The Marketing Research Project

Purposes of the Project 1.Give you practical experience at conducting a marketing research project. 2.Examine some factors that influence the decision to join fraternal organizations. 3.Specifically examine the role that in/civility plays in such decisions.

Benefits to be Gained 1.Practical experience 2.Exposure to a professional experience 3.Satisfaction of producing a product 4.Application of skills

Major Project Phases 1.Questionnaire Development 2.Primary Data Collection 3.Data Input and Analysis 4.Marketing Research Report

Project Time Line 9/6 Questionnaire Prep 9/7 to 10/16 Data Collection 10/17 to 10/22 Data Entry 10/23 to 11/27 Data Analysis & Report Prep 11/2911/29Report Due

YOU What YOU Have to Do 1.Understand how questionnaire was designed 2.Understand how the data was collected 3.Analyze the data 4.Write the research report

Outline of the Research Report Title Page Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Objectives Research Design and Methodology –Research Method –Sampling –Data Collection –Tabulation and Analysis Procedures –Sample Description Continued on next slide

Outline of the Research Report Results –Description of outcomes associated with each statistical procedure employed –Description of outcomes associated with each hypothesis Conclusions Recommendations Limitations Appendices

The Executive Summary Not a summary of the entire report Rather, it’s a “high points” summary –Should leave your reader with a good understanding of what was done and what was found Near beginning of report, but should be done last

Basic ES Elements Objectives & Methodology –General purpose of the study –Type of research methodology employed –Sampling (type of sample, size, & brief description of sampling methodology) –How and where the data were collected Findings Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction Brief description of the study –Purpose –Information gathered from secondary sources –When, where, with whom

Objectives Motivation for conducting the study General statement of purpose (managerial question) Describe specific managerial decisions supported by the survey List and discuss the specific research questions Hypotheses

Research Methodology Describe type of methodology used Why this methodology was appropriate (relative to objectives) Data collection methods used

Research Methodology Describe the instrument –How it was laid out –How the constructs were measured.

Sampling Sampling method chosen & why appropriate Specific methods used to select sample Difficulties encountered when specifying/selecting sample Brief discussion of sample size –Sample achieved –Minimum required (includes how determined) –Explain why achieved different from required

Data Collection Describe –How –When –Where data were actually collected Note problems encountered in the field –Respondent cooperativeness –Non-response –Respondent difficulty in understanding the questionnaire –Other aspects that might have affected quality of the results

Tabulation & Analysis Brief summary of –Procedures used to screen questionnaires for accuracy & completeness –Procedures used to code open-ended questions –Information about data record layout and how data entry was performed –Description of software programs used –Description of software procedures used

Description of the Sample Meant to familiarize the reader with the characteristics of the respondents Thus, primarily want summary tables or graphs of key descriptive characteristics Use percentages, not the raw numbers Mention 2 or 3 of the key characteristics of the sample. Refer your reader to the Annotated Questionnaire (in the Appendix) for a complete analysis of the sample

Statistical Outcomes Discuss outcome of all statistical procedures Describe the findings for EACH hypothesis. Do not simply repeat the information in your data tables. Do not explain what the results mean – you’ll do that in the Conclusions section.

Conclusions & Recommendations We’ll discuss this later in the semester For now, understand that these sections, while not the most extensive, are the most important They tell the client what the results mean and what should be done Conclusions are statements of what the analyst believes the findings mean Recommendations suggest courses of action that should be pursued

Limitations ALLALL marketing research studies have limitations Highlight the key limitations of the project Briefly discuss the expected impact of each and/or the concern that should be given to each

Annotated Questionnaire Simple matter of extracting key figures from your computer printouts and placing them on a clean copy of the questionnaire used

Example Your electric utility company is considering a proposal to allow you to pay your monthly bill at the customer service desk of local supermarkets. If this option were available, would you: Definitely use the service7.2% Probably use the service24.2% Might use the service23.4% Probably not or definitely not use the service 38.1% Refused to answer or Don’t Know 6 Missing values Average value2.81

Format Requirements 1.Due NLT Thursday, November 29 th. 2.Must be typed & double-spaced. 3.Use Times New Roman 12-pt. font. 4.Page numbers must be included. 5.Length is NOT a grading criterion. 6.Must be securely bound in some type of a binder (this does NOT mean a staple or an envelope). 7.All references must adhere to Journal of Marketing style. 8.No print-outs (originals or copies) from SPSS allowed. All tables must be the student’s original work.

Project Grading Form REQUIREMENTPERFORMANCEWEIGHTPTS EARNED Format Executive Summary Statistical Accuracy Sampling Results Conclusions Recommendations Limitations Annotated Questionnaire TOTAL POINTS EARNED100.00