Glossary

Brandspeak has compiled this market research glossary to provide definitions for some of the most commonly used research terms – we hope you find it useful. If you feel that key words or phrases are missing or in any way incomplete, please let us know so that we can keep evolving these pages.

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There are currently 3 names in this directory beginning with the letter H.

Hall Test

Hall tests are a quantitative form of market research used to evaluate brands, products, packaging, advertising and marketing communications in a controlled environment. They are particularly appropriate where physical stimulus (e.g. a new food or drink product) is being evaluated. Hall tests are also a very effective means of evaluating TV or static advertising, potentially using neuroscience-derived techniques such as eye-tracking. Hall tests can make it possible to research 40-60 respondents per day depending on the complexity of the subject matter and the number of interviewers. They are carried out in areas where target consumers are likely to be passing in large numbers. The consumers are approached by recruiters who take them through a short recruitment questionnaire before inviting them to take place in the hall test. For more information on our hall testing capability please contact enquiries@brandspeak.co.uk

Heuristics

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that we all use to make decisions about everyday issues. They enable us to make those decisions much more quickly than would be the case if we were processing all the relevant information fully and rationally. A very simple example of an heuristic is that of Expensive = Good Quality and Most Expensive = Best Quality. Heuristics can be highly effective in day to day life, but they can also be responsible for sub-optimal decision-making when they allow important information that should form part of the decision-making process to be ignored. One of the most well-known books on the subject is Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman.

Hypothesis Testing

During the process of developing a (for example) new brand, product or service, marketers will often commission an initial round of exploratory research in order to be able to develop a hypothesis about how the new entity should be configured to best effect. Most often, that initial research is qualitative in nature. Before going further, marketers will often seek to test and refine the hypothesis through the commissioning of another – typically quantitative – round of research.

Has the Market Research Industry Forgotten What It’s For?

Market research was originally born out of the hard-nosed discipline of business realism. The bridge between boardroom goals and consumer truths. But somewhere along the way, the market research sector lost sight of an essential purpose: helping companies sell more goods and services.