Consumer Behavior

Research
Jesilyn T. Sabay, MMT
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Decision-
Making buying results from consumers
Perspective perceiving that they have a
problem

moving through a process to

solve that problem
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Decision- portrays consumers as taking a

Making series of steps when making a
Perspective purchase
steps:
problem recognition
search
alternative evaluation
choice
post-acquisition evaluation
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Decision-
Making roots of the approach:
Perspective cognitive and experimental
psychology
certain areas of economics
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Experiential
in some instances consumers do
Perspective
not make purchases according to a
strictly rational decision-making
pro cess

buy certain products and services

in order to have fun, create
fantasies or feel desired emotions
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Experiential
purchases made on impulse
Perspective
purchases to seek variety
occurs when consumers
switch brands because they
are bored with their old brand
and feel stimulated by the
prospect of a new one
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Experiential
Perspective roots of the approach
motivational psychology
certain areas of sociology and
anthropology
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Experiential
interpretive research methods
Perspective interpretivists believe that
researchers inevitably
influence the data-collection
effort
concentrate understanding
rather than predicting
behavior
think that reality is socially
constructed
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior

Behavioral
influence assumes that strong environmental
Perspective forces propel consumers to make
purchases without necessarily first
developing strong feelings or
beliefs about the product
 Three Research Perspectives
on Consumer Behavior
consumer neither goes through a
Behavioral rational decision-making process
influence nor relies on feelings to purchase a
Perspective product or service

purchase action directly results

from environmental forces
sales promotion devices
cultural norms
physical environment
economic pressures
 Types of Research
Methodology

descriptive in nature
Quantitative used to understand the effects of
research various promotional inputs on the
consumer
enables marketers to ‘predict’
consumer behavior [positivism]
research methods:
experiments
survey techniques
observation
 Types of Research
Methodology

Quantitative
findings:
research descriptive
empirical
if collected randomly
(probability sample): can be
generalized to larger
populations
 Types of Research
Methodology

Qualitative used by researchers who are

research interested in the act of
consumption rather than in the
act of buying
 Types of Research
Methodology

Qualitative administered by highly trained

research interviewer-analysts
findings tend to be subjective

small sample sizes

 Quantitative
Qualitative Research
Research
Study • Provide insights about • Describe target
Purpose ideas market
• Exploratory research • Results for strategic
before quantitative study marketing decisions

Types of • Open-ended • Close-ended

Questions • Unstructured • Attitude scales
Data • Projective techniques • Observation
Collection • Depth interviews • Experimentation
Methods • Focus groups • Questionnaires
 Quantitative
Qualitative Research
Research
Sampling • Small • Large
Methods • Nonprobability • Probability samples
samples
Data • Analyzed by • Coded, tabulated,
Analysis researchers who and entered into
collected data database
• Look for “key words” • Use of statistical
• Subjective methods
Consumer Research Process
 Consumer Research Process

Defining the
objectives of defining purposes and objectives
the research helps ensure an appropriate
research design

a statement of objectives helps

to define the type and level of
information needed
 Consumer Research Process

Secondary data
Collecting and
data that has been collected for
evaluating
reasons other than the specific
secondary
research project at hand
data
includes internal and external
data
 Consumer Research Process
External Data
 Data collected by
Internal Data
Collecting and an outside
 Data organization
evaluating
generated in-
secondary  Includes federal
house
data government,
 May include periodicals,
analysis of newspapers,
customer files books, search
 Useful for engines
calculating  Commercial data is
customer also available from
lifetime value market research
firms
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a Primary Data

primary original data performed by
research individual researchers or
study organizations to meet specific
objectives
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a
primary Quantitative research designs
research observation
study
experimentation
survey
 Consumer Research Process

Observational research
Designing a
important method of consumer
primary
research research because marketers
study recognize that the best way to
gain in-depth understanding of
relationship between people
and products is by watching
them in the process of buying
and/or using the products
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a
primary Observational research
research helps researchers gain a
study better understanding of what
the product symbolizes
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a Mechanical observation

primary  uses mechanical or electronic
research devices to record customer
behavior or response to a
study
particular marketing stimulus

Physiological observation
 uses devices that monitor
respondents’ patterns of
information processing
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a
primary Experimentation
research controlled experiment
study market testing
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a
primary Surveys
research personal interview surveys
study telephone surveys
mail surveys
online surveys
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a If a study has validity it collects

primary the appropriate data for the
research study.
study A study has reliability if the same
questions, asked of a similar
sample, produce the same
findings.
 Consumer Research Process

Attitude scales
Designing a
Likert scale
primary
easy for researchers to
research
prepare and interpret, and
study
simple for consumers to
answer [level of agreement or
disagreement]
Semantic differential scale
typically consists of bipolar
adjectives [good/bad;
expensive/inexpensive]
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a Attitude scales

primary Behavioral intention scale
research measures the likelihood that
study consumers will act in a certain
way in the future
 Rank-order scale
 rank items such as products
in order of preference
 Consumer Research Process

Qualitative research designs

Designing a and data collection methods
primary
depth interviews
research
usually 30 minutes to 1 hour
study
nonstructured
interpreted by trained
researcher
listen to words as well as “body
language”
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a  Qualitative research designs

primary and data collection methods
research
focus group
study
respondents are encouraged to
discuss their interests, attitudes,
reactions, motives, lifestyles,
feelings about the product or
service, usage experience, etc.
 Consumer Research Process

 Qualitative research designs

Designing a and data collection methods
primary projective technique
research research procedures designed
study to identify consumers’
subconscious feelings and
motivations
consist of a variety of disguised
“tests” [incomplete sentences,
untitled pictures or cartoons]
 Consumer Research Process

Designing a  Qualitative research designs

primary and data collection methods
research metaphor analysis
study based on belief that metaphors
are the most basic method of
thought and communication
 Consumer Research Process

Collecting  Samples
are a subset of the population used
primary data
to estimate characteristics of the
entire population.
a sampling plan addresses:
Whom to survey [sampling unit]
How may to survey [sample size]
How to select them [sampling
procedure]
 Probability Sample
Simple random Every member of the population has a
sample known and equal chance of being
selected.
Systematic A member of the population is selected at
random sample random and then every “nth” person is
selected.
Stratified The population is divided into mutually
random sample exclusive groups (such as age groups),
and random samples are drawn from each
group.
Cluster (area) The population is divided into mutually
sample exclusive groups (such as blocks), and the
researcher draws a sample of the groups
to interview.
 Non Probability Sample

Convenience The researcher selects the most

Sample accessible population members from
whom to obtain information
Judgment The researcher uses his or her
Sample judgment to select population
members who are good sources for
accurate
Quota Sample The information
researcher interviews a
prescribed number of people in each
of several categories
 Consumer Research Process

 Open-ended questions are

Analyzing the coded and quantified.
data
 All responses are tabulated and
Preparing a analyzed.
report on the
findings  Final report includes executive
summary, body, tables, and
graphs.
 Research Tools

Survey Experiments
Focus group Field experiments

Interviews Conjoint analysis

Observations
Storytelling
Purchase panels
Use of
photography & Database mining
pictures
Diaries
Types of Researchers
 Ethical Issues in
Consumer Research

Positive
Aspects better consumption experience

potential for building customer

relationships
 Ethical Issues in
Consumer Research

Negative
Aspects tracking consumer behavior in
different countries
potentially higher marketing costs
invasion of consumer privacy
deceptive research practices
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Developing a
customer-  How is the market segmented?
oriented  How profitable is each segment
 What are the characteristics of
strategy
consumers in each segment?
 Are customers satisfied with
existing offerings?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Selecting the  Helps marketers determine

target market which consumer groups might
represent the best targets for
marketing tactics
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Positioning  How are competitive offerings

positioned?
 How should our offerings be
positioned?
 Should our offerings be
repositioned?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Developing
 What ideas do consumers have for
products or new products?
services  What attributes can be added to or
changed in an existing offering?
 What should our offering be
called?
 What should our package and logo
look like?
 What about guarantees?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

 What are our advertising objectives?

Marketing  What should our advertisement look
communication like?
decisions  Where should the advertisement be
placed?
 When should we advertise?
 Has our advertisement been
effective?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Marketing  What about sales promotion

communication objectives and tactics?
 When should sales promotions
decisions
happen?
 Have our sales promotions been
effective?
 How many sales people are needed
to serve customers
 How can sales people best serve
customers?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Making pricing
 What price should be charged?
decisions
 How sensitive are consumers to price
changes and price changes?
 Marketing Implications of
Consumer Behavior

Making
distribution  Where are target consumers likely to
shop?
decisions
 How should stores be designed?