Overview On Qualitative Data Collection Techniques In International Marketing Research

Written by Otilia Otlacan


This article is meant to be a brief review and reminder of some valuable yet often bypassed techniques to collect data on international markets and consumers.

When thinking of market research, surveys are most likelyrepparttar first technique that comes to ones mind. However, surveys are a quantitative research and, in order to understand customer behavior andrepparttar 141450 social and cultural context in which our business will operate, we will need to perform some qualitative research as well.

Qualitative methods are most certainly a more appropriate option when in need of researching patterns and attitudes in customer behavior, understandrepparttar 141451 depth ofrepparttar 141452 environment aroundrepparttar 141453 customer, and understandrepparttar 141454 cultural characteristics then influence a customer – especially whenrepparttar 141455 marketer is not familiar withrepparttar 141456 country of culture.

There are certain situations where qualitative research alone can providerepparttar 141457 marketer with all insights needed to make decisions and take actions; while in some other cases quantitative research might be needed as well.

We will stop byrepparttar 141458 main qualitative techniques and see how and where they can be employed in international marketing. Craig and Douglas (2000), mention three major types of qualitative data collection techniques:

- observational and quasi-observational techniques;

- projective techniques and depth interviews;

- creative group sessions (synectics).

1. Observational and quasi-observational techniques

Observational techniques involve direct observation of phenomena (in our case, consumers' behavior) in their natural settings. Observational research might be somehow less reliable than quantitative research yet it is more valid and flexible sincerepparttar 141459 marketer is able to change his approach whenever needed.

Disadvantages are given byrepparttar 141460 limited behavioral variables andrepparttar 141461 fact that such data might not be generalizable – we can observe a customer's behavior at a given moment and situation but we cannot assume all further customers will actrepparttar 141462 same.

Quasi-observational techniques are reported to have increased in usage overrepparttar 141463 past decades, due torepparttar 141464 large scale employ of surveillance cameras within stores. Such techniques cost less than pure observational ones since costs associated with video surveillance and taping are far lower than a researcher's wage;repparttar 141465 tape can be viewed and analyzed at a later time, atrepparttar 141466 marketer's convenience. When performing videotaping of consumers' behaviors, they can be asked to give comments and insights upon their thoughts and actions whilerepparttar 141467 conversation itself can be recorded and be further analyzed.

Pure observation:repparttar 141468 marketer watches behavior of customers in real-life situation, either in situ or by videotapingrepparttar 141469 consumers (less intrusive). Videotaping can be specifically recommended when studying patterns of different cultures, since we can easily compare behaviors taped and highlight similarities and / or differences.

Trace measures: consist in collecting and recording traces of consumers' behavior. Such traces can be fingerprints or tear of packages, empty packages, garbage cans analysis and any other ways a marketer can imagine (it's all about creativity here!). In eMarketing, trace measures come underrepparttar 141470 form of recorded visits and hits – there are numerous professional applications that can help an emarketer analyzerepparttar 141471 behavior of visitors on his company's website.

Archival measures: can be any type of historical records, public records, archives, libraries, collections of personal documents etc. Such data can prove to be of great use in analyzing behavioral trends and changes in time. Marketers can also identify cultural values and attitudes of a population at a given moment by studying mass media content and advertisement ofrepparttar 141472 timeframe questioned.

Entrapment measures: those are indirect techniques (by comparison torepparttar 141473 previously mentioned ones) and consist in askingrepparttar 141474 respondent to react to a specific stimulus or situation, whenrepparttar 141475 actual subject of investigation is totally different. The marketer plantsrepparttar 141476 real stimulus among many fake ones and studies reactions. The method is quite unobtrusive andrepparttar 141477 marketer can gather valuable, non-reactive facts. Whenrepparttar 141478 respondent becomes aware ofrepparttar 141479 true subject under investigation (s)he might changerepparttar 141480 behavior and compromiserepparttar 141481 study.

Protocols: are yet another observational marketing research technique which asks respondents to think out loud and verbally express all their thoughts duringrepparttar 141482 decision-making process. Protocols are of great value for determiningrepparttar 141483 factors of importance for a sale and they can be collected in either real shopping trips or simulated ones.

Marketers: Are We Getting Dumb?

Written by Otilia Otlacan


Good morning, you fellow marketers! Well, you do not have to give me that look, there is always a morning coming up somewhere (what a cheap cliche!)

Have you been online later? I suppose so... Was there nothing to bother you, onrepparttar thousands of sites dedicated to marketers, or at least claiming to contain marketing-related resources? Personally, I cannot stop being continuously distressed by a curious writing phenomenon:repparttar 141449 enormous amount of articles with numbers included in their titles. Still do not know what am I talking about? Here are some dreadful examples: "5 Steps to Easy...", "20 Tips for Better...", X – that, Y – other, all of them promising either dramatically raise in your marketing audience, incredible sales boost,repparttar 141450 perfect marketing plan,repparttar 141451 greatest sales letter ever written, costless promo campaigns. The list can go on forever and keeps on amazing you of how easy a marketer's life would be if we just follow those "guidelines", "rules" and "tips".

Is that true? Have those writers discovered some sort of a simple wisdom thatrepparttar 141452 rest of us are not yet aware of? Hardly possible... though this aspect is not striking people, otherwise why would we see so many pieces of unprofessional writing?

With that type of articles, writers bring a huge disservice torepparttar 141453 professional marketing world. First, they promoterepparttar 141454 idea that "marketing" is a simple thing to do. Only if you are mentally retarded (no offence meant), you do not understand and cannot apply those easy simple rules, glorious pieces of advice. Take some time and look atrepparttar 141455 titles: almost all of them contain cheap pick-up words such as "easy", "simple", "tips", inducingrepparttar 141456 idea thatrepparttar 141457 subject is available to anyone. No, it is not, and we must face it.

Second, a beginner entrepreneur seeking information on how to start / how to develop his business might reachrepparttar 141458 conclusion that marketing, sales, promotions, are fields that do not require a professional to handle them, it is sufficient for him to follow step by steprepparttar 141459 "great tips" he finds online at every corner. Why then we wonder when so many small businesses fall apart around us?

At last, students who are involved in any major related to marketing, they might fall intorepparttar 141460 trap of thinking theory and study is, well, not quite important. Any problem can be solved by applying some ofrepparttar 141461 tricksrepparttar 141462 online world is full of, and here they are, no need of thinking, no need of developing a strategy... why did they register for expensive, time – consuming universities inrepparttar 141463 first place?

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use