Home | Marketing Research Glossary - B
Marketing Research Glossary - B
B2B: Business-to-business marketing or marketing research
B2C: Business-to-consumer marketing or marketing research
Baby Boomers: The large generation of Americans and Europeans born after World War II. Usually defined as those born between 1946 and 1964.
Baby Boomlet: The children of the U.S. baby boomers that resulted in a peak in births between 1977 and 1990.
Baby Bust: Generation between 1965 and 1976 when birth rates dropped rapidly and remained low.
Back Office: A reference to operations functions in marketing research companies, such as sampling, field services, mail processing, tabulation, etc.
Back Room: A room with a one-way mirror
from which clients observe and listen to focus group respondents. Also called
the Observation
Room or Viewing Room.
Term is sometimes used to mean "back office" functions.
Back Translation: Typically used for international surveys. Questionnaire is first translated into another language and then translated back into the original language by a different translator. The objective is to ensure that the original translation is accurate. Decision Analyst believes that simply having two independent translators work on a questionnaire yields the most accurate questionnaire.
Backup Sample: See Emergency
Sample.
Balanced Incomplete Block Design (BIBD): An experimental design in which respondents see only subsets of the experimental variables. The design is considered balanced when the number of times each variable appears and the number of times each pair of variables appears are constant.
Balanced Scales: Scales with the same number of positive and negative categories.
Bandwidth: The volume of data transmitted
over an Internet connection, or digital device, in a given time. Typically measured
by bits per second (bps) or bytes per second. At Decision Analyst's data-collection
web servers, for example, the bandwidth is so great that up to 200,000 surveys
per day can be conducted.
Banner: The heading for a page of cross-tabulations.
Banner Ad: An ad placed on a website, usually at the top of the computer screen.
Bannerpoint: The heading for one column of data on a page of cross-tabulations.
Base: The sample size or number of respondents on which the percentages in a table are calculated (i.e., it's the divisor).
Baseline Market-Segmentation Study: The first market-segmentation study conducted; the benchmark for the future.
Basic Research: Research aimed at expanding knowledge rather
than solving a specific problem. This term is most often used to reference scientific
research, and is often contrasted with Applied
Research.
Batch (Data Entry): A group of paper questionnaires to be entered, usually between 10 and 50 (depending on the number of pages and/or complexity). Questionnaires are signed out to data-entry personnel in batches, and signed back in when completed (as tracking and quality-assurance procedures).
Batch Number: A unique number assigned to each batch of paper questionnaires for data entry.
Batch Ticket (Data Entry): The cover sheet for each batch of paper questionnaires contains the study number, batch number, identification numbers of the questionnaires in the batch, and the initials of the data-entry person and data-check person.
Bayesian Statistics: Statistics that incorporate prior knowledge and accumulated experience into probability calculations. Decision Analyst uses Bayesian statistics extensively in modeling and simulation work.
Before-And-After Control Group: True experimental design that includes random assignment of people to an experimental (or test) group and to a control group, with identical premeasurement and postmeasurement of both groups.
BehaviorScan: A research service that reports market share and other variables for consumer packaged goods based on a large household panel for data collection.
Benchmark: A "control" against which one compares
study results. For example, you might compare the results of a study in one
country (the benchmark) to the results of a study in another country, or you
might compare the first wave of a tracking study (the benchmark) to the second
wave of that study, or you might test your advertising against your competitor's
advertising (the benchmark). Decision Analyst always recommends that some type
of control or benchmark be incorporated into every research project.
Bernoulli Response Variables: Also known as dichotomous or binary variables. The value of each element is one of two possibilities such as yes/no or on/off.
Beta Distribution: A family of continuous probability distributions defined on the interval [0, 1]. Because the beta distribution is bounded on both sides, it is often used to model the distribution of order statistics or ranks, or for representing processes with natural lower and upper limits.
Bias: The difference between "truth" and the estimates
of truth based on a survey.
Biased Sample: A sample that does not as accurately represent the target population. Decision Analyst begins every study by screening a nationally representative probability sample of the U.S. population (or other country), to identify the users of a product or service category to be surveyed. This procedure always guarantees a truly representative sample of the survey population.
Bibliographic Database: An index of published studies and reports with citations of author, publisher, dates, etc.
Bid: Estimated price to conduct a custom marketing research project, given a set of requirements and/or specifications.
Bimodal: A distribution in which frequency
curve has two peaks. A single peak is called a Mode.
Binomial Experiment: An experiment that consists of repeatedly drawing independently from the Bernoulli population; the sequence of Bernoulli trials.
Bipolar Scale: A scale with opposite end points, such as "black"
versus "white" or "good" versus "bad."
Birth Rate: Number of births a year per 1,000 members of a population.
Birthday/Anniversary Emails: Decision Analyst sends birthday cards and anniversary cards to its panel members via email, to strengthen its relationship with the panel members and to help create a sense of community.
Bivariate Data Set: Data set which consists of two measurements (variables) on each experimental unit or respondent.
Bivariate Regression Analysis: Analysis of correlation between two variables, where one is the independent variable, and the other the dependent variable (the variable you are attempting to explain or predict).
Bivariate Techniques: Statistical methods of analyzing the relationship between two variables.
Blacklisting: The process of ISPs blocking research companies from sending emails or contacting their panel members. Decision Analyst subscribes to Habeas, a service that guarantees that Decision Analyst's emails reach its panelists. This prevents distortion of the sample related to ISP-blocking activities.
Blind testing: The testing of products or ads with all brand identity removed. Brand identity can introduce bias into a research project. (In fact, that is the whole purpose of brands-to create a positive bias toward a brand.)
Block Numbering Area (BNA): Prior to Census 2000, statistical subdivisions within nonmetropolitan counties for grouping and numbering. BNAs were discontinued for Census 2000, when they were replaced by census tracts.
Blocked Calls: Telephone-survey calls that receive busy signals.
Blocks: Census areas usually equivalent in size to a typical city block.
Blog: (Also called weblog) An online journal or diary.
Boost/Booster: Same as a sample Augment
or Sample Supplement.
Bootstrapping Modeling Techniques: Bootstrapping is a general
approach to statistical inference based on building a sampling distribution
for a statistic by resampling from the data at hand. Bootstrapping modeling
creates a large number of data sets, then computes the statistics for each data
set. These statistics from each data set are analyzed for standard errors. Bootstrapping
modeling techniques are used in Database Analytics. Learn
More
Bounce-Code Processing: Decision Analyst processes and codes
email "bounces" continuously during surveys, so that potential problems
in email delivery (and, hence, potential problems in sampling) can be identified
and corrected.
Bounce Codes: Codes assigned to undelivered emails returned
from other Internet servers. Decision Analyst tracks every email "bounced,"
so that it can identify potential survey problems during the execution of a
survey.
Boundary: The border around a market area that is being studied, or the border of a sampling area.
Boundary Files: Geographic features, such as streets, railways, or blocks, described or coded in a way understandable to a computer.
Box Plot: A graphical tool used to picture the distribution of the data.
Brainstorming: A creative method of coming up with new ideas
or solutions to a problem by generating a large number of ideas, without subjecting
them (or the person who suggested the ideas) to critical evaluation. A similar
and related term is "ideation." Decision Analyst owns and operates
Imaginators® Online, the largest
creativity panel in the world. This panel is used for new product ideation,
advertising concept development, new positioning concepts, etc.
Brand: The name of a product or service that identifies that product or service and, hopefully, distinguishes that product or service from competitive products/services. Over time, a brand can become a reservoir (or symbol) of values and psychological benefits above and beyond the product/service itself.
Brand Associations: Images, emotions, colors, values, and other meanings that consumers attach to, or associate with, a brand.
Brand Awareness: The degree to which consumers are aware of (i.e., have seen or heard of) a brand. It is typically expressed as the percent of the target population that is aware of the brand.
Brand Awareness, Aided: The percentage of respondents aware
of a specific brand when asked, "Which of the following brands have you
ever seen or heard of?"
Brand Awareness, Unaided: The percentage of respondents aware
of a specific brand when asked, "When you think of peanut butter (i.e.,
category), what brands come to mind?" PROBE: "What other brands of
peanut butter can you think of?"
Brand Equity: The level of awareness and consumer "goodwill"
generated by a company's brands and/or products.
Brand Equity Monitor™: Decision Analyst's proprietary
model that measures relative brand preference based on all aspects of the brand,
including both rational and emotional perceptions of the products/services.
Learn More
Brand Footprint: A European term for Brand
Image.
Brand Image: The total impression
created in the mind of a potential consumer by a brand and all its functional,
perceptual, and psychological associations. Brand personality, brand character,
and brand expression are terms with similar meaning.
Brand Loyalty: The preference by a consumer of one brand over another, often resulting in repeat purchases for the preferred brand.
Break Off: The act of a respondent aborting a survey during its execution.
Briefing: A training session, prior to starting work on a study/survey, in which all of the survey specifications, questionnaire parts, and details of the interview are reviewed, explained, and clarified for all interviewers assigned to the project. This is generally followed by practice interviews being administered by one interviewer to another.
Broadband: See Bandwidth.
Browser: A software program which allows the user to access the web. Firefox, Netscape and Internet Explorer are some popular examples of browsers.
Bulletin Board: A software system
that permits people to have discussions online, read postings, add comments
and feedback, upload and download files, etc. Decision Analyst conducts Time-Extended™
Online Discussion Forums using bulletin board software. Learn
More
Bulletin Board Focus Groups: The use of an online bulletin
board in conducting online discussion forums. See Time-Extended™
online discussion forums. Learn More
Buying Intent: Also called Purchase
Intent. A five-point scale used to measure the likelihood that a respondent
will purchase a product or service: "definitely buy," "probably
buy," "might or might not buy," "probably not buy,"
and "definitely not buy."
Additional Resources from Decision Analyst
If you would like more information on Marketing Research, please
contact Jerry W. Thomas by
email or call 1.800.ANALYSIS (262.5974) or 1.817.640.6166.
