Business to Business Market Research: Understanding and Measuring Business Markets

Cover\r......Page 1
The Market Research Society......Page 2
MARKET RESEARCH IN PRACTICE SERIES......Page 3
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MARKET RESEARCH......Page 4
Publisher’s note......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
ADVISORY MEMBERS......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
Introduction......Page 12
WHAT IS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MARKET RESEARCH? SOME DEFINITIONS......Page 14
THE SIZE OF THE B2B MARKET RESEARCH SECTOR......Page 16
Titles......Page 18
The centre of influence......Page 20
Sample and sample size differences......Page 21
Content differences......Page 23
Details......Page 24
Research using external respondents......Page 26
THE USERS OF B2B MARKET RESEARCH......Page 27
SUMMARY......Page 30
Defining the business universe, or population, to be covered......Page 31
Sizing the available respondent group......Page 32
Deciding on the sample frame......Page 34
Sourcing the sample: lists......Page 35
Sample names required......Page 40
Evaluation of the sample frame......Page 41
Quotas or stratification of the sample......Page 42
Selection of sample size......Page 43
Small can sometimes be great; big can sometimes be greater......Page 45
Screening......Page 46
Weighting......Page 48
Profiling......Page 49
SUMMARY......Page 50
Market-driven trends......Page 51
Research-driven trends......Page 52
Conflicting demands......Page 53
Main message......Page 55
Technology and research......Page 56
Detail......Page 57
Detail......Page 58
Other issues......Page 59
Research market place changes......Page 60
Our knowledge base and how we conduct business......Page 61
Positioning B2B research......Page 62
Respondent definition......Page 63
SUMMARY......Page 64
POSSIBLE RESEARCH APPROACHES OR METHODOLOGIES......Page 65
Interviewing methodologies......Page 66
Omnibus......Page 68
RELATIVE USE OF THESE APPROACHES IN B2B RESEARCH......Page 69
The principles......Page 71
Details......Page 72
Qualitative......Page 73
Using qualitative and quantitative research together......Page 75
Details......Page 76
Addressing the business issue using a qualitative or quantitative approach......Page 77
Another methodological note......Page 78
SUMMARY......Page 79
The B2B research process: I Desk research......Page 80
THE DESK RESEARCH PROCESS......Page 81
RESOURCES FOR DESK RESEARCH......Page 82
Research reports available......Page 83
Online sources......Page 84
ANOTHER TYPE OF DESK RESEARCH: DATA MINING......Page 85
SUMMARY......Page 87
In-depth interviews......Page 88
Focus groups......Page 89
Creative brainstorming or strategy sessions......Page 90
Main message......Page 91
THE QUALITATIVE PROCESS......Page 92
Recruiting......Page 93
Incentives......Page 96
Practical aspects......Page 97
Best practices......Page 98
Details......Page 100
Attribution or to reveal the respondent and transparency to reveal the client......Page 101
Useful interviewing techniques......Page 102
Positioning......Page 103
Projective (and other) techniques......Page 104
Analysis methods......Page 107
Reporting......Page 109
Insight in analysis and reporting......Page 112
CASE STUDY: CUSTOMER INSIGHT......Page 114
Reporting requirements of clients......Page 115
SUMMARY......Page 117
THE QUANTITATIVE PROCESS......Page 118
Preparation into field and fieldwork......Page 119
Data tables......Page 120
General principles......Page 121
Route map for a B2B questionnaire: design and content......Page 124
Screening and classification questions......Page 125
Factual questions......Page 127
Behaviours (for example, purchasing habits)......Page 128
Attitudinal questions......Page 130
Evaluation of quality, customer service, supplier reputation......Page 134
Self-completion questionnaires......Page 135
Online surveys and technological research solutions......Page 137
Details......Page 139
Details......Page 141
Panels......Page 142
ADMINISTERING QUESTIONNAIRES: FIELDWORK ISSUES......Page 144
Briefing......Page 145
Pre-contact......Page 148
Requirement for more than one respondent......Page 149
Response rates......Page 150
Fieldwork duration......Page 151
Respondent definition......Page 152
Pre-data entry......Page 153
Data analysis......Page 154
Example of banner and stub......Page 158
Analysis and interpretation......Page 162
Reporting formats......Page 163
Charting tips......Page 164
Details......Page 166
Charting: some examples of quantitative reporting......Page 167
SUMMARY......Page 170
FIRST CONSIDERATIONS......Page 171
Factors to take into account......Page 172
Implications......Page 174
Cost considerations from the agency side......Page 175
SUMMARY......Page 176
They are human, too......Page 177
Detail......Page 178
Approaching the business respondent......Page 179
IT and telecoms......Page 180
Financial services......Page 182
Transport......Page 183
Manufacturing/industry/chemicals......Page 184
Typical studies......Page 185
Pharmaceutical......Page 186
Other sectors......Page 187
Main message......Page 188
Detail......Page 189
New product development and innovation......Page 190
Main messages......Page 193
Details......Page 194
Market sizing/market configuration research......Page 195
Principles......Page 197
Details......Page 198
Principles......Page 200
Main messages......Page 201
Subscriber research......Page 202
Customer satisfaction measurement techniques and models......Page 203
Details......Page 205
Advertising research......Page 206
Details......Page 208
Advertising and market communications......Page 209
Marketing communications: evaluating e-communications and e-interactions......Page 210
Evaluating written and visual communications......Page 211
Details......Page 213
Principles......Page 214
Benefits of corporate image research......Page 216
Keeping up to date......Page 218
Reporting......Page 219
Respondent definition......Page 220
SUMMARY......Page 221
Market size......Page 222
International......Page 223
B2B focus......Page 224
Canada......Page 225
B2B focus......Page 226
Environment......Page 227
Type of work and B2B focus......Page 228
International......Page 229
SUMMARY......Page 230
WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING A B2B CLIENT......Page 232
Responsibilities of the B2B client......Page 233
Preparing B2B research briefs......Page 236
How to choose a B2B research supplier......Page 237
WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING A B2B RESEARCHER......Page 239
Politics......Page 240
Research executives......Page 241
A B2B fieldworker (telephone interviewer)......Page 244
Other roles......Page 245
SUMMARY......Page 246
TRAINING......Page 247
ORGANIZATIONS......Page 248
ESOMAR (international)......Page 249
BIG (Business Intelligence Group)......Page 250
BIG Conference......Page 252
Codes of conduct......Page 253
Data protection......Page 254
SUMMARY......Page 256
Data Monitor (www.datamonitor.com)......Page 258
Key Note (www.keynote.co.uk)......Page 262
THE BRITISH LIBRARY......Page 263
INTRODUCTION......Page 265
SCREENER QUESTIONS......Page 266
Appendix 3 Sample focus group recruitment questionnaire......Page 268
IF ON A SIMILAR SUBJECT – DO NOT RECRUIT......Page 270
Appendix 4 Research snapshot as a reporting technique......Page 271
Appendix 5 Sample self-completion questionnaire (Business Link)......Page 273
Overall question......Page 278
Relative importance of different service factors......Page 279
Performance against the different service factors......Page 280
Appendix 7 Sample communication research quantitative questionnaire......Page 281
READ OUT ALL MENTIONED IN Q56. SINGLE CODE......Page 282
Appendix 8 Principles of the Data Protection Act 1998......Page 283
The market research society......Page 284
The purpose of guidelines......Page 285
Data Protection Definitions......Page 286
Code Definitions......Page 287
PRINCIPLES......Page 289
Working Practices......Page 290
Confidential Survey Research and Other Activities......Page 291
Disciplinary Action......Page 292
The Rights of Respondents......Page 293
The Professional Responsibilities of Researchers......Page 294
Mutual Rights and Responsibilities of Researchers and Clients......Page 295
The Rights of Respondents......Page 297
The Professional Responsibilities of Researchers......Page 300
The Mutual Rights and Responsibilities of Researchers and Clients......Page 301
CODELINE......Page 303
NOTES......Page 304
SELECTED ABBREVIATIONS......Page 305
STATISTICAL TERMS......Page 306
Formula......Page 307
TECHNOLOGY TERMS......Page 308
References and further reading......Page 310
Index......Page 313