chapter 2 Flashcards
The critical importance of correctly defining the problem
Need to define the problem (first step)
If defined incorrectly, the research objectives will be wrong and the research will be a waste
The ultimate goal is to develop clear, concise and meaningful marketing research objectives → yields precise decision making info for managers
Recognize the problem or opportunity
In addition, it may be used to find and evaluate new opportunities, in a process called opportunity identification
Ex: consumers want more social and ethical responsibility so companies will take avdnatage of this
Find out why the information is being sought out (problem definition process)
Large amounts of money, effort, and time are wasted because requests for marketing information are poorly formulated or misunderstood.
Discuss what the information will be used for and what decisions might be made as a result of the research. Work through detailed examples to help clarify the issue
Try to get the client or manager to prioritize their questions. This helps sort out cen- tral questions from those of incidental interest
Rephrase the questions in several slightly different forms and discuss the differences
Create sample data and ask if such data would help answer the questions. Simulate
the decision-making process.
Remember that the more clear-cut you think the questions are and the more quickly you come to feel that the questions are straightforward, the more you should doubt that you have understood the real need.
Understand the decision making environment with exploratory research
Once researchers understand the motivation for conducting the research, often they need additional background information to fully comprehend the problem. This may mean simply talking to brand managers or new product managers, reading company reports, visiting production facilities and retail stores, and perhaps talking with suppli- ers
The better the marketing researcher understands the decision-making environment, including the industry, the firm, its products or services, and the target market, the more likely it is that the problem will be defined correctly→ situation analysis
Sometimes informed discussions with managers and suppliers and on-site visits aren’t enough. Exploratory research may be conducted to obtain greater understand- ing of a concept or to help crystallize the definition of a problem. It is also used to identify important variables to be studied. Exploratory research is preliminary research, not the definitive research used to determine a course of action. Exploratory research can take several forms: pilot studies, experience surveys, secondary data analysis, case analysis, and focus groups
Experience surveys analysis
Second form of exploratory research
Experience surveys involve talking with knowledgeable individuals, both inside and outside the organization, who may provide insights into the problem
Rarely do experi- ence surveys include a formal questionnaire. Instead, the researcher may simply
have a list of topics to be discussed
The survey, then, is much like an informal dis- cussion.
Secondary data analysis
Secondary data analysis is another form of exploratory research.
Secondary data are data that have been gathered for some purpose other than the one at hand.
Can use the internet
case analysis
Exploratory research
The purpose of case analysis is to review information from a few other situations that are similar to the current research problem
Focus groups
Focus groups are in-depth discussions, usually consisting of 8 to 12 participants, which are led by a moderator and are generally limited to one particular concept, idea, or theme. The general idea is to have what one person says generate thoughts and com- ments by others, therefore creating group dynamics.
The interplay of responses yields more information than if the same number of people had contributed in individual interviews
When used in exploratory research, focus groups help clarify and understand the problem and issues involved. They can, and do, cover just about any topic imaginable
Using intranets for exploratory research
The computer can be a very powerful tool for doing exploratory research.
While intranets provide easy access to internal data, the Internet is an invaluable resource for searching tens of millions of external sources for the information needed. At the exploratory stage, a researcher might use any one or several of the online search engines to find information
Completing exploratory research
The end of exploratory study comes when the marketing researchers are convinced that they have found the major dimensions of the problem. They may have defined a set of questions that can be used as specific guides to a detailed research design.
They may also have determined that cer- tain other factors are such remote possibilities that they can be safely ignored in any further study.
Finally, the researchers may end exploration because they feel that further research is not needed or is not presently possible due to time, money, or other constraints
Use the Symptoms to clarify the problem
A symptom is a phenomenon that occurs because of the existence of something else
Ex: symptoms could include: poor sales, delcining profits, increased customer complaints, defecting customers
But there is a deeper problem causing these symptoms→ could be lower prices offered by comp
Iceberg principle: focusing on the symptoms and not the true , deeper problem
Translate the management decision problem into a marketing research problem
The true problem must be converted into a marketing research problem
Marketing research problem: specifies what info is needed to solve the management problem and how that info can be obtained efficiently and effectively
The marketing research objective: the goal statement, defining the specific info ended to solve the marketing research problem
The management decision problem is action oriented, and are broader → ex: “should we change the layout of the stores?” the marketing research problem would be to examine whether the current layout needs improvement or not \
Determine whether this info already exists
There is an aversion to using past data and old reports but using existing data cans ave managers time and money
Avoiding the nice-to-know syndrome
The findings must be actionable→ the findings must provide decision making info
Ex: cant just determine if frozen tim hortons bagels at the grocery store would be a success but also need to know what type of goods, price points, packaging design, etc and taste tests
In most cases research marketers can discern in advance the likelihood of success by identifying the following:
Instances in which you know for certain that info of the type required exists or can be readily obtained
Situations in which you are fairly certain, based on similar prior experiences, that the info can be gathered
Cases in which you know that you are trying something quite new and there is a real risk of drawing a complete blank
State the research objectives
The culmination of the problem definition is a statement of objectives
The objectives are stated in terms of precise info necessary to addressing the marketing research porblem/opportunity
Can evaluate quality and value of the work by asking questions: “were the objectives met?” and “do the recs flow logically from the objectives and the research finding?”
