Marketing research:
The functions that link the customer, consumer, and public through information are typically known as marketing research. It has two categories. Such as –
- Qualitative research
- Quantitative research
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is research that provides insights and understanding of the problem set is known as qualitative research.
Quantitative research
The research which seeks o quantify the data and apply some form of statistical analysis is typically known as quantitative research.
When a new marketing research problem has arrived, marketers try to solve this problem through qualitative and quantitative research. quantitative research is found only after the qualitative research is done. besides, if marketers use only qualitative research, they might be misguided. So, it looks good to consider qualitative and quantitative research as complementary.
The view of qualitative and quantitative research techniques are complementary. The qualitative research technique may be direct or indirect. the true purpose of the research is served through direct methods, on the other hand, indirect techniques disguise the purpose of the research. The major techniques of qualitative research are focus group and depth interviews. Besides, indirect techniques aim to project the participant’s motives, attitudes, feelings, and so on
Primary Differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques:
There are many differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques. So, I only focus on some of them. Let’s see the primary differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques –
| SL No. | Qualitative Research | Quantitative Research |
| 1 | The primary objectives is to gain qualitative understandings of the underlying reasons | The objectives is to quantify the data and generalize the results from the sample to the population |
| 2 | It needs small number of non-representatives cases | It needs large number of representatives cases |
| 3 | The data collection system is unstructured | The data collection system is structured |
| 4 | The data analysis systems is non statistical | The data analysis systems is statistical |
| 5 | The outcome is to develop an initial understandings | The outcome is to recommend a final course of action |
Rationale for using qualitative research
There are several reasons to use qualitative research. It is not possible to use fully structured or formal methods to obtain information from participant . the participant may unwilling or unaware to answer some questions. They may hide truth that invade their privacy or negative impact on their status. Some sensitive questions are –
- Do you take for tensions?
- Do you take pills for anxiety?
- Do you purchase sanitary napkins?
The people may fail to answer some questions that tap their subconscious. A person may buy an expensive sports car to reduce his inferiority. so in that case, if asked, he never says it. He may say, I got a great deal or may say I need to impress my girlfriend and so on. So, such a situation never brings quantitative research. In this situation, qualitative research is more applicable.
