The European Economic Area

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

You are a Research Executive in market reserch agency and have been asked to:

Propose appropriate information that you would require from Bescafe Coffee, prior writing a proposal.

To:

Managing Director

Bescafe Coffee

From:

Rowena Jumig

Research Executive

J Marketing Research Agency

Subject: Research Brief

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to perform the market research on your behalf.

But before we can proceed further with the research, we would like to request necessary information to strengthen our understanding of the company and the problem at hand.

The information which we would like to request from you, will be categorized into the following:

Background

Rationale

Objectives

Methodology

Reporting

Time Scale

Payment

Background

What is the brand image of the Coffee Max brand?

What is the brand positioning of the Coffee Max brand in the current market?

Who are the core customers of the Coffee Max brand? Do you have information about these customers? If yes, can we have access to that data?

Has there been any research carried out in the past regarding your packaging? If yes, can we have access to that data?

Is there any macro environmental factor/s (i.e. political, economic, social, technological, environmental or legal factor/s) that affects your current packaging?

Apart from the reduced visible differentiation for Coffee Max, can you think of other reasons for the decrease of Coffee Max’ market share?

Among your competitors, who are taking the market share from you?

Rationale

What are your business’ main objectives?

What are your marketing objectives and techniques?

Can you tell us about your decisions areas apart from the new packaging for Coffee Max?

Objectives

Is there a specific aspect of the market awareness would you like the research to focus on?

What particular aspect/s of the customers’ attitude toward the existing brand would you like the research to focus on?

What particular aspect/s of the customers’ attitude toward the existing packaging would you like the research to focus on

Is there are a specific customer preference would you like the research to focus on?

Methodology

What type of research method would you like us to use, Quantitative Method (i.e. surveys) or Qualitative Method (i.e. Observation, Focus Group, or Interviews) or both?

If we are to use surveys, do you have any preference in choosing the sampling data? Non-probability sampling or Probability sampling?

Which type of data source would you prefer us using, Primary Data or Secondary Data or both?

Reporting

In which format would want us to submit the report? In a printed formal report or a Powerpoint presentation or both?

Do you want us to give interim report/s?

How many back-ups would you like us to prepare and in which format (eg. Compact discs, thumb drive, etc.)?

If we are to do a presentation who and how many will be present?

Time Scale

When do you want us to submit the final report or give the presentation?

If you were to require interim report/s, when would you like to have them?

Payment

50% - a week after your acceptance of our proposal

(to cover some of the expense that will be used for the research)

50% - a week after final report has been submitted or the presentation given

100%*

Bank Details

Bank Name: Kiwi Bank

Account Name: Market Research Agency

Account Number: 101-xxxx-xxxx

Hoping for your soonest response.

Thank you for your time in reading and answering these questions.

Kind Regards,

Rowena Jumig

Having made reasonable assumptions regarding the information required in Question 1(A) produce a proposal to address the research needs of the company.

To:

Managing Director

Bescafe Coffee

From:

Rowena Jumig

Research Executive

J Marketing Research Agency

Subject: Research Proposal

Thank you for your urgent response to our letter.

After considering the answers you have given, we have prepared a research proposal that is divided into four sections:

Methodology

Reporting

Final Report

Time Scale

Methodology

For this research, we will be using both secondary and primary resources. Both these resources will help us to determine the market awareness, the attitude of the Coffee Max’s customers toward the existing brand and packaging as well as the preferences of Coffee Max customers.

Secondary Research

The information that we have received from the research brief will serve as the secondary resource. This data will help in the research and is readily available and will save us time and money in the collection of this data.

Primary Research

Primary data are data collected by the researcher first hand. In this research we will be using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The majority of the Bescafe Coffee’s customers are in Auckland so we will be focusing in this region.

Qualitative Analysis

Qualitative Analysis is an unstructured type of analysis.

In this research we will be using four focus groups, with 10 members, representing North, South, West and Central Auckland to get an accurate representation of the region.

Each group will have a moderator who will be monitoring the group. The topics to be discussed are the group’s awareness of the product, their attitude towards the existing Coffee Max’s brand and its existing packaging.

We are planning to give gifts to the participants of the group to encourage them in a fruitful discussion. The gifts will be in a form of a Coffee Lover’s hamper that will include different variants of Bescafe Coffee. Bescafe Coffee will need to provide for these gifts.

Quantitative Analysis

Quantitative Analysis is a structured type of analysis where the value is quantified and the results are shown in forms of graphs and tables.

In this research, respondents will be chosen using the quota sampling. In quota sampling, a pre-set number of respondents are chosen according to factors such as age, gender, etc, which is dependent on the researcher’s prerogative on which type of respondents will give the researcher a better perception on the research topic.

In this research a total 400 respondents, aged between 18 to 60 years old, will be asked to answer a questionnaire. The 400 respondents will be comprised of 100 respondents (50 males, 50 females) from each of the four regions of Auckland.

The answers from the questionnaire will be generated in tabular form where graphs can be extracted to help in the analysis.

Reporting

This pertains to the Interim Report that will be given at the end of the qualitative analysis, as per previous discussion. A powerpoint presentation will only be given to Bescafe Coffee’s key decision makers along with the written report. Fifteen (15) copies of the written report will be provided by the Marketing Research Agency for the use of the audience.

Final Report

The Final Report will be given at the end of the quantitative analysis. All the data will be analyzed and the conclusion and recommendation will be given in the final report. A powerpoint presentation will be given to the whole organization. The presentation will be done in the Bescafe Coffee’s Auditorium. Bescafe Coffee will be responsible in providing the Market Research Agency of the things they need for the presentation (i.e. projectors, microphone, speakers, etc.) A written report will also be given three days before the presentation, for the company (Bescafe Coffee) to be able to make enough copies of the report for the use of the audience.

Time Scale

Tasks

Wk1

Wk2

Wk3

Wk4

Wk5

Wk6

Wk7

Wk8

Wk9

Wk10

Wk11

Wk12

1. Collecting Secondary Data

2. Analysis of Secondary Data

3. Collecting Qualitative Data

4. Analysis of Qualitative Data

5. Preparation and Presentation of Interim Report

6. Collecting Quantitative Data

7. Analysis of Quantitative Data

8. Preparation of Final Report

9. Presentation of Final Report

Tasks Cost

Collecting Secondary Data GBP 2000

Analysis of Secondary Data 2000

Collection of Qualitative Data 8000

Analysis of Qualitative Data 2000

Preparation and Presentation of Interim Report 2000

Collecting Quantitative Data 15000

Analysis of Quantitative Data 2000

Preparation of Final Report 2000

Presentation of Final Report 2000

Total GBP 37000

PART-B

Question 2: The Director of Bescafe Coffee are commissioning a report on the organization’s information requirement. You have been asked to write a technical appendix to report which discusses the following:

The advantages and disadvantages of secondary data relative to primary data

Secondary data are the data that has already been published or collected by another group of people or researchers. These data has already been used before and may have been collected for another purpose. Examples of secondary data are data collected from magazines, books, newspapers, articles, Internet, etc (Business Dictionary, n.d.).

Primary data are the data that the researcher has collected first-hand. This data is collected for the specific purpose of the researcher and that researcher will be the first one to use the data. Examples of primary data are the data collected from focus groups, surveys, panel research and interviews. The researcher collects the data straight from the source, which are the respondents (Globusz Publishing, n.d.).

Both types of data has its advantages and disadvantages over the other. In this paper, the focus is on the advantages and disadvantages of secondary data over the primary data.

One of the advantages of secondary data is that it is already existing, meaning it is easy, fast and inexpensive to retrieve, as compared to a primary data wherein the data still has to be collected. Collection of data costs money and can be very time consuming. Another advantage of secondary data is that there are a wide range of data available giving the researchers a large source for ideas, as compared to primary data which may be limited, depending on how much data will be collected. Unfortunately, more data collected may mean more money spent and more time consumed (Boeije & Hox, 2005).

As for the disadvantages of the secondary data, the main disadvantage of using a secondary data is that the data may not be exactly applicable for the current research because the data may have been collected for another purpose. Unlike in primary data, where the data is surely applicable because it is collected for the exact purpose of the research. Another disadvantage is that secondary data may be presented in a way that is not useful for your research because of course it is arranged to be useful for another purpose. For example, you may want to see a data separated by gender but it was presented collectively or you want to see a data per household but the data presented is by street. Unlike in primary data wherein raw data is available and it can be analyzed in different angles. Another disadvantage in using secondary data is that the researcher can never be sure on how accurate the data is because it may come from questionable sources. Unlike in primary data wherein the researcher can be sure of the accuracy because he is the one who collected the data. Another issue with accuracy is that the data may be outdated, it may be accurate in the past but not in the present. Unlike in primary data wherein the data is fresh and current. Lastly, the secondary data may have been collected from a population other than the one you are interested in. Unlike in primary data wherein the researcher has the choice to choose the respondents from the population he desires (Greener, 2008).

The manner in which a customer database can act as an additional source of marketing intelligence

Marketing Intelligence

Marketing intelligence is a collection of information about the market. This information is a mixture of internal and external data and can be collected from consumers, retailers, suppliers, etc. This information is analyzed and is useful in the management’s decision making process (Business Dictionary, n.d.; QFinance, n.d.).

Marketing Intelligence can be analyzed in three parts:

1) Market Opportunity: Information is analyzed to know how a business existing in the current market can grab a bigger part of the market share. In this part, leading competitor’s behaviour can be analyzed to see what gives them the edge and the reason why consumers prefer their product. Consumer’s preferences can also be analyzed to attract these customers to change the product they buy.

2) Market Penetration: Information is analyzed to know if it is plausible and profitable for a business to enter a market that is already existing. It is very important to analyze the information about the competitors’ profit, because there is no reason to enter a market where customer numbers are dwindling. It is also important to analyze the customer’s preferences so that the entering business’ can catch the attention of the customer as they enter the market.

3) Market Development: Information is analyzed to know if it is plausible and profitable for a business to develop a new market. This type has both an advantage but also a disadvantage. Advantage because this is a new market, the business will have monopoly of the market, no need to think about the competitors because there are no competitors. The disadvantage is that since this is a new market, there is no sure way of telling if this new market developed will be successful or not. The information that the business must focus on is the customer preference, to give the business the best chance in being successful.

There are two types of environments existing within Marketing Intelligence.

1) Micro Environment or Internal Environment: Involves controllable factors that have direct impact to the company. This pertains to the stakeholders, which include the suppliers, customers, employees, shareholders, etc.

2) Macro Environment or External Environment: Involves uncontrollable factors which impact the company. This pertains to PESTEL, which is Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors.

Customer Database

Customer Database is the collection of information regarding the customers. It is organized such that the information can be easily accessed and analyzed. Customer database can contain information regarding a customer’s age, gender, ethnicity, spending habits, etc. In some cases, it can also contain customer’s psychographics which pertains to their beliefs, opinions, attitudes, preferences and behaviour (Business Dictionary, n.d.: MBASkool, 2012).

A customer database can act as an additional source of marketing intelligence in the sense that a customer database can reveal the customers’ preferences which can be very useful in market opportunity, market penetration and market development. As was mentioned earlier, knowing the customers’ preferences can help the business to know how they can grab a larger market share or enter a market or create a new market. Another way for a database to act as an additional source of marketing intelligence is that it can also reveal some information about the competitors which can help in analyzing the marketing intelligence in terms of market opportunity and market penetration.

As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, they are trying to get back the market share that they lost and also trying to grab a larger market share. In this case, the Bescafe Coffee can use the customer database as a source of marketing intelligence to analyze it through market opportunity. Bescafe Coffee can know the customers’ preferences and behaviour through the customers database and this can help in the design of the new packaging.

When setting up a customer database, there are eight guiding principles of data protection that must be considered and these can be found under the Data Protection Act of 1998.

Processing of the data must be fair and legal

Processing pertains to the collection, storage, disclosure, usage and disposal of the data. The first principle states that processing must be fair and legal which means that the people responsible for the data should openly and clearly inform the people, from which the information is being obtained, the purpose for the collection of data and how it will be used. The people must never be misled to give information knowing that the information they give is for another purpose. Knowing the correct information allows the people to decide whether they want to give their information or not (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the company or the market research agency should clearly inform the customers that the purpose of collecting information is to establish a customer database. This customer database will help the company in determining who their customers are so that they can effectively choose a packaging design that will attract their customers.

Processing of data should be for a distinct purpose

This principle requires that the data can only be processed if the purpose is clearly specified. The data processed should only be in relation to the purpose specified and can only be used for the specified purpose. It cannot be used for a purpose that is incompatible with the purpose originally specified. This protects the people providing their information to be used for other purposes (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, if the company specified that the use of their database is only for the purpose of knowing their customers, the data protection act does not allow the company to use their information so that the company can call the customer or knock on their door for them to sell products. The information must only be used for the purpose they specified.

The data processed must be adequate, applicable and not excessive

Simply put, this principle states that the data processed must be as concise as possible. Only the information that is relevant to the purpose must be maintained. This does not mean that the data need be inadequate to be concise. All the data needed can still be collected and retained and the unnecessary data be eliminated (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the customer database should only contain data that is relevant to their business, such as their customer’s drinking preferences and demography. Personal information such as their love life is unnecessary for the database.

The data processed must be current if needed and must be correct

This principle requires that the collecting body ensures that the data processed is accurate and the source is reliable. Some data can be accurate one time but as the time changes the data can also change, so it is important that the data is updated to ensure that it is still correct for the present time (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, it is important for them to that their customer database is correct and up to date. Their regular customer last year may have immigrated somewhere else and is not longer a regular customer today. Trends also change the preferences of their customers so the company should take a look at this trends and see if their customers’ preferences has changed. This is the reason why it is important to keep the database up-to-date.

The data processed should only be kept for a necessary period of time

This principle is a bit straightforward. The data should not be kept longer than necessary. This allows the keeper to maintain the information they have and need, easily. Discarding unneeded data also prevents the data from becoming out dated or be used mistakenly for other purposes (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the information about a previous customer about 20 years ago need not be maintained by the company. This keeps their database concise and up-to-date.

Processing of the data must consider the rights of the people from which the data is obtained from

The rights of the data subjects are as follows:

The data subject has the right to obtain a copy of the data pertaining to them

The data subject can disaprove the use of their data if it can cause infliction or anxiety

The data subject can oppose the use of their data for direct marketing

The data subject can question decisions made in an automatic manner

The data subject can pursue for their incorrect data to be corrected or destroyed

The data subject can assert for compensation anything bad caused by disobedience of the Act

The data processed should be kept in a safe manner

This principle states that the data processed should be kept safely to ensure that the data are kept confidential and it prevents others from misusing the data (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

So after Bescafe Coffee has collected their data, they must ensure that it is kept in a safe manner, giving access only to authorized people.

The data processed should not be shifted beyond the European Economic Area (EEA) without enough security

Since this act was created in the United Kingdom, they included a principle that prohibits researchers to transfer data to areas outside EEA without security. Countries included in EEA are the European Union plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. This protects the respondents from other countries using their data (Information Commissioner’s Office, n.d.).

In relation to the Bescafe Coffee, the data they collected cannot be transferred to other countries with proper authorization and security.

Question 3

Design a discussion guide for use in a series of group discussions to address the research objectives of the proposal set out in question one.

To: Discussion Moderators

From: J Marketing Research Agency

Subject: Group Discussion

Thank you for taking the task of discussion moderator for this focus group.

The discussion will be divided into four parts.

The Discussion Guide is as follows:

Introduction Phase

Discussion Phase (Part 1)

Discussion Phase (Part 2)

Wrap Up Session

Introduction Phase

Welcome

The Moderator welcomes the group members. The Moderator will first introduce himself and tell something about himself and then he will give a background of Bescafe Coffee and its products (i.e. Coffee Max) to the group members.

Housekeeping

In any form of gathering or a meeting, it is important for the participants to be given information regarding the Health and Safety guidelines of an establishment. As the discussion will be held in Bescafe Coffee building, the Moderator will tell the group members the building’s fire exits, emergency evacuation plan, toilets, etc.

Purpose

The Moderator will discuss to the group members the objectives of the discussion which are:

To determine the market awareness of the consumers to the Coffee Max brand

To determine the attitude of the consumers towards the Coffee Max brand and its current packaging

To determine the attitude and preferences of the existing consumers, as well as potential consumers, towards the new packaging design concepts of Coffee Max

Time

The moderator tells the group members the duration of the discussion and the time allotment for each part which is as follows:

Discussion Part Time Allotment

Inroduction 20 mins

Discussion Phase (Part 1) 40 mins

Discussion Phase (Part 2) 40 mins

Wrap Up Session 20 mins

Total Time 120 mins (2 hours)

Recording

As the discussion will be used for the purpose of research, the Moderator needs to inform the group members that the discussion will be recorded and will only be used for the purpose of the research. The Moderator also needs to inform the group members that the recordings will be kept confidential and will be destroyed after 3 years.

Warm-up

The Moderator will now pass the center of attention to the group members where in they will introduce themselves to each other. This allows the group members to know more about their fellow group members and encourages them not to be embarrassed and be open for discussion.

Questions

This is the time when the Moderator allows the group members to ask regarding the topics that have been discussed up to this point.

Discussion Phase (Part 1)

In this part, the Moderator is now to start the discussion regarding the market awareness of the consumers to the Coffee Max brand and the attitude of the consumers towards the Coffee Max brand.

Awareness of consumers

The Moderator can start by asking the group members five (5) brands of coffee that comes to their mind.

If the Coffee Max is mentioned by the group members, this means that the group has high awareness of the Coffee Max brand.

If Coffee Max is not mentioned, the Moderator can ask if anyone is has heard about Coffee Max.

If there are some who have heard of the brand, this means that the group is aware of the brand but the awareness is low.

If no one in the group has heard of the brand, this is bad because the group has no awareness of the brand. But at least, Bescafe Coffee will be informed about this.

Attitude of the consumers

The Moderator can ask the group of their thoughts and feelings about the Coffee Max brand.

This gives the researcher an idea regarding the attitude of consumers toward the brand

The Moderator can ask the group to recall the color of the packaging of Coffee Max.

The Moderator can show the packaging of Coffee Max and ask the group members of how they feel about the packaging.

Is it catchy or boring?

Does it evoke a feeling of high quality or not?

Does it look delicious?

Does it look healthy?

This questions will give the idea on attitude of the consumers towards the packaging of Coffee Max

Discussion Phase (Part 2)

In this part, the Moderator will now start the discussion regarding attitude and preferences of the existing consumers, as well as potential consumers, towards the new packaging design concepts of Coffee Max.

The Moderator can start by asking the group members of the things that they first notice in the packaging of a product.

Is it the color?

Is it the drawing or the famous face on the packaging?

Is it the size or shape?

Is it the benefits of the product or its nutritional facts?

The Moderator can now show the group members the three new design concepts for the packaging of the Coffee Max brand.

The Moderator can ask how they feel about each of the designs.

The Moderator can ask the group members to rank the designs according to their least to most preferred packaging and the reasons behind their ranking.

The Moderator can ask the group members if they any more suggestions on how Bescafe Coffee can improve the packaging of the Coffee Max brand.

Wrap-up Session

This is also known as the conclusion phase.

The Moderator will mention once again that the recorded discussion will be kept confidential and will only be used for the purpose of the research.The Moderator will then ask the group members if they have any questions regarding the discussion.Lastly, the Moderator will thank the group members for their participation in the discussion and then the Moderator will hand each of group members their coffee hampers.

Thank you for your time.

Hope all will go well during the discussion.

Kind Regards,

Rowena Jumig

Provide a detailed description of two projective techniques that could also be used within the group discussion, alongside guide to help meet the research objectives.

Projective Technique

Projective technique is a method used in research, wherein the researchers get answers from respondents not by asking straight forward questions but by masking it into a story or a somehow related question. This is why this technique is often described as disguised and unstructured. This disguise is very important for researchers because it allows them to extract information that the respondents may not even be aware of or may be hiding because of embarassment (Steinman, 2009).

There are several types of projective techniques, but only two will be discussed and these are word association and completion test.

Word Association

This is the most commonly used projective technique. In this technique, words or images are shown to respondents, and the respondents are asked to describe the first thing that comes to their mind. Respondents often have fun in doing this technique because it seems like a game or an enjoyable exercise (Donoghue, 2000).

This technique can also be carried out with the respondents associating a product or a brand to a type of personality or a person.

Here are some examples of the use of word association technique in the Coffee Max case:

Respondents can be shown the phrase ‘good coffee’ or ‘affordable coffee’. By showing each of the phrases the researchers will know whether the Coffee Max brand comes to the respondents’ minds or not.

Respondents can be shown the brand name ‘Coffee Max’. By showing the brand name, the researchers will know how the respondents think or feel about the brand.

Respondents can be shown the brand name ‘Coffee Max’ and be asked to associate a person or personality to the brand. This will reveal the respondents’ thoughts about the product and brand.

Respondents can be shown the existing packaging of Coffee Max with the brand name covered. This exercise will tell the researchers how the respondents feel about the packaging, if it is boring or enticing. New design concepts can also be shown.

Half of the respondents can be shown a grocery list including Coffee Max and the other half of the respondents can be shown the same grocery list except that the Coffee Max is replaced by a competing brand. The respondents can be asked to describe the person who owns the grocery list. Responses can be that the person has high regard for quality or a person is cheap. This is a good example because the focused product is hidden among the other products and their true feelings and thoughts can be revealed (Haire, 1950 as cited in Steinman, 2009).

Completion Test

This technique involves having the respondents completing a sentence, story or a conversation. In this technique, the researchers will be able to judge the respondents’ strength of emotional attachment to brand or a product. A disadvantage of this technique is that the respondents’ answers can be a bit limited and the reasons for their answers are not revealed (Steinman, 2009).

Here are some examples of the use of completion test technique in the Coffee Max case:

An example of a good coffee is _______.

In this sentence, the researchers will determine if the respondents think that Coffee Max is a good coffee.

I like (or dislike) Coffee Max because _______.

In this sentence, the researchers will determine why the respondents like (or dislike) Coffee Max.

With Coffee Max my life is _______.

In this sentence, the researchers will determine how the respondents feel about Coffee Max.

The person who drinks Cofee Max is _______.

This sentence will reveal the respondents’ thoughts about Coffee Max.

The packaging of Coffee Max is _______.

This sentence will reveal how the respondents feel about the Coffee Max packaging.

Question 4

The directors of Bescafe Coffee have been examining their long term marketing research requirements. In order to better understand customer requirements and attitudes, they would like to make more use of panel research. However, their knowledge of this technique is limited and they have asked you to write a paper evaluating:

The difference between panel research and qualitative research using group discussions

To: The Directors of Bescafe Coffee

From: J Marketing Research Agency

Subject: Panel Research and Focus Group

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss about panel research and a type of qualitative research which is the focus group. In this letter both panel research and focus group will be defined and then compared with each other.

Panel research is a type of research where in a group is formed for a specific purpose or study. The panel, which are the people in the group, are selected based on their expertise or qualification relating to the research topic at hand (AQR.org, n.d.; Business Dictionary, n.d.).

Panel research can be described as a longitudinal study because it involves repeatedly observing the same variables over a period of time (i.e. several days, months or years). Panel research makes analysis easier because the results are quantifiable and the long duration of study allows the researcher to observe changes in the trends and the frequency of its occurrence (Shukla, 2008).

Although long duration of research is good because a more accurate data can be extracted due to the huge amount of data gathered, the long duration can also be the detriment of the research due to the panel’s lost of interest in the research or the data may become obsolete.

In the case of Bescafe Coffee research, the panel will consist of two members and will remain constant for the duration of the study. The panel will study the buying trends and brand preferences of consumers over a period of time.

Meanwhile, a focus group is a type of qualitative research method, wherein a group of eight to twelve respondents is formed to discuss topics relating to the research at hand. The discussion will be led by a moderator, who will introduce the topics for discussion and encourage the respondents to engage in a fruitful discussion about the research topic. Usually, the duration of a focus group is between 1 to 3 hours.

The discussion in a focus group reveals the respondents’ opinions, attitudes and beliefs relating to the product (Shukla, 2008).

Details regarding the focus group for the case of Bescafe Coffee were discussed in Question 1B.

Comparing Panel Research and Focus Group, both has its pros and cons. Panel research, being a type of quantitative research, is good because it is easy to analyze because the results are quantifiable unlike in a focus group. But being a type of qualitative research, focus group is also good because the respondents’ beliefs, attitudes and opinions can be studied in greater detail unlike in panel research. Panel research needs a long period of time before conclusions can be made, unlike in focus group, wherein conclusions can be made soon after the discussion is over. Panel research can be a bit more expensive than focus group because more manhours are needed. Panel research can detect changes in trends and its frequency, while focus group cannot. As was previously mentioned, panel research and focus group both have its pros and cons. The use of either will only depend on what the research topic is and what results are needed to answer the research question.

Thank you for your time spent in reading this letter.

Hopefully this letter has shed some light about panel research and focus group.

Kind regards,

J Marketing Research Agency

The benefits and challenges of recruiting and developing a panel of coffee drinkers for research purposes

To: The Directors of Bescafe Coffee

From: J Marketing Research Agency

Subject: Benefits and Challenges of recruiting and developing a panel of coffee drinkers

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss about the benefits and challenges of recruiting and developing a panel of coffee drinkers.

Benefits

Reliable Results

Requesting coffee drinkers to be a panel for research purposes brings reliable results because these are the true consumers of coffee. These coffee drinkers know what their looking for in a coffee and most importantly they are the ones who buy coffee, so for Bescafe Coffee to get information regarding their preferences, when it comes to coffee and its packaging, is very useful for them.

Discovery of New Things

Recruiting and developing a panel of coffee drinkers for research purposes is beneficial because new things can be discovered during the course of the panel research. Because of the long duration of panel research, Bescafe Coffee will be able to observe growing trends and can also come across some realizations.

Tested Results

Long period of research, which is a characteristic of panel research, is beneficial because there is time available to test the results. Tested results lead to accurate results and accurate results will definitely help Bescafe Coffee to achieve success in the business. Bescafe Coffee can test which packaging will bring success in their objective of bringing back their sales.

Results are Easy to Analyze

Results obtained from a panel of coffee drinkers are quantifiable and this is beneficial for Bescafe Coffee because it is easier to analyze. Quantifiable results can be easily plotted into tables or graphs where the best option can be easily chosen.

Clearer Results

Results obtained from a panel of coffee drinkers are descriptive in nature and this is beneficial for Bescafe Coffee because it is gives the researchers as well as the management a clearer picture when it comes choosing the best option.

Challenges

Decrease of Interest Among the Panel Members

Due to the long duration of panel research, the coffee drinkers, which are the panel members in this research, may lost their interest while doing the research. Some or most of these coffee drinkers are ordinary people that may not be used to doing just one project for a long period of time. This is truly a challenge for Bescafe Coffee to keep the interest of the panel members to the research.

Replacement of a Panel Member is Difficult

Because of the long duration, a panel member may back out in the middle of the research. It is hard to find a replacement panel member because this replacement needs to be similar to the member who backed out to bring back the original balance of the panel members in terms of ideas, preferences, etc. As for Bescafe Coffee, a member backing out is a possibility and they must keep a file for prospective replacements handy, just in case.

Expensive

Long duration of research leads to more expenses, so it becomes a challenge to businesses because not all companies have the money to fund the research. Recruiting a panel of coffee drinkers can also be quite expensive because the company needs to use special techniques to lure these people in participating. In the case of Bescafe Coffee, it is good that they have alloted money, but it is still a challenge because there are still other areas where they need to allocate some money.

Possibility of Biased Results

Because of the long duration of a panel research, another challenge, such as the possibility of biased results, may arise due to the deterioration of the focus of the panel members. As mentioned earlier, a panel of coffee drinkers may not be used to just working on one project for a long period of time, and this can lead to boredom and lack of focus which can lead to biased results. Again, Bescafe Coffee should try to maintain the interest of the panel members.

Long Wait to Arrive to Conclusions

Conducting a panel research can be quite challenging because conclusions cannot be extracted in a short period of time. This is challenging because there may be changes happening in the market and the company will not be able to react accordingly because they are still waiting for the conclusions to be extracted. Printers for the Coffee Max packaging would need to wait until they get the final design and begin printing.

Possibility of Obsolete Data

The long duration of a panel research can lead to the possibility of obsolete data and this becomes a challenge because obsolete data can no longer be used because it is incorrect in current times. This challenge is highly applicable in the technology industry because businesses come up with new technology in a matter months or weeks. As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, this can still be a challenge because there is always a possibility of a new trend coming up while research is being done.

Question 5: "When reporting research results in either a presentation or a written report, it is critical that you understand your audience."

Evaluate this statement and show how it impacts on the preparation of a presentation and a written report.

To better understand the audience when reporting research results an acronym of AUDIENCE was created.

A – Analysis

U – Understanding

D – Demographics

I – Interest

E – Environment

N – Needs

C – Customized

E – Expectations

Analysis

In doing a market research, it is important to start with analyzing what the company is all about. This gives the researchers a better knowledge on the company and allows the researcher to focus more on the company and the problem at hand. Analysis is also commonly used in market research where as the data collected are examined to see the relationships between the cause of a problem and its effect. Analysis helps the researchers/the company to solve a problem or make good decision (Business Dictionary, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the designers have designed three new design concepts. It is very important for the designers to know their audience or the company to effectively give a design that really reflects what the company is all about.

Understanding

Understanding is defined as knowing or having comprehension of a particular fact or subject. A market research agency is hired by a company because the company needs the agency to solve their problem. It is very important for the market research agency to understand this need for them to be able to satisfy the client requirement (The Free Dictionary, n.d.).

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the marketing agency should know that the company wants to know the customer attitudes and preferences with regard to the new design concepts, so the marketing research agency should have a good understanding of what the company wants from them to give what the company wants.

Demographics

Demographics pertain to general information about people. So as we focus on the audience or the client, demographics pertains to the companies employees. Demographics include the employee’s age, gender, ethnicity, education, level of income, occupation, etc. Knowing the demographics of the employees help the researcher to relate more to the company which helps them in solving the company’s problem. Lastly, knowing the company’s demographics gives the researcher the idea on how to give a report or presentation that not only appeals to the audience but also ensures a clear understanding by the client (Business Dictionary, n.d.).

Knowing the demographics of the employees of Bescafe Coffee, especially the top management whom the agency will report to, will help the agency to design their presentation or report accordingly so that their message will come across to their audience.

Interest

Interest is a state or a feeling that catches the attention or concern of people in a particular thing, event, etc. When writing a report or giving a presentation, it is very important that the market researcher knows the interests of the client so that they will catch the attention of their audience. Without catching the audience’s attention, the report or presentation will become useless because the audience will not read the report or listen to the presentation (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).

The marketing research agency should incorporate the interests of the Bescafe Coffee employees to their report or presentation to capture the audiences’ attention assuring that the audience will read their report or listen to their presentation.

Environment

Environment is the atmosphere where the employees work in. An example of a company’s environment is a relaxed or friendly environment where everybody gets along with each other. Another example is a serious environment where people don’t talk much and are just focused on the job. A company’s environment can also be a cold office or a blistering production floor. Knowing the company’s environment is very important because this can help the researchers to solve the problem. The cause of the problem can be rooted in the environment where the employees are working in (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.).

Knowing the type of environment that the Bescafe Coffee employees are working in gives the agency better understanding of the company. It also allows them to create the environment where they can have their presentation that the audience will be comfortable.

Need

Need is what the company or the client requires. In this case if the company hires a marketing research agency to solve their problem, this means that the company needs the research agency to collect data, analyze and eventually get the answers to their problems. It is important for the agency to know the needs of their client for them to able to do what they are hire for.

In the case of Bescafe Coffee, the marketing research agency should know that their client’s need is to know the customers’ awareness and attitude toward the Coffee Max brand and the current packaging as well as the market’s attitude and preferences regarding the new designs. This is where the marketing researcher should focus on.

Customized

Customized pertains to a company’s specific needs. The agency needs to know a company’s specific needs for their research to be more focused on these needs.

The market research agency needs to know that Bescafe Coffee has a specific need for their company. Bescafe Coffee has a specific brand, specific market and specific design. The market researcher should know these specific needs so that they can customize their approach in this research.

Expectations

Expectations are the things or results that the client expects from the research agency. The agency is hired to solve a company’s problem, so the agency is expected to give a result that will solve the company’s problem and will prevent it from occurring again.

The market research agency is expected to give Bescafe Coffee the idea whether they need to change their design or not, and if they do need to change their design, which one is the best.

After the agency understood their audience, it is also important for them to know the structure of a report to guide them in writing the report.

Structure of a Report

It is important for a report to have a structure because it makes the report organized and it allows the audience to understand the report better.

The Structure of a Report is as follows:

Title Page

The title page contains the title of the report, the name of the author, date of submission, etc (UniLearning, n.d.).

As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, the title of the report can be ‘Coffee Max’s packaging’s appeal to the market’, the name of the author are the people in the marketing agency responsible for writing the report and the date they submitted the report.

Executive Summary

This is a brief summary of the whole report. It contains the purpose of the report as well as conclusions and recommendation. This is ideally done after the whole report has already been written (Unilearning, n.d.).

As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, the executive summary should include the points tackled in the report which are the market awareness and attitudes toward the Coffee Max brand and their current packaging and then determining the market preferences regarding the new design. At the end of the report, it should be concluded if it is wise to change the packaging or not, and if it is wise to change the packaging, a new design must already been chosen.

Table of Contents

This contains the headings and subheadings of the report and the corresponding page number. This makes it easier for the reader to go directly to the specific points that they want to read (De Montfort University, n.d.).

Introduction

This contains the terms that are to be discussed in the report, the purpose of the report, procedures used in research, any background information, abbreviation definitions and acknowledgements (De Montfort University, n.d.).

As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, the purpose of the report is to know whether it is wise to change the packaging of Coffee Max and which packaging receives positive reaction from the consumers. The procedures used in research may include interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc. The introduction for this report should also include an introduction of the Bescafe Coffee company as well as the Coffee Max product.

Main Body

This contains the research done for the report. It has headings and subheadings. The procedure done in the research and the results are also written in this section. Discussion on the procedure of the research as well as the results are also included in this section (Unilearning, n.d.).

As for the case of Bescafe Coffee, the body of the report will contain the research done and how it is carried out as well as the results. The procedure and results will also be discussed.

Conclusion

This is the part where the author draws the answers to the problems through the results gathered in the research. The author will also explain how the conclusion was made and the importance of the results to the conclusion.

In the case of the Bescafe Coffee, it must be concluded in the end the packaging that is best used by Coffee Max (De Montfort University, n.d.).

Recommendations

The author suggests things that should happen, this suggestions must be based on the findings in the report.

The marketing research agency will suggest to the Bescafe Coffee what needs to be done (Unilearning, n.d.).

Reference List

This lists down all the reference materials used in the report (Unilearning, n.d.).

Appendix

This includes information that can support the analysis but not crucial to the discussion (Unilearning, n.d.).

If the agency is required to make a presentation for their research and results, it is important for them to know how to plan and make the presentation.

Steps in Presentation Planning

Define presentation goals and objectives

Before making a presentation, it is important for presenter, say the marketing research agency, to know what the purpose and objectives are. This will serve as a guide for the presenter for the contents of the presentation (Glover, n.d.).

Examine the audience

As mentioned earlier, knowing who the audience are is very important in making a presentation. Knowing the audience gives the presenter an idea on what the audience expects from them, like graphs, data, Powerpoint slides, etc. The agency can use their knowledge of the audience to know what kind of presentation that the audience will appreciate (Glover, n.d.).

Create an initial plan

The initial plan contains the goals of the presentation, the knowledge regarding the audience, the concepts to be discussed and the information needed for the presentation (Glover, n.d.).

Choose resources

To prepare for the content of the presentation, it important for the presenter to identify which resources to use and where to source it. The presenter should also identify which information is necessary for the presentation and which can be eliminated. The resource should also be chosen according to the audience. For example, professionals would be interested in laws and theories and not just on general ideas. This step also includes choosing the best way to deliver the presentation, this also depends on who the audience are. If the audience are professionals, it is alright to use industry related terms, not much creativity is needed in the presentation, but it should not boring to keep the interest of the audience. If the audience is young, a lively and creative presentation may be appropriate given that the attention span of young people are shorter that old people (Glover, n.d.).

Arrange presentation materials for productive presentation

Introduction: This is the time to capture the attention of the audience, to give the audience the idea on what the topic is about and to prove oneself to be worth listening to or not.

Body: This is where the topic is discussed and the concepts, as well as the results, explained.

Conclusion: This is the time to reiterate and summarize the ideas discussed and to materialize the goals set for the report (Glover, n.d.).

Below are some additional guidelines in making an effective presentation

Practice the presentation along with the visual aid before the actual presentation.

Make sure that the visual aid is not excessive and clear and it helps the audience to understand the report more clearly.

The speaker must speak clearly and audibly.

Make sure that the speaker does not cover the visual aids.