Your Experienced Market Research Partner

Our Philosophy
Our philosophy for a successful marketing research engagement is the enlisting of your business expertise coupled with our mastery of market research to ensure a rewarding, decision-based relationship. While you are an expert in your business and can provide superior industry knowledge, we bring the same kind of marketing research expertise to the table.


Market Research and Analysis Tools
Balaban Market Research Consulting uses qualitative research techniques to uncover a range of views, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and experiences and to help build assumptions and generate ideas.

We use a variety of qualitative research methodologies, including:

• Depth interviews

• Focus Groups

• Online surveys

When we receive a research project, we review several items before determining the appropriate methodology. Careful consideration of these items helps us to determine which research methodology is best suited for a particular research project.

These considerations are:

• Information needs and objectives

• Research objectives

• Complexity

• Target audience

• Budget

• Timeline

BMRC will conduct a careful evaluation of your needs and desired results to determine the best method for your research project.

In-person focus groups and depth interviews are traditional qualitative research methods which allow respondents to physically examine and manipulate products, read message statements and view concepts while a skilled moderator extensively probes and explores a respondent's thoughts in a group or one-on-one setting.

Experience has shown that these traditional market research methods add value at any point in a product’s life cycle, including idea generation, product concept testing, branding, advertising, and market segmentation. Importantly, you, the client are able to personally examine and observe non-verbal behaviors without being observed by your target audience.

Balaban Market Research offers both types of traditional market research - depth interviews and focus groups. One method may be used alone or several methods may be used together to create a hybrid market research study.

Depth Interviews
Individual in-depth interviews (IDI’s) may be used as the core of a research project or as a preamble to quantitative market studies such as telephone or online surveys. Qualitative depth interviews are used in both business-to-business market research, medical and consumer research. Experience has proven that qualitative depth interviews are extremely important in the early development phases of strategic decision making.

IDI's usually last 30-60 minutes and are facilitated by a moderator in a focus group facility with only one participant. Observers often watch through a one way mirror. Depth interviews uncover beliefs, attitudes and motivations of the target audience. Balaban Market Research Consulting uses non-directive as well as projective research techniques to identify and define respondent motivations. Findings from depth interviews offer insight for business or marketing strategy development.


Focus Groups
Focus groups are another valuable qualitative market research methodology. In focus groups a focus group moderator stimulates discussion among the participants about a topic. Much is gained from the group dynamic that occurs, often generating new thinking about a topic which will result in a much deeper discussion of the subject being covered. What is more, it enables the participants to share their views allowing all types of issues to bubble up.

In a traditional focus group, eight to ten participants are selected from a set of predetermined common characteristics such as age, income, buying behavior or a host of shared characteristics. Balaban Market Research Consulting collaborates with the client organization to create a discussion guide that is used to facilitate a 90-120 minute session.
The client can observe from behind a one way mirror.

In a mini-group, four to six participants will participate in a similar format and a slightly shorter time period, often 90 minutes.

Focus groups may also be conducted as dyads (two people) or triads (three people) with the focus group moderator following a discussion guide in a similar fashion to the mini-group or traditional focus group.


Online Surveys
Balaban Market Research Consulting can also provide your company with online surveys.
When used appropriately, online surveys have some unique advantages, such as:

• Access to low incidence, hard-to-reach populations.

• Respondents’ participate at their convenience, thus increasing response rates.

• Some respondents feel more comfortable providing their thoughts and opinions under a veil of anonymity when they don't have to be face-to-face with an interviewer.

• Opportunities to test your web-based products, services, and concepts in their natural environment.

• Savings in travel, time and sometimes money.

• Convenience—you can receive the data without leaving your office.

• Shorter turnaround time than traditional qualitative research.
   

Many topics that are traditionally covered in-person may also lend themselves well to online surveys. For example,

• Brand assessment

• Competitive evaluation

• Employee satisfaction/collaboration

• Idea generation

• Product, service and advertising concept evaluation

• Product and market sampling
   

Our Commitment
Balaban Market Research Consulting is committed to fulfilling your market research needs in a professional, timely and affordable manner.

 

For more information about Balaban Market Research Consulting or for more information about our capabilities in any of these areas, please contact us.