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Methods of
consumer research
Primary research
methods
Advantages and
disadvantages of
each method
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Secondary: use of existing
research already done
 Government
 Consulting firms
 Newspaper and magazine
articles
Primary: creation of specific
studies to answer specific
questions e.g. why do you like
our product, groups to discuss
the att, react, motiv, lif its to find
the inner feelings, perceptions
etc.
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Great coverage of trade journals e.g. world trade
magazine, internt. Trade reporter, business star,
int. trade forum, trde finance r thr
Excellent indexing of articles by
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Country/region
Industry
Business/marketing concept—e.g.
 “Consumer marketing”
 “Market Research”
 “Teen Market”
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Surveys
Experimentation
Focus groups(group of
experts)
In-depth
interviews(why, what
abt the product)
Projective
techniques(inkblots,
sentence completion,
TAT, WAT, SCT(to
reveal motivation,
attitude, personalities
and feelings)
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Planned questions
Open-ended
Closed-ended
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Forms
Mail
 Telephone
 Computer/Internet
 Observation
 Personal Interview
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Getting people to follow
instructions
Opportunities for branching
(contingent questions)
Sampling frame and
response
Possible emerging
opportunities
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Correlating data on which not
all respondents have answered
the same questions e.g. there is
Softpac.com,
pricemonkey.com,
paidsurvey.co.in
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Groups of 8-12
consumers
assembled
Start out talking
generally about
context of product
Gradually focus in
on actual product
Structured vs.
unstructured
interviews
 Generalizing to
other consumers
e.g. it is to check the
motivation,
attitude, lifestyle,
feelings and usage
of the product
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These are like the
TAT, WAT, SCT
Measurement of
attitudes consumers
are unwilling to
express
Consumer discusses
what other
consumer might
think, feel, or do
Thematic Appreciation Test:- The respondents are shown Pictures or Cartoons
concerning the product or topic under study and asked to describe what is happening in
the picture. The respondents shall reveal their own motivation, attitudes, personalities and
the feelings about the situations.
Word Association Test:- The respondents are asked to study a series of Words or
Phrases, one at a time and asked to answer quickly with the first word that come to their
mind after hearing each one to reveal their true feelings.
Sentence Completion Test:- The Interviewer reads the first part of the sentence
and the respondent is required to express the rest of the sentence, this can be used to
develop promotional campaign.
Laddering(Means- End Ladder):- This concerns with an in-depth interview
with the customer over three things which are Product Attributes, Consumption Goals,
Terminal values. The assumption is that very specific attributes of the Product are linked
to the increasing abstraction to terminal values e.g. to buy a diamond ring, laddering for
the Overnight Delivery Service e.g. FEDEX with Satellite Tracking System.
Zaltman Metaphor- Elicitation Technique (ZMET):- Zaltmen and
Coulter developed a new Technique in 1990. This concerns the metaphor elicitation which
is A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to
represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea. His process also includes an
interview in which the pictures about the object in for research, product or service is given ad
the Metaphors like the image you see in the thoughts or feelings about the pictures also the
final accomplishment like the self –esteem, confidence, fuller life it is for the mental model or
meaning structure as responded by the respondent
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Consumer is observed-preferably unobtrusively-while:
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Examining products prior
to making a purchase
Using a product
Engaging in behavior
where the product may be
useful e.g. the looking at the
consumption pattern in the
consumer market
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Panel members in test communities agree to
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Swipe a card prior to each purchase
Have purchases matched to
 demographic profiles
 media/coupon exposure
 promotional status of competing brands
 past purchases
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Social desirability/
willingness to “stand
out”
Willingness to
criticize products
Familiarity with being
surveyed
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New technologies
(e.g., scanner data)
Reach-a-bility of
respondents
Selection of
appropriate
respondent is very
important