Alien from another Universe-ity

You are working in a company as a member of the marketing department. The company has launched an advertisement campaign to boost the sales of one of its new products, a solar powered USB charging device with an internal battery.  

Based on your research methodology and hypotheses testing background, your manager asks you to write a proposal to help find out whether the new advertisement campaign is effective in increasing sales or not. Clarify the type of data and analysis that are going to be used to test the advertisement campaign effectiveness.  Write a proposal for your supervisor about the research that you are proposing to determine the effectiveness of the advertising campaign and its methodology. Make sure that you address the questions/items below in your proposal. Support your information or ideas with reliable sources and evidence. The audience of the proposal is your manager and members of the marketing team. 

Dear manager and the marketing team,

I’m thrilled to present to you a comprehensive proposal to determine the effectiveness of the advertising campaign for our new solar-powered USB charging device with an internal battery. This proposal outlines the research methodology, variables, data analysis techniques, and hypotheses testing needed to assess the impact of the campaign on sales. My goal is to provide actionable insights and recommendations to optimize our marketing efforts. Please find the details below:

Come up with an example of a hypothesized correlation between the quantity of a product consumed and a specific background variable of consumers. Clarify the operational definition of each variable. Would the correlation be positive or negative? Do you think that this correlation would be strong or weak?

In this discussion post, let’s consider the hypothetical correlation between the age of customers and amount of coffee they consume. In this case, the quantity of coffee consumed would be the dependent variable, while the age of consumers would be the independent variable.

The operational definition of the quantity of coffee consumed could be measured in terms of cups per day or ounces per week. This would provide a quantifiable measure of the amount of coffee consumed by each individual. The operational definition of the age of consumers would be the numerical age of each individual. This could be measured in years or even in age groups (e.g., 18-24, 25-34, etc.) for simplicity.

1. The operational definition of a variable is how the researcher measured it.

a. True
b. False

Each day, reflect on the advertising you see around you. To what extent do you think that this advertising is making use of (or failing to make use of) consumer research? Do you think that the advertising itself is violating some of the principles of ethical research?

Advertising plays a significant role in our daily lives, bombarding us with messages and enticing visuals aimed at making us aware of products and services. As I reflect on the advertising I encounter each day, I believe that some advertisements make effective use of consumer research, while others fall short in this regard. In addition, there are instances where advertisements may violate the principles of ethical research.

Firstly, it is important to note that consumer research encompasses various methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative approaches. In the video by Mr. Sinn (2019), he discusses the importance of qualitative and quantitative research in understanding consumer behavior. Qualitative research involves understanding consumer behavior through techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and observations, while quantitative research utilizes numerical data to reveal patterns and trends. Both methods provide valuable insights into consumer preferences, motivations, and attitudes, which can subsequently inform advertising strategies. Also, the Pew Research Center (2017) emphasizes the significance of random sampling as a method in research, while One Minute Economics (2018) explains how sample size affects research outcomes and provides examples of its importance in research studies.

Conduct a “focus group” about a specific topic of interest to you (e.g., mass transit in your geographical area). This means that you simultaneously interview at least three (but less than a dozen) persons about the topic, and spend at least 15 minutes. Describe who you got to participate (e.g., describe each person by gender, age, economic activity).  In what ways would this small sample not be representative of the local population? List the questions you asked and summarize the sample’s responses. What did you learn about the topic? What additional information do you now know that you would need to get on this topic?

Introduction

For this focus group, I interviewed three individuals to gather insights on their experiences with mass transit in China during the National Day holidays in October. The participants were selected based on their varying demographics to ensure a diverse range of perspectives. While this small sample size limits the representativeness of the local population, it provides valuable insights into the topic.

Body

Participants:

1. Participant 1: Female, 32 years old, employed in the banking sector.

2. Participant 2: Male, 45 years old, self-employed in the tourism industry.

3. Participant 3: Female, 22 years old, student.

Go on to Youtube or a similar site for uploaded videos. Find a video discussing qualitative research (in general or in a specific form, such as focus groups). Give the URL and describe that video. Critique it in terms of whether or not you think that it gave a balanced presentation of the benefits (e.g., richness) and limitations (e.g., lack of precision) of qualitative research.

Go to a library (or on the internet) and find an article relevant to the ethics of research on consumer behavior. Give complete bibliographical information about the article and describe your reaction to it.

The video I found on YouTube is titled “Qualitative Research Methods” and can be accessed at the following URL:

The video provides an overview of qualitative research methods, including open-ended interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and coding.

Pick a topic of interest to you (e.g., consumers in one geographical area, or one specific industry). You are going to compare what you found in one reference work, one web site, and one journal article. Give URLs and complete bibliographical information. Where possible, provide the names of the authors and their backgrounds. Describe what each of the sources provided in terms of quantity of relevant information, depth of analysis, objectivity, recency, etc. Did any of these sources seem more oriented to promoting a product, industry or country rather than objectively describing and evaluating that topic?

Introduction

China has emerged as the largest market for smartphones globally, with a population of over 1.39 billion, and smartphone adoption rate among internet users in China is over 72% (Kemp, 2023). In this essay, I will compare three sources, one reference work, one web site, and one journal article that cover the smartphone market in China. These sources will be evaluated based on the depth of analysis, objectivity, recency, and quantity of relevant information.

Body

1. Reference Work. Title: “China’s Mobile Economy: Opportunities in the Largest and Fastest Information Consumption Boom”. Author: Winston Ma. Publisher: Wiley. Publication Year: 2016. Link: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/China%27s+Mobile+Economy%3A+Opportunities+in+the+Largest+and+Fastest+Information+Consumption+Boom-p-9781119127239

The reference work by Winston Ma provides a comprehensive overview of China’s mobile economy, including the mobile phone market. The book covers various aspects such as market size, consumer behavior, trends, and opportunities. The author, Winston Ma, is an expert in the field and has a background in law, finance, and technology.

Search the internet and find a site (e.g., from a government agency, private company, or non-governmental organization) which provides useful data or theories about a particular industry, product, or service. Give us the URL of that site and tell us what is the potential usefulness for consumer behavior?

Go to a library (or search the internet) to find an article in a periodical related to a product or industry of interest to you. Was it more of a newspaper, magazine, newsletter, trade journal, or academic (scholarly) journal? What led you to that inference?

One website that provides useful data and information about various industries, products, and services is Consumer Reports (https://www.consumerreports.org/). Consumer Reports is a non-profit organization that conducts rigorous testing, research, and analysis to provide unbiased reviews and ratings on a wide range of consumer products and services. The potential usefulness of this site for consumer behavior is significant.

Consumer Reports offers comprehensive reviews and ratings on products across different categories such as electronics, appliances, automobiles, home and garden, health, and more. These reviews are based on extensive testing conducted by experts, ensuring that the information provided is reliable and objective. For consumers, this can be highly beneficial when making purchasing decisions as it allows them to compare different options, understand the pros and cons of each product, and make informed choices based on their specific needs and preferences.