Final answer:
The hair salon company is using market research with an experimental design to determine the effectiveness of mailing free shampoo samples. Sales data will illustrate consumer responses, and if followed by a customer survey, it may employ simple random or another sampling method.
Step-by-step explanation:
The hair salon company is employing market research to determine the effectiveness of mailing free samples of a new type of shampoo to residents in specific zip codes based on unit sales performance. This type of research is primarily focused on measuring the response of consumers to a particular marketing strategy by observing the sales performance following the distribution of samples. The research method involves an experimental design where the free samples act as a form of the test or treatment, sales data serve as the outcome measure, and zip codes are the units of analysis.
Types of Sampling Methods
In assessing this type of study, it's important to understand different sampling methods:
Simple Random Sampling: Every individual has an equal chance of being selected.
Systematic Sampling: Selection of individuals based on a fixed periodic interval, like every tenth person.
Stratified Sampling: Population is divided into subgroups and random samples are taken from each subgroup.
Cluster Sampling: Randomly selects entire groups or clusters of individuals.
Convenience Sampling: Sampling individuals who are readily available.
The method used by the hair salon could be a form of experimental market research which does not fit neatly into these categories, as it is not primarily about selecting individuals but about testing the market's response to a product sample. However, if the company does follow up with a survey of customers who received the samples, that could involve one of these sampling methods. For instance, if they randomly select some of those customers to follow up with, it would be a form of simple random sampling.