Chapter Four

Collecting Observation
Data and Social Media
Listening
 What you will learn…
• the value of observational research
• the different categories of observation
• the nature of observation methods such as
audits and mystery shopping
• ethnography
• netnography and social media listening
• observation and ethics
What is Observation Research?

A data-gathering approach where

information is collected on the behaviour
of people, objects and organisations
without any questions being asked of
participants
 Observation Research
Observation overcomes some of the potential
weaknesses of interviewing:
• Discrepancy between real and verbal
behaviour
• Interviewee may not be fully conscious of
facts
• Limitations that result from the verbal
capabilities of the interviewee
 Categories of Observation

• Natural vs. Contrived

• Visible vs. Hidden
• Structured vs. Unstructured
• Mechanised vs. Human
• Participant vs. Non-participant
 Audits and Scanner-based Research

• Audit: An examination and verification of the

movement and sale of a product.
• Can be done through the use of electronic scanners.

• Three types:
• Retail Audits

• Home Audits

• Wholesale Audits
 Television Viewing and
Radio Listening Measurement

• Representative sample of households

• Electronic meters attached to television sets
• Also monitors catch-up TV on computers and
tablets
• Provides viewing figures for each TV
programme
• Similar approach used for radio listening
 Web Analytics and One-Way Mirrors
• Web Analytics:
– The collection, analysis and reporting of internet
data for the purposes of understanding and
optimising web usage

• One-Way Mirrors:
– Used in qualitative marketing research to view
respondent behaviour during a group discussion
 Other Observation Methods

• In-store observation
• Shelf impact testing
• Eye-tracking equipment
• Content analysis
 Mystery Shopping:

A form of participant observation, uses

researchers to act as customers or
potential customers to monitor the
processes and procedures used in the
delivery of a service
 Mystery Shopping
• acts as a diagnostic tool, identifying failings and
weak points in an organisation’s service delivery
• encourages, develops and motivates service
personnel by linking with appraisal, training and
reward mechanisms
• assesses the competitiveness of an organisation’s
service provision by benchmarking it against the
offerings of others in an industry
 Ethnography:

A form of participant observation that

involves the study of human behaviour in
its natural setting.
For example, a researcher accompanies
consumers as they engage in a shopping
trip with friends.
 Ethnography
Requires the researcher to:
• Understand the group to be observed in advance
of fieldwork
• Use similar terminology/ language
• Wear similar clothing
• Give an impression of affinity with respondent’s
interests
• Combine immersion in an experience while
maintaining an external observer’s viewpoint
 Social Media Listening

A process of monitoring social media

channels for mentions of brands,
competitors, products and other
information.
 Social Media Listening
• Often done using automated search tools and
user generated media listening platforms.
• In addition some companies may create online
communities to attract user generated content
 Strengths and Weaknesses of Automated
Social Media Tracking Tools
Strengths
• relatively inexpensive to use
• can provide sophisticated
dashboards with easy-to-use
reporting features
• can facilitate early detection of
problematic issues
• can provide a feel of customer
or public opinion
Weaknesses
• automated systems may not
be accurate in processing the
varied language, abbreviations
or text-speak used
• may not capture everything
that is relevant
• may not understand the
context in which things are
being said
• need to be supplemented by
human analysis.
 Netnography

The ethnographic study of online

communities. It generally involves a
researcher fully participating as a member
of an online community
 Observation and Ethics
• Permission should be sought if the location is
one where the participant would not be
expect to be observed by others
• Informed consent required when accessing
user-generated content that will identify
individuals
• Overall deception is not acceptable and
participant privacy is critical
 Summary

• the value of observational research

• the different categories of observation
• the nature of observation methods such as
audits and mystery shopping
• ethnography
• netnography and social media listening
• observation and ethics