Subaru Case Study

1. If a survey is to be conducted to understand consumer preferences for various

automobile brands, which survey method should be used and why?
- Complex questions and a diversity of questions will probably be asked.
- Personal interviews will be effect. From the three personal method, mall intercepts
will be the most efficient in terms of cost and speed.
2. Develop a sampling plan for the survey you have recommended in question 1.
Nominal scale Ordinal scale Interval scale Ratio scale
Preference rankings Preference ratings $ spent last 10 years
1-20
Ford 2 15 26000
Subaru 5 8 0
Honda 4 10 0
Hyundai 3 12 0
Mazda 1 18 0

AUTOMOBILE QUESTIONAIREPART

AQ1:Are you familiar with Subaru’s automobiles?

a.Yes _____
b.No _____
If you answered No to this question, please do not answer any additional questions.
Thank you for your time.

Q2:Have you ever purchased a Subaru?

a.Yes_____
b.No_____
(If No, skip to Question 5)
Q3.Which brand of Subaru did you purchase?
Please check all that apply
a.Outback_____
b.Forester_____
c.Legacy_____
d.Impreza_____
e.Baja_____

Q4:Are you likely to buy a Subaru brand again when you are in the market for an
automobile?
a.Yes _____
b.No _____

Q5: How important are the following factors in your decision to purchase an automobile
brand?
Not at all Neutral Very
Important Important
A. Reliability 1 2 3 4 5
B. Performance 1 2 3 4 5
C. Gas Mileage 1 2 3 4 5
D. Repair and Maintenance 1 2 3 4 5
E. Price 1 2 3 4 5
F. Image 1 2 3 4 5
G. Features 1 2 3 4 5

Q6: Please evaluate Subaru brands on the following:

Not at all Neutral Very
Important Important
A. Reliability 1 2 3 4 5
B. Performance 1 2 3 4 5
C. Gas Mileage 1 2 3 4 5
D. Repair and Maintenance 1 2 3 4 5
 E. Price 1 2 3 4 5
F. Image 1 2 3 4 5
G. Features 1 2 3 4 5

Q7: Please evaluate Toyota brands on the following:

Not at all Neutral Very
Important Important
A. Reliability 1 2 3 4 5
B. Performance 1 2 3 4 5
C. Gas Mileage 1 2 3 4 5
D. Repair and Maintenance 1 2 3 4 5
E. Price 1 2 3 4 5
F. Image 1 2 3 4 5
G. Features 1 2 3 4 5

Q8: Please evaluate Honda brands on the following:

Not at all Neutral Very
Important Important
A. Reliability 1 2 3 4 5
B. Performance 1 2 3 4 5
C. Gas Mileage 1 2 3 4 5
D. Repair and Maintenance 1 2 3 4 5
E. Price 1 2 3 4 5
F. Image 1 2 3 4 5
G. Features 1 2 3 4 5

Q9: Please evaluate Nissan brands on the following:

Not at all Neutral Very
Important Important
A. Reliability 1 2 3 4 5
B. Performance 1 2 3 4 5
C. Gas Mileage 1 2 3 4 5
D. Repair and Maintenance 1 2 3 4 5
E. Price 1 2 3 4 5
F. Image 1 2 3 4 5
G. Features 1 2 3 4 5
Q10: What is your gender?
A. Male
 B. Female
C. Would rather not tell

Q11: What age group are you in?

A. 18-24
B. 25-29
C. 30-44
D. 45-64
E. 65 and over
Q12: What category of income do you fit into?
A: 0-$20,000
B: $20,001-$35,000
C: $35,001-$50,000
D: $50,001-$100,000
E: $100,001 and above

Q13: What is your marital status?

A: Married
B: Single
C: Complex

Q14: If you were ever married, how many children do you have?
A: None
B: One
C: Two
D: Three
E: Four or more
Thank you for your time. Your assistance will help us in better meeting your automobile
needs.

3. How should the sample size be determined for the survey you have recommended
in question 1?
Target population: US population age 16 and older that own a car
Sampling frame: People at malls across the US
Sampling unit: Individual consumers at malls
Sampling technique: Quota sampling
Sample size: 1000
Execution: Select specific shopping malls based on the judgment of the researcher. Set
quotas by age and gender. Use quota sampling to select mall patrons and interview them.

4. If Subaru were to conduct a survey in social media to determine consumers’

preferences for automobile brands, what should be the sample size? Explain your
reasoning.
Target population: US social media users
Sampling frame: People using Facebook
Sampling unit: People who liked fan page related to automobiles
Sampling technique: Personal interview (form and survey)
Sample size: 1000
Execution: Run a Facebook campaign that ask them to fill in the survey form to get a
small gift. Then collect all data and analyze.

5. If Subaru were to conduct marketing research to determine consumer willingness

to purchase automobile brands in Germany, how would the research process be
different?
Subaru needs to address differences in the lifestyle orpastime and popular sports (soccer)
in their marketing research. They also need to consider other socio-cultural factors such
as environmental friendliness and research methodology.
In Addition:
- Economical Factors
- Infra-structural factors
- Marketing environment
- Government environment
- Legal environment and Information
- Technological environment should be considered as well.