AMS Survey Experts, Jacqueline Chorn and Brian Sowers, answer a few questions from their recent webinar "Consumer Perception Surveys in False Advertising Matters".
Q: Do I need separate surveys if there is more than one challenged advertisement or can you test multiple advertisements with one survey?
If there is more than one challenged advertisement, the survey will likely require multiple test groups or separate surveys. Sometimes you may not need to test every advertisement in an ad campaign if all advertisements within such campaign communicate the same message, and there is only one message you take issue with. However, the selection of which advertisement to test in those scenarios should be weighed carefully.
Q: What sample size is required for a consumer perception study?
The sample size of respondents must be sufficiently large enough to be representative of the universe. Now that may seem like a vague response, but it really can be quite variable. Larger samples are typically preferred, however smaller universes at times will justify smaller samples. It is most important that the sample is representative of the population as a representative sample of 100 respondents is likely to provide a better foundation for drawing accurate inferences regarding a universe than will an unrepresentative sample of 10,000 respondents. Also, overly broad or narrow universes will likely lessen the probative value of a survey.
Q: How long does it take to conduct a consumer perception study?
It really depends. I would say for a straightforward, online study, we need about 6 weeks to complete a full study which begins with designing the survey and ends with submitting an expert report. Some surveys may take significantly more time to collect data if the population is hard to find, if there are subgroups of respondents that need to be sampled, or in a case where there are numerous open-ends to code. In those cases, the typical 6 week timeline would need to be extended.
To learn more about consumer perception surveys in false advertising matters, watch our webinar on demand.
