Methods of Field Research

Question 1

What are the 9 methods of field research?

Answer 1

Telephone survey
Postal survey
Online survey
Personal interview
Hall tests
Focus groups
Consumer audits
Test marketing
Electronic point of sale (EPOS)

Question 2

What is a telephone survey?

Answer 2

A market researcher telephones customers, usually at home, and asks them questions.

Question 3

What are the advantages of telephone surveys?

Answer 3

Easy to target specific customers e.g. calling 0141 numbers to target customers living in Glasgow, to allow local needs to be met.

Information is obtained immediately and can be clarified if necessary.

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of telephone surveys?

Answer 4

Customers can feel that telephone surveys are intrusive and may not wish to respond.

Only short surveys can be carried out.

Question 5

What is a postal survey?

Answer 5

A survey is sent to customers through the post and is returned once completed.

Question 6

What are the advantages of postal surveys?

Answer 6

Easy to target specific customers e.g. sending out surveys on exclusive products to affluent postcodes, to meet the needs of specific segments.

Customers can choose to complete the survey at a time that is most convenient to them.

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of postal surveys?

Answer 7

Questions must be simple and easy to follow for the best result.

Customers often view postal surveys as ‘junk mail’ and will simply ignore them.

Question 8

What is an online survey?

Answer 8

A website or email is used to ask customers questions.

Question 9

What are the advantages of online surveys?

Answer 9

Customers can be surveyed across a very large geographical area.

Online software can often be used to collate and analyse the results easily.

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of online surveys?

Answer 10

The responses may be too brief to be meaningful, as clarification cannot be gained.

Access to the internet must be available.

Question 11

What is a personal interview?

Answer 11

Often conducted as a street survey or by ‘cold calling’ at customers’ homes.

Question 12

What are the advantages of personal interviews?

Answer 12

Allows two-way communication. The interviewer can respond to the customer’s body language, tone of voice and facial expression to encourage fuller responses.

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of personal interviews?

Answer 13

It can take a lot of time to conduct the interviews.

Customers may feel that this sort of questioning is a nuisance and may not wish to respond.

Question 14

What are hall tests?

Answer 14

A product is given to customers to try and their feedback is gathered.

Question 15

What are the advantages of hall tests?

Answer 15

Good quality feedback can be gathered based on the product trial, allowing changes to be made.

Inexpensive and easy to do.

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of hall tests?

Answer 16

Customers’ opinions and feelings can be more difficult to analyse.

Customers might feel they need to give a positive response as they have been given a free product.

Question 17

What are focus groups?

Answer 17

A group of customers is brought together and asked to answer and discuss questions put forward by a market researcher.

Question 18

What are the advantages of focus groups?

Answer 18

More in depth feedback can be gathered.

Customers have agreed to participate so considered responses are more likely.

Question 19

What are the disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 19

Participants are often paid, which can increase research and development costs.

Strong personalities within the group can sway discussion and opinion.

Question 20

What are consumer audits?

Answer 20

Used by large market research companies to continuously monitor customer habits and influences. One means of auditing is to ask some customers to record their responses to products they have purchased.

Question 21

What are the advantages of consumer audits?

Answer 21

As the information is gathered over a period of time, customer trends can be identified.

More detailed feedback can be gathered on products and so shape future changes.

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of consumer audits?

Answer 22

Participants receive payment so this method can be expensive.

Information recorded may be inaccurate or incomplete, and therefore unhelpful.

Question 23

What is test marketing?

Answer 23

A new product is launched in a regional area and the reaction is monitored. Successful products are then launched to a wider market.

Question 24

What are the advantages of test marketing?

Answer 24

Changes can be made to products before they are launched to a wider market.

Money can be saved on launching a product to a wider market if it is unsuccessful in the test area.

Question 25

What are the disadvantages of test marketing?

Answer 25

Customers in one area may have tastes that are not representative of the wider market.

Question 26

What is electronic point of sale (EPOS)?

Answer 26

Information on customer preferences and habits is gathered as their loyalty cards are swiped through electronic tills. Used in conjunction with loyalty schemes to match purchasing information with customer details.

Question 27

What are the advantages of EPOS?

Answer 27

Gathers vital information about consumer behaviour, such as when they buy, what they buy, how they react to promotions or price changes, which can allow an effective marketing mix to be formed and inventory ordered accordingly.

Allows retailers to offer promotions, for example, money-off coupons, tailored to individual customer’s actual needs and preferences.

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of EPOS?

Answer 28

It can be very expensive to set up the systems.

It can be time consuming to set up.

When used with loyalty schemes, reward points lead to money-off vouchers which lower potential profits for the business.

Information can be incomplete if customers decide to shop elsewhere at times.