RENDER: Research Design for Final Project Proposal

By LA2Ms (Al Arizmendez, Peggy O'Connor,

Megan Samuels, & Joshua Sutterfield)

Communication Management 587

Management Decision Problem

Should Render only market to tech-savvy, higher-income men?

Marketing Research Problem

Who or what will influence men to purchase custom-fit clothing?

Preliminary Research What We’ve Done in Our Exploratory Research stage

•  Interviewed Render decisionmaker, Darren Schmidt following his live presentation and live chat Q &A •  Interviewed marketing and industry experts •  Online research of secondary data on industry and

competitors from Render, trade associations, paid consultant studies, academia and government

Our findings •  3-D body scanning proving to be effective in garment fit •  Female influence and control of spending is significant,

increasing in recent years since recession •  A segment of tech-savvy men will quickly adopt the technology

Research Design Structure

•  Consumers learn new information about an item or action; it either creates in them a belief or modifies their existing beliefs/opinions about the item

•  Consumers assign a value to each attribute on which their new or modified belief is based

•  Consumer expectation/action is modified as a result of a calculation based on beliefs + values

Reasoning:

Applying aspects of the Expectancy Value Model will allow our team to determine whether or not the target market would value a service like Render’s

Research questions will be designed for consumers to assign a value to attributes of benefits and features the Render Service, where it is “paired” with a specific belief, its sum is strong enough to result as an attitude, or action toward a positive purchase decision

Research Design Structure Consumer Perceived Risk Model

Consumer's Knowledge

Range Alternatives

Consumer Uncertainty

Consumer's Perception

Brand Evaluation

Brand Deliver Perceived Risk

Reasoning

•  Measures consumer risk through the vantage point of the actual consumer •  Consumers will evaluate the brand to see if it meets their needs and whether the brand can deliver on its promises •  The sum of the six-part model is evaluated to determine whether Render can meet adequate demand and minimize consumer risk perceptions

Research Methods

Research Question - What factors influence men when they make clothing purchases?

Hypothesis - Men are highly influenced by women when making clothing purchases; women either make the purchases or guide the men in making their selections

Method/Qualitative – 1)Interview men regarding their shopping habits, preferences, objections (“deal breakers”), price-points, etc. 2)Observe men while at a body scanning location, inquiring about and utilizing the service, noting actions taken as well as avoided

Research Methods (continued)

Method/Quantitative – Conduct online survey among a range of men (age, race, income level, marital status) with multiple choice, ranking their preferences, habits, dislikes with shopping in general and 3-D body scanning Expected results

Many men interviewed will defer to women or partner to make shopping decisions for them

Survey Questions

Q1: Have you ever purchased custom fit clothing? Yes or No?

Q2: If Yes to answer one, How likely are you to purchase custom clothing again?

(5 = Very likely, 4 = More likely, 3 = Uncertain, 2 = Less likely, or 1 = Not likely)

Q3: If you had the option to purchase custom fit clothing, How likely would that make you want to purchase more

clothes for your wardrobe? (5 = Very likely, 4 = More likely, 3 = Uncertain, 2 = Less likely, or 1 = Not likely)

Interview Questions

Q1 - How often do you purchase a dress shirt or casual shirt item of clothing for yourself - weekly, monthly, every six months, once per year?

Q2 – For either work or casual wear, what was the last major (more than $75, either a single piece or more) businesswear clothing purchase you made (includes business casual) for yourself?

Q3 - Which do you value more: a well-fitting garment, an item of clothing you've purchased at a reduced price,or apparel designed by a well-known brand?

Observational Field Study Protocol

•  Having identified a body scanner for garment

fitting in the Los Angeles market, we will conduct two (2) one-hour sessions of covert observation: one over a busy shopping weekend and the second on an early evening during the week

References Bulik, B. (2008). How the male of the species shop. Advertising Age, 79(9), 12.http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.usc.edu/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=31156857&site=ehost-live

Dematto, A. 2010. 5 Ways Body Scanners Could Make Fitting Rooms Obsolete. Popular Mechanics. http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/3d-body-scanning-technology-applications

Men Buy, Women Shop': The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles. Knowledge@Wharton, University of Pennsylvania. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1848

Mintel (2012). Men's Attitudes Towards Clothes Shopping, US, March 2012

http://academic.mintel.com.libproxy.usc.edu/dishttp://co1-pptbroadcast.officeapps.live.com/p/PowerPointBroadcast.aspx?pptbid=b1f13221-7233-4dc3-872f-3a9a04080f3clay/590280/

PR Newswire (2012) Men and Women Have Different Online Shopping Preferences, PR Newswire. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/men-and-women-have-different-online-spending-preferences-72606272.html

Punj, G. (2012). Consumer decision making on the web: A theoretical analysis and research guidelines. Psychology & Marketing, 29(10), 791-803. doi: 10.1002/mar.20564

Song, H. K., & Ashdown, S. P. (2012).Development of automated custo-made pants driven by body shape. Textile Research Journal, 30, 315-329.

Yarrow, K. & O'Donnell, J. 2009. Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail. http://books.google.com/books?id=_Eg1lKXy8bwC&lpg=PA21&ots=Oy1msn5C3k&dq