The Final Research
Report: Part III
Team ASK: Andy Adamson, Courtnee Davis,
Keisha Moss, Andrew Rounds & Shelby Unruh
SC 3953: Research Methods for
Strategic Communications
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Memo
To: Coca-Cola Company
From: Andrew Adamson, Psychesha Moss, Courtnee Davis, Shelby Unruh and
Andrew Rounds
CC: Kenneth Kim
Date: November 21, 2011
Re: Agency Proposal for Conducting Quantitative Research
This memo comes to present you with the Research Agency’s proposal for
conducting primary research. In the following up to our secondary research
findings, we are pleased to present you with our plan for planning and developing a
quantitative research program that will supplement our efforts to better understand
the college student market’s attitude toward Coca-Cola Classic.
Background
Coca-Cola Classic has continually focused its advertising and marketing campaigns
on portraying a “classic” product that is ultimately delicious and refreshing.
We first conducted secondary research in order to gain a better understanding of
our current target market and its needs regarding soft drinks, specifically Coca-Cola
Classic. By utilizing databases such as MRIPlus and Hoovers, secondary research
allowed us to be able to direct our efforts to collecting information concerning the
product and campaign perceptions of numerous soft drink brands including CocaCola Classic and its competitors as well as take a closer look at the product needs
and desires of our target consumers. MRIPlus.com provided the data that the
current target market of Coca-Cola Classic consumers within the last 6 months are
adults between the ages of 18-49. The total included 133,917,000 people and
66,781,000 men ages 18-49. The target market included Caucasians who were
married that lived in the southern region of the United States. Other demographics
to describe the current market would be that the household income included
families earning $75,000-$149,000 annually who graduated from college.
We then used the data collected during our secondary research to develop a plan for
primary research. Our qualitative research approach in the form of a focus group
led us to better understand our target consumers, specifically their perceptions of
soft drinks. The focus group led us to a collection of findings with respect to
attitudes toward Coca-Cola Classic, soft drink product positions, effectiveness of
advertisements of Coca-Cola Classic and competitors as well as the purchasing and
consumption habits of our participants. After the completion of qualitative
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research, we have made adjustments regarding our focus toward the research
problem, reflecting the data gathered during the course of our research.
Qualitative Research Problem
To better understand the target consumers, adults between the ages of 18 and 24,
we the research team, must conduct primary research that will help us to better
understand problem symptoms in the market and ideally lead us to develop a
solution for them. Coca-Cola is a leader in a competitive soft drink market featuring
a variety of options such as Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and Sprite. According to the data,
Pepsi is Coca-Cola’s main competitor, and in most target markets Coca-Cola exceeds
Pepsi in sales and consumers. However, Coca-Cola experiences a lower sales index
than typical for the product within the Midwest region. In order to understand why
Coca Cola has an index of 85 and Pepsi has an index of 120 in that particular region
and due to a lack of existing prior information, we must understand the core
problems experienced by Coca-Cola Classic in this area, be it in communication or
perception, ideally resulting in insight toward solving our problem. Our quantitative
research will use the information we have previously gathered and further evaluate
Coca Cola product and campaign perception, the needs, wants, habits and attitudes
of the selected target market toward the topic of soft drinks, as well as product and
campaign perceptions of Pepsi and other prominent competitors.
Research Method
The quantitative research that will be used for this portion of our investigation is a
questionnaire, a widely used research method. A questionnaire allows us to reach a
larger group of the target market efficiently and gather the appropriate information
to further analyze the results. In the initial stages of recruiting, each research team
member will be responsible for distributing ten questionnaires each to members of
our target audience, college students ages 18-24, totaling 50 questionnaires. The
questionnaire will detail a spectrum of questions regarding several aspects of our
research including attitudes, preferences, perceptions and similar items. It is
important to execute the questionnaires because the information gathered from our
target market can help our research team to develop a clear understanding of why
the problems within our market exist and how to effectively eliminate or alleviate
them. After collecting the questionnaires, we as a team will input the information
from the questionnaires into the SPSS data program for further analysis. After
utilizing the program and its benefits, we will apply the knowledge gained from our
research and attempt to create a plan in a report format for the Coca-Cola Company
to implement, ideally improving sales and overall attitudes toward the product.
Research Sample & Recruiting
Each member of our research team is responsible for distributing, administering
and collecting 10 questionnaires each, with a final total of 50 questionnaires. The
participants in our quantitative research will be recruited from several locations on
campus including both males and females that fall between the ages of 18 to 24
years old. The participants can be classmates, friends, roommates, co-workers etc.
Each participant must be a college student, but there is no specification of class. The
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participants must have at some point purchased and/or consumed soft drinks or
products pertaining to Coca-Cola Classic.
Research Instruments
For recruiting purposes we have created a participation informed consent form,
containing the purpose and procedures of the quantitative research as well as their
rights as participants. The information sheet lists contact information for the
investigators if at any time participants have any questions or concerns. After each
participant has read the informed consent form and agreed to the conditions stated,
they will receive a copy of the questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire
contains a series of 28 questions regarding several aspects of soft drinks in order to
better understand our target market. First, we would like to approach the attitude
of our participants toward Coca-Cola and its advertisements. Attitude has been
defined as one’s predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to the
particular product as well as an advertisement. Attitude toward Coca-Cola Classic
product could be observed by asking the respondent to rate their feelings toward
Coca-Cola Classic by means of bipolar adjective anchors. For this observation, we
would like to use an interval level question, specifically a semantic differential type.
This would allow us to gauge the attitudes toward our specific product. Next, we
would use another interval level question, specifically utilizing a likert scale to
indicate agreement or disagreement. This would allow us to understand the
opinions of our participants in response to Coca-Cola’s advertisements. Third, we
would like to closely explore the needs and wants of our participants in regards to
soft drink attributes. Needs have been defined as the lack of something wanted or
deemed necessary. Needs and wants in soft drinks could be observed by asking
participants to rank their preference of qualities of soft drinks such as taste, price
and brand name. For this observation, we would like to use an ordinal level
question where participants can rank their preferences with a number scale. This
would allow us to see what qualities our participants value when purchasing and
consuming soft drinks. Finally, we would like to determine the degree in which our
competitors’ presence compares to that of Coca-Cola Classic. Competition has been
defined as a contest for some prize, honor or advantage. Competition could be
observed by asking participants to allocate a sum between several soft drink options
based on likelihood of consuming that beverage when presented with the choice.
This will allow us to interpret the level of existence our competitors have
established in comparison to Coca-Cola Classic. As a research team, we feel that this
investigation with the successful application of research methods will lead us to a
deeper comprehension of our participants’ beliefs and opinions.
Project Timetable
-Research proposal approved by the client
November 21]
-Research instruments receive final approval
[Monday,
[Wednesday, November 23]
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-Participant recruiting, administration of questionnaires for completion
[November 23- December 2]
-Input collected data into SPSS, analysis of findings
[December 3-December 7]
-Create final report in addition to collected data
[December 7-December 9]
-Submit final report
[December 12]
Next Steps
We look forward to meeting with you to review this proposal and address any
concerns you might have about the design or the proposed budget. In the interim,
please feel free to contact us should questions arise before that time.
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Participant Information Sheet
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
PROJECT TITLE: College students’ perceptions of soft drinks
INVESTIGATORS: Andy Adamson, Courtnee Davis, Keisha Moss, Andrew Rounds,
Shelby Unruh, [Students, School of Media & Strategic Communications, Oklahoma
State University]
PURPOSE:
The current research study attempts to explore how college students perceive
specific brands of soft drinks, attitudes regarding soft drinks and particular brands,
their consumption habits, and purchasing behavior.
PROCEDURE:
The questionnaire will involve exposure to informational questions about soft
drinks. Each participant is asked to complete the questionnaire according to his or
her feelings or beliefs regarding the questions asked. The questions will relate to
soft drink preferences, attitudes, as well as purchasing and consumption habits. The
questionnaire is designed to take approximately 15 minutes to complete in full.
RISKS OF PARTICIPATION:
There are no risks associated with this research study, including stress,
psychological, social, physical or legal risk which are greater, considering
probability and magnitude, than those ordinarily encountered in daily life. If,
however, you begin to experience discomfort or stress in this research study, you
may end your participation at any time.
BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION:
You may benefit by learning about advertising research from a participants
perspective, as well as learning about issues that influence audience perceptions of
advertising messages.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
All information about you will be kept confidential and will not be released.
Questionnaires and record forms will have identification numbers, rather than
names, on them. Research records will be stored securely and only researchers and
individuals responsible for research oversight will have access to the records. This
information will be saved as along as it is scientifically useful; typically, such
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information is kept for five years after publication of the results. Results from this
study may be presented at professional meetings or in publications. You will not be
identified individually; we will be looking at the group as a whole. It is possible that
the consent process and data collection will be observed by research oversight staff
responsible for safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of people who participate in
research.
COMPENSATION:
No incentive by principal investigator will be offered to respondents for completion
for questionnaire.
CONTACTS:
If you have questions about the study or the procedures, you may contact the
researchers, Andy Adamson, andrew.adamson@mail.okstate.edu; Courtnee Davis,
courtnee.davis@mail.okstate.edu; Keisha Moss, keisha.moss@mail.okstate.edu,
Andrew Rounds, andrew.rounds@okstate.edu, or Shelby Unruh,
shelby.unruh@mail.okstate.edu. If you have questions about your rights as a
research volunteer, you may contact Dr. Shelia Kennison, IRB Chair, 219 Cordell
North, Stillwater, OK 74078, 405-744-3377 or irb@okstate.edu
PARTICIPANT RIGHTS:
Your participation in this research is voluntary. There is no penalty for refusal to
participate, and that you are free to withdraw your consent and participation in this
project at any time, without penalty.
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Q1. Think about the soft drink product, Coca-Cola Classic. Please react to it on
each of the scales below. For each question, please check the box that best
reflects your thoughts and feelings.
Coca-Cola Classic is…
(Q1A)
UNAPPEALING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
APPEALING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SATISFYING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SWEET
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SMOOTH
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
TASTY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
HEALTHY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
CLASSIC
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
STIMULATING
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
CURRENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
INVITING
(Q1B)
UNSATISFYING
(Q1C)
BITTER
(Q1D)
ROUGH
(Q1E)
BLAND
(Q1F)
UNHEALTHY
(Q1G)
TRENDY
(Q1H)
DEPRESSING
(Q1I)
OUTDATED
(Q1J)
UNINVITING
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Q2. Please give us your feelings toward Coca-Cola Classic on the scale (0-100)
below. Ratings between 50 and 100 degrees mean that you feel favorable and
warm toward the product. Ratings between 0 and 50 degrees mean that you don’t
feel particularly favorable toward the product.
Scale: 0 (unfavorable)-------------------------50-------------------------100 (favorable)
Write the number of degrees here: _____________________
Q3. Please indicate how many soft drinks you consume in a typical week.
Write the number of soft drinks here: __________________
Q4. Please indicate how many soft drinks you consume on a daily basis.
Write the number of soft drinks here:___________________
Q5. Please give your feelings about the political ad you read on each of the
scales below. For instance, “1” indicates “not at all” and “7” indicates “very
much”. Please circle your answer.
(Q5A). How convincing are Coca-Cola’s advertisements?
NOT AT ALL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
VERY MUCH
6
7
VERY MUCH
6
7
VERY MUCH
(Q5B). How appealing are Coca-Cola’s advertisements?
NOT AT ALL
1
2
3
4
5
(Q5C.) How interesting are Coca-Cola’s advertisements?
NOT AT ALL
1
2
3
4
5
(Q5D.) How favorable are you toward Coca-Cola’s advertisements?
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NOT AT ALL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
VERY MUCH
7
VERY MUCH
(Q5E). How much do you like Coca-Cola’s advertisements?
NOT AT ALL
1
2
3
4
5
6
Q6. Please rank the following soft drink attributes in terms of your opinion of
importance when purchasing and consuming soft drinks.
(1=Least important to 6=Most important)
TASTE
BRAND
PRICE
CONVENIENCE
AVAILABILITY
NUTRITIONAL
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
Q7. The following soft drinks are popular products in the beverage industry.
Allocate 1000 between the drinks based on your likelihood of consuming
these soft drinks in the beverage market. (Make sure your results total 1000).
Coca-Cola Classic
Diet Coke
Dr. Pepper
Diet Dr. Pepper
Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Sprite
Mountain Dew
___________
__________
___________
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
Q8. Please fill in the following basic information about yourself.
8A. How old are you? Write in the number: _____________________
8B. What is your gender. Please circle.
(1) Female
(2) Male
8C. Which best describes your political affiliation? Please circle.
(1) Democratic
(2) Republican
(3) Independent or other
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8D. What is your ethnic background? Please check.
White, not Hispanic ________ Hispanic, of any race ________ Black, not Hispanic _________
Asian or Pacific Islander _________ American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut _________
Other _________
8E. Which class do you consider your family to be among the following five
categories?
Working Class __________ Lower Middle Class _________ Middle Class _________
Upper Middle Class __________ Upper Class _________
8F. Which classification in school do you belong to?
Freshman _________ Sophomore _________ Junior _________
Senior _________ Graduate Student _________
8G. What is your academic major?
______________________________________________________________
-THANK YOU-
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The Final Report
Our research agency conducted an online survey consisting of 10 questions
in ratio, interval, ordinal, nominal and open-ended question formats that we used as
a part of our quantitative research process. We used quantitative measures to
further discover insight about Coca-Cola’s target market of 18-24 year old college
co-eds following our focus group. The focus group pointed out several themes such
as Coca-Cola can evoke a feeling of happiness among consumers, as well as the
importance of taste and the individuality that goes with choosing a soft drink brand.
With these findings in mind, we focused our survey on uncovering more in-depth
information about the themes and the way the target market utilizes them.
Fifty-one participants answered the survey. Of the participants, 37 were
women and 14 were men. Among the seven options given, Coca-Cola was perceived
as more appealing to the participants of the survey five out of seven times; with only
Dr. Pepper and Sprite both chosen as more appealing than Coca-Cola. Taste was
found to be the most important factor in the decision making process, while
nutrition was the least important. We also found that Dr. Pepper was the number
one choice for personal choice consumption among participants, with Coca-Cola
coming in close second. Pepsi and Diet Pepsi were the least favorites among the
seven choices. Also, 20 to 50 percent of participants considered Coca-Cola’s
advertising campaigns to be convincing, appealing or interesting.
We experienced a few limitations during the course of our quantitative
research. Our original survey could not be distributed due to the SPSS not
functioning correctly. We were forced to adapt the survey and put it into an online
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format. We had to decrease our questions to a total of ten as the program limited
the number of possible questions. We could not gather all of the desired
information from the original survey, but made necessary changes to the online
format and distributed the survey accordingly.
With the primary data collected from our quantitative research we suggest to
the Coca-Cola marketing team to emphasize Coca-Cola as a unique, personal choice
for a soft drink, to focus on Dr. Pepper more as a competitor than Pepsi, as well
continue with the happiness-style campaign, and emphasize Coca-Cola as the tasty
beverage the target consumers can relate to and want to cure their thirst.
We also discovered that nutrition was not that big an issue as we previously
thought after our focus group. It is more of indirect problem- consumers of drinks
such as Sprite (clear, non caffeinated drinks) and Diet Pepsi (low calorie drinks)
typically consume those types of beverages for different reasons than an avid
consumer of Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Pepsi.
College students are a unique market, just like any other market, and
throughout the course of our research, we have gained a better understanding on
how they decide to choose brands of soft drinks and their consumption and buying
habits, which should help the Coca-Cola marketing team focus its campaign
strategies successfully toward attracting the target market.
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