Analytical attribute approaches

Question 1

What is the general procedure of problem analysis? (4)

Answer 1

1. Determine product or activity category for study.
2. Identify heavy users: they have better understanding of the problem and represents the bulk of the sales potential in most markets.
3. Gather set of problems associated with product category: the benefits they want minus the benefits they are getting (the difference indicates the problem)
4. Sort and rank the problem according to severity or importance

Question 2

What is the bothersome ness technique of scoring problems? and what is its objective? (3)

Answer 2

1. Column B represents extent of the problem, column A represents the frequency of its occurrence.
2. Bothersomness index is then adjusted by users awareness of currency available solutions to the problem
3. objective: to identify problems that are important to the users and for which the user sees NO current solutions

Question 3

What are sources for problem analysis? (3+ 4)

Answer 3

1. Experts
2. Published sources
3. Contacts with your business customer or consumer
   - intervirewing
   - focus groups
   - observation of product in use
   - role playing

Question 4

What is an example of problem analysis? (4)

Answer 4

Dyson’s multiplier fan:

Conventional fan problems and blades air multiplier:

1. Hard to clean= no blades to clean
2. Fan tips over=Low centAre of gravity eliminates tipping
3. Energy inefficient= much more effective and efficient cooling
4. Blades danger for children= Airstream is smooth and danger is eliminated

Question 5

What are the three types of attributes? (4)

Answer 5

1. Products are made up of attributes, a future product change must involve one or more of these attributes:
2. Features: what the product consists of
3. Functions: what the product does and how it works
4. Benefits: how the product provides satisfaction
   = feature permits a function which provides a benefit

Question 6

What does analytical attribute technique allow? and what are the two types attribute techniques ( + their sub analysis? (2+2+2)

Answer 6

1. Analytical attribute techniques allows:
   - To create new product concepts by changing one or more of its current attributes or by adding attributes
   - To assess the desirability of these concepts if they were to be developed into products
2. Quantitative attribute analysis techniques:
   - perceptual Gap Analysis
   - Conjoint Analysis
3. Qualitative attribute analysis techniques:
   - Dimensional analysis
   - Relationship analysis

Question 7

What is the Gap Analysis? and how are they made? (1 & 3)

Answer 7

1. Its maps of the market are used to determine how various products are perceived by how they are positioned on the market map.

Gap maps are made in 3 different ways:

1. Determinant gap map: produced from managerial input/judgement on products
2. AR perceptual gap map: based on attribute ratings by customers
3. OS perceptual map: based on overall similarities ratings by customers

Question 8

Explain more about the determinant Gap Maps? and what is the objective? (2+1)

Answer 8

1. Good starting point (although the scoring might seem arbitrary and subject to managerial error: consumer perceptions may be quite different)
2. Attributes should be differentiating and important: determinant attributes.
3. Objective: to find a spot on the map where the gap offers potential as a new item. (one people find different and interesting)

Question 9

Explain more about the AR perceptual gap analysis? (4)

Answer 9

1. Ask participants (Buyers and users of the product) to tell you what attributes they believe products have.
2. We begin with a set of attributes (features, benefits or functions) that describe the product category being considered.
3. Gather consumers perceptions on the available choices (brands, manufacturers) on each of these attributes
4. The procedure results in a formidable data cube.

Question 10

What are forms of data analysis used to reduce multivariate analysis? (2)

Answer 10

1. Factor analysis: reduces the original number of attributes to a smaller number of factors, each containing a set of attributes that “hang together!
2. Cluster analysis: reduces the original number of respondents to a smaller number of clusters based on their benefits sought as revealed by their “Ideal brand”:

Question 11

Explain more about the OS perceptual maps? (5)

Answer 11

1. Users sometimes make purchase decisions using attributes that cannot be identified (phantom attributes)
2. Also, some users have difficulty scoring attributes even when they are aware of them (unable or unwilling)
3. AR methods view products as bundles of attributes– so the attribute set needs to be complete (missing attributes!)
4. Consumers should buy and make their purchase decisions according to these attributes – perfume purchase is driven by brand image, aesthetics that are difficult to verbalised.
5. OR runs on perceptions of overall similarities between pairs of brands.

Question 12

Compare AR and OS methods? (input required, analytical procedures, graphical output, where used) (12)

Answer 12

1. Input Required:
   AR: Brand ratings on specific attributes
   AR: Attributes must be pre-specified
   OS: Overall similarity ratings
   OS: Respondent uses own judgement of similarity
2. Analytical procedures commonly used:
   AR: Factor analysis, multiple discrimination analysis
   OS: Multidimensionsal scaling (MDS)
3. Graphical output:
   AR: Shows product positions on axes
   AR: Axes interpretable as underlying dimensions
   OS: Shows product positions relative to each other
   OS: Axes obtained through follow up analysis or must be interpreted by the researcher
4. Where used:
   AR: situations where attributes are easily articulated or visualised
   OS: Situations where it may be difficult for the respondent to articulate or visualised attributes

Question 13

What are limitations of GAP analysis? (4)

Answer 13

1. Input comes from questions on how choices/brands differ (nuanced ignored)
2. Brands considered as set of attributes, totalities, interrelationships overlooks, also creations requiring a conceptual leap.
3. Analysis and mapping may be history by the time data are gathered and analysed
4. Acceptance of findings by persons turned off by mathematical calculations?

Question 14

What is the trade-off conjoint analysis? (3)

Answer 14

1. Put the determinant attributes together in combinations or sets
2. Respondents rank these sets in order or preference
3. Conjoint analysis finds the optimal levels of each attribute
4. For larger problems, a fractional factorial design may be used (not every combination is included, but a subset of the combinations in which each level and each attribute is used at least a few times). Rankings and results are similar to the full-profile analysis.

Question 15

What conjoint analysis methods exists? (3)

Answer 15

1. Adaptive conjoint analysis: Respondent judges the importance of the attributes, then responds to options that focus on the most important attributes and levels.
2. Choice based conjoint analysis: the respondents is shown several choices in combination and asked which is preferred

= both of theses procedures reduce the number of attributes to which the respondents is exposed.