports on
warehouse withdrawals to food stores in selected market
areas (SAMI reports).
Simmons Market Research Bureau provides annual
reports covering television markets, sporting goods,
proprietary drugs, etc., giving demographic data by sex,
income, age, and brand preferences (selective markets and
media reaching them).
Burke Marketing Services, Inc., provides TV campaign
testing in controlled marketing labs, marketing modeling,
retail store audits, physiological measures of advertising
stimuli, pre- and post-TV copy testing, and customer survey
research.
Markets Facts, Inc., provides consumer mil panel,
market test-store audit services, shopping mall facilities,
WATS telephone interviewing, and ad hoc survey research.
Other commercial research houses selling data to
subscribers include the Audit Bureau of Circulation, Audits
and Surveys, Dun and Bradstreet, Opinion Research,
 Designing Primary Research

Quantitative studies more likely for

collecting descriptive information.
Qualitative studies may be used to get
new ideas.
 Quantitative Research Designs

Method

Sample Design

Data Collection
Instrument
 Data Collection Methods

Observation

Experimentation

Surveys
 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.
Widely used by interpretivist
researchers.
 Experimentation

Can be used to test the relative sales

appeal of many types of variables.
Only one variable is manipulated at a
time, keeping other elements constant.
Can be conducted in laboratories or in
the field.
 Surveys

Personal Interview

Mail

Telephone

Online
 Comparative Advantages
PERSONAL
MAIL TELEPHONE ONLINE
INTERVIEW
Cost Low Moderate High Low
Speed Slow Immediate Slow Fast
Response Self-
Low Moderate High
rate selection
Geographi
c Excellent Good Difficult Excellent
flexibility
Interview
N/A Moderate Problematic N/A
er bias
Interview
er
N/A Easy Difficult N/A
supervisio
n
Quality of
Limited Limited Excellent Excellent
response
 Data Collection Instruments

Personal
Personal
Questionnaires
Questionnaires Inventories
Inventories

Attitude
Attitude Discussion
Discussion
Scales
Scales Guides
Guides
 The degree to which a
measurement
Validity instrument accurately
reflects what it is
designed to measure.
 The degree to which a
measurement
Reliability instrument is
consistent in what it
measures.
 Questionnaires

Used primarily for quantitative research.

Can be sent in the mail, or administered
by interviewers in person or by
telephone.
Can be disguised or undisguised as to its
true purpose.
Questions can be open-ended or closed-
ended.
 Attitude Scales

The three most frequently used scales

are:

 Likert scales: easy for researchers to prepare

and interpret, and simple for consumers to
answer.

 Semantic differential scales: relatively easy

to construct and administer.

 Rank-order scales: subjects rank items in order

of preference in terms of some criteria.
 Example of a Likert Scale
Please place the number that best indicates how strongly you
agree or disagree with each of the following statements about
shopping on-line in the space to the left of the statement.

1 = Agree Strongly
2 = Agree
3 = Neither Agree or Disagree
4 = Disagree
5 = Disagree Strongly

_____ a. It is fun to shop online.

_____ b. Products often cost more on-line than they are worth.
_____ c. It is a good way to find out about new products.
_____ d. I’m afraid to give out my credit card number on-line.
_____ e. I can shop whenever I want--even at 2 o’clock in the
morning.
_____ f. Some Web sites really encourage you to browse.
_____ g. It’s easy to compare different makes and models one-
line.
 Semantic Differential Profiles of Three Pay-
Per-Movie Services
Poor

3 DVD

Digital
Neutral

2 Cable
DIVX

1
Availability

Number of

Clarity of
Access
Ease of
Cost

Picture
Titles
Excellent
 Rank-Order Scales
A. Please rank the following e-mail providers in terms of
ease of access by placing a 1 in front of the service you
think is best, a 2 alongside the second best, and
continuing until you have ranked all six service
providers.

_____ America Online _____ AT&T Worldnet

_____ Netscape _____ Juno
_____ Microsoft Explorer _____ Erols

B. Rank the following computer manufacturers in terms

of hotline help by placing a 1 next to the one who
provides the best telephone help a 2 next to the
second best, until you have ranked all six.

_____ IBM _____Hewlett Packard

_____ Dell _____ Gateway
_____ Compaq _____ NEC
Qualitative Data Collection Methods

Depth Focus
Interviews Groups

Projective Metaphor
Techniques Analysis
 Depth Interviews

A lengthy non structured interview

between a respondent and a highly trained
interviewer.
Interviewer minimizes his or her own
participation after establishing the general
subject matter.
Can provide marketers with valuable ideas
about product design and provide insights
for positioning or repositioning the
product.
 A qualitative research
method in which about
eight to ten persons
Focus participate in an
Group unstructured group
interview about a
product or service
concept.
 Focus Groups

Consists of 8 to 10 respondents who meet

with a moderator-analyst for a focused
group discussion.
Respondents encouraged to discuss their
interests, attitudes, reactions, motives,
lifestyles, feelings about the product or
product category, usage experience, etc.
Respondents recruited on the basis of
consumer profiles, based on specifications
defined by marketing management.
 Research procedures
designed to identify
consumers’
subconscious feelings
Projective and motivations.
Technique These tests often
s require consumers to
interpret ambiguous
stimuli such as
incomplete sentences,
cartoons, or inkblots.
 Projective Techniques

Consist of a variety of disguised “tests”

that contain ambiguous stimuli.
Sometimes administered as part of a
focus group, but usually used with depth
interviews.
The theory is that respondents’ inner
feelings influence how they perceive
stimuli.
 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.
Consumer values also play an important
role in understanding consumer
behavior.
 Sampling Plan Decisions

Whom to
survey?

How many?

How to
select them?
 Probability Sampling Designs

Simple random Every member of the population has a

sample known and equal chance of being selected.

Systematic A member of the population is selected at

random sample random and then every “nth” person is
selected.
Stratified The population is divided into mutually
random sample exclusive groups (such as age groups), and
random samples are drawn from each
group.
Cluster (area) The population is divided into mutually
sample exclusive groups (such as blocks), and the
researcher draws a sample of the groups to
interview.
 Nonprobability Sampling Designs

Convenience The researcher selects the most accessible

sample 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 5 women).
 Analysis

Qualitative Research:
Moderator or test administrator
usually analyzes responses.
Quantitative Research:
Researcher supervises the
analysis.
 Open-ended responses are coded
and quantified
 Responses are tabulated and

analyzed
 Conducting A Research Study

 Researchers often adapt the research

process to the special needs of the
study.
 Together with the marketing manager,
the researcher specifies the
parameters of the population to be
studied.
 A qualitative study might be
undertaken first to gather information
about the target population's attitudes
and concerns about certain items.
 Then a quantitative study may be
conducted to confirm and attach
“hard” numbers to the findings.