Marketing Research
The Marketing Research Process
Dr. Zafer Erdogan
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
2
Information & Decision Making
The key to decision making is;
– to recognize the nature of the
problem/opportunity,
– to identify how much information is
available,
– to recognize what information is needed.
Types Of Research
Marketing research can
be classified on the
basis of technique or
purpose.
– Exploratory
– Descriptive
– Causal
Exploratory Research
• Initial research conducted to clarify and
define the nature of a problem
• Does not provide conclusive evidence
• Subsequent research expected
– Our sales are declining and we don’t know why.
– Would people be interested in our new product
idea?
Descriptive Research
• Describes characteristics of a population or
phenomenon
• Some understanding of the nature of the
problem
– What kind of people are buying our product?
– Who buys our competitor’s product?
– What features do buyers prefer in our product?
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
– Will buyers purchase more of our products
in a new package?
– Which of two advertising campaigns is
more effective?
?
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
Degree of Uncertainty Influences
The Type of Research
CAUSAL OR
DESCRIPTIVE
COMPLETELY
CERTAIN
ABSOLUTE
AMBIGUITY
EXPLORATORY
Stages of the Research Process
Problem Discovery
and Definition
Research
Design
Discovery and
Definition
and so on
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
Problem Discovery
and Definition
Sampling
Selection of
exploratory research
technique
Secondary
(historical)
data
Experience
survey
Probability
Pilot
study
Case
study
Data
Gathering
Data
Processing
and
Analysis
Problem definition
(statement of
research objectives)
Experiment
Laboratory
Conclusions
and Report
Survey
Field
Interview
Nonprobability
Collection of
data
(fieldwork)
Editing and
coding
data
Data
processing
Selection of
basic research
method
Research Design
Selection of
Sampling
technique
Questionnaire
Observation
Secondary
Data Study
Interpretation
of
findings
Report
Problem Discovery and Definition
• First step
• Problem, opportunity, or monitor
operations
• Discovery before definition
• Problem means management problem
“The formulation of the problem is
often more essential than its solution”
Albert Einstein
State the research questions and
research objectives
Make a formal problem statement and the research
objectives
To provide a framework for the scope of the study
‘To what extent did the new comm. campaign achieve its
objectives’
The best expression of a research objective is a wellformed, testable research hypothesis.
– A statement
– that can be refuted or supported
– by empirical data
17
If you do not know where you are going,
any road will take you there.
Exploratory Research Techniques
Two Examples
• Secondary data (historical data)
– Previously collected
– Census of population
– Literature survey
• Pilot study
– A number of diverse techniques
Research Design
• Master plan
• Framework for action
• Specifies methods and
procedures
Basic Research Methods
•
•
•
•
Surveys
Experiments
Secondary data
Observation
There is no one best research design!
Selecting a Sample
Sample: subset
of a larger population.
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
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