Our market surveys include marketing research methods such as online surveys, phone surveys, focus groups, executive interviews, depth interviews, and online discussion forums . Market research surveys are often designed for companies and firms to assess customer attitudes and behaviors for building or revising a marketing strategy, and creating a marketing plan. Market and customer surveys can be either qualitative or quantitative.
Power Decisions Group has conducted hundreds of professional market surveys, both
qualitative and quantitative, using expert market survey research controls to ensure
accuracy, relevance and power for corporate or marketing strategy development.
The primary classification groups for market surveys are qualitative
and quantitative market surveys. Understanding their distinction is vital to
planning a successful marketing research or public opinion study.
Qualitative market research means "quality." 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.
We include qualitative market research methods as "market surveys"
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.
Quantitative marketing research designs gauge, describe, and forecast quantity. Using a range ofsampling strategies, quantitative market research studies often project
results of quantitative market surveys to the entire marketplace. Popular quantitative market survey methods include online surveys, personal quantitative interviews, mail surveys, and telephone surveys. At Power Decisions Group, we recommend the data collection technique -- phone, face to face interviews, web interviews, traditional mail -- according to the research objective, time requirements, and quality control issues at play.
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 Surveys 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 quant market surveys 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 Surveys
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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
Surveys)
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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
Surveys -- Methods
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Hybrid
methods combine two or more techniques to optimize response or
measurement validity.
Examples:
>Mail
or phone invitation to online surveys.
>Online
surveys with phone follow-up to permit depth probing of key
market research questions by expert interviewer.
Quantitative surveys 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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Marketing Consulting Services Summary Overview
Marketing Strategy Consultants As marketing strategy consultants, our consulting firm will work with you and your company and management team in a professional engagement one of several ways according to the nature of the consulting project: monthly retainer, fixed project fee, or daily rate. Since each client company or firm is unique with its own set of issues and opportunities, we often begin our relationship with a Decision Mapping engagement. This identifies the problems, opportunities, and issues most relevant, and serves to clarify the decision agenda. We believe this is a crucial step to ensure as consultants to your company, that an expert, professional engagement meets your specific management requirements. Further, Decision Mapping saves both time and money as it sharpens focus as to the exact work which needs to be accomplished in our remaining consulting or market research work for your company.
Experts in Marketing Strategy As experts and specialists in marketing and market research, we are well qualified in these strategy arenas:
positioning, segmentation, advertising strategy, corporate and product naming, company branding, brand name development, naming research, brand equity measurement, pricing, sales systems and research, product development, brand development, brand strategy, product concept testing, identifying opportunities, positioning, customer satisfaction research and customer loyalty building.
Functional Marketing Research Experience Our consulting company has deep experience working with large and small firms, although typical clients include Fortune 500, Fortune 100, or middle market companies. Our team members have been involved as executives and board members of technology venture start-ups, conducting research and assessments used by venture funds, and venture capital firms.
Industry Consulting and Market Research Experience First, we are not industry specialists or experts. Our philosophy is that we bring a tool kit of analytical and management skills to the table. You bring deep industry knowledge of your business. The blending of our functional and management expertise, and your knowledge of your own business and industry, makes for a productive decision-focused engagement.
Services Example:
Concept Testing to assess advertising appeals, new products concepts, pricing strategy, combinations, and brand positioning platforms.
In our concept testing approach, we collaborate with you in identifying the product, advertising, or branding concepts consistent with your marketing strategy and market opportunity. We employ advanced concept testing research measurement and research methods: leading edge and classic survey research methods. We combine both qualitative and quantitative methods to obtain the best read on marketplace reactions and perceptions. ...Read more about Concept Testing and Concept Development services.
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