Marketing Research

I am happy that this week I have the freedom to write about WHATEVER I want! How fun! I must say that it is almost harder writing a blog when there is less guidance on the topic because it forces me to think about what interests me. In a way, it’s quite ironic that I mention this because this is a class about customer insights and it is very common for consumers to be uncertain about choosing products, especially peripheral purchase decisions. Consumers are often unsure why they pick the product that they do, can’t say what caused them to choose that product, and can’t pinpoint the attribute about the product that attracted them towards it in the first place. This is the underlying problem with marketing research, surveys, and interviews because even if consumers are providing information about a topic, the researcher is never 100% sure that the information they are analyzing is even accurate and representative of their target market and product. This was very apparent to me in our class discussion on Monday about our project update. Three groups in our class presented to the other students in the class about their current research progress. Most of them were unsure whether their data was skewed or biased, almost all of them coming to the conclusion that there were definite biases and holes within their research.
Then I started thinking about how marketing research from online blogs can be beneficial for marketers because the comments from users are natural, genuine, and unmonitored. This is a positive attribute because a response bias and reporting bias do not exist. The user is voluntarily giving a comment because they feel a sense of importance and relevance to the product while they also are not tailoring their answers to look favorable in front of a researcher. A negative side of this marketing research is that most of the time this research is going to be monotonous. The marketer is going to have to sift through hundreds and hundreds of comments in order to get at least 50 serious and helpful remarks. On the same coin, although some of the negative responses will be goofy and negative for negatives sake, some of the negative comments will help the manufacturer and marketing team edit and form the product to continue to please the consumer.
One example of this is a blog that I found about the “Snuggie.” Incase you haven’t heard of the he Snuggie™, it is a blanket that keeps you totally warm and gives you the freedom to use your hands. The positive aspects are that it allows the customer to work the remote, use your laptop or do some reading in total warmth and comfort! Basically it is a robe put on backwards, but with a blanket attached. There is a new competitor to the Snuggie called Peekaru Original Fleece Baby Carrier Cover made by Mom 4 Life. I found a blog about it and here are some comments that I discovered. Also, here is the blog link: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/
· I am glad my children are older because otherwise I would totally buy this
· I agree it looks absurd, but these are awesome! Every other mom I met on the street would ask me where to get one. It is simply a fleece that you can wear over a baby bjorn or other carrier in cold weather. Otherwise, the mom can't zip up her coat. Plus you don't have to bundle up your baby in winter snow suit before slipping him into the carrier. As for the person who says parents can't be bothered to carry their children in their arms anymore, when is the last time you lugged around a baby?? Try a baby plus a shopping bag = perpetual back ache.
· Looks like heaven for your lower back…
· Caption: Woman throws fashion out the window after becoming a mother
Point being, a little helpless blog can give insights to Mom 4 Life as they continue to market their brand and product to the very judgmental, but somewhat accepting world of consumers.