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MARKETING RESEARCH & STRATEGIESBUSI-348-01Professor ConradQualitative Research

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WHAT IS QUALITATIVE RESEARCH? Qualitative = of or relating to how good something is : of or relating to the quality of something (Merriam-Webster, 2017)

Qualitative Research = collecting, analyzing and interpreting unstructured data by observing what people do and say. (Burns, Veeck and Bush, 2017)

Listening to and watching consumers No exact quantity, but use of descriptive words such as “many,” “some” or “few”

Probes the consumer by provide the feelings or what is important to the consumer

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“While using our product, some customers felt ________________,

while many others felt _______________.”

Qualitative research is unnecessary

Qualitative research is needed

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QUALITATIVE RESULTS?What is your opinion of this man using only one word.

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TYPES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Ethnography Interviews or customer visits Focus Groups Marketing Research Online Communities Neuromarketing Projective Techniques (Simulations)

Word-Association Test Sentence-Completion Tests Picture Test Cartoon or Balloon Test Role-Playing Activity

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - ETHNOGRAPHY Ethno = people Graphy = a field of study Deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the consumer and consumer behavior

Study behavior where it occurs for prolonged periods of time

Effective for studying Trends Personal habits Lifestyle factors Effect of social/cultural context on behavior

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - ETHNOGRAPHYType of ethnography research

ImmersionParticipant observation Informal and ongoing in-depth interviewingShopalongs Mobile ethnographyNetnography

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH - ETHNOGRAPHYWhen to use ethnography

Product category is visibly consumed over time and in space, typically durable products (goods)

Product category is rich in sociocultural meaning and used in a social setting

The field in which the product is consumed is unfamiliar to the researcher or is unusual within the society

Decision problem is long-term, strategy-focused rather than on particular product…. Highly exploratory

Firm seeks unique insights not obtainable through interviews from the past

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONECustomer Visits are primarily B2B researchDecision maker from outside the typical sales person deliberately arranges to interact with customers to learn

Outbound or inboundAd hoc or programmatic

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONEInterviews are primarily B2C researchTrained interviewer asks probing questions to a respondent to gain insight onTheir opinion of somethingWhy they behave a certain way

Can be conducted at participant’s home, at a central interviewing location or over the phone

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONEAdvantages

Ability to probe by asking many additional questions based on participant’s responses

Generates rich, deep responsesDisadvantages

Lack of structure in the process Requires a trained interviewer, or results could be too varied

Great to understand consumers’ decision making, details on how a product is used or emotional/private aspects of consumers’ lives

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONELaddering Technique

List of probing questions that progress from product attribute to desired customer value

Shows a linkage between product attribute and valueProjective Techniques

Word-association test – Hidden meanings or associations

Sentence-completion test – identify themes or concepts

Picture Test – feelings, actions and concernsCartoon or Balloon Test – feeling and reactions

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONE

Set Objectives

Select a Sample

Select Teams

Devise a Discussion

Guide

Conduct the

Interviews

Debrief the Team

Analyze Data

Report Results

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH – ONE-ON-ONE

• Field Research• Face-to-face interaction• Combo is ideal for entering customer’s

“thought world”• Info is gained first hand, directly

Advantages

• Potential for interviewer• Instability and imprecision consequent to

small sample sizeDisadvantages

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THE PLANNING PROCESS

Establish the need for the

research

Define the

problem

Establish Research Objective

s

Determine

Research Design

Info Types and

Sources

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THE PLANNING PROCESS CON’T

Methods of

Access

Design Data

Collection

Sample Size

Collect and

Analyze Data

Present Results