Ink Survey For Marketing Assignment!

[sugna]

Hello FPN friends:

 

I am conducting a survey about fountain pen inks for an MBA marketing class assignment, and would appreciate it if you could spare a few moments to complete it! I will select one respondent at random to receive a bottle of Montblanc JFK Navy Blue as a thank you.

 

The survey is for academic purposes only! Thank you!

 

http://tinyurl.com/jrul9nk

 

http://s16.postimg.org/pz7xq9v45/IMG_4351.jpg

[bmillicent]

Cool questionnaire!

[sugna]

Cool questionnaire!

 

Thanks! I figured if I have to do an assignment, why not make it about something I enjoy!

[Horseknitter]

Completed the questionnaire and wanted to give you some input regarding my answers. I buy samples rather than smaller bottles sold by the mfgr. unless I am reasonably certain I'm going to like the ink. And if I buy any bottle I'll buy the best price per ounce available.

 

Not sure if that will make any difference to you and your project but I feel better for explaining my answers.

 

Good Luck with the project - and the degree!!

[swanjun]

Neat idea!

[carlos.q]

I'm a sucker for questionnaires...

[Runnin_Ute]

Thanks for the opportunity. I hope my participation helps in your project.

[AndyYNWA]

Nice one. It just end too soon....

[lapis]

Neat! Good questions!!

[Orpilorp]

I'm relatively new and initially went crazy over inks, but now am settled down. Now when inks are purchased I am content with a few select brands in a narrow color range.

 

Q: How many inks do I buy "on average?" A: 30+, but I will purchase very few bottles going forward. My answer of 30+ is correct but is my answer skewed?

[fountainpagan]

Just finished.

 

I hope it will help your study

[ksm]

I've completed this survey, but I'll give my rationale here:

 

1. Fundamental problem with bottles is: getting ink into pen when ink level is low. The smaller the bottle, the higher percentage of ink is wasted.
2. Unfortunately, due to logistical overhead (very similar for 15ml and 50ml bottle), small bottle won't be 3 times cheaper then big one. If I'm to pay $19 for 50ml bottle I won't consider buying 15ml bottle unless it's below $8. Ink's shelf life is long enough to buy big bottle and count on eventually using it up.
3. For me, small bottles are just samples. I think it would make sense to bundle small bottles of four similar colours into a pack of same size as a standard bottle. It would not increase logistical overhead (save for the cost of bottles), but it would allow me to try more colours before settling on the one, or going on to next sample pack.
4. The problem with Sailor is not in the price of a single bottle of ink, but in availability of many of their inks outside Japan (i.e. can't buy Kiwa Guro in Poland). Smaller bottles won't make this ink more available (shipping could be as pricey as the bottle itself).
5. Smaller bottles creates some possibilities for companies, like for example sending pack of samples to be reviewed by the most active ink reviewers on this forum.

[Buzz_130]

This is a great survey and an important topic for fountain pen users. If the 15 oz bottles were priced competitively, I would be more likely to buy inks on a whim to try across a wide range of pens and then invest in the larger bottles. Or, if the company expanded their line to different colors, different qualities, or perhaps different characteristics, I would be more likely to explore the whole range of the brand's offerings.

 

Good luck with your studies and the survey!

 

Buzz

[northstar]

Done

[cobalt]

Great survey. Are you also testing our decision heuristics? Probably something like people who bought a 15ml bottle regret not having bought a 50ml bottle, while people who bought a 50ml bottle realise they don't need that much ink and would have been quite happy with 15ml. I have large bottles of ink I regret buying as I'll never ever use that much and wish some inks came in litre bottles. Better still, refill bags so I don't end up with a stock of empty bottles.

 

My suspicion is that ink companies have the same sales goals as mustard companies who make their money on the mustard you leave on the side of the plate (think about it). Ink makers on the unused ink stashed away in boxes and bought with regret.

[DrDebG]

Nice survey. While many have additional comments, truthfully it will be an appropriate test model depending upon the number of respondents. I would have suggested adding one or two demographic signifiers as well. But surveys of this nature are biased particularly with the sample pool that you are drawing from.

[Pira]

Ironically I am not likely to purchase any bottles of the brand in question because I had already done so this past year

 

Personally I wish more companies sold smaller bottles of inks. As it is, many of us tend to swap inks, in vials, between one another when we have bigger bottles...mostly because we like to share our over indulgence. Except for a few inks that become our favoutites, we will never get through those big bottles in a single lifetime....especially those of use who love to try new shades.

[Mari1013]

Thanks for giving us the chance to participate. I'd be interested in hearing about the results.

[Miz Black Crow]

Thanks for putting up this survey! I'm happy to help a student and especially happy to give information to my favorite industry. However, this survey was completed on my end with some biases I think may be enlightening.

 

I live in CONUS, where Sailor inks are very expensive (much like Iroshizuku). I've never tried them, so that I don't fall in love with an ink I can't afford. Price point significantly influenced my answers in your survey; if the survey regarded a more affordable ink (Waterman, Sheaffer, Noodler's, etc.) my answers would have been swayed. Moreover, because packaging, labeling and other costs would be similar between 50mL and 15mL bottles (as mentioned above), the price would most likely not be anywhere close to 1/3rd of retail for the larger bottle. Price differential between sizes wasn't stated explicitly in your survey, so I can't say how price-per-mL ratio would affect my purchasing decisions.

 

For unsolicited, non-price-related thoughts, allow me to say this: I would certainly buy 15mL bottles of inks if they were regularly available. I find 2mL samples frustratingly small for inks I like, while 90mL bottles like Noodler's can be intimidatingly large for someone like me who rotates pens and inks daily. 15mL would strike a nice balance: easy to finish out, but enough to be practical.

 

I wish you luck with your studies and I hope my responses were helpful. And I wish luck and inky adventures to whoever wins your bottle of JFK Blue!

[AndyKeir]

An interesting survey but somewhat academic as the inks in question are not really widely available in Australia.