Chapter 2 the Marketing Research Process

Chapter Objectives: at the end of this chapter, students should be able to

 Analyze the Marketing Research Process.
 Discuss the detail about the various steps in the Marketing Research Process

2.1 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 organization. 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 discussed below:
Let us now know in detail about the various steps involved in the Marketing
Research Process
1. Establish the need for Marketing Research
2. Define the research problem
3. Establish research objectives
4. Determine research design
5. Identify data types and sources
6. Design data collection forms
7. Determine sampling design and size
8. Collect the data
9. Analyze and interpret the data
10. Prepare the research report

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Step 2: 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 organization 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.

Step 4: 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

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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 cross-sectional
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.

5. 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
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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
o Attitudes and opinions
o Awareness and knowledge - for example, brand awareness
o 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.

6. 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.

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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.

7. 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.

8. 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 times 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.
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9. 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.

10. 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
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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. Enumerate the methods available for data collection
6. Is it important to determine the sample size? Explain.
7. How will you analyze the data collected from the research?
8. How will you prepare a research report?
9. The various steps in the Marketing Research Process are inter-related.
Explain.
10. Does the Market Research Process serve as a framework for finding solution to the research
problem at hand? Evaluate critically.
Primary research – Research carried out for the first time with participants
Secondary research – Published research or research carried out for some other purpose
Experimental research – Research measuring causality, or the changing of one variable to
observe the effect on another, whilst other extraneous variables are kept constant
Exploratory research – Research intended to develop initial ideas or insights and to provide
direction for any further research
Fieldwork – The collection of primary data from external sources by means of surveys,
observation and experiment
Longitudinal research – Data collection over time to examine trends.
Causal research – Research that examines whether one variable causes or determines the value of
another variable
Descriptive research – Research studies that describe what’s happening in a market without
potentially explaining why it is happening
Observation research – A non-verbal means of obtaining primary data as an alternative or
complement to questioning

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