Exploring
Marketing Research
William G. Zikmund
Chapter 3:
The Marketing Research Process

Information
•
Reduces Uncertainty
•
Helps focus decision making

•
Exploratory
•
Descriptive
•
Causal
Types of Research

Uncertainty Influences the Type of Research
CAUSAL OR
DESCRIPTIVE
COMPLETELY
CERTAIN
ABSOLUTE
AMBIGUITY
EXPLORATORY

Degree of Problem Definition
Exploratory Research
(Unaware of Problem)
Descriptive Research
(Aware of Problem)
Causal Research
(Problem Clearly Defined)
“Our sales are declining and “What kind of people are buying “Will buyers purchase more of we don’t know why.”
“Would people be interested our product? Who buys our competitor’s product?” our products in a new package?
“Which of two advertising in our new product idea?” “What features do buyers prefer campaigns is more effective?” in our product?”

Exploratory Research
Secondary Data
Experience Survey
Pilot Studies

Exploratory Research
•
Initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem
•
Does not provide conclusive evidence
•
Subsequent research expected

Secondary
( historical )
Data
Pilot
Study
Exploratory
Research
Experience
Survey
Case
Study

Exploratory Research
Techniques - Two Examples
•
Secondary Data (Historical Data)
–
Previously Collected
–
Census of Population
–
Literature Survey
•
Pilot Study
–
A number of Diverse Techniques

Focus Group Interview

Descriptive Research
•
Describes characteristics of a population or phenomenon
•
Some understanding of the nature of the problem

“I keep six honest serving men, (they taught me all I knew), their names are what, and why, and when, and how, and where and who.”
--Rudyard Kipling

Descriptive Research Example
Weight Watchers average customer:
–
Woman about 40 years old
–
Household income of about $50,000
–
At least some college education
–
Trying to juggle children and a job

Descriptive Research Example
Men’s fragrance market:
– 1/3 size of women’s fragrance market
–
But growing at a faster pace
– Women buy 80 % of men’s fragrances

Causal Research
•
Conducted to identify cause-and-effect relationships

IDENTIFYING CAUSALITY
A causal relationship is impossible to prove.
Evidence of causality:
1. The appropriate causal order of events
2. Concomitant variation--two phenomena vary together
3. An absence of alternative plausible explanations

Stages of the Research Process
Problem Discovery and Definition
Discovery and
Definition and so on
Research
Design Conclusions and
Report
Sampling
Data Processing and Analysis
Data
Gathering

Research Stages
•
Cyclical process - conclusions generate new ideas
•
Stages can overlap chronologically
•
Stages are functionally interrelated
–
Forward linkages
– Backward linkages

Problem Discovery and Definition
Problem discovery
Secondary
(historical) data
Experience survey
Research Design
Problem definition
(statement of research objectives)
Selection of basic research method
Pilot study
Experiment
Laboratory Field
Selection of exploratory research technique
Interview
Survey
Questionnaire
Case study
Observation
Secondary
Data Study
Sampling
Selection of exploratory research technique
Probability Nonprobability
Data
Gathering
Data
Processing and
Analysis
Conclusions and Report
Collection of data
(fieldwork)
Editing and coding data
Data processing
Interpretation of findings
Report

The Marketing Research Process
Problem
Discovery
Selection of
Sample Design
Collection of the
Data
Exploratory
Research
Selection of the
Basic Research
Method

The Research Process (cont.)
Editing and
Coding
Report
Data Processing
Interpretation of the Findings

Research Proposal
•
A written statement of the research design that includes a statement explaining the purpose of the study
•
Detailed outline of procedures associated with a particular methodology

Problem Discovery and
Definition
•
First step
•
Problem, opportunity, or monitor operations
•
Discovery before definition
•
Problem means management problem

Defining Problem Results in
Clear Cut Research Objectives
Symptom Detection
Analysis of the Situation
Exploratory
Research
(Optional)
Problem Definition
Statement of
Research Objectives

“The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution”
Albert Einstein

Hypothesis
•
A statement that can be refuted by empirical data

If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Research Design
•
Master plan
•
Framework for action
•
Specifies methods and procedures

Sample: subset of a larger population.
Selecting a Sample
SAMPLE
POPULATION

Sampling
•
Who is to be sampled?
•
How large a sample?
•
How will sample units be selected?

Data Gathering Stage

Data Processing and Analysis

Conclusions and Report Writing
•
Effective communication of the research findings

Research Program Strategy