Role of Research in understanding consumer behaviour

Notes prepared by: Ashok MBA (20081-10 batch, SJEC)


Consumer research paradigms

Here in this topic of consumer research they are trying to identify reasons for purchasing a product, usually customers hesitates to reveal their reasons or motivational factor which made them to purchase a product or service at that time the consumer researchers use the two different types of research methodology to study consumer behavior: quantitative research and qualitative research.

Quantitative research:

It is descriptive in nature and this method is used to predict the consumer behavior. This method always consists of experiments, surveys techniques, and observations. The findings are empirical and if collected randomly this can be generalized to large populations and the data are quantitative, they lend to sophisticated statistical analysis

Qualitative research:.

This includes depth interviews, focus groups, metaphor analysis, and projective techniques. Here sample sizes are necessarily small so we cannot generalized to larger population they are used to obtain new ideas for promotional campaigns.

Combining qualitative and quantitative research findings:

By combining both research finding marketers can design more effective marketing strategies and always they use qualitative research findings to discover new ideas and quantitative to predict consumer reactions to various promotional inputs.

The consumer research process:

The important steps in the consumer research process are

1.      defining the objectives of the research

2.      collecting and evaluating secondary data

3.      designing a primary research study

4.      collecting primary data

5.      analyzing the data

6.      preparing the report on findings

Developing the research objectives:

It is first and the most difficult step in research process hare the questions like is it to segment the market for plasma television sets? To find out consumer attitude about the experience with online shopping?. And it is always important for the marketing manager to agree at the out set on the purposes and the objectives of the study to ensure that

Consumer research process

 Collecting secondary data

Secondary data includes both internal and external data it is collected or generated for some purpuss other than the present research objectives

                Internal secondary data such information as data generated in house for earlier studies for earlier studies as well as analisis of customer files, such as past customer transactions etc.

Designing primary research:

IT IS basically designed on the basis of the purposes of the study. If the descriptive study is needed then the quantitative study is likely to be under taken. If the purpose is of the new ideas then we can go for the qualitative research. 

Quantitative research design

A quantitative research study consists of research design, the data collection methods and instruments to be used, and the sample design. Three basic designs are used in quantitative research are : observation, experimentation, or survey.   

Observational research

               Here in this method the people or customers are observed when they are purchasing the product or using the product

    Mechanical observation

             uses a mechanical or electronic device to record customer behavior or responses to a particular marketing stimulus.

    Experimentation

it is possible to test the relative sales appeal of many types of variables, such as package designs, prices promotional offers, or copy themes through experiments designed to identify cause and effect.

Surveys

There are various survey methods are there they are,

·         personal interview survey

·         telephone survey

·         mail surveys

·         online surveys

Quantitative research data collection instruments

 The data collection instruments are developed to as part of a study’s total research design systematizing the collection of data and to ensure that all respondents are asked the same questions in the same order.

Questionnaire

For quantitative research the primary data collection instrument is questionnaire

Attitude scales

the instruments most frequently used to capture this evaluative data is called attitude scales the most frequently attitude scales are likert scales, semantic differential scale, behavior intension scale, and rank order scale.

Qualitative research design and data collection methods

the important methods of data collection in this research design are depth interview, focus group, discussion guides, projective techniques and  metaphor analysis. These techniques are regularly used the early stages of attitude research to pinpoint relevant product related beliefs and to develop an initial picture of consumer attitude. 

Depth interview:

 This is a lengthy non structured interview between a respondent and highly trained interviewer, who minimizes his own participation in the discussion after establishing the general subject to be discussed

Focus group:

 this consist of 8 to 8 to10 respondents who meet with a moderator analyst for a group discussion “focused” on a particular product or product category.

 Projective techniques:

 This is designed to tap the underlying motives of individuals despite their unconscious rationalizations or efforts at conscious concealment.

Metaphor analysis: in the 1990, a stream of consumer research emerged suggesting the most communication is non verbal and that people do not think in words but in images.

Data analysis and reporting research findings

In qualitative research, the moderator usually analyses the responses received. In quantitative research, the research supervises the analysis open ended questions are first coded and classified then all of the responses are tabulated and analyzed. using sophisticated analytical programs that correlate the data by selecting variables and cluster the data by selected demographic characteristics.