Question

For the following scenario, indicate whether qualitative or quantitative research is more appropriate. Also recommend a specific technique and justify your answer along with examples.

A company that manufactures protein bars has two alternative package designs for the product—one with in-depth nutritional information and less visuals, and another with basic nutritional information and more visuals. The company wants to determine which design is more likely to increase consideration by potential consumers and yield higher sales.

Answer 1

Qualitative research, using techniques like focus groups, is suitable for understanding consumer preferences between two package designs. Quantitative research through A/B testing could complement this by providing hard sales data.

Step-by-step explanation:

For the scenario where a company is trying to determine which package design for protein bars is more likely to increase consideration by potential consumers and yield higher sales, qualitative research is more appropriate. This research strategy is best suited for observing and understanding behaviors, opinions, and motivations. A specific technique that could be used is focus groups, where a diverse group of potential consumers would be shown the two different package designs and asked to discuss their perceptions, preferences and the likelihood of purchasing each option. Through this method, the company can gather in-depth insights that could aid in making an informed decision on which design may be more appealing to consumers.

Alternatively, A/B testing with quantitative data could be used to directly measure the effect of the different designs on sales. Here, the company could release both designs in a controlled setting or market to see which one performs better in terms of actual sales numbers. This would provide clear, objective results that could be statistically analyzed for decision-making.