Overview of techniques for collecting qualitative data in International Marketing Research

This article is intended as a brief review and reminder of some important techniques, but often ignored to collect data on international markets and consumers.

When you think of market research, surveys are most likely the first technique that comes to mind those. However, the investigation is a quantitative research and, in order to understand customer behavior and the social and cultural context in which our company will operate, you must also perform a qualitative research.

Qualitative methods are certainly a more appropriate choice if you need to look for patterns in behavior and attitudes of customers, to understand the depth of the environment around the customer and understand the cultural characteristics then influence a customer - especially when the marketing is not familiar with The country of culture.

There are some situations in which qualitative research alone can provide the marketing, with all the details necessary to make decisions and take action, while in other cases, quantitative research may be needed as well.

We will stop for the main qualitative techniques and see how and where they can be used in international marketing.
Craig and Douglas (2000), cited three main types of qualitative techniques of data collection:

- Techniques of observation and quasi-observation;

- Projective techniques and depth interviews;

- Creative group sessions (synectics).

1. Observation techniques and quasi-observational

Observation techniques are observations of the phenomena (in our case, the behavior of consumers) in their natural environments. Observational research may be somewhat less reliable quantitative research but it is more effective and flexible, because the marketing is able to change its approach in case of need.

The disadvantages are limited by behavioral variables and the fact that these data may not be generalizable - we can observe the behavior of a client in a given time and situation, but we can not take any more customers will act the same.

Quasi-observational techniques are reported to have increased use in recent decades due to the large-scale use of surveillance cameras in the shops. These techniques are cheaper than pure observational ones since costs associated with video surveillance and taping are far less than the salary of a researcher, the tape can be viewed and analyzed at a later time at the discretion of marketing. When you run the videotape of the behaviors of consumers, may be invited to provide comments and insights about their thoughts and actions, while the same conversation can be recorded and further analyzed.

Pure observation: the marketing view of customer behavior in real life situation, either in situ or recovering consumers (less intrusive). Video recording is particularly useful when studying patterns of different cultures, since we can easily compare the behaviors recorded and the similarities and / or highlight the differences.

Trace measures: is to collect and record tracks consumer behavior. These tracks can be fingerprints or tear of packages, empty packages, cans and other waste analyzes ways a marketer can imagine (it's all a matter of creativity here!). In eMarketing, measures are traces in the form of visits recorded and successes - there are many professional applications that can help an eMarketer analyze the behavior of visitors on the website of his company.

Measures Archive can be any kind of historical documents, public records, archives, libraries, collections of personal papers, etc. These data can be extremely useful to analyze trends and behavioral changes over time. Marketing can also identify cultural values ​​and attitudes of a population at any given time through the study of mass media content and advertising of the period under discussion.

Measurements of entrapment: those are indirect techniques (compared to those previously mentioned), and consist in asking the defendant to respond to a specific stimulus or situation, when the actual subject of investigation is totally different. The marketer plants the stimulus itself among the many false ones and reaction studies. The method is fairly unobtrusive and marketing are able to gather valuable, non-reactive events. When the defendant is aware of the true subject in question (s) could change the behavior and compromise the study.

Protocols are still another technical observation of marketing research that asks respondents to think aloud and verbally express all their thoughts during the decision process. The protocols are of great value to determine the factors of importance for a sale and can be collected in either real shopping trips or simulated ones.

2. Projective techniques

These techniques are based on respondent's performance of certain tasks provided by marketing. The aim is to have consumers (respondents) express their beliefs through the unconscious projective stimuli, show towards associations of various symbols, images, signs.

Cooper (1996) suggested that projective techniques can be used effectively:
- Describe the emotional and rational reactions;

- Provide verbal and nonverbal communication;

- Give the permission to express new ideas;

- Encouraging creativity, originality and individuality;

- Reduce social constraints and censorship;

- Encourage group members to share and "open".

Projective techniques in market research may take the form presented below.

Collages - used to understand lifestyles and the perception of the brand, respondents are asked to assemble a collage with pictures and symbols from selected groups of stimuli or from magazines and newspapers of their choice.

Completing the picture - some pictures may be designed to express and visualize the problem in the study and respondents must make associations and / or words from the images shown attributes.

Analogies and metaphors are used when a wider range of projection is necessary, with more complexity and depth of ideas and thoughts on a particular brand, product, service, organization. Respondents are asked to express freely their own association and analogies to the object of study, or may be asked to select from a set of stimuli (eg pictures) those that fit the subject tested.

Psycho-drawing is a technique that allows study participants to express a wide range of perceptions by making drawings of what they perceive the brand (or product or service).

The customization is to ask respondents to treat the brand or product as if it were a person and start making associations or looking for images of this person. This technique is especially recommended for consumers to understand what kind of person assigned to a brand / product / service.

3. In-depth interviews

These techniques of market research placed emphasis on verbal communication and are especially effective when trying to discover the underlying motivations and attitudes towards a product or a specific market / consumption situation.

Individual in-depth interviews are conducted on a person to the environment and the interviewer can get answers very specific and precise. These interviews are common practices in B2B market research, for example when a company conducts a search of a product among their existing corporate customers.

Interviews can be conducted via telephone or Internet-based media, from a centralized location: this can greatly reduce the costs associated with market research and the results are more or less accurate as the face-to-face ones. The only disadvantage could be the lack of non-verbal, visual communication.

Focus groups are essentially interviews conducted by a researcher with a group of respondents that are considered representative for the target market.

These meetings are usually held in an informal setting and are moderated by the researcher. Video recording of sessions is common these days, and can add other sources of analysis at a later time.

Focus groups are perhaps the ideal technique, if available in terms of cost and time to test new ideas and concepts towards brands and products, for the study of media as a creative response to the ads and packaging design or identify trends customers and consumers attribute perception. One of the important advantages of the focus is the presence of different participants in the same time, providing a degree of synergy. Disadvantages relate to the costs and the scarcity of good professional conduct interviews and discussions.

Finally, we must keep in mind the importance of non-survey techniques to collect data in search of the market today. Not only provide more depth of analysis but can be performed in significantly less time investigating and are more suitable to be used during the exploration of international market research....