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_ARE 4205 Market Planning and Survey Research in the Food Industry — 5 Survey Implementation

Overview of market planning in the food industry, with emphasis on survey design and implementation. Student groups will work with clients to develop tailored market plans.

5a Sampling methods and sample size

STW228: Figure 7.21

Total Survey Error diagram from Groves, Fowler, et al. (2009).

Working backward to decide how many answers you need:

  • Divide the number of responses you need by the estimated response rate
    e.g., 100 responses divided by 5% = 2,000 for your sample size

5b Types of surveys

STW008: Figure A.1
  • A descriptive survey gets a number that tells you something
  • A comparative survey tells you whether a number is changing over time
  • A modeling survey finds factors that influence an outcome
  • An exploratory survey gathers whatever information it can
  • Sometimes surveys start as a mixture

Jarrett, Caroline. Surveys That Work : a Practical Guide for Designing Better Surveys (pp 13-17). Brooklyn, New York: Rosenfeld Media, 2021.