Consumer Preference Analysis |
METHODOLOGY
Structure of Questionnaire:
The survey included the following sections: Introduction, Top of Mind Awareness, Pre-Ad Exposure Rating, Print Ad Exposure, Post-Ad Exposure Rating, Post-Ad Exposure Differences, Brand Attitudes, Advertisement Attitudes, and Demographics. A description of each of these sections follows.
Introduction: The questionnaire opens with a brief message requesting the participation of email recipients. It assures the educational purpose of the survey and the strict confidentiality of all responses.
Top of Mind Awareness (Section 1): These questions ask the respondents to type the last brand of shampoo, body lotion, and body wash he or she purchased. The purpose of this question is to determine which brands are "top of mind" to the respondent and to which brands the respondent may feel a sense of loyalty. At this point, the respondent does not know which brands the survey will focus on; thus, the goal is to minimize biases when collecting the data. For the purposes of this study, the body wash responses will be the only brands analyzed.
Pre-Ad Exposure Rating (Section 2): These questions ask the respondent to record his or her attitude toward or intention to buy shampoo, body lotion, and body wash on a 10-point constant sum scale according to how much they like each brand right now. The respondent is asked to assign the 10 points across three brands, avoiding a three-way tie and assuring a definite brand preference. The values from this scale are eventually used to analyze pre- and post-ad exposure changes. For the purposes of this study, the body wash responses will be the only brands that will be analyzed; shampoo and body lotion were included to get the respondent accustomed to the concept of dividing 10 points across three brands.
Print Ad Exposure (Section 3): This section contains full-color, single page bleeds magazine advertisement for each brand of body wash. Respondents were asked to read the ads and then to complete the remainder of the survey without looking back at the ads.
Post-Ad Exposure Rating (Section 4): This section is the same as section 2. Repeating this question is extremely important, as it is designed to determine any change in brand preference after viewing the ads. This "post viewing" section allows for the comparison of pre-ad exposure index scores and post-ad exposure index scores to create a change score for each brand.
Post-Ad Exposure Differences (Section 5): This section has four parts, three of which are optional. The first part is to determine if viewing the ads makes the respondent feel differently toward any of the three brands. If there is no difference, the respondent skips ahead to section 6; if the respondent selects yes, he or she is then asked which brand was affected, whether the impact was favorable or unfavorable, and to provide any additional comments about the difference of opinion.
Brand Attitudes (Section 6): These questions use Likert scales to measure attitudes, preferences, and subjective reactions to each brand. The questions reflect common attributes (both negative and positive) associated with body wash. The respondent chooses only one of the following answers for each attribute: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree nor Disagree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree. This Likert scale enables qualitative brand attributes to be converted to quantitative data (each answer has a numerical value).
Advertisement Attitudes (Sections 7): This section asks the respondent to give a "Yes" or "No" response to 10 different impressions of each brand based on the print ads. To gauge general reactions to the print ads, these impressions are both negative and positive. The responses are also numerically coded for quantitative analysis.
Ad Evaluation/Effectiveness (Section 8): This section asks the respondent to give a "Yes" or "No" response to ten different statements regarding each print ad's effectiveness. The same statements and order are used for all three test brands. The responses are also numerically coded for quantitative analysis. The respondent is asked respond to the following impressions:
Demographic (Section 9): The final section has six questions to gather basic demographic and lifestyle information: the respondent’s gender, age, highest level of education, living status, what type of soap the respondent prefer, and how many times per month the respondent purchase body wash.
For the specific frequencies of how each question was answered, please refer to Appendix A.
This study was designed to measure brand attitudes and responsiveness to advertisements using a copy-test format with pre- and post-advertising exposure data collection. Respondents were asked to score brands prior to and immediately after viewing an advertisement. In addition, other attitudinal responses were measured after viewing the ad. Due to time constraints, there was no control group against which to measure responses.
Sampling Description:
Due to time and monetary constraints, this study utilized a non-random, convenience sample. A minimum of 60 completed questionnaires was required in order to have an adequate sample size for analysis. This sample size also allows for enough representation so that if statistical significance is found, projection can be made in 85 or more samples out of 100 within the same population from which these 60 were drawn. This research is based on the results of seventy-nine completed surveys.
Online Data Collection Process:
The data in this study were collected through an online survey/questionnaire constructed by Dreamweaver software (questionnaire can be viewed in Appendix B). Respondents accessed the survey via a link sent out in an e-mail sent to friends and family. The results submitted by each respondent were linked through a Cold Fusion program and integrated into a master database file. This information was retrieved through Microsoft Access and all analyses were conducted using SPSS and simple mathematical formula.
The overall feedback from respondents regarding this online survey is positive. Some respondents mentioned the illustration and the light background color of the survey, and how these elements made the survey an enjoyable experience. The time duration of the survey is reasonable, and the website is easy to understand and operate.