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WHAT IS
MARKETING
RESEARCH?
Marketing
A process of planning and
executing the conception, pricing,
promotion, and distribution of
ideas, goods and services to
create exchanges that satisfy
individual and organizational
objectives.
What is Research?
Investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and
interpretation of facts
What is Marketing Research?
The planning, collection, and analysis
of data relevant to marketing
decision making and the
communication of the results of this
analysis to management
McDaniel and Gates 2006
Why Should
Organizations Spend
Money on Market
Research?
How does research achieve
reduction in risk?
Why should research be
hypothesis driven?
Indigo books has noticed that many customers abandon
the shopping process part way through.
What might be the reasons for this?
What Sort of data will be relevant
to marketing decision making?
What sort of decisions does
management face that require
information (i.e. Marketing research)
Product
Price
Promotion
Place
What sort of information is needed –
generally?
Accurate
R elevant
Timely
What are the Two main types of information?
Qualitative
• “How do people feel about the your product?”
• Not predictive of market behavior
• Qualify needs, wants, preferences
• Focus Groups, In-depth interviews
Quantitative
• “How many people like your product?”
• Predictive if done correctly
• Surveys: Telephone, Mail, Intercept, Internet
What are the Major Sources of
Information?
•
•
•
•
Marketing Research
Customer Databases
Internal Reporting Systems/ Scanner Data
The Internet / On-line Sources
What are Two main sources of information?
– Secondary Research
• Existing studies, census data, articles
• Internet, library, trade journals
• Non-specific and often dated
– Primary Research
• data originated specifically for the study at hand
• Create your own questions and find your own
answers by asking people what they think, feel,
know, etc.
• Common methods include:
– Focus groups, surveys
Types Of Research
• Exploratory
• Descriptive
• Causal
Uncertainty Influences The Type Of Research
CAUSAL OR
DESCRIPTIVE
COMPLETELY CERTAIN
Exploratory Research
(Unaware of Problem)
ABSOLUTE AMBIGUITY
Descriptive Research
(Aware of Problem)
EXPLORATORY
Causal Research
(Problem Clearly Defined)
“Our sales are declining and “What kind of people are “Will buyers purchase more of
buying our product?
we don’t know why.”
our products in a new package?
“Would people be interested Who buys our
competitor’s product?”
in our new product idea?”
“What features do
buyers prefer in our
product?”
“Which of two advertising
campaigns is more effective?”
Exploratory Research
• Initial research conducted to clarify and
define the nature of a problem
• Does not provide conclusive evidence
• Helps develop hypotheses but does not test
them
• Subsequent research expected
• Published sources, depth interviews, focus
groups
• characterized by its flexibility
Descriptive Research
• Describes characteristics of a population or
phenomenon (who, what, where, when, why,
and how)
• Some understanding of the nature of the
problem
• Tends to be more quantitative then
qualitative
• Tests hypotheses and provides conclusive
information
• more rigid than exploratory research
Causal Research
• Conducted to identify cause and effect
relationships
• accomplishes goal through laboratory and
field experiments
Determining When to Conduct
Marketing Research
•
•
•
•
Time constraints
Availability of data
Nature of the decision
Benefits versus costs
When would you not want to conduct
Market Research?
The Bank of Montreal has been trying to sell its services
online but finds that new web users are not signing up for
services. Management wonders whether or not they should
we invest in a guided tour?
Should they conduct market research to help them decide?
A guided tour involves a considerable financial risk. There are
also concerns about brand image. So they decide to proceed
with the research. What do they need to know?
What are some hypotheses as to why users are not signing up?
How might they discover which, if any, of these possible
reasons is correct?
Assume they discover that the reason was a poor portrayal of
the value proposition, I.e.people did not understand why they
should use the service. What would be the next step?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that although customers
like the performance and comfort of the Ford Crown
Victoria, they are not overly enthusiastic about it’s
design which has not changed for over 13 years. Ford
has decided to hire an external market research
company (i.e. you) to find out how the public are likely
to feel about a new design. What steps would you take
to provide this information?
Would you talk only to men?
Would you talk only to current owners?
Would you talk to only 10 people?
Would it matter if you asked them about
Ford Escalade?
Would it matter if did a multiple regression
analysis?
Marketing research works because, by talking to a
relatively small number of people, it is possible to find
out about a far larger number.
But…..
 it only works if you talk to the right number of
people,
 it only works if you talk to the right type of
people and
 it only works if you ask the right questions
 and analyze the data you get in the right way.
The Marketing Research Process
•
•
•
•
Problem identification
specifying what information is required;
designing the method for collecting information;
managing and implementing the collection of
data;
• Preparing, analyzing and interpreting the data
• communicating the findings and their
implications.
The Marketing Research Process
Problem
Discovery
Selection of
Sample Design
Exploratory
Research
Collection of the
Data
Selection of the
Basic Research
Method
The Research Process (cont.)
Editing and
Coding
Data Processing
Interpretation of
the Findings
Report
“The formulation of the problem
is often more essential than its
solution”
• Albert Einstein
The Management Problem versus
the Marketing Research Problem
A distinction must be made between the management
problem and the marketing research problem.
Management Problem
• Focus on symptoms
• Action oriented
Marketing Research
Problems
• Focus on causes
• Data oriented