Innovation in social marketing research methods: what can collages add to a multimethod research project exploring alcohol consumption among young people?

Abstract

Projective techniques have become increasingly popular in market research. They are often used as a part of multimethod projects. However, researchers do not always appropriately discuss the practical implications and differences between the data collected using different data collection techniques. This article attempts to describe an innovative method that can potentially help social marketers to better understand harmful alcohol behaviors among young people. It reflects upon the multi-method project approach intended to investigate alcohol consumption among students. The research was carried out in two stages: Study 1 explored the phenomenon using a combination of focus groups and diaries, while Study 2 was conducted using one of the most popular projective techniques-collages. The various types of collected data are compared and the research process is critically reflected upon, highlighting the most important advantages and disadvantages of using collages as a part of a multimethod project.