http://www.jou.ufl.edu/faculty
/cmorton/ADV3500F08.htm
An Overview of Research’s
Role in Marketing &
Advertising Planning
Marketing Planning…

Is a process that entails the
conception, pricing, promotion, and
distribution (4Ps) of ideas, goods, and
services
Philosophies of Product
Marketing

Production Concept


Product Concept


“If we make it, they will come”
“If we make it different, they will come”
Selling Concept

They’re not going to come without a
push
The ‘Relationship’ Marketing
Concept

“Find out what they need/want, then make
it happen” philosophy

Based on companies building deeper
relationships with customers…

…by creating products that satisfy the
desires of consumers after the needs of the
TM has been determined
Typical Research
Questions for Marketers
 Who
be?
should the target market
 What
 What
are their needs/wants?
do they think about our
product/brand?
Advertising Planning’s Role in
Product Marketing

Involve the consumer throughout the
promotions development process

Logic: Ads and promotions that work
do so because they understand the
consumer…

…and can speak to him/her in a way
that resonates
Typical Research
Questions for Advertisers
 Who
is the target audience?
 What
media should we use?
 What
message should we use?
Enter Research…

Through marketing and advertising
research we can come to better
understand issues that will be
important for marketing and
advertising to consumers…
Understanding to Be Gained

Background Situation

Product’s intended purpose


Consumer Behavior


(how it works, what makes it unique)
Who uses it, what do they think about it, what is their
‘relationship’ with it
Cultural Trends Driving the Product’s
Success
Walt Disney World vs.
Universal Studios Florida
Case Overview

Universal’s Product Problem:
 Gate
traffic into Universal was declining were
being lost to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Sea
World
 Due
to misperceptions about Universal’s
product offering
Case Overview

Research was used to understand the
differences between visitor’s emotional
experiences between Disney World and
Universal Studios Florida

Purpose: To identify a point of difference or
unique selling point to potential visitors
Case Overview
Research techniques used

Guided Imagery

Word/Picture Sort

Laddering

Venue Intercept (malls, restaurants)
Case Overview: Findings

Different emotional ‘payoffs- are
experienced


Universal associated with ‘escape’ and
‘thrill’ for both parents & kids
Family life stage plays into vacationer
needs and wants
Case Overview: Results

Based on the research findings, a
campaign was developed to target
the emotional needs of the consumer
base

In one year, Universal more than
doubled its gate sales over the year
before
Reasons We Conduct
Research

Reduce risk

Provide information that will help us
make marketing and advertising
decisions

Learning what worked, what did not,
and why
Reasons We May Not

Management has already decided on
a direction

The market opportunity has passed

Lack of time/resources
Reasons We May Not

Lack of agreement on what
information is needed

Costs outweigh the benefits

Information already exists
3 Broad Categories of
Research

Basic

Applied

Methodological
Broad Areas of Research
 Basic
Research
 Provides
information about a
phenomenon
 Tests a theory or hypothesis
 But, does not attempt to solve a
specific marketing problem for a
specific marketer
Examples of Basic Research
Findings
 Research
conducted on magazine
advertising shows that when
advertising clutter increases,
news stand sales decrease
Examples of Basic Research
Findings
 “Mud
slinging” in political races
negatively affects voters’
evaluations of the “targeted”
candidate, but not the sponsoring
candidate
Broad Areas of Research
 Applied
Research
 Problem-specific
research
 Meant to help marketing managers
solve specific problems
Example of an Applied
Research Hypothesis
 Increasing
the price of our
laundry detergent from $3 to
$3.50 will result in more
favorable evaluations of the
product’s image
Example of an Applied
Research Hypothesis
 Consumer
demand for our
product will increase when
coupons are introduced to the
market for a limited time period
Broad Areas of Research
 Methodological
 Research
Research
for the purpose of
improving the process of gathering
information
Example of a Methodological
Research Question
 Is
television viewership data
more reliably gathered with
diaries or people-meters?