Market Research Tuesday

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Market ResearchTuesday

• Nigel Bradley
• University of Westminster

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The Week

• Monday
• Introduction/ Research design
• Tuesday
• Secondary data/ Qualitative Research

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Learning Outcomes

• You will be able to select research techniques
  for specific tasks
• You will be able to describe their uses
• You will be able to describe their limits

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Secondary Data

• Agenda
• Internal
• External
• The Internet

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Definition

• Information that already exists somewhere,
  having been collected for another purpose
• (Kotler - Principles of Marketing)

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Uses of Secondary Data

• - To define a research objective
• - To design primary research
• It can indicate survey population parameters,
  give ideas about products and help to develop
  research questions

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Secondary Data

• Advantages
• Cost effective
• Good for international marketing
• May be easily available

• Disadvantages
• May be biased
• Will never cover the precise needs
• Probably out of date

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Two types of data
SECONDARY DATA
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
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adspend
sales
prices
Internal secondary data
inventories
sales team records
distribution costs
- complaints - service records
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census
Govt. sources
commercial sources
others
others
annual reports
External secondary data
industry sources
academic sources
index guides abstracts
trade press
profes bodies
Internet
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External secondary data





Internet
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What Is the Internet?

• Interconnected networks
• The information highway, but no cars ,
• You travel using...
• - Electronic mail
• - Worldwide web
• - Others (FTP, gopher, Usenet, telnet)

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e-mail
WWW
INTERNET services
Others
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Content comes from

• Government
• Corporations
• Universities
• Official bodies
• Private citizens

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Internet for Secondary Data

• Advantages
• Arrives quickly
• Variety
• International

• Disadvantages
• Difficult to find
• Quality unchecked
• Much irrelevance

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On-line Devices

• Many devices assist secondary data collection and
  analysis
• Language translators provide instant
  understanding.
• Calculators convert currencies.
• Search tools help to locate data.

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Search Tools

• Directories, engines and tools are available
• Different strengths and speeds
• Regional versions
• Can search web pages and correspondence
• (Message boards, email discussions etc)

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YAHOO
ALTA VISTA
OTHERS
SEARCH ENGINES
EXCITE
GOOGLE
DEJANEWS
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Other Search Tools

• Wildcard
• Dictionary of synonyms
• Bookmarks/ Favorites
• Find in page facility (via view or edit)
• Recommendations, links and rings

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Search Tips

• Generate synonyms
• Try the LINKS technique
• Ask your question in inverted commas
• Skim-read and bookmark to read later
• Use find in page facility

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Search Engines

• Hundreds available, to query 10 together
• http//www.beaucoup.com/1metaeng.html
• Search agents are more intelligent engines for
  example see http//www.allyoguide.com/

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Correspondence Archives

• Message boards
• Email discussion groups
• Newsgroups
• Listservs
• Chat groups

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Official Sites

• European Union site
• US Census Bureau
• CIA World Factbook
• Various sites have links

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Media Research On Web

• Reading (NRS, ABC etc)
• Radio (RAJAR)
• Television (BARB)
• Internet (NUA Ltd)
• Largest index of World Newspapers
• Newsweek Media Research Index

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Journals

• Different levels of content available
• - contents lists - abstracts - some full
  articles - some entire journals
• Tilburg (NL) has full list see
• http//marketing.kub.nl/journal1.htm

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Layers of data base marketing
Census data
Postcode system
Data fusion
Electoral role
Credit data
Court judgements on bad debt
Vehicle ownership
Lifestyle databases
Transactional data
Smart card data
Biographies
Geographical information systems
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Conclusions

• Much information is already available to the
  researcher.
• The major barrier is knowing how to find the
  right information at the right time.

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Tasks

• 1. Keywords secondary data, experts,
  omnibus, desk research.
• Reading Evrard pp 85-91
• 3. See MRS publications for omnibus surveys.
• 4. Write two omnibus questions (telephone) to
  ask car buyers how they chose their car. (2
  sides).

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Qualitative Research

• Information derived from small numbers of
  respondents

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What is qualitative research?

• Mainly questioning and observation
• Associated with two techniques
• In-depth interviews and focus groups

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Depth Interviews

• One to one interview, no group pressure
• Can probe sensitive issues
• Useful in business research
• At place of work
• Confidential
• Can suit respondents timetable
• Discussion follows a plan

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Group Discussion

• 20 to 90 minutes duration
• 8-10 people
• Informal atmosphere
• Respondents are similar in some way
• Interviewer moderates
• Discussion follows a topic guide

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Depths v Groups

• Depths
• Location can stimulate memory or ideas
• Timid respondents heard
• May be only option
• (if geographic or conflicting interests make
  groups impossible)

• Groups
• Respondents trigger debate
• Group dynamics can bias
• Dominant member/s can lead group
• Control relies on moderator skills

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Selection and Sampling

• Profiles must fit the topic
• e.g. behaviour linked to the study aim
• Similar respondents are often chosen since
  homogeneity helps debate
• Often quota - usually not representative
• Snowballing is useful for people who are
  difficult to find

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Selection and Sampling

• Sample size should not be fixed
• select new cases until data brings nothing new
• Location is important
• home,
• place of work,
• hotel,
• viewing studio

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Sample Types
This sample could allow us to..
Heterogeneous
Identify issues, understand
Homogeneous
Examine an issue in depth
Extreme
Research unusual issues
Typical
To illustrate or emphasise an issue
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Example Groups
GROUP
COMPOSITION

• 1 18-24 M ABC1 Heavy readers
• 2 25-34 M C2D Light readers
• 3 18-24 F ABC1 Light readers
• 4 25-34 F C2D Heavy
  readers

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Moderator

• To create the right atmosphere
• To promote a lively conversation
• To encourage individuals to talk freely about the
  topic.
• Should not be drawn into a debate and offer
  personal opinions.
• Should listen closely to answers and follow up as
  appropriate

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Problems

• People may not answer correctly
• To be polite
• To avoid embarrassment
• Fundamental attribution error
• (People attribute positive outcomes to their own
  actions, they attribute negative outcomes to the
  actions of other people)

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Incorrect Answering

• Skilled researchers overcome problems by
• Reading non-verbal language
• Careful probing
• Discrete conversation
• Using projective/ elicitation techniques
• Checking against other knowledge (depths etc.)

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Techniques

• Elicitation techniques
• To elicit certain responses.
• Unconscious feelings, associations, negative
  aspects etc.
• Photosort
• Collage construction
• Mindmapping

• Projective techniques
• Sentence completion
• Word association
• Thematic apperception test (TAT)
• Cartoon test
• Brand Obituary

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Stimulus Material

• Concept boards
• Storyboards
• Video clips

• Flip-overboards
• Narrative tapes
• Photos

Order effect can be solved by alternating order
in which stimuli are introduced
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Participant Types

• Active Interested in providing relevant answers
  to the moderators questions.
• Shy Embarrassed to speak and is inhibited
• Know-it-all May tend to dominate the group with
  answers for every question.
• Rambler Gives a speech with every response
• Obnoxious Does not really wish to participate.
• May hinder with irrelevant or sarcastic
  remarks

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Analysis

• Memorise events/debate
• Take notes (second researcher?)
• Sound/video record
• Transcribe
• Respondent notes/output

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Computer Analyses

• Software takes transcripts/notes and makes
  analyses
• Analysis possible using all methods open to the
  human analyst
• Numerous programs available e.g. NUDIST
• see http//www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/caqdas

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Computer Analyses

• Advantages
• Finds concealed data
• Re-analysis easy
• Report writing easy

• Disadvantages
• Data preparation time
• Software varies
• Input-dependent

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Learning Outcomes

• You are able to select research techniques for
  specific tasks
• You are able to describe their uses
• You are able to describe their limits

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Market Research(Etudes Marketing)

• Prepared by Nigel Bradley
• Email bradlen_at_wmin.ac.uk
• Harrow Business School,
• University of Westminster
• For lectures 18-22 February 2002 at Cesem
  Mediterranee, Marseille
• 3602 Etudes Marketing