Market Research Methodologies
1. Sales Data Mining
Case Example: Selling cupcakes
A researcher observed and recorded the following data in a store selling cupcakes
1. Boy, aged 10, bought two cupcakes at 2 pm.
2. Girl, aged 8, bought ne cupcake at 4 pm.
3. Man, aged 26, bought three cupcakes at 1pm.
4. Couple, man and wife, aged about 30, bought two cupcakes at 8 am.
5. Boy, aged 1, bought five cupcakes for friends at 3 pm.
6. Three girls, aged, abut 18, bought six cupcakes at 6 pm.
7. Girl, aged 5, asked mom to buy her one cupcake at 11 am. Mom aged 27, bought one for herself.
8. Twin boys, aged 7, asked their older brother to buy them four cupcakes at 12 noon. Older
brother, aged 14, bought two cupcakes for himself.
9. Two teenagers, boy and girl, aged about 15, bought two cupcakes at 1pm.
10. Five children (two girls, three boys), about nine years old, bought five cupcakes at 12 noon.
11. Man, aged 27, bought two cupcakes at 9 am.
12. Woman, aged 30 bought three cupcakes at 10 am.
13. Three boys, aged 13, bought five cupcakes at 4 pm.
Hotdog Sales Summary
Cupcakes
Time Bought Male Female
20 above 20 above
12 below 13-19 12 below 13-19
7-8 am 2 1 1
9-10 am 5 2 3
11-12 nn 13 7 2 3 1
1-2 pm 7 2 1 3 1
3-4 pm 11 10 1
5-6 pm 6 6
Total 44 9 13 6 4 7 5
2. Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
Focus group discussion is one of the most common qualitative research tools. It is effecting in extracting
consumer and non-consumer experiences regarding products, places, or programs. This method can also
be used in generating initial insights.
FGD can be used to address substantive issues such as:
Understanding consumers’ perceptions, preferences, and behavior concerning a product category.
Obtaining impressions or new product concepts
Generating new ideas about older products
Obtaining preliminary consumer reaction to specific marketing programs
Securing price impressions
The FGD is an interview by a facilitator of a small group of people that normally lasts for an hour and
a half up to three hours. The participants are selected because of their knowledge about the topic.
The objectives must be clear and precise.
3. Observation Technique
Observation technique is probably one of the best ways of gathering data about customers in their natural
setting without having to interact or talk to them. One has to simply observe people as they go about their
activity such as buying and using products and services and assess how they behave. Having a clear
objective in mind will help the researcher focus on the important things to observe or watch out for.
Recording this event as it happens may be the best means to capture the information. However, the
researcher must be discreet so as not to attract the attention of the one being observed.
Prior to doing observation it is important for the researcher to ensure that the following conditions are
met:
The needed information must observable from the behavior that can be observed.
The behaviors of interest must be repetitive, frequent, or predictable in some manner.
The behaviors of interest must be of a relatively short duration.
4. Survey Research
Survey research is the most preferred instrument for in-depth quantitative research. The respondents are
asked a variety of questions which are often about their personal information, their motivations, and their
behavior. Surveys can be conducted via telephone, personal (face to face interview), and mail interview
(either printed or electronic mail).
Three commonly used graphs in market research
1. Histogram
14
12
10
8 Series 3
6 Series 2
4 Series 1
2
0
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
A histogram or bar graph consists of a series of rectangles or “bars.” Each bar is proportional in width to
the range of values within a class and proportional in height to the number of items in a class.
2. Frequency polygon
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
Series 3
50%
Series 2
40%
Series 1
30%
20%
10%
0%
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
The frequency polygon is constructed by marking the frequencies on the vertical axis with a dot
corresponding to the values on the horizontal axis. These dots are then connected with a straight line to
form a polygon.
3. Pie Chart
Sales
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
Pie chart is a circular graph divided into sections that represent the relative frequencies or magnitudes of
the grouped values
