This in turn will allow for the development of a better and more useful service.
Frequency usage rates require little background information; it is possible that some of the alternative sources/services currently in existence maintain records regarding usage frequency that they would be willing to share, and this would certainly make for an interesting comparison with the primary data collected in the research. This knowledge is not actually necessary in addressing this area of the research, however. Fee structures are a more essential piece of knowledge, as understanding current fee levels will help guide questioning and follow-ups during the interview process.
Relation of Questionnaire to Desired Information
The questionnaire was designed specifically and explicitly with the identified research questions firmly in mind, and with the interrelationships between these three key areas also acknowledged and accounted for. Determining the research questions ahead of time was key in ensuring that the questions developed remained focused and on-topic, and that they would quickly and efficiently yield comprehensive, accurate, and reliable answers that remained valid outside of the immediate context of the interview situation with each individual respondent. In other words, the questions developed for the interview are largely re-wordings of the primary research questions, asking respondents for their direct input and assessment in regards to these issues. The follow-up questions that were developed and included in the above questionnaire are meant to yield more detailed information in regards to the identified primary area of research the question is concerned with, and/or to make more definite and apparent the relationships and shared influences that exist between the three identified areas of essential research questions that make up the larger research project.
The three primary questions that appear above correspond directly to one area of essential knowledge attainment identified. The first question deals specifically...
In the second question, usage frequency and dependency is measured. The third and final question seeks input on fee schedules and structures, asking respondents to reflect on their other answers to determine the value of such sources/services.
Stimulating Sales in Store 4
The situation in Store 4 does not yield an easy or immediate explanation. Sales of Coca-Cola lag significantly behind sales of Pepsi, yet the two brands receive very close to the same amount of display space (Coca-Cola actually has slightly more display space than its major competitor) and a very similar frequency of being somehow featured in the store (here Pepsi is slightly higher, but not to a very significant degree). These are issues that might typically affect sales rates in a major way, but the trend towards equality in these areas demonstrated by current information render them not especially meaningful in this context (Clifton & Ahmad, 2009). Price is likely part of the determining factor here; though even in this regard the two brands are highly similar, the slightly cheaper cost of Pepsi could be enough to turn more consumers away from Coca-Cola when the two products are placed side-by-side (Clfiton & Ahmad, 2009). Experimenting with price in this store could help determine if this is truly the (or a part of the) cause of the sales discrepancy observed.
More effective marketing could also impact sales, of course. This could include increasing marketing efforts already measured in this research, such as increasing store space and features, though this can be very difficult given distribution and retail contracts likely held with both companies (Clifton & Ahmad, 2009). External marketing efforts, including the sponsoring of area events and a simple increase in advertising presence, could do a great deal to affect sales (Clifton & Ahmad, 2009).
References
Clifton, R. & Ahmad, S. (2009). Brands and Branding. New York: Wiley.
