Market research glossary

A value calculated by asking respondents “How likely are you to recommend this brand, product or service to a friend?”. The classic question asks them to rate this on a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means not at all likely and 10 means extremely likely. Respondents who answer 9 or 10 are referred to as Promoters, those who answer 7 or 8 are referred to as Passives and those who answer 0 to 6 are referred to as Detractors. The NPS is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors.

Ethnographic research which is carried out purely online, usually through an online community moderated by a researcher.

Neuromarketing applies to the use of neuroscience techniques to reveal the brain’s non-conscious reaction to marketing stimuli. The method uses technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging measure activity in different areas of the brain, whilst sensors are able to detect changes in physiology, including breathing, heart rate and skin response. Eye tracking monitors focal attention whilst facial coding can translate facial expression into human emotions.

Market research designed to support the development of new products and services. This type of research can be carried out using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It aims to identify and evaluate new commercial opportunities, assess early-stage propositions or enable respondents to interact with more developed ideas or prototypes.

A nominal scale is a level of measurement within a market research survey where the data being categorised has no implied rank or quantative value. An example question could be, ‘What is your favourite type of soft drink?’ and the responses could be Coca-cola, Sprite, Fanta etc. These responses are mututally exclusive examples of qualitative data that have been categorised on a nominal scale.

A person who would consider buying or using a particular product or service, even if they don’t currently do so. Market research clients typically want to hear from non-rejectors of the product or service they are researching: they can learn what current users like and dislike about it, and they can learn what they might need to change to attract potential users. However, people who have already made up their minds that they’ll never buy or use it may not be willing to engage at all, or may only be able to offer limited insights to the client.