team homework 1

7/30/2019 Team Homework 1

1/8

Marketing Research Team Homework 1

Boston Fights Drugs CASE


2/8

1. Are focus groups an appropriate methodology for this research? Why or why not?First of all, it could be interesting to define more precisely what we understand when talking about

focus groups .

A focus group is a marketing tool, which is characterized by giving especially qualitative information.

Insights, ideas, those are the main goals we try to reach when using focus groups.Four main purposes can be highlighted:

Generate hypotheses that can be further tested quantitatively ; Generate information helpful in structuring consumer questionnaires ; Provide background information on a product category ; And finally obtain customer impressions on new product concepts or ad copy.

To answer to this question, we first have to analyze some information, trying to determine who the

decision maker is, what the decision problem is, and also the research problem.

The mayor of Boston can easily be characterized as the decision maker, because the study takes place

in communities and towns of Boston.

The decision problem is the following: How to decrease the drug use of young people? , and more

specific Create a communications program to decrease drug use of young people

About the research problems, we mostly pointed out 3 of them :

-Which kind of communication methods should they use?

-What messages should the city send to its younger population?

-How should those messages be packaged and delivered to reach the target audience?

At a general point of view, we agreed saying that using focus groups isan appropriate method.

Why?

Because the objective of focus groups is to watch the attitudes, wants and needs of one person or part

of the population for instance. It will provide the most effectiveness to young people in the cities (the

size of the city is big, so effective tools are required).

The method used is that focus groups data should help study groups to find young peoples insights.

Specification of action, according to the target, is one of the most important words in this case, thats

why using focus groups is an appropriate tool.

Focus groups are also quicker than one by one interviews (because students make the research, we

have limits of time, money, and it is the most effective way to reach their target).


3/8

2. Was the screening questionnaire appropriately designed?In a first time, it is important to note that a screening questionnaire is different to any others

questionnaires. Indeed, the principle of a screening questionnaire is to collect data about your

identity.1

With the completed answers, it is possible to verify who is the person, to know more

about his/her characteristics, however without know his/her name because the screening

questionnaire is normally anonymous. The goal of this kind of questionnaire is to obtain a

particular profile with real characteristics and to put it in correlation with a precise subject, for

example the theme of fights drugs in Boston...

Finally, this screening questionnaire comports a type of particular questions, only closed-ended

questions, which we can answer by checking one of several predetermined answers.2

But the most important is to know that the purpose of this screening questionnaire is to collect

a maximum of information about their attitude about the drug use.

To answer at this second question, we think that the screening questionnaire was not

appropriately designed. But it is why?

First of all, the volunteers who come for the screening questionnaire are not necessarily

representative of the population in general. We want to say by it that the volunteers should be

representative of population, and not just representative of population about the drug use. So,

the alternative solution would be rather to gather some volunteers to represent the population

of Boston.

Secondly, we think that some questions are so general, that is to say not enough focused on

specify; whereas other questions are not so adapted to the target of the screening

questionnaire, above all to 10-to-13-year-old boys.

For example, in our opinion, the questions 2 and 4 are not enough representatives to young

peoples opinion, because these questions have only a choice of three or four answers. We

think that it is very restrictive, and maybe it would be better to add two choices of different

answers between the already existing answers.

So, for the question 2, it would be more interesting to know if, for our young people, the drug

use today is:

not a important problem, or not a problem a problem as the other one a moderate problem an important problem

1http://www.financeglossary.net/definition/3104-Screening_Questions

2http://www.answers.com/topic/questionnaire


4/8

a fatal problemOn the same way for the question 4, we think that it would be more interesting to know also

how many friends/acquaintances the target knows who:

never use drugs sometimes use drugs always use drugs are addicted to drugs

Finally, we think that the questions 1, 5, and 6 were constructed to disguise partially the

purpose of the research. Indeed for us, these questions are so general and have not a direct link

with the purpose of the research, that is to say: to get needed information about their attitude

about the drug use.

3. Was the sampling plan appropriate for the research? Do you think the research captured theviews of all customers for the advertising campaign?

The field study members worried about a problem; how should they recruit participants to obtain

accurate market information? They thought general school students were not proper participants in this

research so they selected community schools students to gain precise market information. However,

this sampling plan was not appropriate for the research. This is because the range of sampling is too

narrow to obtain proper information. Community schools students are not enough to obtain adequate

information about young people in Boston. Even though they had a little amount of time and budgets to

do this research, they need to focus on people as much as possible.

In this reason, their research doesnt capture the views of all customers for the advertising campaign.

They only find the views ofcommunity school students. These people cant be representative of all

customers view. It has so many different features compare community school students with general

youth at age 10-to-18-year-olds.


5/8

4. Overall did the researchers achieve their goal? Did they identify the new insights that theywere looking for?

Limited resource (time and budget) considered, we think researchers did a good job in research. But

they did not have results as satisfactory as they intended. As we already have mentioned, the method of

focus group is appropriate but they have made a mistake in the procedure of sampling and screening

questionnaire. Of course they come to know storytelling of communication method is crucial and

advertisement should be realistic, and also come to know local characters are needed to send massages

to young people. But because the sampling was incorrect, those results can not reflect whole Bostons

opinion. So the results are also incorrect to some extent.

And the data are so abstract. For example, research team found the Educational programs which

provide realistic information in an adult manner are effective in communicating an antidrug message.

But what is an adult manner? This is not explained sufficiently.

So we think they achieved their goal to some extent and at the same time they didn't to some extent.

And second question is 'Did they identify the new insights that they were looking for?' The research

team had some secondary data. According to secondary data, crack (a kind of drugs) are small enough

for teenagers to purchase for $10 a piece but potent enough. And an existing study indicated that peer

pressure to use drugs was intense, and usage drug availability & usage were pervasive through out the

school system. The study also indicated that use of celebrities in the antidrug ad scored low with young

people.

Then as we see the results of the research (this is primary data), some of data are not new insights.

Those data shows that celebrities are not crucial in antidrug ad, and youth need to have peer group, and

drug uses are pervasive in school system. But other data are new insights. First nonusers avoid both

friends and strangers who use drug. Second family is an important influence on drug use and attitudes.

Third, storytelling is crucial method of communication. And finally, youth hate the command like that

what they should do.

So we think they identified some new insights.


6/8

5. Carefully read the interview guide given in Exhibit 5 and then provide specificcomments (either positive or negative) for the interview guide. (Your comments can

be related to contents or question wordings.)

As a whole, the interview guide has some problem.

First, there are too many questions. Some of the questions are similar to others. For example, what do

you want to be when you grow up? and who do you want most to be like? are similar to each. And

there are some unnecessary questions. What is your opinion of advertisers? is the example.

Second, the questions are too difficult to young people. So young people can misunderstand the core of

question or cannot understand contents at all. Lets see the question Of the following list of drugs,

which are dangerous and which are not? We dont think that young people know so many kinds of

drugs and they can pick out which one is dangerous. So this question does not adapt to young people.

So they must approach easier to young people like yes or no question.

And on the case ofImpressions ofAdvertising, the questions are too long. So these can also affect the

youngers misunderstanding.

Third, some questions too personal. Some are so private question to Boston people in USA. So it is

possible for young people to be confused or unpleasant. For example, who do you talk to about your

problems, Do you plan to continue living in Boston? and some other questions might be problem.

These private problems are different in different country. So researcher must take the question about

privacy into consideration when questioning.

As we see from above, there are some negative points in the interview guide lines

But there are also positive points. First, the questions are so classified well that Research team are

easy to get specific information. All questions are divided in some part and organized by related subject.

These points are accorded with purpose of focus group method.

Second, some questions are indirect, so the interviewees are more comfortable, easier to answer the

question. For example, Why do people first use drugs, Why do people keep using drugs might be

indirect question to interviewees who do drugs. So those people can answer the question without

unwelcome.


7/8

6. Find 3 pieces of evidence from Exhibit 6~13 that supports the research teams conclusion.

At first, we found the main five main conclusions from page 9 of the copy. These are

Storytelling is crucial Roll of realism is important Young people are heavily influenced by family members Questioning behavior or presenting strategies for changing behavior is more efficient

than command young people what to do

How to follow through with the intention is difficult when faced with peer pressure

Then we found 3 pieces of evidence from Exhibit 6 ~ 13 that supports those conclusions.

Storytelling is crucial

(Exhibit 74) What is your opinion of drug advertising on TV? : The answers of this question included

some information which is helpful to storytelling

(Exhibit 10-6) Being addicted to drugs presents a financial problem: Because Findings say the ads should

resent a situation. Financial problem is a kind of situation. So presenting a financial problem is related to

Storytelling.

(Exhibit 11-7) What do you think is a good way to convince kids not to use drugs? : To convince kids not

to use drugs is related to storytelling

Roll of realism is important

(Exhibit 10-6) Being addicted to drugs presents a financial problem: Financial problem is realistic

problem

(Exhibit 11-3) How do you treat a friend who does drugs?

(Exhibit 13-3) Girls are concerned about their neighborhoods. They relate this to drugs

: These are all related to real situation or our life


8/8

Family members

(Exhibit 6-3) Kids listen to family members opinions about drugs,

(Exhibit 9-3) Who influences you about drugs and other things?

(Exhibit 10-1) Older children are a big influence on younger siblings drug attitudes

: These all present the family members influences to young people

Question behavior or present strategies for changing behavior

(Exhibit 7-4) Whats your opinion of drug advertising on TV?

(Exhibit 10-8) This age group reacts to radio and direct mail advertising: the final answer I wouldnt pay

attention to no adults. They all sound alike. Just trying to tell you how to run your life is related to this

conclusion

(Exhibit 10-9) If treated like adults, Kids are more likely to listen

How to follow through with the intention was difficult when faced with peer pressure

(Exhibit 8-1) Boys avoid family members of strangers with drug problems: people with drugs problems

can affect negatively to boys. So peer pressure can occur

(Exhibit 9-5) What would you do if you had a friend who did drugs: same reason with above evidence.

(Exhibit 10-4) Peer pressure to do drugs is high

team homework 1

Documents