Developing a cognitive test battery for consumer research

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Pollara Strategic Insights is a public opinion and market research firm that provides strategic advice to clients in Canada and internationally in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Pollara advises clients on issues related to public affairs and consumer behaviour, often through the use of focus groups and surveys. While these approaches are undoubtedly useful, they also carry with them some limitations. For example, there is a tendency for people to respond in a 'socially desirable' manner, and - especially in focus groups settings - to be influenced by the behaviour of others. Furthermore, it has long been recognised by market researchers that people do not always know why they make the choices they do, and a person's belief of how they will act (for example, in a consumer environment) does not always match their actual behaviour. Recognising these shortcomings, in recent years many companies have turned to so-called 'neuromarketing' approaches that are based on brain imaging, in an effort to better understand how consumers think and behave. Aside from being expensive to implement, however, such methods are not always appropriate or effective in meeting marketers' requirements. In this project, we will work with leading market researchers at Pollara to develop a new measure for assessing consumer attitudes and motivations, which incorporates paradigms from cognitive psychology to overcome the limitations of existing methodologies. Based on approaches that minimise self-report biases, this new tool will give deeper insight into factors that drive consumer decision-making and behaviour, while being easy and affordable for Pollara to implement.