| This article is meant to be a brief review | | | | are of great value for determining the |
| and reminder of some valuable yet often | | | | factors of importance for a sale and they can |
| bypassed techniques to collect data on | | | | be collected in either real shopping trips or |
| international markets and consumers.When | | | | simulated ones.2. Projective techniquesSuch |
| thinking of market research, surveys are most | | | | techniques are based on the respondent's |
| likely the first technique that comes to ones | | | | performance of certain tasks given by the |
| mind. However, surveys are a quantitative | | | | marketer. The purpose is to have the |
| research and, in order to understand customer | | | | consumers (respondents) express their |
| behavior and the social and cultural context | | | | unconscious beliefs through the projective |
| in which our business will operate, we will | | | | stimuli; to express associations towards |
| need to perform some qualitative research as | | | | various symbols, images, signs.Cooper (1996) |
| well.Qualitative methods are most certainly a | | | | suggested that projective techniques can be |
| more appropriate option when in need of | | | | successfully employed to: |
| researching patterns and attitudes in | | | | |
| customer behavior, understand the depth of | | | | - indicate emotional and rational |
| the environment around the customer, and | | | | reactions;- provide verbal and non-verbal |
| understand the cultural characteristics then | | | | communication;- give permission to express |
| influence a customer - especially when the | | | | novel ideas;- encourage fantasy, idiosyncrasy |
| marketer is not familiar with the country of | | | | and originality;- reduce social constraints |
| culture.There are certain situations where | | | | and censorship;- encourage group members to |
| qualitative research alone can provide the | | | | share and "open up".Projective market |
| marketer with all insights needed to make | | | | research techniques can take the following |
| decisions and take actions; while in some | | | | forms, presented below.Collages - used to |
| other cases quantitative research might be | | | | understand lifestyles and brand perceptions, |
| needed as well.We will stop by the main | | | | respondents are asked to assemble a collage |
| qualitative techniques and see how and where | | | | using images and symbols from selected sets |
| they can be employed in international | | | | of stimuli or from magazines and newspapers |
| marketing. | | | | of their choice.Picture completion - certain |
| | | | pictures can be designed to express and |
| Craig and Douglas (2000), mention three | | | | visualize the issue under study and |
| major types of qualitative data collection | | | | respondents have to make associations and / |
| techniques:- observational and | | | | or attribute words to the given |
| quasi-observational techniques;- projective | | | | pictures.Analogies and metaphors are used |
| techniques and depth interviews;- creative | | | | when a larger range of projection is needed, |
| group sessions (synectics).1. Observational | | | | with more complexity and depth of ideas and |
| and quasi-observational | | | | thoughts on a given brand, product, service, |
| techniquesObservational techniques involve | | | | organization. The respondents are asked to |
| direct observation of phenomena (in our case, | | | | freely express their association and |
| consumers' behavior) in their natural | | | | analogies towards the object being studied; |
| settings. Observational research might be | | | | or they can be asked to select from a set of |
| somehow less reliable than quantitative | | | | stimuli (e.g. photos) those that fit the |
| research yet it is more valid and flexible | | | | examined subject.Psycho-drawing is a |
| since the marketer is able to change his | | | | technique that allows study participants to |
| approach whenever needed.Disadvantages are | | | | express a wide range of perceptions by making |
| given by the limited behavioral variables and | | | | drawings of what they perceive the brand is |
| the fact that such data might not be | | | | (or product, service).Personalization |
| generalizable - we can observe a customer's | | | | consists in asking the respondents to treat |
| behavior at a given moment and situation but | | | | the brand or product as if it is a person and |
| we cannot assume all further customers will | | | | start making associations or finding images |
| act the same.Quasi-observational techniques | | | | of this person. This technique is especially |
| are reported to have increased in usage over | | | | recommended in order to understand what kind |
| the past decades, due to the large scale | | | | of personality consumers assign to a brand / |
| employ of surveillance cameras within stores. | | | | product / service.3. In-depth interviewsThese |
| Such techniques cost less than pure | | | | techniques of marketing research put an |
| observational ones since costs associated | | | | accent on verbal communication and they are |
| with video surveillance and taping are far | | | | efficient especially when trying to discover |
| lower than a researcher's wage; the tape can | | | | underlying attitudes and motivations towards |
| be viewed and analyzed at a later time, at | | | | a product or a specific market / consumption |
| the marketer's convenience. When performing | | | | situation.Individual in-depth interviews are |
| videotaping of consumers' behaviors, they can | | | | performed on a person-to-person environment |
| be asked to give comments and insights upon | | | | and the interviewer can obtain very specific |
| their thoughts and actions while the | | | | and precise answers. Such interviews are |
| conversation itself can be recorded and be | | | | common in B2B practices of market research, |
| further analyzed.Pure observation: the | | | | for example when a company conducts a |
| marketer watches behavior of customers in | | | | research about a product among their existing |
| real-life situation, either in situ or by | | | | corporate customers.Interviews can be |
| videotaping the consumers (less intrusive). | | | | conducted by phone or via internet-based |
| Videotaping can be specifically recommended | | | | media, from a centralized location: this can |
| when studying patterns of different cultures, | | | | greatly reduce costs associated with market |
| since we can easily compare behaviors taped | | | | research and the results are pretty much as |
| and highlight similarities and / or | | | | accurate as the face-to-face ones. The only |
| differences.Trace measures: consist in | | | | disadvantage would be the lack of non-verbal, |
| collecting and recording traces of consumers' | | | | visual communication.Focus groups are |
| behavior. Such traces can be fingerprints or | | | | basically discussions conducted by a |
| tear of packages, empty packages, garbage | | | | researcher with a group of respondents who |
| cans analysis and any other ways a marketer | | | | are considered to be representative for the |
| can imagine (it's all about creativity | | | | target market.Such meetings are usually held |
| here!). In eMarketing, trace measures come | | | | in an informal setting and are moderated by |
| under the form of recorded visits and hits - | | | | the researcher. Videotaping the sessions is |
| there are numerous professional applications | | | | common these days, and it can add more |
| that can help an emarketer analyze the | | | | sources of analysis at a later time.Focus |
| behavior of visitors on his company's | | | | groups are perhaps the ideal technique, if |
| website.Archival measures: can be any type of | | | | available in terms of costs and time, to test |
| historical records, public records, archives, | | | | new ideas and concepts towards brands and |
| libraries, collections of personal documents | | | | products; to study customers' response to |
| etc. Such data can prove to be of great use | | | | creative media such as ads and packaging |
| in analyzing behavioral trends and changes in | | | | design or to detect trends in consumers' |
| time. Marketers can also identify cultural | | | | attribute and perception. One of the |
| values and attitudes of a population at a | | | | important advantages of focus groups is the |
| given moment by studying mass media content | | | | presence of several respondents in the same |
| and advertisement of the timeframe | | | | time, providing a certain synergy. |
| questioned.Entrapment measures: those are | | | | Disadvantages refer mainly to the costs |
| indirect techniques (by comparison to the | | | | involved and the scarcity of good |
| previously mentioned ones) and consist in | | | | professionals to conduct the interviews and |
| asking the respondent to react to a specific | | | | discussions.To conclude, we have to keep in |
| stimulus or situation, when the actual | | | | mind just how important non-survey data |
| subject of investigation is totally | | | | collection techniques are in today's market |
| different. The marketer plants the real | | | | research. Not only they provide more depth of |
| stimulus among many fake ones and studies | | | | analysis but they can be performed in |
| reactions. The method is quite unobtrusive | | | | significantly less time than surveys and |
| and the marketer can gather valuable, | | | | they're more suitable to be employed during |
| non-reactive facts. When the respondent | | | | the exploratory phases of international |
| becomes aware of the true subject under | | | | marketing research.Otilia Otlacan is a young |
| investigation (s)he might change the behavior | | | | professional specialized in eMarketing and |
| and compromise the study.Protocols: are yet | | | | eBusiness. She is currently working as |
| another observational marketing research | | | | independent Marketing Consultant and she is |
| technique which asks respondents to think out | | | | also teaching her own online course in |
| loud and verbally express all their thoughts | | | | Principles of eMarketing. |
| during the decision-making process. Protocols | | | | |