Primary research methods

Designing primary research


The design of a research study is based on the purpuses of the study: if descriptive information is needed, then quantitative study is likely to be undertaken; if the purpose is to get new ideas, then a qualitative study may be in oredr. Since the approach for each type of research differs in terms of method of data collection, sample design, and type of data collection instrument used, each research approach is discussed separately below:


Qualitative research - the choice of data collection techniques includes depth interviews, focus groups, and projective techniques. Provides insights and understanding of the problem setting.

1. Depth interview is a lengthy interview between a respondednt and highly trained interviewer, who minimizes his or her own participation in the duscussion after establishing the general subject to be discussed.
2. Focus groups - consists of 8 to 10 respondents who meet with a moderator/analyst for a group discussion ''focused'' on a particular product. Respondents are encouraged to discuss their interests, attitudes, reactions, motives, lifestyles, feelings about the subject being discussed.

Quantitative research - the design of quantitative research study includes the method for collecting data, the sample design, and construction of the data collection instrument. Quantitative research is about asking people for their opinions in a structured way so that you can produce hard facts and statistics to guide you. To get reliable statistical results, it’s important to survey people in fairly large numbers and to make sure they are a representative sample of your target market.

1. Data collection methods - the are 3 basic ways to collect primary data in quantitative research: by observing behavior, by experimentation (in a laboratory or in the field e.g. supermarket), or by survey. The primary data collection instrument is questionnaire, which can be sent through the mails.

Feedback about results is a very important driver for participating in research among the Generation Y. Participants want us to give them something in return for their time and efforts. They want to know why they should participate including information about the goal of the study and if possible even about the client behind the study. Giving them this kind of feedback means showing them respect. Remember, they have been brought up in a democratic style, valuing their opinion in family decision making.

The market researcher is still considered to be an external expert and not seen as a peer, although a more personal approach is necessary in the future. This implies that the connection researchers try to make with the young generation should not be on an individual level but more as a research company, e.g. by showing a short movie at the beginning of a project with lots of visuals or pictures introducing the research company behind the research but also the client that commissioned the study. Knowing the goal of a study as well as the client behind it is a very important driver for Generation Y youth to participate in market research.

Source: L., Schiffman, L., Kanuk (1994) Consumer Behavior: Fifth edition, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall

There are more differences between the generations today than ever before.  Being aware of these differences can help individuals tailor their message for maximum effect, regardless of the task, or the relationship — family, friends, workplace peers. Good business is based on understanding others. To work effectively and efficiently, to increase productivity and quality, one needs to understand generational characteristics and learn how to use them effectively in dealing with each individual.

• Generation Y uses the brand as a heuristic for decoding not only the augmented product’s meaning, but also the meaning that brand provides for the concentric circles of all consumerism, pop culture, politics, and society. However, they're not brand loyal.
• Authentic brands that do what they say are trusted and rewarded by Gen Y.
• A way to engage Generation Y is to frequent the places where they like to "hang out" and use those channels as a means to launch an awareness campaign.
• This group is increasingly living their lives online, on social networking sites.
• Generation Y individuals, born since 1980, have many of the traits of the Veterans. They are not like their parents. They are curious, goal-oriented and loyal.
• Generation Y is  moral conscious. Volunteer-work programs, corporate responsibility efforts, and product recycling drives appeal to Gen Y.
• A critical question that a Generation Y employee will ask about a job is, "What does my place of work say about me?" He or she uses the company's brand as a simultaneous selfexpressive statement and guide for cultural representation.
• Advertisers that want to claim brand heritage such as Adidas face a difficult challenge to convince Generation Y that their brand stories are genuine and real. The same conclusion can be made about using celebrity endorsements for brands. Youth are very critical about this marketing strategy. To them celebrity endorsement implies that a brand is not confident enough to have an own image and hence it is interpreted as a weak moment of a brand. It shows that a brand has no real personality on its own and needs to buy coolness by using cool persons.

source: Warc.com  http://warc.com/Content/ContentViewer.aspx?ID=42753ae4-263c-446c-ae8e-521e7fec9130&q=generation+y&MasterContentRef=42753ae4-263c-446c-ae8e-521e7fec9130

Reaching GEN Y and keeping their attention is one of the greatest marketing mysteries of our generation. Young people today are very fickle and are constantly changing what they consider to be “cool” and “hip”. That is very important to remember when marketing to GEN Y — never take them for granted or assume they are not capable of understanding complex situations or products. GEN Y is one of the smartest, tech savvy and idealistic generations of our time. They know what they want, but they do not always know how to get there, and that is where market research, focus groups and other tools come in handy. Generation Y earns a great deal of money and spends the same amount. It is important to not just understand the wants, likes, and dislikes of GEN Y, but also who they are and where they want to be in the future. The youth of today love to discuss themselves and they want to the world to know they are here to stay. Our generation has grown up knowing mostly that they deserve to have anything they want. They have a strong sense of entitlement, along with being very social. Another way to put it is in general, Gen Y’ers are narcissistic and spoiled. Now, that is a tough group to create for and sell to, but with the amount of money GEN Y controls, either their own or their parent’s, companies cannot make the mistake of not listening and understanding their concerns.

GEN Y is always searching for the next big tech item, clothes, shoes, etc. to jump into and call their own. Youth of today love the idea of interchangeable products, such as multiple shoe designs, backpacks that do more than just hold books, and they are very primitive to the art of multi-tasking, more so than past generations. They are used to playing XBOX, doing their homework, chatting and texting w/friends, and planning their schedule for the next day better than the best of us. Due to the globalization of our culture and economy, companies cannot wait for their competition to create the next big thing — being on the cutting edge of product research and development is vital to the growth and expansion of products/services marketed towards GEN Y. There are truly no perfect ways to keep the attention of GEN Y, but there are some techniques that can be utilized to increase outreach and interest of youth in a company’s products or services. Along with these eight techniques, I would also like to say the most important way to learn from and market to GEN Y is to simply listen to them. They want to be heard; hence the explosion of blogs, youtube and other social media. Your company’s future can be bright when it comes to targeting GEN Y, but only if you show GEN Y that you are ready to open up and listen to them.

Here is a Coca-Cola Zero ad, that summarizes brilliantly how gen Y was raised and became tech savvy, demanding experience with every purchased. Gen Y believes that they can do anything and be anything. They now believe they deserve to live first and work second.

The ad is build on one simple idea that all Millennials will immediately recognize and identify with.

Ad shows a young man who has grown up knowing the power of the word “And”. A plain ice cream, with the word “And” leads to candy. A skateboarding dog with the word “And” leads to stardom. A job with the word “And” comes with shares. Service at the store leads to further service. But when it comes to drinking Coke Zero, there’s only one word on Chad’s lips.

Consumer buying behaviour

The field of consumer buying behaviour covers a lot of ground: it is the study of processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use or dispose pf products, services, ideas or experiences to satisfy needs and desires.  Needs and desires to be satisfied range from hunger and thirst to love, status or even spiritual fulfilment.

1. Engel, Kollat and Blackwell model

This model is developed in 1968 by Engel, Kollat and Blackwell.The steps in decision process that occurs overtime are: 

• Motivation and need recognition 
• Information search

• Alternative evaluation 

• Purchase 

• Outcomes

 The variables are grouped into four categories. They are: 

• Stimulus inputs

•  Information   processing 

• Decision process 
• Variables influencing the decision process       

Two different mode of operation by consumers are:

 Extended problem solving: it is characterized by high level of involvementand high perceived risk so satisfaction with the brand gives commitment to use the brand. 

Limited problem solving: it is characterized by low level of involvementand low perceived risk so motivation to search for brand information is low andconsumers will engage in nonrigirous evaluation of alternatives.

2. Howard Sheth Model

This model depicts rational brand choice behaviour by buyer under conditions of incomplete information and limited abilities. 

The model attempts to depict rational brand choice behavior by buyers under conditions of incomplete information and limited abilities. It distinguishes three levels of decision making:

•  Extensive problem solving – early stages of decision making in which the buyer has little information about brands and has not yet developed, well defined and structured criteria by which to choose among products (choice criteria).

•   Limited problem solving – in this more advanced stage choice criteria are well defined but the buyer is still undecided about which set of brands will best serve him. Thus, the consumer still experiences uncertainty about which brand is best.

• Routinized responses behavior – buyers have well defined choice criteria and also have strong predispositions towards the brand. Little confusion exists in the consumer’s mind and he is ready to purchase a particular brand with little evaluation of alternatives

3.The Black Box Model

In the above model, marketing and other stimuli enter the customers “black box” and produce certain responses.

Marketing management must try to work out what goes on the in the mind of the customer – the “black box”. 

The Buyer’s characteristics influence how he or she perceives the stimuli; the decision-making process determines what buying behaviour is undertaken.

Characteristics that affect customer behaviour

The first stage of understanding buyer behaviour is to focus on the factors that determine he “buyer characteristics” in the “black box”.

Marketing to Generation Y

When I think about generation Y marketing, technology is the key. There were some significiant shifts in Millennial attitudes that will have  an impact throughout 2012. Some of these trends that are the most important are adaption of wireless communications, usage of smartphones and tablets, social networking such as Facebook, Twitter etc.


The shopping tools that marketers have been trying to use to persuade consumers making purchases are linked with increasing convergence of new technology and media. Here are some numbers to show you our tech consumption: 466 million mobile phones were in use in 2005 and there were million Internet users in 2006 (Salomon, Bamossy, Askegaard, Hogg, 2010). Television is still an important media, however, there
was a significiant shift towards online TV, TV on demand.


From QR codes and smartphone apps, to Facebook pages and text alerts, 2011 saw it all. During 2012 we've learnt that actually Millennials would rather just see a straightforward marketing message. That doesn't mean marketing via new media is destined to fail, rather marketers simply need to learn how to use each medium more effectively. Millennials are using mobile devices to help their lives, from keeping track of their health to finding entertainment to supporting learning. There are many opportunities for tech and non-tech brands alike to make the most of this trend.


Althought Millennials may seem too young to already long for a simpler era, they do. Returning home as a graduate, puts young people in stage where they have to face a tough times. They're returning from universities to their home towns to live with parents to save money. That's allowing them to return to their childhood years for comfort.. and nostalgia returns. Nostalgic media and brands can reap the rewards of this trend.




source: article on Warc http://warc.com/Content/ContentViewer.aspx?MasterContentRef=0b8d56bb-c664-45a3-a627-2249614cc2ed&q=generation+y