Quantitative Research: Anticipating your Customers’ Reactions to Marketing Decisions

This is the first of three eTips! on quantitative marketing research. November’s issue will address the two types of questions that are associated with this type of research: open-end and closed-end. December’s issue will explore the different types of closed-ended questions in depth.

Quantitative marketing research is a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States alone. Because it statistically estimates or projects a population’s behavior in a given situation, quantitative research can be invaluable in business decision-making. The role of quantitative primary research is to measure the performance, relationship and use attributes of a particular group of people. This provides a snap-shot of the entire market, which is then used to assess and predict the effect of marketing decisions on a particular population.

One needs to appreciate the differences between qualitative and quantitative research to fully understand the benefits of the quantitative methodology. While qualitative is used to facilitate ideation and thus narrow research topics, quantitative is appropriate for further exploring pre-existing ideas. In other words, quantitative research is evaluative and not idea-generating in nature. Another difference is that quantitative research utilizes a larger and more representative sample size, allowing a more fully comprehensive understanding of the market. Some common quantitative methodologies include web, telephone, on-site, and mail surveys. All lend themselves to the task of gathering a large amount of information as is needed for this type of research.

Because the quantitative study presents a representative view of the market in its entirety, businesses can then use this information to make more effective marketing decisions. In the pharmaceutical industry, for instance, quantitative research allows researchers to reliably determine if one product, message, detail aid, etc. is better than others being considered. It is also often used to project how a population of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, patients, or other target audience will behave to marketing decisions.

Although the marketing strategies pursued in each industry differ, quantitative research is valuable for any company that aims to obtain a view of the market before committing to a decision. The process may confirm initial thoughts about an effort or it may offer new perspectives that entirely change a strategy. Thus, a company is better equipped to make pivotal decisions, leading to more efficient and effective use of available marketing resources.