Observation as a
marketing research tool, May 25, 2008, 2D.
It seems
like the major television networks broadcast an abundance of
crime shows during primetime viewing hours. Many of today’s
crime dramas portray high-tech investigation techniques and
the use of ultra-modern crime labs. Despite the portrayal
of many high-tech investigative procedures, it is still
common to see suspects being interrogated by detectives in
questioning rooms behind one-way mirrors with prosecuting
lawyers and police officers looking on. Stakeouts and
undercover stings are also common scenes in those shows.
When called into action, plain-clothes undercover officers
are often shown suddenly emerging from the
background—oftentimes wearing disguises that make them
appear as ordinary people and passers-by.
As
portrayed on many crime shows, the one-way mirror in the
interrogation room allows officers to observe the non-verbal
communication, behaviors, and reactions of suspects during
questioning without ever being seen. Likewise, undercover
officers disguise themselves to blend into their backgrounds
and appear as uninvolved bystanders until they are called
into action. Cover is “blown” only when the situation
dictates such actions. Once an officer’s true identity is
revealed, the behavior of the suspects and those under
investigation often change—the presence of a police officer
changes the ways that criminals behave.
Observation is also a common customer and market research
technique. It can be employed in formal research settings
with the use of one-way mirrors and in normal organizational
settings using undercover researchers. Observational
research techniques allow investigators to collect
information about attitudes and behaviors that can be hard
or impossible to collect using surveys and other
quantitative research techniques. In some instances, the
information gleaned from observational research is used to
develop models that can later be studied using more
sophisticated quantitative methods.
One-way
mirrors might be used by market research firms to observe
children playing with toys, members of focus groups
discussing the merits of a certain concept or product, or
participants engaging in simulations and activities.
Undercover observation research can be used to analyze the
behaviors of real customers and employees in real
situations. Undercover observers can track customer traffic
flow through a store, analyze the things that catch
shoppers’ attention, and study consumers’ shopping habits in
great detail. Mystery shoppers and undercover observers can
also analyze the behaviors and effectiveness of store
employees.
Observation techniques can allow researchers to collect
information from consumers with minimal disturbance of their
normal behaviors. These techniques require different
methods of data collection and analysis than other research
techniques. Researchers must use their senses to capture
the whole observation experience and then translate those
experiences into words. They must see beyond the ordinary
and capture details in their observations that are often
overlooked in everyday life. After condensing and
consolidating the records of raw observation data,
researchers look for patterns, commonalities, and themes in
the data and then draw conclusions. As with other forms of
research involving human participants, great care should be
taken to ensure ethical treatment of the subjects and to
guarantee that they do not suffer undo harm or distress.
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