Problem Description and Purpose of the Proposed Research Project
The brand is Pepsi, a leading beverage company struggling to compete with its rival, Coca-Cola. The management decision problem is that Pepsi must decide whether to change its current advertising campaign to increase brand awareness, market share, and, ultimately, profits (Maamoun, 2020). This proposed research project aims to determine the effectiveness of the current Pepsi advertising campaign and offer recommendations for potential changes to the campaign.
The research questions to be answered include: What are the current perceptions of Pepsi and Coke in the marketplace? What are advertising strategies most effective for increasing Pepsi’s market share? What are the recent drivers of consumer preference between Pepsi and Coke? What changes should Pepsi make to its advertising campaign to increase its market share? How can Pepsi differentiate itself from Coke in the marketplace? How can Pepsi target different consumer segments with its advertising project? How can Pepsi improve its brand loyalty among current consumers?
Type of Research
The research design chosen for this project is descriptive research, as the purpose is to determine the present efficacy of Pepsi advertising. Additionally, this research project will use primary data collection methods to gain an accurate understanding of the current effectiveness of the Pepsi advertising campaign. Descriptive research is best suited to answer questions about the usefulness of the existing Pepsi advertising campaign.
This research will include both primary and secondary data collection. Primary data would be collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other methods. Secondary data would be collected from online sources such as articles, reviews, and reports. By collecting both primary and secondary data, a comprehensive understanding of the current Pepsi advertising campaign and its effectiveness can be gained (Miksza & Elpus, 2018). This data can then be analyzed to determine how effective the current campaign is and what changes should be made to it. By gathering the necessary information, management can prudently decide how to adjust Pepsi’s advertising strategy so that it is on par with Coke’s. Additionally, they can decide how to modify the campaign in the future to stay ahead of the competition.
Research Design
The brand Pepsi is struggling to compete with Coke in the market. To better understand this problem, a comprehensive marketing research proposal using mixed methods will be conducted (Sanders, 2018). The two primary data collection methods chosen for this research are focus group interviews and online surveys. The target population for this research will be adults aged 18-35 who are frequent drinkers of either Pepsi or Coke.
For the focus group interviews, a sample size of 10-15 people will be chosen, and a sample size of 500 will be selected for the online survey. The sample size for the focus group interviews is appropriate as it allows enough participants to provide meaningful insights, while the sample size for the online survey is enough to provide a reliable and valid dataset. The research design will help investigate the current advertising campaign’s effectiveness and offer useful insights to help Pepsi make better decisions to compete with Coke.
Two primary data collection methods will be used for this research project. The first data collection method will be qualitative, in the form of focus group interviews. This method will allow for a detailed, in-depth discussion of the current Pepsi advertising campaign (Sanders, 2018). The second data collection method will be quantitative, in the form of an online survey. This method will allow for a larger sample size and will provide a more objective evaluation of the impact and success of Pepsi’s ongoing advertising initiative.
Sample Design, Data Collection, and Implementation Plan
For this marketing research project, the research problem we are trying to solve is to determine how effective Pepsi’s current advertising campaign is and how it can be changed to better compete with Coca-Cola. The proposed research design is a mixed methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data. For the qualitative data, we plan to hold focus groups with target audiences of Pepsi’s current campaign, such as age and demographic groups, to gain insights into the effectiveness of their current campaign. The focus group will be conducted using a semi-structured interview guide to ensure all relevant topics are discussed.
For the quantitative data, we plan to use an online survey to gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of Pepsi’s current campaign. The survey will include questions about brand awareness, attitude toward the campaign, and purchasing behavior. The research will use a non-probability sampling technique, such as convenience sampling, to recruit for the survey. It will be conducted within six months, including focus group recruitment, survey completion, and data analysis. The study will use descriptive statistics to analyze the quantitative data, while qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis.
The implementation plan for this research project includes recruiting participants for the focus group interviews and the online survey, conducting the interviews and surveys, and analyzing the data. The timeline for this project is estimated to be three months, with recruitment and data collection in the first two months and data analysis and report writing in the third month. The benefit of this research to the client is that they will better understand their current campaign’s effectiveness (Williamson, 2018). Moreover, it will give insights into how they can change their campaign to better compete with Coca-Cola.
Data Collection Instruments
The data collection instruments for this research project include the focus group interview guide and the online survey questionnaire. The focus group interview guide will consist of questions about the participants’ overall impressions of the Pepsi advertising campaign, their opinions on the particular elements of the campaign, and their suggestions for potential changes (Appendix A). The online survey questionnaire will include questions about the participants’ familiarity with the Pepsi brand and advertising campaign, their attitudes, and their recommendations for potential changes (Appendix B). Both the focus group interview guide and the survey questionnaire will include questions designed to measure the effectiveness of the current Pepsi advertising campaign.
Potential Managerial Benefits of the Proposed Study
The expected value of the information gained from this research project is that Pepsi will be able to gain an understanding of the current effectiveness of its advertising campaign. With this knowledge, Pepsi will be able to make informed decisions regarding potential campaign changes, which could enhance brand recognition, expand market presence, and maximize overall profitability (Bruner, 2017). The study’s limitations include the small sample size of the focus group interviews and the potential for bias in the online survey results. Despite the limitations, the proposed study has the potential to provide a variety of managerial benefits. For example, the results of this research could help Pepsi identify consumer preferences, which would allow them to adjust their strategies accordingly.
References
Bruner, R. F. (2017). Coke versus Pepsi, 2001. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.
Maamoun, A. (2020). Coke versus Pepsi: 100 Years of Contention. Web.
Miksza, P., & Elpus, K. (2018). Descriptive research design. Oxford Scholarship Online. Web.
Sanders, K. (2018). Media Review: Research Design: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 13(2), 263–265. Web.
Williamson, K. (2018). Questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. Research Methods, 379–403. Web.
Appendices
Appendix A: Focus Group Interview Guide
- How conversant are you with Pepsi and its selling strategies?
- What do you think of the overall message of the Pepsi advertising campaign?
- Do you think Pepsi’s marketing strategies are effective?
- What do you think of the individual elements of the campaign, such as visuals and messaging?
- Do you suggest any changes to make the Pepsi advertising campaign more effective?
Appendix B: Online Survey Questionnaire
- How familiar are you with Pepsi and its advertising campaign?
- What is your overall impression of the Pepsi advertising campaign?
- Do you think the Pepsi advertising campaign is effective?
- What adjustments would you recommend to improve the effectiveness of the Pepsi advertising campaign?
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