Market Research: Mobility Service & Food Sensitivity App

Posted on Dec 20, 2024 in Other subjects

Mobility-as-a-Service for Millennials: A Research Study

1. Purpose

The purpose of this research is to design the service, specifically to define the value proposition, pricing system, acceptable thresholds, and app design for the integrated mobility platform. It focuses on making key decisions about how the service should be structured based on user needs and preferences.

2. Objectives

The general objective is to understand the mobility practices of millennials and their acceptance of a Mobility-as-a-Service application.

The specific objectives are:

  1. To explore current mobility practices among millennials.
  2. To identify their experiences with access-based systems and beliefs about various mobility alternatives.
  3. To understand their expectations regarding an access-based mobility system.
  4. To uncover motives and barriers to using the service, ensuring they are addressed during design.

3. Target Audience

The target audience is millennials (born 1985-2005) who meet the following criteria:

  • Geographic restriction: Reside in large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, where pollution issues are more significant, and such services are feasible.
  • Sociodemographic restrictions: 18 years or older to ensure legal independence for subscriptions. Possess a valid driver’s license since the service involves electric cars.

EXTRA: Actively use mobility alternatives (other than walking) at least once a week.

4. Briefing Definition and Outline

A briefing is a concise document that outlines the research’s purpose, objectives, target audience, premises, budget, and timing. It is created by the research team and given to stakeholders to ensure alignment and clarity.

Outline for this Case:

  • Background: EU’s emission goals, increasing demand for access-based mobility.
  • Purpose: To design the service (value proposition, pricing, app features).
  • Objectives: See above.
  • Target Audience: Millennials in Madrid and Barcelona with specific restrictions (see above).
  • Work Premises: Conduct focus groups in relaxed settings, leveraging qualitative methods.
  • Budget & Timing: Research completed within 3 months.
  • Delivery Conditions: Final report with insights, including verbal transcripts and visuals.

5. Method and Technique Selection

Method: Qualitative, as the study is exploratory and focuses on understanding beliefs, expectations, and barriers, rather than quantifying data.

Techniques:

  1. Focus Groups: To evaluate and modify the existing product, online or face-to-face.

    • Group of 6-12 millennials per session (1-hour conversation with a moderator).
    • Facilitates snowball and synergy effects, allowing participants to inspire and build on each other’s ideas.
    • Captures diverse viewpoints on mobility practices, barriers, and expectations.
    • Enables observation of non-verbal cues, critical in understanding nuanced opinions.
    • Can incorporate innovative techniques like role-playing or collage creation to elicit deeper insights.

  2. In-Depth Interviews (if required): For cases with a bias of influence or a critical topic.

    • For more personal and detailed exploration of sensitive topics or unique experiences.
    • Can be done online to increase convenience.

  3. Observation of Behavior: If people do not know how to explain or collaborate, and it does not alter investigation units.

As it is not an embarrassing topic, it is not difficult to gather people in a big city, and it is innovation-oriented, then focus groups should be used. Synergy and snowball are relevant in this case. It can be done through role-play or collage.

6. Data Collection Instrument Design

Structure: A focus group script with three phases (3-4 questions for each part):

  1. Starting Phase (20%): Ice-breaker questions to explore general mobility habits.

    Example: “How do you usually get around in your city?” (Links to SO1).

  2. Focusing Phase (40%): Open-ended questions about access-based mobility experiences and beliefs.

    Example: “What has your experience been with car or bike sharing services?” (Links to SO2).

  3. Deepening Phase (40%): Detailed exploration of expectations, motives, and barriers.

    Example: “What would encourage or discourage you from using this new service?” (Links to SO3 & SO4).

Projective Techniques:

  • Incomplete Sentences: “People who use car-sharing services usually…”
  • Image Association: Show images of mobility alternatives (electric cars, bikes) and ask participants to describe their thoughts or emotions to know the reasons for behavior and project reactions.
  • Word association.

Alimenthia Case Study: Market Potential in Spain

1. Purpose, Objectives, and Target Audience

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide rigorous data to support investor decision-making by understanding the potential market for Alimenthia in Spain.

Objectives:

  1. Quantify the number of potential users willing to use the app.
  2. Measure the willingness to pay €10.70 for the app.
  3. Profile likely customers by sociodemographic characteristics.
  4. Assess the perceived degree of innovation of the service.

Target Audience: Individuals in Spain who meet the following criteria:

  1. Suffer from food sensitivities (allergies or intolerances).
  2. Perform grocery shopping regularly.
  3. Include both primary household buyers and individuals managing their food sensitivities.
  4. Age group: adults (18+).

2. Research Techniques

Method: A quantitative approach is best suited to address the objectives because:

  • The study aims to quantify willingness to use and pay, which requires measurable data.
  • Profiling and assessing innovation perception are better addressed through surveys that allow for structured data collection.

Techniques:

  1. Online Survey:

    • Convenient for reaching a dispersed audience, particularly those managing dietary restrictions.
    • Allows for scaling, timely responses, and demographic profiling.

  2. Panel Data Analysis (if applicable):

    • Useful if existing databases are available with consumer insights related to dietary preferences.

Data Collection:

Questions can be self-administered or administered by the interviewer, structured, unstructured, or semi-structured.

Types of Questions:

Degree of Liberty:

  • Open: Multiple answers
  • Closed (a, b, c): Single option
  • Dichotomous (yes, no)
  • Half-closed (a, b, other)

Function of Questionnaire:

  • Filter: Yes/No, go to Q2
  • Profiling/Classification: Which best suits you? a, b, c, d
  • Control

Level of Suggestion:

  • Spontaneous/Unaided: Questions? ____
  • Aided: (Choose as many as you want)

Degree of Innovation:

  • Likert Scale: 1-5 (disagree, agree)
  • Numerical Scale: 1-10
  • Semantic Differential: 1-5 (interesting, boring)
  • Rate Order Multiple Choice Question: Rank least to most likely
  • Constant Sum Scaling
  • Guttman Scale: Answer yes/no to the following question

3. Research Project Outline

  1. Background: Rising cases of food sensitivities in Spain. Need for efficiency in grocery shopping for individuals with dietary restrictions. Importance of rigorous data to convince investors.
  2. Purpose: To support decision-making regarding market entry and investment in Alimenthia.
  3. Objectives: See above.
  4. Methodology: Online survey targeting individuals with food sensitivities.
  5. Sample Design: National sample of 1,000 respondents, representative of the target audience.
  6. Fieldwork Plan: Recruitment through online panels and social media targeting relevant demographics.
  7. Timeline: 1 month for survey design and pilot testing. 2 months for fieldwork and data analysis.
  8. Deliverables: Final report with key findings, visualizations, and actionable insights.