1. CHAPTER 4 Marketing Information and Research
Real People, Real Choices
CHAPTER 4 Marketing Information and Research

2. Chapter Objectives
Understand the role of the Marketing Information System in decision making
Describe the marketing research process
Understand the differences among exploratory, descriptive, & causal research, & describe some research techniques available to marketers

3. Chapter Objectives
Describe the different types of data collection methods & types of samples that researchers use
Understand the growing use of online research

4. Knowledge is Power
A Marketing Information System (MIS) determines what information managers need & then gathers, sorts, analyzes, stores, & distributes relevant & timely marketing information to users
Marketing Research - process of collecting, analyzing, & interpreting data about customers, competitors, & the environment to improve decisions

5. Marketing Research Data
Syndicated research reports
secondary data collected by firms on a regular basis
Sold
Custom research reports
primary data collected to provide answers to specific questions

6. Step 1: Define the Problem
Specify the research objectives
Identify the consumer population of interest
Place the problem in an environmental context

7. Step 2: Determine the Design
Can the information be acquired from existing data?
If so, secondary data sources will be utilized
If not, primary research will be necessary

8. Exploratory Research
Generally qualitative data
May take several forms
Consumer interviews
Focus groups
Case studies
Ethnography
Projective techniques

9. Descriptive Research Utilizes a large sample of participants
Generally quantitative data
Designs
Cross-sectional design involves the systematic collection of information from one or more samples of respondents at one point in time
Longitudinal design tracks the responses of the same sample of respondents over time

10. Causal Research
Attempts to understand cause-and-effect relationships
Factors that might cause a change are independent variables while the variables that are affected are dependent variables
Experimental design allows researchers to control possible explanations for the effect

11. Step 3: Choose the Data Collection Method
Communication
Mail questionnaires
Telephone interviews
Face-to-face interviews
Online questionnaires
Observation
Personal
Mechanical

12. Mail Questionnaires Advantages Respondents feel anonymous Low cost
Good for ongoing research
Disadvantages
Slow return speed
Low response rates
Inflexible questionnaire
Length of survey is limited

13. Telephone Interviews Advantages Fast High flexibility in questioning
Low cost
Limited interviewer bias
Disadvantages
Decreasing levels of cooperation
Limited questionnaire length
Consumers screen calls

14. Face-to-Face Interviews
Advantages
Flexibility of questioning
Long questionnaires possible
Can help explain questions
Can use visuals
Disadvantages
High cost
Interviewer bias possible
Time requirements are high

15. Online Questionnaires
Advantages
Instant data collection
Flexible question patterns
Low cost
No interviewer bias
Access regardless of geographic location
Disadvantages
Unclear who is responding
No assurance of honesty
Limited questionnaire length
Limitations inherent with self-selected samples

16. Observation
Personal observation
traffic analysis
recording how products are used
Unobtrusive measures
pantry checks
garbage search
Mechanical observation
people meters

17. Step 4: Design the Sample
Probability samples
each member of population has an equal chance of being included in the sample
allows for inferences to be made about the population
Non-probability samples
unequal chance of being included in the sample (convenience sample)
limits inferences to the population

18. Steps 5 & 6: Implementation
Step 5: Collect the data
May encounter special problems
Step 6: Analyze and interpret the data
Enter, clean, & code data
Choose appropriate techniques for analysis
Interpret analysis by drawing inferences from the results

19. Step 7: Prepare the Research Report
Executive summary
A description of research methods
Discussion of results
Limitations of study
Conclusions & recommendations