Market Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

Market Research Methods

Qualitative Research

Active with current market demand: Potential, Latent.

Focus Groups

• Composition: 6 to 10 participants with knowledge of the topic, unknown to each other. Homogeneous or heterogeneous group composition.
• Duration: 1 to 3 hours.
• Method: Interview with a moderator using a script.
• Stimuli: Sheets, videos, etc.
• Number of sessions: Usually 4 or 5 meetings.
• Data Collection: Audio recorded and transcribed.

In-Depth Interviews

• Nature: Psychological, using open-ended questions.
• Objective: Discover motivations, beliefs, attitudes, feelings, etc.
• Duration: Varies from 30 minutes to over 1 hour.
• Number of interviews: Typically 40 to 100.
• Key Requirement: Establish a climate of trust between interviewer and interviewee.

Projective Techniques

• Types:
• Word association tests
• Phrase perception tests
• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
• Other techniques: Rorschach test and role playing

Questionnaire Design

Types of Questions

According to the number of responses:

• Open-ended
• Closed-ended
• Dichotomous
• Closed-ended with an "Item"

By their function in the questionnaire:

• Introduction or contact
• Filter
• Subjective scale
• Numerical scale
• Thematic
• Agreement

Table 1.

Drafting the Questionnaire

• Use popular and easily understandable language.
• Keep questions as short as possible.
• Strive for neutrality.
• Avoid questions on difficult or calculation-intensive topics.
• Avoid words with strong connotations.
• Pre-test wording of questions.
• Ask for collaboration.
• Avoid unanswerable questions.
• Include control questions if possible.
• Start with the simplest questions.
• Gradually introduce more personal or sensitive questions towards the end.
• Order questions to avoid influencing responses.

Quantitative Research

Survey types: Ad hoc, Omnibus, Personal, Poster, Telephone, Survey Panels (Retailers, Consumers).

Staff Surveys

Consist of personal interviews with individuals representative of a collective, using questionnaires.

Disadvantages

1. Expensive method.
2. Relatively slow.
3. Possibility of response distortions due to interviewer presence.
4. Interviewer control needed.

Mail Surveys

A system of collecting information through a questionnaire sent and returned by mail, completed by the respondent at their own home or workplace.

Advantages

• Economical system of information collection.
• Can reach many people in distant locations.
• Respondent has the flexibility to complete the questionnaire at a convenient time.
• Eliminates possible distortion caused by the interviewer.
• Reduces the time to obtain information.