Marketing Research and Analysis

storytelling

A projective method of data collection relying on a picture stimulus such as a cartoon, photograph, or drawing, about which the subject is asked to tell a story.

literature search

A search of statistics, trade journal articles, other articles, magazines, newspapers, books, and/or online sources for data or insight into the problem at hand.

Hypothesis

A statement of unproven propositions about some phenomenon of interest that specifies how two or more measurable variables are related.

Managers should study marketing research so they can understand what they are asking of researchers when requesting marketing research. a. True b. False

a. True

One important measure of a focus group's success is whether the participants talk to each other rather than the moderator doing all the talking. a. True b. False

a. True

Projective methods help researchers overcome subjects' reluctance to discuss their feelings and/or provide truthful answers. a. True b. False

a. True

The basic function of marketing research is to gather information that is needed to help managers make better decisions. a. True b. False

a. True

Trying to sell products after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research is an unethical approach known as "sugging." a. True b. False

a. True

How a firm responds to a new product introduced by a competitor is an example of which type of marketing problem/opportunity? a. Unplanned change in the marketing environment b. Planned change in the marketing environment c. Both types of change are applicable to this example. d. Neither type of change is applicable to this example.

a. Unplanned change in the marketing environment

Which method of ethical reasoning holds that the correct course of action is the one that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people? a. Utility approach b. Justice approach c. Rights approach d. All approaches do this.

a. Utility approach

Advertising agencies are most likely to do marketing research that estimates market needs for products and services. a. True b. False

b. False

Descriptive research is a less common means of gathering primary data. a. True b. False

b. False

Exploratory research is inappropriate for any problem about which little is known. a. True b. False

b. False

If an action is legal, then it is ethical. a. True b. False

b. False

Much of the data that marketing managers need to make routine decisions do not exist inside a company's databases. a. True b. False

b. False

Successful marketing researchers tend to be reactive rather than proactive. a. True b. False

b. False

The primary function of focus groups is to validate a seller's beliefs about its own product. a. True b. False

b. False

What is the primary advantage of a focus group over other exploratory techniques? a. It involves detached and prolonged observation of consumers' emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors. b. It features group interaction, allowing participants to hear and respond to others' ideas. c. It overcomes the subjects' reluctance to discuss their feelings or provide truthful answers. d. Selected participants usually form a heterogeneous group.

b. It features group interaction, allowing participants to hear and respond to others' ideas.

The stage of marketing research in which error can enter the process is a. problem definition. b. data analysis. c. Error can enter during any stage. d. data capture.

c. Error can enter during any stage.

sentence completion

A projective method in which respondents are directed to complete a number of sentences with the first words that come to mind.

strategy-oriented decision problem

A decision problem that typically seeks to answer "how" questions about a problem/opportunity. The focus is generally on selecting alternative courses of action.

discovery-oriented decision problem

A decision problem that typically seeks to answer "what" or "why" questions about a problem/opportunity. The focus is generally on generating useful information.

people meters

A device used to measure when a television is on, to what channel it is tuned, and who in the household is watching it.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A document that describes, as specifically as possible, the nature of the problem for which research is sought and that asks providers to offer proposals, including cost estimates, about how they would perform the job.

utility approach

A method of ethical or moral reasoning that focuses on society and the net consequences that an action may have. If the net result of benefits minus costs is positive, the act is considered ethical; if the net result is negative, the act is considered unethical.

justice approach

A method of ethical or moral reasoning that focuses on the degree to which benefits and costs are fairly distributed across individuals and groups. If the benefits and costs of a proposed action are fairly distributed, an action is considered to be ethical.

Rights Approach

A method of ethical or moral reasoning that focuses on the welfare of the individual and that uses means, intentions, and features of an act itself in judging its ethicality. If any individual's rights are violated, the act is considered unethical.

portable people meters

A pager-like device carried with a person or worn on a person's clothing used to measure when a person is listening to a radio station or watching a television broadcast outside their home.

role playing

A projective method in which a researcher will introduce a scenario or context and ask respondents to play the role of a person in the scenario.

scanner

An electronic device that automatically reads the bar code imprinted on a product, looks up the price in an attached computer, and instantly prints the description and price of the item on the cash register receipt.

focus group

An interview conducted among a small number of individuals simultaneously; the interview relies more on group discussion than on directed questions to generate data.

Sugging

Attempting to sell products or services or ideas under the guise of marketing research.

ethics

Moral principles and values that govern the way an individual or a group conducts its activities.

Exploratory Research

Research conducted to gain ideas and insights to better define the problem or opportunity confronting a manager.

advocacy research

Research conducted to support a position rather than to find the truth about an issue.

standardized marketing information

Secondary data collected by companies that sell the data to multiple companies, allowing the costs of collecting, editing, coding, and analyzing them to be shared. The data are standardized so that multiple companies can use them rather than customized for a specific company.

geodemographers

The availability of demographic, consumer behavior, and lifestyle data by arbitrary geographic boundaries that are typically quite small.

Ethnography

The detailed observation of consumers during their ordinary daily lives using direct observations, interviews, and video and audio recordings.

moderator

The individual that meets with focus group participants and guides the session.

marketing ethics

The principles, values, and standards of conduct followed by marketers. Marketing researchers must make many decisions over the course of a single research project. Throughout the process, researchers must consider the ethics involved in the choices they make.

Marketing Research

The process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring the firm's marketing plans.

data mining

The use of powerful analytic technologies to quickly and thoroughly explore mountains of data to obtain useful information.

research request agreement

a document prepared by the researcher after meeting with the decision maker that summarizes the problem and the information that is needed to address it

nominal groups

a group interview technique that initially limits respondent interaction while attempting to maximize input from individual group members

word association

a projective technique in which respondents are presented with a list of words, one at a time. After each word is presented, respondents are asked to give the first word that comes to mind

research problem

a restatement of the decision problem in research terms

research proposal

a written statement that describes the marketing problem, the purpose of the study, and a detailed outline of the research methodology

Which of the following is probably the best source of data for a marketer doing research on the U.S. labor force? a. A federal government agency b. A marketing research company c. A trade association d. A university's bureau of business research

a. A federal government agency

Which of the following examples represents a strategy-oriented decision problem for a restaurant owner? a. Determining the effectiveness of two proposed advertising campaigns for the restaurant b. Providing information about customer satisfaction with the restaurant c. Understanding consumer perceptions of competing restaurants d. Providing information about the overall awareness level of the restaurant in a target market

a. Determining the effectiveness of two proposed advertising campaigns for the restaurant

Which of the following statements about the research proposal is true? a. It specifies the techniques that will be used for implementing the research. b. It does not include a detailed plan to complete the study. c. It does not include a description of the population t be studied. d. It predicts the outcome of the research project.

a. It specifies the techniques that will be used for implementing the research.

Managers who study and understand marketing research will know which of the following statements about the research process are NOT true? a. Marketing research is inexpensive to an organization and can therefore be undertaken on trivial issues. b. The process is detailed, time consuming, and requires a lot of thought and effort. c. No research is perfect and managers must take this into account when making decisions. d. The process of gathering data and generating information is full of opportunities for errors to slip into the results.

a. Marketing research is inexpensive to an organization and can therefore be undertaken on trivial issues.

Considering how managers use marketing research, which use applies to a manager who wishes to allocate resources in the best way to pursue business opportunities? a. Marketing research used for planning b. Marketing research used for problem solving c. Marketing research used for control d. Both B and C

a. Marketing research used for planning

A request-for-proposal (RFP) is a document a manager would use for what research-related purpose? a. To ask research providers for proposals and cost estimates for a research project b. To share proposed actions or steps recommended by research c. To get authorization from upper management to conduct research d. To hire staff for an in-house research department

a. To ask research providers for proposals and cost estimates for a research project

Even the best marketing research projects contain error of one kind or another. a. True b. False

a. True

Exploratory studies are very flexible and rarely use detailed questionnaires. a. True b. False

a. True

The type of exploratory research to use when a researcher hopes that ideas will drop "out of the blue" or be fully developed because of the "snowball" effect is a. focus groups. b. literature search. c. data mining. d. depth interviews.

a. focus groups.

Data mining is an exploratory research technique that is defined as a. searching for statistical patterns in datasets. b. making detached and prolonged observations of consumer emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors. c. Data mining is not an exploratory research technique. d. studying selected examples of the phenomenon about which insights are needed.

a. searching for statistical patterns in datasets.

The most critical error in research work is a. total error. b. coding error. c. editing error. d. sampling error.

a. total error.

moderator's guidebook

an ordered list of the general (and specific) issues to be addressed during a focus group; the issues normally should move from general to specific

Why does the research request agreement make the job of the researcher easier? a. Because it describes exactly how to conduct the research b. Because it makes certain that the client and the researcher agree about the research problem to be addressed c. Because it describes the research conclusions the researcher should try to obtain d. All of these statements are correct.

b. Because it makes certain that the client and the researcher agree about the research problem to be addressed

Why is it important for the researcher to be actively involved in problem formulation? a. Because researchers have a better understanding of the problem than the manager does b. Because researchers bring a new perspective to the problem/opportunity situation c. Because managers are focused on root causes, not symptoms, of the problem d. All of the above are correct.

b. Because researchers bring a new perspective to the problem/opportunity situation

Which broad approach to marketing research sheds light on a particular issue at a particular time? a. Putting systems in place that provide marketing intelligence on an ongoing basis b. Collecting data to address specific problems c. Both A and B d. Neither A nor B

b. Collecting data to address specific problems

Which of the general approaches to marketing research focuses on describing a population? a. Population research b. Descriptive research c. Exploratory research d. Causal research

b. Descriptive research

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for entering the marketing research field? a. Communication skills b. Negotiation skills c. Analytical skills d. Human relations skills

b. Negotiation skills

All of the following statements describe attributes of successful marketing researchers except which one? a. They tend to identify and lead the direction of individual studies and overall programs. b. They simply respond to explicit requests for information. c. They are proactive rather than reactive. d. They realize research is done primarily to help managers make better marketing decisions.

b. They simply respond to explicit requests for information.

"Sugging" is best described by which of the following statements? a. Salespeople using results of marketing research studies to help sell their products b. Conducting research to support a particular position with pseudo-scientific results c. Attempting to sell products or services after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research d. All of these statements describe "sugging."

c. Attempting to sell products or services after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research

The introduction of New Coke in the early 1980s is an example of a product introduction, backed by research, that had a disastrous result. Why did the marketing research process fail in the case of New Coke? a. Because researchers asked complicated questions b. Because researchers forgot to ask any questions c. Because researchers asked all the wrong questions d. Because researchers asked too many questions

c. Because researchers asked all the wrong questions

The first stage of the marketing research process is Problem Determination. What is the best course of action if the phenomenon to be investigated is broad or vague? a. Find a new research topic that is less broad or vague. b. Gather primary data through a survey to clarify. c. Conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue. d. Reject the research request.

c. Conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue.

Which of the following statements about marketing research is true? a. It is just for large organizations with deep pockets b. It is a non-essential activity that takes a single form. c. It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans. d. It is involved in some phases of the information management process.

c. It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans.

Which of the following statements about primary data is true? a. It should be generated even when information can be obtained from the company's internal or external sources. b. It is not new-to-the-world data. c. It is time-consuming to generate primary data. d. It is inexpensive to generate primary data.

c. It is time-consuming to generate primary data.

Which exploratory research approach is best if you're concerned about minimizing the potential for "group think?" a. Focus groups b. Depth interviews c. Nominal groups d. All of these approaches minimize the potential for "group think."

c. Nominal groups

The first thing that must occur for research to be properly designed: a. A research request agreement must be put in place. b. Secondary research must be analyzed. c. The problem or opportunity must be precisely defined. d. Primary research data must be collected.

c. The problem or opportunity must be precisely defined.

Under which moral reasoning framework is it more difficult to judge an action as ethical? a. The utility approach b. The justice approach c. The rights approach d. It is equally difficult for all approaches

c. The rights approach

Which of the following statements about the ethical reasoning frameworks is true? a. It's easy to apply these frameworks to marketing research decisions. b. It's optional to use one or more of these ethical reasoning frameworks. c. These frameworks will not always lead to the same conclusion about the ethics of research. d. All of these statements about ethical reasoning frameworks are true.

c. These frameworks will not always lead to the same conclusion about the ethics of research.

Which of the following are key characteristics of exploratory studies? a. They are typically large scale and rigid. b. They are typically small scale and rigid. c. They are typically small scale and flexible. d. They are typically large scale and flexible.

c. They are typically small scale and flexible.

The growth in the need for marketing research is creating demand for individuals who can a. analyze and interpret information. b. collect and interpret information. c. collect, analyze, and interpret information. d. collect and analyze information.

c. collect, analyze, and interpret information.

One of the quickest and least costly ways of conducting exploratory research is a. case analyses. b. depth interviews. c. literature search. d. projective methods.

c. literature search.

Why is it important for business people, who are increasingly exposed to research results, to study marketing research? a. So they won't take research results at face value b. So they will know how to ask the right questions about the research c. So they can determine the validity of the results d. All of the above

d. All of the above

How can a company avoid the trap of researching the wrong problem? a. Meet with the client to get as much information about the problem/opportunity. b. Delay research until the problem is properly defined. c. Conduct exploratory research to pin down the issues. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Marketing research should be avoided when a. the goal of the research is to support a particular position with pseudo-scientific results. b. attempting to sell products, services, or ideas under the guise of marketing research. c. when time, budget, or other resources are lacking to do the research properly. d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

Which of the following are focus group outcomes to avoid? a. Using focus group data to provide final answers to the problem b. Using focus group data to intentionally support a manager's position c. Letting executive bias influence the interpretation of focus group data d. All of the above are correct.

d. All of the above are correct.

A manager needing to investigate why market share for a product has slipped might use which of the following exploratory research approaches to identify a research problem? a. Analysis of sales data in company databases b. A focus group with consumers c. A quick online survey of current product users d. All of these are appropriate exploratory research approaches in this example.

d. All of these are appropriate exploratory research approaches in this example.

Among the important reasons for studying marketing research are which of the following? a. Marketing research can be rewarding and fun. b. To learn to be a smart consumer of marketing research results c. To gain an appreciation of the process, what it can and cannot do d. All of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct

Which are the major categories of firms that conduct marketing research? a. Companies that produce or sell products and services b. Advertising agencies c. Marketing research companies d. All of these are correct.

d. All of these are correct.

Which of the following are not valid examples of marketing research? a. A salesperson using research study results to help sell products b. A politician using polling data to plan campaign strategies c. A media company using research to better understand its audience so it can better sell advertising d. All of these are valid examples of marketing research.

d. All of these are valid examples of marketing research.

Marketing research should be avoided when a. it is unethical. b. management bias cannot be overcome with valid research results. c. it wastes a company's resources. d. All of these statements about avoiding marketing research are true.

d. All of these statements about avoiding marketing research are true.

Which of the following statements are characteristics of depth interviews? a. Participants are selected based their likely ability to provide useful information. b. It's important to include people with differing viewpoints and opinions. c. They don't require a random sample. d. All of these statements are characteristics of depth interviews.

d. All of these statements are characteristics of depth interviews.

What differentiates a decision problem from a research problem? a. A research problem is a restatement of the decision problem, from the researcher's perspective. b. A research problem states specifically what research can be done to provide answers. c. A decision problem takes the manager's perspective. d. All of these statements are correct.

d. All of these statements are correct.

At which stage can errors enter the marketing research process? a. Data capture b. Data analysis c. Information reporting d. At any stage

d. At any stage

All of the following represent examples of the causal research approach, except: a. Determining what price to charge for a product b. Determining which product packaging design is most effective c. Determining which version of a product to offer d. Determining the frequency with which something occurs within a population

d. Determining the frequency with which something occurs within a population

Which statement about an exploratory study is true? a. It is appropriate for a problem that is well-known and understood. b. It is almost always relatively large in scale. c. It consumes the bulk of the research budget. d. It is flexible regarding methods used for gaining insight.

d. It is flexible regarding methods used for gaining insight.

What is the role in a focus group that is most critical to its success? a. Monitor b. Facilitator c. Coordinator d. Moderator

d. Moderator

Which type of research would an advertising agency most likely conduct? a. Research designed to develop and market their products b. Research to gather information about consumer preferences c. Research done on a regular basis to sell in syndication d. Research designed to create effective campaigns and measure their effectiveness

d. Research designed to create effective campaigns and measure their effectiveness

Who has the most important role in a focus group? a. The least vocal member of the focus group b. The manager whose decision problem is being discussed c. The most vocal member of the focus group d. The focus group moderator

d. The focus group moderator

Which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of exploratory research? a. To get a better understanding of the problem or situation b. To identify areas where research might be useful c. To clarify concepts d. To determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

d. To determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

A concern or pitfall about the use of focus groups for exploratory research is a. that participants in the group are relatively homogeneous. b. that the participants talk to each other rather than the moderator. c. that everyone in the group will try to contribute ideas. d. that managers find it too easy to use focus group data to intentionally support their positions.

d. that managers find it too easy to use focus group data to intentionally support their positions.

case analysis

intensive study of selected examples of the phenomenon of interest

in-depth interviews

interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated

projective methods

methods that encourage respondents to reveal their own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors by shifting the focus away from the individual through the use of indirect tasks

decision problem

the problem facing the decision maker for which the research is intended to provide answers