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GLOSSARY

AI in Market Research

How artificial intelligence (AI) is used to plan, run, and analyze studies. AI speeds up routine work but doesn't replace research with real people.

A/B Testing

A randomized experiment that splits a target group to test different versions of an idea, concept, or product independently.

Shop-Alongs (Accompanied Shopping)

Researchers go shopping with consumers, observe them, and ask questions at key moments.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Technology that overlays digital information onto a live view of the real world.

Observation

A method from ethnography in which researchers watch and document behavior in its natural setting.

Brand Alignment

Making sure a brand looks, sounds, and delivers the same at every touchpoint.

Brand Mapping

A visual map of a brand's position in its competitive landscape, or of all aspects of a single brand.

Brand Personality

The human traits people associate with a brand.

Brand-Price Trade-Off (BPTO)

A pricing method that shows how much more people will pay for a brand compared with competitors.

Brand Extension (Brand Stretching)

Taking an established brand into new product or service categories.

Brand Impact

How strongly an ad affects consumers and their view of the brand.

Conjoint Analysis

A method that measures how much each product feature contributes to people's overall preference.

Desk Research

Gathering and analyzing existing (secondary) data from internal and external sources.

Dialogue Groups (vs. Target Groups)

All the groups a company interacts with - above all, its customers. We use the term instead of 'target groups.'

Dyads

Interviews with two participants that keep the depth of an in-depth interview but add interaction.

Ethnographic Research

Research in people's homes or workplaces, combining observation with exploratory questions.

Questionnaire Design

Carefully planning a survey questionnaire or an interview discussion guide.

Central Location Tests (CLTs) & Car Clinics

Tests at a central venue for products or concepts that are hard to show at home or in a standard facility.

Ideation

Using creative techniques to generate new ideas.

Brand Image Analysis

Research into what people associate with a brand.

In-Home Usage Test (IHUT)

Consumers try product samples at home, then share their experience.

Iterative Process

A cycle of testing and improving concepts or prototypes until they're ready for market.

Concept Testing

Testing a marketing or product concept for its market potential before launch.

Creativity Techniques

Methods used in facilitated workshops to generate ideas, develop visions, or solve problems.

Laddering

An interview technique that uncovers how product features connect to people's deeper values.

Brand Positioning

Deliberately building and highlighting the strengths that set a brand apart in customers' minds.

Brand Management

Building and developing a brand over time to set it apart from competitors.

Brand Equity

The monetary value of a brand, including intangible factors like image and associations.

Market Intelligence

The systematic collection and analysis of information about competitors, markets, trends, and customers.

Market Navigation

CURTH+ROTH's design thinking method: early prototypes tested with real customers, improved, and retested until the market requirements are clear.

Mixed Methods

Research designs that combine qualitative and quantitative methods in one study.

Moderation

Guiding meetings, workshops, and group discussions so they're productive and everyone is heard.

Multi-Methods Design

Using several data collection or analysis methods within one research approach (e.g., only qualitative).

Multivariate Analysis

Statistical methods that examine relationships among several variables at once.

Narrative Interviews

The most open type of interview, in which respondents tell their story with minimal guidance.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

A metric that measures how likely customers are to recommend a product or company.

Objectivity

One of the three classic quality criteria in research: results don't depend on who collects, analyzes, or interprets them.

Online Diary Study (Online Board)

Participants document their experiences with a product, brand, or service in a digital diary over time.

Online Survey

Participants complete a questionnaire on their own computer or mobile device.

Packaging Test

Research into how people respond to packaging - its appeal, brand fit, and product fit.

Persona

A fictional but data-based profile of a typical customer or user.

Post-Test

Research after a campaign launch to check whether it met its goals.

Pre-Test (Copy Test)

Testing advertising before launch to find the version most likely to succeed.

Price Sensitivity Meter (Van Westendorp)

A survey-based method for finding an acceptable price range based on what consumers are willing to pay.

Problem-Centered Interviews

Interviews that examine a specific issue from several angles, combining open narration with a guide.

Qualitative Market Research

Research focused on understanding customers - their motives, feelings, and needs - rather than counting them.

Quantitative Market Research

Research based on surveys and statistics that makes answers measurable.

Recruiting

Finding and inviting the right participants for a research project.

Reliability

One of the three classic quality criteria: a measurement gives the same results when repeated under the same conditions.

Remote User Testing

Usability testing that participants complete on their own device, without a UX researcher present.

Representativeness

A sample is representative when it mirrors the population on key characteristics.

Repertory Grid (RepGrid)

A qualitative method that shows how people tell brands, products, or situations apart - in their own words.

Screening

Using a questionnaire with set criteria to decide who qualifies for a study.

Structured vs. Open Interviews

Structured interviews follow a fixed questionnaire; open interviews give respondents room to tell their story.

Focus Group Facility

A central research venue with interview rooms and specially equipped focus group rooms.

Triads

Interviews with three participants that combine in-depth interview depth with exchange between respondents.

Usability Testing

Observing users as they complete typical tasks to find out how easy a website, software, or app is to use.

Usability

How intuitive and easy a software, website, or mobile app is to use.

User Experience (UX)

The emotional experience users have with a product or service.

USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

The key benefit that clearly sets an offer apart from the competition.

Validity

One of the three classic quality criteria: a measurement actually measures what it's supposed to measure.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Computer-generated environments that people can see and interact with, usually through a headset.

Ad Testing

Research into the impact, appeal, and recall of advertising such as TV spots or print ads.

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