Research methods

The most common tasks that can be solved using quantitative marketing research methods are:

• brand health
• brand loyalty assessment/NPS methodology
• construction of ratings and anti-ratings, for example, to study the most significant factors of choice
• determination of the optimal price
• identification of segments of the target audience
• studying the style and quality of life of the target audience, profiling
• image perception of brands
• search for an unoccupied market niche and many others.

The face-to-face interviewing method is based on the interviewer’s direct communication with a respondent using the structured questionnaire. Using the face-to-face interviewing, it is possible to obtain large amounts of information with a high degree of accuracy. During the face-to-face interviewing, any images, adblocks, logos, and other materials can be shown to the respondent.

Depending on the purposes of the study, Yasno Research & Consulting Group carries out interviewing:

• at the respondent’s place of residence,
• at the respondent’s place of business,
• street interviewing,
• point-of-sale interviewing,
• during exhibitions, conferences, and other professional events.

Yasno Research & Consulting Group specializes in conducting face-to-face surveys using a targeted sample, i.e. we interview respondents who meet the given parameters, for example, users of a certain service, highly specialized experts, buyers who have made their choice in the last 3-6 months, or those who are in a state of purchase.

Telephone Interviewing (СATI). The method is intended to quickly receive information via the respondents telephone interviewing. The major advantages of the method – promptness of data acquisition and economic feasibility.

Yasno Research & Consulting Group carries out telephone interviewing using the CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) technology thanks to which the reliability of the data obtained is increased eliminating the operator’s mistakes and the data are passed for processing by the analyst immediately after the latest interviewing. All operators work in the presence of the project manager and the field supervisor.

We conduct the quantitative research both online – when the respondent receives a link to fill out the questionnaire, and offline – when the survey is conducted during a personal meeting between the interviewer and the respondent.

During a personal meeting of the respondent with the interviewer, the research is carried out using tablets.

During the pandemic, the quantitative research is most often conducted online.

Depending on the objectives of the study, Yasno Research & Consulting Group conducts surveys throughout Ukraine and in other countries.

Most often, the studies in Ukraine are conducted in regional centers and TOP-5 cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odessa, Lviv as well as in various settlements.

The emotions that arise in the consumer when he/she:

• wants to receive a product
• looking for a product
• selects a product
• buys a product

Circumstances and places under which the product is consumed:

• at home with family
• at work with colleagues
• on the go with friends
• on vacation one on one

Most often, the ethnographic research is conducted during a personal meeting with the respondent in the usual conditions of his/her life.

During the researcher’s communication with the respondent, the circumstances of the consumption of the product/service are studied, the situation is analyzed, and the situation and the ways of consuming the product/service are discussed.

In other words, we do not just ask when you drink juice, but also assess the real situation of consumption, often living it together with the respondent. Thus, products with which juice is consumed, atmosphere, meals, time of consumption, combination with other meals, etc. fall into the scope of analysis.

In fact, the ethnographic research is based on three key “pillars”:

1. Be in the moment. For these purposes, additional techniques are used such as, for example, mobile diaries. During mobile diaries, the respondents are given the task of photographing/video recording all situations in which the products are used – from the moment of an idea, the choice of a place of purchase, to the moment of consumption and disposal of packaging (under certain conditions).
2. Be together. Being geographically with the respondent and living the situation with him/her.
3. Be interested. The ethnographic research is always accompanied by a detailed in-depth interview, or a series of interviews divided into a number of stages.

The Mobile Ethnography is a type of the ethnographic research that is carried out remotely.

During the Mobile Ethnography, the researchers get the opportunity to study the behavior of people living in different cities, and united by some one common task.

The ethnographic observation takes place using a messenger or a special platform.

For example, Telegram creates a personal and/or group chat with 4-20 respondents. Usually the project lasts from several hours to several weeks.

During the chat, the respondents send photos, videos, share their impressions, describe their experience and answer questions from the moderator.

Thus, the Mobile Ethnography allows you to learn/explore different aspects of consumer experience from the closest possible distance with the minimal impact on the respondent in very comfortable conditions, for several days.

• Photo materials – with an analytical explanation of how the product is “embedded” in the lives of consumers
• A map of insights discovered at each stage of the consumer’s interaction with the product
• Recommendations – what product will be interesting for consumers, how, where and with what emotions to interact with consumers.

• you need to find a new niche in the market
• the right impetus and ideas to create new products
• a new brand/product is introduced to the market
• understand the motives and behavior of a narrow group of people

The most common qualitative research methods are Focus Groups, In-depth and Expert Interviews.

Using the Focus Groups, it is possible to understand which products and services are preferred by the representatives of the target audience and why this choice occurs. The Focus Groups are often involved when developing the communication strategy, positioning of a product or a service for various consumer segments.

When conducting the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviewing, Yasno Research & Consulting Group uses various psychological methods and projective techniques: association word, visual stimulus association, methods of completion of situation (completion of sentence, story, picture), expressive methods

To generate new marketing ideas, concepts, the Creative Focus Groups are arranged in which the specially selected respondents participate. In the course of the Creative Focus Groups, role playing/psychodrama and other psychological methods are used allowing to detect the underlying motives and obstacles with regard to a product/service.

When conducting the Creative Focus Groups, Yasno Research & Consulting Group uses a 3-step model of respondents selection:

1. Street or telephone interviewing of the target audience respondents.
2. The respondents testing for creativity.
3. Pretesting of the respondent’s identity and his/her emotional state.

In the course of the In-Depth Interviewing, it is possible to obtain detailed information about the motives of the respondent’s behavior and his/her attitude to various matters. The method is used to study consumer behavior, to develop new products, to forecast consumer reaction to various marketing programs.

Depending on the purposes of research, Yasno Research & Consulting Group carries out the following types of In-Depth Interviewing: Diads (two respondents) and Triads (three respondents) are carried out to interview small groups, e.g. family/married couple, working team, etc.

The main feature of Expert Interviewing is the expertise and occupational status of a respondent who knows the specifics of the matter in question.

The method allows to obtain information which is characteristic for a professional association and is used to obtain information relating to specific issues.

During testing, the user friendliness, effectiveness (orientation rate), and satisfaction level are evaluated.

In addition to the Internet users interviewing, Yasno Research & Consulting Group carries out extra expert interviewing in which the usability specialists participate that allows to obtain a complete idea of the product under testing and to eliminate possible mistakes.

Depending on the objectives of the study, Yasno Research & Consulting Group conducts focus groups and in-depth interviews in Ukraine and other countries.

Most often, the studies in Ukraine are conducted in regional centers and TOP-5 cities: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odessa, Lviv.

Thanks to online technologies for conducting focus groups, in-depth and expert interviews, there are practically no geographical restrictions.

The Desk Research or Desk Search is the collection and analytical processing of information previously obtained for other purposes, for example, in the course of previous studies, or information that is in the public domain (Internet resources, media, specialized publications, government statistics, forums, comments in social networks, etc.).

The research consists of the following stages:

1. Development of a detailed plan.
2. Search and collection of information.
3. Analytical processing of the obtained data.
4. Visualization of data – in the form of tables, charts, graphs, figures.
5. Preparation of conclusions and recommendations.

• studying the situation in a new market, for example, when a company plans to expand business areas
• entering the market of a new product. The Desk Search is advised in the case of start-up projects
• analysis of the competitive environment, price monitoring, analysis of competitor promotion strategies
• monitoring the situation on the market in dynamics
• analysis of trends and prospects for the development of the market. For example, the Desk Search provides a lot of information for companies that are looking for new opportunities. In this case, the situation is studied not only in the country of business development, but also in other countries.
• access to export markets

1. We do not work from scratch. The company has conducted a sufficient number of desk studies of industrial and consumer markets for both Ukrainian and foreign customers. We have a proven algorithm for collecting and analyzing information. These factors reduce the time spent on research.
2. The database of Yasno Research & Consulting Group contains the researches relating to various markets:
• Real Estate Market
• Automotive Equipment
• Construction Market
• Agricultural Market
• Food Market
• Insurance Market
• Industrial Goods Market
• Gas Market
• Medical Services Market and others.
3. We conduct Desk Search on the markets of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, European countries and the USA.
4. Our projects are distinguished by deep immersion in the situation under study, detailed and thorough analysis, constant cooperation with the client to correct the project strategy.
5. To obtain more complete and reliable information, we recommend conducting the Desk Search together with the Expert Interviews. In this case, the data is confirmed/refuted and supplemented by an expert assessment of market players.

Depending on the specifics of the task and available information, Yasno Research & Consulting Group uses conceptual analysis models:

• Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• PEST Analysis and other methods

The SWOT analysis is the method of analysis in strategic planning based on the study of the conditions of the external and internal environment of the company which allows you to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

The SWOT analysis is used to solve the following tasks:

• development/revision of the company strategy
• choice from several strategic alternatives
• decision to enter new markets