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Consumer Research Methods. Methods of consumer research Primary research methods Advantages and disadvantages of each method. Two Research Methods. Secondary : use of existing research already done Government Consulting firms Newspaper and magazine articles
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Consumer Research Methods • Methods of consumer research • Primary research methods • Advantages and disadvantages of each method
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
ABI Inform • Specializes in business related publications • Search choices • Subject terms • “Snow-balling” new subject terms • Personal Name • Product Name, Company Name • Abstract • “All basic search fields”
Snow-balling example • Subject=Asian + Subject=Advertising Television stations, Television markets, Asian Americans, Television Advertising, Studies, Minority & Ethnic Groups
Lexis-Nexis (Academic) • From within Lexis-Nexis, select “Guided Search” • Several different options—e.g., “General News” vs. “Business News” • Allows for search through full text
Business & Industry • Great coverage of trade journals • Excellent indexing of articles by • Country/region • Industry • Business/marketing concept—e.g. • “Consumer marketing” • “Market Research” • “Teen Market”
Industry and Company Info Not as useful for this course but good for job hunting Hoover’s Identify competitors, industry Standard and Poor’s Industry Surveys Some print sources: Best Customers Statistical Abstracts Country information Stat-USA Economist Intelligence Unit Other
Newspaper back indices—usually have to pay for older articles Business Week online and other business periodicals Google news: current articles only http://news.google.com/ Other Sources When You Do Not Have Access to Lexis-Nexis/ABI
Primary Research Methods • Surveys • Experimentation • Focus groups • In-depth interviews • Projective techniques • Physiological Measures
Planned questions Open-ended Closed-ended Sample size and inferences Forms Mail Telephone Mall Intercept Computer/Internet Biases Wording Response Interviewer Surveys
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
Experimentation • Real world relevance vs. control (internal vs. external validity) • “Treatments” and factorial designs • Sample sizes and inferences
Focus Groups • Groups of 8-12 consumers assembled • Start out talking generally about context of product • Gradually focus in on actual product
In-depth interviews • Structured vs. unstructured interviews • Generalizing to other consumers • Biases
Projective Techniques • Measurement of attitudes consumers are unwilling to express • Consumer discusses what other consumer might think, feel, or do
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
Physiological Measures • Devices attached to the consumer to measure • Arousal • Eye movement • Consumer feedback • Lever pulled to positive or negative positions • Squeeze on ball
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 • Problems: • Aggregation over household • Aggregation bias--averages of disparate segments obscure!
Definition • Confound: The tendency of some phenomenon to be caused at least in part by some variable other than the one of interest. • E.g., are tall women more or less likely to wear high heels?
Confounds • What is cause, what is effect, and what is coincidence? • Correlation is not necessarily cause • “Lurking” factors may be real cause of 26 • Does having more toys cause children to be more intelligent? • Are tall women more or less likely to wear high heels? • Do vaccinations cause autism? • Does Prozac cause suicide? • Do fish-heavy diets cause stomach cancer?
Social desirability/ willingness to “stand out” ---> need to adjust data Willingness to criticize products Familiarity with being surveyed New technologies (e.g., scanner data) --usually less well developed than in the U.S. Reachability of respondents Selection of appropriate respondent Issues in International Primary Research
“Trackers” High vs. low tech tools Massive database Repetitive, non-glorious work Why We BuyChapter 1: “A Science Is Born”
Chapter 2: “What Retailers Don’t Know” • Conversion rates • What do managers actually know—or think they know? • Knowing the neighborhood • Waiting line
The Transition Zone Effects of automatic doors Productive uses of the transition zone Tradeoffs in real life Chapter 3“The Twilight Zone”
Why We BuyCh. 4—”You Need Hands” • Important to visualize the consumer in actual shopping situation • Some purchases may not be important enough to warrant logistics—must make it easier to reach products • Where to place baskets in stores? • Disneyland’s experience—thinking like a visitor
Ch. 5“How to Read a Sign” • Objectives • Get shoppers’ attention • Induce to look and shop • Deliver useful and understandable info • McDonald’s menus—prime exposure opportunities • CNN Airport television sets
Ch. 6“Shoppers Move Like People” • Why not be next to a bank? • What do mirrors do to walking traffic? • Chevroning—advantages and disadvantages