Qualitative market research seeks information about the opinions and behaviors of the subjects in the market of interest. Qualtitative research is conducted to:
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Obtain helpful background information on a market segment
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Explore concepts and positioning of a business or product
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Identify attitudes, opinions and behavior shared by a target market
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Prioritize variables for further study
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Fully define problems
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Provide direction for the development of questionnaires
The most common qualitative research techniques are:
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Personal Interviews, which:
- Are conducted on a one-on-one basis
- Use an unstructured survey
- Use open-ended questions
- Have extensive probing questions
- Are usually recorded on audio tape
- Are nterviews typically lasting at least one hour
- Have a small sample size
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Focus Groups, which:
- Are groups of 8-12 people
- Are led by a moderator who follows a script
- Are audio or video recorded
- Have meetings lasting from 1-2 hours
- Have a minimum of two groups scheduled per target market
- Factors the group dynamics into the data collection
