This is the guideline for the key that Dr, Varalaxmi has sent to me. Do have a look at it. All the Best for Tommorow!
Case study
A] use research process and when u come to the point abt. R design the choose appropriate rd
B] Exploratory research design:
USE Focus group ONLY as other three are secondary data collection methods
Descriptive RD:
True panel/omnibus panel/simple sample survey
USE ONLY ONE OF THE ABOVE
Causal RD:
Field or lab either may be used
Pre test: ERD&DRD
Post test:CRD
ERD:
1] new product /service new market
2] old product but you r anew player
DRD:
1]old product but u r a new player
2] old product ,old player but market expansion
3] product variation
3]product extension
CRD:
The product/service has been launched
And u wish to analyse why it has succeeded or failed
C] when u come to the point in the research process about sampling then choose the rt. sample
SAMPLING: USE ONLY PROBABILITY SAMPLES:
USE ANY ONE ONLY
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Rest of all The AMR
That is everything. Only Physiological Tests is missing.
Psychological tests or projective techniques:
Description of vague objects requires interpretation which is based on the individuals own background, attitudes, and values. The vaguer the object to be described, the more one has to reveal oneself (the vaguer something is, the deeper the consumer has to think and in the process tends to reveal himself/ herself) In order to implement the projective techniques four categories from clinical psychology are used:
In categories such as detergents, when there is a standard expected message and the message is not vague, respondents will generally reply in a ‘learned’ manner. So if in such a category, the ad wants to be clutter breaking, psychological tests reveal other perspectives. Eg. Surf – ‘daag acche hai’. Certain ads try to be ‘clutter breaking’ but they tend to be bizarre. Eg. Tiger Balm where the daughter in law as well as the father in law float in the air and jump off a balcony because the implied message is that no matter what happens, bingo will cure you. The key therefore is to make the ad vague enough to be clutter breaking – the vagueness in the case must connect with the target group, and the interpretation of the vagueness must be relatively homogenous. The vagueness should not be so vague that it seems bizarre and does not connect with any target audience.
1) Free association test:
a) Free Word Association: This refers to the first word or thought required to make connection with the stimulus. It is the success of word association that enables the interpretation of a thought.
Words that are seemingly random are asked for reactions on. Eg. A researcher might say “color”, “paint”, and “home” in the same order and ask for reactions. These results would then aid the communication process.
b) Successive Word Association: A series of words that may be seemingly unrelated and enable interpretation of thought.
Words may seem unrelated but they give insights on the unconscious minds of people. Eg. Children think of biscuits as a fantasy like in the case of Sunfeast where the fantasy is cartoonish, and the ad has Shah Rukh Khan swimming through a sea of cream.
2) Completion technique: This is an attempt to complete and incomplete stimulus.
Sometimes such sentences are used as ideas for a tagline. It gives marketers an idea of people’s chain or train of thought.
a) Sentence completion Test: A series of words as part of a sentence representing an idea or thought is presented. The first relevant thought associated with the sentence that is incomplete enables the completion of the sentence.
b) Story completion test: Initial information about a particular issue in a relevant context is provided as a skeleton idea. The story thus presented is fledged out by the sample respondents.
Gives insights into customers psyche. It also gives the marketer ideas for storyboards, it may also lend insights into multiple uses of a product – it thus gives an idea of features of a product; required as well as relevant features and their contexts. It’s also to test ideas – to see how people connect the dots with respect to ad and product context.
3) Construction technique: These methods enable the construction of dialogue, story description, like completion technique but has less initial information provided.
a) Cartoon technique: This is where one character’s dialogue is given in a bubble while the other’s response and subconscious thought must be provided by the respondent. Be it in a bubble or a cloud.
Once again a storyboard technique – but more information is provided. For example an ad for a new pair of jeans is shown and the onus lies on the audience to generate insights on whether a new pair of jeans may be looked at as ‘new’.
b) Third person technique: Respondents are asked what others would do in a given situation and the response of the respondents reveal what in reality they themselves would do which they normally will not share in public.
It’s another way of trying to capture the sub conscience. Trying to motivate people in a way that is subliminal. .
c) Picture technique: One uses pictures to make respondents feel and tell what they think when the pictures are quite vague so that the respondents use their imagination.
This generally focuses on print advertising – it gives an idea of how well print advertising is to facilitate recall. The other insight is that if a picture is vague, one may be able to generate certain ideas. If there is homogeneity in imagination then the vague picture may be able to be used.
d) Fantasy scenario: You make up a fantasy about a product or brand attributing physical characteristics that are associated with psychographics.
Kareena Kapoor Lux Chocolate was obviously done. It failed. It was intentionally sexual but yet it failed. So they made a psychographic connection – but how many consumers would make that connection. This is with respect to the average middle class Indian consumer.
From a similar standpoint one can look at Milano - it works. It works because the target market is different and the market connects with the psychographics. It conveys the experience of eating a cookie. It indicates a personality that is associated with the cookie.
e) Personification: Human characteristics are found in several products or brands thus making the product or service more acceptable to the public.
ICICI Hum Hai Na – giving brands a human quality. Give a service a human touch. Bajaj Pulsar definitely male fits into this category.
Target audiences may lend a personality to products – personalities that may fit the brand or a personality they desire especially when there is less human interaction involved. This works well for highly technological products or services, which are highly systemized.
4) Expressive Technique:
a) Role Playing: Respondents play roles of other persons and in the process reveal the role players attitude towards jobs, professions or people.
This kind of testing works with direct marketing. Eg. Aqua Forbes type of companies – who make sales through direct marketing, respondents may be asked to play the role of a sales person. So this gives an insight into what customers may accept with respect to sales people – the objective is to try and identify what may be accepted as alright for a sales person to say – something that will make customers give an ear to sales people.
14/ 12/ 2007
Research Design
- Exploratory Research
- Descriptive Research
- Causal Research
I) Exploratory Research: : Exploratory Research used when a product is new but the market is not new, where a product is not new but the market is new. When the product is not new but the market is new.
Uses.
1)
a) Formulate Problem more precisely.
b) Develop hypothesis
2) a) Establish Priority for Research
c) Eliminate impractical Ideas
d) Clarify concept
3) Gather information about practical problems regarding the carrying out of research on a particular conceptual statement.
4) Increases the analyst’s familiarity
Types:
1) Literary Search
a) Keep Database of Competitors as competitors profile with the help of trade literature.
The profile of competitors is essential to know what they have done to popularize – their schemes, their strategy,
b) Conceptual Literature: It is the work of psychological, sociological, personnel and marketing journals to understand employee satisfaction/ dissatisfaction.
A study of Organisational Behaviour. Employee satisfaction is important because employees are the driving force of systems. Work culture is an integral part of employee satisfaction.
2) Experience Survey:
a) It focuses on architects and designers in a situation where a builder tries to comprehend competitors.
b) It also includes sales managers, product managers or sales representatives.
All FMCG companies, when they employ people, for the 1st 6 months of the year they will send you to a region that is your linguistic base and you would need to work under someone who is ‘educationally’ less qualified than you. This is primarily to understand what the market is all about.
3) Focus Groups: (Explained in Research Techniques)
4) Analysis of Selected Cases: This includes the study of cases that have a relevant co relation with the market research study. Be it of a product or service. Avoid the pitfalls from the competitors and pick up the right tips from them.
II) Descriptive Research: Is different from exploratory research because it is primarily where the product or service is already in the market. The overlap exists when the product is coming out as a new player in a new demography but the market is not new to the product or service.
It is very different from exploratory research with respect to sub brands and tweaking of services etc. Thus it is more to do with experimenting with the same market.
Uses:
1) Estimate proportion of people in a population who behave in a certain way.
2) Make specific predictions.
Types:
1) Longitudinal Study
a) True Panel: It checks how many people buy/ react to a stimulus. It is repeatedly measured with the same entities. For instance, AC Nielsen has 40, 000 households as a basis for its home scan service. The samples are asked each time a purchase is made, questions regarding where they purchased, and the price they paid. Each sample is measured each time on the same characteristic for instance purchases.
All the participants are the target audience and their buying behaviour is pre determined to be consistent. So they are studied before they are taken on as representatives.
Psychographic analysis is what can be satisfied by a true panel. Purchases with respect to (especially) FMCG’s, are extremely gender and age specific. Observation and psychographics give insights into seemingly irrelevant things.
CRM is satisfying a similar (broader) role especially with respect to the New Media.
b) Omnibus Panel: The same sample is still selected and maintained but information collected varies. For instance, once a product is measured and the next time it would involve only the ad copy. A omnibus study suggests the inclusion of many variables or many subcategory of variables. For instance, Parker Pens maintain a panel of 1100 individuals to evaluate writing instruments. A sub sample from the total sample is chosen for instance those who use fountain pens are regarded as a sub sample and only they are called upon to evaluate a new fountain pen. Similarly, the children’s channel Nick maintains children of different age groups to evaluate different programs and concepts.
Omnibus = Comprising several categories
So you have different categories within products, different packages for services. So an omnibus panel enables the marketer to get the most accurate research from the most contextual and relevant audience.
3) Cross Sectional Analysis: This studies how different categories react to a stimulus a number of times. It involves simultaneous occurrence of the variables of interest.
a) Simple Panel Survey: Here for instance, thousand consumers of a product may be chosen then different brands manufacturing the same product conduct a sample survey.
Brand Purchased
A
B
C
D Population of users during the 1st time Period
200
300
350
150
1000 Population of users during the 2nd time Period
250
270
330
150
1000
Uses:
1) It provides evidence regarding the causal relationship between variables by means of concomitant variation.
2) Time order in which variations occour.
3) Elimination of other possible explanation.
A has been able to take some of the consumers from B and C. A may have had a sales promotion as a result of which it has got more users during the 2nd time period. D seems to be a niche brand whose consumers may not be affected by sales promotion activities.
Types:
1) Lab experiment
2) Field experiment
Uses:
1) Concomitant variation
a) Qualitative Variation: For instance a market is studied to understand the contribution of good salesmen that provide a market share that is satisfactory. Simultaneously it also studies how poor salesmen contribute to a dissatisfactory market share. To study this, hundred sales reps both good and bad are chosen.
Salesman Quality
Good
Bad Market Share that is satisfactory
40
10 Market Share that is dissatisfactory
20
30 Total
60
40
100
In the satisfactory, 67% are good and 25% are bad.
In the dissatisfactory, 33% are good and 75% are bad. The perfect scenario would have been if all good salesmen were in the satisfactory territories and all the bad ones in the dissatisfied territory. But that is not the way the market works.
Causual research works backwards. All the good, looking back, should have gone to the market share that is dissatisfactory to try and convert that market. In this scenario, the impat of good has to be significantly higher than the bad for a cumulative ‘good’ effect to occour.
b) Quantitative Variation: For instance single vs married people are studied to understand the comparative consumption of candy. The samples are 3009. The single participant were 999 and the married ones were 2010.
Marital Status
Single
Married Eat Candy Regularly
750
1265 Do not eat candy regularly
249
745 Total
999
2010
Those that eat regularly constitute 75% and those that do not eat regularly constitute 25% from the total number of single samples. Among married participants, 63% eat regularly and 37% do not eat regularly.
This shows a larger proportion of singles consuming candy thus showing an obvious difference between the eating habits of single and married people.
2) Time order of occurrence: This refers to a situation where the cause happens before the effect.
Any problem that may occur at the stage of inception – anything that may have gone wrong before the consumer interacts with the product. This needs to be traced – the part of the supply chain that causes a problem needs to identified and effectively dealt with possibly next time. One may then even take such things into consideration and plan a marketing strategy that ensures profits/ success. E. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom coinciding with the IIFA awards ensuring success with the NRI market.
3) Elimination of other Possible Factors: For example a research analyst wanting to analyse what influences purchase based on the displays at a store looks at factors that need to be eliminated such as store size, price of product, etc.
Such research is usually conducted in SuperMarkets – do any factors other than the undertaken by brands affect price? – so is there a decrease in price? Are there cross promotions, is it the placement? All this could be either from the brand’s end or from the store’s end. So one zeroes in on a factor – the factor that really affects sales.
Types:
Lab experiments: Simulated shopping is organized for samples who are told to make 8 trips knowing there is a price change and see for themselves if they change the brand. This is an attempt to study the causal effect of the price change.
Subjects are AWARE of price changes.
Field experiments: Subjects used as samples are not aware of price change. The variable that is the price, is altered in its natural environment and once again the samples are studied for cause and effect.
Subjects are unaware – thus one can know things about loyalty, customer attentiveness, consumer’s brand lifecycle of brands. An insight into buying behaviour can be achieved. Consumers’ threshold of acceptance among other things can be understood.
Sampling:
The sample that has the highest probability of choosing all elements in a given scenario.
1) Simple Random Sample: It guarantees in the long run that every probable sample of a given size will be selected with known and equal probability. For instance, a deck of playing cards well shuffled a number of times ensures that all probable combinations occur.
Chosen without a conscious decision. Unbiased. It does not mean the same as when we speak colloquially. Within the framework of a market research exercise an entire large sample may be used.
For the paper use a true panel, probability, simple random sample (3 steps)
2) Stratified Sample: The universe is divided into groups that include all the relevant items.
Store Size No of Stores % of Stores
Large 20, 000 20
Medium 30, 000 30
Small 50, 000 50
Omnibus comes in the picture here. Here one often looks at sub categories of soaps. Eg. For soap, if a soap is moisturizer based, aloe vera based – etc etc. thus when customization features comes in, it becomes an omnibus. – omnibus could be either feature led or TA led – but its mostly feature led. Stratified sample can have segmentation on the basis of age, use habits etc.
Comparative studies within a true panel can be possible – one can get differentiation between gender and age etc. but the point still remains that one may not have psychographic differentiation in terms of people’s thoughts because a true panel is homogenous.
3) Cluster sampling: Here universal elements are formed in groups rather than individual units. The groups are formed as homogenous units.
I) Area Sampling: This is formed on a geographic basis where geographic considerations are important.
a) There is no list of elements so one relies on elements that are available such as Pin Code, Suburbs etc. For example a sample list is created while listing out all outlets that sell a certain commodity in a specific area, then an other area sample is created narrowing down the area.
When one wants to push a product into a new area, one would undergo exploratory research – do a focus group and then put in people from areas and then put them in groups where you cluster a database. This kind of a sample works in rural areas because there is relative homogeneity. The market is not as complex – and thus a sample or a cluster is more representative.
b) Systematic Sample: This method assumes that a list exists. For example: A particular kind of cluster is taken into consideration where hundred dentists offering dental insurance are studied. The first cluster would be from the second, every fifth sample and the next cluster from the third, every fifth sample and so on. These clusters are therefore formed with little subjective probability.
No name or face associated with allocation of clusters.
Probability sampling is therefore objective. Each sample has an equal opportunity to be a representative where there is a high probability of all participants being chosen.
Non-Subjective and unbiased.
Non-Probability Sample: This method of sampling suggests that there is a probability of choosing elements, which remain unknown.
1) Convenient Sample: This refers to choosing samples that are easy and cheap.
For example TV audiences are supposed to represent the Nation. Indian Idol,, Voice of India – eg. How many people in India watch cable TV, how many people watch hindi, how many people watch sony, how many people watch Indian Idol – how many people vote?
News Channel Polls
2) Judgement Sampling: This is when experts in a subject pass value judgement on selections made. For instance, sales managers and sales reps select a sample of grocery stores in an area that they consider representative.
Very close to experience survey under exploratory survey. A qualified person makes a judgement. When doing SMO one often develops a judgement sample.
3) Quota Sampling: This is based on a strategy where demographic considerations such as age and gender are considered. It is different from stratified sampling as stratified sampling is objective while quota samples are chosen by field workers who choose according to subjective considerations such as convenience.
Like stratified sampling where the job is being done by the field worker. The sample is created by a field worker with a word picture in mind.
4) Purportive Sample: This refers to a universal sample chosen out of convenience that are then analyzed as a representative study of a market. For example, the choice of brands of a particular product or service chosen for studies is a choice made by the researcher purely based on subjective considerations.
Eg. The Individual project we are doing where we chose brands we feel like.
Eg. Shubhiksha flyers which compares their prices with Big Bazaar Akbar Ally’s Apna Bazar etc – but it is a subjective consideration as it fails to mention Reliance Fresh, or Spencers etc.
New Product Research
Also Includes Services.
1) Develop Overall strategy based on Market Trends
Eg. For iPod something that’s user friendly, small and portable, convergence, a market that has disposable income.
People are style conscious.
2) Develop a flavour of new product ideas from a variety of sources
Novel ideas can come from outside the R & D Department of a firm.
3) Develop preliminary procedures for screening new ideas
Ideas, can come from outside so procedures need to be put in place for screening. The idea has to synergize with investment, infrastructure and human capital competency.
4) Develop procedure for final screening
Which idea within the sphere of investment fits the budget, is user friendly, is appropriately priced and fits with the brand image.
5) Develop product specifications with regard to optimum product attributes
What kind of features to develop? What kind of features to highlight? Specifications that are relevant to consumers.
6) Test the Product
Focus groups, samples
7) Test Market the Product
8) Commercialize and Supervise the product through its lifecycle and its termination or phase out
A company should know when to withdraw the product – nurture the product through the lifecycle. Maruti phasing out the Baleno.
Product Testing
1) Paired Comparison Testing – Consumers are not told about the brand being tested and are given a new and an old product and are asked to choose. The samples know that they are testing and are therefore aware about a probable difference.
FMCG’s would often do this since there are so many products. This is like the Classic Coke Test Case. This kind of testing tells us about branding – the strength of branding – are consumers aware of product variations? Do people really understand the style that a fashion house stands for. Response rates for distinctions would be high because people know that there is a test happening. Placebo Testing also has an effect here because the palette assumes that there are differences – and thus the palette expects change and there is a false perception of things being different.
2) Staggered Comparison Test – Respondents Test 2 Brands with a time lag with the identities masked. One half of the respondents receive Brand A and the other half receives Brand B. The respondents are then given the same products in reverse and are asked to note any difference in the brands.
This kind of comparison tests the ideas of respondents with respect to their influence by peer pressure and their association with a product with respect to how their choices are dictated.
3) Disguised Comparison Test: This duplicates the actual market where for different brands, the same packaging is used and the respondents are told that they will be asked about their reactions later. In this case, the respondents are studied in order to recognize if they have noticed any difference at all. Further, they are not aware of the test being taken and believe the products to be free samples
This is the opposite of the 2 above. The sample does not know they are part of the test. They are just given free samples. They just think that they are getting 2 free samples. They don’t know that they are getting test. Sometimes they don’t realize that its different. They think it’s the same product.
Awareness Paired Staggered Disguised
Slightly Aware of Differences 62 60 2
Quite Aware of Differences
17
18
5
Not Aware of Differences
21
22
93
Total
100
100
100
Branding Research
Branding Research is conducted for products, services, or people. IT first determines attributes or benefits of a product in a specific target market. The information is obtained through qualitative research. The perception of each of the attributes is then tested quantitatively. This kind of research helps the SWOT analysis of a brand.
First you do qualitative research. Before you do a mass research , you must check out the results of a focus group or something else that is basically qualitative. After you do this, then you can figure out what is the best way to do a quantitative research. People are willing to pay a huge margin for the branding itself. Hence branding is a huge investment that does pay off.
After you have a customer that has become brand loyal , you don’t really need to get into a single marketing exercise with them. You need to now move to a different set of people to market it to.
Some ads are not done for branding, they are only done for promotion. For eg. Airtel and the emotive element that is added to it. SRK is used for promotion. For Vodafone Irfan Khan is used for promotion.
Desired and actual image: This is a concern for any brands. For eg, Versa with Abhishek and Amitabh. They then had to change it to more of a family centric campaign.
The benefits of branding are:
1) Customers get additional value from branding attributes for which, they are willing to pay a price.
2) The company gains through cost saving that is obtained from loyal customers. They also gain from the revenue generated by the added value. Further, overall branding helps the company make optimum use of the company’s yet untapped potential and the resultant opportunities that would rub off on the brand image.
3) Uncover the difference between the desired and the actually perceived image.
4) Maximize acquisition of new customers and market penetration.
5) Minimize loss of current customers.
6) Safeguard and increase the income revenue.
7) Improve marketing and sales planning.
Broadcast Pre Testing:
(A Part of Pre Testing Methods)
1) Clutter Test – It is used in 2 different instances
Clutter – when there is too much of something. The main concern of advertisers and manufacturers – how do I avoid clutter?
Marketeers want to be unique but what if unique gets lost? The clutter test helps with that tight ropewalk. How to ensure recall and recognition maintaining the clutter-breaking paradigm?
Marketers want to break stereotypes but what if the clutter-breaking ad does not resonate with audiences?
i) The researcher tests a product for recall and recognition across different brands.
Recall – describe and remember. Recognition – show and remember
ii) The researcher tests for recall and recognition the number of products that are advertised.
Across products, there may be certain ads that can be confused for other products. Eg. A tile ad with an old couple could be confused as a retirement solutions ad, an ad for an anti floor bacterial product – etc.
2) Theatre Test – During a regular show in a theatre, advertisements are shown in regular slots and are tested for recall. The audiences in the theatre are unaware of the tests and are asked to recall the ad.
Consumers in the theatre are asked then to remember the ad (or maybe even all the ads) – to check if the ad is clutter breaking.
3) Live Telecast Test – These tests are mostly conducted on cable TV. There are 2 instances where the tests are conducted.
This is an example of North America where most audiences in America are predominantly viewing Cable.
i) Test ads are shown and sample audiences using cable TV are asked for their responses.
ii) In order to check the response of the audience of a soap opera, the pilot episode is shown to a select cable audience.
4) Trailer Test – Large Screens in shopping malls show advertisements. In the 1st instance, those coming to the mall are given coupons and redemption rates are checked. Secondly the number of inquiries made by those without coupons is also measured.
5) Television Storyboard Test – Video Tapes advertising storyboards are given to a specific target audience. The storyboard that generates the most preferred response is then converted into a TVC.
Determine the Sample Population (Get notes for all this)
Determine the Sampling Frame
Determine the Sampling Unit
A unit that determines certain pre requisites that affect the purchase. Eg. Age, gender, locality.
Determine the Method of Sampling
Decide whether it will be probability or non probability sample.
Determine the Sample Plan
Determine the Sample Size
Determined on whether it is mass or niche, whether it is a subcategory or a complete category.
Determine the Sample
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative. (Qualitative is listed below)
Quantitative is data collection – primary and secondary.
Under Primary one can list descriptive research, longitudinal – [true panel, omnibus panel], and cross sectional – [simple sample survey], surveys, under causal research (field and lab) are all primary data research.
Secondary is experience survey, literary search, and analysis of selective cases.
Qualitative Research Techniques:
1) Focus Groups
2) Projective Techniques
3) Personal Interviews
Motivational Research Techniques
1) Observation (under research techniques)
2) Focus Groups
3) In Depth Interviews
Data Interpretation and Presentation (Research Process)
1) Prepare the Raw Data
2) Enter the data accurately
3) Tabulate the Data
4) Determine Whether Significant Differences Exist between Categories
5) Analyse and Explain why differences exist
6) Make Recommendations
Product Research: (Different from New Product Research)
1) New Concept Generation
Unlike in new product research, this may just be referring to a variant, not a completely new product by itself. It may be something as simple as a packaging change. Eg. Britannia, when acquired by the Wadias, changed its packaging and gave different brand names to categories.
2) Screening
Screen these new concepts that have been generated.
3) Concept Testing
a) Focus Groups
b) Mall Intercepts
Same as in person surveys. They are one on one interviews typically conducted in high tragic locations such as shopping malls people are presented with samples of products, packaging or advertising and immediate feedback is gathered.
These surveys generate a response rate of more than 90%
4) Business and Market Analysis
Is it a valuable business proposition?
5) Actual Product Development
Understanding all these factors, the product will be developed and marketing, schedules, planning and strategies to be put in place.
6) Market Tests
Test Market the product
7) Commercialization
A marketing blitzkrieg – a launch, press conference, experts, critics.
8) Innovation, Diffusion, Adoption
Innovation refers to new ways of marketing. One must remember that the product is not new and thus one must think of new techniques to push it in the market. Diffusion refers to the distribution of the product to the correct market. Marketing and advertising and must work in tandem. Adoption refers to the process of the way the consumer interacts with the product. And this adoption and interaction changes with time so the brand needs to keep that in mind and understand when the product needs to go back to the drawing board.
Name Testing: A brand name needs to be tested by manufacturers and service providers. Samples are shown a list of names and are at the same time informed about a product or service that needs naming. This enables the sample to form a co relation between the product or service and choice of names. The names are tested for recall and/or recognition. Rating scales may be used to measure sample preferences.
Eg. Milano is an Italian name and gives positive associations and gives the upper class feel.
Slogan Testing: A slogan, a tagline etc. of a product or service is tested by a manufacturer or researcher. As the samples are informed about the product or service, it enables them to form a connection between the proposed slogans and taglines and products or services. Rating scales are used to choose the most preferred slogan.
Slogans are also tested in a similar fashion where the respondents are given details about the product or service and chose the best fit.
Halo Effect: When a person is considered good in a category, one is likely to make a similar evaluation of the person in other related categories. For instance if a person dresses like a rock star, it is assumed that he can sing, dance and play the guitar. Another instance of Halo Effect is when an individual characteristic is transferred to every other aspect of the person’s life. Researchers rely heavily on such associations as it enables advertisers to highlight features of the product or service with the help of the singular characteristic of the Individual. For instance a performer or an entertainer is used to endorse a product or service in the hope that the halo effect of the entertainer affects the product.
Stereotypes on TV shows. Also about using celebrities whose ‘attributes’ flow onto the brand.
Validity: Measures taken to access validity are:
To acknowledge or authenticate something. One should know what the communication objective is, the raison d’ etre for advertising. Once that is clear, the strategy can be validated. Validity can be pre testing or post testing.
a) Advertisements to be targeted with respect to communications objective and a copy test whose content is measurable that represents the objective. Therefore the validity of a particular copy test will depend on the advertising response that is desired. Here the company can see whether the right connection is made or not in the minds of the consumer.
b) Given the target population can be sensibly defined, the subjects in the test should be representative of the target population.
The ad is not generic and thus it must be ensured that the sample is truly representative.
c) It is important to know the reactions of respondents to the test environment and the measuring instruments. You have to check whether the respondents are comfortable with the measuring scales used as they would give contradictory responses if uncomfortable.
Samples may not relate well to the measuring scales that a researcher offers or even the test environment (if any).
d) The frequency of response also validates the copy. A respondent is asked to see an ad multiple times to see if there is consistency in response no matter what mood they are in.
Does the communication cut across mood swings and is liking affected to a large extent because of these factors. Eg. Sehwag ki maa ad where if he is playing well and he ad is shown in that match, it may have positive effects while if he gets out on 0, the ad becomes a mockery.
Sensibility or Sensitivity: It involves a test that would help differentiate between commercials of a brand or brands as products seem to have similar USP’s. Brands must therefore make special efforts to create distinctions. Similarly brands should try to create a separate identity that is identifiable by the market. An identity that is represented by intangible values. Thus brands must seem meaningful.
Mass products would have common USP’s. Thus for a similar USP, another intangible, creative way of communicating the message is important. Eg. Axe and Set Wet say the same thing but they say it differently.
Stability: It refers to the consistency of a result or of a measure at different points in time. For example a list designed to measure proof reading ability is administered during the 1st week of an editing class and then again during the 2nd week. The list possesses stability if the 2 results are consistent. Caution should be exercised whenever stability is used to measure reliability as people and things change over time.
Are people consistent in the way they edit copy, create copy?
Credibility/ Predictability: A copy test of an ad may be considered monotonous because of its predictability in the sense that a product by its very nature lends itself to a stereotypical copy that is unavoidable thus the predictability factor is very high. For the ad to credible, efforts must be made to strike a balance between being faithful to the product and being individualistic while creating ad copy. Invariably, respondents find copy lacking individuality hence the respondents i.e. the customer reaction too lacks individuality. Therefore advertising efforts should be made to create a non-predictable copy.
Reliability: Reliability of a product or service is also tested by the success of an ad as the ad must contain a USP of the brand. The reliability and therefore the success of copy is tested when respondents accept/ reject claims made by the advertisements on behalf of the manufacturer or service provider.
Reliability explores if the ad is in tandem with what the customer expects and what the company claims.
Reliability goes beyond the ad message – it has historical nuances interweaved.
Portfolio Test: This is named after the manner in which ads to be tested are packaged. The ads are placed in a portfolio and respondents are asked to recall the ads with the portfolio closed. Such recall may be on a completely unaided basis or the interviewer may aid recall by asking about specific ads for specific products. For each recalled ad, the respondent is asked to play back as much of the ad as possible. The information is recorded verbatim.
Anything that is post test is causal research
Inquiry Test (Post Test): It measures the advertisement’s worth.
i) Place the ad in different places in a copy where all other factors remain equal. Then check how many inquiries are made.
Can people remember seeing the ad? Different places eg. Bombay, Delhi
ii) Place the same ad in different magazines and do a similar check.
Not in different issues but in different magazines – one ad in outlook, one ad in the week and one ad in India Todau
iii) Split Run – certain elements of the ad change but it is placed in the same place, same size but different issues of the same magazine. (This is a communication measurement objective related test) – this is a lab test.
Sales Test (Post Test): either using POP’s or direct mail does These tests are field tests.
POP’s: Consumers are exposed to alternative pieces of copy or product. Sales are measured in stores keeping the same copy. Same POP in different kinds of stores and same stores – different kinds of POP’s.
Direct Mail: This is done with the use of coupons. One group is shown a TV ad and the other is not. Then both groups are given coupons to buy the product that has been advertised. The researcher then measures the influence of TV ads on both groups. (this Is a lab test) – specific only to coupons sent via DM
This shows the impact level of a mailer. Also gives an insight into consumer attention spans and levels to your mailer in some cases (booklets that come through mail are often less used than when the booklet is advertised on TV)
Measuring Ad Effectiveness:
Pre Test
Focus Groups
Physiological Tests
Psychological Tests
Broadcast Pre Testing
Post Test
Enquiry Test
Sales Test
Split Run
Recall
Recognition
4 Major Reasons for Measuring Ad Effectiveness are:
1) To avoid costly mistakes
2) Evaluate alternative strategies
When there is one to many communication, one may need more than one plan because one may not be spot on all the time.
All eggs in one basket may be a flawed strategy
3) Increase efficiency of advertising
The Media Plan must talk to the correct TA. Domex – a toilet cleaner placed its ads in the prime time slots which coincided with dinner time and thus they faced flak from the consumers.
4) The Result serves as inputs in a situation that needs to be analysed for the next launch. The methods used are field and lab testing.
Once again field and lab test helps subsequent product launches.
Research Process:
1) Formulate a problem – Make the problem more coherent – identify the problem more clearly. Eg. For Vodafone, the problem may be that consumers look at the brand as Hutch and thus to ensure a transition, a seamless transition may be one of the problems.
2) Determine Research Design – exploratory, descriptive, and causal research (one has to make the choice of research design)
3) Design Data Collection Method and Forms
a) Hypothesis should be in place – One must know the reason for market research, it results out of problem definition. Hypotheses often act as research guidelines.
b) Explain the choice of research design – True Panel, Omnibus Panel?
c) Research Technique – survey? PI?
d) Forms
e) Questionnaire Differs for Different Methods – for different techniques, questions will differ.
4) Design a Sample and collect Data – Probability or Non Probability Sample? And under those which one?
5) Analysis and interpretation of data – Interpret the findings and how they co relate with respect to the hypothesis.
6) Prepare the Research Report
Case Study in the Exams will revolve around the research process then when one comes to research design one has to tell the examiner which research design and why. Then one comes to sampling – one has to mention probability or non-probability sample and why.
Copy Research includes name and slogan testing, concept testing, creative strategy testing definition. (this is for 12 marks questions)
6 marks concept testing – appeal, print and broadcast.
Appeal – Alternative ideas that might appeal to a target market. (part of concept testing)
Copy Testing
1) Free Association Test (under projective techniques)
2) Close Ended Questions
3) Direct Mail (under sales test)
4) Interviews
5) Focus Groups
Qualitative Research Techniques is the same as Qualitative Methods used to inspire ideas.
Criteria for Validity:
- Sensitivity
- Stability
- Credibility/ Predictability
- Reliability
- And also validity
If one is asked about measures taken to access validity then there are 4 points.
Topic 7 & Topic 8 are cancelled.
Topic 9: Print Pre Testing (Same as that mentioned in Concept testing)
Topic 10: Broadcast Pre Testing
Topic 11: Projective Techniques
Topic 12: Challenges to Pre Testing
- Halo Effect and Consumer Jury
Topic 13: Data Analysis and Interpretation (2nd last point of Research Process)
Topic 14: Physiological Tests (sheet will be given)
Topic 15: Post Testing
1) Measuring Ad Effectiveness
2) Recognition Test
3) Aided and Unaided Recall
4) Sales Test
5) Inquiry Test
Motivational Research Techniques:
Observation (Exploratory Research Surveys)
Focus Groups
In depth interviews
Measuring Advt. Effectiveness.
Will come as an independent question – pre test, post test, & other points
If asked a 12 mark question write everything around it.
Packaging Research:
Package, graphics, and copy are critical market variables in any product category particularly for non advertised and under advertised products.
In self service shopping environments there is a greater likelihood of the customers to reacting to design change in the existing package .
There are 4 packages that may be used:
1) Package Screen: It involves the screening of 10 – 20 alternative package design that are objectively analyzed and one is finally chosen.
2) Package Check: It is an internet based system where the representative sample is placed on the web and the respondent sees only one design and is asked to respond to a series of questions. This study is based on 75 complete interviews.
3) Package Test: This is a comprehensive internet based testing system where the representative sample from the internet panel is chosen and qualified respondents are invited to evaluate the package design.
4) Ad hoc Design Package Test: This involves commercialization of … that is interactive, the respondents are asked to read & then interpret the package design, graphics, and copy. They are then analysed in an interview.
Rating Scale:
1) Likert Scale: A no. of statements are developed with respect to a topic and respondents can strongly agree, agree, be neutral, disagree, strongly disagree. With the statements given each response option is weighted and each subject’s response is added to produce a single score for the topic. To maintain measurement consistency the scores are reversed for a negatively worded statement.
The basic procedures for developing a likert scale are:
a. Combine a large number of statements that relate to a specific dimension whose responses are measured depending on whether they are positively worded or negatively worded.
b. Administer the scale to a sample of randomly selected respondents.
c. Code the responses continuously so that high scores indicate stronger agreement with the attitude in question.
d. Analyze the response and select those that clearly differentiate the highest from the lowest scores.
Statement 1: Only US citizens should be allowed to own broadcast stations.
Response Scores assigned
Strongly agree 5
Agree 4
Neutral 3
Disagree 2
Strongly disagree 1
Statement 2: Prohibiting foreign ownership of broadcast stations is bad for business.
Response Reversed scores assigned
Strongly agree 1
Agree 2
Neutral 3
Disagree 4
Strongly disagree 5
Semantic differential scale:
This technique is used to measure the meaning of an individual item. Research indicates that 3 general factors are present while measuring semantic differential : Activity
Potency
Evaluation
To use this technique a name or a concept is placed at the top of a series of a seven point scale anchored by bi-polar attitudes for example:
Time magazine has a global presence
biased - - - - - unbiased
Untrustworthy ----- trustworthy
Unfair - - - - - - - fair
Worthless - - - - - - - Valuable
This technique has helped to measure global attitude towards time magazine.
Concept testing : It is a method to determine the number of possible appeals to use in advertising. A creative concept is defined as a simple explanation or description of the advertising idea behind the product for example a holiday hill resort develops several appeals that might motivate prime prospects to drive 2 hours to the mountains from a large metro area the appeals put together are :
1. Only 2 hours drive to relax
2. Mountain in your own backyard.
3. A family playground in the mountain.
4. Escape to white water rafting, fishing and other outdoor sports.
5. Weekend vacation package
Using cards with theme statements and/or rough layout the advertiser tries to get a ranked order of the consumer appeals of the various concepts. A consumer reacts only to the themes presented to him. A researcher may find that the consumer has chosen the best of several bad concepts :
A. Card Test : Change elements in a card and ask respondents to select the element layout they prefer, Subtle changes are made.
B. Poster test : Size, Layout, Color etc. are changed and the respondents chose what they prefer. More gross changes are made.
Options for billboards are given.
C. Layout test: The complete layout or parts of the layouts are changed and respondents reactions are recorded. Subtle and gross changes are made.
Limitations it has are that while giving appeals to people, one may have not thought of all the exhaustible options and thus if one hasn’t then one may have missed out on the most important appeal.
Broadcast:
A. Animatics: This is artwork in the form of either cartoons or realistic drawings showing limited movement. (similar to cartoon technique testing)
B. Photomatics: These are photographs shot in sequence. Still images are worked into the sequence like a story board. It shows staccato frames to show how the story goes. Various elements can be changed in this method and as you look at the image you can decide what changes need to be made. This makes manipulation easier.
C. Livematics: This involves filming or taping live talent and is very close to the finished commercial. This method is useful because it can showcases the entire range of emotions that the respondents display when shown the product. This can be used to convey the mood of the final commercial when the real model will be used. (This often happens in cases where celebrities are used in ads because one cant use celebrities as dummies)
D. Ripomatics: The conversion is made of other commercials taken from ad agency promotional reels. They are usually used for experimentation on visual techniques.
Pricing Research:
There are 2 approaches to this:
1. Gabor – Granger : This technique is named after the economists who invented it in the 1960s. The customers are first asked if they would buy a product at particular price, the price is then changed and once again the respondents are asked the same question. By taking sample responses of customers and analyzing them researches can see what is the level of demand at each price level.
2. Conjoint Analysis: It is a technique that allows the researcher to work out the hidden rules that people use to differentiate between products and services by understanding precisely how people decide further what are the features and services in the comparison with the cost that the customers are looking for.
Portfolio tests: (post testing) ads are placed in a portfolio - The respondents are shown the ads and are then asked to recall with the portfolio closed. Such recall maybe on a completely unaided basis or the interviewer may ad recall by asking about specific ads or ads for specific products. For each recalled ad the respondent is asked to play back as much of the ad as possible. The information is recorded verbatim.
Pretest : It is used to determine what weaknesses exist in the copy or concept before too much money, time, marketing schedules have been put in place for advertising and marketing
Post Test: It attempts to measure the combined effect of marketing, advertising, the media options used, The scheduling, the product distribution and competitive advertising.
Creative Strategy Research (Part of Copy Research) : A products creative strategy is concerned mainly with determining what message can best elicit the desired response from members of the target audience.
Recall: Brand recall test studies the extent to which a brands name is remembered as a member of a product or service.
Unaided recall: A test of advertising effectiveness is put in place where a sample of the audience is contacted at a specific time after exposure to a media vehicle and are asked to recall the advtg. messages. There is no prompting with elements of the ad or commercials being examined.
Aided recall: A test of advertising effectiveness is put in place where a sample of the audience is contacted at a specific time after exposure to a media vehicle and are asked to recall the advtg. messages. The sample is prompted with elements of the Ad or commercials being examined. Also known as BRAND RECOGNITION TEST.
Consumer Jury: Personal interviews are used or a group is assembled and the members are asked to vote on alternatives. It provides rating given to an ad by a group of consumers who represent potential buyers of the product.
Challenges to Pre Testing
- Consumer Jury
- Halo Effect
- Concept Testing
Psychological tests or projective techniques:
Description of vague objects requires interpretation which is based on the individuals own background, attitudes, and values. The vaguer the object to be described, the more one has to reveal oneself (the vaguer something is, the deeper the consumer has to think and in the process tends to reveal himself/ herself) In order to implement the projective techniques four categories from clinical psychology are used:
In categories such as detergents, when there is a standard expected message and the message is not vague, respondents will generally reply in a ‘learned’ manner. So if in such a category, the ad wants to be clutter breaking, psychological tests reveal other perspectives. Eg. Surf – ‘daag acche hai’. Certain ads try to be ‘clutter breaking’ but they tend to be bizarre. Eg. Tiger Balm where the daughter in law as well as the father in law float in the air and jump off a balcony because the implied message is that no matter what happens, bingo will cure you. The key therefore is to make the ad vague enough to be clutter breaking – the vagueness in the case must connect with the target group, and the interpretation of the vagueness must be relatively homogenous. The vagueness should not be so vague that it seems bizarre and does not connect with any target audience.
1) Free association test:
a) Free Word Association: This refers to the first word or thought required to make connection with the stimulus. It is the success of word association that enables the interpretation of a thought.
Words that are seemingly random are asked for reactions on. Eg. A researcher might say “color”, “paint”, and “home” in the same order and ask for reactions. These results would then aid the communication process.
b) Successive Word Association: A series of words that may be seemingly unrelated and enable interpretation of thought.
Words may seem unrelated but they give insights on the unconscious minds of people. Eg. Children think of biscuits as a fantasy like in the case of Sunfeast where the fantasy is cartoonish, and the ad has Shah Rukh Khan swimming through a sea of cream.
2) Completion technique: This is an attempt to complete and incomplete stimulus.
Sometimes such sentences are used as ideas for a tagline. It gives marketers an idea of people’s chain or train of thought.
a) Sentence completion Test: A series of words as part of a sentence representing an idea or thought is presented. The first relevant thought associated with the sentence that is incomplete enables the completion of the sentence.
b) Story completion test: Initial information about a particular issue in a relevant context is provided as a skeleton idea. The story thus presented is fledged out by the sample respondents.
Gives insights into customers psyche. It also gives the marketer ideas for storyboards, it may also lend insights into multiple uses of a product – it thus gives an idea of features of a product; required as well as relevant features and their contexts. It’s also to test ideas – to see how people connect the dots with respect to ad and product context.
3) Construction technique: These methods enable the construction of dialogue, story description, like completion technique but has less initial information provided.
a) Cartoon technique: This is where one character’s dialogue is given in a bubble while the other’s response and subconscious thought must be provided by the respondent. Be it in a bubble or a cloud.
Once again a storyboard technique – but more information is provided. For example an ad for a new pair of jeans is shown and the onus lies on the audience to generate insights on whether a new pair of jeans may be looked at as ‘new’.
b) Third person technique: Respondents are asked what others would do in a given situation and the response of the respondents reveal what in reality they themselves would do which they normally will not share in public.
It’s another way of trying to capture the sub conscience. Trying to motivate people in a way that is subliminal. .
c) Picture technique: One uses pictures to make respondents feel and tell what they think when the pictures are quite vague so that the respondents use their imagination.
This generally focuses on print advertising – it gives an idea of how well print advertising is to facilitate recall. The other insight is that if a picture is vague, one may be able to generate certain ideas. If there is homogeneity in imagination then the vague picture may be able to be used.
d) Fantasy scenario: You make up a fantasy about a product or brand attributing physical characteristics that are associated with psychographics.
Kareena Kapoor Lux Chocolate was obviously done. It failed. It was intentionally sexual but yet it failed. So they made a psychographic connection – but how many consumers would make that connection. This is with respect to the average middle class Indian consumer.
From a similar standpoint one can look at Milano - it works. It works because the target market is different and the market connects with the psychographics. It conveys the experience of eating a cookie. It indicates a personality that is associated with the cookie.
e) Personification: Human characteristics are found in several products or brands thus making the product or service more acceptable to the public.
ICICI Hum Hai Na – giving brands a human quality. Give a service a human touch. Bajaj Pulsar definitely male fits into this category.
Target audiences may lend a personality to products – personalities that may fit the brand or a personality they desire especially when there is less human interaction involved. This works well for highly technological products or services, which are highly systemized.
4) Expressive Technique:
a) Role Playing: Respondents play roles of other persons and in the process reveal the role players attitude towards jobs, professions or people.
This kind of testing works with direct marketing. Eg. Aqua Forbes type of companies – who make sales through direct marketing, respondents may be asked to play the role of a sales person. So this gives an insight into what customers may accept with respect to sales people – the objective is to try and identify what may be accepted as alright for a sales person to say – something that will make customers give an ear to sales people.
14/ 12/ 2007
Research Design
- Exploratory Research
- Descriptive Research
- Causal Research
I) Exploratory Research: : Exploratory Research used when a product is new but the market is not new, where a product is not new but the market is new. When the product is not new but the market is new.
Uses.
1)
a) Formulate Problem more precisely.
b) Develop hypothesis
2) a) Establish Priority for Research
c) Eliminate impractical Ideas
d) Clarify concept
3) Gather information about practical problems regarding the carrying out of research on a particular conceptual statement.
4) Increases the analyst’s familiarity
Types:
1) Literary Search
a) Keep Database of Competitors as competitors profile with the help of trade literature.
The profile of competitors is essential to know what they have done to popularize – their schemes, their strategy,
b) Conceptual Literature: It is the work of psychological, sociological, personnel and marketing journals to understand employee satisfaction/ dissatisfaction.
A study of Organisational Behaviour. Employee satisfaction is important because employees are the driving force of systems. Work culture is an integral part of employee satisfaction.
2) Experience Survey:
a) It focuses on architects and designers in a situation where a builder tries to comprehend competitors.
b) It also includes sales managers, product managers or sales representatives.
All FMCG companies, when they employ people, for the 1st 6 months of the year they will send you to a region that is your linguistic base and you would need to work under someone who is ‘educationally’ less qualified than you. This is primarily to understand what the market is all about.
3) Focus Groups: (Explained in Research Techniques)
4) Analysis of Selected Cases: This includes the study of cases that have a relevant co relation with the market research study. Be it of a product or service. Avoid the pitfalls from the competitors and pick up the right tips from them.
II) Descriptive Research: Is different from exploratory research because it is primarily where the product or service is already in the market. The overlap exists when the product is coming out as a new player in a new demography but the market is not new to the product or service.
It is very different from exploratory research with respect to sub brands and tweaking of services etc. Thus it is more to do with experimenting with the same market.
Uses:
1) Estimate proportion of people in a population who behave in a certain way.
2) Make specific predictions.
Types:
1) Longitudinal Study
a) True Panel: It checks how many people buy/ react to a stimulus. It is repeatedly measured with the same entities. For instance, AC Nielsen has 40, 000 households as a basis for its home scan service. The samples are asked each time a purchase is made, questions regarding where they purchased, and the price they paid. Each sample is measured each time on the same characteristic for instance purchases.
All the participants are the target audience and their buying behaviour is pre determined to be consistent. So they are studied before they are taken on as representatives.
Psychographic analysis is what can be satisfied by a true panel. Purchases with respect to (especially) FMCG’s, are extremely gender and age specific. Observation and psychographics give insights into seemingly irrelevant things.
CRM is satisfying a similar (broader) role especially with respect to the New Media.
b) Omnibus Panel: The same sample is still selected and maintained but information collected varies. For instance, once a product is measured and the next time it would involve only the ad copy. A omnibus study suggests the inclusion of many variables or many subcategory of variables. For instance, Parker Pens maintain a panel of 1100 individuals to evaluate writing instruments. A sub sample from the total sample is chosen for instance those who use fountain pens are regarded as a sub sample and only they are called upon to evaluate a new fountain pen. Similarly, the children’s channel Nick maintains children of different age groups to evaluate different programs and concepts.
Omnibus = Comprising several categories
So you have different categories within products, different packages for services. So an omnibus panel enables the marketer to get the most accurate research from the most contextual and relevant audience.
3) Cross Sectional Analysis: This studies how different categories react to a stimulus a number of times. It involves simultaneous occurrence of the variables of interest.
a) Simple Panel Survey: Here for instance, thousand consumers of a product may be chosen then different brands manufacturing the same product conduct a sample survey.
Brand Purchased
A
B
C
D Population of users during the 1st time Period
200
300
350
150
1000 Population of users during the 2nd time Period
250
270
330
150
1000
Uses:
1) It provides evidence regarding the causal relationship between variables by means of concomitant variation.
2) Time order in which variations occour.
3) Elimination of other possible explanation.
A has been able to take some of the consumers from B and C. A may have had a sales promotion as a result of which it has got more users during the 2nd time period. D seems to be a niche brand whose consumers may not be affected by sales promotion activities.
Types:
1) Lab experiment
2) Field experiment
Uses:
1) Concomitant variation
a) Qualitative Variation: For instance a market is studied to understand the contribution of good salesmen that provide a market share that is satisfactory. Simultaneously it also studies how poor salesmen contribute to a dissatisfactory market share. To study this, hundred sales reps both good and bad are chosen.
Salesman Quality
Good
Bad Market Share that is satisfactory
40
10 Market Share that is dissatisfactory
20
30 Total
60
40
100
In the satisfactory, 67% are good and 25% are bad.
In the dissatisfactory, 33% are good and 75% are bad. The perfect scenario would have been if all good salesmen were in the satisfactory territories and all the bad ones in the dissatisfied territory. But that is not the way the market works.
Causual research works backwards. All the good, looking back, should have gone to the market share that is dissatisfactory to try and convert that market. In this scenario, the impat of good has to be significantly higher than the bad for a cumulative ‘good’ effect to occour.
b) Quantitative Variation: For instance single vs married people are studied to understand the comparative consumption of candy. The samples are 3009. The single participant were 999 and the married ones were 2010.
Marital Status
Single
Married Eat Candy Regularly
750
1265 Do not eat candy regularly
249
745 Total
999
2010
Those that eat regularly constitute 75% and those that do not eat regularly constitute 25% from the total number of single samples. Among married participants, 63% eat regularly and 37% do not eat regularly.
This shows a larger proportion of singles consuming candy thus showing an obvious difference between the eating habits of single and married people.
2) Time order of occurrence: This refers to a situation where the cause happens before the effect.
Any problem that may occur at the stage of inception – anything that may have gone wrong before the consumer interacts with the product. This needs to be traced – the part of the supply chain that causes a problem needs to identified and effectively dealt with possibly next time. One may then even take such things into consideration and plan a marketing strategy that ensures profits/ success. E. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom coinciding with the IIFA awards ensuring success with the NRI market.
3) Elimination of other Possible Factors: For example a research analyst wanting to analyse what influences purchase based on the displays at a store looks at factors that need to be eliminated such as store size, price of product, etc.
Such research is usually conducted in SuperMarkets – do any factors other than the undertaken by brands affect price? – so is there a decrease in price? Are there cross promotions, is it the placement? All this could be either from the brand’s end or from the store’s end. So one zeroes in on a factor – the factor that really affects sales.
Types:
Lab experiments: Simulated shopping is organized for samples who are told to make 8 trips knowing there is a price change and see for themselves if they change the brand. This is an attempt to study the causal effect of the price change.
Subjects are AWARE of price changes.
Field experiments: Subjects used as samples are not aware of price change. The variable that is the price, is altered in its natural environment and once again the samples are studied for cause and effect.
Subjects are unaware – thus one can know things about loyalty, customer attentiveness, consumer’s brand lifecycle of brands. An insight into buying behaviour can be achieved. Consumers’ threshold of acceptance among other things can be understood.
Sampling:
The sample that has the highest probability of choosing all elements in a given scenario.
1) Simple Random Sample: It guarantees in the long run that every probable sample of a given size will be selected with known and equal probability. For instance, a deck of playing cards well shuffled a number of times ensures that all probable combinations occur.
Chosen without a conscious decision. Unbiased. It does not mean the same as when we speak colloquially. Within the framework of a market research exercise an entire large sample may be used.
For the paper use a true panel, probability, simple random sample (3 steps)
2) Stratified Sample: The universe is divided into groups that include all the relevant items.
Store Size No of Stores % of Stores
Large 20, 000 20
Medium 30, 000 30
Small 50, 000 50
Omnibus comes in the picture here. Here one often looks at sub categories of soaps. Eg. For soap, if a soap is moisturizer based, aloe vera based – etc etc. thus when customization features comes in, it becomes an omnibus. – omnibus could be either feature led or TA led – but its mostly feature led. Stratified sample can have segmentation on the basis of age, use habits etc.
Comparative studies within a true panel can be possible – one can get differentiation between gender and age etc. but the point still remains that one may not have psychographic differentiation in terms of people’s thoughts because a true panel is homogenous.
3) Cluster sampling: Here universal elements are formed in groups rather than individual units. The groups are formed as homogenous units.
I) Area Sampling: This is formed on a geographic basis where geographic considerations are important.
a) There is no list of elements so one relies on elements that are available such as Pin Code, Suburbs etc. For example a sample list is created while listing out all outlets that sell a certain commodity in a specific area, then an other area sample is created narrowing down the area.
When one wants to push a product into a new area, one would undergo exploratory research – do a focus group and then put in people from areas and then put them in groups where you cluster a database. This kind of a sample works in rural areas because there is relative homogeneity. The market is not as complex – and thus a sample or a cluster is more representative.
b) Systematic Sample: This method assumes that a list exists. For example: A particular kind of cluster is taken into consideration where hundred dentists offering dental insurance are studied. The first cluster would be from the second, every fifth sample and the next cluster from the third, every fifth sample and so on. These clusters are therefore formed with little subjective probability.
No name or face associated with allocation of clusters.
Probability sampling is therefore objective. Each sample has an equal opportunity to be a representative where there is a high probability of all participants being chosen.
Non-Subjective and unbiased.
Non-Probability Sample: This method of sampling suggests that there is a probability of choosing elements, which remain unknown.
1) Convenient Sample: This refers to choosing samples that are easy and cheap.
For example TV audiences are supposed to represent the Nation. Indian Idol,, Voice of India – eg. How many people in India watch cable TV, how many people watch hindi, how many people watch sony, how many people watch Indian Idol – how many people vote?
News Channel Polls
2) Judgement Sampling: This is when experts in a subject pass value judgement on selections made. For instance, sales managers and sales reps select a sample of grocery stores in an area that they consider representative.
Very close to experience survey under exploratory survey. A qualified person makes a judgement. When doing SMO one often develops a judgement sample.
3) Quota Sampling: This is based on a strategy where demographic considerations such as age and gender are considered. It is different from stratified sampling as stratified sampling is objective while quota samples are chosen by field workers who choose according to subjective considerations such as convenience.
Like stratified sampling where the job is being done by the field worker. The sample is created by a field worker with a word picture in mind.
4) Purportive Sample: This refers to a universal sample chosen out of convenience that are then analyzed as a representative study of a market. For example, the choice of brands of a particular product or service chosen for studies is a choice made by the researcher purely based on subjective considerations.
Eg. The Individual project we are doing where we chose brands we feel like.
Eg. Shubhiksha flyers which compares their prices with Big Bazaar Akbar Ally’s Apna Bazar etc – but it is a subjective consideration as it fails to mention Reliance Fresh, or Spencers etc.
New Product Research
Also Includes Services.
1) Develop Overall strategy based on Market Trends
Eg. For iPod something that’s user friendly, small and portable, convergence, a market that has disposable income.
People are style conscious.
2) Develop a flavour of new product ideas from a variety of sources
Novel ideas can come from outside the R & D Department of a firm.
3) Develop preliminary procedures for screening new ideas
Ideas, can come from outside so procedures need to be put in place for screening. The idea has to synergize with investment, infrastructure and human capital competency.
4) Develop procedure for final screening
Which idea within the sphere of investment fits the budget, is user friendly, is appropriately priced and fits with the brand image.
5) Develop product specifications with regard to optimum product attributes
What kind of features to develop? What kind of features to highlight? Specifications that are relevant to consumers.
6) Test the Product
Focus groups, samples
7) Test Market the Product
8) Commercialize and Supervise the product through its lifecycle and its termination or phase out
A company should know when to withdraw the product – nurture the product through the lifecycle. Maruti phasing out the Baleno.
Product Testing
1) Paired Comparison Testing – Consumers are not told about the brand being tested and are given a new and an old product and are asked to choose. The samples know that they are testing and are therefore aware about a probable difference.
FMCG’s would often do this since there are so many products. This is like the Classic Coke Test Case. This kind of testing tells us about branding – the strength of branding – are consumers aware of product variations? Do people really understand the style that a fashion house stands for. Response rates for distinctions would be high because people know that there is a test happening. Placebo Testing also has an effect here because the palette assumes that there are differences – and thus the palette expects change and there is a false perception of things being different.
2) Staggered Comparison Test – Respondents Test 2 Brands with a time lag with the identities masked. One half of the respondents receive Brand A and the other half receives Brand B. The respondents are then given the same products in reverse and are asked to note any difference in the brands.
This kind of comparison tests the ideas of respondents with respect to their influence by peer pressure and their association with a product with respect to how their choices are dictated.
3) Disguised Comparison Test: This duplicates the actual market where for different brands, the same packaging is used and the respondents are told that they will be asked about their reactions later. In this case, the respondents are studied in order to recognize if they have noticed any difference at all. Further, they are not aware of the test being taken and believe the products to be free samples
This is the opposite of the 2 above. The sample does not know they are part of the test. They are just given free samples. They just think that they are getting 2 free samples. They don’t know that they are getting test. Sometimes they don’t realize that its different. They think it’s the same product.
Awareness Paired Staggered Disguised
Slightly Aware of Differences 62 60 2
Quite Aware of Differences
17
18
5
Not Aware of Differences
21
22
93
Total
100
100
100
Branding Research
Branding Research is conducted for products, services, or people. IT first determines attributes or benefits of a product in a specific target market. The information is obtained through qualitative research. The perception of each of the attributes is then tested quantitatively. This kind of research helps the SWOT analysis of a brand.
First you do qualitative research. Before you do a mass research , you must check out the results of a focus group or something else that is basically qualitative. After you do this, then you can figure out what is the best way to do a quantitative research. People are willing to pay a huge margin for the branding itself. Hence branding is a huge investment that does pay off.
After you have a customer that has become brand loyal , you don’t really need to get into a single marketing exercise with them. You need to now move to a different set of people to market it to.
Some ads are not done for branding, they are only done for promotion. For eg. Airtel and the emotive element that is added to it. SRK is used for promotion. For Vodafone Irfan Khan is used for promotion.
Desired and actual image: This is a concern for any brands. For eg, Versa with Abhishek and Amitabh. They then had to change it to more of a family centric campaign.
The benefits of branding are:
1) Customers get additional value from branding attributes for which, they are willing to pay a price.
2) The company gains through cost saving that is obtained from loyal customers. They also gain from the revenue generated by the added value. Further, overall branding helps the company make optimum use of the company’s yet untapped potential and the resultant opportunities that would rub off on the brand image.
3) Uncover the difference between the desired and the actually perceived image.
4) Maximize acquisition of new customers and market penetration.
5) Minimize loss of current customers.
6) Safeguard and increase the income revenue.
7) Improve marketing and sales planning.
Broadcast Pre Testing:
(A Part of Pre Testing Methods)
1) Clutter Test – It is used in 2 different instances
Clutter – when there is too much of something. The main concern of advertisers and manufacturers – how do I avoid clutter?
Marketeers want to be unique but what if unique gets lost? The clutter test helps with that tight ropewalk. How to ensure recall and recognition maintaining the clutter-breaking paradigm?
Marketers want to break stereotypes but what if the clutter-breaking ad does not resonate with audiences?
i) The researcher tests a product for recall and recognition across different brands.
Recall – describe and remember. Recognition – show and remember
ii) The researcher tests for recall and recognition the number of products that are advertised.
Across products, there may be certain ads that can be confused for other products. Eg. A tile ad with an old couple could be confused as a retirement solutions ad, an ad for an anti floor bacterial product – etc.
2) Theatre Test – During a regular show in a theatre, advertisements are shown in regular slots and are tested for recall. The audiences in the theatre are unaware of the tests and are asked to recall the ad.
Consumers in the theatre are asked then to remember the ad (or maybe even all the ads) – to check if the ad is clutter breaking.
3) Live Telecast Test – These tests are mostly conducted on cable TV. There are 2 instances where the tests are conducted.
This is an example of North America where most audiences in America are predominantly viewing Cable.
i) Test ads are shown and sample audiences using cable TV are asked for their responses.
ii) In order to check the response of the audience of a soap opera, the pilot episode is shown to a select cable audience.
4) Trailer Test – Large Screens in shopping malls show advertisements. In the 1st instance, those coming to the mall are given coupons and redemption rates are checked. Secondly the number of inquiries made by those without coupons is also measured.
5) Television Storyboard Test – Video Tapes advertising storyboards are given to a specific target audience. The storyboard that generates the most preferred response is then converted into a TVC.
Determine the Sample Population (Get notes for all this)
Determine the Sampling Frame
Determine the Sampling Unit
A unit that determines certain pre requisites that affect the purchase. Eg. Age, gender, locality.
Determine the Method of Sampling
Decide whether it will be probability or non probability sample.
Determine the Sample Plan
Determine the Sample Size
Determined on whether it is mass or niche, whether it is a subcategory or a complete category.
Determine the Sample
Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative. (Qualitative is listed below)
Quantitative is data collection – primary and secondary.
Under Primary one can list descriptive research, longitudinal – [true panel, omnibus panel], and cross sectional – [simple sample survey], surveys, under causal research (field and lab) are all primary data research.
Secondary is experience survey, literary search, and analysis of selective cases.
Qualitative Research Techniques:
1) Focus Groups
2) Projective Techniques
3) Personal Interviews
Motivational Research Techniques
1) Observation (under research techniques)
2) Focus Groups
3) In Depth Interviews
Data Interpretation and Presentation (Research Process)
1) Prepare the Raw Data
2) Enter the data accurately
3) Tabulate the Data
4) Determine Whether Significant Differences Exist between Categories
5) Analyse and Explain why differences exist
6) Make Recommendations
Product Research: (Different from New Product Research)
1) New Concept Generation
Unlike in new product research, this may just be referring to a variant, not a completely new product by itself. It may be something as simple as a packaging change. Eg. Britannia, when acquired by the Wadias, changed its packaging and gave different brand names to categories.
2) Screening
Screen these new concepts that have been generated.
3) Concept Testing
a) Focus Groups
b) Mall Intercepts
Same as in person surveys. They are one on one interviews typically conducted in high tragic locations such as shopping malls people are presented with samples of products, packaging or advertising and immediate feedback is gathered.
These surveys generate a response rate of more than 90%
4) Business and Market Analysis
Is it a valuable business proposition?
5) Actual Product Development
Understanding all these factors, the product will be developed and marketing, schedules, planning and strategies to be put in place.
6) Market Tests
Test Market the product
7) Commercialization
A marketing blitzkrieg – a launch, press conference, experts, critics.
8) Innovation, Diffusion, Adoption
Innovation refers to new ways of marketing. One must remember that the product is not new and thus one must think of new techniques to push it in the market. Diffusion refers to the distribution of the product to the correct market. Marketing and advertising and must work in tandem. Adoption refers to the process of the way the consumer interacts with the product. And this adoption and interaction changes with time so the brand needs to keep that in mind and understand when the product needs to go back to the drawing board.
Name Testing: A brand name needs to be tested by manufacturers and service providers. Samples are shown a list of names and are at the same time informed about a product or service that needs naming. This enables the sample to form a co relation between the product or service and choice of names. The names are tested for recall and/or recognition. Rating scales may be used to measure sample preferences.
Eg. Milano is an Italian name and gives positive associations and gives the upper class feel.
Slogan Testing: A slogan, a tagline etc. of a product or service is tested by a manufacturer or researcher. As the samples are informed about the product or service, it enables them to form a connection between the proposed slogans and taglines and products or services. Rating scales are used to choose the most preferred slogan.
Slogans are also tested in a similar fashion where the respondents are given details about the product or service and chose the best fit.
Halo Effect: When a person is considered good in a category, one is likely to make a similar evaluation of the person in other related categories. For instance if a person dresses like a rock star, it is assumed that he can sing, dance and play the guitar. Another instance of Halo Effect is when an individual characteristic is transferred to every other aspect of the person’s life. Researchers rely heavily on such associations as it enables advertisers to highlight features of the product or service with the help of the singular characteristic of the Individual. For instance a performer or an entertainer is used to endorse a product or service in the hope that the halo effect of the entertainer affects the product.
Stereotypes on TV shows. Also about using celebrities whose ‘attributes’ flow onto the brand.
Validity: Measures taken to access validity are:
To acknowledge or authenticate something. One should know what the communication objective is, the raison d’ etre for advertising. Once that is clear, the strategy can be validated. Validity can be pre testing or post testing.
a) Advertisements to be targeted with respect to communications objective and a copy test whose content is measurable that represents the objective. Therefore the validity of a particular copy test will depend on the advertising response that is desired. Here the company can see whether the right connection is made or not in the minds of the consumer.
b) Given the target population can be sensibly defined, the subjects in the test should be representative of the target population.
The ad is not generic and thus it must be ensured that the sample is truly representative.
c) It is important to know the reactions of respondents to the test environment and the measuring instruments. You have to check whether the respondents are comfortable with the measuring scales used as they would give contradictory responses if uncomfortable.
Samples may not relate well to the measuring scales that a researcher offers or even the test environment (if any).
d) The frequency of response also validates the copy. A respondent is asked to see an ad multiple times to see if there is consistency in response no matter what mood they are in.
Does the communication cut across mood swings and is liking affected to a large extent because of these factors. Eg. Sehwag ki maa ad where if he is playing well and he ad is shown in that match, it may have positive effects while if he gets out on 0, the ad becomes a mockery.
Sensibility or Sensitivity: It involves a test that would help differentiate between commercials of a brand or brands as products seem to have similar USP’s. Brands must therefore make special efforts to create distinctions. Similarly brands should try to create a separate identity that is identifiable by the market. An identity that is represented by intangible values. Thus brands must seem meaningful.
Mass products would have common USP’s. Thus for a similar USP, another intangible, creative way of communicating the message is important. Eg. Axe and Set Wet say the same thing but they say it differently.
Stability: It refers to the consistency of a result or of a measure at different points in time. For example a list designed to measure proof reading ability is administered during the 1st week of an editing class and then again during the 2nd week. The list possesses stability if the 2 results are consistent. Caution should be exercised whenever stability is used to measure reliability as people and things change over time.
Are people consistent in the way they edit copy, create copy?
Credibility/ Predictability: A copy test of an ad may be considered monotonous because of its predictability in the sense that a product by its very nature lends itself to a stereotypical copy that is unavoidable thus the predictability factor is very high. For the ad to credible, efforts must be made to strike a balance between being faithful to the product and being individualistic while creating ad copy. Invariably, respondents find copy lacking individuality hence the respondents i.e. the customer reaction too lacks individuality. Therefore advertising efforts should be made to create a non-predictable copy.
Reliability: Reliability of a product or service is also tested by the success of an ad as the ad must contain a USP of the brand. The reliability and therefore the success of copy is tested when respondents accept/ reject claims made by the advertisements on behalf of the manufacturer or service provider.
Reliability explores if the ad is in tandem with what the customer expects and what the company claims.
Reliability goes beyond the ad message – it has historical nuances interweaved.
Portfolio Test: This is named after the manner in which ads to be tested are packaged. The ads are placed in a portfolio and respondents are asked to recall the ads with the portfolio closed. Such recall may be on a completely unaided basis or the interviewer may aid recall by asking about specific ads for specific products. For each recalled ad, the respondent is asked to play back as much of the ad as possible. The information is recorded verbatim.
Anything that is post test is causal research
Inquiry Test (Post Test): It measures the advertisement’s worth.
i) Place the ad in different places in a copy where all other factors remain equal. Then check how many inquiries are made.
Can people remember seeing the ad? Different places eg. Bombay, Delhi
ii) Place the same ad in different magazines and do a similar check.
Not in different issues but in different magazines – one ad in outlook, one ad in the week and one ad in India Todau
iii) Split Run – certain elements of the ad change but it is placed in the same place, same size but different issues of the same magazine. (This is a communication measurement objective related test) – this is a lab test.
Sales Test (Post Test): either using POP’s or direct mail does These tests are field tests.
POP’s: Consumers are exposed to alternative pieces of copy or product. Sales are measured in stores keeping the same copy. Same POP in different kinds of stores and same stores – different kinds of POP’s.
Direct Mail: This is done with the use of coupons. One group is shown a TV ad and the other is not. Then both groups are given coupons to buy the product that has been advertised. The researcher then measures the influence of TV ads on both groups. (this Is a lab test) – specific only to coupons sent via DM
This shows the impact level of a mailer. Also gives an insight into consumer attention spans and levels to your mailer in some cases (booklets that come through mail are often less used than when the booklet is advertised on TV)
Measuring Ad Effectiveness:
Pre Test
Focus Groups
Physiological Tests
Psychological Tests
Broadcast Pre Testing
Post Test
Enquiry Test
Sales Test
Split Run
Recall
Recognition
4 Major Reasons for Measuring Ad Effectiveness are:
1) To avoid costly mistakes
2) Evaluate alternative strategies
When there is one to many communication, one may need more than one plan because one may not be spot on all the time.
All eggs in one basket may be a flawed strategy
3) Increase efficiency of advertising
The Media Plan must talk to the correct TA. Domex – a toilet cleaner placed its ads in the prime time slots which coincided with dinner time and thus they faced flak from the consumers.
4) The Result serves as inputs in a situation that needs to be analysed for the next launch. The methods used are field and lab testing.
Once again field and lab test helps subsequent product launches.
Research Process:
1) Formulate a problem – Make the problem more coherent – identify the problem more clearly. Eg. For Vodafone, the problem may be that consumers look at the brand as Hutch and thus to ensure a transition, a seamless transition may be one of the problems.
2) Determine Research Design – exploratory, descriptive, and causal research (one has to make the choice of research design)
3) Design Data Collection Method and Forms
a) Hypothesis should be in place – One must know the reason for market research, it results out of problem definition. Hypotheses often act as research guidelines.
b) Explain the choice of research design – True Panel, Omnibus Panel?
c) Research Technique – survey? PI?
d) Forms
e) Questionnaire Differs for Different Methods – for different techniques, questions will differ.
4) Design a Sample and collect Data – Probability or Non Probability Sample? And under those which one?
5) Analysis and interpretation of data – Interpret the findings and how they co relate with respect to the hypothesis.
6) Prepare the Research Report
Case Study in the Exams will revolve around the research process then when one comes to research design one has to tell the examiner which research design and why. Then one comes to sampling – one has to mention probability or non-probability sample and why.
Copy Research includes name and slogan testing, concept testing, creative strategy testing definition. (this is for 12 marks questions)
6 marks concept testing – appeal, print and broadcast.
Appeal – Alternative ideas that might appeal to a target market. (part of concept testing)
Copy Testing
1) Free Association Test (under projective techniques)
2) Close Ended Questions
3) Direct Mail (under sales test)
4) Interviews
5) Focus Groups
Qualitative Research Techniques is the same as Qualitative Methods used to inspire ideas.
Criteria for Validity:
- Sensitivity
- Stability
- Credibility/ Predictability
- Reliability
- And also validity
If one is asked about measures taken to access validity then there are 4 points.
Topic 7 & Topic 8 are cancelled.
Topic 9: Print Pre Testing (Same as that mentioned in Concept testing)
Topic 10: Broadcast Pre Testing
Topic 11: Projective Techniques
Topic 12: Challenges to Pre Testing
- Halo Effect and Consumer Jury
Topic 13: Data Analysis and Interpretation (2nd last point of Research Process)
Topic 14: Physiological Tests (sheet will be given)
Topic 15: Post Testing
1) Measuring Ad Effectiveness
2) Recognition Test
3) Aided and Unaided Recall
4) Sales Test
5) Inquiry Test
Motivational Research Techniques:
Observation (Exploratory Research Surveys)
Focus Groups
In depth interviews
Measuring Advt. Effectiveness.
Will come as an independent question – pre test, post test, & other points
If asked a 12 mark question write everything around it.
Packaging Research:
Package, graphics, and copy are critical market variables in any product category particularly for non advertised and under advertised products.
In self service shopping environments there is a greater likelihood of the customers to reacting to design change in the existing package .
There are 4 packages that may be used:
1) Package Screen: It involves the screening of 10 – 20 alternative package design that are objectively analyzed and one is finally chosen.
2) Package Check: It is an internet based system where the representative sample is placed on the web and the respondent sees only one design and is asked to respond to a series of questions. This study is based on 75 complete interviews.
3) Package Test: This is a comprehensive internet based testing system where the representative sample from the internet panel is chosen and qualified respondents are invited to evaluate the package design.
4) Ad hoc Design Package Test: This involves commercialization of … that is interactive, the respondents are asked to read & then interpret the package design, graphics, and copy. They are then analysed in an interview.
Rating Scale:
1) Likert Scale: A no. of statements are developed with respect to a topic and respondents can strongly agree, agree, be neutral, disagree, strongly disagree. With the statements given each response option is weighted and each subject’s response is added to produce a single score for the topic. To maintain measurement consistency the scores are reversed for a negatively worded statement.
The basic procedures for developing a likert scale are:
a. Combine a large number of statements that relate to a specific dimension whose responses are measured depending on whether they are positively worded or negatively worded.
b. Administer the scale to a sample of randomly selected respondents.
c. Code the responses continuously so that high scores indicate stronger agreement with the attitude in question.
d. Analyze the response and select those that clearly differentiate the highest from the lowest scores.
Statement 1: Only US citizens should be allowed to own broadcast stations.
Response Scores assigned
Strongly agree 5
Agree 4
Neutral 3
Disagree 2
Strongly disagree 1
Statement 2: Prohibiting foreign ownership of broadcast stations is bad for business.
Response Reversed scores assigned
Strongly agree 1
Agree 2
Neutral 3
Disagree 4
Strongly disagree 5
Semantic differential scale:
This technique is used to measure the meaning of an individual item. Research indicates that 3 general factors are present while measuring semantic differential : Activity
Potency
Evaluation
To use this technique a name or a concept is placed at the top of a series of a seven point scale anchored by bi-polar attitudes for example:
Time magazine has a global presence
biased - - - - - unbiased
Untrustworthy ----- trustworthy
Unfair - - - - - - - fair
Worthless - - - - - - - Valuable
This technique has helped to measure global attitude towards time magazine.
Concept testing : It is a method to determine the number of possible appeals to use in advertising. A creative concept is defined as a simple explanation or description of the advertising idea behind the product for example a holiday hill resort develops several appeals that might motivate prime prospects to drive 2 hours to the mountains from a large metro area the appeals put together are :
1. Only 2 hours drive to relax
2. Mountain in your own backyard.
3. A family playground in the mountain.
4. Escape to white water rafting, fishing and other outdoor sports.
5. Weekend vacation package
Using cards with theme statements and/or rough layout the advertiser tries to get a ranked order of the consumer appeals of the various concepts. A consumer reacts only to the themes presented to him. A researcher may find that the consumer has chosen the best of several bad concepts :
A. Card Test : Change elements in a card and ask respondents to select the element layout they prefer, Subtle changes are made.
B. Poster test : Size, Layout, Color etc. are changed and the respondents chose what they prefer. More gross changes are made.
Options for billboards are given.
C. Layout test: The complete layout or parts of the layouts are changed and respondents reactions are recorded. Subtle and gross changes are made.
Limitations it has are that while giving appeals to people, one may have not thought of all the exhaustible options and thus if one hasn’t then one may have missed out on the most important appeal.
Broadcast:
A. Animatics: This is artwork in the form of either cartoons or realistic drawings showing limited movement. (similar to cartoon technique testing)
B. Photomatics: These are photographs shot in sequence. Still images are worked into the sequence like a story board. It shows staccato frames to show how the story goes. Various elements can be changed in this method and as you look at the image you can decide what changes need to be made. This makes manipulation easier.
C. Livematics: This involves filming or taping live talent and is very close to the finished commercial. This method is useful because it can showcases the entire range of emotions that the respondents display when shown the product. This can be used to convey the mood of the final commercial when the real model will be used. (This often happens in cases where celebrities are used in ads because one cant use celebrities as dummies)
D. Ripomatics: The conversion is made of other commercials taken from ad agency promotional reels. They are usually used for experimentation on visual techniques.
Pricing Research:
There are 2 approaches to this:
1. Gabor – Granger : This technique is named after the economists who invented it in the 1960s. The customers are first asked if they would buy a product at particular price, the price is then changed and once again the respondents are asked the same question. By taking sample responses of customers and analyzing them researches can see what is the level of demand at each price level.
2. Conjoint Analysis: It is a technique that allows the researcher to work out the hidden rules that people use to differentiate between products and services by understanding precisely how people decide further what are the features and services in the comparison with the cost that the customers are looking for.
Portfolio tests: (post testing) ads are placed in a portfolio - The respondents are shown the ads and are then asked to recall with the portfolio closed. Such recall maybe on a completely unaided basis or the interviewer may ad recall by asking about specific ads or ads for specific products. For each recalled ad the respondent is asked to play back as much of the ad as possible. The information is recorded verbatim.
Pretest : It is used to determine what weaknesses exist in the copy or concept before too much money, time, marketing schedules have been put in place for advertising and marketing
Post Test: It attempts to measure the combined effect of marketing, advertising, the media options used, The scheduling, the product distribution and competitive advertising.
Creative Strategy Research (Part of Copy Research) : A products creative strategy is concerned mainly with determining what message can best elicit the desired response from members of the target audience.
Recall: Brand recall test studies the extent to which a brands name is remembered as a member of a product or service.
Unaided recall: A test of advertising effectiveness is put in place where a sample of the audience is contacted at a specific time after exposure to a media vehicle and are asked to recall the advtg. messages. There is no prompting with elements of the ad or commercials being examined.
Aided recall: A test of advertising effectiveness is put in place where a sample of the audience is contacted at a specific time after exposure to a media vehicle and are asked to recall the advtg. messages. The sample is prompted with elements of the Ad or commercials being examined. Also known as BRAND RECOGNITION TEST.
Consumer Jury: Personal interviews are used or a group is assembled and the members are asked to vote on alternatives. It provides rating given to an ad by a group of consumers who represent potential buyers of the product.
Challenges to Pre Testing
- Consumer Jury
- Halo Effect
- Concept Testing
Friday, December 14, 2007
Research Techniques
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
To understand targets, one needs research. Research techniques precede research, which precedes marketing.
Surveys: Using concise straightforward questionnaires you can analyse a sample group that represents your target market.
The larger the samples the more reliable are the results.
In person Surveys:
They are one on one interviews typically conducted in high tragic locations such as shopping malls people are presented with samples of products, packaging or advertising and immediate feedback is gathered.
These surveys generate a response rate of more than 90%
People in shopping malls are window shopping. Shopping malls are about footfalls. To meet. To socialize. Replacing open space – in the process of ‘hanging out’ if someone wants something, the opportunity to buy is there. That is why malls spend so much time catering to the socialization needs of individuals.
Thus the chances of getting surveys filled in a mall are greater.
Surveys by and large do not give completely scientific data because one cannot distinguish between target audiences and the person who is filling out surveys usually has an incentive – more surveys = more money. Thus one may not necessarily get an accurate TA. One also needs to remember that open ended questions that may be in surveys are not necessarily ‘scientific’ in nature.
Telephone Surveys:
They are less expensive in comparison with in person surveys however consumers are of late resistant to relentless tele marketing and hence getting people to participate in telephone surveys has becomes increasingly difficult.
These Surveys generate a response rate of 50-60%
Nowadays there is only focused tele marketing. Not the tele canvassing that was seen earlier.
Tele marketing has an extremely low response rate. For certain services, like banks, or a service with which a consumer is already loyal or a member, or if the service has a value addition to make – then the consumer may lend an ear.
For high profile companies, tele marketing takes the form of relationship management – and thus extremely differently done.
Mail Surveys:
They are relatively an in expensive way to reach a broad audience. Even though they are cheaper than in person and telephone surveys, they generate a response rate of just 3-15%
Cheap but low response rate. Because it involves a lot of involvement – filling the survey – and mailing it. Search cost of finding the nearest post box.
People also need to know where the mailbox is.
A mail survey requires an active data base – such a data base is required to send out mail surveys to consumers in small towns.
Banks, telephone operators, Internet sites are creating and maintaining databases.
People in small towns are not wary of mail surveys as yet. So the likelihood of them answering a survey is greater in small towns as opposed to the city.
Online Survey
These surveys generate an unpredictable response rate and unreliable date as you have no control over the pool of respondents
However it is a simple and inexpensive way to collect, anecdotal evidence and gather customer opinions and perfumes.
Verification of data online can be a problem because people tend to undertake fictitious, sometimes fantasy oriented identities.
FOCUS GROUPS:
a) It is used to generate a hypothesis that can be further tested.
b) It helps generate information in structuring consumer questionnaires
c) It helps provide overall information on a product category
d) It secured impressions on new product categories. For Eg: Harley Davidson
Conducted a research before re introducing their products in the market.
The survey was conducted on 16,000 people.
The focus groups consisted of currents owners, would be owners and owners of other brands. The resultant themes as response that emerged were – enjoyment, outdoor and freedom.
They then followed it up with mailers asking psychological, sociological and demographic specific question.
30% of the respondents therefore characteristically highlighted freedom and power.
A typical focus group project has 4 groups of a maximum of 12 participants
Certain requirements for a focus group are:
a) Each group is homogeneous
b) Each participant has had no past focus group experience
c) No friends and relatives of the participants and/or of the company that wished to get the research done can participate
d) It lasts for 1.5-2 hours.
e) Ideas from the first group are thrown open to the next group as an introductory hypothesis where a hypothesis is a statement that specifies how 2 or more measurable values/ variables are related.
f) When the late group stops throwing up new ideas, the focus group discussion ends.
g) A focus group modulator must lead the discussion
h) Moderator is a professional and has some qualities. He gives the discussion direction. The moderation should be a good communicator and from a marketing background.
People that are participating in the research should not have vested in the survey being conducted or should not have been a part of previous focused groups. The exercise becomes futile and there is not too much learning. Responses may become ‘learned’ and parrot like and thus the kind of data generated may not be accurate.
The duration of a focus group is 1 and a half to 2 hours because one needs to generate in depth learning. Something that cannot be gained by questionnaires. The focus group discussions a most times lend in the development of questionnaires for the creation of surveys which then provide quantitative data.
Focus groups are not done as parallels, they are done sequentially. So the learnings of 1 group discussion are then transferred to the next focus group nd thus a variety of learnings are accumulated.
A good focus group discussion requires a good moderator to ensure that the learning from the exercise is maximized.
Qualities of a focus group moderator are 2 fold:
- He has to be a good communicator
- Has to have an indepth knowledge about the topic being discussed and about marketing.
Focus groups are usually recorded. They yield insights into customer attributes. So a focus group is qualitative – it gives an idea of psychographics, lifestyles and values.
Also, for products, focus groups generally identify the key benefits for a product. That could include functional as well as emotional key benefits for consumer groups.
Questionnaires of do not record the sub text – the unobvious subtle observations. Here one puts products and brands in a personal context – and they are often bought and sold in personal contexts,
With focus groups, different levels of mindsets can be revealed.
Surveys often tend to stereotype a lot – that may be erased to a certain extent by focus groups.
Facial expressions and body language can also be observed within focus groups and non-verbal signals can also amount to research. Even the words being used by respondents can have trends extrapolated from them.
Focus groups may stray since people are in the company of others and thus they may tend to fabricate information which generally skews themselves in a positive situations.
Disadvantages of Focus Groups
However, focus groups also have disadvantages: The researcher has less control over a group than a one-on-one interview, and thus time can be lost on issues irrelevant to the topic; the data are tough to analyze because the talking is in reaction to the comments of other group members; observers/ moderators need to be highly trained, and groups are quite variable and can be tough to get together. (Ibid.) Moreover, the number of members of a focus group is not large enough to be a representative sample of a population; thus, the data obtained from the groups is not necessarily representative of the whole population, unlike in opinion polls.
A fundamental difficulty with focus groups (and other forms of qualitative research) is the issue of observer dependency: the results obtained are influenced by the researcher, raising questions of validity. The issue evokes associations with Heisenberg’s famous Uncertainty Principle. As Heisenberg said, "What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning." Indeed, the design of the focus group study (e.g. respondent selection, the questions asked, how they are phrased, how they are posed, in what setting, by whom, and so on) affects the answers obtained from respondents. In focus groups, researchers are not detached observers but always participants. Researchers must take this into account when making their analysis (Based on: Tjaco H. Walvis (2003), “Avoiding advertising research disaster: Advertising and the uncertainty principle”, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 403-409).
Douglas Rushkoff[1] argues that focus groups are often useless, and frequently cause more trouble than they are intended to solve, with focus groups often aiming to please rather than offering their own opinions or evaluations, and with data often cherry picked to support a forgone conclusion. Rushkoff cites the disastrous introduction of New Coke in the 1980s as a vivid example of focus group analysis gone bad
In traditional focus groups, a screened (qualified) group of respondents gathers in the same room. They are screened to ensure that they are part of the relevant target market and that the group is a representative subgroup of this market segment. There are usually 6 to 10 members in the group, and the session usually lasts for 1 to 2 hours. A moderator guides the group through a discussion that probes attitudes about a client's proposed products or services. The discussion is loosely structured, and the moderator encourages the free flow of ideas. The moderator is typically given a list of objectives or an anticipated outline. He/she will generally have only a few specific questions prepared prior to the focus group. These questions will serve to initiate open-ended discussions.
Researchers examine more than the spoken words. They also try to interpret facial expressions, body language, and group dynamics. Moderators may use straight questioning or various projective techniques, including fixed or free association, story-telling and role-playing. Focus groups are often used to garner reaction to specific stimuli such as concepts, prototypes and advertising.
With the advent of large scale computer networks, such as the Internet, it is now possible to link respondents electronically. Respondents share images, data, and their responses on their computer screens. This avoids a significant amount of travel expenses. It allows respondents from all over the world to gather, electronically, while avoiding countless logistical headaches. Like in-person focus groups, online groups are usually limited to 8-10 participants and involve real time interaction between respondents as well as with the moderator. 'Whiteboard' exercises, private polls, and the ability to mark up concepts or other visual stimuli simulate many of the characteristics of in-person groups.
Such a system eliminates the travel expenses associated with conducting focus groups. Many platforms even allow for a 'back room', so that clients can observe and talk among each other and with the moderator as the group proceeds, just like in-person focus groups, even though they are physically apart from the moderator. In this way, questions can be added in real time to further probe a particular response. Such a system prohibits participation on the different chat discussions based on the class of the participant (moderator, observer, participant).
In addition to the savings on travel, online focus groups often can be accomplished faster than traditional groups because respondents are recruited from online panel members who are often qualified to match research criteria.
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS
P.I’s like focus groups include unstructured open ended questions.
They last for about an hour and are usually recorded.
Focus groups and P.I’s provide more subjective data than surveys do. However their results are not statistically reliable as they usually do not represent a large section of the population
However they yield valuable insights into customer attitudes and are an excellent method to uncover issues related to new products a service development
OBSERVATION
It has been noticed that individual responses to surveys and focus groups are sometimes at odds with people’s usual behavior when you observe consumers in action at stores, work or at home, you may observe how they buy or use a product. This gives a more accurate picture of customer usage habits and shopping patterns.
e.g. Retail scanner. Placing cameras or at the cashier.
Observation goes to many realms and a variety of results can be obtained.
FIELD TRIALS:
New products are placed in selected stores to test customer response under real life selling conditions.
This helps the manufacturer to make product modifications, adjust prices or improve packaging etc. Small business owners try to establish a rapport with local store owners.
In certain cases websites help them to test their products.
In this kind of research, the research is done mainly with the stores, not with the customers. Research is generally done through retail chains (for logistical reasons) and also chains mainly that have high footfalls.
Marketing selectively and then seeing the results.
Eg. ITC has the Sun smiling and also Shah Rukh Khan and the ad shows a kid swimming through cream with Shah Rukh and this appeals to the kid.
Also distribution is fanastic (ITC has used its expertise in cigarette distribution).
Here in field research, the marketer can also observe behaviour and appropriately mould the strategy.
Players like Priyagold however, will use cheaper alternatives like marketing behind bus tickets and attacking local kirana stores in small zones to gain zonal advantages in specific areas and make single areas their cash cows. Thus local kiranas may push these certain small brands if the stock of other reputed brands is low.
In this case, the small players may offer incentives such as credit (a longer duration for credit), higher margins, lower interests or no interests on credit, more stocks etc. In this case, there is generally no observation like in the case of Sunfeast WRT packaging etc. because they are not concerned with that – and don’t have the skills and resources for great packaging. They are mostly concerned with pushing of sales.
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