Description
Overview
Practitioners often use the data from custom quantitative surveys to better understand and define target audiences. Yet, this information is rarely obtained from frequency tables. Instead, analysts use cross-tabulations to understand the relationship between variables and to identify significant findings in their survey results.
In this assignment, you will play the role of data analyst by developing a crosstab plan based on questions that your client(s) want to answer. Then you will write a memo to your client explaining how the cross-tabulation will be conducted assuming that the surveys have been conducted and the data is now available to your and your team.
Directions
A grocery store chain would like to market a line of pre-made organic meals to its customers. Develop an analysis plan using cross-tabulations that would allow you to identify a primary audience for the grocery story, and an effective media strategy for reaching this primary audience using the codebook.
Guidelines
Develop a Business memo that is no more than 5 pages that includes the following:
- A brief overview of the situation (no more than a sentence or two – remember you are writing to your client – they know why they have asked for an analysis plan)
- A written explanation for what survey questions (variables) were included to create your columns and rows along with why you believe they will be important for the analysis
- A list of the questions/survey items (& variable names) that will define the audience segments that serve as the “columns.” Do not forget to include a “total” population column
- A list of the questions/survey items (& variable names) that will serve as the “rows” for the cross-tabulation plan .
Notes
- You will not be manipulating the data or running any actual data analysis for this assignment. Often, the crosstab plan is create before surveys are sent out to the public. The purpose of this assignment would be to imitate that experience. Imagine you are saying to your client: “Using the results of this survey we will run the following analyses..” As you can see from the survey documents, these are surveys that have already been sent out – the Porter/Novelli survey, for instance, was used in 2005.
- Crosstab plans must be succinct and strategic. Do not include more than 5 columns. Do not include more than 25 row variables.
- Remember that each survey response may be its own variable. For example, if the question asks what TV shows are watched by a respondent, and then lists 27 shows, and you want to include all 27 options as potentially significant variables, that would be 27 rows.
- For each survey variable include the question wording and its code (example provided below)
- Once you have defined and explained your segments (columns) you can name these groups to make your discussion of them easier (for example youth ages 7-10 who eat dairy become “milk kids” in the column)
- You do not need to include a references page unless you choose to do some outside research for some reason – the Codebook is an internal document and you can assume that readers will be familiar with it and not need a citation.
- Your memo should be no more than 5 pages, typed, 1.5″ spaced. Tables, survey questions and visuals can be included as appendices.
