The Marketing Research Process
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Market Research
 When information is gathered that is very specifically
focused on a single target market
 Steps in Marketing Research
 Discover and define the problem.
 Analyze current conditions.
 Develop the process for data collection.
 Collect the data.
 Analyze and report the data.
 Determine a solution to the problem.
 Implement and evaluate the results.
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Step 1: Discover and Define the
Problem
 Exploratory Research-conducted when a business is
unaware of the exact problem (television network
conducts research to determine why fewer people are
watching a particular show)
 Desk Research-where reports of other completed
research are used to help define the problem
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Step 1: Discover and Define the
Problem
 Descriptive Research-is used when the business is aware of
the problem that needs to be solved (if a group wants to
start a new professional soccer team, it needs to know if
there will be a sufficient fan base to support the team)
 Causal Research-used to determine cause-and-effect
relationships when the problem is already clearly defined
(when the sports team’s marketing department does not
know which of two team logos and colors will motivate fans
to buy more team merchandise, research can help
determine the effect of each alternative)
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Step 2: Analyze Current Conditions
 Look at sales volume.
 Analyze customer data to understand current
conditions.
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Step 3: Develop the Process for
Data Collection
 Observation
 Conducting a Survey
 Personal Interviews with Customers
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Step 4: Collect the Data
 Use e-mail to contact season ticket holders
 Survey a sample-a small number representative of the
large group
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Step 5: Analyze and Report the
Data
 Electronically compile responses.
 Look for patterns in the data.
 Draw conclusions based on the patterns.
 Track sales.
 Determine price points-the range of prices charged for
a category of merchandise
 Spreadsheets and database software help sort
thousand of bits of data and make sense of the data
 Charts and graphs-visual representation of results
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Step 6: Determine a Solution to the
Problem
 Based on Conclusions from the Data
 Make Recommendations
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Step 7: Implement and Evaluate
the Results
 Concerns might be uncovered.
 Companies implement the changes to determine
whether they actually result in an effective solution to
the problem.
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Human Factor of Marketing
Research
 Research Sophistication
 Gut feeling and intuition
 Research is valued and actively used to make decisions
 Decisions based on sound information
 Reducing Conflict
 Research results may indicate the need for change
 Managers should not “shoot the messenger.”
 Research that indicates unhappy customers-presents
opportunities for departments to work together for the
best solution
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Human Factor of Marketing
Research
 Ethical Research
 Report information accurately and objectively
 Biased research is inaccurate research
 Obligation to protect the privacy of those who provide
information for research
 Confidentiality-the researcher has an obligation to not
reveal the specific identities of the respondents
 FTC makes it illegal for researchers to pretend they are
conducting research when they are actually disguising a
sales tactic
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What’s in it for Me?
 Coupons-discount on a meal for answering a survey
 Free Movie Ticket-for responding to the movie survey
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Worldwide Data
 Global market-growing for sports, entertainment, and
recreation
 Billions of People-in more than 200 countries watched
or listened to the2006 FIFA World Cup matches
 Export sports and entertainment programming
 Must be sensitive to different cultures
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