SUMMARY
Authors: Samantha HOGAN, Jenny ROMANIUK & Margaret FAULKNER (2016)
Brand attributes play an important role in tracking customer-based brand value. Researchers therefore need an effective approach to obtaining attributes. This paper has two aims: to determine which of four different techniques achieves the best results, and to test whether online data collection is a viable alternative to face-to-face collection. The techniques compared are Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), Free Elicitation (FE), Repertory Grid (RG) and Projective Elicitation (PE). These approaches are compared on the basis of the number and variety of attributes generated, as well as respondent evaluation. FE is the best-performing technique in a face-to-face context, generating the largest number of attributes, positively evaluated by respondents and providing a typical distribution of attribute types. We also demonstrate that the online survey is a viable data collection method for attribute elicitation studies, with the exception of the ZMET survey due to respondent dropout. Online, we recommend a combination of EF and PE to obtain a range and variety of responses.
