Unit 4 - Qualitative research

Question 1

What is the objective of qualitative research? What is it for quantitative research?

Answer 1

Qualitative: gain an understanding of the underlying reasons
Quantitative: to quantify the data and generalise the results

Question 2

What is the difference in regards to the sample between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 2

Qualitative: small number of non-representative cases
Quantitative: large number of representative cases

Question 3

What is the difference in regards to the data collection between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 3

Qualitative: unstructured
Quantitative: structured

Question 4

What is the difference in regards to the data analysis between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 4

Qualitative: non-statistical
Quantitative: statistical

Question 5

What is the difference in regards to the outcome between qualitative and quantitative research?

Answer 5

Qualitative: Develop an initial understanding
Quantitative: Recommend a final course of action

Question 6

What is key insight?

Answer 6

Key Insight is seeing below the surface/seeing inside the consumer. An insight is a single aspect of this that we use to gain competitive advantage

Question 7

How to find key insight?

Answer 7

Questions to find key insight:

1. What are the ways in which the category/brand can improve someone’s life?
2. What are the conflicting needs that people face and the brand can solve?
3. How important is it that the product delivers?
4. What is standard of excellence in the category?
5. With every answer you get you need to ask “Why is that?”

Question 8

What types of qualitative research is there?

Answer 8

Qualitative research can be DIRECT and INDIRECT.
Direct are Focus groups and In-depth interviews.
Indirect are projective techniques. Projective techniques include Association techniques, Completion techniques, Construction techniques, Expressive techniques.

Question 9

What is a Focus group?

Answer 9

It is a group of 8 to 12 people who participate in a group discussion led by a moderator.

Question 10

What are the characteristics of Focus groups?

Answer 10

Group size: 8-12 people
Group composition: Homogenous, respondents, prescreened
Physical setting: Relaxed informal atmosphere
Time duration: 1-3 hours
Recording: Use of audio and video
Moderator: Observational, interpersonal, communication skills

Question 11

What are the advantages of focus groups?

Answer 11

Advantages:

1. Snowballing
2. Stimulating
3. Secure
4. Spontaneous
5. Specialised
6. Structured
7. Speedy

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 12

1. Misuse
2. Misjudge
3. Messy
4. Misrepresentation

Question 13

What are the key qualifications of a focus group moderator?

Answer 13

1. Kind but firm
2. Permissiveness
3. Involvement
4. Encouragement
5. Flexibility
6. Sensitivity

Question 14

What are the differences between Online focus groups and Traditional focus groups?

Answer 14

Online: 4-6 people, anywhere in the world, 1-1.5 hours, researcher has little control, identity of people difficult to verify, respondents can engage in other tasks, recruiting is easier, group dynamic is limited, respondents are more candid

Traditional: 8-12 people, from local area, 1-3 hours, researcher has control, easy to verify people, attentiveness monitored, group dynamic has synergetic effect, respondents candid except for sensitive topics

Question 15

What is semiotics?

Answer 15

It’s the study of signs and symbols and seeks to understand how different meanings are communicated via the use of different verbal and visual languages or ‘codes’.

Question 16

What is semiotic analysis?

Answer 16

analysis of language, colours, design styles, cultural context, imagery and the resulting meanings.

Question 17

What does semiotics deliver?

Answer 17

Insights into the cultural forces which drive consumer feelings and how they are communicated through marketing messages.

Question 18

What are depth interviews?

Answer 18

They are an unstructured and direct way of obtaining information.

Question 19

What is the difference between depth interviews and focus groups?

Answer 19

Depth interviews are constructed on a one-on-one basis.

Question 20

How long do depth interviews last?

Answer 20

30 mins to >1 hour

Question 21

What is the aim of depth interviews?

Answer 21

To uncover underlying motives, prejudices or attitudes towards sensitive issuess

Question 22

How does a depth interview go?

Answer 22

probing is done to surface underlying motives, beliefs and attitudes.

Probing is done by asking questions like:
Why do you say that? That’s interesting, can you tell me more?
The techniques used are: laddering

Question 23

What is laddering?

Answer 23

This technique allows the researcher to tap into the consumer’s network of meanings.

Question 24

What are projective techniques?

Answer 24

An unstructured indirect form of questioning that encourages respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issue of concern.

Question 25

What happens in projective techniques?

Answer 25

In projective techniques, respondents are asked to interpret the behaviour of others.

Question 26

What is word association?

Answer 26

Respondents are presented a list of words, one at a time,
and asked to respond to each with the first word that comes to mind.
The words of interest, called test words, are interspersed
throughout the list which also contains some neutral, or filler words to disguise the purpose of the study.
Responses are analysed by calculating:
(1) the frequency with which any word is given as a response;
(2) the amount of time that elapses before a response is given;
and
(3) the number of respondents who do not respond at all to a test word within a reasonable period of time.

Question 27

What is the Rosenzweig test?

Answer 27

It is a projective test administered to assess personality characteristics, in which the subject is shown scenes depicting moderately frustrating situations and asked what the frustrated person depicted would probably do, or how the subject would react in such situations.

Question 28

Comment on projective techniques.

Answer 28

They design sentences to be completed so as to uncover underlying motives. Some of the sentences which could be used are:

A person who owns a designer carpet is ____
When I think of buying carpets, I ____

Question 29

What is the Haire test?

Answer 29

Asking to compare two similar situations/people:
“Read the shopping list below. Try to project yourself into the situation as far as possible until you can more or less characterise the women who bought the groceries.”