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