Chapter 2

THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROCESS

Objectives:
• To understand the Marketing Research Process.
• To learn in detail about the various steps in the Marketing Research Process
The Marketing Research Process
As we saw earlier Marketing Research is very much essential to make strategic decisions
which are important for the growth of the organisation. It helps in making the right
decisions systematically using statistical methods.
Marketing Research reduces the uncertainty in the decision-making process and increase
the probability and magnitude of success if conducted in a systematic, analytical, and
objective manner. Marketing research by itself does not arrive at marketing decisions, nor
does it guarantee that the organization will be successful in marketing its products. It is
only a tool which helps in the decision making process.
The Marketing Research Process involves a number of inter-related activities which have
bearing on each other. Once the need for Marketing Research has been established, broadly
it involves the steps as depicted in Figure 1 below:
 Define the research problem

Determine research design

Identify data types and sources

Design data collection forms

Determine sampling design and size

Collect the data

Analyze and interpret the data

Prepare the research report

Figure1: The steps in Marketing Research Process

Let us now know in detail about the various steps involved in the Marketing Research
Process.

1. Define the research problem

The first step in Marketing is to define the research problem. A problem well defined is
half-solved. If a problem is poorly defined, a good research design cannot be developed.
The decision problem faced by the organisation must be translated into a market research
problem in the form of questions. These questions must define the information that is
required to make the decision and how this information can be obtained. This way, the
decision problem gets translated into a research problem.
For example, a decision problem may be whether to launch a new product. The
corresponding research problem might be to assess whether the market would accept the
new product.
In order to define the problem more precisely, an exploratory research can be carried out.
Survey of secondary data, pilot studies or experience surveys are some of the popular
methods.
2. Determine research design
The research design specifies the method and procedure for conducting a particular study.
As studied already, marketing research and hence the research designs can be classified
into one of three categories
• Exploratory research
• Descriptive research
• Causal research
This classification is based on the objective of the research. In some cases the research will
fall into one of these categories, but in other cases different phases of the same research
project will fall into different categories.
Problems are formulated clearly in exploratory research. It aims at clarifying concepts,
gathering explanations, gaining insight, eliminating impractical ideas, and forming
hypotheses. Exploratory research can be performed using a literature search, surveying
certain people about their experiences, focus groups, and case studies. During the survey,
exploratory research studies would not try to acquire a representative sample, but rather,
seek to interview those who are knowledgeable and who might be able to provide insight
concerning the relationship among variables. Case studies can include contrasting
situations or benchmarking against an organization known for its excellence. Exploratory
research may develop hypotheses, but it does not seek to test them. Exploratory research is
characterized by its flexibility.
A descriptive study is undertaken when the researcher wants to know the characteristics of
certain groups such as age, sex, educational level, income, occupation, etc. Descriptive
research is more rigid than exploratory research and seeks to describe users of a product,
determine the proportion of the population that uses a product, or predict future demand for
a product. Descriptive research should define questions, people surveyed, and the method
of analysis prior to beginning data collection. In other words, the who, what, where, when,
why, and how aspects of the research should be defined. Such preparation allows one the
opportunity to make any required changes before the costly process of data collection has
begun.
There are two basic types of descriptive research: longitudinal studies and crosssectional
studies. Longitudinal studies are time series analyses that make repeated measurements of
the same individuals, thus allowing one to monitor behavior such as brand-switching.
However, longitudinal studies are not necessarily representative since many people may
refuse to participate because of the commitment required. Cross-sectional studies sample
the population to make measurements at a specific point in time. A special type of cross-
sectional analysis is a cohort analysis, which tracks an aggregate of individuals who
experience the same event within the same time interval over time. Cohort analyses are
useful for long-term forecasting of product demand.
Causal research seeks to find cause and effect relationships between variables. It
accomplishes this goal through laboratory and field experiments.
3. Identify data types and sources
The next step is to determine the sources of data to be used. The researcher has to decide
whether to go for primary data or secondary data. Sometimes a combination of both is
used.
Before going through the time and expense of collecting primary data, one should check
for secondary data that previously may have been collected for other purposes but that can
be used in the immediate study. Secondary data may be internal to the firm, such as sales
invoices and warranty cards, or may be external to the firm such as published data or
commercially available data. The government census is a valuable source of secondary
data.
Secondary data has the advantage of saving time and reducing data gathering costs. The
disadvantages are that the data may not fit the problem perfectly and that the accuracy may
be more difficult to verify for secondary data than for primary data.
Many a time the secondary data might have to be supplemented by primary data originated
specifically for the study at hand. Some common types of primary data are:
• Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics
• Psychological and lifestyle characteristics
• Attitudes and opinions
 • Awareness and knowledge - for example, brand awareness
• Intentions - for example, purchase intentions. While useful, intentions are not a
reliable indication of actual future behavior.
• Motivation - a person's motives are more stable than his/her behavior, so motive is
a better predictor of future behavior than is past behavior.
• Behavior
Primary data can be obtained by communication or by observation. Communication
involves questioning respondents either verbally or in writing. This method is versatile,
since one needs to only ask for the information; however, the response may not be
accurate. Communication usually is quicker and cheaper than observation. Observation
involves the recording of actions and is performed by either a person or some mechanical
or electronic device. Observation is less versatile than communication since some attributes
of a person may not be readily observable, such as attitudes, awareness, knowledge,
intentions, and motivation. Observation also might take longer since observers may have to
wait for appropriate events to occur, though observation using scanner data might be
quicker and more cost effective. Observation typically is more accurate than
communication.
Personal interviews have an interviewer bias that mail-in questionnaires do not have. For
example, in a personal interview the respondent's perception of the interviewer may affect
the responses.

4. Design data collection forms

Once it has been decided to obtain primary data, the mode of collection needs to be
decided. Two methods are available for data collection:
1. Observational methods
2. Survey methods
Observational methods: As the name itself suggests, the data are collected through
observation. An observer observes and records the data faithfully and accurately. This may
be suitable in case of some studies but is not useful to observe attitudes, opinions,
motivations and other intangible states of mind. Also in this method, the data collected is
non-reactive, as it does not involve the respondent.
Surveys: It is one of the most common methods of collecting data for primary marketing
research. Surveys can be:
 • Personal: The information is sought through personal interviews. A questionnaire is
prepared and administered to the respondent during the interview. This is a detailed
method of collecting information.
• Telephonic: This is suitable if limited information is sought in a fixed time frame.
• Mail: Here, the questionnaire is sent out in mail and the response is sought. Timely
response cannot be sought in this method as there is no control over the survey. All
the people to whom the mail was sent may not respond.
Sometimes a combination of two or more methods may be used. Whatever be the method,
a structured questionnaire is required to be used. The questionnaire is an important tool for
gathering primary data. Poorly constructed questions can result in large errors and
invalidate the research data, so significant effort should be put into the questionnaire
design. The questionnaire should be tested thoroughly prior to conducting the survey.
5. Determine sampling design and size
A sampling plan is a very important part of the research process. The marketing researcher
has to decide whether it will be a sample survey or a census. Definitely a sample survey
has its distinct merits.
The population from which the sample has to be drawn has to be well defined. A broad
choice is to be made between probability sampling and non-probability sampling. The
sample design is then chosen depending on the suitability and the availability of the sample
frame.
The size of the sample chosen is based on statistical methods. This is well defined and also
reproduces the characteristics of the population. In practice, however, this objective is
never completely attained on account of the occurrence of two types of errors – errors due
to bias in the selection and sapling errors.

6. Collect the data

The next step is to collect the data for which the research process has been spelled out. The
interviewing and the supervision of field work should be looked into. One of the most
difficult tasks is interviewing for marketing research. Many a time the respondents may not
part with crucial information unless approached with tact and intelligence. Supervision of
field work is important to ensure timely and proper completion of the field survey.
If this is not carried out properly, then there results an interview error which may be
detrimental to marketing research.
7. Analyze and interpret the data
The next step is to analyze the data that has been collected from the field survey. The raw
data is transformed into the right format. First, it is edited so that errors can be corrected or
omitted. The data is then coded; this procedure converts the edited raw data into numbers
or symbols. A codebook is created to document how the data is coded. Finally, the data is
tabulated to count the number of samples falling into various categories.
Simple tabulations count the occurrences of each variable independently of the other
variables. Cross tabulations, also known as contingency tables or cross tabs, treats two or
more variables simultaneously.
Cross tabulation is the most commonly utilized data analysis method in marketing research.
Many studies take the analysis no further than cross tabulation.
Once the tabulation is done, the following analysis can be carried out.
• Conjoint Analysis: The conjoint analysis is a powerful technique for determining
consumer preferences for product attributes.
• Hypothesis Testing: The null hypothesis in an experiment is the hypothesis that
the independent variable has no effect on the dependent variable. The null
hypothesis is expressed as H0. This hypothesis is assumed to be true unless proven
otherwise. The alternative to the null hypothesis is the hypothesis that the
independent variable does have an effect on the dependent variable. This
hypothesis is known as the alternative, research, or experimental hypothesis and is
expressed as H1. Once analysis is completed, make the marketing research
conclusion. In order to analyze whether research results are statistically significant
or simply by chance, a test of statistical significance can be run.
8. Prepare the research report
All the research findings have to be compiled in a report to be then presented to the
organization. The format of the marketing research report varies with the needs of the
organization. The report often contains the following sections:
• Authorization letter for the research
• Table of Contents
• List of illustrations
 • Executive summary
• Research objectives
• Methodology
• Results
• Limitations
• Conclusions and recommendations
• Appendices containing copies of the questionnaires, etc.
The report has to be written with objectivity, coherence, clarity in the presentation of the
ideas and use of charts and diagrams. Sometimes, the study might also throw up one or
more areas where further investigation is required.
Summary:
Marketing Research reduces the uncertainty in the decision-making process and increase
the probability and magnitude of success if conducted in a systematic, analytical, and
objective manner.
The Marketing Research Process involves a number of inter-related activities which have
bearing on each other. Each and every step plays an important role in the research process.
Questions:
1. List out the various steps involved in the Marketing Research Process.
2. It is very important to define the research problem, explain.
3. Classify research designs and explain the relevance of each.
4. What are the types of data sources?
5. Is it important to determine the sample size? Explain.
\