Question

A manufacturing company is planning to test market its new product, a shampoo. It has tied up with a retailer to research on the product's packaging. The retailer has hired students as interns to observe customers' reactions toward the new shampoo in its stores. All of the research is conducted without directly interacting with the customers. This is a typical example of _____.

A. Focus group research.
B. Survey research.
C. Ethnographic research.
D. Secondary research.

Answer 1

The scenario describes ethnographic research, where students observe customer reactions to a new shampoo in a retail store without direct interaction. This method provides genuine insights into customer behavior and preferences in their natural shopping environment.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described in the student's question is a typical example of C. Ethnographic research. In this context, ethnographic research involves students observing customer reactions to the new shampoo product in a retail environment without direct interaction. This type of field research is aimed at understanding consumer behavior in a natural setting, which contrasts with other methods such as surveys or focus groups that involve more direct forms of questioning.

Ethnographic research is well-suited to gain in-depth insights into customer thinking and behavior, as researchers can witness how customers interact with the product in real-time without the potential bias of the Hawthorne effect, which refers to changes in behavior when subjects know they are being watched. This hands-off approach provides a clearer picture of genuine consumer responses to the product's packaging and overall appeal.

In addition to qualitative data, which is the primary focus of ethnographic studies, sometimes quantitative methods may be combined to complement the findings and provide a more comprehensive view of consumer preferences. For instance, tallying the number of times a product is picked up or the time spent examining it could add useful quantitative elements to the otherwise qualitative observational data.