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1. RENDER: Research Design for
Final Project Proposal
By LA2Ms
(Al Arizmendez, Peggy O'Connor,
Megan Samuels, & Joshua Sutterfield)
Communication Management 587

2. Management Decision Problem
Should Render only market to
tech-savvy, higher-income men?

3. Marketing Research Problem
Who or what will
influence men to
purchase custom-fit
clothing?

4. Preliminary Research
What We’ve Done in Our Exploratory Research stage
• Interviewed Render decisionmaker, Darren Schmidt
following his live presentation and live chat Q &A
• Interviewed marketing and industry experts
• Online research of secondary data on industry and
competitors from Render, trade associations, paid
consultant studies, academia and government
Our findings
• 3-D body scanning proving to be effective in garment fit
• Female influence and control of spending is significant,
increasing in recent years since recession
• A segment of tech-savvy men will quickly adopt the technology

5. Research Design Structure
• Consumers learn new information about an item or action; it either creates in
them a belief or modifies their existing beliefs/opinions about the item
• Consumers assign a value to each attribute on which their new or modified belief
is based
• Consumer expectation/action is modified as a result of a calculation based on
beliefs + values

6. Reasoning:
Applying aspects of the Expectancy Value Model will allow
our team to determine whether or not the target market would
value a service like Render’s
Research questions will be designed for consumers to assign
a value to attributes of benefits and features the Render
Service, where it is “paired” with a specific belief, its sum is
strong enough to result as an attitude, or action toward a
positive purchase decision

7. Research Design Structure
Consumer Perceived Risk Model
Consumer's
Knowledge
Range
Alternatives
Consumer
Uncertainty
Consumer's
Perception
Brand
Evaluation
Brand
Deliver Perceived Risk

8. Reasoning
• Measures consumer risk through the vantage point of
the actual consumer
• Consumers will evaluate the brand to see if it meets
their needs and whether the brand can deliver on its
promises
• The sum of the six-part model is evaluated to determine
whether Render can meet adequate demand and
minimize consumer risk perceptions

9. Research Methods
Research Question - What factors influence men when they
make clothing purchases?
Hypothesis - Men are highly influenced by women when
making clothing purchases; women either make the
purchases or guide the men in making their selections
Method/Qualitative – 1)Interview men regarding their
shopping habits, preferences, objections (“deal breakers”),
price-points, etc. 2)Observe men while at a body scanning
location, inquiring about and utilizing the service, noting
actions taken as well as avoided

10. Research Methods
(continued)
Method/Quantitative – Conduct online survey among a range
of men (age, race, income level, marital status) with multiple
choice, ranking their preferences, habits, dislikes with
shopping in general and 3-D body scanning
Expected results
Many men interviewed will defer to women or partner to make
shopping decisions for them

11. Survey Questions
Q1: Have you ever purchased custom fit clothing?
Yes or No?
Q2: If Yes to answer one, How likely are you to purchase
custom clothing again?
(5 = Very likely, 4 = More likely, 3 = Uncertain, 2 = Less likely, or 1 = Not likely)
Q3: If you had the option to purchase custom fit clothing,
How likely would that make you want to purchase more
clothes for your wardrobe?
(5 = Very likely, 4 = More likely, 3 = Uncertain, 2 = Less likely, or 1 = Not likely)

12. Interview Questions
Q1 - How often do you purchase a dress shirt or casual shirt
item of clothing for yourself - weekly, monthly, every six
months, once per year?
Q2 – For either work or casual wear, what was the last
major (more than $75, either a single piece or more)
businesswear clothing purchase you made (includes
business casual) for yourself?
Q3 - Which do you value more: a well-fitting garment, an
item of clothing you've purchased at a reduced price,or
apparel designed by a well-known brand?

13. Observational Field Study Protocol
• Having identified a body scanner for garment
fitting in the Los Angeles market, we will
conduct two (2) one-hour sessions of covert
observation: one over a busy shopping
weekend and the second on an early evening
during the week

14. References
Bulik, B. (2008). How the male of the species shop. Advertising Age, 79(9), 12.http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.usc.edu/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=31156857&site=ehost-live
Dematto, A. 2010. 5 Ways Body Scanners Could Make Fitting Rooms Obsolete. Popular Mechanics. http://
www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/news/3d-body-scanning-technology-applications
Men Buy, Women Shop': The Sexes Have Different Priorities When Walking Down the Aisles. Knowledge@Wharton, University
of Pennsylvania. http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1848
Mintel (2012). Men's Attitudes Towards Clothes Shopping, US, March 2012
http://academic.mintel.com.libproxy.usc.edu/dishttp://co1-pptbroadcast.officeapps.live.com/p/PowerPointBroadcast.aspx?
pptbid=b1f13221-7233-4dc3-872f-3a9a04080f3clay/590280/
PR Newswire (2012) Men and Women Have Different Online Shopping Preferences, PR Newswire. http://www.prnewswire.com/
news-releases/men-and-women-have-different-online-spending-preferences-72606272.html
Punj, G. (2012). Consumer decision making on the web: A theoretical analysis and research guidelines. Psychology & Marketing,
29(10), 791-803. doi: 10.1002/mar.20564
Song, H. K., & Ashdown, S. P. (2012).Development of automated custo-made pants driven by body shape. Textile Research
Journal, 30, 315-329.
Yarrow, K. & O'Donnell, J. 2009. Gen BuY: How Tweens, Teens and Twenty-Somethings Are Revolutionizing Retail. http://
books.google.com/books?id=_Eg1lKXy8bwC&lpg=PA21&ots=Oy1msn5C3k&dq