Case Study – Grey Advertising Canada Dry Account

For the first stage of research in depth interviews were employees to generate the ideas, directions and question wording is to be used in the second stage of the research. These interviews could last for up to two or three hours. We feel to obtain or generate better ideas; directions and question wording for the second phase a focus group to study would have yielded the better results. The main problems with in depth interviews are quotation marks the data obtained are difficult to analyze and interpret, and the services of skills psychologists are typically required, quotation marks and quotation marks Skills interviewer’s capable of conducting depth interviews are expensive and difficult to find quotation marks (Malhotra 2000). But the time spent collecting data for just one interview was too long, and as a result respondents would have been reluctant to take part in this study. The material required for this research is generally of an exploratory nature and so focus groups would have been more suited. By combining groups of similar age and sex researcher “records the new issues that are rolls and be able to segments of the views more effectively into more specific groups. Also focus groups would have greatly reduced the data collection time and costs.

The in depth interviews were carried out with men, women and teenagers in the metropolitan New York area. We believe that it could be argued that this was not an accurate representation of the entire population. We feel that before the research was conducted information on ABC1’s, C2’s and DE should have been collected in order to assess whether the information collected was easily transferable to the general population.

Second stage research, survey

The sample size of 1,970 was we believe a sufficient number to provide results which could be transferred to the total population. The method in which they carried out the research, in home interviews, was the best choice available to them. However, the inclusion of teenagers in some of the study may have distorted the results; while it was appropriate to question teenagers about their consumption of soft drinks it was not appropriate to question them about their usage of mixers. Teenagers paging from thirteen-eighteen years would have had no experience of consuming spirits with the aid of a mixer.

Research design

Research was conducted using a six point scale ranging from, ‘extremely desirable’ to ‘not at all desirable’, there appears to be an absence of a central point on this scale and so the results could have been distorted. Perhaps results would have been better if a semantic differential scale had been use instead of the likart scale. The basic phrase list which comprised of 125 phrases was excessive and respondents should not have been expected to evaluate all of these. The demographics question asked about income and education, in this case respondents may felt uncomfortable divulging such information especially as it was a personal interview. The perception of the respondents appeared to be measured by an alternative method other than that of the traditional multiple dimension scale model (MDS). This in our view can be seen as a weakness as MDS would have yielded better results. The measurement of attitudes was also conducted in a similar manner to that of perception. Research would have generated more accurate results had used a multi item measure such as the extended Fishbein model.

Evaluation of their analysis.

They used a factor analysis in order to cut the number of phrases from 125 to 22. This was an effective technique to use.

Cross-tabulation was also an adequate form of analysis. However, if they had questioned such variables as price, location, then the results would have been more conclusive.

Product emphasis

One of the main decisions they identified was the relative potential for each existing Canada dry brand. However, they failed to look at how Canada dry should position its brands relative to competitors’ products (brands).

Positioning and promotion

How should Canada dry ginger ale be positioned, as a soft drink or as a mixer? Can ginger ale compete against other brands of beverages in the soft drink and mixer categories? Should mixers be promoted independently or within the same framework as ginger ale? Rather than question where, when and how they should promote, the research was conducted to point the way forward in the new television campaign. We feel positioning was carried out in an adequate manner. They recognize that ginger ale had the potential to be positioned as either a soft drink or as a mixer.

Target market

They recognised that each brand they offered would have a specific target market with different elements to it and each target market would have to be given attention.

Buying incentive

What should be used in advertising to appeal to the target market? They recognized the need to offer different segments various buying incentives that would appeal to their particular needs. This was a reasonable decision to make.

Advertising impression

What impression and flavor should advertising strive for? Once again, rather than focusing on where, when and how they should advertise, the research was conducted to point the way forward in the television campaign.

Price

They did not set out to examine what price consumers were willing to pay for Canada dry products. Research into this area been used to could have assisted Canada drys pricing strategy. It was a major failure of this research not to investigate the area of pricing a competitive pricing strategy could easily needs to a competitive advantage.

Alternative research methodology

Instead of using in depth interviews we believe that by using focus groups a lot of time and money could be saved while improving the quality of the data obtained. Consumers can be separated into more tangible and accurate consumer groups for the research. They’re would be approximately six people per focus group. As people’s attitudes to alcohol, soft drinks and mixers differ between ages, we believe that the groups should be split into the following age groups thirteen-and eighteen, Nineteen-thirty, thirty plus. Males and females will be separated and placed in same sex groups. The groups would also be separated into social classes for example ABC1’s, The C2’s, DE and F, The social classes will we found through the persons occupation. The Research objectives for these Focus groups are:

*To determine the attributes that consumers consider when evaluating mixers and soft drinks when making purchasing decisions.

*To determine the influences on consumers when purchasing mixers and soft drinks.

*To determine sources of information consulted by consumers when purchasing mixers and soft drinks.

*The top five brands in both the soft drinks and mixer area.

*To determine the outlets that consumers purchase soft drinks and mixers from.

*To determine the usage occasions for soft drinks and mixers.

*To determine the types of promotions that are most effective for soft drinks and mixers.

*To determine consumers’ level of involvement when purchasing soft drinks and mixer products

*To determine the lifestyle patterns and psychographics of consumers

*To determine how the likely consumers are departures Canada dry products.

Analysis of Focus groups

Analysis will be conducted using transcript analysis the results will be used to shave our questionnaire e.g. attributes, influences etc.

Survey

A representative sample of 2,000 people should be undertaken following the analysis of the focus groups that questionnaire should be developed incorporating the following objectives. The surveys again would be in home interviews as we feel this is by far the best method of obtaining the information required. Men, women and teenagers should be interviewed.

Survey objectives

*To determine how Canada dry products are perceived in consumers minds relative to the top three brands of mixers and the top three brands of soft drinks.

*To determine consumers’ attitudes to Canada dry and competitors’ products on the attributes identified in the focus groups.

*To report the demographics of consumers.

*To determine the price levels that different consumers are willing to pay.

*To determine the influences on consumers when purchasing soft drinks and mixers.

*To determine sources of information consulted & soft drinks and mixers.

*To determine rate of repeat purchase the soft drink and mixer markets.

*To determine consumers loyalty to existing brands.