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The Nature of Marketing
Research
• Marketing research is one of the principal
tools for answering questions because it:
– Links the consumer, customer, and public to
the market through information used to
identify and define marketing
– Generates, refines, and evaluates marketing
actions
– Monitors marketing performance
– Underlines the understanding of marketing as
a process
Marketing Research Defined
The systematic and objective process of
generating information for aid in making
marketing decisions
“It ain’t the things we don’t
know that gets us in trouble.
It’s the things we know that
ain’t so.”
Artemus Ward
Continuum of Marketing
Research Sophistication
Intuition-Centered
Decision Making
Stage of intuitive
decision making
Stage of development
Stage of
sophistication
Research-Centered
Decision Making
Research Departments
Perform a Staff Function
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Clients
Director of research
Research analysts
Cross-functional teams
Medium-Sized Research Department
Director of marketing research
and sales forecasting
Research analyst
(project director)
Research assistant
(entry-level trainee)
Manager of
sales research
Forecast
analysts
Managers
Researchers
1. Decision oriented
1. Technique oriented
2. Intuitive
2. Analytical
3. Managers like to confirm
4. Time orientation toward:
a. project immediacy (“I need
it now.”)
b. results about future behavior
(“what will sales be next year?”)
3. Researchers like to explore
5. Frugal (“keep the cost down”)
6. Results orientation:
a. managers do not like surprises--when
they are surprised they tend to reject the results
b. concern (“aren’t we number one yet?”)
c. certainty (“is it or isn’t it?”)
4. Time orientation toward:
a. Project prolongment (“later when
we have time for a complete
study”)
b. results about past behavior
(“our trend has been . . .”)
5. Not cost conscious (“you get what you
pay for”)
6. Results orientation:
a. researchers love surprises
b. abstraction (“our exponential gain. . .”)
c. probability (“may be”)
7. Reactive
7. Proactive
Top Management-Marketing
Research Conflict
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Research responsibility
Research personnel
Budget
Assignments
Problem definition
Research reporting
Use of research
Research Supplier
• A commercial marketing research service
that conducts marketing research activities
for clients
• Syndicated service
• Standardized service
• Provides customized research
Considerations for Hiring
Outside Suppliers
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Expertise
Urgency of the decision
Personnel resources
Economic factors
Objectivity
Confidentiality
Quality control
What Do Clients Want From a
Research Department or Research
Supplier?
To understand what clients want
form a research supplier or
department.
Top Ten things a client wants in a research company or
department
1. Maintains client confidentiality
2. Is honest
3. Is punctual
4. Is flexible
5. Delivers against projects specifications
6. Provides high-quality output
What Do Clients Want From a
Research Department or Research
Supplier?
To appreciate the importance and role
of communications in managing
marketing research.
7. Is responsive to the client’s needs
8. Has high quality-control standards
9. Is customer-orientated in interactions with client
10. Keeps the client informed throughout a project.
Communication with Clients
• Every project should have a liaison person
• Before project begins, go over project objectives,
methodology, and timing.
• Progress reports.
From Data to Action: Putting the
Voice of the Customer to Work
Source: AMA Best Practice Webcasts
Sponsored by: Maritz
Webcast Date: January 27, 2005
Time: 57 minutes
Presenter: Dr. Randall Brandt, VP-Customer
Experience and Loyalty Research, Maritz
Click here for free webcast (you’ll need to register
on the AMA site; introduces many topics covered
in this course)