Definition:
Marketing research is the process of defining a marketing problem
& opportunity, systematically collecting and analyzing information,
& recommending actions to increase an organizations marketing
activities.
It is the function that links the consumer (customer) and public to
the marketer through information.
Return to Contents List
Usually a departure from some normal function, IE conflicts between
or failures in attaining objectives. (goals may be unrealistic)
Need to probe beneath the superficial symptoms.
Research objective specifies what information is needed to solve
the problem.
Marketing Plan...to determine the unfulfilled needs/wants within
specified target market(s). (University students/local residents)
May need to use exploratory research here, before conclusive
research.
Therefore query news group with your ideas to better define your
research needs perhaps, refine your ideas before developing your
hypothesis!!
Return to Contents List
Different sets of variables, alternatives and uncertainties that
combine to give the outcome of a decision.
Alternatives---decision maker has control
Uncertainties--uncontrollable factors
Decision maker must:
Secondary data collection
Internal database data (MIS).
Accounting data, government data, magazines,
survey of buying power, syndicated data services, Marketing Research
Corporation of America.
PRO Inexpensive, quick to obtain, multiple sources available, obtain info. that cannot be obtained through primary research, independent therefore credible.
CON maybe incomplete, dated, obsolete, methodology maybe unknown, all findings may not be public, reliability may be unproven.
SOURCES: internal = budgets, sales figures, profit and loss
statement, all research reports.
External = government, must consider dates, census of
population/manufacturing/retail trade, regular publications, IE
Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Commercial research houses: for a fee
as a subscriber IE AC Nielsen.
Primary data collection
Information "collected specifically for the purpose of the
investigation at hand", Dictionary of Marketing Terms. When a
thorough analysis of secondary research provides insufficient
information for a marketing decision to be made.
PRO Fits the precise purpose of the organization, information is current, methodology is controlled and known, available to firm and secret from competitors, no conflicting data from different sources, reliability can be determined, only way to fill a gap.
CON Time consuming, costly, some information cannot be collected.
Survey to news group is an example of quota sampling...will be non-probablistic.
news group...electronic survey
Example of poor questions from a survey sent to parents of children that went on summer camp:
What is your income to the nearest hundred dollars?
Should not be at the beginning!
Should use multiple choice...categories of income!
Are you a strong or weak supporter of overnight summer camping for your
children?
What does strong/weak mean!?
No middle ground answer!
Do your children behave themselves well at summer camp?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Of course they do ;-)
Would parents really know?!
How many camps mailed literature to you last April, this April?
No-one will remember!
What are the most salient and determinant attributes in your evaluation of summer
camps?
What do you mean ;-)
Do you think it is right to deprive your child of the opportunity to grow into a mature
person through the experience of summer camping?
Of course not!!
Mechanical observation devices, IE cameras, eye movement recorders, scanner technology, Nielsen techniques for media.
Observation avoids the central problem of survey methods, motivating respondents to state their true feelings or opinions. If this is the only method, then there is no data indicating the causal relationships.