Marketing Research Essentials

1
MDSS Database Structure
Chapter Three
2
Chapter Four
Qualitative Research
Chapter Four
3
Chapter Four Objectives
Chapter Four
4
Nature of Qualitative Research

• Qualitative
• Research whose findings are not subject to
  quantification or quantitative analysis. Its
  research conclusions are not based on precisely,
  measurable statistics but on more subjective
  observations and analysis.
• Quantitative
• Research that uses mathematical analysis.
  Typically research analysis is done using
  measurable, numeric standards.

Chapter Four
5
Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative Research
Chapter Four
6
Limitations of Qualitative Research
Things to Consider
1. Attitudinal, perception, and belief
differences revealed during qualitative research
might not be easily measure. Quantitative
research will more precisely measure these
differences. 2. Qualitative research is often
not statistically representative of the general
population. Although qualitative results might
give you a good idea about the population, they
do not allow you to precisely gauge the
populations responses based on the limited
sample typical of qualitative research. 3.
Anyone can purport to be an expert.
Chapter Four
7
Qualitative Research Methods

• Factors to Consider
• Time and budget
• How the research results will be used
• Product and service tangibility
• Research goals and objectives
• Participant availability and willingness
• Desired analysis sophistication
• Whether quantitative research follows.

Focus Groups Interviews Observation Concept
Testing Perceptual Mapping
Chapter Four
8
Growing Role of Focus Groups
Focus Group Defined

• A group of eight to 12 participants who are led
  by a moderator in an in-depth discussion on one
  particular topic or concept.

Interacting among people in a group. The
moderator must manages this issue deftly.
Group Dynamic
Some Key Characteristics

• Good for idea generation, brainstorming, and
  understanding customer vocabulary
• Can be helpful in gaining insight to motives,
  attitudes, perceptions
• Can reveal needs / likes dislikes / prejudices
  driven by emotions.

Chapter Four
9
Conducting a Focus Group

• Decide on the key focus group objectives
• Use secondary research to hone questions
• Select focus group facility and participants
• Begin recruiting after deciding on participant
  incentives
• Select a moderator
• Develop a moderator guide to chart flow of focus
  group
• Conduct the focus group - generally about two
  hours
• Review the videotape, your notes and analyze
  the results
• Prepare a written report.

Moderator Analyses Results
Focus Group Flow
Chapter Four
10
Conducting a Focus Group
The Participants

• Selection process
• Potential opinion leaders are best
• Participants must be screened for relevance to
  the topic
• A focus group facility - A research facility
  consisting of a conference room or living room
  setting and a separate observation room with a
  one-way mirror or live audiovisual feed.
• A person hired by the client to lead the focus
  group this person should have a background in
  psychology or sociology or, at least, marketing.
• Create moderator's guide to include
• Timetable for each topic , clear goals/questions
  to be answered
• Strategy for keeping group on task / focused
• Managing the group dynamics is critical

The Location
The Moderator
Chapter Four
11
The Moderator and the Focus Group Building Rapport
Some Helpful Techniques

• Meet and greet the participants before the focus
  group
• Ask personal questions during the warm-up
• Reveal personal information about yourself
• Ask for the participants assistance during the
  process
• Use humor when appropriate
• Dress a the same level as the respondents
• Start the focus group session sitting down
• Have a discussion guide to assist.

A written outline of topics to be covered during
a focus group discussion.
Chapter Four
12
What Makes a Good Moderator? Some Typical
Characteristics

• Is genuinely interested in peoples
• behavior, emotions, lifestyles, passions,
  prejudices, and opinions
• Is accepting and appreciative of participant
  differences
• Is objective and open minded
• Has good listening skills
• Has good observation skills - can pick-up on
  body language
• Is interested in a wide array of subjects
• Prepares for the topic at hand to enhance
  credibility

Chapter Four
13
What Make a Good Moderator? Some Typical
Characteristics

• Has good oral, written, and organizational
  skills
• Is able to deftly manage conversation flow
• Is good at follow-up questioning and probing
• Has good attention to detail and is precise
• Should understand the clients business and
  industry
• Should be able to provide strategic leadership
  to management
• Should to be personably agreeable and easy to
  work with.

Chapter Four
14
Benefits and Drawbacks of Focus Groups

• Participants candor
• Looks the customer in the eye
• Generates fresh ideas / brainstorming
• Allows client to observe comment onsite
• Can be executed quickly
• Can enhance other data collection methods
• Participants provide valuable information
  useable for the next research phase.

Advantages

• Expense time
• Expertise needed
• Participation issues - no shows
• Interpretation is subjective
• Often misused as representative the general
  population.

Disadvantages
Chapter Four
15
Online Focus Groups

• Low costs no geographic barriers
• Can be executed quickly
• Good for generating fresh ideas / brainstorming
• Can enhance other data collection methods
• Participants provide valuable information for
  the next research phase.

Advantages

• Loss of group, hands-on, dynamic
• Interpretation is subjective
• Projective techniques are less effective
• Security - you dont know who else might be at
  the computer
• Non-verbal inputs will be generally / often
  missed
• Attention to the topic - participants often
  drift
• Loss of direct client observational involvement
• Often misused as representative the general
  population
• Exposure to external stimuli stymied
• Role and skill of moderator not fully realized.

Disadvantages
Chapter Four
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Other Trends in Focus Group Research

• Combining online and telephone focus groups
• Videoconferencing
• Viewing focus groups online.

Chapter Four
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Other Qualitative Methodologies Depth Interviews

• Key Techniques
• Laddering approach
• Hidden issue questioning
• Symbolic analysis approach

• Advantages Disadvantages
• Group pressure is eliminated
• More costly than a focus group
• More personalized attention given
• Often geared towards getting underlying
  information
• Interviewee becomes more sensitive to nonverbal
  clues
• Respondent can be less forthright as the focus
  is on them
• An interview lacks the advantage of group
  dynamics
• Can result in limited ground getting covered
• An interview can be conducted anywhere you
  dont need a facility.

Chapter Four
18
Other Qualitative Methodologies Projective Tests
Technique tapping respondents deepest feelings
by having them project those feelings into and
unstructured situation.
Projective Tests
Some Techniques

• Word Association
• Cartoon Tests
• Photo Sorts
• Customer Drawings
• Storytelling
• Sentence and Story Completion
• Third Person Technique.

Chapter Four