Preliminary plan of data analysis

Master Thesis

13. Would you increase your interaction with brand in case of the implementation of sensory stimulating activities online?

(ex. Virtual reality implementation, ability to smell and touch materials, a more elegant delivery pack, ad hoc product description, curiosities about the brand product, ...)

Answers to this question are essential to collect information on the potential truthfulness of Proposition 2, especially 2D.

14. How would you feel about the presence of a virtual world in luxury where you could discover, touch and smell all products? Would you be more

satisfied with the brand performance?

Answers to this question are essential to collect information on the potential truthfulness of Proposition 2, and specifically 2C and 2D and partially Proposition 3. Collecting impressions on innovations is considered as a particularly sensitive field where customers need to be helped in the imagination of improvements especially when dealing with technologies that are not known to them or part of their everyday life.

15. Would you be attracted by the presence of technological tools capable

of gifting you a complete luxurious experience online? Would you feel more at ease with the brand and more attached to it? What would be your suggestion for

the implementation of those tools?

Answers to this question are essential to collect information on the potential truthfulness of Proposition 2 and Proposition 3. Collecting impressions on innovations is considered as a particularly sensitive field where customers need to be asked more than one generic question, it is also important to understand their reactions especially to validate the positivity of the implementation of these tools.

16. Do you feel more stimulated when browsing inside a luxury brand website

with respect to any other one? Why?

Answers to this question are considered as important to deeply understand the flows of the online experience gifted, at the same time is helps in the creation of the recommendation section.

Master Thesis

process is to reveal concepts, patterns, themes and insights from a given set of data (Patton, 2002). At the same time, it is useful since it helps researchers in improving the research integrity and quality, allowing the analysis to be reproduced (Banks et al., 2013). As it has been explained in Section 4.1 and 4.2, the research will be structured in surveys with experts and in in-depth-interviews conducted with customers. Interviews can lead to generation of a vast array of complex data. Thus, the researchers must remain open to multiple ways of analyzing data (Patton, 2002). Image 6 and 7 have been created with the aim of clearly structure the interviews to conduct and of ensuring alignment between the questions asked and the propositions formulated. The existence of this plan is considered of pivotal importance for researchers during the interviews development; as a matter of fact it will be used to outline the topics to address. In this way, the schema will also ensure interviewers to collect from different interviewees the same information. The preliminary plan of data analysis will outline the path of the interviews conducted. In fact, a planned draft of the questions to be asked, will affect the quality, validity and reliability of the final questionnaire (Brace, 2008). Even if in this specific case researchers are dealing with interviews, where it is hardly possible to follow the same type of questions and order, the plan proposed is shaped such that interviewers will have a base of topics and potential questions to pose in a specific order. The preliminary plan proposed in Image 6 and 7 provides a map of the analysis and by developing this map, researchers work through, step-by-step, important pieces of information without getting lost (Banks et al., 2013). In order to ensure the collection of the correct information from customers and experts, it is considered pivotal the definition of an ideal sequence of the different topics that have to be covered within each interview, and the type of questions to pose. So as to provide a clear overview of the interviews, it has been decided to create a map-flow, including both the ideal stream of the questions asked and the rationale behind every question. Due to the research structure two different map-flows will be presented one referring to the interview conducted with experts of the field (see Image 6) and a second one building the framework for the interviews with customers (see Image 7).

Figure 6 is made with the aim of helping researchers in the analysis of the results that will be obtained.

The schema, presents the ideal order of questions that have to be posed to experts. The order is not casual, but rather defined in line with the abductive methodology selected. Three different macro categories of questions have been defined.

Master Thesis

Introductory Questions groups those questions meant at the understanding of perceptions on experiences provided online and offline in terms of sensory marketing. The point of a qualitative interview is to let respondents tell their own story on their own terms ( Edwards, R. and Holland, J., 2013). In line with this, this macro category aims at allowing respondents to express personal opinions within the field of the research conducted and enabling researchers to collect information about the current market situation. All the questions pertaining to this category are also formulated to prepare the set for the following ones therefore building a logical framework also in respondents mind.

Insights on Propositions groups the set of questions meant at enabling researchers to unveil details on the strategies currently adopted online. The aim of these questions is to fill in the gap discovered in literature concerning the offerings of sensory marketing techniques online, therefore impacting the experience offered to customers online and offline. Questions collected within this section will be used also to provide more specific recommendations when driving conclusions.

Research Question refers to question posed to directly address the research question formulated. The aim is to validate with experts within the field the research proposed, so that to further highlight the importance of the results obtained.

Master Thesis

Figure 6: Preliminary Plan of Data Analysis - Experts Interviews

On the other hand, Figure 7 has been created to directly help interviewers during the interaction with customers, which is considered of pivotal importance for the answering of the statements proposed and consequently to answer the research question formulated. As it has been already explained, the schema presents the ideal order of the questions that have to be posed to fulfill the objective settled. The order is not casual, but rather defined in line with the abductive methodology selected. Five different macro categories of questions have been defined, that are now going to be explained.

Master Thesis

Introductory Questions section has already been explained for the experts interviews. The scope with customers is mirrored. Therefore, within this category are posed those questions meant at enabling customers to describe current opinions and experiences in relation with online and offline services in the fashion luxury field. All the questions grouped within this category are posed to introduce customers to the object of the study and put them in the mental condition to be ready to answer to future questions.

Preliminary Questions categorizes those questions meant at introducing customers to questions closely linked to the propositions researches will have to discuss. This section is created as a way to introduce customers to more profound and personal questions, mostly linked to potential experiences that they have not lived yet.

The other three groups highlighted: Testing P1, Testing P1 and P2 and Testing P2 and P3, despite being different categories have been created to fulfill the same objective. Within these sections are grouped those questions directly tackling the proposal statements created by researchers. The interdependence between the scientific propositions originated within Section 2.5 enables interviewers to pose questions meant at testing multiple propositions, as it is the case for P2 and P3.

Master Thesis

Figure 7: Preliminary Plan of Data Analysis - Customer Interviews