A structured focus group of 3 people with the recent purchase of a similar big-ticket item
This paper considers a group of three persons, Tom, Harry, and John. Tom wishes to invest in a good vehicle, Harry wishes to purchase a television set, and John wishes to send his daughter, Pauline, for higher management studies to Boston University to join a business course “designed to increase diversity and opportunity in business education” (Walsh, 2010).
The structured questions used in the focus group
The structured questions in this focus group are grounded on brand attributes, how many attributes are present in brands, how could a proper weightage be carried out, and finally, what are the factors that cause customers to exercise brand choices. “Brand Attributes portray a company’s brand characteristics.” (Brand attributes, 2009, para.1)
In the first case, the proposed purchase of the vehicle by Tom, the brand attributes could be in terms of pricing, quality, safety, comfort, and speed of the vehicle. These different attributes could be listed out, and the major attributes that Tom desires are listed. Thus, it is necessary to find out Tom’s priorities and, through survey methods, find out which brand fits these priorities. Thus the marketing team of the company, which markets vehicles, needs to be aware of the common attributes that engage customers, but this may not always be the case.
Branded goods are more designed to serve customer need satiation, since “Consumers expectations of quality product is a mainstay in Branded goods.” (Branded goods for safety and advantages, 2010, para.1). The priorities that Tom, Harry, or John has with regard to the purchase of goods and services may not be in commensuration with industry norms. For instance, high-quality branded goods may be in demand, but Tom or Harry may choose low-cost products. Again, in the field of education, competitive pricing may be a crucial factor, but John may not be concerned about price. Rather he would be anxious about the quality of education, faculty, recognition, and knowledge advancement that these courses provide and offer. Through consumer survey, it is possible to provide ratings say from 1-10 regarding brands of goods and services, from the lowest 1 to the most favorable, 10, and determine a common trend, but this does not necessarily mean that all consumers follow these attributes in toto. “No matter how it is obtained, information on perceptions and attribute importance is critical to understand how your customers are making decisions.” (Analysis for marketing decisions, n.d, p.112).
Reference List
Analysis for marketing decisions, (n.d.), Part II, p.112. [Provided by customer].
Brand attributes. (2009). Management study Guide. Web.
Branded goods for safety and advantages. (2010). Hub Pages. Web.
Walsh, C. (2010). Business school boost. Harvard Gazette. Web.