Topline
As with qualitative research, quantitative research enables us to see into the minds of both wine consumers and the wine trade. This is the type of research that elicits 'numbers and statistics' which can be used to help answer a large number of business questions. As a result, many companies feel more comfortable using this kind of research as they can see the findings in terms of numerical evidence: does my product appeal to women? Yes or no.

One of the most valuable forms of quantitative research for our clients with larger distribution brands is to understand who your customers are. Here we give you a detailed report of exactaly who your current consumers are and who your potential buyers are too, based on a range of data sources including our own Consumer Access data, DunnHumby data and Homescan data

There are a variety of methods used to gather data from both consumer and trade respondents. The most frequently used type of quantitative research is surveys, administered via a questionnaire. The data for these can be gathered in a number of ways including online - see 'Consumer Access' for details of our own online omnibus survey.

Once data has been gathered, we use a number of statistical analysis techniques to uncover the meaning in the data. When commissioning quantitative research, your research agency should be able to talk you through the pros and cons of the different research and analysis techniques which are available and in particular, what you can get for your money using different techniques.

One of the key considerations when planning quantitative research is the sampling method used, and in particular, how many respondents are needed so that the findings you get are reliable. Again, your researcher can advise you on this so that you can assess how much you want to spend on gathering data versus the reliability of the findings. Specific consumer respondent groups can be selected in advance so that you can gain insight from your target audience. At Wine Intelligence for example, we use a sample size of 1000 respondents for all of our online surveys and in addition, weight the data so that it reflects the shape (in terms of age, gender etc.) of the wine drinking population that we are examining.

What forms of quantitative research can we do?
Seeing through the eyes of the TRADE

• Survey research - we conduct trade surveys using a variety of methods such as online, postal, telephone and face-to-face where industry players gave their opinions and ideas about a range of research questions, whilst remaining anonymous

Seeing through the eyes of the CONSUMER

• Survey research - we conduct surveys with wine consumers using a variety of methods such as online, postal, telephone and face-to-face where consumers respond to a wide variety of questions. Perfect for testing brand awareness, recall, perceptions and even testing packaging design and advertising copy. See Consumer Access for more details of our online omnibus survey
• Hall tests - we gather face-to face responses from consumers in a range of locations such as shopping centres, office buildings and on-trade locations. Here, we ask respondents about their attitudes to both wine packaging and to the wine fill itself, often compared with competitive wines to give a benchmark assessment. See brand benchmarking for further details
• Accompanied shopping: Observation research investigating how consumers behave when shopping for wine, what prompts purchase and why, how promotions affect buying choice, where the responses are recorded in a quantitative fashion

Consumer quantitative research can help answer business questions such as:
"How is my retail brand perceived by my customers and non-customers?"
"Has the attitude to my products shifted over time?"
"What new products or range developments will have the most chance of success with my target audience?"
" How do my target consumers react to price promotions?"
"What other wines do my consumers drink?"