Market surveys objectives and process

Main survey objectives

• Needs and expectations• Doubts and restraints• Buying behaviour• Brand awareness • Brand image• Satisfaction• Tests: Concept/product/brand/name/packaging…• Advertising• Price sensitivity• …

Problem tosolve

Research Questions

ManagerialExperience

Secundary data

Brainstorming and Discussion

HypothesisMethodologyAnd Research plan

Survey process• Survey conception

– Definition of the problem to solve and research questions– Hypothesis – Collating of the internal data– Choice of the methodology and research plan

• Data collection– “Desk” survey– Qualitative exploratory survey– Observation/Market test survey– Quantitative survey

• Analysis and recommendation– Codification and analysis– Recommendations and solutions

Problem to solve

• What is the efficienciency of an awareness advertising campaign for brand X ?• Estimate the awareness scores before the campaign, after the campaign and later

on• Should the product Z be sold in modern trade or by specialized outlets ?• Estimate the image of each distribution channel and compare with the desired

positioning of the product. Check the public prices and the presence of the competititive brands in each channel. Check the respective volume potentials

• Is it relevant to raise the price of the product Y ?• Estimate the volumes sold with higher prices, estimate the impact on profit and

compare with the volume/profit objectives. Estimate the impact on the brand image/positioning. Compare with the competition.

Research questions

Example of hypothesis definitions

Example of research question : « Why is the penetration rate of the TV cable amply under the average in some regions ? »

Hypothesis Data to collect

• Too high prices • Unsuitable sales team• Bad previous experiences • The reception is quite good w/o cable• The relationship with the cable operator are bad• A large segment of population doesn’t watch telly

Example of hypothesis definitions

Example of search case: « Why is the penetration rate of the TV cable amply under the average in some regions ? »

Hypothesis Data to collect

• Too high prices Elasticity study + competition survey• Unsuitable sales team Sales team analysis• Bad previous experiences Opinion survey• The reception is quite good w/o cable Quality evaluation• The relationship with the cable operator are bad Image/satisfaction survey• A large segment of population doesn’t watch telly Penetration survey

Example of hypothesis. Exercise

• Our company is active in a mature market

• We are leader with a SOM = 32 %

• Since 3 years, we regularly lose SOM:

– 2002: SOM = 38 %– 2003: SOM = 39 %– 2004: SOM = 37 %– 2005: SOM = 32 %

• Question 1: Which are the hypothesis we can reasonably make about the causes of this decline ?

• Question 2: Which are the research questions confirm or infirm each hypothesis ?

Types of research/survey

• Desk vs Field

• Primary vs secondary

• Qualitative vs Quantitative

• Interrogation vs Observation (market tests, store checks,…)

• Ad hoc vs Syndicate

Sources

Internal

External

SalesMarketingCostsRetailers (scanning)Buyers

Secundary

Primary

GovernmentTrade associationsPressAnnual reportsPrivate surveys

Experts and actorsObservation (e.a.store checks)Market testsMarket Surveys

Source: Aaker and day

Desk research

Field research

Survey limitations• Vague research question

• Example:

• How should we launch an efficient advertising campaign ?

One should launch a lot of different studies if the following questions are not answered: Objective = awareness, brand image, sales ?Which media ?For which target ?For which budget ?

Survey limitations• Each technique has its own limitations

• The consumer‘s behaviour is very complex

• A good survey can reduce the risk and the uncertainty, but cannot suppress them

• The consumer doesn’t know everything

• The consumer doesn’t say everything

• Intuition has its own value

Desk research

Importance of various information sources

Source: Simon

And of course, through the world wide web !!!!!!!!

Nature of information sources

Internal sources: sales, mktg, costs-accountancy, retailers, buyers

Competition websites

Public sources (central bank, government, regional authorities, etc.)

Professional sources (specialized press, industry associations, fairs and exhibitions, etc.)

Private commercial sources: consulting companies, market survey agencies, private databases

Some Internet sources (non exhaustive)

•On line databases Specialised databases (Eurostaff, Kompass, etc.)

•Universities and research centers on-line libraries

•Social networks and forums (Linkedin, Facebook,etc.)

•New features of Google (Google Scholar, for example)

•E-mail alerts/ ( Google Alerts, The Economist)

•RSS (http://snapfiles.com/freeware/misctools/fwrssreaders.html)

Interesting websites

ac.nielsen.comEconedlink.org (economic educational

and information resources)

Gfk.comMarcaria.com (trademarks and brand registration)Noip.gov.vn (intellectual property in Vietnam)Npd.com Tnsglobal.comWarc.com (marketing resources)www.kyxar.fr/~jalac/ANG/asiepac.html (asian statistics)….

Field research

Interrogation Methods. Choice of the methodology. Qualitative vs quantitative survey

Qualitative QuantitativeObjectives

To explore, understand To measure, to calculate the behaviours.Directional tool (key issues, trends…)To form hypothesis (e.a. segmentation) To validate hypothesis

PrinciplesIn-depth discussions , Systematic interrogationinteractive, face to face

Limited population sample Big population sampleand stat. extrapolation

Searching for variety of opinions Searching for representativeness

The qualitative surveys

ToolsPractical advicesAdvantages and drawbacksWho ?Other qualitative tools