4.4. Methods of primary research | 17-4-2022

These involve directly asking consumers or potential consumers – usually by means of a questionnaire – for their opinions and preferences.They can be used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative research.

• Interviews

• Surverys

• Academic journals

Those that invite a wide-ranging or

imaginative response

• open questions

• closed questions

Answer explanation

Example: ‘What do you really think of Jupiter perfume?’ − the answers to this will be so varied in length and content that the results will be very difficult to put together and to present statistically.

Questions to which a limited number of preset answers is offered

• open questions

• closed questions

Answer explanation

Example: ‘What most attracted you to buying Jupiter perfume?

• price • widely available • image • smell.’ • packaging

The temptation is often to ask few questions in the hope of gaining every last scrap of information. Yet people may become suspicious or bored with few questions. Unless it is absolutely essential to know the names and precise ages or income levels of respondents, these questions are best avoided, as there will be reluctance to answer them.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The temptation is often to ask too many questions in the hope of gaining every last scrap of information. Yet people may become suspicious or bored with so many questions. Unless it is absolutely essential to know the names and precise ages or income levels of respondents, these questions are best avoided, as there will be reluctance to answer them.

‘What do you really think of Jupiter perfume?’ - example of:

• open question

• closed question

Answer explanation

The answers to this will be so varied in length and content that the results will be very difficult to put together and to present statistically.

‘What most attracted you to buying Jupiter perfume?

• price • widely available • image • smell.’ • packaging - example of:

• open question

• closed question

Answer explanation

questions to which a limited number of preset answers is offered

Are conducted by an interviewer, usually either in the street or in

the respondent’s home. Skilled interviewers will avoid bias in the way in which they ask questions, and detailed questions can be explained to the interviewee. Follow-up questions can be asked if required.

• Surveys

• Interview

• Focus groups

• Test marketing

Answer explanation

This can be an expensive method, but the interviewer will continue their work until the preset sample size has been reached – whereas the response to postal questionnaires is always uncertain.

Questions are asked and the group are encouraged to actively discuss their responses about a product, advertising, packaging and so on. All members of the group are free to talk with other group members. These discussions are often filmed and this is then used by the market research department as a source of data. Information is often believed to be more accurate and realistic than the responses to individual interviews or questionnaires, where respondents do not have this discussion opportunity presented.

• Surveys

• Test marketing

• Focus groups

Marketing specialists are able to identify actions and watch how customers or potential customers respond to various stimuli. For a small business, observational marketing research is one of the simplest ways that one can find out many things about their customers and clients.

• Surveys

• Interviews

• Focus groups

• Observations

• Test marketing

Test marketing

• takes place after a decision has been made to produce a limited quantity of a new product but before a full-scale, national launch is made. It involves promoting and selling the product in a limited geographical area and then recording consumer reactions and sales figures. It reduces the risks of a new product launch failing completely, but the evidence is not always completely accurate if the total population does not share the same characteristics and preferences as the region selected.

• a qualitative method of collecting and analysing information obtained through directly or indirectly watching and observing others in business environments’ e.g. watching consumers walk round a supermarket

• a group of people who are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, advertisement or new style of packaging

• detailed study of a market or geographical area to gather data on attitudes, impressions, opinions

  and satisfaction levels of products or businesses, by asking a section of the population