-Analyze the applicability of your selected research tools to your selected scenario. Which tool is the most applicable? Which tool is the least applicable?

Market research can be a fluid process and choosing the right tool for the job is as important as the execution. With the importance of nutrition and leading a healthier lifestyle, PepsiCo’s initiative of bringing a more health-conscious line to its customers will rely on solid research about customer needs and attitudes toward potential products. It is vital that there be a good mix of online and in-person research tools to get a reliable cross-section of our target audience. With this goal in mind the research tools being used will be focus groups, ethnography, online forums and web surveys. Focus groups provide a level of interaction between researchers and fellow participants. Verbal and non-verbal communication (ie. body language, tone, facial expression) is important in determining true meaning in what participants are feeling toward the products. Ethnography is the process of gathering information on behavior and habits and can shed light on why customers do what they do. Online forums and web surveys are equally important in the market research process. They help to let the respondents speak freely and express stories or feelings about the subject without the threat of judgment by their peers. Along those same lines, web surveys not only add a level of objectivity, they also add the element of convenience by letting participants answer questions at their leisure and in the comfort of their home or office. The mix of in-person and online research tools is part of the art of research and when done correctly can yield invaluable information that will lead to success in the future.