Research Methods in Marketing Syllabus
MKT 450 – 0 Section 61
Fall Quarter 2007
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Clinical Associate Professor Robert Schieffer
E Mail is r-schieffer@kellogg.northwestern.edu
Office is Jacobs Center Leverone Hall 489
Phones: 847-491-7109 (office), 847-212-2479 (cell)
Administrative Assistant is Subarna Ranjit
– (s-ranjit@kellogg.northwestern.edu)
• Office hours are Tuesdays and Fridays after class, or
other times as required and scheduled by students
Research Methods in Marketing
Syllabus
• Marketing Research is not about collecting and
analyzing data
• Marketing Research is about gaining customer
insight and making winning Marketing decisions
• OBJECTIVE: Course objective is to engage students
in a thorough understanding and appreciation of the
high impact of Marketing Research on strategic,
marketing and product development decisions. The
course has a strong focus on the application of
Marketing Research tools rather than just the
execution of these tools. The course is directed at the
user of Marketing Research, rather than the Market
Researcher
Research Methods in Marketing
Syllabus
• A case packet is required, which includes 4 cases and 23 articles
• Ten Key Customer Insights, Schieffer, 2005, is the required book
• The first recommended text is The Culture Code, Rapaille, 2006,
which is an excellent book for understanding how we acquire a silent
system of codes as we grow up within a culture, and how these
unconscious codes guide our actions and purchase behavior
• The second recommended text is Marketing Research Essentials,
McDaniel and Gates, Sixth Edition, 2008. Students seeking a good
reference for marketing research methods can invest in this text. This
text includes SPSS statistical software that will be used in class.
• EXPECTATIONS: Students are expected to attend all classes and to
come prepared to participate in class discussion. Assigned readings,
articles, lecture notes and cases should be read prior to class
• Pre-requisites: MKTG 430 and DECS 434 or DECS 437 or IEMS
471-2
Research Methods in Marketing
Syllabus
• Grade calculation: A = 95.0 and above, B = 90.0– 94.9,
C = 89.9 and below
• All assignments are graded on a 100 point scale
• Final grade composition:
– Class Participation and Attendance – 10%
– Individual assignments – 25%
• 15% Individual Depth Interview Individual Assignment
• 10% MP3 Player Conjoint Individual Assignment
– Team assignments – 65%
• 10% Iridium Conjoint Team Assignment
• 10% Nestle Contadina Pizza Case Team Assignment
• 45% Marketing Research Team Project
• STUDENT SIGN-IN SHEET: Students are asked to
initial the sign-in sheet as they enter the classroom.
Should a student forget, an e mail to the professor can
have your class attendance recorded
Marketing 450
Class Attendance and Participation Grades
20 Classes
19 Classes
18 Classes
17 Classes
16 Classes
Less than 16
Classes
Very Good
Student
Participation
Good
Student
Participation
Fair
Student
Participation
105
100
95
85
75
60
95
90
85
75
65
50
85
80
75
65
55
40
Research Methods in Marketing
Syllabus
• COURSE STRUCTURE – The course is broadly structured to
follow the steps of the marketing research process, and the
content will parallel student’s work on their team project. The
finals week will be devoted to team presentations of the findings
and recommendations of the Marketing Research team projects.
• TEAMS – Students will organize themselves into teams of 4-5
students and need to notify the professor of the name of their
team by the end of the day of the first class. All students are
expected to participate fully in the team assignments. Students
will evaluate the contributions of fellow team members on
the team assignments and grades will reflect these peer
evaluations. To avoid unpleasant surprises, students are strongly
encouraged to use TeamNet throughout the quarter
• NO LAP TOP USE IN CLASS – Please keep your lap top
computer closed during class; paper copies of lectures will be
distributed before class for note taking purposes
Team Peer Evaluation Impact on Grade of Final Team Assignment
Scale Used is 7 = Contributed Greatly to Quality, 1 = Did Not Contribute at All to Quality of Assignment
Adjustment is Made Only if a Student Receives a Rating Below 6 From More Than One Team Member
Average of Ratings
% of Team Grade
5.5 and above
97%
5.0 – 5.4
94%
4.5 – 4.9
90%
4.0 – 4.4
86%
3.5 – 3.9
81%
3.0 – 3.4
76%
Below 3.0
70%
Research Methods in Marketing
Syllabus
• COMMUNICATIONS – All lecture notes and assignments will
be posted on the Course Blackboard prior to each class. For
depth discussions, students are encouraged to meet with the
professor in his office rather than in the classroom.
• HONOR CODE – All students will abide by the Kellogg Honor
Code. It is a violation of the Honor Code to discuss any course
assignments with students who have taken the course previously.
• SPSS SOFTWARE – Specialized software developed for
Marketing Research applications will be used in this class.
Students have four options to access this software:
– 1) SPSS Student Version (50 variables limit) is included with the
Marketing Research Essentials recommended text,
– 2) SPSS can be accessed in the Kellogg Computer Lab,
– 3) the SPSS software can be purchased from SPSS for $619 or
– 4) a 14 day free trial can be accessed by searching the SPSS web page
Marketing Research Project Guidelines
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Student teams are responsible for identifying the sponsor for their Marketing
Research project. An ideal sponsor:
1) has an important marketing decision to make,
2) needs customer insight to decide between several decision alternatives,
and
3) is willing to provide financial resources for purchase of a sample frame
and for respondent incentives.
Students should review potential projects posted at
http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/corporate/studentprojects.htm
All communications and negotiations with the project sponsor will be with
the student team, not with the Professor.
Student teams are responsible for designing and executing all phases of the
project. Teams should avoid sponsors who have the project designed and
want students to execute it for them.
Students who plan to collect data via the Internet can access qualtrics.com
from the KIS web page
Respondents to your survey are to remain anonymous.
Fall 2007 Section 61Marketing Research Project Plan
DATE and PHASE
Written Assignment Due
Professor Meeting
T Sept 25
F Sept 28 PROJECT SPONSOR IDENTIFIED
T Oct 2 SPONSOR MEETINGS
F Oct 5 SPONSOR DECISION IDENTIFIED
T Oct 9
PROBLEM FORMULATION
Monday Oct 8 or Tuesday Oct. 9
F Oct 12 RESEARCH DESIGN
T Oct 16
RESEARCH DESIGN
Monday Oct. 15 or Tuesday Oct. 16
F Oct 19 SECONDARY RESEARCH
T Oct 23 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
(Individual Depth Interview Assignment)
F Oct 26
SECONDARY RESEARCH SUMMARY
T Oct 30 Plan DATA COLLECTION and ANALYSIS
F Nov 2 SAMPLE DESIGN
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH SUMMARY
DATA COLLECTION PLAN
T Nov 6 QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN and PRE-TEST
F Nov 9 QUESTIONNAIRE REVISED
PRETESTED QUESTIONNAIRE
Recommended
T Nov 13 DATA COLLECTION BEGUN
F Nov 16
(MP3 Player Conjoint)
(Iridium Conjoint)
T Nov 27 DATA COLLECTION COMPLETED
F Nov 30 DATA ANALYSIS COMPLETED
T Dec 4 PREPARATION of FINDINGS and
RECOMMENDATIONS
F Dec 7 SCHEDULING of RESEARCH
PRESENTATIONS
Monday Nov. 26 or Tuesday Nov. 27
(Nestle Contadina Pizza Case)
Syllabus – MKTG 450 Section 61
Fall 2007 Schieffer
CLASS
DAY and
DATE
1
Tuesday
Sept
25
2
Friday
Sept
28
3
Tuesday
Oct
2
4
Friday
Oct
5
TOPIC
BE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS
Introduction to
Marketing
Research
P & G Chief’s
Turnaround
Recipe: Find Out
What Women
Want
Marketing
Research Process
Problem
Formulation
New Coke Case
(Questions are at the
end of the case)
OTHER
READINGS
Introduction to
TKCI book
Essentials Ch. 1
Misconceptions
about Market
Orientation
Backward Market
Research
Essentials Ch. 2
comScore Web
Sources of
Standardized Data Site
comScore Guest
Speaker
Research Designs
Secondary Data
TKCI Chapter 1
Intelliseek Case
Essentials Ch. 3
Introduction to
Culture Code
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
Syllabus – MKTG 450 Section 61
Fall 2007 Schieffer
CLASS
5
6
7
8
DAY and
DATE
TOPIC
Tuesday Exploratory
Research
Oct
9
Friday
Oct
12
OTHER
READINGS
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
TKCI Chapters 2 &
3
The ZMET
Alternative
Does the Smell of
Coffee…?
P & G Checks Out Real
Life
The Science of Desire
Culture Code Chaps.
1,4,7,9,10 & 12
Spend a day in the Life
of Your Customer
Problem
Formulation
Essentials Chaps. 4 & 6
(Find respondent for
individual depth
interview and ask
them to begin
collage)
Exploratory
Research
Guest Speaker
Tuesday B to B Exploratory
Causal Research –
Oct
Experimentation
16
Friday
Oct
19
BE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS
Descriptive Research
Attitude
Measurement
The Customer
Visit: Qualitative
Research for B2B
Neuromarketing:
Brain Scam or
Valuable Tool?
Essentials Chap. 7
Boost Your Marketing
R.O.I….
Placebo Effects of
Marketing Actions
Essentials Chaps. 5 &
8
Research
Design
Syllabus – MKTG 450 Section 61
Fall 2007 Schieffer
CLASS
DAY and
DATE
TOPIC
BE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS
OTHER
READINGS
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
Primary Data
Individual
Collection
Depth Interview
Sampling Methods Assignment
Essentials
Chaps. 10 & 11
Individual
Depth Interview
Questionnaire
Development
Qualtrics.com
survey tool on
KIS web page
Essentials
Chap. 9
9
Tuesday
Oct
23
10
Friday
Oct
26
11
Tuesday
Oct
30
Market
Segmentation and
Targeting
TKCI Chap. 4
Summary of
Exploratory
Research
12
Friday
Nov
2
Market
Segmentation
Tutorial – Cluster
Analysis
Exploratory
Research on
your Project
Iridium Case
Data Collection
Plan
Summary of
Secondary
Research
Syllabus – MKTG 450 Section 61
Fall 2007 Schieffer
CLASS
13
DAY and
DATE
TOPIC
OTHER
READINGS
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
Analysis of
Survey Data
Essentials
Chaps. 12 &
13
Pre-tested
Questionnaire
Product
TKCI Chap. 6
Conjoint Analysis: A
Optimization
Models – Conjoint Manager’s Guide
Analysis
Defeating
Feature Fatigue
Eager Sellers
Stony Buyers
Tuesday Positioning Tools
– Perceptual
Nov
Mapping
6
14
Friday
Nov
9
15
Tuesday
Nov
13
16
Friday
Nov
16
Product
Optimization
Models – Choice
Models
BE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS
Analyzing
Customer
Perceptions
TKCI Chap. 5
Zenith Case
MP3 Player
Conjoint
Iridium
Conjoint
Syllabus – MKTG 450 Section 61
Fall 2007 Schieffer
CLASS
17
18
19
20
DAY and
DATE
TOPIC
Tuesday New Product
Forecasting
Nov
Guest Speaker
27
BE PREPARED
TO DISCUSS
OTHER
READINGS
Iridium Conjoint Flops
Chap.10 of TKCI Product
Development
Customer
Satisfaction and
Loyalty Research
Nestle Contadina
Pizza
Recommendation
TKCI Chap. 9
Why Satisfied
Customers Defect
Customer
Satisfaction and
Stock Prices
Tuesday Pricing Research
Communications
Dec
Research
4
TKCI Chaps. 7 &
8
How Much are
Customers
Willing to Pay?
The Price is
Right… or is it?
TCE
Iridium Wrap-up
Re-read Iridium
Case
TKCI Conclusion
Friday
Nov
30
Friday
Dec
7
ASSIGNMENT
DUE
Nestle
Contadina
Pizza Case
Essentials Chap. 14
Marketing
Research Project
Presentation Due
on Date of
Presentation