Methods of social marketing research. Structure and methods of marketing research - Abstract

The depth interview is a low-resistant personal interviewer conversation with the respondent in the form that encourages the latter to detailed answers to the questions asked.

Distinctive features

The interview takes place in the form of a free conversation on the subject of interest to the researcher, during which the researcher receives very detailed information from the respondent about the reasons for his actions on the attitude towards various issues.

Technology

Preparation of the structure of the conversation. Before the start of a series of interviews, the researcher prepares a plan in accordance with which the interview will be carried out. Unlike the usual survey, the depth interview plan is simply a list of issues by which the interviewer should learn the opinion of the respondent.

Selection of respondents and interview. After the preparation of the plan, respondents are selected and interviews themselves are selected. The duration of the depth interview can be from half an end to several (2-3) hours depending on the complexity of the topic, as well as the number and depth of the issues under study. As a rule, the deep interview is carried out in a special room with a neutral atmosphere and good sound insulation, to avoid any external interference. The interview is recorded on audio and / or video equipment to facilitate subsequent decryption and data analysis, as well as in order not to lose important information.

Processing the results of the interview and drawing up an analytical report. After completing the interview, his audio and / or video is processed, as a result of which the researcher receives full text In total interview. Based on these texts and interviewer's impressions, an analytical report is drawn up.

Interviewers

The success of the deep interview largely depends on the professionalism and personal qualities of the interviewer. For interviews, a qualified specialist is needed, despite psychological education. He should be inherent in the skills of establishing contact with people, good memory, the ability to respond quickly to non-standard answers, patience. In the interview process, it is impossible to have psychological pressure on the respondent, arguing with it.

Application

As a rule, the deep interviews are used to solve the same tasks as the focus of the group, namely:

• study of consumer behavior, their attitudes towards goods, companies, brand;
• development of new products, assessment of the concept of a new product (its packaging, advertising campaign, etc.);
• obtaining a preliminary consumer reaction to various marketing programs.

The deep interview is advisable to use instead of the focus group in the following cases:

• the interview the topic involves a discussion of purely personal topics (personal finance, diseases);
• interviews are held with representatives of competing organizations that will not agree to discuss this topic in the group;
• the topic in which there are strict social norms, and the respondent's opinion may affect the response of the Group (paying taxes, etc.);
• it is impossible to collect all the respondents in one place and at the same time (respondents are small, removed from each other and / or very busy).

Advantages and disadvantages

Basic Disadvantages The method of deep interviews are associated with the complexity of finding interviewers. First, for depth interviews, qualified specialists are required, which are not easy to find. Further, the quality of the results of the interview is strongly affected by the identity and professionalism of the interviewer. And finally, the complexity of the processing and interpretation of data obtained during interviews, as a rule, requires attracting psychologists to analyze them.

Dignity. Using deep interviews, you can get more complete information about the behavior of a person, about the causes of such behavior, its deep motives, which is not always possible in the focus group, where the respondents put pressure on each other and it is difficult to determine who exactly given one or another answer.

The choice of a specific type of research is largely determined by the objectives of the study and tasks that are solved at the individual stages of its conduct. Separate types marketing research Apply not only at the stage of determining the problems and objectives of the study, but also in the process of their conduct. In tab. 1.1 The data that generalizes foreign experiencecharacterizing marketing research objectives for individual directions and methods for their conduct.

Before considering the most popular individual marketing research methods, we give overall characteristic Methods that can be used when collecting and analyzing marketing information.

From the table below (although it does not apply for a comprehensive review of all methods) it follows that the most widely used methods for conducting marketing research are methods of analyzing documents, consumer survey methods (the entire set of which, with a certain part of the convention, can be called methods of sociological research, since they were developed for the first time. and used sociologists), expert assessments and experimental methods.

The main difference between the methods of sociological research on expert assessments is that the first is the first oriented on mass respondents of very different competence and qualifications, while expert assessments are on a limited number of professionals. Combines these two groups of methods, first of all, the fact that the same methods of mathematical statistics are used to process collected data.

All specified groups of methods in subsequent sections of the book will be characterized in more detail.

Another class of methods used in conducting marketing studies, but weakly reflected in Table. 1.1, represent economic and mathematical methods.

Several groups of economic and mathematical methods used in conducting marketing research can be distinguished:

• 1. Statistical methods of information processing (definition of average estimates, error values, the degree of consistency of the opinions of respondents, etc. - are considered in the subsequent sections of the book).
• 2 Multidimensional methods (first of all factor and cluster tests). They are used to substantiate marketing solutions, which are based on numerous interrelated variables. For example, determining the sales volume of a new product depending on its technical level, price, competitiveness, advertising costs, etc.
• 3. Regression and correlation methods. They are used to establish relationships between groups of variables describing marketing activities.
• 4. Imitation methods. They are used when the variables affecting the marketing situation (for example, describing competition) are not determined using analytical methods.
• 5. Methods of statistical theory of decision-making (game theory, mass maintenance theory, stochastic programming) are used for a stochastic description of the consumer reaction to change the market situation. Two main directions of application of these methods can be distinguished: for statistical tests of the hypotheses on the market structure and assumptions about the market status, for example, the study of the degree of loyalty to the trademark, forecasting the market share.
• 6. Deterministic methods for researching operations (primarily linear and nonlinear programming). These methods are used when there are many interconnected variables and it is necessary to find the optimal solution - for example, a product delivery option to a consumer that provides maximum profits, one of the possible channel channels.
• 7. Hybrid methods that combine deterministic and probabilistic (stochastic) characteristics (for example, dynamic and heuristic programming) are used primarily to study the problems of shipping.

These seven groups of quantitative methods are definitely not exhausted by all their diversity.

Mathematical modeling in marketing research is very difficult (therefore in Table. 1.1 it is practically not represented). This is due to:

• - the complexity of the object of study, the nonlinearity of marketing processes, the presence of threshold effects, such as the minimum level of sales incentive, temporary lags (in particular, the reaction of consumers for advertising is often not observed immediately);
• - the effect of interaction between marketing variables, which are more interdependent and interrelated, for example, price, assortment, quality, output;
• - the complexity of measuring marketing variables. It is difficult to measure the reaction of consumers to certain incentives, such as advertising. Therefore, indirect methods are often used, such as registration of goods returns to determine the effectiveness of advertising;
• - instability of marketing relationships due to changes in flavors, habits, assessments, etc.;
• - relative incompatibility of personnel, which is engaged in marketing and the use of quantitative methods in its research. The first priority gives informal methods, the second - mathematical modeling.

The foregoing is largely due to the fact that marketing is dealing with human behavior, and not with technical phenomena. Marketing is rarely repeated, everything is different in it for different situations. Marketing is focused on specific consumers, and consumers are different.

In conditions of deep and rapid changes in the external environment, the mathematical model is not able to predict the influence of the change, which was originally taken into account in it. In contrast to the expert, the mathematical model is not capable of improvisation and cannot adapt to deep changes in the external environment.

The latitude of the use of certain methods during marketing research is also determined by the company's capabilities to use them independently or buy the results of such studies. It is obvious that major organizations have significantly more such opportunities than in small businesses. therefore quantitative methods In marketing research, currently applied more often by organizations that have appropriate analytical units to identify such major parameters market activityAs demand, sales, market share, etc.

Methods for marketing studies are primarily divided into methods for collecting primary and methods for collecting secondary data.

Primary data - information collected by the researcher specifically to solve a specific problem.

Most often under the conduct of marketing research, it is collecting primary information. Methods for collecting primary data, in turn, are divided into methods for collecting quality data, methods for collecting quantitative data and so-called Mix techniques, through the Internet.

Qualitative research is responsible for questions "How" and "Why".

This type of research allows you to get very detailed data on behavior, opinions, views, relations of a very small group of persons. The data obtained cannot be quantified (with rare exceptions), but give a good idea of \u200b\u200bthe image of consumer thoughts. Qualitative studies are indispensable in the development of new products, advertising campaigns, studying the image of firms, trademarks and solving other similar tasks.

The main methods of high-quality research: focus groups, depth interviews, analysis of the protocol.

Quantitative research answers questions "Who" and "how much".

This type of research, in contrast to high quality, allows to obtain pronounced quantitative information on a limited circle of problems, but from big number people that allows you to handle it statistical methods and distribute results on all consumers. Quantitative research helps to assess the level of firmware or brand, identify the main consumer groups, market volumes, etc.

The main methods of quantitative research are different kinds Polls and retail audit.

Mix-techniques - mixed research methods, quite successfully combining the advantages of high-quality and quantitative methods.

Main types Mix-techniques: Hall tests, HOME tests and a secret buyer.

The advantages of primary information is as follows:

• - Collection in accordance with the exact goal,
• - Known and controlled methodology for collecting. Results are available to the company and can be protected from competitors,
• - aware of reliability.

Its disadvantages include:

• - Great time on collecting and processing,
• - high cost,
• - The company itself does not always collect all the necessary data.

Secondary data - information collected ever for any objectives that are not related to the current task.

Secondary studies are usually based on existing information and therefore carry the name of the office research.

Differ (in relation to the firm) external and internal sources for secondary studies. As internal sources of information, marketing statistics (characteristics of turnover, sales volume, sales sales, import, export, advertising), marketing cost data (on product, advertising, promotion, sales, communications), other data (on the performance of installations , equipment, price lists on raw materials, characteristics of the storage system, consumer cards, etc.).

As external sources are:

• - publications of national and international official organizations;
• - Publications government agencies, ministries, municipal committees and organizations;
• - publications of chambers and industrial chambers and associations;
• - annual statistical information;
• - reports and publications of industry firms and joint ventures;
• - books, messages in magazines and newspapers;
• - Publications of educational, research, design institutions and socio-scientific organizations, symposia, congresses, conferences;
• - Price lists, catalogs, brochures and other branded publications.

In order to get an overview of the secondary information, it is necessary:

• 1. Determine the possible sources of information you need. This information may be contained in internal and external sources. Internal sources of information include internal reports of the company, conversations with employees, sales reports, accounting and financial reports, complaints and consumer suggestions, etc. External sources of information are funds mass mediamanufactured by various bulletin organizations, publishing research and consulting firms, statistical collections; The mass of valuable information is on the Internet - thematic and industry sites, the websites of competing companies.
• 2. Examine all selected sources of information, analyze their content and select the information you need.
• 3. Prepare a final report.

The main advantages of secondary information - as a rule, it is cheap, and access to it can be obtained relatively easily and quickly.

The main disadvantages are related to the fact that secondary information was collected to solve another problem. Accordingly, it will most likely be a) outdated, b) incomplete, c) not to have a direct relationship to the problem, d) unreliable (this applies to Russian sources of secondary information, in which the meaning of the same parameter in different sources There are almost an order of magnitude).

Studies using the Internet are relatively cheap method of collecting primary information.

Advantages:

• - speed and profitability.
• - no differences in the speed of research inside and outside the country

Disadvantages:

Requires advance careful planning.

Any field study involves the participation of the researcher in obtaining the primary information. What information and in what volume should be obtained is determined by the formulated goal of the study. At the same time, the methods shown in Table are commonly used to obtain this information. 1.2.

Table 1.2.Methods for collecting information

Fig. 1.4.

Recently, one of the most common ways to obtain the necessary information becomes a survey of a certain circle of people who are directly related to the problem under study. Conduct a survey - this means to identify the existing positions respondents over some of the issues related to the problem under consideration.

Polls allow you to explore a relatively wide range of problems related to marketing. The main problem of the survey method is how to limit the goals of the poll, which determine the strategy and interpretation of the information received. Closely for the purpose of the survey, the problem of determining the circle of persons who participate in the survey (expert, merchant, consumer, etc.). When organizing a survey, special attention pays special attention to the survey tactics (especially the wording of issues), the forms of polling and the methods of selecting the respondents.

Polls can be one-time or repeating. Repeating polls are called the panel. This term occurred from the English word Panel, which indicates a list. Panel study is a survey of a certain, representative circle of individuals for a long time or for a certain period of time on a specific topic. As a panel can act as a group of individuals and organizations. This method is used in the study of consumer opinions. a certain group Persons for any period of time, and based on consumer opinions, their needs, habits, tastes are studied based on it. The most important shapes of the panel are the consumer panel and the entrepreneurs panel (Fig.1.5)

When using polling methods, the researcher arises the problem of issues of issues. The choice of a form of a question is determined by how specifically the purpose of the conducted research is set.

To collect primary data, marketing researchers can choose from two main research instruments: profile and technical means.

Fig.1.5.

The questionnaire is the most common instrument of research when collecting primary data. The questionnaire is a number of issues to which the respondent should give answers. Application form - the tool is very flexible, questions can be set in many in different ways. The questionnaire requires careful development, testing and eliminating the identified deficiencies before its wide use. During the development of the questionnaire, the marketing researcher selects the questions that need to be specified, chooses the form of these issues, their wording and sequence. Each question needs to be checked from the point of view of the contribution, which it contributes to the achievement of the research results. Celebrating issues should be omitted because they delay the procedure and actually responded with nerves. The profile usually consists of administration, the props, and the main part.

The formulation of questionnaire issues should be concrete, clear and unambiguous, the researcher must use simple, unequivocal words that do not affect the answer, the questionnaire must be concise and maintain the optimal number of issues. The questionnaire should not be monotonous, inspired boredom and cause fatigue. A generally accepted terminology should be used in the questionnaire test. All questions should be grouped into certain blocks in accordance with the logic of the study. You must use control questions to verify the sequence of respondents in the responses. Difficult and personal questions are placed at the end of the questionnaire.

The survey cannot be started without the corresponding questionnaire testing. It is used to assess the questions themselves and their sequences. During testing, it turns out whether people really remember the data that would like to receive from them, do not confuse their some questions, do not cause reluctance to respond or uncertainty in responses. The inclusion of each question in the questionnaire is justified.

Questioning by phone is used in cases where it is necessary to collect information in a short time in the wide geographical size of the market. A survey on the phone needs to keep pre-prepared questions in advance. The characteristics of the telephone survey are low cost, the speed of field work, the ability to conduct a study on large samples, a high degree of standardization and a small amount of the questionnaire. Duration - no more than 15 minutes. The disadvantages of the method are less confidential contact between the interviewer and the respondent, the impossibility of using visual materials.

When interviewing the immediate contact of the interviewer with the respondent allows you to get more reliable information, use visual materials and include open questions in the questionnaire. Maximum duration Interview 20-25 minutes. The method is most effective in case of easily accessible target audience Research is well suited for research with specific groups of respondents (for example, young people), difficult to be achievable in other types of surveys.

In-Hall Test is a method of collecting data providing researchers the greatest opportunities. The survey is carried out in a specially prepared room, which allows the use of different equipment, to present the respondents a large number of samples, etc. In the case of a difficult to achieve the target audience (for example, high-yield consumers, professionals, children with parents, etc.) is possible preliminary selection of respondents.

"Focus Group" is to conduct a group deep-focused interview in the form of a group discussion, during which subjective information from its participants is collected according to the designated circle of problems. The recommended amount of focus groups in the study of a particular problem is 3-5. Focus groups are used in the case when it is necessary to obtain detailed data from existing or potential consumers about their perception of the object of study, associations and opinions with it related, as well as for modeling the possible consumer behavior. Each of the survey methods has its own positive and negative sides. Table 4.6 shows the advantages and disadvantages of individual methods of this form of marketing research.

The effectiveness of the survey largely depends on the sampling. There is a need to get information about the parameters of the Group, among whose members will be a marketing study. For example, managing marketing wants to know data on the volume of sales of its products through various types of retail stores. Such a "group" in statistics is called a general population or simply a set. Sometimes the aggregate is quite small in its number, and the manager can explore all its members. Usually it is impossible to do this: to study, for example, the opinion of all children of age from 3 to 5 years relative to the toys of a certain type. Therefore, the study of only part of the aggregate is carried out.

To determine the necessary and sufficient sample, the researcher must estimate the range of respondents, which would correspond to the whole of the totality and responded to the tasks of the study. When developing a sample definition plan, it is necessary to determine who to interview, how many people need to poll and how to select the members of the sample.

Table 1.3. Property and disadvantages of various forms of survey

The following stages of the selection plan can be distinguished:

• 1. Determining the appropriate aggregate.
• 2. Getting a "list" of the totality.
• 3. Designing the sample plan.
• 4. Determination of access methods to the aggregate.
• 5. Achieving the desired size of the sample.
• 6. Check sample for compliance with the requirements.
• 7. If necessary, the formation of a new sample.

In reality, the decision on the sampling volume is a compromise between theoretical assumptions about the accuracy of the survey results and the possibilities of their practical implementation, primarily meaning the cost of conducting a survey

It should be noted that there is no direct connection between the sample size and the representativeness of the results obtained.

In practice, several approaches are used to define sampling. First of all, we describe the most simple.

An arbitrary approach is based on the use of "thumb rule". For example, it is not necessary that the sample should be 5% of the totality to obtain accurate results. This approach is simple and easy to perform, but it is not possible to establish the accuracy of the results obtained. With a sufficiently large totality, it can also be very expensive.

The size of the sample can be established on the basis of some predetermined conditions. For example, the customer of marketing research knows that when studying public opinion, the sample is usually 1000-1200 people, so he recommends the researcher to adhere to this figure. In the event that annual studies are held on some market, then in each year it uses the sample of the same volume. Unlike the first approach, a well-known logic is used here in determining the sample volume, which, however, is very vulnerable.

For example, when conducting certain studies, accuracy may be required less than when studying public opinion, and the total of a totality may be many times less than when studying public opinion. Thus, this approach does not take into account the current circumstances and may be quite expensive. In some cases, as the main argument, when determining the sample volume, the cost of the survey is used. Thus, the budget of marketing research provides for certain surveys that cannot be exceeded. Obviously, the value of the information received is not taken into account. However, in some cases, a small sample can give fairly accurate results.

It seems reasonable to take into account costs not in an absolute way, but in relation to the usefulness of information obtained as a result of the surveys conducted. The customer and researcher should consider various sample volumes and data collection methods, costs, take into account other factors

The size of the sample can be determined on the basis of statistical analysis. This approach is based on determining the minimum sampling based on certain requirements for the reliability and reliability of the results obtained. It is also used in the analysis of the results obtained for individual subgroups formed as part of the selection on the floor, age, the level of education, etc. Requirements for the reliability and accuracy of results for individual subgroups dictate certain requirements for the size of the sample in general

The sample study is always associated with an error or with measurement error (Table 1.4).

Table 1.4. Dependency of the error interval from the sample size and confidence level

The error interval should be taken into account when processing the results of the survey.

From the point of view of the process of the process, there are at least three alternative approaches to data collection: by the forces of marketing service staff, by the forces of a specially created group or involving companies specializing in collecting data. The process of collecting information is usually the most expensive study stage. In addition, during its implementation, a sufficiently large number of errors may occur.

When collecting data, many errors can occur - others rather than sampling errors, therefore called boring errors. These errors include the selection of incorrect elements of the sample to take an interview, invincient the opinions of those who refused to give an interview or did not at home, false assessments given by interviewee deliberately. It is possible to falsify the data from the interviewer. Errors can be performed when rewriting collected information from the questionnaire. Unlike sampling errors, extra-harvest errors cannot be measured. Therefore, it is important to find out the possible causes of extra-harvest errors in advance and take appropriate measures to prevent them.

The experiment is another method, the most important tool for analyzing and testing in the marketing system. Depending on the conduct conditions, the field and laboratory experiment distinguish. The main goal of the experiment is a study of the behavior of an object on the dynamics of its output parameters when the input characteristics change, which can vary both by the experimenter (laboratory) and the environment (field). For example, changing the structure of buyers when changing advertising and prices, or changes in the behavior of competitors and merchants.

The greatest application in practice finds a field experiment that is carried out by normal conditions. ambient. It finds use for research in the marketing of goods, means of production and means of consumption. The laboratory experiment is carried out in specially prepared testing conditions.

Depending on the relationship of the test under test, the testing process distinguishes four types of experiment:

• -Open experiment when tested is aware of the goal, tasks and experimental conditions;
• - Experiment in not clear for the tested situation, when only his tasks and his behavior in the experiment are known to him, but the objectives of the experiment are not known;
• -nimate experiment when the test knows the objectives and objectives of the experience, but does not know the conditions of the situation in which it will be held;
• -Hefined experiment when the test is not fully aware of the goal, the task and conditions of the experiment.

In practice, there are experiments that are conducted in the form different tests and are classified according to various criteria, such as testing site (market, studio, home, etc.), test object (product test, price test, etc.), the identity of the test (current consumer, an expert, potential consumer, etc.), Duration of test (short-term, long), etc.

Data analysis begins with the conversion of source data (Introduction to a computer, check for errors, encoding, representation in matrix form). This allows you to translate a lot of raw data into meaningful information. The following is a statistical analysis (the average values, frequencies, regression and correlation coefficients are calculated, the trend analysis is carried out, etc.). This uses a marketing information analysis system.

The marketing information analysis system is a set of perfect methods for analyzing marketing data and marketing problems. The basis of any analysis system for analyzing marketing information is a statistical bank and a bank of models.

Statistical Bank is a set of modern methods of statistical processing of information that allow the most fully opening interdependencies as part of a collection of data and establish the degree of their statistical reliability. These techniques include correlation analysis, factor analysis, regression analysis, etc.

The Bank of Models is a set of mathematical models that contribute to the adoption of optimal marketing solutions of market figures. Such models include a price calculation model, a model for developing an advertising budget, and the like.

After collecting information and processing, a final report on the work done is created, where the findings of the study are indicated and recommendations are given to the customer.

1. The fundamental differences between quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting primary information

2. Types of quality research

Main categories and concepts: Quantitative research, high-quality research, case static, ethnographic method, historical method, family history method, biographical method, focus group method.

Sociological and marketing information is a special case of social information. This is the information obtained by the help of sociological and marketing methods of its collection and interpreted within sociology and marketing boundaries.

In modern sociology and marketing, high-quality and quantitative data collection methods are used to obtain primary information.

Chronologically quality methods It has arisen much later than quantitative, in the second half of the twentieth century. Principal honors Qualitative methods is the practical possibility of obtaining a subjective context of opinions, judgments, the estimates of the respondents, which are called informants in high-quality studies. At the same time, in high-quality studies, it is not provided for the use of a largely surveyed aggregate, as a result of which the possibility of extrapolation (transfer) of the data obtained for the entire general population is excluded. As a rule, in a qualitative study, the surveyed set is 10-15 units of analysis, but the selection of the analysis units is carried out according to all the rules for the formation of a selective aggregate.

The collection of information is carried out, mainly by means of aneractive interview or narrative essay (narrative - deep textual research), during which informants express their subjective judgments, opinions, assessments. The subjectivity of statements is dictated by the fact that this kind of survey is not standardized, that is, the informants are not offered issues with their associated scales. Informants are given only by common areas of conversation or essay: or in the form of a problem / theme, or in form general issues, or in the form of clusters (a list of positions for which it is desirable to obtain information). In each case, the informant determines the substantial context of the conversation or essay itself.

During the preparation of such a study, a traditional research program is drawn up. At the end of the quality research, the analysis and processing of the results obtained are carried out, which are subsequently used in the report text. A feature of methods for processing quality information is the impossibility of using statistical programs.

Currently there are no standard methods for processing quality information. Most general requirementFollowing high-quality information is the use of the so-called "live speech" of informants, which in the context of the interpretational text of the researcher should be maintained in the stylistics and vocabulary of informants. In the case of an essay - in the spelling of informants, that is, with all possible errors (in real research practice, this kind of claims are unconditional for sociology, but not for marketing).

Study Style using high-quality methods is defined as soft, warm.

Quantitative research are built on other grounds and laws. In this case, standardized ways of obtaining information are used, with which statistical accounting is possible. Based on statistical data, a general trend on the surveyed aggregate is determined, which may be extrapolated to the general population, since in this case it is used valid sample (i.e. statistically significant, reflecting all the diversity of signs of the general population).

Interviewed in quantitative studies are called respondents.

At the end of such a study, it is used to process the results: or statistical programs, or SPSS program. Manual processing is possible - the so-called appearance.

Study Style using quantitative methods is defined as hard, cold.

In research practice, mixed methods are predominantly used in the realities of today - high-quality quantitatives. In this case, two research strategies can be used.

1. First use quantitative methods, the statistical results of which allow us to construct certain high-quality / social portraits.

2. High-quality methods are initially used, during which those indicators / conversational concepts are detected, which were used in the speech of informants in a repeat when evaluating any similar life situationsevents. Subsequently, these indicators are used in the preparation of quantitative studies.

Turn to the example to several species of quality research , Describing them in the general list not to the degree of importance, but for the convenience of presentation.

· Case Stadi / Case Study - Study of specific situations, Cutchaev, characterizing the vital activity of certain small groups. In this case, behavioral patterns are actually investigated, which arise in non-standard situations that have become a subject of research interest.

When conducting a case stage, additional options are possible: a study of one small group In several situations or a study of several small groups in a similar situation.

· Ethnographic method - With which information is collected from representatives of a certain ethnic group, which allows you to form a high-quality portrait of an ethnic group.

· Historical method - (to a significant extent, close to the so-called "oral history" / "Oral History" method, which was actively used in American sociology) is to recreate certain historical events in the stories of their participants.

· Method of family history - studying the dynamics of intra-family relationships in the context of historical events, changes in the socio-status positions of members of one family in the chronological and event context of history. In the 90s, the method was actively developed by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as a result of which academic publications appeared, in which the history of workers, peasant, meshchansky, noble families of Russia were presented.

When using this method, it should be borne in mind that from the point of view of demographics, statistics, sociology, a generation step - 25 years, that is, inter-floor differentiation inside families should be built on this principle.

· Biographical method ("Life History") - allows you to trace the dynamics of personality development in the context of certain accompanying life circumstances. This method is actively used in modern American sociology. IN russian practice There was a rather close equivalent, which is represented by the ZhZl series ("Life of wonderful people"). However, in this case, a sociological view of the problem was not involved in the problem, as a result of which, according to the sociological presentation, this statement of biographical materials cannot be considered.

· Focus Group Method - This is one of the ways to focus the attention of informants on a certain problem. Focus groups are different. Traditional / ordinary focus group (FG) includes 7-9 people. Expanded (RFG) - up to 13-15 people. Mini Focus Group (IFG) - from 3 to 5 people.

The first two in time lasts in the range of 1.5 - 2 hours. The mini focus group can take place within 3 or more hours.

The focus group conducts moderator along with the assistant. The entire course of the discussion is recorded on the video and on the voice recorder.

At the preparatory stage, the range of issues should be discussed during the focus group. Moreover, each of the questions should be expressed by all participants in the focus group.

Discussion usually occurs in a situation of relaxed tea drinking (or coffee) in order to make an informalized nature to communicate.

Before each participant there is a sign indicating his name and patronymic, so that the participants can appropriate to contact him.

When forming focus groups, it is important to comply with the principle of socio-status unity of the group. Inappropriate in one group to attract people with contrasting socio-demographic positions (age, marital status, activity, place of work, position, etc.).

The focus group should pass in the chamber atmosphere in the absence of outsiders. No one should interfere with the course of her. Tables must be supplied by a semicircle so that all those present can see each other. The door should be in the field of view of informants, and not behind their backs, to exclude random, distracting peeping, interfering to speak.

These are the standard requirements for the procedure of focus groups.

It should be borne in mind that an individual interview can be focused. This is the most case that is defined as a narrative interview in a high-quality research situation.

In modern domestic sociology, all methods of high-quality research are applied to obtain the source data. In marketing - only focus groups in all its modifications.

Sociological methods are successfully used to collect primary data. There are three basic methods for collecting primary information: observation, experiment, survey.

In tab. 2 shows the advantages and disadvantages of the basic sociological methods of research used in marketing research.

Observation is a method for collecting information by fixing the functioning of the objects under study without the researchers with researchers with them and in the absence of control over the factors affecting their behavior.

Observation can be carried out both open and secretly. Since the awareness of the object of study on finding it under observation may affect his behavior and in this case may be regarded as the establishment of contact with it, in practice, as a rule, hidden observations are carried out. At the same time, hidden cameras and special mirrors are used as an instrument of research.

Table 2. Advantages and disadvantages of the main sociological research methods

Observation is used mainly when conducting search research, i.e. Wearing a preliminary character aimed at concretizing the problems facing researchers.

The experiment is a method for collecting information about the behavior of the objects under study, providing for the establishment of control researchers for all factors affecting the functioning of these objects.

The purpose of the study conducted with the help of the experiment is, as a rule, the establishment of causal relationships between marketing factors and the behavior of the objects under study.

To ensure the reliability of the experimental results, the significance of all factors except the investigated should remain unchanged. If necessary, a study of several factors may require a series of experiments.

In practice, this method is used in cases where it takes a high degree of accuracy to establish the nature of causal relationships between marketing factors and the behavior of the object under study.

Interview. The polling is understood as the method of collecting information, by establishing contacts with the objects of the study. As an instrument of research, a questionnaire is used as a survey method, which is a questionnaire providing for the fixation of the answers.

Polls practically do not have alternatives in cases where the firm needs information about knowledge, beliefs. And consumer preferences, the degree of their satisfaction, about the image of the company, etc. This, first of all, explains widespread use when conducting marketing research of this method.

So, if an experiment was chosen as a method, the researchers should conduct a thorough preparation, including the definition of the place or places of its conduct, the duration of the conduct, the composition of factors, marketing and their values \u200b\u200bthat must be supported unchanged or change strictly in a certain way throughout the experiment.

Supervision preparation provides for the definition of observation places, its duration, security measures, detailed instructions for observers for interpretation of possible various behaviors of the objects under study.

Preparation of information collection with a survey provides for the solution of the following tasks:

• - choose a way to communicate with the audience;
• - preparation of the questionnaire;
• - Conducting testing and refinement of the questionnaire.

There are three main ways to communicate a researcher with an object when conducting a survey: by phone, by mail and personal interview. Each of these communication methods has certain advantages and disadvantages. The appendix in considers the main advantages and disadvantages.

The questionnaire is a flexible survey tool, because To obtain the necessary information, questions that differ in the form, wording, sequence can be used. So researchers can conduct both open and hidden survey.

With an open survey, the wording of issues are used, clearly reflecting its goal. The advantage of such a survey is to eliminate interpretations to the respondents, which do not meet the objectives of the study. The main disadvantage is the desire of the respondent respondent in some cases to avoid a frank response and above all for personal questions.

The hidden survey allows us to avoid the lack of marked above, increase the degree of sincerity of the responses, but may lead to undesirable offsets in responses due to the wrong interpretation of the questioned question.

Depending on the form distinguish two types of questions: open and closed. Open questions have a form discovering for interviewed full freedom in a response wording.

Closed questions provide an interviewed set of alternative answers, of which it must choose one or more, best reflecting its position (for example, "specify the two most important cell phone characteristics for you: appearance, compatibility, reliability, cost, availability of additional functions, etc. .). These questions may require a unambiguous response ("Yes" or "No") or provide a multiple choice.

Open questions are preferable at preliminary studies aimed at finding out the nature of the problem. Their disadvantage is that there are difficulties in front of the researcher in analyzing the answers due to the discrepancies of the shades of words and expressions and the impossibility of their unequivocal interpretation. Therefore, in practice, closed questions found the greatest distribution when conducting marketing research.

Questions of questionnaires should be carefully developed and meet the established requirements.

The final choice of the proper method largely depends on the qualifications and experience of the researchers, the depth of the possession of them by individual data collection methods.

The purpose of this chapter is a description of the specific research tasks arising in the field of marketing, and the possibilities that the arsenal of sociological methods have to solve these tasks.

From our point of view, the marketing and similar tasks with them have the following specific features:

1. Research objectives are purely pragmatic. The customer is not interested in knowing whether the scientific methods that researcher uses. It is important for him that the results of the study can be used for practical purposes.
2. A hypothesis or awareness to be checked "is set by the researcher with the customer. The customer refers to the researcher to reduce the risk from the decision-making in conditions of high uncertainty.
3. Studies are not able to give the customer an accurate and reliable answer that reduces the degree of risk to zero. They can only reduce the degree of uncertainty. At the same time, there is always a risk that the study has contributed to the assessment of a certain systematic error. Genuine performance of the study is almost not amenable to strict verification.
4. Any specific marketing research is always rigidly limited in means and limited in time. In this regard, the purpose of studies is not to obtain a maximum reliable result, but the result that is seen as reliable as possible at a given amount of funds. It requires a researcher a very rigid prioritization. Work in conditions of limited budget and time is difficult, but A.Goldman and S. Makdonald believe that such a specificity has a very useful disciplining effect on the researcher.

Marketing hypotheses are born in consciousness of managers based on, on the one hand, evaluating the technological, financial and other possibilities of their enterprises and, on the other hand, hypotheses about market perspectives new products, services or advertising campaign. Expert review The managers of their resource opportunities are usually realistic, although in some cases the costs of product development are higher than the calculated one. Nevertheless, the main risk is not related to the assessment of resource capabilities, but with the actual marketing aspects of the hypothesis. So, according to special research, in the United States in the market of consumer goods (and this is the main market serviced by sociological surveys) fail to fail about 40% of all proposed new products. The complexity of predicting the reaction of buyers testifies, in particular, the following example. Corporation "TI", expanding production volumes and reducing costs, achieved a noticeable price reduction and managed to conquer the main share of the American wrist calculators market. It seemed logical assumption that the same approach would work on the electronic market watchmakers. However, logic did not work. Despite low prices, the clock "Ty" buyers did not like (ibid, p.22].

So, the marketing hypothesis is an expert opinion of managers sprobed to society. Sometimes such hypotheses are effective over all expectations. Nevertheless, the risk from decision-making even very qualified managers remains great, so for many decades, attempts to reduce it with the help of conducting special research.

What fundamental capabilities exist to test marketing hypotheses? Empight, there are three of them:

1. The full-scale introduction of the product on the market is the most expensive, the most risky, but at the same time the only reliable way to check the initial hypothesis.
2. Loading to the market of trial batches of the product. The cost of this method of checking an order of magnitude less than full-scale implementation, but still they are very high. Unlike full-scale introduction, which has a chance to turn into a major success, the manufacture and implementation of the trial party is inevitable is an unprofitable event. Finally, the experimental dynamics of sales in the implementation of the trial party is not quite a reliable model of full-scale implementation: the sluggish sale can be explained by the fact that the consumer has not yet "tying" new products, but active sale It may be associated with short-term attractive effects. Real market practice knows many examples and of the other type of buyers's reaction to the introduction of trial parties of goods.
3. Customer polls. This method of testing hypotheses has both advantages and disadvantages. Major advantages two. First, even a large-scale expensive survey by an order, and sometimes several orders of magnitude cheaper than the market experiment. Secondly, if market experiments consider purchasing behavior as a "black box", on which you can find out about the reactions of which only measuring the parameters at the inlet and output, the polls are an attempt to understand the structure of the internal, i.e. Motivational determinants of consumer behavior.

Strictly speaking, on some not always fully conscious ideas about these motivational determinants, the initial hypothesis of the manager is also being built, which is projected by the society in accordance with the principle of "What I like, I must like many." If the manager is really experienced, this approach justifies itself more often than it is customary to think, because it is based on long-term observation and understanding its results. Nevertheless, as already mentioned, the risk of error remains great.

So, the purpose of the polls is to check, correct and, possibly develop the initial managerial hypotheses, based on a kind of "consumer examination", which also estimates the problem with a purely practical point of view, but sees it in another perspective than the manufacturer.

§ 4.2. La Pierre's paradox in marketing research

The main obstacle to the creation of effective forecasts with the help of the survey method is the famous paradox of La Pierre, which says that people do not always come as they say. At the same time, the area of \u200b\u200bmarketing studies is the area where the effect of this paradox is manifested with particularly visuality and sometimes with very serious consequences. It is significant that the La Pierre himself, which is an academic plan, was implemented in marketing space. There are many research areas where the inconsistency of the results of surveys and real behavior is flushed due to the lack of or impossibility of direct comparison of the results of polls and the real behavior of people, but marketing does not apply to their number. For this reason, if we talk about developed countries, "..net and there was no such enterprise, a commercial or academic, which would spend so much money to study the understanding of human behavior as the marketing and advertising industry."

Along with clinical psychology, marketing is one of the main research regions in which the study of the problems supplied by La Pierre got substantial development. Traditional polling methods, both quantitative and high-quality, are based on an implicit premise that a person has only one "true" opinion on some question. If, during the survey, the respondent under the action of certain incentives began to express contradictory points of view, the task was usually put so that the researcher should find one "true". In fact, with the exception of cases of aware of lies, all these points should be considered as "true" in the sense that they are genuine facts of consciousness (or subconscious), and one of them cannot be not considered as "True" in value 100 % correlation with valid behavior.

In quantitative studies, the effects of a paradox of La Pierre are simply impaired by the presence of temporary lag between the moment of obtaining polls and the moment when this data is tested by comparing with real market statistics. In addition, quantitative data themselves possess the visibility of objectivity (a kind of "hypnosis" of digital information). The group interviews seem to represent the opposite ideal-typical pole, on which these problems arise in front of the researcher in the extreme degree of nude. According to the testimony of experienced moderators, in some cases a group of opinion is obtained quite well integrated, and the researcher does not have difficulties and doubts about his interpretation. It often happens, however, that even in one interview, various aspects of group communication (oral, written, non-verbal, refugee) may be contaminated and assumed different interpretations. D.Gemplton so characterizes this: "I do not fully understand why this happens, but written and oral answers, when comparing, often look as if they are given by different people and different groups. Sometimes they are so different that they have to check their records. " Similar effects celebrate many other authors. One of the common explanations of this phenomenon is reduced to that. That the initial written response reflects the true opinions of respondents outside the situation of group pressure, and oral statements express feelings arising under the action of such pressure. At the same time, the question remains open, which of these reactions more adequately reflects the behavior of people in the market.

To resolve these problems there is no mathematical or other formalized algorithm. The effect of focus group discussions, which is expressed in the increasing understanding of the problem and nomination of more substantiated market hypotheses, is based on, from our point of view, on direct conceptual triangulation between the ordinary views of the consumer, conceptualized thinking of the studio (marketing, clinical, sociological) and management consciousness of the customer. Below, when describing specific methodological rules, it will be shown that direct triangulation interactions "Customer-respondents" and "Customer-Researcher" are at least an important aspect Conducting focus group research than the interaction of the Respondents Researcher. It seems that, if we talk about the main specific feature and on the main advantage of focus groups compared to other high-quality methodsThis advantage is primarily a multilateral triangulation interaction. For this parameter, the method of focus groups is unique and has no close analogues.

§ 4.3. Methods of marketing research

Marketing as purely practical area, uses all means that help or can help solve emerging research tasks. Methodical triangulation is widely used in marketing, i.e. The combination of various methods or, in a broader sense, all available information flows (including, for example, industrial espionage). The final managerial decisions are usually accepted at the junction of two major information blocks: information about external environment Enterprises (marketing analysis) and information about its internal situation ( production analysis). An experienced marketer in the formulation of marketing research goals is always taken into account the production situation and the resource capabilities of the customer's company, in order to avoid an unpleasant situation in which the best marketing research is rejected due to its inconsistency in production capabilities. An knowledgeable marketer is always well aware that marketing, and production information by a wide stream comes to managers in addition to research on channels. business communication through the administrative apparatus, by organizing managerial checks, etc. Studies in the proper sense of this word should prove not just their utility, but its competitiveness in tough struggle with effective means Traditional managerial analysis. Only in this context can be understood by the real success of marketing research and difficulties facing them.

The main tools for obtaining marketing information are:

1. Market statistics, first of all, the dynamics of prices and sales volumes. In the process of analysis, the current speaker is compared with the past, as well as with the dynamics of firms and competitors. Analysis also uses the reviews of the general economic situation.
2. Mass quantitative polls used for a wide range of tasks, including verification and detail of market statistics, tracking general trends purchasing behavior (Trends, monitoring), market segmentation and analysis of market segments, the study of consumer installations The special group of research is compiled by advertising surveys, including an assessment of the audience of the mass media and the percentage of recognition or memorizing specific advertising circulation.
3. Market tests. This group combines a combination of methods related to the direct testing of goods by the consumer. Depending on the volume of a batch of goods, testing can be carried out either in laboratory conditions or directly on the market. The use of tests is carried out in combination with all other methods of obtaining marketing information - statistics, quantitative and high-quality polls. Comparative testing is widely used, for example, the implementation of test parties of several modifications of goods in different parts of the city with similar characteristics of the population and consumer demand.
4. Qualitative survey methods. As already mentioned, in marketing research, this group of methods is presented primarily by focus groups. Individual interviews are also used and so-called Desides (interviews in pairs). If the quantitative methods answer the question "How much?", Then high-quality mainly answer the question "Why?". In other words, qualitative research is aimed at understanding the motorcycle aspects of customer behavior. This difference is often a source of misunderstanding, especially from customers who put themselves veiled quantitative questions like: "What kind of packaging more like?" Or "What will you buy?" Such questions are veiled quantitative. Qualitative research can answer the question than, i.e. What specific qualities liked or did not like this or that item. Reliable data on the ratio of the number of buyers who liked or did not like or did not like, a qualitative study cannot give, although it can identify certain trends.