Research Portfolio: Analyzing Customer Perception of BMW Brand

This research portfolio outlines a comprehensive approach to investigating customer perception of the BMW brand. The report details the use of three primary research methods: questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaire design includes both closed and open-ended questions to gather data on brand preference, vehicle traits, brand value perception, and factors influencing purchasing decisions. The interview process involves a structured checklist to assess customer experiences, brand strengths, and recommendations. Finally, the focus group method is employed to explore customer attitudes toward new BMW models, brand value, awareness, and the factors affecting purchasing decisions. The research aims to collect primary data, analyze customer opinions, and provide insights for strategic improvements, ultimately aiming to understand how brand value and awareness influence customer choices and to inform BMW's marketing and product strategies.

Research Portfolio

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Research methods........................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Research portfolio provides deeper insight about the way in which investigator will
resolve the issue. In this, scholar gives detailed information about the manner through which data
will be gathered by the scholar to conduct the investigation effectually. The present report will
describe the means through which information will be collected by the scholar by questionnaire,
interview and focus group.
Research methods
There are mainly three research methods which will be used by scholar namely
questionnaire, interview and focus group. All such methods will help scholar in extracting the
suitable information according to the research issue or purpose.
Questionnaire: Research will prepare questionnaire to carry out survey more effectively and
efficiently. This in turn helps researcher in collecting the suitable information according to the
research issue or purpose. Thus, investigator will include both close and open ended questions in
questionnaire with the aim to derive suitable solution of problem. Hence, by sending the below
mentioned questionnaire to the respondents scholar can conduct investigation in the best possible
manner (Patten, 2016). Moreover, in questionnaire, questions have been included by the
researcher in relation to customer perception towards BMW, brand value and awareness etc.
Through the means of such questionnaire scholar would become able to gather appropriate
primary data in the best possible way.
Demographic information
Name….
Age…. ..
Gender…..
Income…..
1. Which automobile brand do you prefer while taking decision about investing money in car?

 Audi ()
 BMW ()
 Mercedes Benz ()
2. Which vehicle trait do you consider at the time of decision making?
 Safety and stability ()
 Comfort ()
 Practicality ()
 Luxury ()
 Performance or mileage ()
3. Giving rates to the luxurious aspect of BMW?
 Excellent ()
 Good ()
 Average ()
 Below average ()
 Poor ()
4. Do you agree that vehicles offered by BMW make contribution in the sustainable
environment?
 Agree ()
 Strongly agree ()
 Neutral ()
 Disagree ()
 Strongly disagree ()
5. Do you consider brand value while taking about purchasing of new car?
 Yes ()
 No ()
6. Do you prefer to purchase the vehicle that fulfills all the requirements rather than considering
the brand image?

 Absolutely ()
 Absolutely not ()
 Most likely ()
 Do not know ()
7. From the following factors which one encourages you to invest money in BMW?
 Brand loyalty ()
 Style or model ()
 Luxury and class ()
 Extremely high trait combination ()
 Give high value of money ()
8. Do you want to give any recommendation for further improvement?
………………………………………………………………………..
Interview: In order to gather data through the means of interview scholar will prepare checklist
which in turn helps them in deriving suitable information. Moreover, by asking questions from
the respondents interviewer can evaluate the mindset of customers. Besides this, through the
means of formal conversation researcher can get information about the customer’s perception
and awareness towards the brand of BMW. Thus, with the motive to fulfill such objective
scholar will prepare checklist for conducting interview in a structured manner (Meifort, 2016).
Moreover, without having checklist it is not possible for the investigator to conduct interview
more effectually. Hence, following checklist has been prepared by the researcher for getting
information from respondents. In this, interviewer will record the responses of each candidate to
present the fair solution of issue or problem.
Interview checklist
1. Do you have invested money in the vehicles of BMW in the before times?
2. What are the strengths of BMW?

3. Do you have better experience with BMW in relation to service quality?
4. Do you recommend the brand of BMW to your friends and family members?
5. Which brand comes in your mind first in the category of luxury cars and why?
6. Providing information about the list of factors which have high level of impact on your
decision making?
7. What do you think about the brand of BMW and its services in comparison to others?
8. Do you positive perception about the brand of BMW, if not why?
9. Do you consider promotional factors and customers reviews while making decision about
investment?
Focus group: It is other most effectual methods which help in assessing the perception,
behavior, opinion and belief of customers. Hence, by conducting discussion on new product or
model which BMW is going to introduce researcher can get information about the customer’s
attitude towards it. This in turn helps company in making suitable changes in the strategies and
policies (Uggla and Lashgari, 2012). Along with this, such in-depth investigation also offers
opportunity to the firm to undertake changes or modifications within the suitable time frame. By
considering such aspect researcher has taken decision in relation to conduct discussion on the
topic of brand value, awareness and factors affecting purchasing decisions.
Hence, such discussion helps researcher in assessing the extent to which brand value and
awareness affects the purchasing decision of customers. Moreover, by conducting discussion on
such areas researcher can assess the extent to which brand value is considered by the customers
at the time of decision making. In addition to this, by giving topic related to the factors that have
influence on decision making BMW can provide customers with suitable model of car at suitable
prices. Thus, by conducting in-depth discussion on such topics for the time frame of 15-20
minutes researcher would become able to gather suitable information according to the research
aims and objectives.

CONCLUSION
From this report, it has been concluded that by framing both close and open ended
questions scholar will gather data with the help of questionnaire. Besides this, it can be inferred
by providing participants with the suitable topic researcher can generate information about the
perception level of customers. In addition to this, checklist will be used by the scholar to conduct
interview. Further, it can be revealed from portfolio that by using all the three methods will help
scholar in the collection of suitable information.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Meifort, A. K., 2016. Innovation portfolio management: A synthesis and research agenda.
Creativity and Innovation Management. 25(2). pp.251-269.
Patten, M. L., 2016. Questionnaire research: A practical guide. Routledge.
Uggla, H. and Lashgari, M., 2012. Brand Portfolio Prerogative: Five Challenges and Research
Themes Within Brand Portfolio Management. IUP Journal of Brand Management. 9(3). p.7.