When faced with the challenge of comparing many highly rated attributes, your team will want to consider using a Max/Diff exercise.
Max/Diff, or Maximum Difference, is a survey technique requiring respondents to choose between several similar or similarly rated items in order to discover what really stands out. Respondents are shown a set of attributes and asked to choose the MOST and the LEAST out of the given set. This is repeated with a different set each time. The program then assigns a score to each attribute out
of 100 total points - we know that a 20 is twice as preferred as a 10.
Why not rate the attributes on a scale?
When everything in your choice set is similarly good or similarly bad, there is little distinction between the items. Max/Diff forces a choice of MOST and LEAST, which deals with the problem of the respondent to rate everything the same.
Why not rank the attributes?
Ranking tells us only the order a respondent chooses, not the distance between the items. In aggregate, rankings only tell us positioning.
Why not have the respondent apply all 100 points?
With more than a few attributes, this exercise can quickly become confusing, difficult, and tedious. Our respondents far prefer Max/Diff to point allocation exercises.
Can the data be cut by segments?
Absolutely! Each respondent is assigned a score for each attribute, and the data can be cut like any other data point.
This may or may not be the optimal technique to help you make important decisions. Max/Diff is one technique or many possible. Richard Day Research is best at listening and working with you to find the optimal solution.
We look forward to listening and working with you.
