Clive Nancarrow

Impulse purchasing: a qualitative exploration of the phenomenon

This paper reviews the literature on unplanned purchasing and impulse purchasing in particular. Various definitions and explanations of the phenomena are examined. Because impulse purchasing may often be deemed socially undesirable, it is argued that a qualitative research approach is particularly appropriate in order to gain maximum insight. A study employing enabling techniques (including self scripts, laddering and pyramiding) demonstrated that interviewees were remarkably consistent in their descriptions of the impulse purchase experience. There were, however, variations of the behaviour which might form the basis of a classification scheme. Most studies have only focused on retail impulse buying. This study explored the subject across both retail and direct buying contexts.

Food taste preferences and cultural influences on consumption.

Examines the influence of culture on food taste preferences and the implications for consumer research. The authors explore the roots of certain national and sub‐cultural food taste preferences and consumption. Examples are drawn from the work of Pierre Bourdieu in particular, in demonstrating how taste is in some respects an expression of cultural capital. Postmodernist interpretations of the fragmentation in taste preferences are also described. This exploration of the deeper layers of our food taste preferences based on cultural setting should alert food marketers to both marketing and marketing research issues and opportunities.

Gaining competitive advantage from packaging and labelling in marketing communications

This paper illustrates how an understanding of consumer models, psychological processes and the appropriate use of marketing research techniques can help in the design of food packaging and label copy to provide a company with a competitive advantage. The paper examines the significance of the marketing functions of a pack and the perceptual processes of consumers in their information search concerning pack design and labelling in marketing research. Case study material is introduced to help illustrate the main points.

Lifecycles and crisis points in SMEs: a case approach.

Reports on a study of the business activities and the emergence of the learning of marketing skills by eight entrepreneurial small businesses: four in the British Isles and four in the mid‐west of the USA. Using a qualitative methodology, a case approach is taken to study the obstacles to growth in a sample of these firms. Details these obstacles and reports how such obstacles were negotiated and overcome, enabling the firms to continue on the entrepreneurial growth curve. Also examines the nature of marketing development as a company grows from a small business to a medium‐sized one. Offers observations and conclusions on lifecycle growth in SMEs. As a small business reaches a given size where the costs of its internal administration and selling activities make it less viable, the SME is forced to look for new ways of growing through additional financial help, broadening its customer base and developing greater skills at corporate presentation.

A new research medium, new research populations and seven deadly sins for Internet researchers

The increasing use of Internet‐based qualitative and quantitative research is based on both “pull” and “push” factors. “Pull” factors include research clients’ demand for faster turnaround and low cost, while marketing research agencies’ naturally competitive endeavours represent the “push”. Attempts “to clear the e‐mist” regarding research on the Internet and examines the main types of Internet based research (qualitative and quantitative) as well as seven “sins” for Internet researchers – based on interviews with leading providers of Internet market research and IT specialists. Concludes that there is a need for both practitioners and academics to ensure their houses are kept in order and to respect the rights of respondents and clients and, just as importantly, be seen to be doing this and so keep possible interference by governments at bay.

Tell me Lies, Tell me Sweet Little Lies: Dealing with Socially Desirable Responses in Market Research

The rise of green, ethical, social, charity and cause-related marketing should heighten interest in the marketing research problem of socially desirable responding in interviews. This phenomenon leads to over-reporting of what is socially desirable, under-reporting of what is not and confounds attempts to examine the nature of relationships between the variables under study. This paper examines three potential sources of social desirability bias (SDB), ways of detecting if the bias has occurred and ways of reducing the problem within a marketing research context. The literature search identified a number of methods and techniques designed deal with the problem but no up-to-date review that links the techniques to theory (Impression Management, Ego Defence and Instrumentation). The research techniques include assurances of confidentiality and/or anonymity, indirect questioning, face saving questioning, the bogus pipeline (BPL) and the randomised response techniques (RRT). The paper concludes that while the problem may be reduced, it is generally difficult to know whether it is eliminated and that a programme of qualitative research might be insightful. Ethical issues are also raised.

Purchase decision making and the increasing significance of family types

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to note the growing significance of different family types in the west and explore the relationship between the complexity of family relationships typified in single parent, blended and intact families and the involvement of children in purchase decisions.Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative research is a development based on earlier qualitative research on the three family types and large‐scale piloting of the questionnaire. A random sample of mothers with children aged 10‐16 were contacted from the TNS Postal Access Panel. Questionnaires were only used where there were responses from both the mother and child. A total of 524 fully completed questionnaires were used for the analysis.Findings – The analysis supports the idea that where familial relationships are simpler such as in single parent homes (fewer relationships) then the involvement of the child is greater and in more complex relationships such as in blended homes (where there are step‐parents and...

Engaging the right mindset in qualitative marketing research.

Addresses the need in qualitative market research to consider how best to sample and recruit the right mindsets (respondents) and, if appropriate, prime these for subsequent interviews to maximise insight. Discusses models that might direct recruitment and some of the myths of good recruitment practice and argues for a more eclectic use of different approaches depending on the nature of the research problem. Provides examples of how pre‐tasking can benefit the qualitative research interview and argues the case for post‐tasking to maximise insight as well as provide a greater degree of confidence in the findings and as a source of professional development.

“GROw”ing up: tweenagers' involvement in family decision making

Purpose – Practitioners in particular have noted that kids are growing older younger (KGOY) and academic research has in parallel shown that children are becoming more involved in the final stages of purchase decisions, albeit in a limited number of product categories studied. This paper aims to investigate this market.Design/methodology/approach – This quantitative and qualitative study examines the relatively under‐researched, but increasingly important, tweenager market across a number of product categories and the extent to which ten to 12 year olds are involved in the final stages of purchase decision making. Further to this, the paper considers whether a liberal versus traditional approach to decisions made within the family (gender role orientation (GRO)) affects the degree of involvement.Findings – The findings suggest that GRO is indeed a factor in family decision making but that the relationship is far from a simple one. The authors posit why perceptions of involvement are sometimes inconsistent...

Bridging the great divide ‐ the transfer of techniques

Discusses ways in which qualitative techniques might be incorporated in quantitative research and quantitative techniques in qualitative research ‐ a transfer of techniques. Explores the use of neuro‐linguistic programming (NLP) and projective techniques in quantitative research. Reports the results of customizing a self‐completion questionnaire to a respondent’s preferred representational system (PRS). This application of NLP produced encouraging findings. Provides suggestions for further research. Describes an example of how NLP and projective techniques can benefit a quantitative study with a case study in which TRBI’s BrandWorks was used. Suggests that, although the adoption by qualitative researchers of techniques used in quantitative research focuses on computer applications, the recent academic interest in the use of text analysers has not been matched by practitioners. Discusses issues related to quality, validity, transparency and value, and reports the findings of a survey of the largest qualitative marketing research suppliers. Finally, examines the use of correspondence analysis and describes ways in which correspondence analysis might benefit the qualitative researcher.