Marketing Research

An advantage of secondary data is that, compared to primary data, they ______.

are usually available at a lower cost

Developing a questionnaire is considered "part art and part science." Which of the following is a good practice for questionnaire creation?

Questions should be designed to address a specific set of research questions.

___ is the number of people who stop using a service divided by the average number of total participants.

churn

The step in the marketing research process that follows research design is ______.

collecting the data

Compared to quantitative research, qualitative research is more ______.

informal

After raw data are analyzed and interpreted, they provide , ___ which is meaningful to marketing managers.

information

Data need to be organized, analyzed, and interpreted in order to become ______, which is useful for marketing decision making.

information

Secondary data can be found from both external and ___ data sources.

internal

The marketing research process does not have to be ______. Researchers can go back and forth from one step to another as the need arises.

linear

Marketing research efforts and resources can be wasted if research ______ are poorly defined.

objectives

A benefit of online versus more traditional marketing surveys is that the ______ rate is higher.

response

The last phase of the marketing research process is presenting ______ to decision makers.

results

Marketers can purchase ______ data, which are secondary data available for a fee from commercial research firms.

syndicated

A main difference between scanner research and panel research is that ______.

the data are aggregated (combined) differently

Which of the following best describes a focus group?

A small group of people put together for an intensive discussion

Where should demographic questions appear in a questionnaire?

At the end

______ are raw numbers, that on their own, have limited value to marketers.

Data

Which of the following are ways a firm or retailer can benefit from observation using embedded sensors, such as Microsoft's Kinect technology?

Develop smart signage that reacts to customers' movements Track customer purchasing behavior Optimize store layouts

Which of the following sections typically appear in a marketing research presentation?

Executive summary Limitations Conclusions

______ research systematically manipulates one or more variables to determine which variables have a causal effect on another variable.

Experimental

A firm that uses technology to monitor the expressions of focus group participants while they try various samples of products is using which of the following techniques?

Facial recognition software

Qualitative research relies on experiments and surveys.

False

True or false: Marketing researchers are free to use customer data in any way they need to, as long as the researchers did not collect it.

False

True or false: Online surveys are most beneficial to marketers who have large budgets and plenty of time to conduct their research.

False

Which of the following is NOT a quantitative research method?

Focus groups

A firm that is considering the impact of rising prices on several of its projects begins its research by reviewing the results of a study conducted by the firm the last time it raised its prices. What type of research is the firm using?

Internal secondary data

Select all the following that are disadvantages of primary data collection.

It costs more. It takes more time.

Which of these is NOT an advantage of secondary research?

It is the best source of unbiased data

An organic food manufacturer has designed a questionnaire for consumers of its products. The company is considering changing its packaging and including the question: "Do you have any concerns over the use of inert gases, such as nitrogen or argon, in a modified atmosphere packaging application?" What is wrong with this question?

It uses unfamiliar vocabulary.

______ data is information collected from the same group of consumers repeatedly over time.

Panel

A major advantage of ______ research is that it can be tailored to fit the pertinent research questions.

Primary

In the second step of the marketing research process, what factor determines the type of data needed?

Project objectives

______ research, such as a focus group, attempts to begin to understand phenomena of interest with broad, open-ended questions.

Qualitative

In a focus group, what kind of data are usually gathered about consumer reactions?

Qualitative data

___________ research provides mathematical information needed to confirm insights, and managers can use it to pursue appropriate courses of action through many types of data collection.

Quantitative

What is a data collection technique that features a document with questions designed to gather information from respondents to attain researcher objectives?

Questionnaire

Which of the following is an accurate definition of the term data?

Raw numbers with no intrinsic meaning

_______ are pieces of information that have already been collected before the research project starts.

Secondary data

Which of the following data are most likely to be collected by scanner research over a given week?

The number of cans of Campbell's chicken noodle soup sold at a single grocery store.

What is the major disadvantage of external secondary data collected from the Internet?

They can be untrustworthy.

Which of the following are benefits of in-depth interviews for market research?

They communicate people's feelings about products and services at the individual level. They provide historical context for the phenomenon of interest.

What are the characteristics of structured questions?

They include specific answers to choose from. They are closed-ended.

In sentiment mining, companies gather comments from consumers on social media for what purpose?

To find consumers' preferences for products

A company that seeks to reduce its churn levels has what objective?

To reduce the percentage of its customers who stop using its product or service

Which of the following qualities are most important when describing marketing research?

Unbiased and factual

How is information generally gathered in a survey?

Using a questionnaire

True or false: A questionnaire is a research technique that attempts to analyze consumer sentiments based on their social media activity.

false

Market researchers use social media to ______.

learn about customers' likes and dislikes

Facial recognition software is used in marketing research to ______.

observe reactions using digital images

Unstructured questions are _____ questions.

open-ended

___ data consist of research information collected to address specific research needs.

primary

A ______ is a customer group of substantial size that represents the customers of interest in marketing research.

sample

Whenever you go into your local grocery store, your purchases are rung up using hardware that is a ______ system. The data from these purchases are likely to be acquired by leading marketing research firms.

scanner

Thompson Manufacturing develops and sells kitchen appliances. Thompson uses marketing research as a link to its environment by incorporating stakeholder input and feedback into its decision making process. This allows the firm to be ______ oriented.

customer

Through the use of ______, a hardware retailer might learn that 30% of the time when its customers buy a table saw, they also purchase nails.

data mining

A marketing research project might involve analyzing ______ collected from grocery store scanners in order to produce ______ that can be used to better understand how well a promotion worked or how different customer segments differ in their shopping patterns.

data; information

The second step in the marketing research project involves design. In this step, researchers identify the type of ______ needed and work out the type of ______ necessary to collect it.

data; research

The analyst prepares the results to present them to a firm's ______ as a final step in the marketing research process.

decision makers

Which of these is the best example of an unstructured question?

"Why did you choose the car you currently drive?"

What service do online focus group firms offer?

A secure site on which companies can listen to and interact with focus groups

What are the causes of recent changes in the field of marketing research?

Access to analytic dashboards for decision making Ability to store and manipulate data with computers Improved ability to collect data

Which of the following are among the five stages in the marketing research process?

Analyzing the data Collecting the data Defining objectives

Which of the following are practices supported by the American Marketing Association for ethical marketing research?

Avoiding misrepresentation of pertinent research data Encouraging fair treatment of clients and suppliers of research data Prohibiting fund-raising under the guise of conducting research

During a marketing research project, when should the procedure for the entire project be planned?

Before the project begins

Neuromarketing examines what to determine consumers' responses to products?

Brain patterns

Which of the following are sources of secondary data?

Census data Sales invoices Trade associations

Marketing research consists of which of the following?

Collecting data Interpreting data Analyzing data

___________ uses various statistical analysis tools to discover previously unknown patterns in the data or relationships among variables.

Data mining

Which of the following is NOT a qualitative research method?

Experiments

Select all of the following that are quantitative research methods.

Experiments Scanner data Survey

The marketing research process always follows a strict progression of steps that happen in the same order every time.

False

Which of the following are types of qualitative research methods?

Focus groups In-depth interviews Observation

What is a qualitative research technique in which trained researchers ask questions to a few selected participants individually, record the answers, and then ask additional questions if needed for clarification?

In-depth Interview

______ must be committed to the research project and be willing to abide by the results of the research.

Management

______ consists of a set of techniques and principles for systematically collecting, recording, analyzing, and interpreting data that can aid decision makers involved in marketing goods, services, or ideas.

Marketing research

______ research is particularly useful when consumers are unable to talk about their experiences.

Observation

What types of insights do researchers gain from focus groups?

Reactions to marketing stimuli Opinions about competitive offerings Initial reactions to new or existing products

The body (the middle section) of a marketing research report usually includes which three features?

Research objectives Detailed findings The methodology used

Categorize the data collection techniques as qualitative or quantitative.

Survey > Quantitative Focus groups > Qualitative

Primary data collection methods include which of the following?

Surveys In-depth interviews Focus groups

Researchers decide if a project is valuable by comparing the benefits of answering some of their questions with what?

The costs associated with the research

How do in-depth interviews help marketers improve their approach to market research?

The interview results can be used to develop surveys for a broader sample of consumers.

In recent years, firms have improved their ability to collect data from which of the following sources?

Websites and social media platforms Transactions Customer relationship management systems

Which of the following questions should be considered by managers before beginning a marketing research project?

Will the research be useful? Will the top management be committed to this project?

A research project in which objectives have been poorly defined will most likely result in ______.

a significant waste of time and money

Researchers assess the value of a project by comparing the ______ of answering some of their questions and the ______ associated with conducting the research.

benefits; costs

Popular media has coined the term ___ ___ to refer to the excess data that companies can access but cannot organize using conventional data management.

big data

What is the excess of data for which companies can access but cannot collate by traditional methods called?

big data

Match the terms data and information to their respective definitions.

data - Raw numbers or facts with little value to marketers. information - Organized, analyzed, and interpreted numbers or facts that offer value to marketers.

Firms find it necessary to use data mining techniques to extract valuable information from their _____________.

data warehouses

Marketing research can be used to guide decision making for all of the following strategies EXCEPT ______.

distribution methods

Because research is ______, it is important to figure out beforehand exactly what problem needs to be solved.

expensive and time-consuming

Compared to secondary research, primary research requires researchers who ______.

have more training and skill in gathering and analyzing data

As firms build databases that contain customer ______, marketing researchers must be careful not to abuse this collection, which may contain sensitive personal details.

information

The in-depth ___ is a qualitative research technique in which researchers ask questions in a one-on-one setting, record the answers, and then ask additional questions to clarify a particular issue.

interview

A benefit of ______ marketing surveys is that researchers can develop a database quickly with many responses.

online

When firms use the Internet to monitor and solicit feedback from customers, they usually do so through the use of a(n) ______.

online community

Researchers can avoid unnecessary changes as they move through a research project by ______ the entire process a while before starting.

planning

Depending on the research problem, the primary data collection method can employ a ______ research method.

qualitative or quantitative

Companies cannot include every customer in marketing research, so a group of customers, called a(n) ___, is chosen to represent other customers with the same characteristics.

sample

When you make a purchase at a grocery store, the ______ are often collected by marketing research firms to help understand consumers' purchasing behavior.

scanner data

Firms sometimes sponsor online communities, in part for marketing research purposes. Online communities are an example of ______.

social media

Match each issue (on the left) concerning questionnaire design with its corresponding example (on the right).

Avoid sensitive questions unless they are absolutely necessary. > When was the last time you received bad news at the doctor's office? Avoid leading questions, which steer respondents to a particular response, regardless of their true beliefs. > Most patriotic people vote in every election. Did you vote in the last presidential election? Avoid complex questions, especially if they may be unfamiliar to respondents. > Do you believe that mechanical watches are better than quartz watches?

One disadvantage of secondary data is that ______.

they may not be exactly what the research project requires

A focus group interview is a(n) ______ method of inquiry where a trained moderator leads a conversation according to a predetermined outline of the topic of interest.

unstructured

Place the stages of the marketing research process in the correct order, with the FIRST step at the TOP.

1. defining objective and needs 2. designing the research 3. collecting the data 4. analyzing data and developing insights 5. developing and implementing an action plan

______ is a tool used by companies to explore data that helps to explain customer patterns in purchasing certain products (i.e., a tool that enables a home improvement retailer such as Lowe's to learn that 25 percent of the time its customers buy a garden hose, they also purchase a sprinkler).

Data mining

A firm that is considering changing the colors used on its packaging wants to determine the effect of different color schemes on sales. To do so, the firm places three different packages in stores in three different markets. What type of research is this?

Experimental

Which of the following are benefits of conducting surveys online (vs. offline)? Select all that apply.

Faster processing Higher response rate Lower cost

Which U.S. government agency is tasked with protecting the privacy of American consumers?

Federal Trade Commission

Which of these are advantages of primary research?

It offers insights into consumer behavior. It can be tailored to the data needs.

What are the advantages of secondary research?

It reduces the cost of data collection. It saves time in data collection because it is readily available.

______ is the process of examining people's brain patterns to see their responses to specific products or services in order to develop marketing strategies.

Neuromarketing

Which of the following are benefits of online focus groups?

No travel needed Lower costs Access to a broader range of consumers

Which research method is typically the best for determining how customers might use a product?

Observation

___ research can last for a short time (for example, two hours of watching teenagers shop for clothing in the mall), or it may take days or weeks (for example, researchers living with families to observe their use of products).

Observation

______ is a qualitative research method that entails examining purchase and consumption behavior through personal viewing or video camera scrutiny.

Observation

What are the two types of primary data collection methods?

Qualitative Quantitative

Suppose you work in the marketing department of a company and your boss, the marketing manager, asks you to take on a marketing research project. "But I'm not giving you any money for data collection," your boss says. "You can just use secondary data; they can meet all our needs and we can get them for free." Which of the following is the best argument against your boss's decision not to give you any funds for the research?

Secondary data may not be specific enough to meet the needs of the research.

______ is a marketing research method in which customer comments from a variety of social media sites are analyzed, seeking to gain insights into what customers really think

Sentiment mining

When researchers define the objectives and needs of their project, what are they trying to establish?

The problem that needs to be solved

Which of these is not an advantage of secondary data?

They are easy to customize.

The U.S. Census provides demographic data about a particular market area, and it can be easily accessed at a low cost. What is the major disadvantage of the data?

They become outdated because they are collected only every 10 years.

What role do groups such as the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) and the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) play in today's business landscape?

They ensure consumer data is used ethically.

True or false: A virtual community is an online network of people who communicate about specific topics.

True

Observation can be described as ______ through personal viewing or by means of a video camera.

examining purchase and consumption behavior

Ratings of television programs by households for long-term measurement of their viewing habits is an example of ______ data.

panel

Once a firm has gained insights from doing qualitative research, it is likely to engage in ______ research, which are structured responses that can statistically be tested.

quantitative

Data mining uses various ______________ tools to uncover previously unknown patterns in the data or relationships among variables.

statistical analysis

A(n) ______ question is a closed-ended question with a specific set of possible answers, such as a yes/no question.

structured

A(n) ___ is a systematic method of collecting information from people through a questionnaire.

survey

If a media company wants information on consumers' television viewing habits, it can purchase reports compiled by commercial research firms such as Nielsen. This is an example of ______ data.

syndicated

Social media sites can provide a firm with insights into a consumer's opinions about the firm and _______.

the consumer's opinions about the firm's competition

In most situations, data collection should begin only after ______.

the research design process is finished

A ___ ___ is an online network of people who talk about specific topics.

virtual community

Firms that collect a large amount of customer information and purchase history store it in large computer files called data _________.

warehouses