Download Marketing Research Process

The Marketing Research
Process
The Research Purpose
• A shared understanding between manager and
researcher about
– Problem or opportunity to be studied
• Exploratory (qualitative) research to identify problems or
opportunities
• Goal is to move from exploratory to confirmatory (quantitative)
research (decision-focused)
– Evaluation of decision alternatives
• If there are no decision alternatives, no research is necessary
– Research users
• External bodies may require high-quality research designs
Research Purpose: Example Case
• Example Case: Promoting a New
Health Cub in town
• Research problem: Consumers largely
ignore advertising
• Research opportunity: Competitor’s facilities
are outdated
Market Research Process
1. Agree on Research Purpose
2. Establish Research Objectives
Research Objective
• A statement, in as precise terminology as
possible, of what information is needed to satisfy
the research purpose
• What do we plan to achieve (know) through this
research, that dovetails into the research purpose
• Case: Promoting a New Health Club in town
– Research Objective:
Explicating the Research Objective
Research Question
What specific information do we want under the broad
research objective
Hypothesis Development
Can we make a specific statement about a research
question which we believe to be accurate
Research Boundaries
Who should be included / excluded from the research
The Research Question (RQ)
• Specifies information the decision maker
needs to achieve the research purpose
• One Research Objective may lead to many
research questions
• RQs used when we do not have sufficient
information to state a hypothesis
Case: New Health Club: Research
Questions: Consumers Ignore Advertising
Case: New Health Club: Research
Questions: Outdated competitor’s facilities
The Hypothesis
• A statement related to the research
question which you believe to be accurate
• Two types (Null & Research) – research to
reveal which of these are correct
• Specify variables to be measured with /
without value OR variables to be
measured and relationship between them
Hypothesis Development
Theory
Research
Purpose
Research
Question
Management
Experience
Exploratory
Research
Hypothesis
Research
Design
Role of the Hypothesis
• Introduces more detail than the RQ
• RQ: Why are sales in the Northeast lower than
the national average?
• H1: The competitor released a new ad campaign
• H2: The weather was abnormally cold
• H3: A distribution problem prevented products
from reaching the retailers
• Introduces variables to be included in the
research design (e.g. new ad campaign,
temperature, distribution problems)
Case: New Health Club: Hypotheses:
Consumers ignore advertising?
Case: New Health Club: Hypotheses:
Outdated competitor’s facilities
The Marketing Research Process
(Research Objective)
Research
Purpose
Research
Question
Develop a can How effective is
design for the
each of several
new Miller beer different design
alternatives?
Hypothesis
The design that
conforms to the
advertising message
is best.
Increasing
What is the current Builders Square’s
Builders Square image of Builders image is not as good
store traffic
Square?
as its competitor’s
image.
The Research Process Pyramid
Abstract level
Research Problem
Research Objectives
Research Questions
Hypotheses
Operational level
Questionnaire Items