Marketing Research

• A clearly defined search for answers to some questions, which, if answered, would lead a company to make critical marketing decisions on a strategic of tactical level.
  


• Marketing Intelligence Vs. Marketing Research : Ongoing, Inhouse, Not meant for immediate action, general purpose, focus on competition/ environment
  


• Typical Application: Concept Research, product, pricing, distribution, advertising ( copy- awareness, recall, copy recall)


• Limitations: Not the only input for decision making, should combine with judgement, intuition, difference in methodology, other inputs.
  
• Ethical Considerations: Should not be misused, dont force respondent to answer, protect confidentiality, personal nature questions, no favourable research reports
  
• Emerging Issues: Internet, Data Mining, Warehousing

Marketing Research Process

1. Information Need Felt
2. Define Research Objectives
3. Design Research Methodology (continued)
4. Secondary Research
5. Primary Research
6. Tabulation and Analysis
7. Report Writing
8. Presentation
9. Action

Design Reseach Methodology

1. Research Design
   It can be exploratory ( to clarify thoughts, to provide insights: methods: survey, focus group, consultation) or descriptive ( longitudinal: A panel, selection bias, Cross sectional: flexibility, simple, understandable: affected by poor quality of supervisors) or causal( whether a particular X affects Y, also called Experimental Design)
2. Research Method
   Can be secondary ( TV, internet, newspaper) or primary ( survey- mail, telephone, person(preferred) observation ( video camera. adv: actual consumer behaviou, disadv: no representative sample) qualitative techniques ('expectation from refr. , word associations'- need expert) specialised Techniques ( A panel, retail audit: what brands bougt or sold(marg)
3. Sampling Plan
   Sample elements ( Population: predefined set of potential respondent in a geographical area, " all teenagers watching MTV in a country"), Sampling Frame(: subset " ...college..") Unit ( Multistage: 1st- city, 2nd- area, 3rd- individual) Sample Size ( Depends on: Variable- continuous, proportion, confidence Level, error( Types of error: Sampling Error- Due to selection of some units and non selection of others, Non-sampling Errors: Wrong errors during study. , budget constraint, multitype) Sampling Techniques
   
   Probability Sampling : Each sampling unit has a known probability of being selected. It can be Simple Random (max time, high cost, accurate) Systemic (First unit is chosen at random, others at regular interval depends upon the size of the frame : clear definition required, less time) Stratefied (Homogeneous Strata, SRS from each: clear definition is required, med time, high cost of sample) Cluster (Area- SRS, or SRS from each cluster) Area (city)
   
   Non Probability Sampling: Chance that a sampling unit is selected is not known in advance. It can be Convenience Sampling (Depends on researcher, low time/cost/ small sample size) Judgement Sampling (Judgement of expert. more time/ less cost/ bias is less) Quota Sampling (Population is divided into classes . A quota is predetermined and that quota is completed)
4. Questionnare Design
   Considerations ( Language, difficulty level, cooperation with the researcher, social desirability bias, ease of recording, coding, purpose of questions, sequencing ( neutral to personal) , biased and leading questions, monotony, analysis required, reliability and validity) types ( open ended, dichotomous, multiple choice, ranking, paired comparison, sementic differential)
5. Field Work Plan
6. Analysis Plan