Marketing Research Exam 2

Research Analysis

"How do I make sense out of all of this?" -the heart of death analysis is finding themes (theme--an abstract, fuzzy hypothesis)

In-Depth Interview

(IDI) a set of probing questions posed one-on-one to a subject by a trained interviewer so as to gain an idea of what the subject thinks about something or why he or she behaves a certain way -sometimes conducted in a respondent's home or possibly at a central interviewing location (such as a mall-intercept facility) -objective is to obtain unrestricted comments or opinions and to ask questions that will help the marketing researcher better understand the various dimensions of these opinions as well as the reasons for them. -new concepts, designs, advertising, and promotional messages can arise from this method -compared to a focus group, an IDI is better at investigating complex interrelationships, needs, and motivations for purchasing behaviors

Longitudinal data is used for...

*Brand-Switching Studies*: -studies examining how many consumers switched brands. -such studies can be extremely useful to brand managers bc two cross-sectional studies may show changes in market shares between several brands but they can be misleading. *Market-Tracking Studies*: -measure some variable(s)of interest--that is, market share or unit sales over time. (Ex: by tracking sales by SKU's over time, managers can learn a great deal about what is happening in the marketplace.

Causal Research

*Causality* - understanding a phenomenon in terms of conditional statements ("if x, they y") -these "if-then" statements become our way of manipulating variables of interest. (ex: if the thermostat is lowered, then the air will get cooler") -marketing managers are always trying to determine what will cause a change in consumer satisfaction, a gain in market share, or an increase in sales. -understanding what causes consumers to behave as they do is extremely difficult (cause and effect relationships are very complex) -causal relationships are determined by the use of experiments.

Pros and Cons of Test Marketing

*Pros* -allows for the most accurate method of forecasting future sales -allows firms the opportunity to pretest marketing mix variables *Cons* -does not yield infallible results -competitors may try to sabotage test markets -exposes the new product to competitors -takes time to conduct -very very expensive (and not even that valuable for what it costs)

3 Types of Research Design

-Exploratory -Descriptive -Causal > the choice of the most appropriate design depends largely on how much we already know about the problem and research objective. (Ex: the more we know, the less likely we should use exploratory research; causal research on the other hand, should be used when we know a fair amount about the problem and we are looking for causal relationships among variables associated with the problem or research objective.)

Other Qualitative Research Techniques

-In-Depth Interviews -Protocol Analysis -Projective Techniques -Ethnographic Research -Physiological Measurement

Methods to conduct Exploratory Research

-Secondary Data Analysis (Google, Yahoo Finance, etc.) -Experience Surveys ("in-depth research") -Case Analysis -Focus Groups -Projective Techniques

Types of Test Marketing

-Standard Test Market -Controlled Test Markets -Electronic Test Markets -Simulated Test Markets

Evaluating Secondary Data

-What was the purpose of the study? (users of secondary data should try to understand the true purpose of a study they are using as secondary data) -Who collected the information? (not all research studies that are available sources of secondary data are conducted in an objective manner. you must ask who conducted the study) -What information was collected? (it may be crucial to know exactly what was measured in a report before using the results) -How was the information obtained? (evaluate the method used to collect the primary data now available to you as secondary data) -How consistent is the information with other information? (if 2 or more sources of secondary data differ, you should investigate why. did they measure the same entity? did they use different methods to collect their data?)

Disadvantages of Syndicated Data

-buyers have little control over what information is collected (are the units of measurement correct? are the geographical reporting units correct? -firms often must commit to long-term contracts -no strategic information advantage in purchasing syndicated data bc all competitors have access to the same information.

Purposes of Mystery Shopping

-evaluate customer service -measure employee training -recognize good employees -monitoring the competition -prepare for competition

Standard Test Market

-firm tests the product or marketing mix variables through the company's normal distribution channels -a negative of this is that competitors are immediately aware of the new product or service -but they are good indicators as to how the product will actually perform bc they are conducted in real settings.

Disadvantages of Packaged Services

-inability to customize services -service firm not being knowledgeable of the client's industry

Advantages of Observational Data

-insight into actual, not reported, behaviors (the subjects are unaware they are being studies and bc of this, they react in a natural manner) -no chance for recall error (subjects are not asked what they remember about a certain action, instead, they are observed while engaged in the act) -better accuracy -lower cost

Advantages of Online Focus Groups

-no physical setup is necessary -transcripts are captured on file in real time -participants can be in widely separated geographical areas -participants are comfortable in their home or office environments -the moderator can exchange private messages with individual participants

Disadvantages of Online Focus Groups

-observation of participants' body language is not possible -participants cannot physically inspect products or taste food items -participants can lose interest or become distracted

Advantages of Syndicated Data

-shared costs -high quality data -data are normally collected and disseminated very quickly; the more current the data, the greater their usefulness

Appropriate Conditions for the use of Observation

-the event must occur during a relatively short time interval -the observed behavior must occur in a public setting -observation is typically used when the possibility of faulty recall rules out collecting information by asking the subject

When to use Exploratory Research

-to gain background information -to define terms and concepts -to clarify problems and hypotheses (refine research objectives) -to establish research priorities (Ex: a summary account of complaint letters by retail store may tell management where to devote their attention) (can be accomplished by simply reading a magazine or even observing a situation) Ex: Kroc noticed McDonald's brothers restaurants burned up so many milkshake machines bc they were so busy, so he took this exploratory observation and turned it into the world famous fast-food chain. -usually conducted when the researcher does not know much about the problems; usually conducted at the outset of research projects > many questions; many sources > defining the problem; getting a "feel"

Why do Qualitative Research?

-to obtain a deeper level of understanding and awareness of a topic -to help define the problem -to bring up factors and considerations otherwise overlooked

Advantages of Packaged Services

-using the experience of the firm offering the service (good way to minimize potential mistakes in carrying out the research process) -reduced cost -speed of conducting the service (efficiency gained by conducting the service over and over translates into reduced turnaround time from start to finish of a research project)

When should focus groups be used?

-when the research objective is to describe rather than predict. -they work well for the following situations: 1. a company wants to know "how to speak" to its market; what language and terms do customers use? 2. What are some new ideas for an ad campaign? 3. Will a are service we are developing have appeal to customers and how can we improve it? 4.How can we better package our product? -in all of these cases, focus groups can describe the terms customers use; their reactions and ideas for ads; the reasons why service, product, or package features are appealing; and suggestions for improving the company's delivery of benefits.

Limitations of Observational Data

-with direct observation, typically only *small number of subjects* are studied and usually under special circumstances, so their representativeness is a concern. -subjective interpretations -researcher's inability to pry beneath the behavior observed -motivations, attitudes, and other internal conditions cannot be observed. (we don't know "why?")

Identifying Themes

1. *Noticing Things* -aka describe the phenomena--making observations, writing field notes, taping or video recording. Producing a record of the things you have noticed. -Coding--naming the things you have noticed 2. *Classifying Data* -sorting the pieces of data you coded. Looking for types, classes, sequences or patterns in the data. -Ex: reading through all the reports, write observations onto note cards and sort them into categories. 3. *Thinking About Things* -looking for sequences and patterns in the data collected by comparing and contrasting each of the things you noticed. -*Goals* 1. Make sense of the categories individually (be able to say you understand each pattern you observed) 2. Look for patterns and relationships between the categories 3. Make general discoveries about the phenomena you are researching

3 Criteria for Selecting Test-Markets

1. *Representativeness* -bc one of the major reasons for conducting a test market is to achieve external validity, the test-market city should be representative of the marketing territory in which the product will ultimately be distributed. 2. *Degree of Isolation* -when a firm test-markets a product, distribution of the product and promotion of the product are isolated to a limited geographical area -want as little bleed into other markets as possible to keep from competition for as long as possible (almost impossible) 3. *Ability to Control Distribution and Promotion* -"are distributors in the city available and willing to cooperate?" -if not, is a controlled test-market service company available for the city? -will the media in the city have the facilities to accommodate your test-market needs? At what costs?

An experiment is valid if:

1. the observed change in the dependent variable is, in fact, due to the independent variable (*Internal Validity*) -this is another way of asking if the proper experimental design was used and if it was implemented correctly. -experiments lacking internal validity have little value bc they produce misleading results. 2. the results of the experiment apply to the "real world" outside the experimental setting. (*External Validity*) -Ex: "can the results of the experiment be applied to all the restaurants in the chain?" *Threats*: -"how representative is the sample of test units?", "is this sample really representative of the population?" -the artificiality of the experimental setting itself. (to control as many variables as possible, some experimental settings are far removed from real world conditions; if an experiment is so contrived that it produces behavior that would not likely be found in the real world, then the experiment lacks external validity.

Interpreting Data

1. the source of the research and of the funding 2. the researchers who had contact with the participants 3. the individuals or objects studied and how they were selected 4. the exact nature of the measurements made or questions asked 5. the setting in which the measurements were taken 6. the extraneous differences between groups being compared 7. the magnitude of any claimed differences

Focus Group Disadvantages

1. they do not constitute representative samples; therefore, caution must be exercised in generalizing findings 2.success is greatly dependent on the ability of the moderator 3. it is sometimes difficult to interpret the results of focus groups (the moderator's report is based on a subjective evaluation of participants' statements and interactions)

Focus Group Advantages

1. they generate fresh ideas 2. they allow client to observe their participants 3. they may be directed at understanding a wide variety of issues (such as reactions to a new food product, brand logo, or tv ad) 4. they allow fairly easy access to special respondents groups, such as lawyers or doctors (whereas it may be very difficult to find a representative sample of these groups)

5 Ways Companies Use Their Databases:

1. to *identify prospects*, such as sorting through replies to company ads to identify customers who can be targeted with more information 2. to decide *which customers should receive a particular offer*, such as sending a cross-selling suggestion 2 weeks after a sale 3. to *deepen customer loyalty* by remembering customer preferences and sending appropriately customized materials reflecting those preferences 4. to *reactivate customer purchases*, such as automatically sending out a birthday card 5. to avoid serious customer mistakes, such as charging a fee to one of the firm's largest customers.

4 Objectives of Focus Groups

1. to generate ideas 2. understand consumer vocabulary (that they use to describe products to improve communications about those products or services) 3. reveal consumer needs, motives, perceptions, and attitudes on products/services 4. to understand findings from quantitative studies

Application Areas-Standardized Information

Conducting market tracking -tracking studies monitor a variable (i.e. sales, market share, customer satisfaction) over time. Market tracking at the retail level -ACNielsen Scantrack Services -InfoScan Syndicated Data Service (IRI) Market tracking at the household level -Infoscan's Combined Outlet Consumer Panel -ACNielsen Homescan Panel

4 Types of Mystery Shops

Level 1: -mystery telephone call. (Mystery shopper calls the client location & evaluates the level of service received over the phone following a scripted conversation.) Level 2: -mystery shopper visits the establishment, makes a quick purchase (e.g. gas, a hamburger, etc.) & evaluates the transaction & image of the facility. Little or no customer-employee interaction required. -mystery shopper visits the establishment and, using a script or scenario, initiates a conversation with an employee. No actual purchase is involved. Examples: discussing different cellular phone packages, reviewing services provided during an oil change, etc. Level 4: -mystery shopper performs a visit that requires excellent communication skills & knowledge of the product. Examples: discussing a home loan, the process for purchasing a new car, visiting an apartment complex.

Application Areas-Packaged Information

Measuring consumer attitudes, interests, and opinions -Yankelovich Monitor -Harris Poll -Gallup Poll Defining market segments -Neilsen's Claritas (allows users to access information at any geographical location specified) Monitoring media usage and promotion effectiveness -consumer generated media (content created by consumers on blogs, discussion boards, forums, etc.) -print media

Operational Aspects of Traditional Focus Groups

Size: 6 to 12 -fewer than 6 participants is not likely to generate the energy and group dynamics necessary for a truly beneficial FG session. (resulting in awkward silences and forces the moderator to take too active a role in the discussion to keep it alive) -more than 12 people can be too large and not effective; becomes fragmented. Who: homogeneous characteristics -participants are strangers and feel more comfortable when they realize that they have similarities such as age, job situations, etc. Recruiting: use incentives -to encourage recruits to participate (range from monetary compensation to free products or gift cards) Selection: what is the purpose of the focus group? Where: conducive to group discussion (and comfortable and quiet enough to permit an intelligible audiotaping of the session) When moderator gets involved: early Reporting Results: report qualitative data

Online Focus Groups

a form of contemporary focus group in which respondents communicate via an Internet forum, which clients can observe. -allow the participants the convenience of being seated at their own computers, while the moderator operates out of his or her office. -it is "virtual" in that it communicates electronically and does not have face-to-face contact.

Simulated Test Markets

a limited amount of data on consumer response to a new product is fed into a model containing certain assumptions regarding planned marketing programs, which generate likely sales volume. -aka, put the product out for a limited amount of time and collect al the data I can about it and then feed it to analytics and have it project future success (effects external validity) -accuracy is going to drop for as far as you put the product out (risky) *advantages* -much faster and only cost 5-10% of the cost of a standard test market. -they are confidential *disadvantage* -the STM's are not as accurate as full-scale test markets as they are dependent on the assumptions built into the models

Electronic Test Markets

a panel of consumers has agreed to carry identification cards that each consumer presents when buying goods ad services. -affects external validity bc the people know that they are being tested. *advantage of the card*: -as consumers buy (or do not buy) the test product, demographic information on the consumers is automatically recorded -offers speed, greater confidentiality, and less cost than standard or controlled test markets. *disadvantage* -the test market is one more step removed from the real market

Experimental Design

a procedure for devising an experimental setting such that a change in a dependent variable may be attributed solely to the change in an independent variable. -aka, experimental designs are procedures that allow experimenters to control for the effects on a dependent variable by any extraneous variable. -the experimenter is assured that any change in the dependent variable was due only to the change in the independent variable

Case Analysis

a review of available information about a former situation(s) that has some similarities to the current research problem -even when the research problem deals with a new product, some similar past experiences may be observed. (Ex: when the iPad was introduced it seemed revolutionary but Apple had plenty of experience examining other new product introductions such as the Kindle) -researchers must be cautious in using former case examples for current problems bc situations change.

Research Design

a set of advance decisions that makes up the master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information -knowledge of the needed research design allows advance planning so that the project may by conducted in less time and typically at a cost savings due to efficiencies gained in preplanning

Packaged Services

a standardized marketing research process that is used to generate information for a particular user -the data will differ for each client Ex: Esri's Segmentation System: a service that used a ready-made, prepackaged process to profile residential neighborhoods. This information purchased by clients with the aim of better understanding who their customers are, where they are located, how to find them, and how to reach them. (whereas the data will differ for each client, the process of generating the data is the same for all clients; it is the process they are marketing)

Laddering

a technique used in in-depth interviews in an attempt to discover how product attributes are associated with desired consumer values. -comes from the notion that the researcher is trying to establish the linkages, or steps, leading from product attributes to values.

Packaged Information

a type of secondary data in which the data collected and/or the process of collecting data are standardized for all users. *Two broad classifications of packaged information* 1. Syndicated Data 2. Packaged Services

Qualitative Research

a unstructured research methodology that involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. -observations and statements are free form or non standardized bc these questions and observations are open ended. -can be quantified, but only after a translation process has taken place.

Ethnographic Research

approach borrowed from anthropology; it is defined as a detailed, descriptive study of a group and its behavior, characteristics, culture, and so on. -Ethno refers to people, and graphy refers to a field of study. -uses immersion, participant observation, and informal and ongoing in-depth interviews -ethnographers pay close attention to words, metaphors, symbols, and stories people use to explain their lives and communicate with one another. -marketeres have increasingly used this method to study consumer behavior, such as how subjects act during "shop-alongs" or in restaurants.

Continuous Panels

ask panel members the same questions on each panel measurement. Ex: includes many of the syndicated data panels that ask panel members to record their purchases using diaries or scanners. (panel members are asked to record the *same* information (grocery store purchases) over and over. -used quite differently from discontinuous panels in that one may use data from continuous panels to gain insights into *changes* in consumers' purchases, attitudes, etc.

Research Design should not....

be viewed as a step-by-step process -it may be perfectly legitimate to begin with any one of the 3 designs and to use only that one design. -in most cases, however, research is an iterative process: by conducting one research project, we learn that we may need additional research, which may result in using multiple research designs.

Controlled Test Markets

conducted by outside research firms that guarantee distribution of the product through prespecified types and numbers of distributors. -companies provide dollar incentives for distributors to provide them with guaranteed shelf space. -offer an alternative to the company that wishes to gain fast access to a distribution system set up for test-market purposes. -disadvantage: this distribution network may or may not properly represent the firm's actual distribution system.

Internal Databases

consisting of information gathered by a company typically during the normal course of business transactions. -*customer relationship marketing (CRM)*: companies use their internal databases for purposes of direct marketing and to strengthen their relationship with customers.

Sample Surveys

cross-sectional studies whose samples are drawn in such a way as to be representative of a specific population. Ex: prior to elections, many sample surveys ask voters "if the election were held today, who would you vote for?". The survey results are often featured in the news bc they attract a lot of attention. The survey samples are drawn so that the news media may report that the results are representative of the U.S. population and that the results, have, for ex. "a margin of error + or - 3%" -aka, sample surveys may be designed so that their results are representative and accurate, within some margin of error, of the true values in the population. -require that their samples be drawn to a predetermined number according to a prescribed plan.

External Secondary Data

data obtained from *outside* the firm classified into 3 sources: -Published -Syndicated -External Databases

Internal Secondary Data

data that has been collected *within* the firm -includes sales records, purchase requisitions, and invoices. -internal secondary data is used for database marketing

Syndicated Data

data that is collected in a standard format and made available to all subscribers (external secondary data supplied from a common database to subscribers for a service fee) Ex: ACNielsen's Scantrack Services collects scanning data weekly from over 4800 stores and makes this data available to all who subscribe to their service (data is the same for all subscribers)

External Databases

databases supplied by organizations outside the firm such as online information databases (Ebsco and Lexis Nexis) searchable by search engines online

Moderator

focus group participants are guided by moderators. -responsible for creating the correct atmosphere in the group and guiding discussion. Characteristics: -experienced -enthusiastic -prepared -involved -energetic -open-minded -good moderators have excellent observation, interpersonal, and communications skills to recognize and overcome threats to a productive group discussion.

Geodemographic Information Systems (GIS)

geodemographers can access huge databases and construct profiles of consumers residing in geographic areas determined by the geodemographer. -instead of being confined to fixed geographic reporting units such as a city, county, or state, geodemographers can produce this information for geographic ares though to be relevant for a given marketing application. -widely used to optimize maintencace and daily fleet movements. Typical implementations can result in a savings of 10-30% in operational expenses through reduction in fuel use and staff time, improved customer service, and more efficient scheduling -the go-to technology for making better decisions about location.

Secondary Data

have preciously been gathered by someone other than the researcher and/or for some other purpose than the research project at hand *Advantages* -obtained quickly -inexpensive -readily available -enhances existing primary data -may achieve research objective *Disadvantages* -incompatible reporting (ex: need zip code data and only have county data) -measurement units do not match (ex: need per capita income and only have household income) -class definitions are not usable (ex: need to know % of population with income about $100k and only have $50k and over) -may be outdated -may not be credible

Projective Techniques

involve situations in which participants are placed in (projected into) simulated activities in the hopes that they will divulge things about themselves that they might not reveal under direct questioning. -appropriate in situations which the researcher is convinced that respondents will be hesitant to relate their true options. Include: -word-association test -sentence competition test -picture test -cartoon or balloon test -role-playing activity

Protocol Analysis

involves placing a person in a decision making situation and asking him or her to verbalize everything he or she considers when making a decision -has been developed to peek into the consumer's decision-making processes. -once several people have provided protocols, the researcher reviews them and looks for commonalities, such as evaluative criteria used, number of brands considered, types and sources of information used, and so forth. -helpful for purchases involving a long time frame in which several decision factors must be considered such as buying a house. -also helpful when the decision process is very short, recall may be faulty and it can be used to slow down the process.

Physiological Measurement

involves studying an individual's involuntary responses to marketing stimuli via the use of equipment the monitors eye dilation, respiration, voice pitch, brain waves, or some other body processes. -the notion behind neuromarketing research is that physiological reactions cannot be consciously controlled, so they possibly reveal reactions that the individual is unaware of or unwilling to divulge.

Experiment

manipulation of an independent variable to see how it affects a dependent variable, while controlling the affects of additional extraneous variables

Cross-Sectional Studies

measure unit from a sample of the population at only one point in time. (a survey you do ONE time) -prevalent in marketing research, outnumbering longitudinal and causal. *snapshots of the population at one point in time* Ex: a study measuring your attitude toward adding a required internship course in your degree program bc your attitude toward the topic is measured at ONE point in time -normally employ fairly large sample sizes, so many cross-sectional studies are referred to as simply surveys.

Direct Observation

observing behavior as it occurs Ex: finding out how much shoppers squeeze tomatoes to assess their freshness, we can observe people actually picking up the tomatoes.

Indirect Observation

observing the effects or results of the behavior rather than the behavior itself -used bc some behaviors, such as past actions, cannot be directly observed. *Types include* -Archives -Physcial Traces

Invented Observation

occurs when the researcher creates the situation. Ex: a researcher might ask people to make a video as they try out a new toilet bowl cleaner.

Contemporary Focus Group

online with client viewing from distant locations; may have 25 or even 50 respondents; allow client interaction; may take place in nontraditional locations

Mystery Shoppers

people who pose as consumers and shop at a company's own stores or those of it competitors to collect data about customer-employee interactions and to gather observational data; they may also compare prices, displays, and the like

Unstructured Observation

places no restriction on what the observer notes. -all behavior in the episode under study is monitored. -the observer watches the situation and records what he or she deems interesting or relevant -of course, the observer is thoroughly briefed on the area of general concern.

Syndicated Services Data

provided by firms that collect data in a standard format and make them available to subscribing firms--highly specialized and not available in libraries for the general public

Experience Surveys

refer to gathering information from those thought to be knowledgable on the issues relevant to the research problem. -may also be called key-informant or lead-user surveys in the technology field -differ from surveys conducted as pat of descriptive research in that there is usually no formal attempt to ensure that the survey results are representatives of any defined group of subjects.

Database

refers to a collection of data and information describing items of interest. -each unit of info in a database is called a record. -records are composed of subcomponents called fields. -can tell managers which products are selling, report inventory levels, and profile customers by SKU. Ex: a company with a customer database would have records representing each customer. typical fields in a customer database record would include name, address, phone #, email, products purchased, dates of purchases, locations of purchases, warranty info, etc.

Primary Data

refers to information that is developed or gathered by the researcher specifically for the research project at hand. Collection Purpose: for problem at hand Collection Process: very involved Collection Cost: high Collection Time: long

Longitudinal Studies

repeatedly measure the same sample units of a population over a period of time. (repeated) -involve multiple measurements, so they are referred to as "movies" of the population. -employed by almost 50% of businesses using marketing research. -to ensure the success of the study, researchers may have access to the same members of the sample, called a *panel*, so as to take repeated measurements.

Panels

represent sample units who have agreed to answer questions at periodic intervals. includes: -Continuous Panels -Discontinuous Panels

Overt Observation

require the subjects' knowledge, include laboratory settings, recordings of sales calls, People Meters, etc. -bc people might be influenced by knowing they are being observed, it is wise to always minimize the presence of the observer to the maximum extent possible.

Quantitative Research

research involving the administration of a set of unstructured questions with predetermined response options to a large number of respondents -often involves a sizable representative sample if the population and a formalized procedure for gathering data -specific, and is used when the manager and researcher have agreed that precise information is needed. -data format and sources are clear and well defined, and the compilation and formatting of the data gathered follows an orderly procedure that is largely numerical in nature.

Independent Variables

researcher has control over and wishes to manipulate. Ex: the 4P's (product, price, promotion, and place); some IV include level of advertising expenditure, type of advertising appeal (humor, prestige), display location, price, type of product, packaging of the product, etc.)

Dependent Variables

researcher has little or no direct control but a strong interest in changing. Ex: sales, market share, customer satisfaction, sales force turnover, net profits, RONW -marketers are interested in changing these variables but bc of they cannot change them directly, they attempt to change them through the manipulation of the independent variables. Ex: if you want to change your GPA (dependent variable), you must change certain independent variables (amount of time devoted to study, class attendance, devotion to reading your textbook, and listening habits in class)

Archives

secondary sources, such as historical records, that can be applied to the present problem. -these sources contain a wealth of information and should not be overlooked or underestimated. Ex: records of sales calls may be inspected to determine how often salespeople make cold calls.

Traditional Focus Group

select about 6 to 12 people who interact in a dedicated room, with a one-way mirror for client viewing, for about 2 hours.

Focus Groups

small groups of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion for the purpose of gaining information relevant to the research problem. -represent 85-90% of the total money spent on qualitative research -a valuable means of regaining contact with customers when marketers have lost touch, and they are helpful in learning about new customer groups.

Published Sources

sources of information prepared for public distribution and normally found in libraries or a variety of other entities such as trade organizations, professional organizations, and companies -books, newsletters, white papers, special reports, magazines, or journals (also becoming available via internet)

Physical Traces

tangible evidence of some past event. Ex: we might turn to "garbology" (observing the trash of subjects being studied) as a way is finding out how much recycling of plastic milk bottles occurs.

Observation Methods

techniques in which the researcher relies on his or her powers of observation rather than communicating with a person in order to obtain information. *Types of Observation*: -Direct vs. Indirect -Covert vs. Overt -Structured vs. Unstructured -In situ vs. Invented

Pluralistic Research

the combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods with the aim of gaining the advantages of both. -it is common to begin with exploratory qualitative techniques as, for ex., in-depth interviews of selected dealers or a series of focus group discussions with customers to understand how they perceive your product and service as compared with those of competitors. -the qualitative phase serves ago frame the subsequent quantitative phase, and in some cases, a qualitative phase is applied after a quantitative study to help the researcher understand the findings in the quantitative phase.

Test Marketing

the phrase commonly used to indicate an experiment, study, or test that is conducted in a field setting. *uses of test markets*: -to test sales potential for a new product or service -to test variations in the marketing mix for a product or service -although test markets are expensive and time consuming, the costs of introducing a new product on a national or regional basis routinely amount to millions of dollars. -the costs of the test market are then justified if the results of the test market can improve a product's chances of success. (sometimes the test market identifies a failure early on and saves the company huge losses) -test markets are conducted not only to measure sales potential for a new product but also to measure consumer and dealer reactions to other marketing mix variables. (Ex: firm may use only department stores to distribute the product in one test-market city and only specialty stores in another city to gain info. on the best way to distribute the product)

Database Marketing

the process of building, maintaining, and using customer (internal) databases and other (internal) databases (products, suppliers, and resellers) to contact, transact, and build customer relationships

Secondary Data Analysis

the process of searching for and interpreting existing information relevant to the research topic -those that have been collected for some other purpose and are almost always a part of the marketing research project. -secondary information is widespread and readily available (it is fast; you can conduct quite a bit of exploratory research online in just a few minutes) -it is also cheap -library and the internet offer access to large amounts of secondary data, which include information found in books, journals, magazines, special reports, bulletins, and newsletters. -an analysis of secondary data is often the core of exploratory research

Structured Observation

the researcher identifies beforehand which behaviors are to be observed and recorded. All other behaviors are "ignored" -often a checklist or a standardized observation form is used to isolate the observer's attention to specific factors. -usually require minimum effort on the part of the observer

In Situ Observation

the researcher observes the behavior exactly as it happens. Ex: a family meal is observed from start to finish as it takes place in that family's home. -mystery shopping is done in situ.

Covert Observation

the subject is unaware that he or she is being observed. Ex: a mystery shopper who is hired by a retail store chain to record and report on sales clerks' assistance and courtesy. (hidden cameras or one-way mirrors are also examples) -the aim of this approach is to observe typical behaviors; if the subjects were aware they were being watched, they might change their behavior, resulting in observations of atypical behavior

Laboratory Experiments

those in which the independent variable is manipulated and measures of the dependent variable are taken in a contrived, artificial setting for the purpose of controlling the many possible extraneous that may affect the dependent variable. -you control everything -internal validity is great but not external -there are no extraneous variables Ex:

Field Experiments

those in which the independent variables are manipulated and the measurements of the dependent variable are made on test units in their natural setting. -by conducting the study in the field, the marketing manager will have greater confidence that the results of the study will actually hold up in other real-world settings. (primary advantage) *even if an experiment is conducted in a naturalistic field setting to enhance external validity, the experiment is invalid if it does not also have internal validity* -expensive and time consuming -also the experimenter must always be alert to the impact of extraneous variables, which are difficult to control in the natural settings of field experimentation. -great external validity bc it can be replicated in the real world -terrible internal validity bc you didn't control for it at all (weather, etc)

Descriptive Research

to describe and measure marketing phenomena at a point in time -undertaken to describe answers to questions of who, what, where, when, and how & how many. Ex: when we wish to know who our customers are, what brands they buy and in what quantities, where they buy the brands, when they shop, and how they found out about our products. -desirable when we wish to project a study's findings to larger population. If the study's sample is representative, the findings may be used to predict some variable of interest such as sales. *Two basic classifications* - Cross-sectional studies - Longitudinal studies

Exploratory Research

to gain background information, to define terms, to clarify problems and hypotheses, to establish research priorities -most commonly unstructured, informal research that is undertaken to gain background information about the general nature of the research. -does not have a predetermined set of procedures; rather, the research changes as the researcher gains information -it is informal in that there is no formal set of objectives, sample plan, or questionnaire. (often small, non representative samples are used) -it is flexible in that is allows the researcher to investigate whatever sources he or she identifies and to the extent he or she feels is necessary to gain a good feel for the problem at hand.

Extraneous Variables

variables that may have some effect on a dependent variable but yet are not independent variables Ex: you and a friend wanted to know if a brand of gas (IV) affected gas mileage in cars (DV). -experiment consists of you both filling up your separate cars one with gas A and one with gas B. At the end you find that gas B got more miles per gallon. -extraneous variables could be: (1) one car is an SUV and the other is a small compact. (2) one car was driven mainly on the highway and the other was driven in the city in heavy traffic (3) one car has properly inflated tired, whereas the other car does not. -these could have all caused a difference in the dependent variable

Discontinuous Panels

vary questions from one panel measurement to the next. -sometimes called *omnibus panels* (omnibus means "including or covering many things or classes") -primary usefulness: it represents a large group--people, stores, or some other entity--and its members are agreeable to providing marketing research information. -advantage: is that they represent a group of people who have made themselves available for research. -like continuous panels, are also demographically matched to some larger entity, implying representativeness as well. -represent existing sources of information that may be quickly accessed for a wide variety of purposes