EXAM EXAMPLE
PART ONE. Case study. 7 points
The European Union is committed to keeping greenhouse gas emissions within the
limits approved at the Paris Summit. Companies are proposing different mobility options
with reduced emissions, such as bicycles or electric scooters, or car or motorbike
sharing. All these options aim to reduce car ownership and to understand mobility as a
service so that citizens can use different alternatives depending on the journey.
A multinational company is considering creating an integrated platform of access-based
mobility options, which would initially be launched in Madrid and Barcelona. With an
application, the user would mark the route and different alternatives would be proposed:
car or motorbike sharing, private car, bicycle, etc. The user would pay a monthly fee that
could be calculated on the basis of time of use or kilometres travelled, or be a flat rate
with extras. The system is yet to be decided. Although the model includes bicycles, 90%
of the vehicles offered are electric cars.
To design this service (specifically, the value proposition, the pricing system and the
thresholds that are acceptable to users, the design of the app, etc.), the company has
hired you to do a study. They are interested in studying Millennials (born after 1985) as
this generation is expected to be the early adopters of this service. The study seeks to
delve into two aspects. On the one hand, they want to explore the current mobility
practices of the target audience, their experience with access-based alternatives such
as car sharing and existing beliefs regarding different mobility alternatives. On the other
hand, they want to know the expectations in relation to this new approach, uncovering
both motives and barriers to its use, so that future design builds on the former and
reduces the latter.
The company needs a report on the results within three months (based on a real
briefing).
- Determining the purpose (0.5 points)
The purpose of the case (sentences marked in yellow) is the decision to be made. In
this case it is to design the service (value proposition, pricing system and acceptable
thresholds, app design, etc.). This answer will score 0.5.
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If you state reducing emissions as the purpose, this is incorrect because this is the
ultimate goal, but not the decision to be made. You could score 0.15 points.
If you indicate as a purpose to find out the mobility practices of millennials you will get 0
because this is the objective not the purpose.
- Determine the objectives (0.5 points)
General objective: to understand the mobility practices of millennials and the acceptance
of a mobility-as-a-service application. There are four specific objectives:
1. To explore current mobility practices
2. To find out the experience with access-based systems and beliefs towards
different mobility systems.
3. Find out expectations of an access-based mobility system.
4. Identify motives and barriers to use that can be leveraged or reduced in
the design.
If all objectives are present the score will be 0,5. If you modify the verbs and turn them
into "measure", "describe profiles", "envisage use", then you will get 0.
- Determining the Target Audience (0.5 points)
The target audience is millennials. If you just say born after 1985 it's wrong, because
those born in 2010 are obviously not the target audience in this case. If you just cut and
paste that sentence you will have
You have to put geographic and socio-demographic restrictions.
Geographic: restrict to large cities (with more than one million inhabitants, for example),
as these services are not usually available in smaller cities and the problem of pollution
occurs in large cities.
Sociodemographic: restrict to 18+, to avoid parental permission and because the case
says that the majority will be cars. You can even say that the majority must have a
driving licence or even introduce possession of a driving licence as a restriction.
Use restriction: You can add a restriction that only those who use mobility alternatives
other than walking at least once a week will participate.
For each additional restriction, you will get 0.10 extra points until you reach 0.5.
- Select and justify the method and technique to be used in the study (2,5
points)
o First define the method according to the objectives: the verbs used and the
exploratory context (it is a concept test) place us in a qualitative method.
o First present the possible techniques: focus groups, in-depth interview and
observation. Each of them also has different modalities: focus groups can be done
online and face-to-face and can be accompanied or not by techniques to
encourage innovation; the interview can also be done online or face-to-face;
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observation can be mechanical or manual, participant or non-participant, and
online narratives can also be collected. This initial presentation can give you up to
1 point.
o Then identify the key conditions of the case: it is not an embarrassing topic, it is
not difficult to gather participants in a big city, it is an innovation-oriented case. The
focus group would be the most appropriate. Justify the focus by explaining the two
fundamental processes that occur in the focus: the snowball effect and synergy
and why they are relevant in this case. Complete with some characteristics of the
focus such as being able to see non-verbal communication, see the effect of other
participants on beliefs and opinions, etc.
o If you are able to state the focus and justify it, you will get up to 1 additional point,
depending on the quality of the justification and explanation of the focus. As this is
an innovation-oriented case, indicate how it could be done to facilitate this
innovation. Role play or collage could be useful here. With this discussion you get
an additional 0.5 to 2.5 points.
- Design the data collection instrument structure appropriate to the
technique. 1.5 points
A) if you have chosen a qualitative technique, draw a dotted line.
B) if you have chosen a quantitative technique, write a multiple-choice
question and a filter question.
As it is qualitative, you have to draw a dotted line. Explain the three parts of the
dotted line (0, 75 points) and formulate 3 or 4 questions for each part. The
questions have to allow you to achieve the objectives. You can link questions and
specific objectives in a table (e.g. How do you usually move around in Madrid,
SO1). The questions applied to the case give an additional 0.5.
Then, think about which projectives you can use: incomplete sentences (Those
who use car to go are...), image-based (show different images of mobility
alternatives and ask for words to associate them with to see the beliefs). The
inclusion of projectives applied to the specific case gives you an additional 0.25.
- Define what a briefing is and outline a possible briefing for the proposed case.
(1.5 points)
o Define the briefing, explaining who does it, what it is for and to whom it is given.
(0.75 points)
o The briefing has several parts: background, purpose, objectives, target audience,
working premises, budget, timing, delivery conditions. Explain each one as it applies to
this case. You can refer to what has already been written above. If all the parts are
there, but not applied, you can receive 0.5. If everything is explained and applied to
the case you get an additional 0.75.
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PART TWO. Panel
Panel of distributors (1 point)
Mercado de chicles en euros y kilos Universo: 1000
TIENDAS
Ventas volumen Ventas valor DN DP PN
Marca A 100 200 80 90 25
Marca B 200 200 95 96 55
Marca C 100 50 75 85 20
(1) Comment on the distribution strategy of the three brands (0,5)
In absolute terms, Brand B is in more shops because DN is higher
In relative terms, Brand B has the best distribution of the three brands
Brand A 80/90=0,89
Brand B 95/96=0,99
Brand C 75/85=0,88
(2) Which brand(s) sell(s) at a price ABOVE market price? (0,5)
Sum of sales market volume=400
Sum of sales market value = 450
Px m of market: 450/400= 1,125
Px m of brand A: 200/100= 2
Px m of brand B: 200/200=1
Px m of brand C: 50/100_ 0,5
Solution: Only Brand A sells at above market price.
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Consumer panel (2 point):
- In this market, is there more variety or brand loyalty (1)?
In this market there is more brand loyalty than variety loyalty as it is further away from
100%.
Variety= 77,8+15,6+26,7=201,1
Brand= 20,8+70,5+17,5+17,5=108,8
- Which brand has more heavy buyers? Justify your answer (1)
To answer this question we need to look at the Average Purchase values. In this case,
Brand A has more heavy buyers because the average purchase is higher than that of
the other brands = 23 kilos.
Mercado de piruletas en Kilos y millones de
euros
Penetración
Ventas % Hog.
% Hogares Compra media
Volumen Relativo
Mercado 838.04 68.2 100 18.2
Variedad A 344.75 53.1 77.8 11
Variedad B 162.87 10.6 15.6 21.8
Variedad C 330.42 18.2 26.7 18.2
MARCA A 270.91 14.2 20.8 23
MARCA B 436.39 48.1 70.5 15
MARCA C 130.74 12 17.5 21.8