marketing research ch6

2. Chapter 6
Descriptive Research Design: Survey and Observation
Reference book- Malhotra & Das
Sabakun Naher Shetu
Lecturer
Department of Marketing
Jahangirnagar University

3. Case: Who Will Be the Next President?
• Internet surveys are gaining in popularity, and the November 2000 U.S. elections
provided market researchers with a unique opportunity to test online survey
methods, their accuracy, and also their ability to predict elections. Harris
Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) took the initiative to conduct online
research in 73 different political races, including nationwide votes for president,
statewide votes in 38 states, and several senatorial and gubernatorial elections.
Interactive online interviews were conducted between October 31 and November
6, 2000, with a total of 240,666 adults who were characterized as likely voters. The
results turned out to be almost identical to those found in the nationwide Harris
Interactive telephone poll, which happened to be the only other poll to have Bush
and Gore tied in its final prediction, with the following results: The accuracy of the
other 72 races turned out to be quite high as well. The accuracy of these online
polls in predicting the results of 73 races proved that well-designed Internet
surveys can reliably predict elections. Likewise, Internet polls were also accurate in
predicting the votes and George W. Bush as the winner in the 2004 presidential
election and in predicting Obama as the winner of the 2008 presidential election.
Therefore, the popularity of Internet surveys for election polling and other uses is
expected to continue to grow.

4. Case: Marketing Research: The Japanese Way
• Japanese companies rely heavily on personal observation as a means of obtaining
information. When Canon Cameras (www.canon.com) was losing market share in the United
States to Minolta, Canon decided that its distributor, Bell & Howell, was not giving adequate
support. However, Canon did not use data from a broad survey of consumers or retailers to
make this decision. Instead, it relied on personal observation and sent three managers to
the United States to look into the problem. Canon’s head of the team, Tatehiro Tsuruta,
spent almost six weeks in America. On entering a camera store, he would act just like a
customer. He would note how the cameras were displayed and how the clerks served
customers. He observed that the dealers were not enthusiastic about Canon. He also
observed that it would not be advantageous for Canon to use drugstores and other discount
outlets. This led Canon to open its own sales subsidiary, resulting in increased sales and
market share. Its own sales subsidiary was also a major asset in expanding the sales of its
digital cameras in the early 2000s. As of 2009, Canon sold its products in more than 115
countries worldwide through direct sales and resellers with about 75 percent of its sales
generated outside Japan.

5. Survey methods
• Survey method
• Structured data collection
• Fixed-alternative questions
• Advantages and disadvantages of survey method

6. A classification of survey methods

7. A comparative evaluation of survey methods
Task factors
- Diversity of questions and
flexibility
- Use of physical stimuli
- Sample control
- Quantity of data
- Response rate
Situational factors
- Control of the data collection
environment
- Control of field force
- Potential for interviewer bias
- Speed
- Cost

8. Continued….
Respondent factors
- Perceived anonymity
- Social desirability/ sensitive information
- Low incidence rate
- Respondent control

9. Observation methods
• Structured vs unstructured observation
• Disguised vs undisguised observation
• Natural vs contrived observation

10. A classification of observation methods

11. Mechanical observation
• Psychogalvanometer
• Galvanic skin response
• Voice pitch analysis
• Response latency

12. Ethnographic research
Other method- Mystery shopping

13. Cases
• Survey supports customer support
• Telephone survey: The Hallmark of Hallmark
• Same name, new number
• Touchscreen: Surveys with the Touch of a screen
• Mint to be together
• Sony: Internet surveys capture music download market shares
• P&G’s Tide: Getting the Buzz with Nielsen BuzzMetrics
• Mirro: “Nonsticking” itself from a sticky situation
• Have a Cookie!

15. Any Query
?