Secondary data: panels & indexes

midway between adapting secondary data and commissioning primary - purchase data collected by market research companies

CONSUMER PANELS: continuous research with representative sample whose buying activity is monitored regularly over period of time
Called home audit panel if home visits involved

Problems:

• Difficult to ensure a representative sample
• Panels become sophisticated in interviewing techniques which can corrupt data
• Difficult to ensure stable personnel (turnover)

Types of analysis available:

• Standard trend analysis: how market and major brands did since last analysis
• Special analyses: industry specific e.g. source of purchase, frequency of purchase, demographics

RETAIL PANELS
- Trade audits (wholesaler and retailer panels)
- Researchers undertake site visits to selected outlets at regular intervals: count stock & deliveries (EPOS systems make this easier)

Provides details of:

• sales for specific products and market share
• retail stock (enables comparison with competitors)
• selling prices in retail outlets

THE NIELSEN RETAIL INDEX
Range of continuous sales and distribution measurements (hundreds categories, thousands brands)
Data collected from major multiples (Tesco, Sainsburys)

SUPERPANEL
Data collection through personal terminals 28,000. Pen barcode scanner into modem.

OMNIMAS
Massive omnibus surveys random samples of 2000+ consumers each week (face-to-face)
(Omnibus surveys are regularly carried out by orgs asking regular questions, with some sponsored. Cheaper means of getting data.)

TARGET GROUP INDEX
Describes target groups, media consumption and product usage
Helps to plan more accurate media campaigns
25,000 responses per year including comparison of brand/product uses with various demongraphics

Secondary data: published secondary data (MR, unit 6)

IDAC PEG

INTERNET

• URl, surfing, directories and portals (Yahoo), search engines (Google, second generation), internet databases 'deep web'
• Initial search to find terminology and key concepts, then refine (+/-/or)

DIRECTORIES: Kompass Register, Who Owns Whom
ASSOCIATIONS: all collect and publish data for their users

COMPUTERISED DATABASES: ACORN, Reuters, Lexis Nexis, CIM Marketing Surveys Index

PERIODICALS: Economist, Campaign, Mintel

ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING: informal process to gain market intelligence
Sources: business news, trade journals, academic journals, conferences and trade fairs, salesforce feedback, personal contact network, watching competitors
(Competitor intelligence system to collect: financial statements, info from former employees, inspect competitor's products, watch job advertisements)

GOVERNMENT (AND NON-GOVT) AGENCIES
Government: economic information, info on industry and population trends www.statistics.gov.uk
Non-govt: specialist companies, professional institutions, specialist libraries, trade associations, trade journals, market research agencies

Secondary data (MR, unit 6)

data neither collected by, nor specifically for, the user

always start with secondary research - check what's already known and what to investigate further
collecting secondary data = 'desk research'

THE USE OF SECONDARY DATA

• Backdrop to primary research - journals, existing market reports, press
• Substitute for primary research - primary is very costly, so use cost-benefit analysis
• Technique in itself - some information can only be got through secondary data e.g. trends over time

BENEFITS, RISKS & DANGERS OF USE
Consider...

• who produced it - e.g. bias, trade association may exclude counter interest
• reasons for data being collected
• collection method
• how old data is
• how parameters defined

Advantages:

• cheaper and quicker than primary
• can help: define parameters (hypothesis and sampling), give guidance, assimilate primary with past research

Disadvantages:

• relevance
• cost-benefit analysis
• bias
• accuracy:
• is the raw data available?
• were questionnaires properly constructed?
• large enough sample?
• were field workers supervised?
  
• correct analysis?