The Marketing Research Process

ExploringMarketingResearchWilliamG.Zikmund,Chapter3:TheMarketingResearchProcess,Information,ReducesUncertaintyHelpsfocusdecisionmaking,TypesofResearch,ExploratoryDescriptiveCausal,COMPLETELYCERTAIN,ABSOLUTEAMBIGUITY,CAUSALORDESCRIPTIVE,EXPLORATORY,UncertaintyInfluencestheTypeofResearch,ExploratoryResearchDescriptiveResearchCausalResearch(UnawareofProblem)(AwareofProblem)(ProblemClearlyDefined)“Oursalesaredecliningand“Whatkindofpeoplearebuying“Willbuyerspurchasemoreofwedontknowwhy.”ourproduct?Whobuysourourproductsinanewpackage?competitorsproduct?”“Wouldpeoplebeinterested“Whichoftwoadvertisinginournewproductidea?”“Whatfeaturesdobuyersprefercampaignsismoreeffective?”inourproduct?”,DegreeofProblemDefinition,possiblesituation,ExploratoryResearch,SecondaryDataExperienceSurveyPilotStudies,ExploratoryResearch,InitialresearchconductedtoclarifyanddefinethenatureofaproblemDoesnotprovideconclusiveevidenceSubsequentresearchexpected,DescriptiveResearch,DescribescharacteristicsofapopulationorphenomenonSomeunderstandingofthenatureoftheproblem,“Ikeepsixhonestservingmen,(theytaughtmeallIknew),theirnamesare,-RudyardKipling,what,andwhy,andwhen,andhow,andwhere,andwho.”,DescriptiveResearchExample,WeightWatchersaveragecustomer:Womanabout40yearsoldHouseholdincomeofabout$50,000AtleastsomecollegeeducationTryingtojugglechildrenandajob,DescriptiveResearchExample,Mensfragrancemarket:1/3sizeofwomensfragrancemarketButgrowingatafasterpaceWomenbuy80%ofmensfragrances,CausalResearch,Conductedtoidentifycause-and-effectrelationships,IDENTIFYINGCAUSALITY,Acausalrelationshipisimpossibletoprove.Evidenceofcausality:1.Theappropriatecausalorderofevents2.Concomitantvariation-twophenomenavarytogether3.Anabsenceofalternativeplausibleexplanations,StagesoftheResearchProcess,ProblemDiscoveryandDefinition,ResearchDesign,Sampling,DataGathering,DataProcessingandAnalysis,ConclusionsandReport,DiscoveryandDefinition,andsoon,ResearchStages,Cyclicalprocess-conclusionsgeneratenewideasStagescanoverlapchronologicallyStagesarefunctionallyinterrelatedForwardlinkagesBackwardlinkages,Problemdiscovery,Problemdefinition(statementofresearchobjectives),Secondary(historical)data,Experiencesurvey,Pilotstudy,Casestudy,Selectionofexploratoryresearchtechnique,Selectionofbasicresearchmethod,Experiment,Survey,Observation,SecondaryDataStudy,Laboratory,Field,Interview,Questionnaire,Selectionofexploratoryresearchtechnique,Sampling,Probability,Nonprobability,Collectionofdata(fieldwork),Editingandcodingdata,Dataprocessing,Interpretationoffindings,Report,DataGathering,DataProcessingandAnalysis,ConclusionsandReport,ResearchDesign,ProblemDiscoveryandDefinition,TheMarketingResearchProcess,TheResearchProcess(cont.),StagesintheResearchProcess,ProblemdiscoveryandproblemdefinitionResearchdesignSamplingDatagatheringDataprocessingandanalysisConclusionsandreport,ProblemDiscoveryandDefinition,FirststepProblem,opportunity,ormonitoroperationsDiscoverybeforedefinitionProblemmeansmanagementproblem,“Theformulationoftheproblemisoftenmoreessentialthanitssolution”,AlbertEinstein,Statetheresearchquestionsandresearchobjectives,Hypothesis,Astatementthatcanberefutedbyempiricaldata,Ifyoudonotknowwhereyouaregoing,anyroadwilltakeyouthere.,ExploratoryResearch,ExploratoryResearchTechniques-TwoExamples,SecondaryData(HistoricalData)PreviouslyCollectedCensusofPopulationLiteratureSurveyPilotStudyAnumberofDiverseTechniques,FocusGroupInterview,ResearchDesign,MasterplanFrameworkforactionSpecifiesmethodsandprocedures,BasicResearchMethods,SurveysExperimentsSecondarydataObservation,SelectingaSample,POPULATION,SAMPLE,Sample:subsetofalargerpopulation.,Sampling,Whoistobesampled?Howlargeasample?Howwillsampleunitsbeselected?,DataGatheringStage,DataProcessingandAnalysis,ConclusionsandReportWriting,Effectivecommunicationoftheresearchfindings,ResearchProposal,Awrittenstatementoftheresearchdesignthatincludesastatementexplainingthe