Marketing Research Methods Overview

A research approach focused on understanding in-depth the motivations, attitudes, and experiences of consumers. It involves methods like interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic studies.

A research approach focused on collecting numerical data and using statistical analysis to understand consumer behavior patterns. It involves methods like surveys and experiments.

Qualitative research methods like interviews and focus groups offer a deep understanding of consumer motivations and attitudes.

Qualitative research methods can be subjective and findings might not be generalizable to the whole population.

Quantitative research methods like surveys and experiments provide generalizable results and enable statistical analysis.

Quantitative research might miss the nuances of consumer experiences and data interpretation can be challenging without qualitative context.

A research approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods for a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior.

Mixed methods research leverages both qualitative and quantitative methods, offering a more complete understanding of consumer behavior and addressing limitations of each individual approach.

The force that guides individuals to act in a certain way. This force arises when a consumer wants to fulfill a particular need, leading to a state of tension.

The state of tension that drives a consumer to seek satisfaction.

A lack of something that the consumer desires or needs.

Specific desires that consumers have to satisfy their needs.

The end result that consumers aim to achieve by fulfilling their needs.

Needs that satisfy basic survival requirements like food and water.

Needs that involve pleasure, enjoyment, and emotional satisfaction.

Understanding how consumers are motivated helps marketers create products and strategies to effectively satisfy their needs.

A conflict where an individual must choose between two undesirable options.

The level of personal relevance a consumer assigns to a product, message, or purchase based on their needs, values, and interests.

The consumer's interest in a specific product. It can be high when there's perceived risk associated with a wrong choice.

The extent to which a consumer actively engages with marketing messages or advertisements.

The level of engagement a consumer has with a store, website, or location where they consume a product or service.

The intellectual engagement a consumer has in understanding product features or acquiring knowledge about it.

The emotional connection a consumer has with a product. It can be based on personal significance or fulfilling emotional needs.

Marketers use various methods including: 1. Questionnaire: Ask direct questions about product relevance or willingness to put in effort. 2. Physiological measures: Track physiological responses like heart rate or brain activity during ad exposure. 3. Observation: Observe consumer behavior in store or online to understand engagement level. 4. Experimental measures: Design experiments to manipulate involvement factors and measure its impact on purchase decisions.

Lower classes prioritize fulfilling immediate needs due to limited financial resources.

People in lower classes may still purchase expensive items to signify status or reflect their aspirations.

Social class influences not only how much people spend, but also what they buy, like luxury goods for the upper class.

The rise of mass-produced luxury goods allows more people to access them, blurring the lines between classes in terms of possessions.

Social class factors like occupation, education, family background, and lifestyle all play a role in how people spend.

Social class is not determined solely by income, but also by factors like occupation, family background, and consumption patterns, especially the symbolic value of goods.

The spending habits of different social classes are becoming more similar, especially in basic needs. However, differences persist in discretionary spending and leisure activities.

People use products to signal their social status, either their actual class or the one they aspire to, sometimes through extravagant purchases.

People often marry within their own social class, a phenomenon known as homogamy or assortative mating.

Targeting low-income consumers with non-essential items raises ethical questions. It also questions the compassion of wealthier individuals.

The elderly population is growing, and they have unique needs and spending habits.

Marketers need to adapt their strategies to appeal to the elderly. They should avoid youth-centric approaches and acknowledge the elderly's active lifestyles and financial independence.

The elderly often have more disposable income and fewer financial burdens than younger consumers. Their long experience and financial resources make them significant consumers.

A feeling of regret often arises from the realization that one could have done something differently, resulting in a better outcome. It can be linked to a missed opportunity, a wrong decision, or a missed chance for improvement.

This attribute refers to whether the cause of a product issue is perceived as a consistent pattern or a rare happening. If a consumer believes the issue is a one-time event, they may attribute it to temporary factors. However, if they think it's a recurrent problem, they may attribute it to more permanent causes.

This factor assesses whether a product failure is blamed on internal factors within the consumer's control or factors outside their control. Consumers may blame themselves if they feel they caused the issue, but if they believe it was beyond their control, they may point the finger at the product itself or the service provider.

This aspect considers whether consumers believe the provider could have prevented the product failure. If they perceive the provider could have taken action to avoid the issue, they may attribute the failure to insufficient effort or poor decision-making by the provider.

Taking no action in response to product dissatisfaction. This might occur when the perceived effort to resolve the issue is overwhelming or when the likelihood of a satisfactory outcome is deemed low.

Direct communication of dissatisfaction with the vendor or service providers, expressing concerns or complaints.

The severity of the product issue, the intensity of dissatisfaction, and consumer belief in the potential for a favorable outcome are key factors that influence whether a dissatisfied consumer will choose to voice their concerns.

Previous positive interactions with a company's customer service can affect the likelihood of a voiced response. A positive history inspires trust and reinforces the expectation of a favorable response to complaints.