Marketing Research: Quantitative vs Qualitative

This article discusses the debate between quantitative and qualitative research in marketing. It explores how consumer behavior has changed and predicts the future of the retail industry. It also analyzes the message and target market of Hallmark's advertisement and the impact of Apple's Think Different campaign.

Marketing

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
QUESTION 1...................................................................................................................................1
Taking a position on The best marketing research is quantitative in nature versus the best
marketing research is qualitative in nature..................................................................................1
QUESTION 2 ..................................................................................................................................3
How consumer behaviour changed..............................................................................................3
QUESTION 3 ..................................................................................................................................3
A. Identification of the message the company wants to send to the customers through the
advertisement...............................................................................................................................3
B. Identification of target market for the advertisement as well as explaining the reasons for
which advertiser is using segmentation variable that are identified for the advertisement.........4
QUESTION 4 ..................................................................................................................................4
Prediction about future of retail industry.....................................................................................4
QUESTION 5 ..................................................................................................................................6
1. What is the message that Apple wants to sell to its customers?..............................................6
2. As per own opinion, what does the benefit Apple gain when they implemented the Think
Different Campaign?....................................................................................................................6
3. What kind of emotion does the video evoke. Explaining the feeling and why?......................6
QUESTION 6 ..................................................................................................................................6
Thinking about last time an individual went for making a purchase in a store. How important
was the salesperson in that decision? What did he or she do that is liked or didn't like by a
person?.........................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is an activity which is undertaken by an institution for promoting purchase or
selling their offerings. It is significant for a business as it assists in making people aware about
products that are offered by sale (Alalwan and et.al., 2017). Moreover, it cultivates brand
credibility, drives commodity awareness and delivers values to audience in form of inspiration,
information along with entertainment. It permits organisation to build and maintain long lasting
addition to ever present relations with target population.
Present assessment covers discussion on best marketing research is quantitative in nature
versus best marketing research is qualitative in nature. Further, it includes discussion on the ways
consumer behaviour changed. Moreover, it identifies the message that the entity wants to send to
its customers with the help of advertisement and the target market for the advertisement.
Predictions related to future of retail industry, message which organisation wants to send, kind of
emotions evoked and significance of a salesperson in decision making of customers are
discussed in the report.
QUESTION 1
Taking a position on The best marketing research is quantitative in nature versus the best
marketing research is qualitative in nature
Market research is termed as an organised effort for collecting information concerned
with target audiences and customers in order to understand them as well as their requirements.
In other words, market research is delineated to systematic design, gathering, analysis as well as
reporting of data together with information that are relevant to particular marketing situation that
are faced by a business concern (Dobrinić and Gregurec, 2016). For the purpose of extracting
and quantifying behaviours, perceptions, insightful information as well as opinions concerned
with wants, desires, taste and preferences of consumers, organisational marketers deploys two
kind of techniques of market research that are qualitative along with quantitative research. In
this, quantitative research is numeric in nature and is statically quantified, measured, analysed
through mathematical instruments that are standards deviation, variance analysis and many more.
However, qualitative research is descriptive in nature and fails to be statically analysed.
When marketers of company, for example, Apple, performs market research then they
opts their preferred approaches as per requirements. For instance, when they needs to conduct in-

depth and detailed insights about consumers then they selects qualitative approach. In contrary,
when their research demands high volume of representative data that is measurable then
quantitative approach is suitable. Research having qualitative nature makes attempt for
generating detailed information about behaviour of consumers and figure out image of a
commodity or brand that is perceived by people. In contrary, market research having quantitative
nature works for determining results of investigation and analyse numbers.
At same time, there are certain market researchers that prefers qualitative research than
quantitative approach as qualitative research leads to in depth exploration about what target
audience think, feel and perform, moreover, for analysing the reason customers behave towards
offerings of an organisation as they perform and involved barriers then use of qualitative
research method helps in exploring the issues. It aims to understand suitable reasons related to
customers behaviour and the ways they might respond towards a new product. Limitation of such
method is that it do not provide robust findings. It also consumes huge time and requires huge
resources or efforts for collecting qualitative data for a business (Hanssens and Pauwels, 2016).
On the basis of needs and requirements, organisations uses research techniques for
gathering essential information. As per the opinion of professionals, best marketing research
method is qualitative in nature than quantitative research. It is because qualitative research
method emphasis more on discovering addition to exploring perspectives, thoughts as well as
experiences of population unlike quantitative method focuses more towards figures and numbers.
Moreover, qualitative research do not have any hypothesis as the data collection together with
analysis do not depend on preconceived notion which decreases probabilities of biasness while
other method that is quantitative method is conducted for testing particular hypothesis. It is also
analysed that being qualitative in nature, research method saves time, resources and efforts as
sample size in this are smaller in comparison to the market research which is quantitative in
characteristic. Marketers believe that quantitative research is best as it shows outcomes on
numbers that helps in making decisions promptly. In contrary, qualitative research only provides
interpretation related to topic of interest (Schwartz and Woloshin, 2019).

QUESTION 2
How consumer behaviour changed
Consumer behaviour is termed to a study about the ways individual customers and
companies select, utilise along with dispose products or ideas for want satisfaction (Kannan,
2017). In accordance to the video, consumer behaviour has changed with availability of multiple
mobile applications to people. Digital technology plays great role in enhancing knowledge of
consumers about products and services that base changes within attitude as well as preference of
consumers. The Blurring of Screens is one of keynote that articulates enhancing numbers of
devices through which population consume media in present era plays significant role in
resulting to change behaviour of consumes for offerings of a venture. It has been identified that
10.7 U.S. is the number which reflects on reference on an average that people use for making
purchase decision. Consumers have changed their behaviours because of various sources they
use for collecting data related to features, price and other aspects concerned with a commodity.
Mobile phone is moving into spotlight in which approximate 93 per cent of consumers uses
smartphones for access Internet each day. Among these, nearby 20 per cent of population using
mobile devices for searching something that marketers are required for adapting addition to
witnessing sales.
It is well popular fact that consumer is a market king and is that royalty which always
have desires for additional as well as never wishes to settle at less. New age customers are
considered to have an eye for customisation along with goes for those commodities that are
individually crafted to satisfy their attitudes, needs and preferences. In past, traditional marketing
model including stimulus, first moment of trust along with second moment of truth effectively
met customer requirements, however lacks meeting modern day changing behaviour.
Organisations are leveraging digital media for connecting clients to their target consumers
(Katsikeas and et.al., 2016).
QUESTION 3
A. Identification of the message the company wants to send to the customers through the
advertisement
With the help of the advertisement, message which Hallmark wants to send to its customer
is “When an individual care enough then they have capability for changing the World”. In the

advertisement, it is shown that when a person lends a hand than they can change a day, when
they care to be different or to spend more than they can change a heart and by care to spend the
hour, to show respect, to stay for something then they can change a mind (Umarxodjaeva, 2020).
Moreover, when an individual care enough to say how you feel, to lift a spirit and so on then can
change a life. In the globe which seems to be performing hard for dividing people, along with
population that are seeking stronger relationship for improving overall health, Hallmark is
helping to bring population together as well as putting enough care to bring changes in the
World.
B. Identification of target market for the advertisement as well as explaining the reasons for
which advertiser is using segmentation variable that are identified for the advertisement
Target market is termed to a group of potential people to whom an organisation prefers to
sell its commodities and services (Kotler, 2017). In other words, it is one part of total market that
is aimed for brand’s product and services. The target market used by managers of Hallmark for
the advertisement is people belonging to all group whose behaviour are to help others and create
significant changes in the life of others. For this, behavioural segmentation is used by marketers
of Hallmark because it has possibilities of improving marketing effectiveness through using
insights for the purpose of creating personalised experiences for prospective consumers on the
basis of their stage of purchase process and needs. Behavioural segmentation helps marketers to
focus on the ways and the duration a consumer makes decision for spending money on a product
or service.
QUESTION 4
Prediction about future of retail industry
Vader (2021), pandemic of Covid-19 have bought significant changes in retail industry as
entire nations come under quarantine orders as well as consumers across the globe have started
shunning human contact because of which retailers are scrambling for adaptation. Professionals
have recognised that international response towards novel Covid-19 virus have great chances for
having significant impact on organisations. Some of the predictions associated to retailing
industry are as follows:
Shoring up cash reserves: All the retailers, particularly, physical footprints are
rethinking existing cash positions as well as making attempts for assessing the ways they will

continue to make payments for bills must be downturn in demand for prolonged time period. It is
assumed that retailers should be taking close look towards their existing together with forecasted
liquidity profile as well as assess significant modifications within working capital dynamics. It is
also reviewed by various retailers about overall financial stability within variants of scenarios
and involving with lenders for the purpose of refinancing loans as well as amending financial
covenants (Kotler, Kartajaya and Setiawan, 2019).
Protecting population: The situation of Covid-19 pandemic have led to shutdowns
together with quarantines of numerous workplaces in retail sector. Retailers must have proper
planning which ensures to protect and provide safety of workforce while making attempts for
maintaining organisation as usual practices. Rather than devising crisis communication plan, all
retailers are required to think about strategies that will help in managing workforce within certain
number of scenarios.
Online shopping: One of latest moves that are part of retailing trend is online shopping
wherein companies will sell products through digital means and consumers will try new
channels. Retailers should plan to open Regional Distribution Centres by connecting then with
digital platforms (Moorman and Day, 2016). Online shopping is an action to purchase
commodities of company over internet. For instance, Coles Plan comprised two new highly
automated customer fulfilment centres in the city of Melborne as well as Sydney that will be
ready till 2023. Along with this, the retailer have also made an announcement about two new
automated distribution centres within NSW together with Queenland that will cost around A$700
Million. There are more number of automated fulfilment centres which will be part of meeting
online wants of consumers within retail industry.
Conversation with customers: As customers are king and most significant stakeholder
of business, conversation with customers is predicted retailing trend. In UK, US or other
countries, retailers should be thinking about impacts of Covid-19 will have on customers as well
as relationships. Managers of retail organisation are required to build strategies for maintaining
trust in the brand along with offerings. Furthermore, it is also essential for retailers to think the
ways to recover customer experiences in upcoming couple of years. In the environment of
Covid-19, it is important for retailers to shore up customer relationship as shoring their bottom
line (Morgan and et.al., 2019).

QUESTION 5
1. What is the message that Apple wants to sell to its customers?
Apple wants to sell its customers is the core values on which the entity works. The core
value of Apple is that people with passion can change the world for better. It believes that an
individual who is crazy enough to think that they could change the world are the one who
actually does it. The company has devised a brand personality as well as culture that is cool,
friendly together with cool which are opposite to its rivals (Paul, 2018).
2. As per own opinion, what does the benefit Apple gain when they implemented the Think
Different Campaign?
In accordance to my opinion, Apple have gain significant benefit with execution of Think
Different Campaign. With this campaign, the company has felt boost in its revenues despite of
having no significant new commodities. Moreover, the campaign has tripled stock price of Apple
through which the administrators have earned huge profits. With a year later of Think Different
campaign, Apple has successfully launched its Multi-colored iMacs. Moreover, it represented
revolutionary designs that are popular as best selling computers till history.
3. What kind of emotion does the video evoke. Explaining the feeling and why?
Within me, the video of Steve Jobs has evoked an emotion of excitement and pleasure.
While watching the video, I felt happy as it has improved my knowledge about core values of the
company and its way of working. Moreover, the presented video has improved my insights about
what other companies including Nike and so on are doing to sell the brand. I am feeling joyful
that I have contributed my time in watching a useful video that says a people who is crazy for
thinking to change the world generally are the one who actually makes attempt for making things
happen with different tactics.
QUESTION 6
Thinking about last time an individual went for making a purchase in a store. How important was
the salesperson in that decision? What did he or she do that is liked or didn't like by a
person?
Last time when I went in a cosmetic shop only just for window shopping. As I am
interested in lipsticks, I straightly went to that section of store. I just pick one lipstick then a

salesperson came introduced himself and he started explaining about lipstick brand and etc. That
time I was not paying much attention to what he was saying and he asked me weather I love
animals or no and which type of lipstick I like. I replied to his question by saying yes and said I
like long-lasting and so on. That was the time he trapped me. He pick that brand which is vegan
and along with this he start describing me about the brand. He told me that as compare with other
brand that brand has a unique feature that it will last for long period of time. He keep on
explaining me that if I buy one on that day they will also provide me a special discount. During
that conversation he also ask from where I belong and from where I have studied that has some
how created a connection between him and me. I must say he did not forced me to buy one but I
was automatically influenced by him.
I was completely mesmerised by his selling skills as he first tries to know me (what I like
and what I did not like) and according to that he played his game. Later I realised that he was
asking those questions just to build conversation and I don't leave the store easily. One thing that
I didn't liked about him is that he was flaunting too much about the organisation and was
interfering in my personal communication with my friend.
CONCLUSION
From the discussion, it have been concluded that marketing is an important activity for a
business as it increases product demand, generate competition and adds values in offerings.
Consumer behaviour have changed with time because of availability of different mobile
applications to collect information about products and analysing its review prior making
purchase decisions. Key retailing trends that have been identified in the environment of Covid-19
includes Shoring up cash reserves, protecting population, online shopping and conversation with
customers.

REFERENCES
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Online:
Vader. R., 2021. The realities of retailing in a COVID- 19 World. [Online]. Available through: <
https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/03/realities-of-retailing-in-covid-19-
world.html>