QA 233 (Basic Business Statistics)
Case Assignments
Case 2
“Trim-Fast”
Marcella Vin is a marketing research analyst for MegaProducts, Inc (MPI), producers of the Trim-Fast brand of weight-loss shakes. Because Trim-Fast is facing increased competition from other diet supplements, MPI has decided to expand the Trim-Fast product line to broaden their appeal (particularly the growing young adult demographic). In response, MPI product engineers have developed two prototypes - Dulce de Leche and Smooth Licorice - and have handed responsibility for these prototypes to MPI's Marketing Research Department. Harvey Barley, Director of MPI's Marketing Research Department, has asked Ms. Vin to assess these two prototypes and provide information to help MPI decide which prototype to add to the existing Trim-Fast product line (which currently includes milk chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peaches & cream, and raspberries and cream).
In response to Mr. Barley's assignment, Ms. Vin designs a questionnaire in which consumers are provided a sample of each product and subsequently asked to rate each prototype on taste, texture, and appearance; respondents are also asked to provide an overall rating of the product. Each of these product attributes is rated on the following scale:
1. POOR 2. FAIR 3. AVERAGE 4. GOOD 5. EXCELLENT
Ms. Vin then subcontracts data collection to the Market Assessment Group (MAG), an organization that specializes in mall intercept studies. MAG collects data from eighty-six randomly selected young adult shoppers in the Toledo Shoppers' Fair Mall over a two-day (Thursday and Friday) period in mid-October. The final data they have sent to Ms. Vin is provided in the table below:
|
|
Dulce De Leche |
|
Smooth Licorice |
||||||
|
Respondent |
Taste |
Texture |
Appearance |
Overall
Rating |
|
Taste |
Texture |
Appearance |
Overall
Rating |
|
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
3 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
5 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
8 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
9 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
10 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
11 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
12 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
13 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
14 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
15 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
16 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
17 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
18 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
19 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
20 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
21 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
22 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
23 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
24 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
25 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
26 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
27 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
28 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
29 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
|
30 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
31 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
32 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
|
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
33 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
34 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
35 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
36 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
37 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
38 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
39 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
40 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
1 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
41 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
42 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
|
43 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
44 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
45 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
46 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
47 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
48 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
49 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
50 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
51 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
52 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
53 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
54 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
55 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
56 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
57 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
58 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
59 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
60 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
61 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
62 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
63 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
64 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
65 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
66 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
67 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
68 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
69 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
70 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
71 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
72 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
73 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
74 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
75 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
76 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
77 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
|
78 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
|
79 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
80 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
81 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
82 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
83 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
84 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
85 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
86 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
|
1 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
At this point Ms. Vin needs the assistance of an able-bodied statistician and asked you for help. Use your knowledge about descriptive statistics to help her make a rational decision on which prototype (Dulce de Leche or Smooth Licorice) to add to the existing Trim-Fast product line (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peaches & cream, and raspberries and cream).
Hint: Think carefully about what data were collected for Ms. Vin.
Click here to download an Excel® file containing the raw data used in this case.