Introduction

What Are Projective Techniques ?

An unstructured, indirect form of questioning that encourages respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issues of concern. In projective techniques, respondents are asked to interpret the behaviour of others. In interpreting the behaviour of others, respondents indirectly project their own motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings into the situation.

What Are Laddering Techniques ?

A Ladder interview is an interviewing technique where a seemingly simple response to a question is pushed by the interviewer in order to find subconscious motives.
Example Interviewer: "Why x? Subject: "Because z Interviewer: "Why z? Subject: "Because b Interviewer: "Why b?"

Advantages of Using Projective Techniques

They may elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study. Helpful when the issues to be addressed are personal, sensitive, or subject to strong social norms.

Helpful when underlying motivations, beliefs, and attitudes are operating at a subconscious level.

Disadvantages of Using Projective Techniques

Suffer from many of the disadvantages of unstructured direct techniques, but to a greater extent. Require highly trained interviewers. Skilled interpreters are also required to analyze the responses. There is a serious risk of interpretation bias. They tend to be expensive. May require respondents to engage in unusual behaviour.

Guidelines for Using Projective Techniques

Projective techniques should be used because the required information cannot be accurately obtained by direct methods. Projective techniques should be used for exploratory research to gain initial insights and understanding. Given their complexity, projective techniques should not be used naively.

Important Projective Techniques

Word Association Test Completion Test Construction Techniques

Expression Techniques

Secondary Research Analysis Research Paper

Research on Celebrity Endorsements

The purpose of this paper is to utilise projective techniques as a method to capture and understand consumer reactions to celebrity-endorsed perfumes.
Perfume Brands : Gucci Envy Me and Christian Dior Jadore.

Picture association tests drew on six advertisements, comprised of two perfume advertisements and four pictures of perfumes and celebrity endorsers.

Research on Celebrity Endorsements

Initially participants were introduced to the non-endorsed advertisements of both the brands of perfumes.

Their word associations were as follows:

For Gucci Pink (9), Gucci (5), Sweet (3), Girly (3), Handbags (3), Personification Beautiful (6), Slim (4), Young woman (4) For Christian Dior Golden colour (7), Glow (4), Cosmetics (3), Luxury (3), Clothes (3) Personification Elegant (4), Mature (3), Classy (3)

Research on Celebrity Endorsements

Subsequently the hypothetical celebrity-endorsed advertisements were introduced one at a time.

Gucci Envy Me was associated with Jennifer Aniston and Amy Winehouse and Christian Dior Jadore was associated with images of Queen Latifah and Emma Watson.
Now the responses (as word associations) were as follows: For Gucci Jennifer Aniston - Aniston (7), Friends (6), Celebrity not match perfume (4) Amy Winehouse - Amy Winehouse (14), badness (7), music (7), drugs (4) For Christian Dior Queen Latifah Queen Latifah (6), Earrings (3), Glow (3), Black Woman ( Emma Watson - Emma Watson (8), Dress (3), Harry Potter (3), Perfume (3)

Research To Measure Brand Image

Consumers very often do not use explicit, concrete, rational factors to evaluate products, and thus their motivation to purchase is not always easy to articulate. Associations between brands and animals or other images and symbols is simply an attempt to use secondary features to distinguish between almost identical brands and products. This paper explores the use of projective techniques for examining the transfer of characteristics from two sets of cue cards to a sample of food brands.

Research To Measure Brand Image

Projective techniques involve presenting subjects with ambiguous stimuli to which do not require a specific response The implicit model of consumer behavior is used in this research The implicit model provides both a personality and an identity for an object, be it a brand, product or company

Research To Measure Brand Image

The first stage in the investigation was to compile two sets of photographs. The first set used different animals for elements and the second set used cars for stimuli.
Coffee Slice Bread Chocolate Confectionery Breakfast Cereal

Nescafe Gold Blend Kenco Mellow Birds

Kingsmill White Hovis Granary Private Label

Cadbury Diary Milk Nestle Kit Kat Snickers

Kelloggs Cornflakes Kelloggs Bran Flakes Weetabix

The 16 stimulus photographs were laid out clearly in front of the respondents prior to giving them the questionnaire; they were then shown the brand photographs and asked to select first a car photograph and then an animal picture that they think best represents that brand.

Research To Measure Brand Image

Projective Techniques in Practice

Picture Associations

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