ADV 210 Notes, Fall 2010

150 Chapter 6 Strategic Research WEB REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What is the difference between marketing research and market research? Marketing research is formal research, such as survey, in-depth interviews, observational methods, focus groups, and all types of primary and secondary data, used to develop a marketing plan and, ultimately, provide information for an advertising plan. A subset of marketing research, known as market research, is research used to gather information about a particular market. 2. Explain the difference between primary and secondary research. Information that is collected for the first time from original sources is called primary research. Background research that uses available published information about a topic is called secondary research. It’s called secondary because it is information that has been collected and published by someone else. 3. Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative research. Qualitative research provides insight into the underlying reasons for how consumers behave and why. Common qualitative research methods include such tools as observation, ethnographic studies, in-depth interviews, and case studies. Qualitative methods are used early in the process of developing an advertising plan or message strategy for generating insights, as well as questions and hypotheses for additional research. Because qualitative research is typically done with small groups, advertisers are not able to draw conclusions about or project their findings to the larger population. Quantitative research delivers numerical data such as number of users and purchases, their attitudes and knowledge, their exposure to ads, and other market-related information. Two primary characteristics of quantitative research are large sample sizes and random sampling. The most common qualitative research methods include surveys and studies that track such things as sales and opinions. In contrast to qualitative Chapter 6: Strategic Research 151 research, quantitative is usually designed to either accurately count something, such as sales levels, or to predict something, such as attitudes. 4. What is the difference between concept testing and copy testing? Research is used in the development of the message strategy to evaluate the relative power of various creative ideas, which is called concept testing, and the relative effectiveness of various approaches to the sales message, which is called copy testing. 5. How many different ways are there to contact people to gain information for use in advertising planning? Researchers can contact subjects in person, by telephone, by mail, through the Internet or cable TV, or by a computer kiosk in a mall or store. 6. What is survey research and how is it conducted? Survey research is a quantitative method that uses structured interviews to ask large numbers of people the same set of questions. 7. What is the difference between a sample and a population? A population is the entire group. A sample is a subset of the population that is representative of the entire population. 8. How do in-depth interviews differ from surveys? The primary difference between an interview and a survey is the interviewer’s use of an unstructured questionnaire. 9. What is a focus group and why is it useful in advertising research? A focus group is a group of eight to ten users (or even up to fifteen of potential users) of a product who are gathered around a table to have a discussion about some topic, such as the brand, the product category, or advertising. The objective is to get them talking in a conversational format so researchers can observe the dialogue and interactions among the participants. Focus groups can be used at any step in the planning process but they are often used early in the information gathering process to probe for patterns of thought and Part 2: Planning and Strategy 152 behavior that are then tested using quantitative research tools, such as surveys. They are also useful in testing advertising ideas or exploring various alternatives in message strategy development. 10. How is observational research used in advertising? Observation researchers study the actual behavior of consumers in naturalistic settings where they live, work, shop, and play. A qualitative form of research, direct observation research, is closer and more personal than quantitative research. It takes researchers into natural settings where they use video, audio, and disposable cameras to record consumers’ behavior at home, in stores, or wherever people buy and use their products. A marketer will often use observation in the aisles of grocer, drug, and discount stores to watch people making their product selection. 11. How is ethnographic research conducted? How might it be used in advertising? Ethnographic research involves the researcher living the lives of the people being studied. Advertisers use ethnographic research to get close to their customers. Customers are observed and their behaviors interpreted to aid in developing advertising strategy. 12. How and why are diaries used in media research? Sometimes consumers are asked to record their activities through the use of diaries. Diaries are particularly valuable in media research because they tell media planners exactly what programs and ads the consumers watched. 13. Explain the difference between validity and reliability. Validity means that the research actually measures what it says it measures. Reliability means that you can run the same test again and get the same answer. 14. How is advertising research changing because of globalization? Advertisers are becoming increasingly more global. Multinational advertisers and their marketing communication agencies are expanding all over the world. In-depth understanding of the economic and cultural conditions, government regulations, and communications media of each country is more important than ever before. The key issues that global researchers face include how to manage and communicate global brands in different local regions and how to shift from studying differences to finding Chapter 6: Strategic Research 153 similarities around the world. The biggest problem is cross-cultural communication and how to arrive at an intended message without cultural distortions or insensitivities. 15. In what ways does the technology of new media affect advertising research? The expansion from three on-air television networks to a plethora of cable channels changed television programming, television program audiences, and television advertising throughout the United States. The merger of the telephone, the TV, and the home computer will also change advertising. Wireless phones are now operating like personal data assistants, as well as cameras and for sending text messages. Changes in media technology will alter the meaning and consequences of almost all of our most familiar research constructs: involvement, brand equity, attitude toward the ad, emotional processing, and cognitive processing, to name a few. As technology changes in the media unfold, the old research measures will become increasingly invalid. Because of media fragmentation, researchers and planners must strive to develop message strategies that enable media planners to reach consumers most effectively. Emergence of genuine two-way communication opportunities will change advertising and research. 16. What is virtual research and how does it apply to advertising? Virtual research gathers real-time information through online media and streaming video. The low cost and quick speed of gathering research data online has made the Internet a popular survey tool with companies. Creating effective ads for the new interactive media is a particular challenge. Those who want to plan or evaluate Internet ads must stay abreast of the latest development in research on this interactive medium because methods are still being developed. 17. How is embedded research being used in advertising? The development of embedded research is related to virtual research. In this case, the research methods are embedded directly into real purchase and use situations, so that the consumer is a recipient and direct beneficiary of the information. Call centers, both inbound and outbound, can also be used as research centers to gain real-time feedback about the brand and its marketing and advertising strategies.