Marketing 444 Test 2

3 types of experimental designs

A.Pre-experimental B.True experimental C.Quasi-experimental design

Main sources of secondary data on the internet are:

A.Sites of Interest to Marketing Researchers B.Newsgroups C.Blogs

Advantages of computer simulated shopping environments

1)A virtual store can duplicate the distracting clutter of an actual market. 2)Researchers can set up and alter the tests very quickly. 3)Production costs are low because displays are created electronically. 4)Simulation has a high degree of flexibility. It can be used to test entirely new marketing concepts or to fine-tune existing programs.

lab (Controlled) experiment advantages

1)Control for extraneous causal factors 2)Can focus on the first two elements-concomitant variation and appropriate time order of occurrence 3)Greater internal validity

What are the keys to a good mobile survey?

1)Mobile surveys need to be short. Ten questions or fewer is a good rule. 2)A good mobile survey will minimize the number of pages. Each time the page refreshes, the respondent has to wait. It is important not to put too many questions on a page 3)Questions should be kept simple. Single-dimension radio, checkbox or "select" questions are better than multi-dimension grid questions. Limit the use of open-ended questions, as they require typing. 4)Finally, all non-essential content should be minimized. It takes extra load time and visual space for every element that appears on the screen. Even a progress bar increases the load time and the need for vertical scrolling.

Field studies disadvantages

1)Problems with internal validity 2)Cannot control for spurious factors that might influence the dependent variable, such as: a. Actions of competitors b. Weather c. Economy d. Societal trends e. Political climate

Lab experiment disadvantages

1)Results not directly transferrable to the actual marketplace 2)Problems with external validity

Six common Online Qualitative Research approaches:

1)Webcam Online Focus Groups 2)Telepresence 3)Using Channel M2 to Conduct Online Focus Groups 4)Using the Web to Find Focus Group Participants 5)Online Individual Depth Interviews (IDI) 6)Marketing Research Online Communities (MROC)

Measurement process:

1. Identify the concept of interest - observable (height, stoplights, expressways) 2. Develop a construct (brand loyalty, social class, personality) 3.A constructive definition- statement of central idea of concept of study 4. An opperational definition- which observable characteristics will be measured and process for assigning value to concept (define construct) 5. A measurement scale- 6. Utilizes the scale- assign numbers or symbols to an object in order to impart some numerical characteristics to the properties in question.

Steps in a test market study

1. define objective 2. set basic approach 3.develop detailed test procedures 4. Select test market 5. Execute 6. Analyze results

Steps in ethnographic research

1.)Find participants for observation. • The research begins with systematic observation and inquiry 2)Analyze and interpret all of the data collected to find themes and patterns of meaning. • This task involves transcribing and restudying hours of audio and video recordings. 3)Triangulation-process of checking findings against what other people say and against similar research already conducted. • Actionable guidelines, recommendations, and a strategy outline are developed. • Findings are presented in a fashion that enables companies to create innovative and successful solutions.

When finding a particular newsgroup

1.Connect to the internet in your usual way. 2.Open your newsreader program. 3.Search for the topic of interest. 4.Select the newsgroup of interest. 5.Begin scanning messages.

Rolling rollout

A product is launched in a certain region rather than in one or two cities. • Scanner data can provide information on how the product is doing in a few days resulting in the possible product launch in additional regions.

Lead country strategy

A product is tested in a foreign market before rolling it out globally

Benefits of conducting test markets

A.The test market provides a vehicle by which the firm can obtain a good estimate of a product's sales potential under realistic market conditions B.The test could identify weaknesses of the product and the proposed marketing strategy for the product and give management an opportunity to correct these weaknesses

Electroencephalograph (EEG)

An EEG measures electrical activity in real-time. An EEG can capture almost every neurological impulse that results from a single word: e.g. ball. • Proponents believe that neuromarketing exists - at the very creation of an unconscious idea, in the instant your brain receives a stimulus and subconsciously reacts. • Here, data are unfiltered, uncorrupted by your conscious mind, which hasn't yet had the chance to formulate and deliver a response in words or gestures.

`Newsgroups

An Internet site where people can read and post messages devoted to a specific topic. They cover just about every topic ranging from companies, sports, products, services, investing, brands, to animals.

Conversion

An action that a person takes based on an advertiser's website, such as checking out, registering, adding an item to the shopping cart, or viewing a specific page conversion tracking done by facebook, pinterest, twitter counter

simulated test markets

Are an alternative to traditional test markets. A number of different companies offer these services and each one has special features-all share the following elements: 1)Sample of consumers is selected based on the expected or known characteristics of the target consumer for the product 2)Those sampled are recruited to come to a central location testing facility to view commercials for the test product and competitive products 3)They are given the opportunity to purchase the test in the actual marketplace or in a simulated store environment 4)Purchasers are contacted after they have had time to use the product-asked how likely they are to repurchase and their evaluation of the product 5)This information is used with the proprietary model of the company to generate estimates of sales volume, market share, and other key market metrics

Online individual depth interviews

Conducted like webcam focus groups except the IDI is longer and with only one person at a time • IDIs conducted either on-or offline offer richer content and deeper insights than most focus groups • Can be conducted on-line or off-line • Online IDIs may be the only way to reach people such as physicians or busy executives .• This approach still lacks the ability to view nonverbal cues.

pre experimental designs

Designs that offer little or no control over extraneous factors. Two Types of Pre-experimental designs 1)One-Shot Case Study - is a pre-experimental design with no pretest observations, no control group, and only an after measurement. Change the independent variable, then measure the change in the dependent variable to see if there was in fact a change in the dependent variable that the researcher might conclude resulted from the change in the independent variable. 2 weaknesses: There are two basic weaknesses in this design. • No pretest observations • No control group of test units The design does not deal with the effects of any extraneous variables and lacks both internal validity and external validity. popular because simple and cost effiecient 2.)One group pretest posttest design - is a pre-experimental design with pre-and post-measurements but no control group. Same as "One-Shot" except measure the dependent variable before the change in the independent variables. The researcher is establishing a benchmark from which to gauge the change. this design is employed most frequently for testing changes in established products or marketing strategies. Because the product was on the market before the change provides the basis for the pretest measurement (O1). Weaknesses: 1. History is a threat to the internal validity of this design because an observed change in the dependent variable might be caused by an extraneous event that took place between the pretest and posttest measurements 2. Maturation is a threat to internal validity because an observed effect in the dependent variable may be caused by subjects growing older, smarter, more experienced, or the like between the pretest and posttest 3. Only one pretest observation - so no trend in pretest data is available

Direct versus Indirect observation.

Direct - refers to observing current behavior indirect - refers to observing past behavior - e.g. going thru trash cans, photos, videos, text messages

limitations of experimental design

High Cost:• Experiments can be very costly in both money and time. In many cases, the costs of doing an experiment would exceed the value of the information gained. Security Issues:• Particularly critical when conducting a field experiment might give advance notice to competitors and allows them an opportunity to decide whether and how to respond-the element of surprise is lost Implementation Problems: • Difficulty Gaining Cooperation-managers reluctant to permit their area to be used as a test market • Contamination-buyers from outside the test area come into the area to purchase the product being tested, thereby distorting the results of the experiment • Differences in Test Markets-test markets may be so different and the behavior of consumers in those markets so different that a relatively small experimental effect is difficult to detect • No Appropriate geographic area available to serve as a Control Group

Human versus Machine observers

Human- actual person is watching the situation Machine- observation can be done less expensively, more accurately, or more readily-traffic-counting devices, movie cameras and audiovisual equipment, electronic scanners-can provide more accurate and timely data

X independant variable

Indicates the exposure of an individual or a group to an experimental treatment. Experimental Treatment -the factor whose effects we want to measure and compare. Factors such as: −Different prices −Package designs −Point-of-purchase displays −Advertising approaches −Product forms This variable is something the researcher can change and manipulate It is hoped that the change in the independent variable will cause a change in the dependent variable.

non experimental design

Involve no manipulation. They are referred to as ex post facto or after-the-fact research —where an effect is observed, and then some attempt is made to attribute this effect to some causal factor.

Experiment

Is a research approach in which one variable is manipulated and the effect on another variable is observed. The variable being manipulated is called an experimental treatment, an independentvariable, or an explanatory variable. The variable being observed is called a dependentvariable

Mystery shopping levels

Level 1 • The mystery shopper makes calls the client location with a script with questions and evaluates the level of service received over the phone. Level 2 • The mystery shopper visits an establishment and makes a quick purchase; little or no customer-employee interaction is required. • For example, in a Level 2 mystery shop, a mystery shopper purchases an item (e.g., gas, a hamburger, or a lottery ticket) and evaluates the transaction and image of the facility.Level 3• The mystery shopper visits an establishment and, using a script or scenario, initiates a conversation with a service and/or sales representative. • Level 3 mystery shopping usually does not involve an actual purchase. Examples include discussing different smartphone packages with a sales representative, reviewing services provided during an oil change, and so forth. Level 4 • The mystery shopper visits the business with great knowledge about the products. This knowledge can be used to test the employees. • A purchase (and/or issues related to the purchases) might likely be involved.• Examples are discussing a home loan, the process for purchasing a new car, and visiting apartment complexes.

Online survey research disadvantages

Misrepresentation- Cannot be used in all countries. Meaning Internet users are not representative of the population as a whole Unrestricted Internet sample - Self-selected sample group consisting of anyone who wishes to complete an Internet survey may do so; meaning that the sample frame is primarily representative of web surfers. May be no sample frame - Difficulty may occur in gathering data for smaller/local companies; this data might not be possible to collect on the Internet . Lack of "callback"- There is no way to clarify open-ended responses .Programming errors - Can cause problems when taking the questionnaire or processing data collected. Lack of bandwidth - Some respondents cannot download photos or complete the survey in a timely fashion.

Natural versus contrived observation situations

Natural- those being observed should have no idea they are under observation. The observer plays no role in the behavior of interest Contrived- recruiting people to participate in an activity so that their behavior can be studied allows the researcher to better control extraneous variables that might have an impact on a person's behavior or the interpretation of that behavior primary disadvantage of a contrived setting is that it is artificial, and the observed behavior may be different from a real-world situation

Do you think that eventually all marketing research will be done with mobile devices? Why or why not?

No because mobile surveys need to be short with simple questions. •Some surveys require more detailed complex questions.

Most popular mode of data collection

Online surveys

Open versus Disguised observation

Open- monitoring people who know they are being watched. They may behave differently and can create the same type of bias that is associated with the presence of an interviewer in survey research Disguised- monitoring people who do not know they are being watched-e.g. observing from behind a one-way mirror

Mystery Shopping: observation research

People who pose as customers and shop at a company's own stores or those of its competitors •They collect data about customer-employee interactions and other observational data. •They might also compare prices, displays, and the like.

Approaches to control extraneous behavior

Randomization: The random assignment of subjects to treatment conditions to ensure equal representation of subject characteristics. Physical Control:Same as matching. Holding constant the value or level of extraneous variables throughout the course of an experiment (e.g., age, income, lifestyle) Design Control:Use of the experimental design to control extraneous causal factors. Statistical Control:Adjusting for the effects of extraneous variables by statistically adjusting the value or the dependent variable for each treatment condition.

Advantages of online survey research

Rapid deployment, real-time reporting- surveys are potentially broadcasted to thousands and results are viewed instantly by corporate clients Reduced costs -low data collection costs; solicitations can grow in volume with little added cost Ready personalization- results in only pertinent questions being asked High response rates- take less time than other forms of surveys; surveys are taken at the respondents' convenience Ability to contact the hard-to-reach- allows for busy professionals to take surveys on their own time Simplified and enhanced panel management- are built and maintained at less cost and time than traditional panels

Experimental effect

Refers to the effect of the treatment variable on the dependent variable. The goal is to determine the effect of each level of treatment variable on the dependent variable.

Causal reasearch

Research designed to determine whether a change in one variable causessome predictable change in another observed variable (also called a dependent variable)

True Experimental design

Research using an experimental group and a control group to which test units are randomly assigned. 1. Before and After With Control Group-True experimental design that involves random assignmentof subjects or test units to experimental and control groupsand pre- and post -measurements of both groups. 2. After Only With Control Group-Subjects in the experiment are randomly assigned to experiment and control groups respectively. No premeasurements of the dependent variable are taken.

Experimental design

Researcher manipulates one or more independant variables 4 elements: 1)The treatment, or experimental, variable (independent variable) that is manipulated 2)The subjects who participate in the experiment 3)A dependent variable that is measured 4)Some plan or procedure for dealing with extraneous causal factors

Explain the difference between a traditional marketing research survey and a social media community project?

Social media marketing research is different from traditional survey research. Rather than a product manager asking a research team to determine X, Y, and Z, and then have the researchers conduct the survey and provide the requested feedback, social media research is more interactive, via a few questions, and observations over time. By analyzing social media exchanges about a product or service, researchers can learn what factors customers use to determine value as well as the way they speak about the product, service or brand. Social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, give opportunities to marketing researchers to better understand their customers and potential customers.

Quasi Experiments

Studies in which the researcher lacks complete control over the scheduling of treatments or must assign respondents to treatments in a nonrandom manner. Interrupted time series: Research in which repeated measurement of an effect "interrupts" previous data patterns by manipulation of independant variable Weaknesses: No way of knowing appropriate number of pretest and posttest Multiple time series designs: Interrupted time-series design with a control group. Ex. Sales and training groups

Test markets

Test Market refers to any research that involves testing a new product or change in an existing marketing strategy (e.g., product, price, place, promotion) in a single market, group of markets or region of the country through the use of experimental or quasi-experimental designs.

Using the web to find focus group participants

The Internet is an excellent tool to locate group participants that fit a very specific set of requirements. • Researchers are tapping online bulletin boards such as Craigslist, which attracts 60 million visitors each month to find "a small population of users who fit very specific categories that are very hard to find"

external validity

The extent to which causal relationships measured in an experiment can be generalized to outside persons, settings, and times.

internal validity

The extent to which competing explanations for the experimental results observed can be ruled-out.

Rule

The guide, method, or command that tells a researcher what to do.

Measurement

The process of assigning numbers or labels to persons, objects, or events in accordance with specific rules for representing quantities or qualities or attributes.

Observational research

The systematic process of recording patterns of occurrences or behaviors without normally communicating with the people involved

The online World

The world's Internetpopulation is close to 3 billion. In the US and Canada, 80% of the population is online.

Types of test markets

Traditional or standard test markets: Testing the product and other elements of the marketing mix through a firm's regular channels of distribution Scanner or electronic test markets: Scanner panel research firms have panels of consumers who carry scanable cards for use in buying particular products, especially those sold through grocery stores Controlled test markets: Research suppliers who ensure that the product is distributed through the agreed upon types and numbers of distributors

Webcam online focus groups

Video-based online focus groups that marry the benefits of traditional focus groups with the benefits of online technologies:• Webcams connect participants and a moderator.

Commercial online panels

groups of individuals who have agreed to receive invitations to do online surveys from a particular panel company

Observation situations

i.watching people ii.watching phenomena iii.observation is by human observers iv.observation is by machines.

Cookie

a piece of text stored by a user's Web browser, this is how internet tracking is done

Main methods of collecting online survey

a) Web Survey Software: osoftware systems used for web questionnaire construction and delivery. oQuestionnaire is constructed with an easy-to -use edit feature, a visual interface, and then automatically transmitted to a web server system. oThe web server distributes the questionnaire and files responses in a database. oThe user can query the server at any time for completion statistics b)Survey Design and web Hosting: oWebsites allow the researcher to design a survey online without loading design software. oThe survey is administered on the design site's server. oSome offer tabulation and analysis packages as well.

Problems encountered with rules

a)Lack of clarity or specificity b)Difficulty of devising rules to assess the true value of consumer attributes

Testing effect

a)Main testing effects-the possible effects of earlier observations on later observations b)Interactive testing effect-the effect of a prior measurement on a subject's response to a later measurement

Factors to consider before doing a test market

a)Weigh the cost and risk of failure against the probability of success and associated profits b)Consider the likelihood and speed with which competitors can copy your product and introduce it on a national basis c)Consider the investment required to produce the product for the test market versus the investment required to produce the product in the quantities necessary for a national rollout d)Consider how much damage an unsuccessful new product launch would inflict on the firm's reputation

Secondary data

can clarify a problem, suggest a methodology for solving the problem, or sometimes provide a solution to the problem

`Marketing research online communities

carefully selected group of consumers who agree to participate in an ongoing dialogue with a corporation.

Field studies advantages

conducted in actual environment such as marketplace 1.Creates realism of the environment

Social media research

confirms what factors customers use to determine value as well as the way they speak about the product, service or brand.

Symphony IRI Consumer Network

continuous household purchase panel that receives purchasing data from the National Consumer Panel (NCP) • Households are recruited to the NCP and given incentives to record all of their UPC-based purchases, with a hand-held in-home scanning device.

Construct equivalence

deals with how people see, understand, and develop measurements of a particular phenomenon. Ex. Beer is seen as a soft drink or alcoholic depending on where you're from

validity

degree to which an experiment actually measures what the researcher is trying to measure. can be reliable but not valid. Cannot be valid and not reliable

01 x 02

describes an experiment in which a preliminary measurement O1was taken of one or more test units, then the test units were exposed to X and then a measurement O2was taken.

extraneous

factors one does not control but has to live with, such as the weather

blogs

frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links. • Researchers-blogs are important source of information on just about any topic• Researchers can use blogs to recruit respondents for surveys• Blogs can be used as a form of individual depth interviews (IDI).• Blogs produce rich sources of insightful information. • Blogs can be used to talk to customers and businesses .• Blogs can be confessional in nature. • Blog writers can get pleasure in revealing details about products.

Extraneous variables

impossible to tell if changes in dependant variable are solely due to independant variable 7 reasons why: 1)History:The intervention, between the beginning and end of an experiment, of outside variables (other than the independent variables being manipulated) that might change the value of the dependent variable. E.g. Ragu vs. Prego 2)Maturation:Changes in subjects that are a function of time that occur throughout the course of the experiment. These are not related to the experiment but might affect subjects' response to the treatment factor. E.g. subjects getting older, hungrier, more tired, and the like 3)Instrument Variation:Changes in measurement instruments (e.g., interviews or observers)that might explain differences in the measurements taken. 4)Regression to the Mean:The observed tendency of subjects with extreme behavior to move toward the average for that behavior during the course of an experiment. 5)Selection Bias:Refers to systematic differences between the test group or the control group (if the experimental design includes one) AND the population to which the researcher would like to project the experimental results to due to a biased selection process. Equality of test and control groups can be ensured through randomization or matching Randomization-assigning subjects to test groups and control groups at random matching-making a one-to-one match between people or other units in the test group and control group regarding key characteristics (e.g., age, income, education, and so on). 6)Mortality:Loss of test units or subjects during the course of an experiment which might result in a non-representativeness.For example, in a study of music preferences of the population, if nearly all the subjects under the age of 25 were lost during the course of the experiment, then the researcher would likely get a biased picture of music preferences at the end of the experiment. As a result, the findings would lack external validity. 7)Testing Effect:The process of experimentation may affect the responses observed due to an effect that is a by-product of the research process itself.

treatment

independent variable manipulated during an experiment to measure its effect on the dependent variable

cost per impression

is the cost to offer potential customers one opportunity to see an advertisement.

Eye tracking

measures the rapid motion of viewers' eyes—the subtle eyeball vibrations that increase when we see something of interest. visibility engagement Viewing patterns/communication hierarchy. W

Focus groups/ IDIs research used for

narrowing down things. E.g. from eight concepts to one or two concepts that work better than the others .get a deeper understanding of short-listed options based on earlier insights and ideas drawn from the ethnography.

Independent or explanatory variable or experimental treatment

one controls directly such as price, packaging, type of advertising, distribution, product features, etc.

O dependant variable

refers to the process of taking measurements on the test units test Units -individuals, groups of individuals, or entities whose response to the experimental treatments is being tested Indicates a variable the researcher cannot change directly. It is hoped that changing the independent variable will cause changes in the dependent variable (sales of the product). Thus the dependent variable is "dependent" on what the researcher does with the independent variable.

Tivo, Targeting, cablevision targeting

set-top boxes" (STB) installed by the likes of Direct TV, Dish Network, and cable companies to tap into the second-by-second viewing habits of millions of households .• Can beam different ads to different set-top boxes, even when they're turned to the same channel.

what is ethnographic research used for

strategic understanding or exploratory research at the beginning of the creative/innovation process gain early insights and ideas to use in focus groups or Individual Depth Interviews (IDIs)

Neuromarketing

the process of researching the brain patterns and certain physiological measures of consumers to marketing stimuli.

ethnographic research

the study of human behavior in its natural context, involving observation of behavior and physical setting.

X1 O1 X2 O2

two groups of test units received different experimental treatments at the same time (X1 and X2) and then the two groups were measured simultaneously (O1 and O2)

Dependant variable

variables being observed that one does not directly control such as sales, market share, or customer satisfaction

in store tracking

• In-store security cameras are now being used to track shopper behavior. • Cameras combined with motion sensors can determine, how often a brand is picked up but not placed in the shopping cart. • A variation of in-store tracking is an iPhone app Neiman Marcus shoppers can download from iTunes and opt in to the service. • They can use the app to make appointments or leave messages for associates. • Neiman's can synch past purchase data enabling sales associates to provide relevant, tailored recommendations

disadvantages of observational research

• Only behavior and physical personal characteristics can be measured. • Cannot measure motives, attitudes, intentions, or feelings • Present observed behavior is not projectable to future behavior • Only public behavior is observed not private behavior • Can be time-consuming and costly if the observed behavior occurs rather infrequently •Not always a good representation of the general population •Interpretation is somewhat subjective depending on observation type •Data analysis is generally more qualitative than quantitative •It can be expensive and time consuming if subjects not readily available •Data can be time sensitive making predictive analysis tricky

commercial online panels recruitment methods

• Panel should represent a diverse sampling of the population under study .• Two methods for recruiting an online panel: open-source and by-invitation-only .•Open source or open online panel recruitment - Any person with Internet access can self-select to be in a research panel. −Drawbacks are -lack of control over recruits; not representative of the population; professional survey takers•Invitation-only or closed online panel recruitment -Invite only pre-validated individuals or those with shared known characteristics to enroll in a research panel. −Drawback with this approach is that the panel composition is dependent on the people who are invited to join the panel and may be biased by customers of a specific recruitment source.

Virtual shopping technology

• Simulates an actual retail store environment on a computer screen . • The computer unobtrusively records the amount of time a virtual shopper spends on each product, the quantity purchased, and the order in which items are purchased.

Designing a mobile survey

• Surveys need to be short; 10 or fewer questions • Minimizes the number of pages, as more pages requires more time for navigation, and do not put too many questions on a page .• The types of questions should be kept simple; single dimension • All non-essential content should be minimized.

Internet Tracking

• The objective of online tracking is to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time .• Survey research answers the "why" and "how" of consumer buying, tracking (also called behavioral tracking), answers the "where," "how much", and "how often" questions. • Tracking closes the gap between what consumers tell you they think and what they intend to do and what they actually do • Tracking is more difficult when a user frequently switches between, say a desktop and mobile device (they are referred to as "digitally agnostic.") • Modeling surfing patterns along with demographic and psychographic data to predict consumer behavior. • Web site should mirror the customers' buying process • Click sequence / patterns should enhance predictive capability.

E readers

• Track how far readers are getting in books, how long they spend reading them, and which search terms they use to find books.

telepresence

• Used to simplify virtual business meetings • Remote participating technology • Screens are used to display live feeds • Use of moderators • Participants can be in different cities

advantages of observational research

• You can see what customers actually do -rather than what they say they do • Firsthand information is less prone to the biasing factors associated with survey approach, e.g. observing children and their toy selection • Some forms of data are gathered more quickly and accurately by observation • Electronic information collection using scanners is more efficient than manual counts (i.e. asking a shopper to enumerate them)

Social media tracking

• advantage of social media research is monitoring brand sentiment over discrete units of time. • Social media data is tagged with times and dates, and is stored publicly online making historical data instantly available. • Understanding how consumers talk about a product, brand or service, or what they expect delivers invaluable direction on how to create a successful marketing mix.

Galvanic Skin Responses

• measures changes in the electric resistance of the skin associated with activation responses; also called electrodermal response. • It is used primarily to measure stimulus response to advertisements and in packaging research.

direct costs of test markets

•Advertising expenses •Point -of-purchase materials •Coupons and sampling •Travel and set-up expenses •Cost of customized research needed for the test marketing activity

Channel M2 for online focus groups

•Channel M2 provides market researchers with user ‐friendly virtual interview rooms, recruiting, and technical support for conducting virtual qualitative research efficiently and effectively. • M2 uses a blend of email recruitment and telephone verification (from a global panel with access to over 15 million online consumers) • Participants are given instructions via email to access the teleconference • Participants log in to a web page where each member can see and hear one another • Questions and answers are in real-time • Recently, Channel M2 has introduced real-time voice analysis.

3 things that must be determined if there is a causal relationship

•Concomitant Variation (Correlation) - evidence that A and B vary together in some predictable fashion, either a positive or an inverse relationship exists. •Appropriate Time Order of Occurrence- change in an independent variable A occurred before an observed change in the dependent variable B •Elimination of Other Possible Causal Factors - demonstrate that some other competitive or environmental factor or combination of factors OTHER THAN A did not cause the change in B.

indirect costs of test markets

•Cost of management time spent on the test market •Diversion of sales activity from existing products •Possible negative impact of a test market failure on other products with the same family brand •Possible negative trade reactions to products if the firm develops a reputation for not doing well •Cost of letting competitors know what the firm is doing ,thereby allowing them to develop a better strategy or beat the firm to the national market

advantages of ethnographic research

•It is reality-based; it can show exactly how consumers live with a product, not just what they say about it or how they remember using it. •It can reveal unexpressed needs and wants; it can discover unexploited consumer benefits. •It can reveal product problems .•It can show how, when, where, and why people shop for brands -how they perceive it compared to competitive products •It can show who in the family actually uses a product .•It can take advantage of consumers' experience with the category and their hands-on creativity. •It can test new products in a real context .•It can reveal advertising execution ideas that derive directlyfrom consumer experience. •It can form a better relationship with your consumers based on an intimate knowledge of their lifestyles.

Webcam online focus group benefits

−Moderators can see and hear participants, so greater context is possible and probing is not compromised. −Participants can log in from any part of the country/world eliminating the need for the moderator or clients to travel. −Built-in collaboration tools (concepts, advertisements, storyboards) enable moderators to show multiple forms of stimuli to the group.

Webcam online focus group disadvantages

−Webcam groups require more screening than a traditional offline focus group. −Recruits must have strong comfort level with participating in a webcam-based interview. −Recruits must be comfortable using a computer and the Internet.−Recruits computers must have a webcam. −Recruits must have reliable broadband access on the computers used in the interview