Ruiyang Yuan (Mickey)
Marketing 342
Take Home Assignment
Question #1:
Dunkin Executive is touched by the fact that Starbuck is doing well as before. They
therefore see the need to reach out to the market and customers to know exactly what the
consumers need so that it can be adjusted accordingly. They also want to strictly go beyond
superficial and socially acceptable answers by engaging the greater population on the basics,
efficiency and affectivity of its operation. This is aimed at ensuring potential customers are reached
and their opinions given much consideration and acted upon. This may brighten the future of
Dunkin operations and make it compete reasonably in the market and advance its profit margin or
even surpass it significantly.
Repositioning their brand may not add significant value to Dunkin operations. This is
because the market is already full of new brands and consumers are on the move to find out the
special offer in the other cafes. Consumers are driven by persuasion and new products may seem
attractive to them until they ascertain that the previous café offers quality services than the new
ones. Dunkin Executive therefore has a duty to explore the market and learn about the people’s
changing attitudes, beliefs and opinions. All these are aimed at ensuring the café expands its
operations and open branches while full of life and attract the greater customer percentage like it
does previously or even do better than before.
Question #2:
The right question is the leading factor for Dunkin Cafe to expand and succeed. It plays a
vital role in comprehensively reaching out to customers. The right question sets the research
objectives straight and focuses on them with rigorous standards. Dunkin must employ the right
question in order to be clear in all it undertakes for the research. This gives room for time
management and focus. Opening new branches in a competitive market requires a lot of accuracy
and determination. This is only possible if the set question addresses the current market situation
and it’s geared towards striking on the target group with a lot of persuasion.
Research Question: How do we reach out to the market effectively?
Question #3
First and foremost Secondary research involves gathering statistics, reports, studies and
other data from organizations such as government agencies, trade associations and your local
chamber of commerce. These statistics, reports and studies are very essential for any market
research to be successful. Organizations need secondary research for effective findings and
conclusions before engaging in the actual business or putting the business idea into action. Dunkin
Cafe cannot be an exception, it should conduct a secondary research to gather relevant information
regarding the market and act accordingly. In business, each and every step is very important more
so an expanding organization must consider all the means possible for it to succeed. Having the
aforementioned ideas in mind, I will advise the CMO that conducting secondary research is much
necessary. It’s imperative to note that the market is already flooded with other cafes. The
consumers have a variety of choices to make thus they will go for the most affordable, convenient
and quality services.
Secondary research is very important because it will help the company find out clearly why
the other cafes are doing well and how they can effectively improve and be competitive in the
market. Business matters are not just about saving money, it’s about spending rightfully to get
more in return. Secondary research is not time consuming as primary research may be. It’s prudent
for Dunkin to find out divergent opinions on how to offer quality services and attract a greater
percentage of customers. I would advise the CMO to spend money in the research but to ensure
it’s spent specifically for its purpose. There is no short cut for any effective operation.
Question #4
I will respond by first explaining to him exactly what qualitative research means in
marketing. Qualitative research is where the findings arrived at after data collection is not
statistical and neither employs any statistical procedures. Data is collected without applying any
mathematical modelling. The research simply reach out to the respondents and engage them in
simple tasks with an intent of getting facts or information useful for the expansion of the business
in terms of feasibility study, tact and enhancement of business operations comprehensively.
This kind of research provides a lot of details about human behaviour, emotion, and
personality characteristics that quantitative studies cannot match. Dunkin needs qualitative
research to know exactly where to invest heavily and where not to. This will ensure efficiency and
avoids unnecessary wastages. It will also provide valuable data for use in the design of a product,
the consumer needs and behavioural patterns. It’s therefore relevant for Dunkin to conduct
qualitative research with clear goals.
Competent personnel should be employed to realise the business objectives. Quantitative
on the other hand is where the research findings are arrived at by statistical inference or well
explained mathematical modelling. As a researcher I am driven by quality work. My philosophy
will greatly focus on positivism. I will apply all the relevant tenets of positivism; that is,
verification principle whereby the data collected will have to be verified accordingly to remove
too much doubts, observation of the consumer behaviour in the market, prediction of what is likely
to attract more profits in the future and objectivity. As a researcher I must be able to separate facts
from values. This will be done through inductive and deductive reasoning.
Question #5
Because focus groups bring people together for instance, a small group of individuals (at
least 4, at most 8) who are guided through discussion with a trained moderator who ensure quality
information is gotten out of serious discussion concerning the research question. This will help the
researcher go beyond superficial and socially acceptable answers. He or she will be able get
detailed information about the market and employ accurate procedures to market the products.
Focus groups are very important as they also enable the researcher learn about attitudes, beliefs
and opinions of the consumers the business is dealing with. The groups are given some time to
discuss and deliberate on way forward for the business.
After you convince him about conducting focus groups and observations, how would you
conduct the focus groups? [Please go through the steps here. And, give me few question examples,
and also explain who you would choose the sample for the focus group. Why? First I will come
up with the focus groups. The members of the focus groups will be customers, workers and staff.
Then give them 3-5 minutes to socialize (leave them alone in the room). This is to make them
know each other and share a bit about themselves in order to relieve them of anxiety, panic and
discomfort. Thereafter I will enter into the room and introduce myself. Tell them clearly what the
focus group is meant for; the purpose of the study should come out clearly. Inform them of the
idea to expand Dunkin café and open other branches. I will give the right information to get the
right responses. I must ensure to apply courtesy and good etiquette. I listen and observe the
customers response and interaction to each and every question. Because of the gravity of this
research, I will choose to record all the conversation for use and future reference. Also important
will be summarizing the discussion after each and every question. To ensure I get appropriate
responses, I will formulate questions relevant for the research and direct them to the respondents.
For example, I will ask them to tell me anything important about Dunkin Café, and give me their
opinion on how they think the café can be managed better with the opening of many branches.
After all these discussions, I will close the session by wholeheartedly thanking the participants for
their time and cooperation and be again clear to them on how the data will be used for the benefit
of the café. This is also the time for them to further give their inputs where necessary. In summary,
I will follow the procedure below to effectively conduct focus groups discussions and come up
with the best findings to put to practice during expansion of the Dunkin Café.
1. The opening where I welcome the group, introduce the purpose and context of the focus
group, explain what a focus group is and how it will flow, and make the introductions.
2. The question section is where I asked the questions I designed for this study. As noted
above, I asked the customers to give their opinion on Dunkin Café can be managed better?
3. The closing section wraps up the focus group. This includes thanking the participants,
giving them an opportunity and avenue for further input, telling them how the data will be
used.
Question #6
The best survey method that fits Dunkin Cafe currently is field survey. Field survey entails
questionnaire that may be open ended or close ended. The questionnaire may be administered face
to face or through other possible means. I will pick on questionnaire because it will provide a
platform for collecting comprehensive data from the respondents. As the researcher, I will be
meeting the customers one on one, provide them with the questionnaire and engage them where
necessary to obtain accurate information. Questionnaires are easy to understand if well designed.
I will ensure the one I use is simple and flexible for all the respondents to easily comprehend and
provide accurate answers.
Random errors in experimental measurements are caused by unknown and unpredictable
changes in the experiment. These changes may occur in the measuring instruments or in the
environmental conditions. These errors do occur unexpectedly and may cause confusion during
research. For instance, noises from the surrounding are likely to cause these errors. Noise is
interruptive and may distract the attention of the respondents and the researcher to an extent that
the content of the research may be lost. Random errors can also be caused by irregular changes
that come about as a result of inability of the respondents to provide accurate answers. This may
be because the respondents shy away or they deliberately lie to the researcher.
Systematic errors on the other hand are errors that usually come from the measuring
instruments in experimental observations. They may occur because there is something wrong with
the instrument or its data handling system. These errors may be too serious to an extent of the
research losing meaning completely. They should be handled with a lot of concern and rectified
immediately if possible. They are responsible for wrong findings. They also result from wrong
usage of an instrument by the experimenter.
It’s always not deliberate but result from may be ignorant use of research instruments or failing to
know the correct instrument to use in a particular field.
The two errors (random and systematic) may affect my research for Dunkin Cafe in that
the unpredictable market changes may not auger well with the research. The rapid market changes
may be unbearable for Dunkin Cafe in its urge to expand its branches all over. Resistance and
competition from the market may be too strong to an extent that the research findings may have
logical errors when applied in reality. Aspects of using wrong instruments are also a possible
challenge for my research. The fact that the business is expanding at a time that the market is
already full of other competitive cafes may confuse the researcher to apply wrong measurements
because of the work log involved.
Systematic error is of two types. The first one is offset or zero setting error in which the
instrument does not read zero when the quantity to be measured is zero. This is dangerous for the
research as it may culminate to wrong findings and unreliable data. The other one is multiplier or
scale factor error in which the instrument consistently reads changes in the quantity to be measured
greater or less than the actual changes. These errors should be prevented for effective research
work.
On to the quality of the data, I will specifically use the customers in the current operational
Dunkin Cafe. I will get relevant information from them for example the quality of service provided
currently, what needs to be adjusted and any recommendation for the cafe to implement or adopt.
Marketing and managing the new branches may be done just like the current cafe is managed and
marketed to make the huge profits. I will therefore take data from the staff, workers and other
subordinate staff on the possible reasons for the success of the current Dunkin Cafe. Getting data
from the insiders, customers and other outsiders will provide a good platform for necessary
adjustments because all the loopholes will be identified and corrected accordingly.
The consequences of population specification error are unreliable data, wrong findings,
and inadequate information among others. These result from wrong choice of sample. The
population of choice may not be willing to give right information thus endangers the entire research
findings and conclusions.
Question #7
Measurement is a process of assigning numbers to objects in meaningful ways.
Measurements always begin by placing a set of empirical objects into mutually exclusive
categories and exhaustive categories based upon some discernible attribute of objects.
In this study, we are measuring the ability of Dunkin Cafe to expand and open its branches
amidst stiff competition from well-established cafeterias. This concept is very important because
it introduces us to advertisement and ability to persuade consumers to buy your product at the
expense of the already established businesses. Dunkin Cafe aims at significantly reaching out to
buyers and convinces them to enjoy coffee from their main branch and other branches. It’s not an
easy task therefore it must be given a lot of input to realise it. The idea of product differentiation
comes in. Dunkin cafe has to at least differentiate their products from the existing ones in the
market in order to entice customers to come in large numbers. Opening new branches is basically
aimed at making more profit.
I would like to note that operationalization is knowing something when you see it. Upon
introduction of advertisement and product differentiation to effectively market the new branches
of Dunkin, it will be easier for consumer to observe and internalise the information on the
advertisement and act accordingly. This may sway them to consume most of their coffee in the
new branches. Constitutively, the brand Dunkin cafe may choose to use may be of significant
effect to the entire market and also sway a greater percentage of the population.
Validity in this context means that a study is valid if it measures what it claims to and there
are no logical errors in drawing conclusion from the data. Validity presupposes accurate standards
in any research work. It assumes that the work is valid once proven that the methods of data
collection used and the measurements applied are all valid and no logical errors can be drawn from
the data.
Reliability on the other hand means that the research findings should be free from bias and
prejudice. Reliable finding is based on the empirical foundation of observation and
experimentation. The greater the number of observations the more valid a finding is considered.
Reliability is therefore important in ensuring that accurate data is brought on board and the findings
are also accurate for the researcher to draw logical conclusion from them. A reliable data can be
used for future reference. The way to ascertain whether a research has valid and reliable findings
is to measure the validity of the findings. The findings should not show any indication of logical
errors and must be objective from the beginning to the end. Data collected should be trustworthy
and discern reality. If I measure my findings and prove that they have no logical errors then I will
be sure that they are not only valid but also reliable.
Question #8
I think of marketing research as a vital tool in ensuring a product is exhaustively marketed
and made known to a greater part of the target population. Marketing helps build customer
relations, traverse the market and sell new products and ideas significantly. Due to expanding
markets and warehouses, an increasingly dynamic market more responsive to non-traditional
factors of market place survival along with manufacturers and distributors in different parts of the
world, the need to rethink marketing management has become a central theme in the research
industry. This is essential if the research industry is to cut costs as well as increasing efficiency.
Marketing research workshops reaches many people out there since they conduct it in
various parts of the state. Through demonstration of the research material, the learners see tangible
evidence of research that makes them appreciate the work. The marketing research also looks for
market gaps and opportunity that provides channels for selling the product. The workshops
provides advertising services to the public through giving out free sample to potential customers
who later promotes it to the rest thus expanding the knowledge of the product to a large group of
customers.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention that marketing research has
completely exhausted one of my expectations by reaching out to a large number of consumers and
creating awareness on the quality of products sold in the market. Buyers are today able to make
informed decisions and purchase quality products unlike before. Marketing research has failed to
secure customers from fraud. I expected tight security both online and offline on consumers not to
be defrauded but it has not been the case. Buyers are cheated every day and sold to wrong items
and substandard goods. This is shocking to make because I expected marketing research to have
advanced security to catch up with all fraudsters and money launderers. It’s quite unfortunate that
senior personnel in marketing research at times collude with the conmen to con customers. This is
a major reason why the safety for consumers is not yet fully realised.