Steer away from the dominant MR narrative (that focuses on the limits of human memory) and learn how to elicit and decode early memories to reveal precious information about how a person views the world.
Steer away from the dominant MR narrative (that focuses on the limits of human memory) and learn how to elicit and decode early memories to reveal precious information about how a person views the world.
Marketing and consumers have changed since Projective and other Elicitation techniques were introduced into market research half a century ago. The objectives and rationale for employing them then maybe less valid now. Equally, the wholesale, systematic application of these standard techniques may mean we are not achieving their full potential in their interpretation or application to contemporary marketing issues. On the other hand, there are new pressures and competitive forces operating that require a different insight into consumers. This paper looks at the new methods and skills needed in the pantheon of Elicitation techniques and raises questions for discussion about improving research practice.
One of the problems of brand image research lies in identifying which are the particular beliefs about and associations with the brands in question which ought to be measured. This paper discusses a number of different techniques which can be used for eliciting what the various attitude-dimensions for a product field are, and then for selecting which of these dimensions should be covered in a quantified survey. The paper reports on an experimental study of five different elicitation techniques. On the basis of this study, it is suggested that an approach which invites consumers to compare brands with each other is likely to be the most fruitful. Alternative comparative techniques to repertory grid interviews are described, which appear to avoid a number of the 'drawbacks' which the repertory grid has tended to manifest in a number of market research applications.