Wolf Hollow, a local craft brewer, wants to understand who is most likely to purchase a locally produced beer and what the decision making process is like for consumers buying beer in the grocery store.

• The problem: Wolf Hollow needs to determine who to target for their locally produced craft beers. Wolf Hollow does not know what the decision making process for beer is like for grocery store customers.
• Research Question: Who is the target market for locally produced craft beers? Do customers decide quickly on brand or is it a thoughtful decision? Which brands seem to be cross-shopped?
• Objective: Determine the target market for Wolf Hollow beers among grocery store customers.
• Research Method: Observational research.

Note: You are going to do actual observational research this week. Go to a grocery store's beer aisle and observe who buys what. Who is most likely to buy mainstream beers like Miller? Who is more likely to buy beers from craft brewers? How long do consumers spend making their decisions? What patterns do you see in the behavior? What theory do you have to explain the patterns?