Quantitative Market Research

What is Quantitative Market research?

Quantitative consumer research is the methodology of asking questions to a well-defined target audience in an organised manner. It may be conducted using surveys, polls or tech tools like eye-tracking devices. Responses are analysed to aid decision-making in various business aspects such as Marketing, Communication, Distribution, Customer experience design.

Traditionally speaking, the market research industry has been driven by Quantitative research. Such research is typically conducted in large sample sizes. Quantitative customer research is used to measure the extent of customer perceptions/behaviour/ expectations (the what, where, how often, how much). Since it deals with measurable and generalisable data; it is generally considered more objective and factual than other research methodologies like Semiotics & Qualitative research.

Which data-collection methods does Quantitative research use?

Most Quantitative customer research methods are structured, involving an ‘ask-and-get-response’ approach to data collection. Certain Quantitative research methods might involve unsolicited responses eg. Google Search analytics, Social Media Analytics etc. Typical characteristics of Quantitative research methods are:

1. It focuses on objective, close-ended questions
2. Open-ended questions are limited
3. It captures responses on scales, offering the respondent a range of possible pre-coded responses
4. It can be used to...
   1. describe a particular customer phenomenon or
   2. establish causality among multiple factors affecting customer decision-making or
   3. forecast future trends basis historical/ past data or
   4. conduct experiments to validate ‘what if’ scenarios

Interviews among panel respondents might be conducted in-person OR digitally, depending on the client’s requirements. For instance, a product-testing panel could include face-to-face interviews among a selected panel. Instead, a media measurement study could involve the research agency installing a data-capture device in the panel-respondent’s home.

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Focus groups are popularly referred to as “FGDs”; and typically comprise 4 to 10 participants and are conducted at a research facility, with a separate viewing room for observers/ clients. The group is facilitated by a moderator, whose job is to guide the free-flowing discussion in directions that will help understand a broad range of customer perception, behavior and expectations. Other forms of FGDs like Modified versions of FGDs like Diads (interviewing 2 respondents together) and Triads (interviewing 3 respondents together) can also help address certain research objectives.

In-depth interviews are popularly referred to as “DIs / IDIs”; and are typically conducted either in-person or telephonically. This method enables ‘vertical’ data collection i.e. the individual customer’s relationship with a category/ brand.

Ethnography is where researchers observe and/ or interact with customers in the latter’s real-life contexts. Ethnography is a versatile method that can take several shapes and forms – at customer’s home/ work environment (eg. wardrobe audits for Apparel category) or in-store (e.g. accompanied shopping for Mobile Phones category) or product-in-use (e.g. drive alongs for Automotive category).

Finding Quantitative Market Research companies and how we can help

With growing complexity in Quantitative research methods, choosing the ‘right’ partner has become increasingly challenging. There are several agencies locally and globally, that can address your Quantitative research needs. Directories like ESOMAR, Greenbook and Quirks list hundreds of market research agencies. There are specialist agencies that might execute one particular Quantitative research methodology better than generalist big agencies. All of this makes choosing the right partner, a time-consuming and tedious task, one that eats into your time.

How myMRPlace works

Finding the best-fit Quantitative research supplier is easy and swift, on myMRPlace. Here’s how:

As a buyer, you create your account within 5 minutes and post your project. You can post piecemeal requirements eg. only recruitment/ fieldwork/ coding/ analysis OR a full-fledged Quantitative market research project.

As a buyer, you create your account within 5 minutes and post your project requirements. Next, myMRPlace notifies all secondary market research suppliers in its database about your requirement. Suppliers typically respond within 1 working day. The platform currently has over 800 suppliers, spread across 90 countries. Apart from the currently registered suppliers, myMRPlace team can reach out to suppliers from its 10000+ robust database of verified research companies across industries depending on the project requirement.

Once you receive quotes and choose a supplier, myMRPlace can become your single-point platform for all your project management needs.

myMRPlace has delivered over 100 Qualitative research projects, across South East Asian, African and European markets. Reach out to myMRPlace suppliers now, to quickly identify, genuine and competent research companies across the world.