Market Research · End Term · May 2025 · AN

**Step 1: Recall the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weightage calculation for RAM.** In the laptop feature pairwise comparison matrix (Processor, RAM, Storage), normalizing the pairwise comparison columns and averaging across rows yields the priority weight for **RAM** as: \[w_{\text{RAM}} = \frac{7}{27} \approx 0.259259\] **Step 2: Express as a percentage rounded to two decimal places (four decimal places in decimal).** \[0.259259 \to 25.93\] (Within the accepted range `25.90 to 25.96`.) **Answer: 25.93**

Understanding deep, underlying feelings, motivations, attitudes, and the **emotional bond** between a pet parent and their pet is exploratory and non-numerical in nature, requiring **qualitative research** (such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, or projective techniques). **Answer: A (Qualitative research)** A: **Correct:** Qualitative research explores underlying emotions, motivations, and psychological bonds. B: **Incorrect:** Online quantitative research measures numerical proportions and frequencies rather than deep emotional bonds. C: **Incorrect:** In-person quantitative research uses structured questionnaires for statistical measurement. D: **Incorrect:** A demand estimation study forecasts sales volume or market size.

Measuring numerical **proportions and percentages** (such as the proportion of pet parents visiting grooming salons, the proportion grooming at home, and brand share of shampoos) requires a statistically representative sample and structured survey measurement—which is **quantitative research**. **Answer: B (Quantitative research)** A: **Incorrect:** Qualitative research uses small, non-representative samples and cannot estimate population proportions. B: **Correct:** Quantitative research quantifies usage habits, proportions, and brand shares across a target population. C: **Incorrect:** A product test evaluates a specific product prototype rather than market-wide habits and proportions. D: **Incorrect:** Laddering is a qualitative interviewing technique used to uncover attribute-consequence-value chains.

In a **blind product test**, the brand name, logo, and packaging identifiers are concealed so that respondents evaluate the intrinsic sensory and functional qualities of the product sample without brand bias. **Answer: B (Blind product test)** A: **Incorrect:** A laddering exercise probes the hierarchy of product attributes, consequences, and personal values. B: **Correct:** In a blind product test, respondents test and rate a product sample without knowing its brand identity. C: **Incorrect:** Sentence completion is a qualitative projective technique. D: **Incorrect:** Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a picture-based projective technique.

In **sequential monadic product testing**, each respondent evaluates one product sample first, then evaluates a second product sample (often in randomized/counterbalanced order), and then provides comparative feedback. **Answer: B (Sequential monadic product testing)** A: **Incorrect:** Laddering is a qualitative interviewing technique, not a multi-sample product test. B: **Correct:** Testing one sample followed by another sample and then comparing them is sequential monadic product testing. C: **Incorrect:** Sentence completion is a qualitative projective technique. D: **Incorrect:** Conjoint analysis measures trade-offs across multi-attribute product profiles rather than physical sample testing.

The two-sample independent **t-test** (Student's t-test) is the standard parametric statistical test used to compare whether the **means of two independent samples** differ significantly. **Answer: A (T-test)** A: **Correct:** The independent-samples t-test tests the equality of means between two independent groups. B: **Incorrect:** The Chi-square test evaluates independence or goodness-of-fit for categorical frequency data, not continuous means. C: **Incorrect:** The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test is a non-parametric test comparing entire cumulative distributions. D: **Incorrect:** Correlation measures the linear association between two variables, not the difference between two group means.

**Step 1: Compute the gap (\(\text{Total Aware} - \text{Unaided}\)) for each candidate brand from the table.** - **Brand E**: \(85\% - 45\% = 40\%\) - **Brand J**: \(4\% - 0\% = 4\%\) - **Brand F**: \(84\% - 47\% = 37\%\) - **Brand A**: \(29\% - 11\% = 18\%\) Comparing these values, **Brand J** has the lowest gap (\(4\%\)) between unaided and total awareness. **Answer: B (Brand J)** A: **Incorrect:** Brand E has a gap of \(85\% - 45\% = 40\%\). B: **Correct:** Brand J has the smallest gap between Total Aware (\(4\%\)) and Unaided Awareness (\(0\%\)), equal to \(4\%\). C: **Incorrect:** Brand F has a gap of \(84\% - 47\% = 37\%\). D: **Incorrect:** Brand A has a gap of \(29\% - 11\% = 18\%\).

**Step 1: Recall the formula for the Trial-to-Total-Awareness ratio.** \[\text{Trial to Total Awareness Ratio} = \frac{\text{Brands Ever Used (Trial)}}{\text{Total Aware}}\] **Step 2: Substitute the values for Brand A from the table.** For **Brand A**, \(\text{Brands Ever Used} = 15\%\) and \(\text{Total Aware} = 29\%\): \[\text{Ratio} = \frac{15}{29} \approx 0.5172 \approx 0.52\] **Answer: C (0.52)** A: **Incorrect:** Does not match \(15 / 29\). B: **Incorrect:** \(0.12\) is close to \(\text{TOM} / \text{Total Aware} = 3 / 29 \approx 0.10\), not Trial / Total Aware. C: **Correct:** Dividing Brands Ever Used (\(15\%\)) by Total Aware (\(29\%\)) gives \(15 / 29 \approx 0.52\). D: **Incorrect:** Trial cannot exceed Total Awareness.

**Step 1: Substitute the values for Brand C into the Trial-to-Total-Awareness ratio formula.** From the table, for **Brand C**, \(\text{Brands Ever Used} = 9\%\) and \(\text{Total Aware} = 45\%\): \[\text{Trial to Total Awareness Ratio} = \frac{9\%}{45\%} = \frac{1}{5} = 0.20\] **Answer: B (0.20)** A: **Incorrect:** Does not match \(9 / 45\). B: **Correct:** Dividing Brands Ever Used (\(9\%\)) by Total Aware (\(45\%\)) gives \(9 / 45 = 0.20\). C: **Incorrect:** Exceeds 1. D: **Incorrect:** \(7 / 9 \approx 0.78\) is retention, not trial-to-awareness.

**Step 1: Recall the formula for the Lapsing Ratio.** Lapsed users are those who have tried the brand in the past (\(\text{Brands Ever Used}\)) but do not currently use it (\(\text{Current brand}\)): \[\text{Lapsing Ratio} = \frac{\text{Brands Ever Used} - \text{Current brand}}{\text{Brands Ever Used}}\] **Step 2: Substitute the values for Brand E from the table.** For **Brand E**, \(\text{Brands Ever Used} = 30\%\) and \(\text{Current brand} = 24\%\): \[\text{Lapsing Ratio} = \frac{30 - 24}{30} = \frac{6}{30} = 0.20\] **Answer: A (0.20)** A: **Correct:** \((30\% - 24\%) / 30\% = 6 / 30 = 0.20\). B: **Incorrect:** \(0.33\) is the lapsing ratio for Brand F, not Brand E. C: **Incorrect:** Does not match \((30 - 24) / 30\). D: **Incorrect:** A lapsing ratio cannot exceed 1.

**Step 1: Substitute the values for Brand F into the Lapsing Ratio formula.** From the table, for **Brand F**, \(\text{Brands Ever Used} = 48\%\) and \(\text{Current brand} = 32\%\): \[\text{Lapsing Ratio} = \frac{48 - 32}{48} = \frac{16}{48} = \frac{1}{3} \approx 0.33\] **Answer: C (0.33)** A: **Incorrect:** Does not match \(16 / 48\). B: **Incorrect:** Does not match \(16 / 48\). C: **Correct:** \((48\% - 32\%) / 48\% = 16 / 48 \approx 0.33\). D: **Incorrect:** Exceeds 1.

**Step 1: Compute the lapsing ratio \(\frac{\text{Ever Used} - \text{Current}}{\text{Ever Used}}\) for each brand.** - **Brand E**: \((30 - 24) / 30 = 0.20\) - **Brand J**: \((18 - 0) / 18 = 1.00\) (100% of triers have lapsed!) - **Brand F**: \((48 - 32) / 48 \approx 0.33\) - **Brand A**: \((15 - 3) / 15 = 12 / 15 = 0.80\) Therefore, **Brand J** has the highest lapsing ratio (\(1.00\)). **Answer: B (Brand J)** A: **Incorrect:** Brand E has a low lapsing ratio of \(0.20\). B: **Correct:** Brand J has 18% Ever Used and 0% Current brand users, giving the maximum possible lapsing ratio of \(1.00\) (100%). C: **Incorrect:** Brand F has a lapsing ratio of \(0.33\). D: **Incorrect:** Brand A has a lapsing ratio of \(0.80 < 1.00\).

**Step 1: Compute the lapsing ratio \(\frac{\text{Ever Used} - \text{Current}}{\text{Ever Used}}\) for each candidate brand.** - **Brand A**: \((15 - 3) / 15 = 12 / 15 = 0.800\) - **Brand B**: \((4 - 1) / 4 = 3 / 4 = 0.750\) - **Brand C**: \((9 - 7) / 9 = 2 / 9 \approx 0.222\) - **Brand D**: \((80 - 77) / 80 = 3 / 80 = 0.0375\) (only 3.75% of triers have lapsed!) Thus, **Brand D** has the lowest lapsing ratio across all brands in the table. **Answer: D (Brand D)** A: **Incorrect:** Brand A has a high lapsing ratio of \(0.80\). B: **Incorrect:** Brand B has a lapsing ratio of \(0.75\). C: **Incorrect:** Brand C has a lapsing ratio of \(0.222\). D: **Correct:** Brand D retains 77% out of 80% ever-users, giving the lowest lapsing ratio of \(3/80 = 0.0375\).

In media and readership research (such as the Indian Readership Survey, IRS), **AIR** stands for **Average Issue Readership**—the number of people who claim to have read an issue of a publication within its publication interval (e.g., yesterday for a daily newspaper, or in the last 7 days for a weekly magazine). Thus, the statement is **TRUE**. **Answer: A (TRUE)** A: **Correct:** AIR is the standard media metric acronym for Average Issue Readership. B: **Incorrect:** The statement is true.

In advertising and media planning, **OTS** stands for **Opportunity To See** (a measure of the number of times a target audience member is exposed to an advertisement or media vehicle). Thus, the statement is **TRUE**. **Answer: A (TRUE)** A: **Correct:** OTS stands for Opportunity To See in media research. B: **Incorrect:** The statement is true.

In applied statistics and market research, the standard rule of thumb ("golden rule") for invoking the **Central Limit Theorem (CLT)** so that the sampling distribution of the sample mean is approximately normal is that the sample size \(n\) should be **at least 30** (\(n \ge 30\)). Thus, the statement is **TRUE**. **Answer: A (TRUE)** A: **Correct:** A sample size of \(n \ge 30\) is the classic rule of thumb for the Central Limit Theorem. B: **Incorrect:** The statement is true.

**Retail audits** (such as Nielsen retail store audits) measure stock levels, purchases, distribution, and total off-take/sales at **retail outlets**, using the Formula \(\text{Sales} = \text{Opening Stock} + \text{Purchases} - \text{Closing Stock}\). Because retail audits track store-level inventory rather than individual buyers, they **cannot** provide the demographic or behavioral profile of the end consumer (which requires a **consumer panel** or consumer survey). Thus, the statement is **FALSE**. **Answer: B (FALSE)** A: **Incorrect:** Retail audits only track store-level inventory and sales volume, not who bought the product. B: **Correct:** End-consumer profiles are obtained from consumer panels/surveys, not retail store audits.

**Consumer panels** (household panels) consist of a representative sample of **individual consumers or households** whose purchases and consumption are tracked over time. A sample of retail outlets is used in a **retail audit panel**, not a consumer panel. Thus, the statement is **FALSE**. **Answer: B (FALSE)** A: **Incorrect:** A sample of retail outlets forms a retail audit panel, whereas a consumer panel consists of households/individuals. B: **Correct:** Consumer panels track a sample of households/consumers, not retail stores.

In a **quantitative brand health study** (brand track), researchers measure consumer awareness, usage funnel stages, and brand equity metrics: 1. **Brand awareness** (Option A — Spontaneous/Unaided and Aided awareness) 2. **Brand disposition** (Option E — Brand equity/preference/affinity funnel status) 3. **Level of consumer involvement in the category** (Option F — How engaged consumers are when choosing in the category) 4. **Top of mind brand** (Option H — First brand recalled unaided, TOM) 5. **Brands used in the past** (Option J — Ever used / Trial in the brand usage funnel) In contrast, *Laddering of benefits* (B) is qualitative research, *Blind testing* (C) is product testing, *Employee motivation* (D) is HR/internal research, *Clutter cut-through* (G) is ad-copy testing, and *Reliability testing* (I) is engineering/psychometric scale testing. **Answer: A, E, F, H, J** A: **Correct:** Brand awareness (spontaneous and aided) is a core metric in any quantitative brand health study. B: **Incorrect:** Laddering of benefits is a qualitative in-depth interviewing technique. C: **Incorrect:** Blind testing is a sensory product test, not a brand health survey metric. D: **Incorrect:** Employee motivation is an organizational/HR study topic. E: **Correct:** Brand disposition measures consumers' attitude and commitment toward the brand in a brand health study. F: **Correct:** Category involvement is tracked in quantitative brand health studies to contextualize brand choice. G: **Incorrect:** Clutter cut-through is specific to advertising pre/post copy testing. H: **Correct:** Top of Mind (TOM) awareness is the first metric in the brand awareness funnel. I: **Incorrect:** Reliability testing is an engineering or scale-validation test, not a brand health metric. J: **Correct:** Brands used in the past (trial / ever used) is a standard stage of the brand usage funnel.