Consumer Research Methods
• Methods of
consumer research
• Primary research
methods
• Advantages and
disadvantages of
each method
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
1
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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
2
ABI Inform
• Specializes in business related
publications
• Search choices
– Subject terms
• “Snow-balling”  new subject terms
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–
–
–
MKTG 371
Personal Name
Product Name, Company Name
Abstract
“All basic search fields”
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
3
Snow-balling example
• Subject=Asian +
Subject=Advertising
 Television stations,
Television markets,
Asian Americans,
Television
Advertising,
Studies, Minority &
Ethnic Groups
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
4
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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
5
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”
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
6
Other
• Industry and
Company Info
– Not as useful for this
course but good for
job hunting
• Hoover’s
– Identify
competitors,
industry
• Some print sources:
– Best Customers
– Statistical Abstracts
• Country information
– Stat-USA
– Economist
Intelligence Unit
• Standard and Poor’s
Industry Surveys
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
7
Other Sources When You Do Not
Have Access to Lexis-Nexis/ABI
– 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/
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
8
Primary Research Methods
•
•
•
•
•
Surveys
Experimentation
Focus groups
In-depth interviews
Projective
techniques
• Physiological
Measures
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
9
Surveys
• Planned questions
– Open-ended
– Closed-ended
• Sample size and
inferences
• Forms
–
–
–
–
Mail
Telephone
Mall Intercept
Computer/Internet
• Biases
– Wording
– Response
– Interviewer
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
10
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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
11
Experimentation
• Real world
relevance vs.
control (internal vs.
external validity)
• “Treatments” and
factorial designs
• Sample sizes and
inferences
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
12
Focus Groups
• Groups of 8-12
consumers
assembled
• Start out talking
generally about
context of product
• Gradually focus in
on actual product
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
13
In-depth interviews
• Structured vs.
unstructured
interviews
• Generalizing to
other consumers
• Biases
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
14
Projective Techniques
• Measurement of
attitudes consumers
are unwilling to
express
• Consumer discusses
what other
consumer might
think, feel, or do
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
15
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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
16
Physiological Measures
• Devices attached to the consumer to
measure
– Arousal
– Eye movement
• Consumer feedback
– Lever pulled to positive or negative
positions
– Squeeze on ball
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
17
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!
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
18
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?
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
19
Confounds
• What is cause, what is effect, and what is
coincidence?
• Correlation is not necessarily cause
• “Lurking” factors may be real cause of
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– 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?
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
20
Issues in International Primary
Research
• Social desirability/
willingness to “stand
out” ---> need to
adjust data
• Willingness to
criticize products
• Familiarity with being
surveyed
MKTG 371
• New technologies
(e.g., scanner data) -usually less well
developed than in the
U.S.
• Reachability of
respondents
• Selection of
appropriate
respondent
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
21
Why We Buy
Chapter 1: “A Science Is Born”
• “Trackers”
• High vs. low tech
tools
• Massive database
• Repetitive, nonglorious work
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
22
Chapter 2:
“What Retailers Don’t Know”
• Conversion rates
• What do managers
actually know—or
think they know?
• Knowing the
neighborhood
• Waiting line
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
23
Chapter 3
“The Twilight Zone”
• The Transition Zone
• Effects of automatic doors
• Productive uses of the
transition zone
• Tradeoffs in real life
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
24
Why We Buy
Ch. 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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
25
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
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
26
Ch. 6“Shoppers Move Like People”
• Why not be next to
a bank?
• What do mirrors do
to walking traffic?
• Chevroning—
advantages and
disadvantages
MKTG 371
RESEARCH METHODS
Lars Perner, Instructor
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