Page 127 - Marketing Management

104 PART 2 CAPTURING MARKETING INSIGHTS

can eliminate or control extraneous factors, we can relate the observed effects to the variations in
the treatments or stimuli.
American Airlines might introduce in-flight Internet service on one of its regular flights from
Chicago to Tokyo and charge $25 one week and $15 the next week. If the plane carried approxi-
mately the same number of first-class passengers each week and the particular weeks made no dif-
ference, the airline could relate any significant difference in the number of passengers using the
service to the different prices charged.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Marketing researchers have a choice of three main research
instruments in collecting primary data: questionnaires,qualitative measures,and technological devices.

Questionnaires A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to respondents. Because of
its flexibility, it is by far the most common instrument used to collect primary data. Researchers need
to carefully develop, test, and debug questionnaires before administering them on a large scale. The
form, wording, and sequence of the questions can all influence the responses. Closed-end questions
specify all the possible answers and provide answers that are easier to interpret and tabulate. Open-end
questions allow respondents to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how people
think.They are especially useful in exploratory research,where the researcher is looking for insight into
how people think rather than measuring how many people think a certain way. Table 4.1 provides
examples of both types of questions; also see “Marketing Memo: Questionnaire Dos and Don’ts.”
Qualitative Measures Some marketers prefer more qualitative methods for gauging consumer
opinion, because consumer actions don’t always match their answers to survey questions. Qualitative
research techniques are relatively unstructured measurement approaches that permit a range of
possible responses. Their variety is limited only by the creativity of the marketing researcher.
Because of the freedom it affords both researchers in their probes and consumers in their
responses, qualitative research can often be an especially useful first step in exploring consumers’
brand and product perceptions. It is indirect in nature, so consumers may be less guarded and
reveal more about themselves in the process.
Qualitative research does have its drawbacks. Marketers must temper the in-depth insights that
emerge with the fact that the samples are often very small and may not necessarily generalize to
broader populations. And different researchers examining the same qualitative results may draw
very different conclusions.

marketing
Memo Questionnaire Dos and Don’ts

1. Ensure that questions are without bias. Don’t lead the respondent 8. Avoid hypothetical questions. It’s difficult to answer questions about
into an answer. imaginary situations.Answers aren’t necessarily reliable.
2. Make the questions as simple as possible. Questions that include 9. Do not use words that could be misheard. This is especially important
multiple ideas or two questions in one will confuse respondents. when administering the interview over the telephone. “What is your
3. Make the questions specific. Sometimes it’s advisable to add memory opinion of sects?” could yield interesting but not necessarily relevant
cues. For example, be specific with time periods. answers.
4. Avoid jargon or shorthand. Avoid trade jargon, acronyms, and initials not 10. Desensitize questions by using response bands. To ask people their age
in everyday use. or ask companies about employee turnover rates, offer a range of re-
sponse bands instead of precise numbers.
5. Steer clear of sophisticated or uncommon words. Use only words in
common speech. 11. Ensure that fixed responses do not overlap. Categories used in fixed-
response questions should be distinct and not overlap.
6. Avoid ambiguous words. Words such as “usually” or “frequently”have
no specific meaning. 12. Allow for the answer “other” in fixed-response questions. Precoded
answers should always allow for a response other than those listed.
7. Avoid questions with a negative in them. It is better to say, “Do you
ever...?” than “Do you never...?”
Source: Adapted from Paul Hague and Peter Jackson,Market Research:A Guide to Planning,Methodology,and Evaluation (London:Kogan Page,1999).See also,Hans Baumgartner
and Jan-Benedict E. M. Steenkamp,“Response Styles in Marketing Research:A Cross-National Investigation,” Journal of Marketing Research (May 2001), pp. 143–56.