This engaging book uses a step by step approach to describe what qualitative research techniques are designed to do and how they aid in uncovering insights useful for advertising strategy development, creative development, and concurrent and post-campaign evaluation. Covering an extensive and informative range of topics, this textbook guides marketing and management students through methodology, interviewing and project techniques. Advertising students are shown how to create the most effective advertising briefs. It explores how the use of pictures, video, audio, and computer-related technologies can help the advertising team analyse consumer needs using the latest technology. It also focusses on online research and how the Internet can be used to conduct interviews and online focus groups.It discusses the ethical considerations in doing online qualitative research, including assessments of participant risk, the appropriateness of topics and obtaining informed consent. This book will be very useful for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in advertising, account planning, management, consumer behavior and marketing communication.

Author Biography

Eric Haley is Professor in the Department of Advertising at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He received his Ph.D. from The University of Georgia in 1992. He teaches a variety of advertising courses and a doctoral seminar in qualitative research. He is an active research consultant helping national clients with custom research information needs. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Advertising and the Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising. Ronald E. Taylor is Professor and Director of the School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He earned an A.B. in Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and M.S. in Advertising, and Ph.D. in Communication at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has taught a course in qualitative research methods at Tennessee for the past 15 years. Dr. Taylor is interested in European advertising and advertising regulation. He has lectured in France and conducted research in France, Belgium, and Spain. Margaret A. Morrison is Professor in the School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Georgia in 1996. She has taught classes in media planning, account planning, qualitative research, and advertising campaigns at Tennessee since 1995. Her work has appeared in various outlets such as Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, and American Journal of Public Health. Kim Sheehan is Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication. She received the Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1998. Her teaching and research interests include online consumer behavior and research methods, and advertising creative strategy. Her research has appeared in Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.