Experimentation in Market Research

Paper Summary:

This paper studies how market research is and should be conducted. The author looks at two of the most common vehicles: focus groups and on-line statistics, emphasizing the impact of technology. The paper concludes that regardless of how it is handled, market research is the one way to protect the producer of a product or service for which he hopes to find a customer base. Furthermore, he explains that as the computer age broadens, new experimenting with marketing tools will evolve.

From the Paper:

"Organizations have been formed in recent years who specialize in providing the proper types for a focus group session. By means of ads in local newspapers or regional magazines, even segmenting by newspaper demographics (i.e., upscale neighborhoods vs. inner cities) these organizations pre-screen and interview applicants for their records. Then, from this large pool, clients can select the type of focus group member needed to experiment with a product introduction or re-launch. Generally, the organization has a meeting room, with a double-mirror behind which clients observe and listen. The group members know they may be recorded. The organization furnishes a trained group leader to provide questions, eliciting the sort of responses the clients want- positive as well as negative. The usual pay, at least in one instance where a family member participated, is $100 for a 4-5 hour session (refreshments are also served)."

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