No One Methodology Does It All
Our
approach to your project assumes there are no textbook marketing
problems and no generic research methodologies. At MARDEC, you deal
directly with our President, Vickey Swenson, who personally manages
every aspect of your project from beginning to end. With well over 30
years of experience, Vickey offers clients in-depth experience in
business and product development, research, sales, marketing,
advertising, and reimbursement strategies.
At MARDEC, we have no
in-house phone bank, web-based survey department or mail center to keep
busy, so we are free to select the best combination of methodologies to
most cost-effectively achieve client objectives. When outside suppliers
are required, MARDEC carefully screens, trains and monitors each
supplier to assure strict adherence to quality standards in meeting
client objectives. MARDEC directly conducts all personal interviews,
develops the survey instrument, manages the data collection process,
and handles all analysis and reporting of survey results.
Survey Methodologies — Strengths & Weaknesses
In-depth, Personal Interviews
Strengths: Personal
interviews are particularly well-suited for researching complex product
concepts, addressing highly sensitive issues where a more hands-off
approach might be more easily misinterpreted, and in acquiring a solid
understanding of a market prior to establishing a more quantitatively
based survey instrument.
Weaknesses: The
cost per interview may be high, especially if a wide geographic area
must be covered. This methodology requires a highly skilled researcher (such as those provided by MARDEC)
in acquiring the needed information. And, if resources are limited, the
sample size may be too small to be considered statistically significant.
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| Focus Groups
Strengths:
This methodology is well suited to exploring product concepts and
hands-on reaction to product demonstrations where interaction among the
respondents offers insight into the marketplace.
Weaknesses:
The cost per interview may be high, especially if a wide geographic
area must be covered. Interaction among attendees may skew results and
may not reflect how buying decisions are made. Drawing high-level
attendees away from their work environment may prove difficult.
Posturing among peers may skew results.
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Web-based Surveys
Strengths:
Cost per completed interview is relatively low and access to high-level
respondents through panels is increasingly viable. Turn-around time is
excellent. Respondents may view graphic images and video clips, if
required, and may respond at their leisure. Open discussion groups may
also be established on-line. Geographic coverage is not an issue and
on-line monitoring of the survey process may be available.
Weaknesses:
Personal interviews should still be conducted prior to developing a
web-based survey in order to adequately design a survey instrument to
address the subject matter. Costs may still be considered relatively
high.
Telephone Surveys
Strengths: Response time when conducting a telephone survey is typically faster than
conducting personal interviews or mail surveys. Cost per interview is relatively low compared
to other methodologies. Plus, it is easy to cover a wide geographic area and
maintain reasonably good sample control.
Weaknesses: Researchers may only obtain a fraction of the information required in a given survey. It is sometimes difficult
to obtain attitudinal information, and this methodology is often not well
suited for highly technical products or complex topics. Respondents do not want to spend a great deal of time on the phone and It is
increasing difficult to gain telephone access to high-level respondents.
Mail Surveys
Strengths:
Researchers gain wide distribution of the survey instrument at a
relatively low cost per completed survey. Respondent may remain
anonymous. Respondent may offer a more considered response if they can
do so at their leisure.
Weaknesses:
Response rates to mail surveys are historically very poor and may not
be representative of the entire market segment being surveyed.
Questionnaire length may be limited. Accurate lists may be difficult to
procure. Researcher has no opportunity to ensure that the respondent
understands the questions being asked. This methodology is also slow
and mailings may be screened out prior to reaching the recipient.
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