RESEARCH STUDY AND SURVEY DESIGN

TIPS
3/7/2016
STUDY DESIGN

2
CREATING THE RESEARCH DESIGN
1 2
START WITH
YOUR CLIENT
OBJECTIVES
 Generate new product
ideas
 Test a new concept
 Examples:
Test product or brand
positioning
 Test packaging
 Understand consumer
attitudes and behaviors
 Understand purchase
behavior in store
 Understand barriers to
trial
 Measure the impact of
a campaign
(immediate, over time)
3
WHO SHOULD WHAT WILL YOU
YOU TALK TO? MEASURE?
 Primary targets  Depends on the study
objectives
 Secondary targets
 Comparison groups
Awareness (Aided/Unaided)
Consideration
Purchase Intent
Examples: Attribute importance
Brand buyers Category needs
Brand perceptions
Category buyers Concept appeal, uniqueness, interest
Demographic groups Category usage behaviors
Category purchase behaviors
Channel behaviors
Category attitudes
Lifestyle attitudes
Demographics
3
EXAMPLES
OBJECTIVE: TEST NEW RESEARCH DESIGN
PACKAGING DESIGN
OPTIONS
Details Rationale
Survey Length 20 minutes 2 packages to
test and compare
Sample Size N=300 Large enough to
split sample: 50%
 Group A will see
the OLD pack
first
 Group B will see
the NEW pack
first
Recruitment  Purchase Consumers
Specs Decision-maker regularly buy OJ
for OJ and are involved
 Age 18-55 with the category
 Purchased OJ in
the past month
 Tropicana brand
non-rejectors
Quotas 150 Tropicana Want to split into
buyers P3M 2 readable
groups for each
package 4
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KEY MEASURES FOR TROPICANA PACK TEST

SCREENER
1. OJ purchase frequency (find past
month buyers)
2. Brands ever tried (eliminate Tropicana
never)
3. Brands purchased in past 3 months
(find Tropicana buyers)
4. Liking of juice brands (eliminate
Tropicana rejectors

PROFILING QUESTIONS PACKAGE A AND/OR B

1. Favorite juice brand (of those like) 1. Ever seen before
2. If can’t find favorite in store, what do 2. Description (unaided)
you substitute it with? 3. What stands out
3. Where do you buy OJ? 4. Brand identity
4. What matters most when you 5. Likes and dislikes
purchase OJ?
6. Better/worse/same as other package
5. Who in your household drinks OJ?
6. Household demos 5
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EXAMPLES

OBJECTIVE: RESEARCH DESIGN

UNDERSTAND WHY SALES FOR NEW
PRODUCT ARE LOWER THAN
EXPECTED
Details Rationale
Survey Length 20 minutes Long screener +
questions
Sample Size N=450 Large enough to
split sample into 3
groups
 Frequent users
 Lapsed users
 Triers/Rejectors
Recruitment  Moms of kids Target consumers
Specs 2-17 for the product
 Ever bought
Goldfish
sandwich
bread
Quotas 150 frequent Want to compare
users attitudes and
150 lapsed users behaviors of all 3
150 trier/rejectors groups

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KEY MEASURES FOR GOLDFISH BREAD

SCREENER
1. Sandwich Bread purchase frequency
(find past month buyers)
2. Brands ever tried (eliminate Goldfish
bread never)
3. Time since last purchase by brand
(find Goldfish bread LAPSED USERS)
4. Liking of Goldfish bread (find Goldfish
bread triers/rejectors)

PROFILING QUESTIONS PURCHASE BEHAVIORS

1. Favorite sandwich bread brand (of AND PERCEPTIONS
those like)
1. Why did they try it the first time?
2. If can’t find favorite in store, what do
2. Why did they continue/discontinue?
you substitute it with?
3. What would make them buy again?
3. Where do you buy sandwich bread?
4. How did they prepare it?
4. How important are these Goldfish
bread attributes? 5. Who did they serve it to?
5. Household demos 6. When (occasions) do they serve it?
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7. How does it compare to other breads?
SURVEY QUESTION DESIGN

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PHILOSOPHY:

MAKE SURVEYS ENGAGING OR ELSE

EXPECT GARBAGE ANSWERS OR LOW
RESPONSE RATES!

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KEYS TO ENGAGEMENT

VISUAL APPEAL QUESTION VARIETY

Few questions

Use images Easy and quick

to answer

Mix of formats
Fun formats
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QUESTIONNAIRE NO-NOS

DOUBLE BARRELED Q & A OVERLAPPING

1. Q: Please agree or disagree with RESPONSE CHOICES
the following statement: “Cars
should be faster and safer.”
a) 0-10
2. A: Pleasant work and nice co- b) 10-20
workers c) 20-30

CLOSED ENDED CHOICES FAILING TO RANDOMIZE

WITH NO “OTHER, RESPONSE CHOICES
SPECIFY” Seen by everyone in alpha
1. WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE order:
FRAGRANCE? a) apple
a) CHANEL NO. 5
b) LOVE’S BABY SOFT b) cherry
c) VIVA LA JUICY
d) NONE OF THE ABOVE
c) watermelon 11
MORE NO NO’S

RANKING QUESTIONS TOO MANY OPEN ENDS

WITH LONG LISTS
Exhausting after 3 open
Don’t make them think too ends, even if the subject is
hard! engaging

RATING QUESTIONS WITH ASKING QUESTIONS THAT

MORE THAN 10 ITEMS DON’T MATTER

Use sliders instead of radio If you aren’t going to take

buttons for a pleasant action on their answer, don’t
change include the question
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WHICH QUESTION FORMAT?

RATING (Likert) SCALE MATRIX (GRID)

 5 pt: typical  LIMIT THE COLUMNS AND
 10 or 11 pt: used among very ROWS TO A MAX OF 5
agreeable populations (e.g.,  MATRIX QUESTIONS ARE FOR
Hispanics) to spread out RATING MULTIPLE ITEMS
responses along the scale Hate Neutral Love
 Add N/A or Don’t Know options if
Grapes O O O
the thing being rated doesn’t
apply to all the people who are Banana O O O
asked to rate it
 Make sure to anchor at least the  FOR CAPTURING COMPLEX
ends and the middle with text INTERACTIONS
 Explain the end anchors in the
Break- Lunch Dinner
body of the question fast
Cheese O O O

Bacon O O O
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