The Market Research Brief

The objective is usually defined by the Client in the form of a specific written or verbal brief. This brief should ideally include. a discussion of the product of service / market to be researched, its relevant history, and its current status; details of what is already known about the brand or product of interest, and who its current customers are; as much detail as possible about what it is that the marketer actually wants to know and most importantly why this information is needed, and how it will be used; details of any relevant information available from previous research; and ideally, the scope of the project, with an indication of the available budget, and a realistic deadline for results. At Synovate, the researcher will prefer to discuss the brief with the Client. This allows us to understand your needs, and to probe for further information particularly about how you will use the information. Having prepared your brief, you may wish (or need) to obtain a competitive tender by issuing an RFP (Request For Proposal). Most market research companies will prepare a proposal at no cost, provided that they believe they have a realistic chance of winning the project. Issuing your RFP to more than three companies is unproductive - remember you will be spending valuable time assessing each proposal - and this adds unnecessary costs to the research process for all clients. What Is Market Research? The Market Research Brief The Market Research Proposal Qualitative Market Research Overview Quantitative Market Research Overview Specific Research Products

What Is Market Research?

In its broadest definition, market research includes everything that provides information about your current or potential markets. The three broadest categories are shown below. Researching current customers Customer research can define what types of people are using your products or services, for what purpose, in what situation, and with what attitudes and opinions. Almost any aspects of a companys business can be researched to ensure the best possible operations are in place, be it basic processes management, complex niche branding development, or the strategic reduction in customer churn or lost value. Researching potential customers These are market research projects with a wider scope, conducted to find out how the products, brands or services provided by you and / or your competitors are used and perceived in the overall market. This research is especially valuable for identifying customer acquisition opportunities. Market share information This information is descriptive information about what is actually being bought and consumed in the market. Examples include supermarket scanning (whats being bought?), radio, television, and internet ratings, or readership and circulation data. In markets dominated by a small number of businesses, who cannot obtain such data through existing research or government statistics, market research companies can sometimes establish specialist data-sharing progammes to enable this data to be collated on a confidential basis. Public Sector / Non-commercial research The public sector in New Zealand is a major user of market research, with both local and central government bodies increasingly using market research organizations to help with policy development, stakeholder consultation, and community feedback. Although traditional forms of governmental public consultation (e.g. public submissions and community forums) still have their place, the increased financial and performance pressures faced by much of the public sector have led to a greater demand for more accountable, accurate and strategic research. Such research must be sensitive to the underlying political issues at hand, as well as totally robust and able to withstand public, political and media scrutiny. In contrast, the public consultation process of submissions does not provide a representative reflection of the views of the whole community - properly conducted surveys with a genuinely random sample of the population are required to ensure that community opinion is understood.

Market research examples

In essence, research is used to find out whatever it is that the marketer needs to know to make decisions about how to market a product or service. These decisions include advertising and promotion, product design, packaging, pricing levels - all the activities aimed at optimising the profitability of a product in its available market. Just a few examples include new product or service development advertising assessment mystery shopping customer satisfaction research customer commitment research brand assessment and development customer usage and attitudes product testing advertising or promotion recall consumer brain-storming and concept development optimum price assessments non-customer acquisition research consumer diaries retail audits tracking studies brand/company image research government or political research advertising and publishing research brand equity tracking, brand equity employee satisfaction and commitment shopping behaviour media usage

The most effective market research is research that has a clearly defined objective. What Is Market Research? The Market Research Brief The Market Research Proposal Qualitative Market Research Overview Quantitative Market Research Overview Specific Research Products

The Market Research Proposal

Having discussed the brief, our researchers will prepare a detailed proposal for you, setting out the objectives as we understand them, and detailing how these objectives can best be met within the available budget. The proposal will detail who is to be surveyed; how this will be done; how the analysis will be conducted, including the use of any specialized or licensed research techniques; what will be delivered to the client.

A timeline will show the programme for completion, and the budget breakdown will detail the various costs included in the overall budget calculation. Note that a detailed questionnaire is only prepared after the project has been confirmed. The research techniques presented in the proposal are generally divided into two broad disciplines or types Qualitative research is used to help us understand how people feel, and why they feel as they do; Quantitative research is used to measure how many people feel, think or act in a particular way.

Qualitative Market Research Overview

The aim of qualitative research The aim of qualitative research is to discover the range, psychological nature, motivations and needs behind consumer attitudes and behaviour, rather than measuring their incidence or rationalized opinions. Qualitative research is usually informal and semi-structured, and allows

people to contribute and share their views and feelings in a conversational format, without the constraints of a structured questionnaire. Conducting qualitative research Generally conducted by the researcher (rather than an interviewer), qualitative research is usually based on a discussion guide, which details for the Client the issues that will be covered during the interview or group discussion. However, no two qualitative discussions are the same, since the respondent(s) have a significant influence on the process. Qualitative research techniques The experienced qualitative researcher is able to use projective techniques to delve deeper into the respondents psyche, to uncover the underlying feelings and attitudes which are not readily apparent in a more structured process.

Qualitative projective techniques can be extremely valuable for encouraging respondents to discuss issues they may be uncomfortable with essentially by asking respondents to conceptualise and discuss third parties, they generally feel more comfortable than if asked to discuss themselves, and often reveal as much, if not more insights of value.
Projective techniques we sometimes use include the use of photosorts, collage building, crayon drawings, projections, role-playing, brand-families, personification, anthromorphism, metaphors, obituaries and even tarot cards - depending on the topic, and the ability of the respondents to project their thoughts and feelings. Techniques which do not actively involve respondents can also be used, for example participant observation, semiotic analysis, media interpretation or online chatroom participation. In general, qualitative market research is generally conducted in two broad ways, both of which include many variations of note: Focus group discussions In-depth interviews Participant Observation Chatroom Discussions Analysing Qualitative Research

Focus Group Discussions

What are focus groups? Focus group discussions one of the most commonly used qualitative research techniques. They allow a small group of people to come together and share their views, under the guidance of the researcher. The sharing acts as a brainstorming session, generating a wide range of views and reactions. How are focus groups conducted? Typically, a focus group comprises 7 - 8 people, who have been specifically screened to match set criteria - eg. Heavy users of a particular product, loyal customers of a specific brand. They may have similar demographic characteristics - for example, we would not generally mix upper and lower socioeconomic people in the same group. Discussions generally last around 2 hours, and are audiotaped, and sometimes videotaped for later analysis. The participants are rewarded for their participation - generally with a monetary gift. Focus group variations Focus groups can vary by the objectives of the group, and the composition of the group. The examples below show how these can vary: Harmony groups, where participants share a particular behaviour or attitude. These groups are ideal for investigating specific subjects in great detail. Conflict groups, where the participants may be divided into two extreme groups, e.g. Holden and Ford lovers, or classical music and punk rock fans. These groups are ideal for investigating brand or product commitment, motivations behind consumer choice and related emotive aspects. Mini-groups, where only three-four participants may be included. The more intimate nature of these groups makes them useful for highly personal subjects. Community groups, where participants are most likely known to each other or share a common interest in the discussions outcomes. Examples include council ratepayer or employee consultation. Internet groups, where group participants also have a PC connected to the internet, and complement their focus group discussions with related website evaluation.

In-depth interviews Participant Observation Chatroom Discussions Analysing Qualitative Research

In-Depth Interviews

What are in-depth interviews? In-depth interviews are similar to group discussions, but usually only one person (but sometimes two) is interviewed at a time. The format remains unstructured, the interview is generally conducted by a researcher, and projective techniques may also be used. The advantages and uses of in-depth interviews In-depth interviews are ideal for investigating personal, sensitive, or confidential information which is unsuitable to cover in a group format. They are also the best method for advertising pretesting, where we are seeking individual interpretations and responses. In-depth interviews are also valuable for researching people with busy lifestyles who would be unlikely to attend a focus group - e.g. senior businesspeople or doctors, or simply for those who cannot practically attend, e.g. farmers or solo parents with young children. Disadvantages of in-depth interviews The disadvantage of in-depth interviews is that the respondent may feel like a bug under a microscope and be less willing to open up than in the relaxed atmosphere of a group. A skilled interviewer can overcome this to a large degree, through the establishment of good rapport and trust. In-depth interview variations In-depth interviews can vary by the objectives of the research. The examples below show how these can vary: Paired / Coupled interviews, which are useful for gaining an understanding of particular behaviours or decisions which consumers usually make in pairs, e.g. husband and wife interviews about home improvements or car buying. Accompanied shopping / observations are when a researcher accompanies a respondent on a given activity, observing and questioning the respondents behaviour as they proceed. Intercept interviews, when interviewers approach people in a public place such as a shopping mall, street, sports event, or similar - whatever is best for the research objectives. These interviews are ideal for cost-effectively targeting select types of people, but the interviews must be short, as respondents are usually en route elsewhere. Business interviews, which are ideal for interviewing senior and/or very busy businesspeople, as the respondents can discuss commercially sensitive information; be

interviewed at their most convenient times and places; and be given the level of respect they may be accustomed to. Focus group discussions Participant Observation Chatroom Discussions Analysing Qualitative Research

Participant Observation / Accompanied Shopping

This approach involves a researcher immersing him or herself into a given situation or group, participating in it yet simultaneously noting how it works and interacts. The immersion may be 'covert', in which the people being observed are not aware of the research, or it may be overt, in which the respondents are told of the research and asked for their permission to be involved. It must be noted that certain ethical considerations must be considered when conducting this kind of research in particular. In New Zealand the technicque is most commonly used for accompanied shops, in which consumers are joined by a researcher during a specific shopping trip, during which they discuss the decisions and thoughts they go through during the shopping process. Other options are to use the method in order to assess people's reactions to a given stimuli, for example a tourist attraction, car, or activity. Focus group discussions In-depth interviews Chatroom Discussions Analysing Qualitative Research

Online Chatroom Participation

A technique we have used successfully before is the participation in internet chatrooms, as a form of online focus group. Our approach is to post an innocuous question about the subject at hand, and letting the conversation flow from there submitting comments just as a focus group moderator would, i.e. prompting response yet not leading it.

Care has to be taken to ensure that the choice of chatroom does not result in extreme viewpoints. Online chatrooms are an ideal, cost-effective way to test the waters on a given subject but cannot be said to be highly representative. Focus group discussions In-depth interviews Participant Observation Analysing Qualitative Research

Analysing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is best analysed together by the researchers involved with the project, based on the transcripts from the audio tapes, the notes made during and after the interviews and/or focus groups, and the results from any of the exercises conducted, e.g. photosorts, collages, projections, obituaries etc. This process is best conducted in a semi-ordered fashion, to allow for researcher brainstorming whilst also ensuring all hypotheses or ideas are investigated. Useful techniques often employed by Synovate researchers include mind-mapping and the application of conceptual models such as the Emotive Needs Model. However it is important to note that such models have near infinite variations, and the strict application of just one model for all qualitative research is not recommended. Good qualitative researchers will also have an appreciation of the wider social contexts influencing the subjects they are studying, so as not to treat the research subject as an artificially isolated event. A report based on qualitative research is generally a discussion document, which addresses the issues covered in the discussion, and uses verbatim quotations taken from the transcripts to illustrate the key points, as well as copies or examples of the projective techniques used.

Quantitative Market Research Overview

This is any research survey that is designed to measure, and report on the proportions of the sample or population who think, act or feel in a particular way. Quantitative research can be conducted in a number of different ways: Face To Face Interviewing Telephone Interviewing / CATI Postal Or Self Completion Computerised Interviewing Online Research

For all quantitative research, sample sizes are a key consideration: Sample Sizes