Read the following two research projects conducted by specialized marketing agencies[1], then answer Q1, Q2, and Q3.Be specific in your answers (bullet points are advised). You may also underline what you think are the key parts of your answer.

Project one:

A national health insurance carrier established a task force to optimize consumers' experience with its customer service operation. Prior to developing a change plan, it was important for the task force to understand the customers' expectations and needs. The primary objectives of this research were to identify consumer expectations and needs related to the customer service experience and to measure how well the carrier's current customer service platform met those needs.

The research was conducted in two stages, incorporating a vigorous qualitative inquiry followed by a comprehensive nationwide quantitative survey. Using a combination of focus groups and minigroups conducted across the country, members who had utilized the customer service function of the carrier in the past six months were assembled to discuss their experiences and generate a list of needs relative to their experiences. The list of needs was then divided and the groups broken into two to three minigroups to discuss each need in detail and to provide importance ratings to a master list of needs established by the carrier a priori. The research team used affinity diagramming to narrow the list of needs for testing. The output of these exercises informed the development of a quantitative instrument. The survey was administered to a stratified random sample of carrier members who had utilized customer service functions in the past six months. Nonlinear regression analysis identified and prioritized (in order of importance) over 50 specific consumer needs relative to the customer service experience. These results were overlaid with performance results based upon satisfaction questions built around each need and presented in the form of quadrant maps of importance versus performance.

The carrier was able to fully integrate the members' perspective into its planning process for the first time. Priorities were given to high-importance and medium-importance needs. When those important needs had low-performance ratings, immediate action plans were implemented prior to the overall redesign of the consumer experience. The carrier rolled out the final redesign knowing they had addressed key elements identified by the consumers themselves.

Project two:

A national quick service restaurant (QSR) chain regularly produced a number of television advertising campaigns that included 15- and 30-second finished ads. The client wanted to understand consumers' attitudes about the advertisements in order to determine if the advertisements were up to the company's standards and were communicating the intended messages and positioning.

The client received finished ads shortly before they were to air on television and needed feedback quickly in order to determine if the ads were of sufficient quality to be shown. They also received different executions of the same ad and wanted to know which version, if any, was superior to the others. The client compared their ads' scores on key metrics to a database of normative results. Ads that performed poorly were either pulled and revised or they were left completely out of the rotation. The primary objective of the research was to understand how the target audience perceived the ads. Specific objectives included the following:

Calculate an overall score for each ad tested and compare that to the client's accepted benchmark

Identify key messages being communicated by the ads

Determine the areas in which the ads underperformed on key metrics

Understand what could be improved about the ads

The quantitative ad testing was conducted online using a monadic approach. The survey instrument was created and tested in tandem with the client prior to use. Decision Analyst was able to take any number of executions and test them simultaneously for a given campaign. The survey instrument was about 25 minutes in length, in order to obtain the necessary diagnostic information needed to calculate the key metrics. Proprietary algorithms determined the scores for key metrics and were compared to the growing database of the client's own norms. Decision Analyst's experienced client service team evaluated the results and provided the client with timely information about each execution and the campaign overall.

The client received timely feedback on each of their executions for a given campaign that allowed them to provide important direction to their agency partners. The ability to receive sound research results prior to a campaign's launch allowed them to pull the underperforming executions and focus on the high-performing executions. The consistent reinforcement of successful advertising testing has helped the client gradually improve their advertising effectiveness over time.

Questions 1: What are the main constructs (explanatory variables) in both projects? Also, suggest three Likert scale questions/items to measure each main construct. 7 marks

Question 2: List down the quantitative and qualitative methods in both projects, then briefly suggest a suitable administration way (e.g. web, telephone...etc.) to conduct each of these methods? 8 marks

Q3: Are both projects similar in their sampling decisions? Provide a rationale for your answer then suggest a sample size that ensures accuracy without incurring higher costs for each project. 7 marks

[1] Source: https://www.decisionanalyst.com/