QUALITATIVE RESEARCH COMPARING MARKETING TOOLS BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND INTERNET FAIRS (IV)

Chapter IV: Data Analysis

To process this research, a questionnaire was elaborated to sound out the opinion of the small and medium traders in Hillsborough County Tampa Bay area, why they do not implement new trends in marketing and why not get benefit from the benefits that globalization allows. The questionnaire was created through the site of Surrey Monkey; participants received a series of seventeen questions ranging from multiple choices to the ranking in order of preference.

The researcher sent an invitation with a link questionnaire, which remained open four days at the Survey Monkey website with additional publications on the pages of Linked in, Facebook, Twitter, and emails sent to executives and owners of companies based in the above area, supported by Microsoft Outlook. The information obtained, although the size of the sample has been obtained from only eight answerers, yielded interesting data that allow recommending strategies for increasing ways that can help to those tradespersons. Once the investigator closed the questionnaire, the Survey Monkey software analyzed the raw data, establishing proportions, rations, and percentages. The researcher created tables and graphs to demonstrate the results of the research. According to the survey, the majority of the interviewed participants participated actively, completing all the survey questions.

The first question, an open question, showed eight different options to describe in their own words, what is a trade fair. Responses collected in this question included (see Appendix B):

1. “A special activity where people go to look for new technologies and organizations participate to expose their new products or services.”
2. “A place in which I can make business contacts and learn about industry trends.”
3. “My experience has been very interested because this is the good place to make business and meet any persons. “
4. “I have been participated in many trade show along my life and I have had good experience because is a good place for meet any business contact.”  
5. “It is an exhibition organized by groups of companies on a particular topic in order to display their products or services.”
6. “A trade show is an exhibition organized where companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, services, study activities, projects, and examine recent market trends and opportunities. I think is good opportunity to meet people or professionals in you are of expertise and create business relationship or alliance.”
7. “No familiar with it.”
8. “It is a show where expositors share their information to customers.

            The second question, “Have you ever participated in a trade fair event?” was a binomial question, which resulted in 87.5% of the surveyed responding yes, and the 12.5% reporting a negative answer (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Question One Responses

The third question surveyed the opinion of the people who responded yes to the second question, which reported that a 100% of the participants considered that fairs are a good place to make business contacts. This ancillary question (i.e., question number three), reported that the 85.71% considered fairs as ideal for professional networking (see Figure 2). The 85.71% told that fairs it is where we can go to hear the latest commercial trends and the 71.43% answered that fairs it allows us to update the goods of their company.

Figure 2: Question Three Answers

Answer # 3	If you responded yes to the second question
85.71%	Fairs it is ideal for professional networking.
85.71%	Told that fairs it is where we can go to hear the latest commercial trends
71.43%	Answered that fairs it allows us to update the goods of our company

 

The fourth question asked if surveyed business owners had participated in a trade fair event during the last two years. This question was a binomial alternative answers, with responses of 50% responding yes, and the other 50% answering no (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Question Four Answers

 

The fifth question of the survey was an ancillary question to identify the reasons for which people answered no. In this question, only two answers surface, which were (a) “I do not consider it beneficial to my business”, (50%), (b) and the other 50% told it is expensive to attend (see Figure 4).

Figure 4: Question Five Answers

The sixth question was “Do you know about the existence of Internet Trade Fairs” This was another binomial choice question with only one answering yes (the 37.50%), and the 62.50% responded no (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: Questions Six Answers

For the seventh question, other binomial choice question, the 100% answered yes to the question, “Do you think virtual fairs could help your business develop?  (See Figure 6).

Figure 6: Question Seven Answers

For the eighth question, have you ever participated in a virtual trade fair? Other binominal choice question, the 100% of the surveyed answered no (see Figure 7).

Figure 7: Question Eight Answers

 

 

 

The 100% of the business executives answered N/A (no) to the ninth question (see Figure 8), if you answered yes to question 7, which was about their past experiences in that (those) event(s).

Figure 8: Question Nine Answers

The survey tenth question was an ancillary question for those who answered NO to question seven. They would have to choose from the following potential reasons why you have not participated so far. The 14.29% answered, ”the technology is not for me”, the 42.86% answered, “I would rather prefer to have personal contact with people,” and the 42.86% responded, “I do not have enough information on the subject.”

(See Figure 9).

Figure 9: Question 10 Answers

The next question, the eleventh one, another binomial choice question, “Do you think that virtual fairs could outgrow the popularity of traditional fairs?” The 12.50% answered yes, and the 87.50% answered no (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Question 11 Answers

 

To the twelfth question, if you answered yes to question 11, why do you think virtual trade fair will outgrow the traditional ones, the 100% answered that cost and convenience were the most important attributes (see Figure 11)

Figure 11: Question 12 Answers

On the other hand, for the thirteen questions, if you answered NO chooses from the following options the reason why, surveyed business people responded as follows: Computers would never substitute personal contacts, the 42.86% opined, there is no control over potential attendance, and the 14.29% answered does not provide a good way to follow up with consumers (see Figure 12).

Figure 12: Question 13 Answers

Answer # 13	If you answered NO chooses from the following options the reason why
100%	Computers would never substitute personal contacts
42.86%	There is no control over potential attendance
14.29%	Does not provide a good way to follow up with consumers

 

The fourteenth question of the survey, how your company uses the Internet? This was a multiple choice question with the possibility of choosing more than one answer, the 100% answered for administrative purposes, the 71.43% answered Buying/Sealing, the 100% told researching, the 100% communicating with potential clients, 100% communicating with existing clients, the 85.71% uses their computer for promoting their company, the 71.43% uses the company computer for social networking activities. In the last option of this question, on the comment field, other surveyed answered in business the Interned is a major factor of production. (See Figure 13).

Figure 13: Question 14 Answers

Answer # 14	How your company uses the Internet?
100%	Administrative purposes
71.43%	Buying/Sealing
100%	Researching
100%	Communicating with potential clients
100%	Communicating with existing clients
71.43%	Social networking activities
85.71%	Promoting their company
Others	In business, the Interned is a major factor of production.

 

The fifteenth question, in what sector of the industry your business operates. E.g. education, health care, design? there were several answers,.
Responses recorded were education, marketing, business management, business/marketing consulting.  Other fields were education, art, art gallery, use the computer for design, health care, and upholstery.  Three respondents reported to work in industries related to marketing, business management, and business/marketing consulting.

Figure 14: Questions 15 Answers

Answer # 15	What sector of the industry your business operates
Answerer # 1	education
Answerer # 2	marketing
Answerer # 3	business management
Answerer # 4	business/marketing consulting
Answerer # 5	art gallery
Answerer # 6	design
Answerer # 7	health care
Answerer # 8	upholstery

 

The next questions, what is your sales average in a year? It is the sixteenth question of the survey, and reported companies’ sales average. The participants reported that  14.29% was in the category of $20,000, a 14.29% of those organizations have a sales average between $20,001 and $40,000, other 14.29% are billing between $40,001 to $60,000, 14.29% between $60,001 and $80,000, and 28.57%. Others reported income between $60,001 to $100,000, and $101,000 or more 14.29%. It is interesting that the survey showed that companies with sales average among $60,001 to $80,000 recorded 0% (see Figure 16).

Figure 15: Question 16 Answers

The last question of the survey, the seventeenth question, how long are you in your current business, showed 57.14% as less than five  years, the 14.29% between 10 to 15 years, the 28.57% between five to 10 years, and the companies with more than 15 years reported  0%

Figure 16: Question 17 Answers

 

 

 

 

 

 Chapter V: Research Results

Answering the Questions

1.      Is Internet marketing the best tool for communicating the commercial offer of a company?

The sixth question of the questionnaire  reported that 62.50% of the respondents argument that they do not know about the existence of Internet Trade Fairs.

2.      Are trade fairs an effective instrument to communicate the commercial offer of a company?

The general opinion for responding this question is justified in the answer to the seventh question of the survey. Do you think virtual fairs could help your business develop? The 100% of the business people surveyed answered yes.

3.      Has been decreased the power of the trade fairs to establish new relationships, with regard to the new electronic technologies?

For answering this question, the eleventh question of the survey showed that virtual fairs would not outgrow the popularity of traditional fairs with the 87.50% of the participants reporting no. On the other hand, we found with the answer to question 13 of the survey, that the 100% of the surveyed business people responded that computers would never substitute personal contacts, the 42.86% reported that there is no control over potential attendance, and the 14.29% answered that it does not provide a good way to follow up the consumers.

4.      Are Internet and trade fairs -two complementary tools or conversely e marketing is a serious threat to traditional trade fairs?

The question it is clarified with the answer to the question 14 of the survey, how your company uses the Internet? The 100% communicating with potential clients, 100% communicating with existing clients, the 85.71% uses their computer for promoting their company, the 71.43% uses the company computer for social networking activities, and in the last option of this question, on the comment field, other surveyed answered in business the Interned is a major factor of production.