Sociological methods of marketing research. Encyclopedia of Marketing Methods of Social Marketing Research

The purpose of this work is to study the theory and methodology of sociological methods in marketing research, as well as to consider the techniques, procedures and features of the application of these methods in practice. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:
Describe the theoretical foundations of marketing research, its essence and content;
Study the theoretical foundations of quantitative and qualitative research methods;
Describe the techniques and procedures for applying quantitative and qualitative methods;
Reveal the essence of banking marketing;

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………. 3
Chapter Ι. Theory and methodology of sociological methods in marketing research
1.1. The concept of marketing research ………………………………… 7
1.2. Specificity of quantitative methods ………………………………… .. 13
1.3. Theoretical foundations of qualitative methods ……………………… .. 21
Chapter ӀΙ. Features and techniques of applying sociological methods in marketing research
2.1. Techniques and procedures for applying quantitative and qualitative methods ………………………………………………………………………. 29
2.2. The concept and essence of banking marketing. Application of sociological methods marketing research in practice on the example of JSC "Rosselkhozbank" …………………………………………………. 56
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………… .... 62
Bibliography ………………………………

The choice of a specific type of research is largely determined by the goals of the research and the tasks that are solved at individual stages of its implementation. Certain types of marketing research are used not only at the stage of identifying problems and research objectives, but also in the process of their implementation. Table 1.1 provides data summarizing foreign experiencecharacterizing the goals of marketing research for their individual areas and methods of their implementation.

Before considering the most popular individual marketing research methods, we give general characteristics methods that can be used in collecting and analyzing marketing information.

From the table below (although it does not pretend to be a comprehensive overview of all methods), it follows that the most widely used methods of conducting marketing research are document analysis methods, consumer survey methods (all of which, with a certain degree of convention, can be called sociological research methods, since they were first developed and used by sociologists), expert judgment and experimental methods.

The main difference between sociological research methods and expert assessments is that the former are aimed at mass respondents of very different competencies and qualifications, while expert assessments are aimed at a limited number of professional specialists. What unites these two groups of methods, first of all, is that in both cases the same methods of mathematical statistics are used to process the collected data.

All of these groups of methods will be described in more detail in the following sections of the book.

Another class of methods used in marketing research, but poorly reflected in the table. 1.1, represent economic and mathematical methods.

There are several groups of economic and mathematical methods used in marketing research:

• 1. Statistical methods of information processing (determination of average estimates, error rates, degree of agreement of respondents' opinions, etc. - are discussed in the subsequent sections of the book).
• 2 Multivariate methods (primarily factorial and cluster analyzes). They are used to inform marketing decisions based on numerous interrelated variables. For example, determining the volume of sales 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. Simulation methods. They are used when the variables that influence the marketing situation (for example, describing competition) cannot be determined using analytical methods.
• 5. Methods of statistical decision-making theory (game theory, theory queuing, stochastic programming) are used to stochastically describe the reaction of consumers to changes in the market situation. There are two main areas of application of these methods: for statistical testing of hypotheses about the structure of the market and assumptions about the state of the market, for example, researching the degree of loyalty to a brand, forecasting market share.
• 6. Deterministic methods of operations research (primarily linear and nonlinear programming). These methods are used when there are many interrelated variables and it is necessary to find the optimal solution - for example, the option of delivering the product to the consumer that provides the maximum profit, along one of the possible distribution channels.
• 7. Hybrid methods combining deterministic and probabilistic (stochastic) characteristics (for example, dynamic and heuristic programming) are used primarily to study the problems of goods movement.

These seven groups of quantitative methods certainly do not exhaust their entire variety.

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

• - the complexity of the object of study, the nonlinearity of marketing processes, the presence of threshold effects, for example, the minimum level of sales incentives, time lags (in particular, the response of consumers to advertising is often not immediately observed);
• - the effect of interaction of marketing variables, which for the most part are interdependent and interrelated, for example, price, assortment, quality, output;
• - the difficulty of measuring marketing variables. It is difficult to measure consumer response to certain incentives, such as advertising. Therefore, indirect methods are often used, for example, registering cases of product returns to determine the effectiveness of advertising;
• - the instability of marketing relationships due to changes in tastes, habits, ratings, etc .;
• - the relative incompatibility of personnel who are involved in marketing and the application of quantitative methods in their research. The first priority is given to informal methods, the second - to mathematical modeling.

The above is largely due to the fact that marketing deals with human behavior rather than technical phenomena. In marketing, things are rarely repeated; everything is different for different situations. Marketing is focused on specific consumers, and consumers are different.

In an environment of deep and rapid change external environment a mathematical model is unable to predict the impact of a change that was not initially taken into account in it. Unlike an expert, a mathematical model is not capable of improvisation and cannot adapt to profound changes in the external environment.

The breadth of application of certain methods in marketing research is also determined by the company's ability to use them independently or buy the results of such research. Obviously, large organizations have significantly more such opportunities than small businesses. Therefore, quantitative methods in marketing research are currently used more often by organizations with appropriate analytical departments to determine such important parameters. market activitieslike demand, sales volume, market share, etc.

Marketing research methods are primarily divided into primary and secondary data collection methods.

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

Most often, marketing research is understood as the collection of primary information. Primary data collection methods, in turn, are divided into qualitative data collection methods, quantitative data collection methods and the so-called mix-methods, via the Internet.

Qualitative research answers the "how" and "why" questions.

This type of research allows you to get very detailed data on the behavior, opinions, views, attitudes of a very small group of people. The data obtained cannot be quantified (with rare exceptions), but it does give a good idea of \u200b\u200bthe mindset of consumers. Qualitative research is indispensable in the development of new products, advertising campaigns, studying the image of companies, trade marks and solving other similar problems.

Basic methods of qualitative research: focus groups, in-depth interviews, protocol analysis.

Quantitative research answers the questions of "who" and "how much."

This type of research, in contrast to qualitative research, allows obtaining quantitatively expressed information on a limited range of problems, but from a large number of people, which makes it possible to process it by statistical methods and distribute the results to all consumers. Quantitative research helps to assess the level of awareness of a firm or brand, identify the main consumer groups, market size, etc.

The main methods of quantitative research are different kinds surveys and retail audits.

Mix-methods are mixed research methods that quite successfully combine the advantages of qualitative and quantitative methods.

The main types of mix techniques are hall tests, home tests and mystery shopping.

The advantages of primary information are as follows:

• - collection in accordance with a clearly set goal,
• - collection methodology is known and controlled. Results are available to the company and can be shielded from competitors,
• - reliability is known.

Its disadvantages include:

• - a lot of time for collection and processing,
• - high cost,
• - the company itself may not always collect all the necessary data.

Secondary data - information collected ever for any purpose unrelated to the current task.

Secondary research is usually based on existing information and therefore is called desk research.

Distinguish (in relation to the firm) external and internal sources for secondary research. Internal sources of information can be marketing statistics (characteristics of turnover, sales volume, sales volume, imports, exports, complaints), data on marketing costs (by product, advertising, promotion, sales, communications), other data (on the performance of installations , equipment, price lists for raw materials and materials, characteristics of the storage system, consumer cards, etc.).

External sources are:

• - publications of national and international official organizations;
• - publications of state bodies, ministries, municipal committees and organizations;
• - publications of chambers of commerce and associations;
• - yearbooks of statistical information;
• - reports and publications of industry firms and joint ventures;
• - books, messages in magazines and newspapers;
• - publications of educational, research, design institutes and social and scientific organizations, symposia, congresses, conferences;
• - price lists, catalogs, brochures and other company publications.

In order to get an overview of secondary information, you must:

• 1. Identify possible sources of information you need. This information can be contained in both internal and external sources. Internal sources of information include internal company reports, employee conversations, sales reports, accounting and financial reports, customer complaints and suggestions, etc. External sources of information are the media, newsletters issued by various organizations, publications of research and consulting firms , statistical collections; a lot of valuable information is on the Internet - thematic and industry sites, sites of competing companies.
• 2. Study all the 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 can be accessed relatively easily and quickly.

The main disadvantages are related to the fact that secondary information was collected to solve a different problem. Accordingly, it is likely to be a) outdated, b) incomplete, c) not directly related to the problem being solved, d) unreliable (this is especially true for Russian sources of secondary information, in which sometimes the values \u200b\u200bof the same parameter in different sources differ by almost an order of magnitude).

Internet research is relatively cheap by collecting primary information.

Advantages:

• - speed and cost-effectiveness.
• - there are no differences in the speed of conducting research within and outside the country

Disadvantages:

Prior careful planning is required.

Any field research involves the participation of a researcher in obtaining primary information. What information and in what volume should be obtained is determined by the stated purpose of the study. However, to obtain specified information usually the methods shown in table are used. 1.2

Table 1.2 Methods of collecting information

Figure: 1.4

Recently, one of the most common ways to obtain the necessary information has become a survey of a certain circle of people directly related to the problem under study. Conducting a survey means identifying the existing positions of the respondents on a certain range of questions related to the problem under consideration.

Surveys allow you to explore a relatively broad area of \u200b\u200bmarketing-related issues. The main problem with the survey method is how to limit the objectives of the survey, which determine the strategy and interpretation of the information received. Closely related to the purpose of the survey is the problem of determining the circle of persons who participate in the survey (expert, trader, consumer, etc.). When organizing a survey, special attention is paid to survey tactics (especially the formulation of questions), survey forms and methods of selecting interviewees.

Polls can be one-time or recurring. Recurring polls are called dashboards. This term comes from the English word panel, which means a list in translation. Panel research is a survey of a certain, representative circle of people for a long time or for a certain period of time on a specific topic. A panel can be either a group of individuals or an organization. This method is used in the study of consumer opinions of a certain group of people over a period of time, and on its basis the tendency of changes in consumer opinions, their needs, habits, tastes, etc. is studied. The most important forms of the panel are - the panel of consumers and the panel of entrepreneurs (Figure 1.5)

When using survey methods, the researcher faces the problem of composing questions. The choice of the question form is determined by how specifically the goal of the research is set.

To collect primary data, marketing researchers can choose from two main research tools: a questionnaire and technical tools.

Figure 1.5

The questionnaire is the most common research tool in collecting primary data. A questionnaire is a series of questions that the respondent must answer. The questionnaire is a very flexible tool; questions can be asked in many different ways. The questionnaire requires careful development, testing and elimination of the identified deficiencies before its widespread use. During the development of the questionnaire, the marketing researcher selects the questions to be asked, chooses the form of these questions, their wording and sequence. Each question needs to be examined in terms of the contribution it makes to the achievement of the research results. Idle questions should be omitted as they delay the procedure and get on the nerves of the respondent. The questionnaire usually consists of an introduction, a requisite part and a main part.

The wording of the questionnaire should be specific, clear and unambiguous, the researcher should use simple, unambiguous words that do not affect the answer, the questionnaire should be concise and contain the optimal number of questions. The questionnaire should not be monotonous, bored and tired. The test of the questionnaire should use generally accepted terminology. All questions should be grouped into certain blocks in accordance with the logic of the study. Nessesary to use control questions to check the consistency of respondents in responses. Difficult and personal questions are placed at the end of the questionnaire.

The survey cannot be started without proper testing of the questionnaire. It is used to evaluate the questions themselves and their sequence. During testing, it is found out whether people really remember the data that they would like to receive from them, whether they are not embarrassed by some questions, whether they cause reluctance to answer or uncertainty in answering. The inclusion of each question in the questionnaire is justified.

Telephone questioning is used when it is necessary to collect information in a short time in a wide geographic market. A telephone survey must be carried out in advance by preparing questions. The characteristics of a telephone survey are low cost, speed of field work, the ability to conduct research on large samples, a high degree of standardization and a small volume of the questionnaire. Duration - no more than 15 minutes. The disadvantages of this method are less confidential contact between the interviewer and the respondent, the impossibility of using visual materials.

During the survey, direct contact between the interviewer and the respondent allows obtaining more reliable information, using visual materials and including open-ended questions in the questionnaire. The maximum interview duration is 20-25 minutes. The method is most effective in the case of readily available target audience research is well suited for research with specific groups of respondents (for example, youth), which are difficult to achieve in other types of surveys.

The In-Hall test is the method of collecting data that gives researchers the greatest opportunity. The survey is conducted in a specially prepared room, which allows using various equipment, presenting a large number of samples to respondents, etc. In the case of a hard-to-reach target audience (for example, high-income consumers, professional specialists, children with parents, etc.), a preliminary selection of respondents is possible.

"Focus groups" consists in conducting a group in-depth focused interview in the form of a group discussion, during which subjective information is collected from its participants on a designated range of problems. The recommended number of focus groups when studying a particular problem is 3-5. Focus groups are used when it is necessary to obtain detailed data from existing or potential consumers about their perception of the research object, associations and opinions associated with it, as well as to model possible consumer behavior. Each of the survey methods has its 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 depends largely on the definition of the sample. Here it becomes necessary to obtain information about the parameters of the "group" among the members of which the marketing research will be conducted. For example, a marketing manager wants to know the sales volume of his organization's products across different types retail stores... Such a "group" in statistics is called the general population or simply the population. Sometimes the population is small enough for a manager to study all of its members. Usually it is impossible to do this: to study, for example, the opinion of all children from 3 to 5 years old regarding toys of a certain type. Therefore, only part of the population is studied.

To determine the necessary and sufficient sample, the researcher must evaluate the circle of respondents that would correspond to the entire population and meet the research objectives. When developing a sampling plan, it is necessary to determine who to interview, how many people to interview, and how the sample members are to be selected.

Table 1.3 Advantages and Disadvantages different forms poll

The following stages of developing a sampling plan can be distinguished:

• 1. Determination of the appropriate population.
• 2. Getting a "list" of the population.
• 3. Designing a sample plan.
• 4. Definition of methods for accessing the collection.
• 5. Achievement of the required sample size.
• 6. Checking the sample for compliance with the requirements.
• 7. If necessary, the formation of a new sample.

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

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

In practice, several approaches are used to determine the sample size. First of all, we will describe the most simple ones.

The arbitrary approach is based on the application of the "rule of the thumb". For example, it is assumed without evidence that the sample should be 5% of the population to obtain accurate results. This approach is simple and easy to implement, but it is not possible to establish the accuracy of the results obtained. With a large enough population, it can also be quite expensive.

The sample size can be set based on some pre-agreed conditions. For example, the customer of a marketing research knows that when studying public opinion, the sample is usually 1000-1200 people, so he recommends that the researcher adhere to this figure. If annual surveys are conducted on a certain market, then a sample of the same size is used in each year. In contrast to the first approach, here, in determining the sample size, a well-known logic is used, which, however, is very vulnerable.

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

It seems reasonable to consider costs not in absolute terms, but in relation to the usefulness of information obtained from the surveys. Client and researcher should consider different sample sizes and data collection methods, costs, other factors

The sample size can be determined based on statistical analysis. This approach is based on determining the minimum sample size based on certain requirements for the reliability and validity of the results obtained. It is also used to analyze the results obtained for individual subgroups formed in the sample by gender, age, educational level, etc. Requirements for reliability and accuracy of results for individual subgroups dictate certain requirements for the sample size as a whole.

Sample studies are always associated with an error or measurement error (Table 1.4).

Table 1.4 Dependence of the error interval on the sample size and confidence level

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

From a process organization point of view, there are at least three alternative approaches to data collection: by employees marketing service, by a specially created group or with the involvement of companies specializing in data collection. The information gathering process is usually the most expensive part of the research. In addition, quite a large number of errors can occur during its implementation.

Many errors can occur in data collection — other than sampling errors, which are therefore called out-of-sample errors. These errors include choosing the wrong sample for interviewing, not taking into account the opinions of those who refused to be interviewed or not at home, and false assessments given by the interviewee on purpose. Possible falsification of the data obtained by the interviewer. Errors can be made when copying collected information from questionnaires. Unlike sampling errors, out-of-sample errors cannot be measured. Therefore, it is important to find out in advance the possible causes of out-of-sample errors and take appropriate measures to prevent them.

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

The greatest application in practice is found in a field experiment, which is carried out under normal conditions. environment... It finds application for research in the field of marketing of goods, capital goods and consumer goods. The laboratory experiment is carried out in specially prepared testing conditions.

Depending on the attitude of the tested person to the conditions of the testing process, four types of experiment are distinguished:

• -open experiment, when the tested person is aware of the purpose, objectives and conditions of the experiment;
• - an experiment in a situation that is not clear for the tested person, when only his tasks and his behavior in the experiment are known to him, but the goals of the experiment are not known;
• - imaginary experiment, when the tested person knows the goals and objectives of the experiment, but does not know the conditions of the situation in which it will be carried out;
• - an indefinite experiment, when the tested person is not fully aware of the purpose, task and conditions of the experiment.

In practice, there are experiments that are carried out in the form of various tests and are classified according to various criteria, such as the place of testing (market, studio, house, etc.), the object of testing (product test, price test, etc.), the personality of the tested person ( actual consumer, expert, potential consumer, etc.), test duration (short-term, long-term), etc.

Data analysis begins with the transformation of the original data (introduction to the computer, checking for errors, coding, representation in matrix form). This translates a ton of raw data into meaningful information. Next, a statistical analysis is carried out (averages, frequencies, regression and correlation coefficients are calculated, trends are analyzed, etc.). For this, a marketing information analysis system is used.

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

Statistical bank - a set of modern methods of statistical processing of information, allowing the most complete disclosure of interdependencies within a set of data and establish the degree of their statistical reliability. These techniques include correlation analysis, factor analysis, regression analysis, etc.

A model bank is a set of mathematical models that facilitate optimal marketing decisions by market leaders. These models include the pricing model, development model advertising budget etc.

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

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

Table 2 shows the advantages and disadvantages of the main sociological research methods used in marketing research.

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

Observation can be carried out both openly and secretly. Since the knowledge of the object of research about finding him under observation can affect his behavior and in this case can be regarded as establishing contact with him, in practice, as a rule, covert observations are carried out. In this case, hidden cameras and special mirrors are used as research tools.

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

	Advantages	disadvantages
Observation	Simplicity. Relative cheapness. elimination of distortions caused by contacts of objects with researchers	does not allow to unambiguously establish the internal motives of the behavior of the objects of observation and their decision-making processes, and, therefore, they can be misinterpreted by observers.
Experiment	Objective character. Possibility of establishing causal relationships between marketing factors and the behavior of the objects under study	The difficulty of controlling all marketing factors in vivo. Difficulty of reproducing the normal behavior of a socio-economic object in laboratory conditions. More costly than observation, especially when multiple marketing factors need to be investigated.
	Practically unlimited area of \u200b\u200bpossible application. Allows you to get data not only about the current behavior of an object, but also about its behavior in the past and intentions in the future	Great labor intensity. Significant costs of conducting surveys. Possible decrease in the accuracy of the information received due to incorrect or distorted answers.
Survey forms
By phone	High efficiency. Cheapness of holding Suitable for collecting both actual data and data characterizing relationships. The control	Limited to respondents with a telephone It is difficult to maintain interest for more than 15 minutes. It is difficult to ask difficult questions. Forced brevity of conversation
	Available to a small group of researchers. Low cost. Ease of organization. There is no influence from the interviewer. Use of illustrations	Low efficiency. Possibility of not returning a significant proportion of sent out questionnaires Possibility of self-selection of respondents The inability to clarify the issue. The ability to answer questions from the wrong persons to whom they are addressed
Personal interview	Relatively small percentage of refusals. Relatively high accuracy of the survey. Application of more complex and long questionnaires. The ability to clarify all incomprehensible questions.	Relatively large organizational efforts and material costs to conduct it. The ability of the interviewer to influence the opinion of the respondents if he has certain preferences.

Observation is mainly used in exploratory research, i.e. of a preliminary nature, aimed at concretizing the problems facing researchers.

An experiment is a method of collecting information about the behavior of the objects under study, which provides for the establishment by researchers of control over all factors affecting the functioning of these objects.

The purpose of a study carried out using an experiment is, as a rule, to establish causal relationships between marketing factors and the behavior of the objects under study.

To ensure the reliability of the experimental results, the values \u200b\u200bof all factors, except the investigated one, must remain unchanged. If multiple factors need to be investigated, a series of experiments may be required.

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

Interview. A survey is understood as a method of collecting information by establishing contacts with research objects. As a research tool, a questionnaire is used by the survey method, which is a questionnaire that provides for recording answers.

Surveys practically have no alternative in cases where a firm needs information about the knowledge, beliefs, and preferences of consumers, their level of satisfaction, the company's image, etc. This, first of all, explains the widespread use of this method in marketing research.

So, if an experiment is chosen as a method, then researchers must conduct its thorough preparation, including determining the place or locations of its conduct, duration, composition of factors, marketing and their values, which must be maintained unchanged or changed in a strictly defined way throughout the experiment.

The preparation of the observation provides for the determination of the places of observation, its duration, measures to ensure secrecy, detailed instructions for the observers on the interpretation of various possible options for the behavior of the objects under study.

Preparing to collect information using a survey involves solving the following tasks:

• - the choice of the method of communication with the audience;
• - preparation of the questionnaire;
• - testing and completion of the questionnaire.

There are three main ways of communication between the researcher and the subject during the survey: by phone, by mail and personal interview. Each of these methods of communication has certain advantages and disadvantages. Appendix B discusses the main advantages and disadvantages.

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

An open-ended survey uses question wording that clearly reflects its purpose. The advantage of such a survey is the ability to exclude the respondents' interpretations of questions that do not correspond to the objectives of the study. The main disadvantage is the desire of the respondent in a number of cases to avoid a frank answer, primarily to questions of a personal nature.

Hidden questioning allows you to avoid the disadvantage noted above, to increase the degree of sincerity of the answers, but it can lead to undesirable biases in the answers due to the incorrect interpretation of the question asked by the respondents.

Depending on the form, there are two types of questions: open and closed. Open-ended questions have a form that opens up complete freedom for the respondent in the formulation of the answer.

Closed questions provide the respondent with a set of alternative answers, from which he must choose one or more that best reflect his position (for example, "Indicate the two characteristics of a cell phone that are most important to you: appearance, compatibility, reliability, cost, availability of additional functions, etc.). These questions can be unambiguous (yes or no) or multiple choice.

Open-ended questions are preferable for preliminary research aimed at clarifying the nature of the problem. Their disadvantage is that difficulties arise for the researcher when analyzing the answers due to discrepancies in the shades of words and expressions and the impossibility of their unambiguous interpretation. Therefore, in practice, closed questions are most common in marketing research.

The wording of the questionnaire questions must be carefully designed and meet the established requirements.

The final choice of the appropriate method depends largely on the qualifications and experience of the researchers, the depth of their knowledge of the individual methods of data collection.

1. Fundamental differences between quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting primary information

2. Types of qualitative research

Main categories and concepts: quantitative research, qualitative research, case studies, 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 information obtained through sociological and marketing methods collecting it and interpreting it in terms of sociology and marketing.

In modern sociology and marketing, qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection are used to obtain primary information.

Chronologically qualitative methods arose much later than quantitative ones, in the second half of the twentieth century. The fundamental difference between qualitative methods is the practical possibility of obtaining a subjective context of opinions, judgments, and assessments of the respondents, which are called informants in qualitative research. At the same time, qualitative studies do not provide for the use of a large surveyed population, as a result of which the possibility of extrapolating (transferring) the obtained data to the entire general population is excluded. As a rule, in a qualitative study, the surveyed population is 10-15 units of analysis, but the selection of units of analysis is carried out according to all the rules for forming the sample population.

The collection of information is carried out mainly through a narrative interview or a narrative essay (narrative - in-depth textual research), during which informants express their subjective judgments, opinions, assessments. The subjectivity of the statements is dictated by the fact that this kind of survey is not standardized, that is, informants are not offered questions with accompanying scales. Informants are given only general directions of a conversation or an essay: either in the form of a problem / topic, or in the form of general questions, or in the form of clusters (a list of items on which it is desirable to obtain information). In each specific case, the informant determines the meaningful context of the conversation or essay.

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

There are currently no standard methods for processing quality information. Most general requirementfor quality information is the use of the so-called "living speech" of informants, which in the context of the interpretative text of the researcher should be preserved in the style and vocabulary of the informants. In the case of essays - in the spelling of the informants, that is, with all possible mistakes (in real research practice, such requirements are unconditional for sociology, but not for marketing).

The style of research using qualitative methods is defined as soft, warm.

Quantitative research are built on other grounds and laws. In this case, standardized methods of obtaining information are used, with the help of which statistical calculation of information is possible. On the basis of statistical data, the general trend for the surveyed population is determined, which can be extrapolated to the general population, since in this case valid sample (i.e. statistically significant, reflecting the whole variety of characteristics of the general population).

The respondents in quantitative research are called respondents.

At the end of such a study, to process the results obtained, either statistical programs or the SPSS program are used. Manual processing is also possible - the so-called point turning.

The style of research using quantitative methods is defined as hard, cold.

In research practice in reality today mostly mixed methods are used - qualitative and quantitative. In this case, it is possible to use two research strategies.

1. First, quantitative methods are used, the statistical results of which make it possible to construct certain qualitative / social portraits.

2. Initially, qualitative methods are used, during which those indicators / colloquial concepts are identified that were used in the speech of the informants in repetition when assessing any similar life situations and events. Subsequently, these indicators are used in the compilation of scales for quantitative research.

Let's look at several types of qualitative research , designating them in the general list not according to the degree of importance, but for the convenience of presentation.

· Case study - the study of specific situations, cases that characterize the life of certain small groups. In this case, the behavioral patterns that arise in non-standard situationsthat have become the subject of research interest.

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

· Ethnographic method - with the help of which information is collected from the representatives of a certain ethnic group, which makes it possible to form a high-quality portrait of the ethnic group.

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

· Family history method - study of the dynamics of intrafamily relations in the context of historical events, changes in the social status positions of members of one family in the chronological and eventual context of history. In the 90s, the method was actively mastered by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as a result of which academic publications appeared, in which the stories of workers, peasants, bourgeois, and noble families of Russia were presented.

When using this method, it should be borne in mind that from the point of view of demography, statistics, sociology, the generation step is 25 years, that is, intergenerational differentiation within families should be based on this principle.

· Biographical Method ("Life Story") - 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 fairly close analogue, which is represented by a series of ZhZL ("Life of Remarkable People"). However, in this case, a sociological view of the problem was not involved, as a result of which, in fact, this presentation of biographical materials cannot be considered sociological.

· Focus group method - this is one of the ways to focus the attention of informants on a specific problem. Focus groups are different. Traditional / regular focus group (FG) includes 7-9 people. Extended (RFG) - up to 13-15 people. Mini focus group (MFG) - from 3 to 5 people.

The first two last in time within 1.5 - 2 hours. A mini focus group can be held for 3 or more hours.

The focus group is conducted by a moderator together with an assistant. The entire course of the discussion is recorded on video and on a dictaphone.

At the preparatory stage, a range of issues is determined that should be discussed during the focus group. Moreover, all focus group participants should express their opinion on each of the questions.

The discussion usually takes place in a casual tea-drinking situation (or coffee is served) in order to give an informal character to the communication.

A sign is placed in front of each participant indicating his name and patronymic, so that participants can properly address him.

When forming focus groups, it is important to observe the principle of the social and status unity of the group. It is inappropriate to involve people with contrasting socio-demographic positions (age, marital status, occupation, place of work, position, etc.) in one group.

The focus group should be held in a chamber environment in the absence of strangers. Nobody should interfere during its implementation. Tables should be placed in a semicircle so that everyone present can see each other. The door should be in the field of view of the informants, and not behind their backs, in order to exclude accidental, distracting peeps that interfere with their speech.

These are the standard requirements for a focus group procedure.

It should be borne in mind that focused can be individual interview... This is the same case that is defined as a narrative interview in a qualitative research situation.

In modern domestic sociology, all methods of qualitative research are used to obtain initial data. In marketing - only focus groups in all its modifications.

An in-depth interview is a semi-structured personal conversation between the interviewer and the respondent in a form that encourages the latter to give detailed answers to the questions asked.

Distinctive features

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

Technology

Preparing the structure of the conversation... Before starting a series of interviews, the researcher prepares a plan according to which the interview will be conducted. Unlike a regular survey, an in-depth interview plan is simply a list of questions on which the interviewer should get the respondent's opinion.

Selecting respondents and conducting interviews... After preparing the interview plan, the respondents are selected and the interviews are conducted. The duration of an in-depth interview can be from half an hour to several (2-3) hours, depending on the complexity of the topic, as well as the number and depth of the issues studied. As a rule, in-depth interviews are conducted in a special room with a neutral atmosphere and good soundproofing to avoid any external interference. The interview is recorded on audio and / or video equipment to facilitate subsequent decryption and analysis of data, as well as in order not to lose important information.

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

Interviewers

The success of an in-depth interview largely depends on the professionalism and personal qualities of the interviewer. To conduct an interview, a qualified specialist is required, preferably with a psychological education. He must have the skills of establishing contact with people, a good memory, the ability to quickly respond to non-standard answers, patience. During the interview, one should not exert psychological pressure on the respondent, argue with him.

Application

As a rule, in-depth interviews are used to solve the same problems as focus groups, namely:

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

It is advisable to use an in-depth interview instead of a focus group in the following cases:

• the topic of the interview involves a discussion of purely personal topics (personal finances, diseases);
• interviews are conducted with representatives of competing organizations who do not agree to discuss this topic in a group;
• discusses a topic in which strict social norms exist, and the respondent's opinion may be influenced by the group's response (paying taxes, etc.);
• it is impossible to collect all respondents in one place and at the same time (respondents are few in number, distant from each other and / or very busy).

Advantages and disadvantages

Main disadvantages in-depth interview methods are associated with the difficulty of finding interviewers. First, in-depth interviews require skilled professionals who are not easy to find. Further, the quality of the interview results is strongly influenced by the personality and professionalism of the interviewer. And, finally, the complexity of processing and interpreting the data obtained during the interview, as a rule, requires the involvement of psychologists for their analysis.

Advantages... With the help of in-depth interviews, you can get more complete information about a person's behavior, the reasons for such behavior, his deep motives, which is not always possible in a focus group, where respondents put pressure on each other and it is difficult to determine who exactly gave this or that answer.

 

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