Market Research

CCC Smart-phone App

Prepared for: Columbia College Chicago

Prepared by: Megan Koval

Market Research megan.koval@loop.colum.edu http://megankoval.com

 Market Research

Survey Research Report

Part I. Background
Columbia College of Chicago is a media arts college which prides itself on its diversity and up and
coming media relations. It is important for Columbia to stay current with the up and coming tech-
nological advances. Ultimately with many students owning smart-phones, a Columbia College
application offers quick media links which will further enhance Columbia’s accessibility and events.

• Analysis of Idea

1. Competitive Evaluation indicated there were many more strengths than weaknesses of the
CCC Smart-phone App.

Strengths Weaknesses
1. This app would carry a strong brand name 1. Students unwillingness to purchase app.

2. Easy for students to find and share the app. 2. Not every student has a smart-phone.

3. Reliable service and successful among target 3. System errors on Columbia website. This
market. problem is more associated with the
Columbia website than the app.
4. Apps are already known to be user friendly,
convenient, and reliable for on the go 4. Students already have internet access to
lifestyles. Columbia resources on their phones.

5. App will attract prospective Columbia

students and increase media awareness.

• Focus Groups

1. Our group conducted a focus group which involved selected Columbia students in our
Market Research class. Below is the concept statement which we evaluated:

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The Columbia College Smart-phone

application will offer all students and
faculty the ability to access to the
Columbia College radio station 24/7 as
well as the availability to Columbia’s
oasis account and email. The app will
also include world news, US news, and
Columbia announcements updated
every 30 minutes.

2. Focus group indicated positive results

• The reaction to the app was extremely positive because students use apps everyday.
Many respondents loved all aspects of the app, and the one person who didn’t think it
was worth it changed her mind by the end of the focus group.
• Eager participation was expressed through non-verbal communication including smiles
and head nods. These gestures were especially apparent as the students envisioned the
possibility of using gmail, games, weather, maps and news connections with the app.
• Respondents said their favorite element is being able to access thing they need.
• The verbal communication was light hearted and the respondents described their smart-
phone like a dependable friend.
• Respondents displayed a dependability to technology therefore the school’s app would
be successful among not only current students, but prospective students.

3. The ares of concern from our focus group which should be addressed:

• We talked to a small percentage of Columbia students, all of whom major in Marketing
Communications. The lack of diversity in majors may have biased our results. To expand
our idea our group turned to quantitative survey data to get the most representative
results.

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Part II. Survey Research Objectives

• Below, our team met and determined that these are the most important research objectives:

1. Identify what percentage of students like the app.

2. Determine how much consumers would expect to pay for the CCC smart-phone app.

3. Measure the most popular attribute of the app and the percentage of consumers who want
that as the start page.

4. Determine what layout is most effective.

5. Determine the number of consumers who would access the Columbia Oasis.

6. Determine the percentage of consumers who would access Columbia radio station.

7. Measure the number of consumers who want a post-it reminder for activities coming up at
Columbia.

Part III. Sampling Plan

• For our survey research, we chose convenience and judgement based non-probability sampling
because they’re quick, inexpensive and met our time constraint. We intercepted Columbia
College students in our classroom and used the Columbia library located at 624 S Michigan. We
also conducted 50 surveys at 618 S Michigan, 50 at the Congress Columbia building, and lastly
100 at the 624 building. We conducted our interviews between March 31st until April 12th. In the
afternoon, we planned to conduct 200 surveys and each team member planned to conduct 50
surveys.

• Below describe advantages and disadvantages of non-probability sampling.

Advantages Disadvantages
Quick Biased

Inexpensive Non-response error

Set time constraint Potentially not representative

Part IV. Data Collection Methodology

• We used self-administered survey method as our data collection method because they are
cheaper than mail and each student can complete the survey at one’s own pace. Students have
time to consider their answers when they do not feel pressured by time. The goal of sampling is
to select a representative sample, yet it wasn’t. Therefore, the disadvantage of this survey
method is sample selection is biased. Students can opt out of the survey which results in non-

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representative samples. It effects how representative it is. This could lead to self selection bias
and non-response error.

• Response error was apparent within our survey because some people did not correctly follow the
skip pattern or they misread the question. We also had bias because of the certain buildings we
collected our data from which resulted in a lot of Marketing majors.

Part V. Characteristics of Final Sample

• We had 200 Columbia College students who completed the survey. In our survey, 72% of
students had smart-phones and 27% of students did not.

Percentage of students who have smart-phones n =200

100%
Percent of Students

75%
72%
50%

25%
27%
0%
Smart-phones No Smart-phones
Students

• Our demographic were students who have smart-phones vs. students who do not.

• We had mostly marketing students who are technologically advanced and in tune with upcoming
trends.

• We did not focus on if they were male or female because that information was considered
insignificant to our outcome as well as grade level in school.

Part VI. Summary Results

• Overall, virtually everyone liked the idea of the CCC smart-phone app. Below are graphs and
tables calculated from our survey data which address our stated research objectives.

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• Research Objective: Identify what percentage of students like the app.

1. In our research, 52% liked the idea very much and 87% said they either liked the idea very
much or liked it. Only 11% indicated that they did not like it.

Students’ Attraction to App n=195

9%2%
Like Very Much
Like
Dislike
52% Dislike Very Much
37%

Attractiveness Response Number Percentage

Like Very Much 101 52%

Like 72 37%

Dislike 18 9%

Dislike Very Much 4 2%

Total 195 respondents 100%

• After asking how much they liked the idea of the concept, their attraction was reinforced by the
results of how useful the CCC smart-phone app would be.

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Usefullness Rating n=216

5 31.9%
Number of Ratings

4 17.1%

3 25.4%

2 20.3%

1 5.0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Rating scale %
Rating Scale from most useful (5) to least useful (1) n=216

• Our survey indicated that almost half (48%) of the surveyed population found the app to be very
useful. Only 5% found it to be not useful.

• Research Objective: Measure the most popular attribute of the app and the percentage of
consumers who want that as the start page.

Features of CCC Smart-phone App

Number of Students Interested

100%
94% 88%
75%

50% 65%
56%
25% 31% 31% 25%
0%
Total surveyed: 200
Features

Oasis Email Campus events Weather

US News World News Columbia radio

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• The three most important features for the CCC smart-phone app.

1. Research Objective: Determine the number of consumers who would access the
Columbia College Oasis. 187 students out of 200 want this feature. 93.5% popularity rate.

2. Columbia College Email: 88.0%

3. Campus events and announcements: 64.5%

• Research Objective: Determine the percentage of consumers who would access Columbia
radio station. This was the least popular feature which 50 people wanted, putting it at a low 25%
popularity rate.

• Research Objective: Measure the number of consumers who value the weather and newsfeed
on the Columbia app. 55.5% students value the weather and 31% are interested in the US
News and 30.5% are interested in world news.

• Ultimately, over four fifths of CCC students would purchase the app and only 19.4% showed a
disinterest in purchasing.

Interest in purchasing App

90.0%

81%
Percent of interest

67.5%

45.0%

22.5%
19%
0%
Yes No

n = 196 respondents

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• Research Objective: Determine how much consumers would expect to pay for the CCC
smart-phone app. (Students expected to pay less than $2 for the CCC app.)

Expectation of Application Cost n=200

10%2%
Less than $0.99
$0.99-$1.99
45% $2.00-$2.99
$3.00 or more

43%

1. We wondered if students’ attraction to the app had anything to do with having a smart-phone.
We conducted cross tabs on students who do not have smart-phones but would still buy the
app.

Interest in purchasing who don’t have smart-phones

50.0

37.5 45

25.0 n=54

12.5
9
0
Would purchase Would not purchase

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• Research Objective: Measure the number of consumers who want a post-it reminder for
activities coming up at Columbia.

Interest in post-it reminders for activities

YES 55%

n=192

NO 43%

0% 15% 30% 45% 60%

• Due to administrative error, we did not survey app layout preferences to the students. Future
research should indicate these results.

Part VII. Recommendations for Management

• Future research should indicate results about the layout of the app.

• Change sample from survey error. From this change, the skip pattern will be easier to
understand.

• New focus groups with smart-phone users only. Students who did not have smart-phones were
unsure how to answer the second portion of the survey because it was all anwering to your
opinions of an app, which they didn’t have. There should be a direction to tell students to
continue the survey if they hypothetically had a smart-phone.

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