THE RESEARCH PROCESS
• The basis of marketing?
customer needs and satisfaction of those needs
• The role of research
1. understanding the market situation
2. strategy development
3. marketing program
4. monitoring and refinement
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How research often works
• We’re not sure what to do here
– LET’S DO SOME RESEARCH
• Sales are disappointing.
– WHAT WENT WRONG?
• Data already exist
– LET’S USE THEM
• Government sponsored programs
– RESEARCH IS REQUIRED
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Steps in the process
1. Identify the Research Problem
2. Choose the Research Method
3. Select the Sampling Procedure
4. Collect the Data
5. Analyze the Data
6. Write the Report
7. Follow up
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1. Identify the Research Problem
What do we want to know?
e.g., Understanding the environment
• macro: trends relating to demand for the product
• micro: wants, needs, and behaviors of consumers
– opportunities, threats, competition
• Does the information already exist?
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2. Choose the Research Method
1. Descriptive research
focus groups, observation
what do people think of your product,
what do they do in your store?
2. Survey research
surveys
who buys your product?
3. Causal research
experiments
optimal sales price
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Understanding
of problem?
Problem?
Poor
EXPLORATORY or
SECONDARY
RESEARCH
Good
Need to establish
causality?
Yes
EXPERIMENT
No
Objective
answers by
asking?
No
OBSERVATIONAL
RESEARCH
Yes
Need estimates
of prevalence?
No
FOCUS GROUPS
Yes
SURVEY
3. Select the Sampling Procedure
Census or Sample?
Census is everyone,
Sample is a portion
Identify target population
who are the people you want information on?
Determine the sampling frame
names, phone numbers or addresses?
Probability or nonprobability sample?
random or convenience procedure
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4. Collect the data
Carry out the appropriate procedure
Real world:
Marketing research field service
Your study:
Conduct interviews, distribute and collect
questionnaires, or conduct experiment
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5. Analyze the data
• What did you find?
– Univariate results
– Bivariate results
• Continue analysis
– Work through all important questions
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6. Write the report
• Start with research proposal
• Add the results
– What did you find?
• Interpret the findings
– What did we learn?
– What does it mean?
– What don’t we know?
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7. Follow up
• Insure the report circulated
• Insure it was correctly interpreted
• Assess different reactions (politics)
• Opportunity for additional research?
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What Decision Makers Want
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Confidentiality
Honesty
Flexibility
Communication
Punctuality
Quality data
Readability
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Research ethics
1. From the client’s perspective:
• Accuracy
• Professional conduct
• Confidentiality of respondents
• Careful supervision
• Disclose results and procedures (data?) to clients
• Promote trust of the profession
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Research ethics
2. From the participant’s perspective
– MAIN PRINCIPLE: DO NO HARM
• Safety (no harm)
• Privacy (or anonymity)
• True purpose of the research (no deception)
• Right to refuse to participate or answer
• Right to research results (debriefing)
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Research proposal
1. Executive summary [1 page]
abstract
2. Purpose and objective [4 pages]
literature review, previous research
3. Research design [1 page + appendix]
methods
4. Time and cost estimates [1 page]
budget
5. Appendices
references, sample questions
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The End
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