MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 2 of 12
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
Total 80 marks (40% of final grade)
Complete ALL SIX (6) questions.
Scenario:
Your firm has been engaged to conduct a research project for a large Australian supermarket. Your
client would like to evaluate the ‘Toiletries and health products’ product category to assess the
viability of launching a range of private label toothpaste and oral hygiene products.
Your manager and a research assistant, in conjunction with the client, has started to develop the
market research project but has now asked you to take control of the day-to-day implementation
and leadership of the project. The first task you must complete is a report for the client that
addresses the following questions:
SECTION A - All questions section A relate to Phase 1 of the research
QUESTION 1 (15 marks)
Critically evaluate the draft questionnaire developed for Phase 1 of the research (pages 5-12).
Specifically, evaluate the:
a) survey length;
b) survey layout;
c) use of screening questions;
d) use of skip questions; and
e) how well the survey meets the needs of the research objectives of this phase of the
research.
QUESTION 2 (5 marks)
What data collection method would you recommend for this survey? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of using your recommended method?
QUESTION 3 (5 marks)
Considering the specification of the research sample given in the research brief (page 4), make a
recommendation on the type of sampling method that should be used in this research. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of using this method?
QUESTION 4 (15 marks)
Explain how you will analyse and report the data collected from the questionnaire. In your
discussion explain three inferential statistical tests would be appropriate to address research
objectives 1 and 2.MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 3 of 12
SECTION B - All questions section B relate to Phase 2 of the research
QUESTION 5 (20 marks – as allocated below)
Make a recommendation on what research approach could be used in Phase 2 of the research
project. Specifically, you should discuss and justify, using marketing research theory, an
appropriate:
a) data collection method, and (8 marks)
b) sampling plan. (8 marks)
Explain how your recommendation would:
c) address the research objectives of Phase 2, and (2 marks)
d) complement the questionnaire in Phase 1. (2 marks)
QUESTION 6 (20 marks – as allocated below)
Develop a data collection instrument to be used for Phase 2 of the research based on your
recommended data collection method and sample from QUESTION 5. In your response discuss:
a) the design of the data collection instrument, focusing on the structure and layout; (8 marks)
b) questioning techniques used; and (8 marks)
c) how your data collection instrument will achieve the research questions of Phase 2 of the
research. (4 marks)
A copy of the instrument you have constructed should be included in an appendix to the report. You
will lose marks if this is not included.
Market Research Client Brief
Background
Category management is a retail management process that aims at improving a retailer’s overall
performance in a product category through more coordinated buying, merchandising, and pricing of
the brands in the category in order to maximise the total performance of that category. Part of the
ongoing category management process is Category Review. Reviews are scheduled at established
intervals to evaluate the overall performance of the product category and includes reviewing the
brands stocked in the category.
Current Situation
The Toiletries and Health Products category includes non-prescribed pain medications, vitamins,
sunscreen, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, deodorants, feminine hygiene products, shampoos and
conditioners. Toiletries are generally purchased from supermarkets and grocery stores, and privatelabel products have increased as a share of toiletry products over recent years. As part of their
ongoing category management and product development strategies, the client is looking to gain a
deeper understanding of the Toothpastes and Oral Hygiene product sub-category.MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 4 of 12
Demand for private-label products has increased over the past five years and private-label products
now account for approximately twenty-five per cent of all supermarket sales. However, private-label
Toothpaste and Oral Hygiene products has struggled with little success against the category leading
brands. Historically, supermarkets have faced difficulties in overcoming consumer’s perceptions that
private-label brands are of a lower quality than the national brand equivalent with have a limited
range with bland packaging. To counteract this, supermarkets have introduced a second ‘premium’
private-label brand, focusing on quality and selectivity in order to compete with the national brands
while still producing a value-for-money range (the ‘traditional’ private-label brand).
Your client would like to learn more about this product sub-category and the viability of launching
premium private-label products into this sub-category. Specifically, the research project should
address the following objectives/questions:
1. To understand the consumer segments in the Toothpastes and Oral Hygiene product subcategory.
2. To determine brand preferences and brand associations for the Toothpastes and Oral
Hygiene product sub-category by consumer segments.
3. Would consumers accept a range of premium private-label Toothpastes and Oral Hygiene
products?
4. What brand positioning would the premium private-label range need in order to succeed in
the Toothpastes and Oral Hygiene product sub-category?
Market Research Requirements
The client has requested that your company perform the research in two phases:
Phase 1: A usage and brand preference study for the Toothpastes and Oral Hygiene product
sub-category. (Research Objectives 1 & 2)
Phase 2: A study to evaluate the potential for a range of private-label Toothpastes and Oral
Hygiene products. (Research Questions 3 & 4)
The client has also defined a target population and a number of sampling requirements for Phase 1.
They have requested that the sample size should be a minimum 3000 consumers and consist of:
− Consumers aged 18+ years
− Users of toothpastes and oral hygiene products:
o Toothpaste
o Mouthwash and dental floss
The research assistant has developed a draft questionnaire for you to review and provide feedback.
The draft questionnaire is provided on pages 5 to 12.
Before the research project continues, you have been given the task of preparing a report for the
client (and your manager) that addresses the questions assigned in this assessment (Questions 1 to
6 on pages 2 to 3 of this document).MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 5 of 12
DRAFT QUESTIONNAIRE
DEMOGRAPHICS/SEGMENT IDENTIFIER
Are you:
Male 1
Female 2
Which of these best describes the level of education you have achieved?
Some primary school 1
Finished primary school 2
Some secondary school 3
Some technical or commercial college 4
Finished Year 10/the Leaving Certificate 5
Finished Technical or Commercial college 6
Finished or now studying the HSC 7
Some university 8
Tertiary diploma (not University) 9
Now at university 10
Degree qualified 11
Which of these best describes your work status?
Working full time 1
Working part time 2
Working in the home – home duties 3
Studying/student 4
Unemployed 5
Other 6
INCOME:
ASK ALL FULL TIME WORKERS: What is your personal annual income before tax?
ASK ALL OTHERS: What is the annual before tax income of the main income earner in your household?
Under $6 000 1
$6 000 - $9 999 2
$10 000 - $14 999 3
$15 000 - $19 999 4
$20 000 - $24 999 5
$25 000 - $29 999 6
$30 000 - $34 999 7
$35 000 - $39 999 8
$40 000 - $44 999 9
$45 000 - $49 999 10
$50 000 - $59 999 11
$60 000 -$69 999 12
$70 000 - $79 999 13
$80 000 - $89 999 14
$90 000 - $99 999 15
$100 000 or more 16MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 6 of 12
And which of these best describes the type of work you do?
No occupation 1
Farm labourer 2
Other unskilled worker 3
Semi-skilled worker 4
Farmer 5
Skilled manual worker 6
Clerk/typist 7
Sales 8
Semi-professional 9
Owner of small business 10
Manager or large business owner 11
Professional 12
CATEGORY USAGE/SEGMENT IDENTIFIER
CATEGORY USAGE
Q1a. Thinking now about your oral hygiene routine, which of the following do you do daily?
Q1b. And which ways have you used in the last 3 months?
Q1a
Use daily
Q1b
Used In The Last 3
Months
Toothpaste
Manual toothbrush
Electric toothbrush
Dental floss
Interdental brushes
Mouthwash
Breath freshers
Denture care tablets
Teeth whitening products
ASK Q2 ONLY IF CODED 1 AT Q1a ABOVE, ALL OTHERS SKIP TO Q3
Q2. How often would you use toothpaste each day?
Once Twice a
day
Three
times a
day
After every
meal
Q3. What time/s of the day would you use toothpaste?
Morning Afternoon EveningMKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 7 of 12
Q4. How often do you purchase the following products?
Once a month Every two
months
Every three
months
Every six
months
Once a year or
less
Toothpaste
Manual toothbrush
Electric toothbrush
Dental floss
Interdental brushes
Mouthwash
Breath freshers
Denture care tablets
Teeth whitening
products
Q5a. ASK ALL - Which of the following best describes you in relation to grocery shopping for your household?
CONTINUE --- I do most of the grocery shopping 1
CONTINUE --- I share the grocery shopping 2
SKIP TO Q6 --- I rarely/don’t shop for groceries 3
Q5b. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements…?
Strongly
agree
Agree Neither agree
nor disagree
Disagree Strongly
disagree
5 4 3 2 1
1. I only ever buy brand name toothpaste
2. There is not much difference between brands
of toothpaste
3. Brand name toothpaste is worth paying extra
for
4. I never check the price of toothpaste when I
am buying it
5. I only ever get the cheapest priced toothpaste
I can find
Q5c. What would you normally expect to pay for a 100g pack of toothpaste?
No Idea $2.00 $4.00 $6.00 $8.00 $10.00MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 8 of 12
ASK ALL:
Q6. Which one of the following statements best describes your dental care regime:
I only ever use toothpaste 1
I always use toothpaste and dental floss together 2
I always use toothpaste and mouthwash together 3
I always use toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash together 4
I varying between using toothpaste, dental floss and mouthwash 5
Q7. How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about toothpaste?
Strongly
agree
Agree Neither agree
nor disagree
Disagree Strongly
disagree
5 4 3 2 1
1. I always buy the same brand of
toothpaste
2. I buy the toothpaste my dentist
recommends
3. I prefer toothpastes that also whiten my
teeth
4. Everyone in my family uses the same
brand of toothpaste
5. I like trying new toothpastes and
change brands often
6. I prefer to buy Australian owned brands
of toothpaste
7. The flavour of the toothpaste is very
important to me
8. The health benefits of toothpaste is very
important to me
9. I prefer to buy larger sizes of toothpaste
or twin packs
10. I worry about damage to my teeth from
using the wrong brand of toothpaste
11. It is better to buy toothpaste made from
natural ingredients
12. I prefer to buy toothpaste that is the
same brand as my other dental hygiene
products (toothbrush, mouthwash, etc.)
BRAND HEALTH - Toothpaste
UNPROMPTED BRAND AWARENESS
Q8. Which brands of toothpaste are you aware of? Write in as many as you can think of…
PROMPTED BRAND AWARENESS
Q9a. And which of the following brands of toothpaste have you seen before?MKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 9 of 12
BRANDS EVER BOUGHT
Q9b. Which have you ever bought?
BRANDS BOUGHT IN LAST 3 MONTHS
Q9c And which have you bought in the last 3 months?
Seen
Before
Ever
Bought
Bought
Last 3
Mths
Colgate
Oral B
Cedel
Macleans
Sensodyne
Pearl Drop
Home Brand (Woolworths)
Total Care (Coles)
Grants
White Glo
Other (please name)
None of these
BRAND PREFERENCE
Q10a) How do you feel about the toothpaste brands…please rate each brand on the following:
My
favourite
brand, the
one I like
and admire
the most,
and prefer
to buy
A good brand,
one I would
consider
buying
A regular
brand –
pretty
much like
all the
others
A brand
that
doesn’t
mean a
lot to me
– I don’t
know if I
would use
it
A brand I
don’t
really
like, I
would
use it if I
had to
Colgate
Oral B
Cedel
Macleans
Sensodyne
Pearl Drop
Home Brand
(Woolworths)
Total Care (Coles)
Grants
White Glo
Other (please name)
None of theseMKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 10 of 12
BRAND ASSOCIATIONS
Q10b) Please select AS MANY OR AS FEW toothpaste brands you feel are described by each of the
following statements?
Is worth
paying
more for
Is a brand
I value
Has
appealing
packaging
Is
Australian
Owned &
Made
Has the
widest
range
Performs
better
than
others
Is better
quality
than
others
Colgate
Oral B
Cedel
Macleans
Sensodyne
Pearl Drop
Home Brand
(Woolworths)
Total Care
(Coles)
Grants
White Glo
Other (please
name)
None of theseMKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 11 of 12
BRAND HEALTH – Mouthwash
UNPROMPTED BRAND AWARENESS
Q11. Which brands of mouthwash are you aware of? Write in as many as you can think of…
PROMPTED BRAND AWARENESS
Q12a. And which of the following brands of mouthwash have you seen before?
BRANDS EVER BOUGHT
Q12b. Which have you ever bought?
BRANDS BOUGHT IN LAST 3 MONTHS
Q12c. And which have you bought in the last 3 months?
Seen
Before
Ever
Bought
Bought
Last 3
Mths
Colgate
Oral B
Listerine
Biotene
Home Brand (Woolworths)
Total Care (Coles)
Sensodyne
Other (please name)
None of theseMKTG1395 Marketing Research, Consultancy Report Assessment Page 12 of 12
BRAND PREFERENCE
Q13a) How do you feel about the mouthwash brands…please rate each brand on the following:
My
favourite
brand, the
one I like
and admire
the most,
and prefer
A good brand,
one I would
consider
buying
A regular
brand –
pretty
much like
all the
others
A brand
that
doesn’t
mean a
lot to me
– I don’t
know if I
would use
it
A brand I
don’t
really
like, I
would
use it if I
had to
Colgate
Oral B
Listerine
Biotene
Home Brand
(Woolworths)
Total Care (Coles)
Sensodyne
Other (please name)
None of these
BRAND ASSOCIATIONS
Q13b) Please select AS MANY OR AS FEW mouthwash brands you feel are described by each of the
following statements?
Is worth
paying
more for
Is a brand
I value
Has
appealing
packaging
Is
Australian
Owned &
Made
Has the
widest
range
Performs
better
than
others
Is better
quality
than
others
Colgate
Oral B
Listerine
Biotene
Home Brand
(Woolworths)
Total Care
(Coles)
Sensodyne
Other (please
name)
None of these