Objective

Market Xcel was engaged by a smartphone brand to research their latest premium product, a flip phone. The primary objectives were to measure the impact of the recent campaign on the brand and assess brand awareness, association, and purchase intent. Key questions included identifying successful elements of the campaign, understanding the impact of campaign recall on premium phone users and flip phone users, and recommending optimizations for improved effectiveness.

Methodology

To meet the objective of the study, we followed a Hybrid Approach of Qualitative and Quantitative Research.

Qualitative Approach - Mini Group Discussions (MGDs)

• Study Design: A discussion guide was created focusing on recall, appeal, message comprehension, overall perception of the Flip category, triggers, and barriers for considering Flip phones, and brand-level differentiation.
  
  

• Recruitment of Participants: MGD respondents were a subset of those participating in the quantitative survey, pre-recruited and verified to match specific segments.
  
  

• Face-to-face mode: MGDs were conducted face-to-face at the same venue as the quantitative survey.
  
  

• Stimuli: Two ad films were presented to participants.
  
  

• Target Audience: Respondents were chosen based on their ability to discern between Flip and Bar phones and articulate their thoughts.
  
  

• Duration: MGDs lasted 70-90 minutes.
  
  

• Total Qualitative Sample Size: 12 MGDs
  
  

• Data Collection: Data was collected through audio and visual recordings.

Quantitative Approach - Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) - Central Location Test (CLT)

• Study Design: The study aimed to evaluate ad recall, message comprehension, brand perception, and purchase intent.
  
  

• Recruitment of Participants: Participants were recruited based on predefined criteria, ensuring demographics, target markets, and specific consumer segments were represented.
  
  

• Controlled Environment: CLT was conducted in a controlled environment, eliminating external influences.
  
  

• Exposure to Advertisements: Participants were exposed to advertisements in various formats.
  
  

• Data Collection: Data was collected through programmed questionnaire surveys.
  
  

• Quantitative Sample: 210 participants in Delhi+NCR (70), Mumbai (70), Bangalore (70).
  
  

• Target Group - Gender: Male (60%), Female (40%).
  
  

• Age: 18-45 years, segmented as 18-24, 25-34, 35-45 (Min 30% for each).
  
  

• Occupation: Students, Businessmen, Corporates (Min 20% quota for each).
  
  

• Geography: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore.
  
  

• Other Criteria: Purchased smartphone in the last 2 years, key decision-maker in purchase and primary user, 50k-90k price segment users/intenders, and a sub-sample of 20-50k price segment.
  
  

• Length of Interview (LOI): 30 minutes.

Data Analysis - Qualitative and Quantitative

• Triangulating quantitative and qualitative data on TVC evaluation, enjoyability, attractiveness, and likability were measured. The most liked TVC and the key reasons were identified.
  
  

• The analysis focused on attributes influencing the purchase of Flip phones, categorizing them into three broader categories. The top three attributes were identified. Additionally, key expectations from a Flip phone were analyzed, revealing the top attributes.

On brand association parameters, key imageries were highlighted and compared with the overall average, identifying strong, medium, and low associations with brands. 

Challenges

• The TG of Flip phone users were not easy to achieve in terms of recruitment as the category is nascent and very limited sale of the category.
  
  

• The operation team struggled to recruit the respondents as per the criteria desired for the study, especially in Mumbai.
  
  

• However the client supported on achieving the overall number of respondents to be covered by lowering the number of respondents in Mumbai and increasing the count in Bangalore.
  
  

• We faced challenges in respondent validation where the bills were in some other names of the primary users hence there was the need to assess the user thoroughly through initial RQ and recruit him/her carefully who was good in articulation.

How we overcame the challenges: 

The client supported through their database for a few of the respondents whereas MX also took the effort of a 360 approach through employee referral, snowballing, and getting a database of purchasers from retail stores through the retailer's team in operation. The Bangalore operation team's commendable effort compensated for the recruitment shortfall in Mumbai, ensuring interviews were streamlined to meet deadlines.

Key Findings

• Successful Campaign Elements: Through quantitative analysis, specific campaign elements that resonated most with the target audience were identified.
  
  

• Impact on Brand Perception: The campaign positively impacted brand awareness, recall, and association, particularly among premium phone users and flip phone users
  
  

• Optimization Recommendations: Based on the study findings, recommendations for optimizing future campaigns were provided, emphasizing elements that resonated most with the audience.

Business Implications for End Client

• Enhanced Campaign Strategy: Insights into successful campaign elements will enable the client to refine and enhance future marketing strategies, ensuring maximum impact on the target audience.
  
  

• Improved Brand Positioning: Understanding the campaign's positive impact on brand perception allows the client to strengthen its position in the competitive market, particularly in the premium phone segment.
  
  

• Targeted Marketing: The detailed demographic and psychographic data collected enables the client to tailor its marketing efforts more effectively, reaching the right audience with the right messaging.
  
  

• Operational Efficiency: Overcoming recruitment challenges through collaborative efforts ensures that future research projects can be executed smoothly, maintaining data quality and meeting deadlines.

Conclusion

The hybrid methodology of qualitative and quantitative research provided a comprehensive understanding of the campaign's impact and brand perception for the client’s flip phone. The findings offer actionable insights to drive future marketing strategies and enhance brand positioning in the dynamic smartphone market.