034+MArket+Research+2

Marketing research This is what they say about Marketing Research هنا ما يقولون عن البحوث التسويقية ما يهمني ما تقوله انت ** Marketing research ** is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data about issues relating to marketing products and services. The term is commonly interchanged with ** market research **, however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in that //market// research is concerned specifically with markets, while //marketing// research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.

Marketing research is often partitioned into two sets of categorical pairs, either by target market:
 * **Consumer ** marketing research, and
 * **Business-to-business ** (B2B) marketing research

Consumer marketing research is a form of applied sociology that concentrates on understanding the preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers in a market-based economy. Thus, marketing research may also be described as the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior.

Role of marketing research (MR) The task of marketing research is to provide management with relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information ??? . Competitive marketing environment and the ever-increasing costs attributed to poor decision making require that marketing research provide sound information . Sound decisions are not based on gut feeling, intuition, or even pure judgment. Marketing managers make numerous strategic and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. These decisions are complicated by interactions between the controllable marketing variables of product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. Further complications are added by uncontrollable environmental factors such as general economic conditions, technology, public policies and laws, political environment, competition, and social and cultural changes. Another factor in this mix is the complexity of consumers. Marketing research helps the marketing manager link the marketing variables with the environment and the consumers. It helps remove some of the uncertainty by providing relevant information about the marketing variables, environment, and consumers. In the absence of relevant information, consumers' response to marketing programs cannot be predicted reliably or accurately. Ongoing marketing research programs provide information on controllable and non-controllable factors and consumers; this information enhances the effectiveness of decisions made by marketing managers. Traditionally, marketing researchers were responsible for providing the relevant information and marketing decisions were made by the managers. However, the roles are changing and marketing researchers are becoming more involved in decision making, whereas marketing managers are becoming more involved with research. The role of marketing research in managerial decision making is explained further using the framework of the "DECIDE" model: D: Define the marketing problem E: Enumerate the controllable and uncontrollable decision factors C: Collect relevant information I: Identify the best alternative D: Develop and implement a marketing plan E: Evaluate the decision and the decision process

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The DECIDE model conceptualizes managerial decision making as a series of six steps. The decision process begins by precisely defining the problem or opportunity, along with the objectives and constraints.Next, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action (controllable factors) and uncertainties (uncontrollable factors) are enumerated. Then, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. The next step is to select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. Then a detailed plan to implement the alternative selected is developed and put into effect. Last, the outcome of the decision and the decision process itself are evaluated. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">First, marketing //research is systematic//. Thus systematic planning is required at all the stages of the marketing research process. The procedures followed at each stage are methodologically sound, well documented, and, as much as possible, planned in advance. Marketing research uses the scientific method in that data are collected and analyzed to test prior notions or hypotheses. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Marketing research is //objective//. It attempts to provide accurate information that reflects a true state of affairs. It should be conducted impartially. While research is always influenced by the researcher's research philosophy, it should be free from the personal or political biases of the researcher or the management. Research which is motivated by personal or political gain involves a breach of professional standards. Such research is deliberately biased so as to result in predetermined findings. The motto of every researcher should be, "Find it and tell it like it is." The objective nature of marketing research underscores the importance of ethical considerations, which are discussed later in the chapter. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Marketing research //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> involves the //identification//, collection, analysis, //and dissemination of information//. Each phase of this process is important. We identify or define the marketing research problem or opportunity and then determine what information is needed to investigate it., and inferences are drawn. Finally, the findings, implications and recommendations are provided in a format that allows the information to be used for management decision making and to be acted upon directly. It should be emphasized that marketing research is conducted to assist management in decision making and is not: a means or an end in itself. The next section elaborates on this definition by classifying different types of marketing research. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Other forms of business research include: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Organizations engage in marketing research for two reasons: (1) to identify and (2) solve marketing problems. This distinction serves as a basis for classifying marketing research into problem identification research and problem solving research. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Problem identification research is undertaken to help identify problems which are, perhaps, not apparent on the surface and yet exist or are likely to company image, market characteristics, sales analysis, short-range forecasting, long range forecasting, and business trends research. Research of this type provides information about the marketing environment and helps diagnose a problem. For example, The findings of problem solving research are used in making decisions which will solve specific marketing problems. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Stanford Research Institute, on the other hand, conducts an annual survey of consumers that is used to classify persons into homogeneous groups for segmentation purposes. The National Purchase Diary panel (NPD) maintains the largest diary panel in the United States. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Marketing research techniques come in many forms, including: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">All of these forms of marketing research can be classified as either //problem-identification research// or as //problem-solving research//. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">There are two main sources of data - primary and secondary. **Primary research** is conducted from scratch. It is original and collected to solve the problem in hand. **Secondary research** already exists since it has been collected for other purposes. It is conducted on data published previously and usually by someone else. Secondary research costs far less than primary research, but seldom comes in a form that exactly meets the needs of the researcher. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A similar distinction exists between //exploratory research// and //conclusive research//. **Exploratory** research provides insights into and comprehension of an issue or situation. It should draw definitive conclusions only with extreme caution. **Conclusive research** draws conclusions: the results of the study can be generalized to the whole population. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Exploratory research is conducted to explore a problem to get some basic idea about the solution at the preliminary stages of research. It may serve as the input to conclusive research. Exploratory research information is collected by focus group interviews, reviewing literature or books, discussing with experts, etc. This is unstructured and qualitative in nature. If a secondary source of data is unable to serve the purpose, a convenience sample of small size can be collected. Conclusive research is conducted to draw some conclusion about the problem. It is essentially, structured and quantitative research, and the output of this research is the input to management information systems (MIS). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Exploratory research is also conducted to simplify the findings of the conclusive or descriptive research, if the findings are very hard to interpret for the marketing managers. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Methodologically, marketing research uses the following types of research designs: <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Based on questioning: · **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Qualitative marketing research **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - generally used for exploratory purposes - small number of respondents - not generalizable to the whole population - statistical significance and confidence not calculated - examples include focus groups, in-depth interviews , and projective techniques · **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Quantitative marketing research **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - generally used to draw conclusions - tests a specific hypothesis - uses random sampling techniques so as to infer from the sample to the population - involves a large number of respondents - examples include surveys and questionnaires. Techniques include choice modelling, maximum difference preference scaling , and covariance analysis. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Based on observations: · **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Ethnographic studies **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> -, by nature qualitative, the researcher observes social phenomena in their natural setting - observations can occur **cross-sectionally** (observations made at one time) or **longitudinally** (observations occur over several time-periods) - examples include product-use analysis and computer cookie traces. See also Ethnography and Observational techniques. · **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Experimental techniques **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">-, by nature quantitative, the researcher creates a quasi-artificial environment to try to control spurious factors, then manipulates at least one of the variables - examples include purchase laboratories and test markets <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Researchers often use more than one research design. They may start with secondary research to get background information, then conduct a focus group (qualitative research design) to explore the issues. Finally they might do a full nation-wide survey (quantitative research design) in order to devise specific recommendations for the client.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Marketing research characteristics **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Comparison with other forms of business research **
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Market research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is broader in scope and examines all aspects of a business environment. It asks questions about competitors, market structure , government regulations, economic trends, technological advances, and numerous other factors that make up the business environment (see environmental scanning ). Sometimes the term refers more particularly to the financial analysis of companies, industries, or sectors . In this case, financial analysts usually carry out the research and provide the results to investment advisors and potential investors.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Product research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - This looks at what products can be produced with available technology, and what new product innovations near-future technology can develop (see new product development ).
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Advertising research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - is a specialized form of marketing research conducted to improve the efficacy of advertising. Copy testing, also known as "pre-testing," is a form of customized research that predicts in-market performance of an ad before it airs, by analyzing audience levels of attention, brand linkage , motivation, entertainment, and communication, as well as breaking down the ad’s flow of attention and flow of emotion . Pre-testing is also used on ads still in rough (ripomatic or animatic) form. (Young, p. 213)
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Classification of marketing research **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Standardized **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> services are research studies conducted for different client firms but in a standard way. For example, procedures for measuring advertising effectiveness have been standardized so that the results can be compared across studies and evaluative norms can be established. The Starch Readership Survey is the most widely used service for evaluating print advertisements; another well-known service is the Gallup and Robinson Magazine Impact Studies. These services are also sold on a syndicated basis.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Customized services **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> offer a wide variety of marketing research services customized to suit a client's specific needs. Each marketing research project is treated uniquely.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Limited-service suppliers **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> specialize in one or a few phases of the marketing research project. Services offered by such suppliers are classified as field services, coding and data entry, data analysis, analytical services, and branded products. **Field services** collect data through mail, personal, or telephone interviewing, and firms that specialize in interviewing are called field service organizations. These organizations may range from small proprietary organizations which operate locally to large multinational organizations with WATS line interviewing facilities. Some organizations maintain extensive interviewing facilities across the country for interviewing shoppers in malls.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Coding and data entry services **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> include editing completed questionnaires, developing a coding scheme, and transcribing the data on to diskettes or magnetic tapes for input into the computer. NRC Data Systems provides such services.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Analytical services **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> include designing and pretesting questionnaires, determining the best means of collecting data, designing sampling plans, and other aspects of the research design. Some complex marketing research projects require knowledge of sophisticated procedures, including specialized experimental designs, and analytical techniques such as conjoint analysis and multidimensional scaling. This kind of expertise can be obtained from firms and consultants specializing in analytical services.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Data analysis services **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> are offered by firms, also known as tab houses, that specialize in computer analysis of quantitative data such as those obtained in large surveys. Initially most data analysis firms supplied only tabulations (frequency counts) and cross tabulations (frequency counts that describe two or more variables simultaneously). With the proliferation of software, many firms now have the capability to analyze their own data, but, data analysis firms are still in demand.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Branded marketing research products **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> and services are specialized data collection and analysis procedures developed to address specific types of marketing research problems. These procedures are patented, given brand names, and marketed like any other branded product.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Types of marketing research **
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Ad Tracking **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – periodic or continuous in-market research to monitor a brand’s performance using measures such as brand awareness, brand preference, and product usage. (Young, 2005)
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Advertising Research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – used to predict copy testing or track the efficacy of advertisements for any medium, measured by the ad’s ability to get attention, communicate the message, build the brand’s image, and motivate the consumer to purchase the product or service. (Young, 2005)
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Brand equity research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - how favorably do consumers view the brand?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Brand association research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - what do consumers associate with the brand?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Brand attribute research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - what are the key traits that describe the brand promise?
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Brand name testing **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - what do consumers feel about the names of the products?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Commercial eye tracking research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - examine advertisements, package designs, websites, etc. by analyzing visual behavior of the consumer
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Concept testing **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to test the acceptance of a concept by target consumers
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Coolhunting **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to make observations and predictions in changes of new or existing cultural trends in areas such as fashion, music, films, television, youth culture and lifestyle
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Buyer decision processes research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to determine what motivates people to buy and what decision-making process they use
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Copy testing **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> – predicts in-market performance of an ad before it airs by analyzing audience levels of attention, brand linkage , motivation , entertainment, and communication, as well as breaking down the ad’s flow of attention and flow of emotion . (Young, p 213)
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Customer satisfaction research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - quantitative or qualitative studies that yields an understanding of a customer's of satisfaction with a transaction
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Demand estimation **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to determine the approximate level of demand for the product
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Distribution channel audits **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to assess distributors’ and retailers’ attitudes toward a product, brand, or company
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Internet strategic intelligence **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - searching for customer opinions in the Internet: chats, forums, web pages, blogs... where people express freely about their experiences with products, becoming strong "**opinion formers**"
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Marketing effectiveness and analytics **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - Building models and measuring results to determine the effectiveness of individual marketing activities.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Mystery Consumer or Mystery shopping **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - An employee or representative of the market research firm anonymously contacts a salesperson and indicates he or she is shopping for a product. The shopper then records the entire experience. This method is often used for quality control or for researching competitors' products.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Positioning research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - how does the target market see the brand relative to competitors? - what does the brand stand for?
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Price elasticit testing **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to determine how sensitive customers are to price changes
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Sales forecasting **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to determine the expected level of sales given the level of demand. With respect to other factors like Advertising expenditure, sales promotion etc.
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Segmentation research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to determine the demographic, psychographic , and behavioural characteristics of potential buyers
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Online panel **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">- a group of individual who accepted to respond to marketing research online
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Store audit **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - to measure the sales of a product or product line at a statistically selected store sample in order to determine market share, or to determine whether a retail store provides adequate service
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Test marketing **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> - a small-scale product launch used to determine the likely acceptance of the product when it is introduced into a wider market
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Viral Marketing Research **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">- refers to marketing research designed to estimate the probability that specific communications will be transmitted throughout an individuals Social Network . Estimates of ** Social Networking Potential ** (SNP) are combined with estimates of selling effectiveness to estimate ROI on specific combinations of messages and media.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 18pt;">Marketing research methods **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">By: Mohammed Nub3a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">References: Wikipedia web Sid