Psychodrama
This is also called the 'fantasy situation'. Respondents are asked to imagine that they are products or services themselves, and to describe their feelings about being used. Examples commonly quoted are motor cars, lawnmowers or boxes of chocolates. This is intended to uncover people's attitudes toward the products whether using the lawnmower is an inconvenient chore, or an enjoyable fresh-air experience, for example. An alternative approach is to ask the individual to imagine that a particular...
External desk research
The Government is a major producer of all kinds of external research data. Useful external research data is also available from trade organizations, trade publications, banks and many official bodies. The acquisition and use of external desk research data are discussed in Chapter 4. Both internal and external desk research have limitations for decision makers. Internal desk research by definition is data confined to the organization's own activities. External desk research is characteristically...
Using secondary data
Whenever secondary data sources are being used a number of points need to be checked. a. Who is producing the data This is a relevant question because, particularly with information from trade associations, the possibility of bias is present. An association which exists on members' subscriptions, with the objective of furthering members' interests, is unlikely to publish data that is against those members' interests. This is not to say that they will publish false data, but simply that they may...
Dichotomous questions
These are questions with only two possible answers, e.g. yes no questions. For use of these questions to be valid the answer must fall unambiguously into one of the two categories offered, e.g. 'Do you buy ready-made biscuits rather than bake your own ' is ambiguous because many people do both and so could not answer 'yes' or 'no'. Similarly, if qualified answers to the question are possible, then the answers may be invalidated. 'Do you intend to invest in new IT equipment ' is an example of a...
Operating data
It is perhaps surprising that many companies start by commissioning outside marketing research before organizing an internal desk research system. An entirely human reason is that it is often easier to commission an outside research agency than to persuade heads of functional departments, such as accounting and production, to produce records in a form that is of value in marketing decision making. An earthenware manufacturer made a range of tableware such as plates, cups and saucers, together...
Syndicated research services
Syndicated research services originated when a group of manufacturers all interested in data on a particular market formed a syndicate to buy a research survey jointly providing that data on a continuous basis. Alternatively, a research agency might suggest the idea to a number of companies with common data needs. No single manufacturer could afford the costs of the research survey, but by clubbing together, research costs are shared and information is available to all members of the syndicate....
Word association
This is based on the assumption that if a question is answered quickly and spontaneously, subconscious thoughts are revealed, because the conscious mind does not have enough time to think up something else. This approach is sometimes used to test proposed brand names and ensure that they have favourable and appropriate associations for the new product or service. For example, 'What is the first thing that comes into your mind when you hear the word Sharran ' could have been used to test the UK...
Introduction Irx
An interview is understood as 'a conversation for the purpose of gathering information' and this definition emphasizes the functional nature of the interview situation. Thus, although an interview may have the superficial structure of a conversation, it is actually a situation in which one party to the interchange, the interviewer, is required to obtain the answers to a predetermined set of questions or topics from the other party to the interchange, the respondent. It is this task-related view...
Semantic differential scales
As their title suggests, these scales measure the difference between words. Prior research with members of the target group is undertaken to generate the 'constructs' or dimensions that people use when thinking about products and services. The semantic differential scale presents these bipolar constructs on a scale, with up to 20 scales on a page, forming an 'attitude battery'. The name of a brand at the top of the page appears, and the respondents are asked to rate that brand on each of the...
BMRB TGI an example of syndicated data
TGI is a leading provider of single-source media and marketing surveys. Its family of research products covers an ever-widening spectrum of population specifications and geographies, all using a self-completion data collection technique to gather respondent information. TGI is segmented into several subproducts, which include the following Premier A continuous survey that is designed to gather information on the social grades 'AB'. This survey offers insight into a group of consumers who are...
ACORN categoriesHouseholds
Prosperous pensioners, retirement areas Affluent urbanites, town and city areas Prosperous professionals, metropolitan areas Better off executives, inner city areas Comfortable middle agers, mature home owning areas White collar workers, better-off multi-ethnic areas Council estate residents, better off homes Council estate residents, high unemployment Council estate residents, greatest hardship People in multi ethnic, low income areas ACORN neighbourhood types Social Wealthy suburbs, large...
Sunny Crouch MA FCIM FTS DipMRS Matthew Housden DipM MCIM MIDM
Copyright 1984, 1996, 2003 Sunny Crouch, Sunny Crouch and Matthew Housden. Butterworth-Heinemann An imprint of Elsevier Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP 200 Wheeler Road, Burlington, MA 01803 First published 1984 Second edition 1996 Reprinted 1998, 1999 Third edition 2003 The right of Sunny Crouch and Matthew Housden to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 No part of this publication may be...
Cartoon completion
This test shows the respondent a cartoon drawing in which one individual is talking to another. The speech for one of the individuals is shown in a 'balloon', and the 'balloon' for the reply of the other individual is left blank. The respondent is asked to fill in that reply. An example might show two housewives talking as one of them unpacks her shopping basket. As she takes out a particular product, her friend asks, 'Why did you buy that brand ', and the respondent in providing a reply will...
Thematic apperception
Thematic apperception tests are usually referred to as 'TATs', or 'picture interpretation'. The individual is shown a picture and asked to say what is going on in the picture, what happened just beforehand and what will happen next, or is asked to tell a story based on the picture. The original clinical TAT used 20 standard cards, but when used in market research it is more usual for fewer pictures to be used, and for them to relate to the specific topic under investigation. In a picture...
Kbf Marketing Research
Chapter 6 introduced interviews as the most versatile and widely used method of primary data collection. The device used by interviewers for delivering questions to respondents and recording their answers is a questionnaire. This chapter considers the use, design and content of questionnaires. Questionnaires are also used in telephone research and, without interviewers, in postal or self-completion research. They are also used in online research. These questionnaires may or may not be supported...
Internal desk research
This represents the most sensible starting point for any organization and should come before going to great lengths of resource expenditure in acquiring data from outside. Much useful information is generated within all organizations simply in the course of their normal operations. A simple analysis of accounting data should indicate what is being sold, in what sizes, at what prices and to whom in terms of geographical area, type of customer and so on. The key to making use of internal desk...
External desk research 1
This requires a research assistant within the organization to identify sources, acquire, organize and report on the data. Increasingly, although not necessarily, this information will be accessed online through various computer-based systems. Alternatively, a specialist desk research organization may be used. In this case, the main resource requirement on the client organization is that of money to pay for it. There is a vast array of specialist desk research agencies whose skills may usefully...
Finding the pegs
Generally speaking, for the beginner, the most difficult part of a desk research survey using secondary sources is actually beginning. This section will therefore concentrate on indicating some of the more general starting points for a desk research survey. Once the research survey is under way each source uncovered, or contact made, will generally lead on to the next. Following up these leads will provide the depth of information the researcher may need for any particular area of interest....
What does the organization need research for
Being able to define precisely what marketing research can and should be doing for the organization is the first step in achieving it. One way of doing this is to reflect on the organization as a whole and decide what are its most pressing problems. The answers below were given by delegates to the Chartered Institute of Marketing's introductory course on market research From an insurance company 'We are a relatively small company in a growing but fiercely competitive business. We need research...
To motivate the respondent
Answering a questionnaire requires a respondent to give time, attention and thought to a subject which, though of great interest to the researcher, may not be of much interest to the respondent. It is important to remember this when designing a questionnaire. The length should be kept to a minimum, although some topics will of themselves maintain the respondent's interest for longer than others. Questions should be as easy for the respondent to understand and answer as possible an uncertain...
Business
9. Small Business Omnibus. NOP Research Group, London Tel 020 7890 9000, Fax 020 7890 9001 . NOP runs a bi-monthly Small Business Omnibus. 500 interviews are conducted with the key financial decision makers of businesses in England and Wales. Website http www.nop.co.uk Country specific 10. IMS Omnibus Survey. Irish Marketing Surveys Ltd, Republic of Ireland Tel 353 1 676 1196, Fax 353 1 676 0877 . Representative of the adult population aged 15 years living in the Republic of Ireland. Sample...
General population omnibus surveys
1. Phonebus. Taylor Nelson Sofres Plc, Westgate, London W5 1UA Tel 020 8967 0007, Fax 020 8967 4060 . A consumer omnibus, running twice-weekly, providing data from sample sizes of 1000-2000, with a 4-day turnaround. Methodology computer-assisted telephone interviews CATI and RDD. Website 2. Access by Telephone. BMRB International, Hadley House, 78-81 Uxbridge Road, Ealing, London W5 5SU Tel 020 8579 9208, Fax 020 8579 9208 . The survey is conducted every week. Sample size of 2000 adults aged 16...