What are the various methods of qualitative and quantitative market research? Which is best?
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Market research survey methods are of two types. Whether a focus group study or online survey or other method, all market research survey methods are either qualitative
or quantitative market surveys. Understanding their distinction is vital to
planning a successful marketing research study. Online surveys, phone surveys, focus groups, survey panels, depth interviews, and ethnographic studies all fall within one of these two types.
Type 1: Qualitative Market Research
Qualitative market research means "quality." Conversely,
and importantly, it does not mean "quantity." Qualitative
research methods are designed to talk to a relatively few people in the target
audience of interest. The purpose of qualitative research is to plumb
the depths and range of buyer attitudes and beliefs, not to measure
incidence, project, or forecast quantity.
Popular qualitative market research methods include focus group studies,
depth interviews triads (one interviewer, two respondents, and dyads (one
interviewer, one respondent,) and observational techniques such as ethnography
and, popular in marketing research, photo ethnography. See a more detailed discussion on focus groups in this FAQ.
We include qualitative market research methods as a "market survey"
method because they offer a way to measure the market, again, in terms of
depth and range of buyer perceptions and needs rather than quantity.
Often market researchers and clients succumb to the temptation to
inappropriately impute quantitative implications and projections based on this
type of market survey.
The level of professional quality and validity of results in Type 1 market
surveys is driven by the design, interviewing experience of the moderator or principal
interviewer, and the interpretation of results by the market research consultant or marketing analyst.
Type 2: Quantitative Market Research
Quantitative market research methods attempt to gauge quantity. Using a range of
sampling strategies, quantitative market research methods seek to project
results of a quantitative market survey to the entire marketplace. Popular quantitative market survey methods include online surveys, personal
quantitative interviews, mail surveys, and telephone surveys. Combinations of these marketing research survey tools are referred to as "hybrid" research methods At Power
Decisions Group, we recommend the data collection technique -- phone, face to face interviews, web interviews, traditional mail surveys-- according to the marketing research objective, time requirements, and quality control issues at play.
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Market Survey
Types
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Type
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Description
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Strengths
Weaknesses
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Type 1: Qualitative Market Survey Types
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Groups
of 6 to 12 people
Traditionally,
in live group setting with moderator Online
groups conducted via internet Phone
conference w/ web or video Moderator
must know how to engage in non-directive questioning. (If
moderator is merely to pepper people with structured
questions, do a quant survey instead.)
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Group
interaction can stimulate unplanned reactions.
New
ideas spawned
Group-think
can occur.
Individuals
have little time to speak individually; participants may hide
or be passive.
Often
an artificial "performance mentality" as
clients view behind one-way mirror.
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Depth
Interviews
(with
or without projective techniques)
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Long,
in-depth interviews using open-ended questioning.
Usually
one-on-one, however dyads and triads may be used.
A
non-directive approach often useful to explore how respondent
thinks about category.
Traditionally,
in live group setting with moderator Online
groups conducted via internet Phone
conference w/ web or video
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Group
interaction can stimulate unplanned reactions.
New
ideas spawned
Group-think
can occur.
Individuals
have little time to speak individually; participants may hide
or be passive.
Often
an artificial "performance mentality" as
clients view behind one-way mirror.
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Observational
method; "watching" rather than "asking"
Participants interact with product or solutions to
need Participant
take video of relevant situations under study, e.g. their pet,
their car, etc. Diary
kept, & report behavior and
attitudes to interviewer
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Watching
user behavior can reveal good insights about their
attitudes.
Participants
get highly involved in study.
Unforeseen
relationships may be discovered
Somewhat forced environment as people may modify behavior
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Type 2: Quantitative Market Survey Types
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Telephone
Surveys
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Random
probability samples can be generated from firms such as Survey
Sampling, Inc. (SSI)
Best
for mostly close-end questioning, when dimensions and ranges
of issues are known. Success
depends highly on filtering sample to those consumer or
business users who find topic or category relevant. 10-12
average interview length is maximum target unless highly
specialized population or incentives paid.
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Optimum
use is for top-of-mind awareness, branding and brand
comparisons, and perception studies.
Response
rate is critical, especially with growing privacy issues and
phone screening among consumers and business executives alike.
Low
relative cost
Generally,
fast implementation.
Skilled
interviewer can extract more information than a
self-administered method (mail, online)
Critical
to monitor response rate to ensure sample is representative of
target sampling frame.
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Personal Interviews
and
Central
Location Interviews
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Random
probability sample -OR- convenience sample, depending upon
design. (Central location usually use a convenience
sample, i.e. mall traffic)
Used
where a face-to-face environment is desired.
In
B2B research, personal interviews may be done by appointment
where interviewer goes to respondent's office.
Some
special consumer studies may be done in-home by appointment.
Often
respondents are recruited to come to a central location, or
recruited from mall traffic to a nearby office to conduct
interview.
Used
for complicated or sensitive issues, B2B environments, or
where extensive physical or visual display requirements exist
along with need for specialized interviewing skills (depth
probing, time for evaluation and reaction.)
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High
cost.
Can
provide good hybrid method combining features of qualitative
and quantitative research by asking quant-type questions
first, followed by in-depth probing questions and projective
techniques.
Skilled
interviewer can extract more information than a
self-administered method (mail, online)
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(Web
Survey)
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Can
employ true random probability sampling
Complicated
survey questionnaire formats can be used. For example, piping,
rating, rankings, constant sum questions, etc.
Easy
to display visual information previously available only in a
face-to-face interview format. (advertising copy, concept
statements, projective stimuli, etc.)
Allows
deployment of complicated respondent tasks. (card sorts,
conjoint ratings, etc.)
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Low
relative cost
Generally,
fast implementation.
Sampling
control is critical.
Large
pre-recruited panels allow quick access to willing
respondents, although sampling validity must be carefully
assessed.
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Hybrid
Survey Methods
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Hybrid
methods combine two or more techniques to optimize response or
measurement validity.
Examples:
>Mail
or phone invitation to an online survey.
>Online
survey with phone follow-up to permit depth probing of key
market research questions by expert interviewer.
>Quantitative
survey from which participants are selected based on their
answers for a follow-up qualitative phase (focus
group, depth)
>Panel
recruited from a one-time quantitative survey. (see Panel
Research FAQ)
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Higher cost
More time required
for implementation.
Enhances quality through higher response rates, and better response quality or validity.
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