Hamilton Power tools

Suggested Approach
Case Facts
Decision Area: Market chain saw to the casual user (weekend woodcutters).
Research objective: Gain insights into why people buy chain saws.
(DA and RO can be stated differently given the case facts.)
Research Design: TAT
Sample: People who own or likely to purchase a chain saw

Evaluation
Converting the decision area to the research problem:
The case suggests that the research was pushed by the agency and driven more by the
technique (here projective technique) as they have hired a person who is supposed to be
good at it.

Ideally a decision tree approach should have been used to work towards identifying
information needs to develop a comprehensive plan to expand the market.

Identify potential
Casual users

Need Wood for Need to cut

fireplace outgrown trees

Cut themselves Use ‘tree surgeons’ How to convert

(DIY) them to DIY

Use chain saw Use other options How to convert

them to chain saw

Buy chain saw Hire chain saw How to convert

them to buying

The research objective identified in the case assumes that the people are aware of chain
saws and they are in the next levels of AIDA. At the current level of the market this
group of people as part of the overall potential customers would be very small. The
company needs to shift (a) people from using tree surgeons to cutting the trees
themselves, b) shift people from using other options to chain saws and finally c) shift
people from hiring to purchasing a chain saw. Each of these would require different
strategies based on different set of information (this should determine the ROs)
Information and Research Design
The information needs can ideally be derived using the 5Ws and IH or the behavioural
frameworks.

At the current stage where the market is nascent, the behaviour would be more governed
by attributes differentiating the different product categories and therefore likely to be at
the knowledge level. While motives would be present even at this stage, these motives
would not be the primary focus of the expansion plan. Again since a majority of the
people may not be using chain saws it is less likely that the behaviour related questions
would elicit socially desirable responses. The situational and the state being variables
would be largely normal information. (This is an assumption based on case facts.
Whatever the assumptions the research design should flow from this. In practice market
understanding should help decide this.)

Purpose of the study should be exploratory to start with. This has to be followed by a
predictive study. The ideal research design for this would be a FGD followed by a
survey.

Evaluating the Projective technique

Even assuming that the study is only interested in motives, the TAT failed to obtain valid
information. Some reasons:
 Spontaneity: The test failed to obtain spontaneous responses as the moderator was
explaining the picture and asking detailed questions about each. It is therefore clear
that the responses were being given from the conscious state. (Even if the picture was
shown for a short duration, the moderator questions would bring the respondent to
conscious state).
 Conditioning: No information about dummy tests. Even if the dummy tests were used
they would not have served the purpose as the moderator was asking probing
questions.
 Theme: The theme has been built around the main stimulus of the study (pre
purchase, purchase and post purchase) so the respondent would be in the conscious
state only.
 Third person: To obtain an unbiased response the stimulus should be seen from a
‘third person’s’ perspective. However, here the moderator is bringing the respondent
to first and second person. (Assume you have to give advice and that the person is
your neighbour). Here the responses would be based on what the neighbour would
think rather than the inner feelings of the respondent himself.
 Leading questions: ‘Thinking about buying a chain saw’ etc.
 Screening: Questions on chain saw in the screening process could bias the responses.

Sample
People who own or likely to purchase a chain saw would mean that the respondents are
already in the desire and action stages of AIDA. This sample could be OK for motives
study (of course identification of respondents should be without the screening questions
used in the case). For market expansion a quota sample covering different needs,
different locations and income/ occupations could be used.