1. What Have We Covered So Far? Problem Formulation and Approach
Understanding the managerial decision problem/opportunity
Translate into research objective
Pose the right research questions
State questions in terms of hypotheses
Know what information is needed

2. Weyerhaeuser
What marketing mix elements discussed in the case history led Weyerhaeuser to act.
What industry and economic background information is relevant in this case?
What is Weyerhaeuser’s management decision problem?
What courses of action were open to Weyerhaeuser?
What were the events that led Weyerhaeuser to decide to act?
What criteria will be used to evaluate these alternatives?
How important is the information gained from the focus group studies in formulating the marketing decision.
What information does Weyerhaeuser need to make a decision?
What was Weyerhaeuser marketing research problem?
What are some research questions that could be asked and what hypotheses could you make.
What are some of the components of the Research Approach?

3. The Marketing Research Process
PROBLEM FORMULATION
DEVELOP AN APPROACH
RESEARCH DESIGN
Exploratory, Descriptive, Causal
Primary/Secondary data
Sample plan/measurement issues
Today’s
Focus
DATA COLLECTION
DATA ANALYSIS
RESEARCH REPORT

4. Research Design Definition Components
A framework for conducting the marketing research project
Components
Information needed
Data collection methods
Measurement and scaling procedures
Sampling process and sample size
Data analysis procedures

5. A Broad Classification of Marketing Research Designs
Exploratory
Research
Design
Conclusive
Research
Design
Descriptive
Causal
Secondary
Research
Qualitative
Research

6. Exploratory Research: Overview
Characteristics
flexible, versatile, but not conclusive
Useful for
discovery of ideas and insights
Formulating problems more precisely
Identifying alternative courses of action
Establishing priorities for further research
Methods Used
case studies
secondary data
focus groups
qualitative research

7. Exploratory Research Cont’d
When done?
Generally initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem
Does not provide conclusive evidence
Subsequent research expected

8. Conclusive Research Used Characteristics inflexible, versatile
Results conclusive
Research formal and structured
Used
to provide decision maker with the information needed to make sound decision
Testing hypotheses and examining relationships
When information needs clearly defined

9. Conclusive
Research
Design
Descriptive
Causal

10. Descriptive Research: Overview
Characteristics
Describes characteristics of a population or phenomenon
Some understanding of the nature of the problem
preplanned, structured, conclusive
Useful for
describing market characteristics or functions
Methods Used
Surveys (primary data)
panels
scanner data (secondary data)

11. Descriptive Research When Used: Examples include:
Often a follow-up to exploratory research
Examples include:
Market segmentation studies, i.e., describe characteristics of various groups
Determining perceptions of product characteristics
Price and promotion elasticity studies
Sale potential studies for particular geographic region or population segment

12. Descriptive Research Designs
Two types of designs
Cross-sectional designs
Involves collection of information from sample of respondents only once
Could have a single cross-sectional design (only one sample) or multiple cross-sectional design (many samples of respondents)
Most popular design in marketing research
Example: Sample surveys

13. Descriptive Research Designs (contd.)
Longitudinal Designs
A fixed sample of the population is measured repeatedly, i.e., same respondents studied over time
Useful for tracking changes in consumer attitudes and behavior over time
Example: Dairy panel data
Mixed Designs:
Example: US Bureau of Labor Statistics follows a consumer panel for five quarters, then switches to a new panel of consumers

14. Examples of Descriptive Studies
Market studies that describe the size of the market, buying power of the consumers, availability of distributors, and consumer profiles
Market share studies that determine the proportion of total sales perceived by a company and its competitors
Sales analysis studies that describe sales by geographic region, product line, type of account size of account
Image studies that determine consumer perceptions of the firm and its products
Product usage studies that describe consumption patterns
Distribution studies that determine traffic flow patterns and the number and location of distributors
Pricing studies that describe the range and frequency of price changes and probable response to proposed price changes
Advertising studies that describe media consumption habits and audience profiles for specific television programs and magazines

15. Causal Research: Overview
Characteristics
causal (independent) variables be manipulated in a controlled fashion
Useful for
determining cause and effect relationships
Methods Used
Experiments
Primary data

16. Summary
After formulating the problem, getting the design right is the most important step
Three main types of research design types: Generally combinations of all three employed in the research process
Need to worry about various sources of error in research design

17. Degree of Problem Definition
Exploratory Research Descriptive Research Causal Research
(Unaware of Problem) (Aware of Problem) (Problem Clearly Defined)
“Our sales are declining and “What kind of people are buying “Will buyers purchase more of
we don’t know why.” our product? Who buys our our products in a new package?
competitor’s product?”
“Would people be interested “Which of two advertising
in our new product idea?” “What features do buyers prefer campaigns is more effective?”
in our product?”
possible situation

18. Tasks Involved in Formulating a Research design
Specify the information needed
Design the exploratory, descriptive and/or causal phases of the research
Specify the measurement and scaling procedures
Construct an pretest a questionnaire (interview form) or an appropriate for data collection
Specify the sampling process and sample size
Develop a plan of data analysis

19. I keep six honest serving men, (they taught me all I knew), their names are what and why, and when, and how, and where and who”
--Rudyard Kipling

20. WestJet wants to know whether it should expand its flight offerings into the International Market. In designing a market research project to provide WestJet with information to help them decide, answer the following six questions.
Who should be considered?
Where should the respondents be contacted to obtain the right information?
When should the information be obtained from respondents
What information should be obtained?
Why are we obtaining the information from the respondents
What Way are we going to obtain information

21. Sources of Error in Research Design
Total Error: Difference between true mean value of variable in population, and observed mean value obtained. Can be split into two main types:
Random Sampling Error: Occurs because particular sample selected is imperfect representation of the population of interest
Non-sampling Error: Due to sources other than sampling, e.g., errors in problem definition questionnaire design, data analysis.

22. Critical Path Method (CPM)
INPUTS
List of project activities
Precedence relationship among activities
Estimate of each activity’s duration
CPM processing procedures
OUTPUTS
Estimated duration of project
Identification of critical activities
Amount of slack for each activity

23. CPM Terminology Path Critical Path Critical Activities
A connected sequence of activities leading from the starting event to the ending event
Critical Path
The longest path (time); determines the project duration
Critical Activities
All of the activities that make up the critical path

24. Steps in CPM Analysis Draw the CPM network
A graphic view of the relationships among the required activities
Analyze the paths through the network
Determine the length of each path (the time required to complete each path)
Starting at the beginning of the network and working toward the end (from left to right), determine the estimated start and estimated finish for each activity

25. Steps in CPM Analysis Path analysis (continued)
Identify the critical path(s) (the longest path[s] through the network)
The critical path(s) determines how long the project will take

26. Marketing Research Proposal
See page Malhotra