1. Marketing Research
Primary vs.
secondary data
 Advantages and
disadvantages of
each
Marketing research
tools
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 1

2. Marketing Research
An “investment” to Must weigh costs
reduce uncertainty and benefits of
Can help guide research
decisions on  Money
 Whether to enter  Time spent
 Product No perfect method—
characteristics tradeoffs between
 Promotional strategy methods
 Positioning
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 2

3. Two Research Methods
Secondary: use of
existing research already
done
 Government
 Consulting firms
 Newspaper and magazine
articles
Primary: creation of
specific studies to answer
specific questions
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 3

4. Some Sources of
Secondary Data
U.S. Governent Trade organizations
 http://StatUSA.gov Consultants
 Government Department  E.g., Information
web sites Resources International
 Government periodicals (IRI), Nielsen
in libraries
Be weary of web sites
 E.g., Statistical  Company sites are
Abstracts
glorified advertisements!
Books, periodicals,  Anyone can publish a
newspapers web site.
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 4

5. Primary Research Methods
Surveys
Experimentation
Observation
Focus groups
In-depth interviews
Projective
techniques
Physiological
Measures
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 5

6. Surveys
Planned questions Problem questions
 Open-ended  Leading
 Closed-ended  Ambiguous
Need large sample sizes  Unanswerable
for precise conclusions  Two questions in one
Forms  Non-exhaustive question
 Mail  Non-mutually exclusive
 Telephone answers
 Mall Intercept
 Computer/Internet
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 6

7. The Pentagon Declares War
on Rush Limbaugh: Misleading Research
Survey found that only 4.8%
of listeners to the Armed
Forces Radio Network
wanted to listen to “the
biggest hawk there is.”
How could a survey be made
to get these results?
Being on the watch for
misleading surveys.
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 7

8. Experimentation
Subjects in different
groups treated
differently
 E.g., for some, “target”
product is given better
shelf space
 E.g., some get coupon
Can help isolate causes
Subject is biased by
questions—does not
know how others are
treated
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 8

9. My Simulated Store…
A shopper in the everyday low price condition…
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 9

10. Observation
Looking at consumes in the
field—e.g.,
 Searching for product category
area
 Number of products inspected
and time spent on each
 Involvement of others
 Behavior under limiting
circumstances (e.g., time
constraints)
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 10

11. Focus Groups
Groups of 8-12
consumers
assembled
Start out talking
generally about
context of product
Gradually focus in
on actual product
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 11

12. In-depth interviews
Structured vs.
unstructured
interviews
Generalizing to
other consumers
Biases
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 12

13. Projective Techniques
Measurement of
attitudes consumers
are unwilling to
express
Consumer discusses
what other
consumer might
think, feel, or do
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 13

14. Scanner Data
“Household Panel” members agree to
present card at purchase to link
demographics and media exposure
Possible to correlate conditions with
purchases made:
 Demographics
 Exposure to advertising; number of
exposures
 Sales promotion, premium, special display,
special conditions for competing brand
 Past purchasing behavior
MKTG 370 MARKETING RESEARCH Lars Perner, Instructor 14