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 141212 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 141213 depth ofrepparttar 141214 environment aroundrepparttar 141215 customer, and understandrepparttar 141216 cultural characteristics then influence a customer – especially whenrepparttar 141217 marketer is not familiar withrepparttar 141218 country of culture.

There are certain situations where qualitative research alone can providerepparttar 141219 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 141220 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 141221 marketer is able to change his approach whenever needed.

Disadvantages are given byrepparttar 141222 limited behavioral variables andrepparttar 141223 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 141224 same.

Quasi-observational techniques are reported to have increased in usage overrepparttar 141225 past decades, due torepparttar 141226 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 141227 tape can be viewed and analyzed at a later time, atrepparttar 141228 marketer's convenience. When performing videotaping of consumers' behaviors, they can be asked to give comments and insights upon their thoughts and actions whilerepparttar 141229 conversation itself can be recorded and be further analyzed.

Pure observation:repparttar 141230 marketer watches behavior of customers in real-life situation, either in situ or by videotapingrepparttar 141231 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 141232 form of recorded visits and hits – there are numerous professional applications that can help an emarketer analyzerepparttar 141233 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 141234 timeframe questioned.

Entrapment measures: those are indirect techniques (by comparison torepparttar 141235 previously mentioned ones) and consist in askingrepparttar 141236 respondent to react to a specific stimulus or situation, whenrepparttar 141237 actual subject of investigation is totally different. The marketer plantsrepparttar 141238 real stimulus among many fake ones and studies reactions. The method is quite unobtrusive andrepparttar 141239 marketer can gather valuable, non-reactive facts. Whenrepparttar 141240 respondent becomes aware ofrepparttar 141241 true subject under investigation (s)he might changerepparttar 141242 behavior and compromiserepparttar 141243 study.

Protocols: are yet another observational marketing research technique which asks respondents to think out loud and verbally express all their thoughts duringrepparttar 141244 decision-making process. Protocols are of great value for determiningrepparttar 141245 factors of importance for a sale and they can be collected in either real shopping trips or simulated ones.

The e-Marketing Plan - Brief Overview and Working Scheme

Written by Otilia Otlacan


I. Summary of a marketing plan

The marketing planning (concretized inrepparttar marketing plan) is an essential organizational activity, consideringrepparttar 141211 hostile and complex competitive business environment. Our ability and skills to perform profitable sales are affected by hundreds of internal and external factors that interact in a difficult way to evaluate. A marketing manager must understand and build an image upon these variables and their interactions, and must take rational decisions.

Let us see what do we call a "marketing plan"? It isrepparttar 141212 result ofrepparttar 141213 planning activity, a document that includes a review ofrepparttar 141214 organization's place inrepparttar 141215 market, an analysis ofrepparttar 141216 STEP factors as well as a SWOT analysis. A complete plan would also formulate some presumptions on why we thinkrepparttar 141217 past marketing strategy was successful or not. The next phase shall presentrepparttar 141218 objectives we set, together withrepparttar 141219 strategies to achieve these objectives. In a logical sequence, we will further need to evaluaterepparttar 141220 results and formulate alternative plans of action. A plan would consist in details of responsibilities, costs, sales prognosis and budgeting issues.

Inrepparttar 141221 end, we should not forget to specify howrepparttar 141222 plan (or plans) will be controlled, by what means we will measure its results.

We will see how to buildrepparttar 141223 marketing plan, what is its structure: after we will see how to buildrepparttar 141224 traditional marketing plan, we will take a look atrepparttar 141225 e-marketing plan and see howrepparttar 141226 unique features ofrepparttar 141227 internet will require some changes inrepparttar 141228 approach of writing a marketing plan.

But, before we continue, we must understand and accept that steps ofrepparttar 141229 marketing plan are universal. It is a logical approach ofrepparttar 141230 planning activity, no matter where we apply it. The differences you meet from a plan to another consist inrepparttar 141231 degree of formality accorded to each phase, depending onrepparttar 141232 size and nature ofrepparttar 141233 organization involved. For example, a small and not diversified company would adopt less formal procedures, becauserepparttar 141234 managers in these cases have more experience and functional knowledge thanrepparttar 141235 subordinates, and they are able to achieve direct control upon most factors. Onrepparttar 141236 other hand, in a company with diversified activity, it is less likely that top managers have functional information in a higher degree thanrepparttar 141237 subordinate managers. Therefore,repparttar 141238 planning process must be formulated to ensure a strict discipline for everyone involved inrepparttar 141239 decisional chain.

II. The general marketing plan

The classical marketing plan would followrepparttar 141240 following scheme of 8 stages:

1. Declaringrepparttar 141241 mission: this isrepparttar 141242 planning stage when we establishrepparttar 141243 organizational orientations and intentions, thus providing a sense of direction. In most cases, this is a general presentation ofrepparttar 141244 company's intentions and almost has a philosophic character.

2. Establishing current objectives: it is essential forrepparttar 141245 organization to try to determine with precisenessrepparttar 141246 objectives to be reached. These objectives, in order to be viable, must be SMART. SMART is an acronym and stands for "Specific", "Measurable", "Attainable", "Realistic" and "Timed". The objectives must also conveyrepparttar 141247 general organizational mission.

3. Gathering information: this stage is based onrepparttar 141248 concept of marketing audit. After performingrepparttar 141249 audit ofrepparttar 141250 macro-environment by analyzingrepparttar 141251 STEP factors (social, technologic, economic and politic), we should turnrepparttar 141252 focus uponrepparttar 141253 immediate extern environment (the micro-environment) and analyzerepparttar 141254 competitive environment,repparttar 141255 costs andrepparttar 141256 market. Finally, we will conclude withrepparttar 141257 SWOT analysis, by this way we will have a general view uponrepparttar 141258 internal environment compared torepparttar 141259 external one. The SWOT analysis combinerepparttar 141260 two perspectives, fromrepparttar 141261 inside and fromrepparttar 141262 outside, becauserepparttar 141263 Strengths andrepparttar 141264 Weaknesses are internal issues of an organization, whilerepparttar 141265 Opportunities and Threads come fromrepparttar 141266 outside.

4. Re-formulating objectives: afterrepparttar 141267 close examination of data gathered inrepparttar 141268 previous stage, sometimes it is needed to re-formulaterepparttar 141269 initial objectives, in order to address allrepparttar 141270 issues that might have come up fromrepparttar 141271 previous stage. The distance betweenrepparttar 141272 initial objective andrepparttar 141273 re-formulated objective will be covered by appropriate strategies. We must ensurerepparttar 141274 re-formulated objective is SMART as well.

5. Establishing strategies: several strategies are to be formulated, in order to coverrepparttar 141275 distance between what we want to achieve and what is possible to achieve, withrepparttar 141276 resources at our disposal. As we would usually have several options, we should analyze them and choserepparttar 141277 one with more chances to achieverepparttar 141278 marketing objectives.

6. Plan of actions: consists in a very detailed description ofrepparttar 141279 procedures and means to implementrepparttar 141280 actions we want to take. For example, ifrepparttar 141281 strategy implies a raise in advertising volume,repparttar 141282 plan of actions should establish whererepparttar 141283 advertisements will be placed,repparttar 141284 dates and frequency ofrepparttar 141285 advertising campaigns, a set of procedures to evaluate their effectiveness. The actions we plan to take must be clearly formulated, measurable, andrepparttar 141286 results must be monitored and evaluated.

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