Importance of collecting appropriate data and feedback from target customers

Discuss about the Customers’ Needs Demands And Data Collection Techniques.

In quest of running business process successfully in the market organizational experts have to gain in-depth knowledge about customers’ needs and demands. Label has already occupied a recognizable place in the domain of Australian retail industry. After receiving tremendous growth in past 6 years the business experts of Label have decided to focus on customers’ profile their current desires and trends for expanding the business in international level. However, in order to expand their widespread wings of business in global market Label would like to collect appropriate data and information on target customers. Based on their feedback the organization would like reform their brand positioning strategies and product designing methods. This very specific study would like to focus on using appropriate data collection techniques as well as sampling method so that the business experts can gather necessary data and information from the customers about their purchasing habits.

In order to collect response from the target customers the research and development department of Label have already made 23 survey questions. Among 23 survey questions 22 questions are made close ended where the customers would not get the scope to explain their feedback (Palinkas et al. 2015). Customers would have to choose one specific opinion for giving their feedback. In addition, 1 open ended question is made as well for collecting descriptive point of views from the participants. While preparing the questionnaires R&D department has focused on consumers’ purchasing behavior. The customers would like to inform why they intend to use fashionable cloths (Shankar et al. 2015). Based on their feedback, the product designers of Label would like to design their clothes.

In addition, the customers would like to respond on which specific brand they would prefer in current market trend. Based on their brand preferences the organization would like to expand their stock of products. The survey question would focus on know which specific scale influences the customers in purchasing a brand (Navaz and Nawaz 2016). The scale includes brand name, service quality, product quality, style, trends and fit. The questions set by R&D department would enable the customers to provide their necessary feedback. Based on their feedback the business experts would like to position their brand in market would design the product as per customers purchasing behavior and deliver the services to consumers’ proper destination (Teknomo 2016).  In addition, the R&D department has made several demographic questionnaires while conducting survey in order to get effective ideas about the age group, gender group and income status of the target customers. The brand positioning strategy and product pricing strategy would be highly dependent on the income status of target customers. Finally, one open ended question is made for knowing the customers’ concern about products and services of Label.

Role of survey questions in evaluating customers’ purchasing behavior

While evaluating the daft questionnaires it is observed that the R&D department of Label has primary focused on survey questionnaire as most effective research instrument with close ended questions mostly.  As a result, customers would not get the scope to explain their point of views behind choosing the option. Therefore, the customers would not get the scope to justify their response (Fabijan, Olsson and Bosch 2015). However, while using the improved questionnaires as research instrument the R&D department would like to modify their survey pattern by using both close ended question and open ended question. After forming a close ended question there will a column for giving proper justification why the customer has chosen that option. As a result, it will be easier for the R&D department of Label for analyzing customers purchasing behavior. In addition, while evaluating the question pattern, it is observed that the questionnaires would have to be more specific based on which Label brand managers would get to know about the specific needs and demands of the customers. Questionnaires could be based on brand portioning as well (Musharraf et al. 2014). The marketing executives of Label should know which specific media channel is more effective for drawing the attention of customers. (An improved data collection instrument is attached in appendix)

The data collection method that would be used for improving the questionnaire includes cross-sectional survey. At the very initial stage, the research and development department should improve data collection method and questionnaires by choosing cross-sectional questionnaire technique (Wolf et al. 2014). In this very specific data collection technique the researcher would not have to be dependent on specific region. At the initial stage the researcher made the question paper by targeting Australian consumers.

However, cross-sectional survey would enable the business expert to conduct the survey by involving global customers. Therefore, cross-sectional survey would enable R&D department of Label to involve global customers as well for collecting their feedback. In order to expand the entire business process beyond going regional market Label would have to target global customers (Low et al. 2015). Therefore, the researcher would have to expand their region to grab large number of customers. Only Australian consumers would be very much specific for expanding the entire process of business in multinational boundaries.

The primary advantage of cross-sectional survey is that this data collection method can involve large number of customers from different geographical backgrounds and attitudes. As a result, business experts would be able to get overview about the needs and demands of current trends (Khambete et al. 2014). On the other hand, cross-sectional survey is not devoid of some of its major disadvantages. Cross-sectional survey method is difficult for the researchers to collect necessary feedback from the customers properly. Cultural barrier, linguistic barriers are the specific reasons due to which the researcher has to face immense challenges in collecting appropriate data and information.

Advantages and disadvantages of cross-sectional survey and non-probability sampling method

Sampling method is the systematic procedure of collecting information from selected number of people amidst large number of population. Sampling method is primarily constituted two major types including probability sampling technique and non-probability sampling technique (Bohl et al. 2014). Probability sampling method is primarily random sampling technique where the researcher selects the respondents randomly. On the other hand, non-probability sampling technique enables the research to collect appropriate data and information from selected and specific group of people who are directly associated with the research issue. In this very specific study, non-probability sampling technique would be used in order to directly involve those customers who have already used the services of Label.  

The primary advantages of non-probability sampling technique are that this specific method directly involves those specific customers who are associated with the research issue. As a result, the feedback that would be collected from those customers would be helpful and informative for evaluating research issue. In this very specific research, the researcher would like to involve the customers who have already used the services of Label. As a result, the respondents would be genuinely able to inform their needs and demands through survey questionnaire. On the other hand, one of the most significant disadvantages of non-probability sampling technique is that the researcher is not successfully able to involve large number of respondents in data collection (Wagner, Rice and Beresford 2014). As a result, the information that is collected through non-probability sampling is very much selective and not adequate for conducting a research work successfully.  

Data analysis is one of the most significant ways of evaluating the collected data and information by using statistical tools. Statistical analysis is constituted with two major types including univariate statistical analysis, bivariate statistical analysis and multi-variate statistical analysis (Ricci 2015). Univariate statistical analysis helps the researcher to test hypothesis based on one particular research variable. Bivariate statistical analysis helps the researcher to test hypothesis based on two research variables.  Lastly, multi-variate statistical analysis helps the researcher to test hypothesis based on three or more than research variables. However, this very specific study has focused to use bivariate statistical analysis as this research issue is entirely dependent on two major variables. Role of brand positioning in consumers purchasing behavior is the primary research topic (Nelson and Rodrigues 2014). In this specific research issue role of brand positioning signifies independent variable and consumers purchasing behavior is dependent variable. In order to prove the research issue properly based on two major variables the research would make regression analysis with ANOVA for maintaining data accuracy.

Significance of bivariate statistical analysis for evaluating research issues

One of the most significant advantages of bivariate statistical analysis is that the researcher can clearly evaluate the research result due to two major variables (Harding et al. 2015). On the other hand, this specific method is possessed with major disadvantages as well. Bivariate statistical analysis does not allow researchers in looking at relationships between variables in an overarching way.

The study is entirely focusing on the business potentiality of Label in terms of expanding the business in foreign countries. The selection of the appropriate design and data collection method is essential for conducting the research in an appropriate way. It is already mentioned that the primary data collection method will be conducted by adopting quantitative survey process. The responses gathered from a larger population will be analyzed by using the descriptive research design. This descriptive research design is quite helpful in analyzing the specifications associated with the research subject. However, it can be implied that the use of the exploratory research design would have been much better in such context. According to Munzert et al. (2014), the exploratory research design is generally undertaken for exploring the subject that has not previously been discussed. This research design intends to establish the operational definitions and priorities for improving the research outcomes. It is noticeable that the expansion of the business requires the extensive research on the diverse areas based on which the company will be able to measure the feasibility and potentiality. Exploratory research helps in researching those areas that can provide the insightful ideas about the business needs. Hence, the use of the exploratory design would have been much appropriate. On the other hand, the study is based on quantitative survey whereas the qualitative interview session with the managers would have presented more informative materials necessary for the company to develop business (Brooks et al. 2014). The strategic insights received from the managers in the qualitative interview session could have been much appropriate if this was aligned with the quantitative data.

The research and development department of Label has been conducting the sequential survey process to gather the responses from the customers about their demands and preferences while purchasing the clothes. The questionnaires will be designed by including the multiple choice questions and will be distributed to the customers through Facebook. The questionnaire will be including the multiple choice questions from which the respondents will select the answer as per their preferences. The respondents have the authority to withdraw their responses at any moment. The responses will be calculated by using the statistical tools and software tool like MS Excel. The percentage calculated from the responses will present the ideas about the preferences of the customers in terms of purchasing products.

The research paper discusses the use of the non-probability, simple random technique as the sampling process for gathering responses from the candidates (Error 2014). However, it can be suggested that the use of the probability, convenience sampling would have been much appropriate as well. It gathers the consent of the managers who take part in the decision making program. The quality information received from the people will be much helpful for the study to analyse the problem in a sequential way. Moreover, it would be much convenient to analyse their voice modulation and body language to interpret the concerns in a significant manner.

The study is entirely based on the information regarding the business expansion strategies that are to be undertaken by the company (Donas et al. 2015). The measurement of the business feasibility can be established by conducting the extensive market research. In such cases, the use of the deductive approach would be much preferable. The deductive approach helps in identifying the responses gathered from a number of populations where the respondents will present their concerns and preferences as well. Hence, the obtained information from the survey should be analyzed in a detailed way to adjust the necessary strategies and strengthen the competitive position of the company. The deductive approach is thus quite suitable for this research and develops the considerable ideas for the future profitability.

Brand positioning is a method of positioning the product or services in the mind of the customers. It is important for a company to develop the appropriate brand image that can draw the attention of the customers and result profitable amount for the future prospects (Rahman et al. 2014). Many organisations create a market niches for their products and services by considering the brand product, packaging, distribution, and competitive market. Currently, it has been observed that Label has captured the attractive position in the Australian market among the clothing retailers. At the global level, the market competition is quite higher. The company can select the target market at the first stage to manufacture clothes that can attract more customers. Creating a suitable tagline would also be much beneficial in such context. However, it is necessary for the company to concentrate on the quality parameter to gather more responses. The supermarket area is quite popular to attain crowd (Pandey and Singh 2015). Hence, it is noticeable that the company can attract more customers by establishing the outlets at the supermarket areas.

Conclusion

The study concentrates on the business expansion strategies of Label, which has already captured the retail clothing market in Australia. The study introduces the appropriate sampling and data collection techniques are suggesting the methods of collecting data. However, the alternative solutions provided for this case scenario would have been much appropriate for the company in terms of formulating the suitable strategies for the business expansion. However, this very specific study would like to focus on using appropriate data collection techniques as well as sampling method so that the business experts can gather necessary data and information from the customers about their purchasing habits.

It can be recommended that the company can develop the outlets at the supermarket area to gather the responses from the target customers. The attractive positioning tagline would also help in attaining the knowledge of the customers. It will even help in creating the positive perceptions for the future prospects and profitability level. It is important for a company to develop the appropriate brand image that can draw the attention of the customers and result profitable amount for the future prospects. Many organisations create a market niches for their products and services by considering the brand product, packaging, distribution, and competitive market.  Moreover, it will also help in formulating the competitive advantage for the longer sustainability.

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