It should be noted that an allowance has been given for the differences in geographical areas as each interviewee will represent a different city.
Participants will be expected to answer questions derived from the information already gathered in the desk research. On top of this, the staff members hired for the research will also come up with special questions designed to address issues that had not been fully covered in the primary research such as personal preferences.
Respondents could possess knowledge about GNC as a company and its health products or they may not. However, it will imperative for these participants to have at least used a heart beat watch or to have purchased once so that they can have adequate knowledge about it.
The research will be done through random probability sampling. However, the sample population will be such that fifty percent of the respondents will be medical patients while the remaining will be health conscious people engaged in daily training and exercise. Selection of the twenty participants will then be randomly done. Numbers will be generated automatically through a computer and names will then be numbered and listed alphabetically. The participants will be chosen through the random numbers appearing on the computer screen. (Holliday, A.R. 2007).
Ensuring technical feasibility:
The watch is designed to offer measurements of heart rate variability, activity, and breathing rate to assess parameters relating to a subject's fitness. Sensor fusion algorithms would allow the monitors to detect core temperature and dehydration. This watch would employ electrocardiograph techniques that would transmit heart rate to the wrist worn unit telemetry. The heart rate watch measures the cardiovascular and physiological stress during different measurement periods. The presence of microprocessor would ensure continuous monitoring of EKG and calculating the heart rate, and other parameters (Marks, 2000). These may include accelerometers which can detect speed and distance eliminating the need for foot worn devices. The complete watch would be tested on a panel of 10 participants over a period of a month to ensure that the watch works as prescribed above and does not transmit signals inaccurately. Results would be noted on a daily basis of these participants at different levels of physical activity such as at times of exercise, daily routine work excreta.
Personal interviews with frontline salesmen of existing GNC products:
Frontline salesmen have a mastery of health products because they have to know what they are selling. Also, they have interacted with consumers widely and are therefore at a greater position to assess the psychology of the decision making process. Depth interviews were chosen for this part of the research because they will bring in a different angle to...
Besides that, it will go a long way in ascertaining some hidden truths that will be revealed in the process such as influences of consumers when buying a watch, what price they would regard as suitable and what other brands are being sold in market along with tactics employed by different companies.
Recommendations:
The above mentioned research will help us in ensuring the viability of the product in terms of technology, price and competitor analysis. An in dept consumer point-of-view would be generated that would help in establishing the correct design of the product. After completing this research the company can easily identify the needs of this market segment and launch a product accordingly.
