Research: A Strategic Advertising Tool

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Cadbury cashes on social gifting

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Research
Digging for facts, data, information and knowledge Helps unearth nuggets about target audience, spot new trends, uncover new product uses, discover competitors weaknesses, etc.

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Research process
Define problem & research objectives Check secondary sources Carry out primary research

Present the findings

Interpret the results

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Problem definition & research objectives

Problem definition Neither too broad nor too narrow Research objectives

Exploratory

Descriptive

Causal
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Secondary vs. primary research

Secondary: info collected previously Primary: info collected firsthand

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Sources of secondary information

Client records

Trade publications

Government publications

Commercial sources

Agency research

Websites, magazines & general publications

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Decisions in primary research design

Research approaches Firsthand experience Observation
Survey Experiment Focus groups
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Contact methods Mail

Telephone Personal interview Computer

Sampling plan
Sampling unit Sample size Sampling procedures

Research instruments Questionnaires

Psychological tools Mechanical devices Projective tools

Research approaches
Firsthand experience

Opportunity to explore with all senses Beware of generalizations

Useful for behavioural insights Observation Can be done through humans or mechanical tools

Surveys

Conducted with the help of questionnaires Quick, cost-effective, flexible, structured

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Research approaches
Experiments Exposing similar groups to different treatments Useful for capturing cause-effect relationships

Focus groups

Monitored discussions with a group of 6 to 10 May offer deep insights into consumer beliefs & attitudes

Psychological tools

Deep probe into respondents beliefs, feelings, motivations, attitudes, & behaviours Techniques include laddering & articulate interviewing
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Contact methods
Method
Mail

Strengths
Cost-effective, scalable, evoke more honest answers, no interviewer bias Quicker, two-way communication, greater sample control, higher response rates Flexible, greater sample control, higher response rates Fun, flexible

Limitations
Require clarity of questions, inflexible, time-consuming, low response rate, no control over respondent Annoying, possibility of interviewer bias, possibility of interviewer dishonesty, costly Costly, time-consuming, chances of interviewer bias Cannot reach all audience categories
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Telephone

Personal

Computer

Quick Q!
In which of the following methods is interviewer bias most likely to occur?
a. b. c. d. Mail survey Telephone survey Personal interview Online survey

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Sampling plan
Sampling procedure

Sampling unit

Who to survey?

Sample size

How many to survey?

How to survey?

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Common sampling methods

Probability sample
Simple random Stratified sample: known random sample: & equal chance divide of selection to population into all population mutually members exclusive groups & select as per simple random sample

Non-probability sample
Judgement Convenience sample: sample: using select on the judgment to basis of select convenience

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Research instruments

Questionnaire

List of questions to collect primary data Flexible, can be open- or closed-ended

Psychological tools

Deep probe into respondents beliefs, feelings, motivations, attitudes, & behaviours Techniques include laddering & articulate interviewing Instruments include ZMET & models include VALS
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Research instruments
Mechanical tools
Used to measure physical responses to ads/programmes Tools include psycho-galvanometer, tachitoscope, eye movement camera, eye observation camera, audiometer, peoplemeter, checkout scanners, etc.

Projective tools

Project a respondents subconscious feelings & attitudes towards an issue based on his/her answers to a question Uncover deep & surprising motives Techniques include word association, sentence-, picture-, or story-completion, thematic apperception tests, etc.
Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Interpret results
Convert mounds of data into manageable info

Present findings useful in major decisions

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Common errors in research

Getting obsessed with research

Asking the wrong questions

Taking answers at face value

Using the wrong research method

Biasing research results

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)

Lux discovers a male audience through research

Prof. Vikram Parekh on IMC (mailtovikram@yahoo.com)