Thematic Analysis for Market Research
Thematic Analysis for Market Research
Introduction
1.1. Purpose of the Analysis
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Objective: To explore customer feedback on the new EcoSmart water bottle and identify key areas for improvement and potential product enhancements.
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Research Questions:
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What are the recurring themes in customer reviews about the EcoSmart water bottle?
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How do customers perceive the product’s design, functionality, and overall value?
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1.2. Scope of the Analysis
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Data Sources: Customer reviews collected from online surveys and social media platforms.
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Sample Size: 600 customer reviews (400 from online surveys and 200 from social media comments).
Data Familiarization
2.1. Data Collection
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Methods Used:
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Online surveys were distributed via email to customers who purchased the EcoSmart water bottle.
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Social media monitoring using tools like Hootsuite and Brandwatch.
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Sources and Sample Size:
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400 reviews from survey responses.
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200 comments from Facebook and Twitter.
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2.2. Initial Reading and Noting
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Process:
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Read through each review and comment multiple times.
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Noted down preliminary observations such as frequent mentions of “leak-proof,” “design flaws,” and “customer service.”
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Generating Initial Codes
3.1. Identifying Key Segments
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Key Segments:
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Design: “The sleek design is very modern,” “The lid doesn’t fit properly.”
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Functionality: “The water bottle is leak-proof,” “The insulation doesn’t keep drinks cold enough.”
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Customer Service: “Support was responsive,” “Had issues with the return process.”
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Price: “Worth the price,” “A bit expensive for what it offers.”
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3.2. Creating Codes
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Initial Codes:
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Design Issues: Comments about the physical appearance and usability of the bottle.
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Functionality: Comments about how well the bottle performs its intended functions.
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Customer Service: Feedback on interactions with customer support.
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Pricing: Opinions on the cost and perceived value of the product.
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3.3. Organizing Data
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Organization: Data is organized into spreadsheets with columns for codes and associated comments, allowing for easy retrieval and analysis.
Searching for Themes
4.1. Combining Codes
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Themes:
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Product Design: Includes feedback on both aesthetics and practical design issues.
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Product Performance: Encompasses comments on functionality, such as leak-proof qualities and insulation efficiency.
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Customer Experience: Combines feedback on customer service interactions and return processes.
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Value for Money: Includes opinions on pricing and whether the product meets the expectations set by its cost.
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4.2. Reviewing Data for Themes
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Review Process:
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Checked that the themes accurately reflected the coded data.
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Reviewed sample comments to ensure themes covered all significant aspects of customer feedback.
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Reviewing Themes
5.1. Evaluating Themes
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Coherence: Ensured that themes like Product Design and Product Performance logically grouped related feedback without overlap.
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Distinctiveness: Confirmed that each theme was distinct (e.g., Value for Money was separate from Product Performance).
5.2. Refining Themes
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Adjustments:
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Combined specific issues from Product Design into broader themes like “Product Design” and “Functionality” for clarity.
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Created sub-themes under Product Design, such as “Aesthetic Appeal” and “Design Flaws.”
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Defining and Naming Themes
6.1. Defining Themes
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Product Design: Customer feedback on the visual appeal and physical usability of the EcoSmart water bottle.
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Product Performance: Insights into the effectiveness of the bottle’s features, including leak-proof capabilities and thermal insulation.
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Customer Experience: Evaluations of customer service quality and the ease of handling returns and complaints.
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Value for Money: Customer opinions on whether the product’s price is justified by its quality and features.
6.2. Naming Themes
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Product Design: Captures all feedback related to design aesthetics and functionality.
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Product Performance: Focuses on how well the product performs its intended functions.
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Customer Experience: Reflects customer satisfaction with service interactions and return processes.
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Value for Money: Addresses customer perceptions of pricing relative to product quality.
Producing the Report
7.1. Selecting Extracts
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Product Design: “The sleek design is very modern and fits well in my cup holder.” vs. “The lid doesn’t fit properly and leaks.”
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Product Performance: “The water bottle is leak-proof, which is great,” vs. “The insulation doesn’t keep my drink cold for long.”
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Customer Experience: “Customer support was very responsive when I had issues,” vs. “I had a frustrating experience with the return process.”
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Value for Money: “The price is justified given the product’s features,” vs. “The bottle is a bit expensive for what it offers.”
7.2. Analyzing Extracts
Analysis:
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Product Design: Positive feedback on modern design contrasts with concerns about lid fit, suggesting a need for design improvements.
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Product Performance: The effective leak-proof feature is a strong positive, but insulation issues highlight a performance gap.
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Customer Experience: Generally positive customer service experiences, but the return process needs improvement.
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Value for Money: Mixed reviews on pricing indicate a need to evaluate if the product meets customer expectations for its cost.
7.3. Relating to Literature
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Connection: The findings are compared with existing research on customer expectations and product value perceptions in similar markets. This helps to validate the analysis and provide a broader context for the findings.
7.4. Recommendations
Actions:
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Enhance Design: Improve the lid’s fit to address leakage issues and consider additional design tweaks based on customer feedback.
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Improve Performance: Focus on enhancing insulation to better meet customer expectations.
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Revamp Customer Service: Streamline the return process and enhance support responsiveness.
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Reevaluate Pricing: Consider adjusting the price or adding value features to align with customer perceptions of worth.
Conclusion
8.1. Summary of Findings
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Themes Identified: Product Design, Product Performance, Customer Experience, and Value for Money.
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Insights: Customers appreciate the product’s modern design and leak-proof feature but have concerns about insulation performance and pricing. There are also mixed reviews on customer service.
8.2. Limitations
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Limitations: The analysis is based on a sample of customer feedback and may not represent the views of all customers. Future research could involve more diverse data sources or a larger sample size to validate findings.
Appendices
9.1. Data Collection Tools
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Survey Instruments: Include copies of the survey questions used for gathering customer feedback.
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Interview Guides: Scripts or outlines used if interviews were conducted.
9.2. Coding Framework
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Codebook: Detailed descriptions of each code and theme used in the analysis, including examples.
9.3. Additional Data
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Supplementary Material: Any additional data or documentation relevant to the thematic analysis, such as raw data excerpts or additional comments.
