Exam 1 Study Guide - Extended

*T/F* Results of a focus group are generalizable to a population of interest.

*FALSE* Results of a focus group are not generalizable to a population of interest. Focus groups are not a representative sample, and care should be taken to interpret the results properly.

The marketing manager for Ned's Bar and Grill notices that his typical customer is a 21-year-old male college student. He is using __________ to define his market. A. Stereotyping B. Estimation C. Visual cues D. Demographics E. Instincts

Demographics can be defined as the statistical characteristics of human populations, such as age or income, used to identify markets. Here the typical customer is represented as a 21-year-old male college student.

*T/F* The more strategic the decision the greater the need for secondary data.

FALSE The more strategic the decision the more important the information and the greater the need for primary data. If the decision is tactical, secondary data will likely be sufficient to make the decision.

*T/F* A market information system is a software package that companies purchase to help decision makers cope with critical information.

FALSE A market information system is not a software package, but a continuing process of identifying, collecting, analyzing, accumulating and dispensing critical information.

*T/F* By analyzing demographics, a company can define the "typical" customer but not the market at large.

FALSE By analyzing demographics, a company can define not only the "typical" customer but also its market at large.

*T/F* Customers are not a good source of competitor information because they tend to be biased in their opinions.

FALSE Customers are excellent sources of competitor information if appropriate research methods are used.

*T/F* Causal research is useful for identifying characteristics of a target market or determining how customers use a product.

FALSE Descriptive (and not causal) research is more appropriate for identifying characteristics of a target market and determining how customers use a product. Causal research tries to discover the cause and effect between variables.

*T/F* Companies have traditionally had formal systems of collecting and analyzing data from the sales force.

FALSE Formal systems for collecting data from salespeople frequently do not exist and, when information is collected, it is not made available to everyone.

*T/F* MSN and Yahoo control the majority of Internet ad placements.

FALSE Google and Yahoo (and not MSN) are the controllers of a majority of Internet ad placements.

*T/F* The most effective use of market information systems is to identify what problems are currently occurring.

FALSE Identifying currently occurring problems is one of the uses of a marketing information system. But it is not the most effective use. The most effective use of market information systems is to proactively address issues before they become a problem.

*T/F* Managers are typically aware of all of the information in their own company.

FALSE Managers are often not aware of all the information in their own company and make poor decisions as a result.

*T/F* A major problem for most managers today is not having enough information.

FALSE Marketers scan the environment and accumulate a lot of information. So a significant problem for most managers today is that they have too much information.

*T/F* Results of a focus group are generalizable to a population of interest.

FALSE Results of a focus group are not generalizable to a population of interest. Focus groups are not a representative sample, and care should be taken to interpret the results properly.

*T/F* Primary data is the data collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered.

FALSE Secondary data is the data collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered. Primary data is the data collected for the research problem currently being examined.

*T/F* The more strategic the decision the greater the need for secondary data.

FALSE The more strategic the decision the more important the information and the greater the need for primary data. If the decision is tactical, secondary data will likely be sufficient to make the decision.

*T/F* The research problem defines exactly what information is needed to help management make their decision.

TRUE Once the management research deliverable has been identified, the next step is to define the research problem which tells what information is needed to help management make their decision.

*T/F* Secondary data was collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered, but has relevance to the current problem.

TRUE Secondary data is collected for some other reason than the research project at hand, but holds information that can be used to answer the current research question.

*T/F* Market information systems serve as a bank where important information is stored until it is needed.

TRUE A market information system is an "information bank" where data relevant to the company's marketing efforts are collected and stored until such time as management needs to "withdraw" it.

*T/F* Microeconomics is the study of economic activity by individuals, households and firms.

TRUE Microeconomics is the study of individual level economic activity.

*T/F* The research problem defines exactly what information is needed to help management make their decision.

TRUE Once the management research deliverable has been identified, the next step is to define the research problem which tells what information is needed to help management make their decision.

*T/F* Statistical software packages such as SPSS and SAS have made it easier for managers to assess data and conduct sophisticated analyses.

TRUE One of the benefits of market research technology is the ability to put powerful statistical software such as SPSS and SAS in the hands of front-line managers. With the proper training and data, it is now possible for managers to conduct analyses that were not possible even five years ago.

*T/F* An online focus group is an appropriate alternative to a traditional focus group format, and it offers distinct advantages in terms of convenience and cost-efficiency.

TRUE Online focus groups offer distinct advantages in terms of convenience and cost-efficiency by providing data quickly and in a format that is usually easier to read and analyze. They do not require transcribing the spoken words into a transcript as everything is already recorded by computer.

*T/F* Open-ended questions allow respondents to express themselves freely in their responses, which tend to result in more detailed responses that are useful for exploratory research.

TRUE Open-ended questions are often used in exploratory research because of the depth and richness of information the respondent can provide to illuminate the research question.

*T/F* Using the Internet to find secondary data requires careful screening to verify the validity of the data and the credibility of the source.

TRUE Researchers must evaluate the validity and the reliability of data found online as the quality of the data used in a research project determines the quality and usefulness of the results.

*T/F* The American Marketing Association defines marketing as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."

*TRUE* In late 2007, the American Marketing Association announced a new "official" definition of marketing as follows: marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

*T/F* An online focus group is an appropriate alternative to a traditional focus group format, and it offers distinct advantages in terms of convenience and cost-efficiency.

*TRUE* Online focus groups offer distinct advantages in terms of convenience and cost-efficiency by providing data quickly and in a format that is usually easier to read and analyze. They do not require transcribing the spoken words into a transcript as everything is already recorded by computer.

Shabreka Lopez, marketing manager for Yaard-Vark Lawn Tractors, is interested in the relationship between the prices of lawn tractors and the level of sales. To test whether increasing prices will lead to a change in sales and how much of a change, she should use ________ research. A. Causal B. Descriptive C. Random D. Academic E. Exploratory

A. Causal Causal research tries to discover the cause and effect between variables. In this example, it will help find out relationship between the prices of lawn tractors and the level of sales.

The marketing manager of Kim's Cleaners is concerned about the choice of advertising media in the local area. She is not sure if advertising placed in the local newspaper is reaching the target market. A research project is launched to determine the relationship between newspaper readership and use of maid service. _________ research will result in the most appropriate data for this project. A. Descriptive B. Exploratory C. Relational D. Causal E. Advertising

A. Descriptive Descriptive research identifies associations between variables. Since the manager wants to determine the relationship between newspaper readership and use of maid service, he should use descriptive research.

Positioning strategy is a process that often starts with ______. A. Focus groups. B. Surveys of customers. C. Perceptual maps. D. Panel research data. E. None of the above.

A. Focus groups.

he marketing director of Bank Y decides to conduct a survey of 5,000 current customers to gather information to answer the research problem of what the bank can do to improve its services and customer satisfaction. She starts with a database of 50,000 current customers and randomly picks a name on the list to start. She then selects every tenth person as she goes down the list to receive a survey. She is using a ________ method to select the participants in this study. A. Probability Sample B. Random Sample C. Convenience Sample D. Non-probability Sample E. Census

A. Probability Sample Probability sampling uses a specific set of procedures to identify individuals from the population to be included in the research. Since the director is randomly selecting people from the list, it becomes an example of probability sampling.

Marketing research about competitive packaging, packaging trends, defining brand image descriptors, identifying of brand name/symbol, and package development or redesign are related to the _____ aspect of the marketing mix. A. Product B. Price C. Place D. Promotion E. Management.

A. Product Packaging and Branding are key components of the product component of the marketing mix

Questions such as "How big is a potential target market?" "How do we reach this potential target market?" and "How will this potential target market react to our product?" each represent ________ that must be prioritized. A. Research problems B. Marketing research deliverables C. Economic problems D. Segmentation problems E. Information system problems

A. Research problems There may be several research problems related to a given situation and they must be prioritized based on what needs to be dealt with first.

Burger Bistro recently experienced a decline in hamburger sales after salmonella was discovered during a health inspection at one of the restaurants. The marketing manager was interested in finding out how other restaurants had dealt with similar situations. ____________ data would be the most appropriate way to find answers related to this marketing problem. A. Secondary B. Governmental C. Experimental D. Primary E. Observational

A. Secondary Secondary data are data that were collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered. The data that the manager needs already exists.

The owner of Joe's Pool Hall found some secondary data online that measured consumer reactions to certain amenities in Bars and Nightclubs. However, Joe is concerned about how the data was collected and whom it was collected from. This represents the _________ concerns associated with secondary data. A. Validity B. Cost C. Speed D. Fit E. Age

A. Validity Without a clear understanding of the methodology used to collect and interpret the secondary data, one should be a little skeptical about its validity. Joe's concerns are directly related to the validity of the data.

Since there are so many other companies that operate in the food services industry, the marketing manager of Gourmet Dining pays detailed attention to other restaurants that offer similar meals, prices and services. This focus is based on the _________ part of external forces that affect marketing decisions. A. Demographic B. Competitive C. Political/Legal D. Technological E. Economic

B. Competitive In highly competitive markets, companies are constantly adjusting their strategies to the competition. In this example, the marketing manager would like to know as much as possible about competitors' products and strategies so that he can adjust his own strategies accordingly.

The owner of a small furniture-manufacturing firm is considering conducting marketing research. He should consider examining secondary data before collecting primary data because secondary data offers a(n) ___________ advantage over primary data. A. Specificity B. Cost C. Customization D. Fit E. Accuracy.

B. Cost The cost of collection of secondary data is relatively less than that of primary data collection. Though it may not be very accurate, specific, customized, or exactly suited to your specific needs, it has an advantage of being less expensive

The sole proprietor of Sam's Swings is interested in gaining a better understanding of his current customers in terms of certain demographic and lifestyle characteristics so he may better serve their needs. He decides that conducting ______ research will give him the information he needs. A. Causal B. Descriptive C. Random D. Academic E. Exploratory

B. Descriptive Descriptive research seeks to describe or explain some phenomenon and it can be used to identify the characteristics of the target market. It is ideal here because the proprietor is interested in understanding demographic and lifestyle characteristics of his customers.

While researching the possible impact of economic conditions on a proposed new product introduction on the Internet, you find an article in Business Week Online that reviews how new products have fared during times of rising inflation. This secondary data was found on a ________ Web site. A. Market research organization B. General Knowledge C. Open use D. Community generated E. File sharing

B. General Knowledge General knowledge sites such as business publications and academic research sites may be secondary data sources that have data applicable to the research problem.

The marketing managers of Sean's Smoothies need to conduct some exploratory research to help them develop a survey for some descriptive research in the future. The best data collection technique for this research would be ________ because the firm has time and is worried that talking to multiple customers simultaneously may taint the results. A. Focus groups B. In-depth interviews C. Experiments D. Surveys E. Observation

B. In-depth interviews An in-depth interview is an unstructured interview with an individual and it is done one on one rather than in a group. By using in-depth interviews, the organization can collect the required information without worrying about talking to multiple customers simultaneously.

A significant problem for most managers today is not having too little information but having too much. Which of the following is required to tackle this problem? A. Search engines B. Information systems C. Logistics management tools D. Order routing systems E. Office automation tools

B. Information systems Companies need information systems that can collect and analyze huge amounts of information and then keep it for the right time and circumstance.

Since they conduct so much research on a continuous basis, McDonald's decided it would be economical to create a(n) __________ marketing research group. A. External B. Internal C. Freelance D. Designer E. Covert

B. Internal McDonald's has an internal market research group. Companies that conduct a lot of market research sometimes create internal research groups.

Concerned by recent negative trends in economic indicators such as the Consumer Price Index, Gross Domestic Product, and inflation, the marketing manager of Kevin's Kayaks recommends that the company reduce its advertising spending. His recommendation is based on ________ data. A. Microeconomic B. Macroeconomic C. Government D. Numerological E. Incomplete

B. Macroeconomic Macroeconomics gives a "big picture" perspective for an economy and indicates broad economic trends. The indicators such as Consumer Price Index, Gross Domestic Product, and inflation, are macroeconomic indicators.

The CEO of Big Wheel automotive is concerned about declining sales. He has identified his research problem as the fact that his competitors are drawing away his business. He purchases access to automobile rankings from J.D. Power and Associates to learn about possible reasons for the shift in consumer purchasing. He is using _________ for secondary data about his research problem. A. Surveys B. Market Research Organizations C. Government Sources D. The library E. Observation

B. Market Research Organizations A number of market research organizations (like J.D. Power and Associates) publish data helpful to marketers.

______ relies on the methodological identification, collection, analysis, and distribution of data in order to discover and solve marketing problems or enhance decision-making. A. Studying B. Market research C. A marketing information system D. Investigating E. Searching

B. Market research Market research is the methodical identification, collection, analysis, and distribution of data related to discovering then solving marketing problems or opportunities and enhancing good decision making.

XYZ Marketing Research is testing how customers react to a proposed advertising campaign for Go Fast Sports Cars. They have consumers sit in an MRI machine and monitor which areas of the brain are activated as the participants watch a series of commercials and print ads. They are using _______ to collect the data needed to solve the research problem. A. Qualitative recording B. Mechanical devices C. Behavioral measures D. Surveys E. Focus Groups

B. Mechanical devices An MRI is one type of mechanical device that can be used in marketing research.

You are creating a survey for your company. The question you are currently working on asks your business-to-business customers to describe the ideal purchasing transaction. You are utilizing a(n) __________ question to collect the desired information. A. Behavioral B. Open-ended C. Observational D. Closed-ended E. Probing

B. Open-ended Open-ended questions encourage respondents to be expressive and offer the opportunity to provide more detailed, qualitative responses. Since customers have to describe the ideal purchasing transaction, this becomes an open-ended question.

Since they were unsure of why sales were declining, marketing managers of Brand K Watches decided that exploratory research was needed, but because their situation was unique they also decided that primary data was necessary. The best approach is to use ____________ research because it is less structured and may generate unanticipated insights into the research problem. A. Quantitative B. Qualitative C. Survey D. Numerological E. Behavioral

B. Qualitative Qualitative research is less structured than quantitative research and is often used in exploratory research.

The marketing manager of Low Cost Retailer wants to gather descriptive research about what customers buy, when they purchase, and how often they purchase certain products. To gather this information he implements a frequent shopper program to track the purchases of participating customers. He is collecting ________ data to answer his research problems. A. Survey B. Qualitative C. Behavioral D. Observational E. Interview

C. Behavioral Behavioral data include information about when, what, and how often customers purchase products. This is exactly what the manager of Low Cost Retailer wants to find out.

Which of the following would require the use of exploratory research? A. Identify the characteristics of our target market. B. Assess competitor actions in the marketplace. C. Clarify the research problem. D. Determine how customers use our product. E. Discover differences across demographic characteristics.

C. Clarify the research problem. Exploratory research is about discovery. To clarify the research problem, exploratory research should be used. Descriptive research should be used for all other issues mentioned in the question.

*T/F* Primary data is the data collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered.

FALSE Secondary data is the data collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered. Primary data is the data collected for the research problem currently being examined.

The marketing manager for Brand K retail stores is in the process of collecting primary data from customers to learn which current products need improvement. She is using a probability sampling method, but is having trouble figuring out how to contact customers and get them to participate. She is also debating alternative ways to recode the responses so that they can be analyzed. She is concerned with the _______ part of the marketing research process. A. Problem definition B. Research design C. Data collection D. Data analysis E. Reporting

C. Data collection Data collection involves access and distribution of the survey to the respondent then recording the respondent's responses and making the data available for analysis. In this example, the manager is concerned about the data collection part dealing with contacting the customers and alternative ways of recoding their responses.

Descriptive research can be used for all of the following EXCEPT: A. Identifying the characteristics of our target market. B. Assessing competitor actions in the marketplace. C. Developing hypotheses for testing in causal research. D. Determining how customers use our product. E. Discovering differences across demographic characteristics.

C. Developing hypotheses for testing in causal research. To develop hypotheses for testing in causal research, exploratory (and not descriptive) research should be used. It is used for all other issues/steps mentioned in the question.

John Smith is the CEO of Really Big Corporation and Joe Jones is his sales manager. John requires monthly total sales projections while Joe needs weekly sales figures across product lines. This demonstrates the importance of _____________ in a market information system. A. Intelligence B. Knowledge C. Flexibility D. Divisibility E. Intuition

C. Flexibility A good market information system is flexible enough for managers to customize the information they receive and, in some cases, the format they receive it in. Thus in this case, the MIS must be flexible enough to generate both, monthly sales projections and weekly sales figures.

The manager of Gina's Groceries wanted to see how customers would react to some new displays. To collect this information, she posted employees where they could see the display and had them record how long customers looked at it, whether they picked up the item, and if they took the item with them. She is collecting _______ data to solve her research problem. A. Survey B. Qualitative C. Focus Group D. Observational E. Interview

C. Focus Group Observational data are the behavioral patterns among the population of interest, and it is possible to get a lot of insight about people by simply watching what they do in various situations.

The marketing manager for Moderate-Mart is planning a new promotional campaign to the zip codes in a 3-mile radius around each of his stores. In order to be effective with this campaign he would like demographic information on these zip codes. _________ would be the best secondary sources of data for this information. A. Surveys B. Market Research Organizations C. Government Sources D. The library E. Observation

C. Government Sources Federal, state, and local governments are an important resource in collecting information on a variety of topics and often this information is available by zip codes.

The marketing manager for Brand A Razors, a strong national brand, believes he knows how customers will react to a new product offering, but he conducts marketing research in order to provide justification for this new product. This violates the _________ aspect of the definition of marketing research. A. Systematic B. Validity C. Impartial and objective D. Scientific E. Reliability

C. Impartial and objective Good marketing research does not prejudge the information or develop answers to fit an already decided outcome; rather, it enhances good decision making. Since the manager is conducting market research in order to justify his belief, the research would not be impartial and objective.

In order to gather _________, the sales manager at XYZ Company collects, analyzes, and stores data from the macro environment on a continuous basis. A. Sales data B. Target market information C. Marketing intelligence D. External resources E. Internal projections

C. Marketing intelligence Staying connected to the business environment is no longer optional, and as a result, most companies engage in collecting, analyzing, and storing data from the macro environment on a continuous basis known as marketing intelligence.

As the marketing manager of Big Wheel Motors, you notice an increased demand for "green" cars that use less fossil fuel and emit fewer pollutants. The key focus of the consumers who desire these cars is the ________. A. Style B. Cost C. Natural world D. Competition E. Mileage

C. Natural world Two key issues related to the natural world are, scarcity of resources and pollution. A green car that uses less fossil fuel and emits fewer pollutants takes care of both these issues.

When Mom-And-Pop's Bakery decided to conduct research about its current and potential customers, they decided to examine the demographic information for the surrounding zip codes. The best kind of data for this research project would be _______ data. A. Primary B. Internet C. Secondary D. Survey E. Experimental

C. Secondary Secondary data allows researchers to search a wide variety of sources and compiling additional information provide greater insight to the research problem, and often this data is available on a zip code level basis such as the Economic Census.

Sheila Smith, the marketing manager of Big Kid Toys, decided to collect and analyze some secondary data before engaging in primary data collection to determine the types of toys that are going to be in the biggest demand this Christmas. After only a few hours she had found several sources of information related to her problem. This demonstrates the _________ advantage of secondary data. A. Timeliness B. Cost C. Speed D. Fit E. Accuracy

C. Speed Secondary data is a fast way to get information; just a few minutes on a search engine can yield a lot of information.

You are product manager for Brand X diapers, a national brand. Brand X has been declining in absolute level of sales for the last four consecutive months. You ask the marketing research department to do a study to determine why sales have declined. The most appropriate research type would be _________. A. A laboratory experiment B. A field experiment C. A descriptive study D. An exploratory study E. A causal study of actual and potential customers

D. An exploratory study Exploratory research is about discovery and it can be used to answer a research question.

While writing a customer satisfaction questionnaire, the marketing director for Brand X Bank came up with a set of questions that the customer should answer by circling a number between 1 and 7 where 1 meant that they were very dissatisfied by that aspect of their experience and 7 meant that they were very satisfied by that aspect of their experience. He is using _________ questions to collect this information. A. Behavioral B. Open-ended C. Observational D. Closed-ended E. Probing.

D. Closed-ended Closed-ended questions are precise and provide specific responses; as a result, they allow for more quantitative analysis. Since the customers have to select a number between 1 and 7, the available answer options are already decided and thus it becomes a close-ended question

Hoover's and similar Web sites are good sources of _________ information. A. Environmental B. Political C. Internal D. Competitor E. Customer

D. Competitor Online sites such as Hoover's provide detailed information on thousands of companies, much of it at little or no cost.

The account manager of a marketing research firm is conducting secondary research on consumer preferences in energy drinks for his clients. His client's drink is 100% organic, but all of the secondary data he has found is for beverages that contain a majority of artificial ingredients. This is an example of the __________ disadvantage of using secondary data. A. Timeliness B. Cost C. Speed D. Fit E. Accuracy

D. Fit Secondary data will almost always not fit the research problem exactly, so a specific answer to the research problem will not be possible using secondary data alone.

Juan Martinez, a researcher for ABC Research group, is working on crafting a survey for a client. He is concentrating on framing the questions, selecting response choices, refining the wording and determining how many questions to ask. He is focusing on the _________ activity of the research design process. A. Type of Research B. Nature of Data C. Nature of Data Collection D. Information Content E. Sampling Plan

D. Information Content A critical part of research design involves determining exactly what information is needed and how to frame the questions to get that information. It is done in the information content part of research design.

The manager of Big Brand Clothing wants to get a feel for what items consumers are looking for this Christmas so that he can plan his orders. He decided to gather this data by stationing employees outside the store on a particular Saturday with a list of questions to ask to some willing shoppers. He is using a ____ method to select respondents. A. Probability Sample B. Random Sample C. Systematic Sample D. Nonprobability Sample E. Census

D. Nonprobability Sample In nonprobability sampling, the probability of everyone in the population being included in the sample is not identified. Exactly how many people will visit the store on that Saturday cannot be predicted and so the probability of everyone in the population being included in the sample can not be identified.

The marketing manager for Dream Weaver Textiles reads in a trade magazine that the Federal Trade Commission is in the process of revising content labeling requirements for textiles that claim to be natural. This represents the _________ part of external forces that affect marketing decisions. A. Economic B. Demographic C. Technological D. Political/Legal E. Competitive

D. Political/Legal Various government agencies monitor business activity with the help of several laws and regulations. Political judgments and, more broadly, the legal environment significantly affect company decisions and sometimes an entire industry.

Brand Electronics' marketing manager would like to know about the typical consumer that purchases handheld computers. He begins by searching online and in databases for this information, but soon discovers that a product is too new for the sources to be of help. In this instance he will need ________ data in order to solve his research problem. A. Secondary B. Governmental C. Experimental D. Primary E. Observational

D. Primary Primary data is data that is collected specifically for the current research question. Since the manager is not able to gather the required data from existing sources, he will have to collect the data as per his requirements.

The marketing managers of Brand Z Shoes has a clearly defined their research problem as "If we increase our promotions expenditures by what percent will it increase sales?" They have also decided that they need primary data to answer this question; _______ research would be the best approach to collecting this primary data. A. Qualitative B. Mechanical C. Exploratory D. Quantitative E. Case-based

D. Quantitative Quantitative research is used to develop a more measured understanding using statistical analysis to assess and quantify the results.

The marketing manager is considering a new advertising campaign for Guzzle Beverages. He purchases six months of scanner data for Cruncheez Snack Foods, a company that recently ran a similar campaign. He wants to use this information to determine their campaigns effectiveness before implementing it for Guzzle. He is using _________ to research his problem and make an informed decision. A. Surveys B. Interviews C. Government Sources D. Secondary Data E. Primary Data

D. Secondary Data Secondary data is data collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered. In this example, the scanner data for Cruncheez Snack Foods is already available.

Small portable computers, powerful statistical software packages and Internet enabled supply chain management systems are all examples of how _________ influences marketing. A. Knowledge B. Information C. Economics D. Technology E. Training

D. Technology Technology has been one of the major catalysts for change in the marketplace. Faster, smaller, and easier-to-use computers and powerful software facilitate sophisticated analyses right on the desks of front-line managers from anywhere in the world.

You run a small automotive supply business that sells to a few large retailers. You want to conduct marketing research to assess how the companies you sell to feel about the reorder process and your billing system. Because there are so few companies on the list of potential respondents, it would be best to collect data from a __________ of current customers. A. Probability Sample B. Random Sample C. Convenience Sample D. Non-probability Sample E. Census

E. Census A census involves attempting to include each individual in the population of interest in a research project.

As the marketing manager for ABC Company, you are charged with developing marketing strategies for an area that is composed of a diverse population from a variety of countries. In order to reach this diverse populace you might want to consider efforts that focus on specific ________ when generating strategies. A. Income levels B. Educational background C. Age-groups D. Gender E. Ethnic groups

E. Ethnic groups Many countries are becoming more ethnically diverse as individuals increase their mobility; the market challenge then becomes developing effective marketing strategies across different ethnicities living in the same area.

JJ. Sanchez is the marketing manager for Really Big Corporation and she is facing the marketing research problem of declining sales among her target market. She is unclear as to why the sales are dropping and wants a better understanding of what she should be looking for to solve this problem. The best type of research to perform at this time would be _________. A. Causal B. Descriptive C. Random D. Academic E. Exploratory

E. Exploratory Exploratory research is really about discovery and it helps in clarifying the research problem. It is ideal in this situation since the manager is not clear about why the sales are dropping.

Vegan Videos has decided to conduct exploratory research to clarify its marketing related research problem. They have decided that they need to collect primary data, but they only have one week to collect this qualitative data from 10 customers and they only have 1 researcher. They should use a(n) __________ technique to collect the data in order to meet their deadline. A. In-depth interview B. Experimental C. Questionnaire D. Survey E. Focus group

E. Focus group A focus group is a qualitative research technique which involves a meeting of 6 to 10 people, moderated by a professional, who carefully moves the conversation through a defined agenda in an unstructured, open format. Vegan Videos can meet its deadline using focus group.

Vegan Videos has decided to conduct exploratory research to clarify its marketing related research problem. They have decided that they need to collect primary data, but they only have one week to collect this qualitative data from 10 customers and they only have 1 researcher. They should use a(n) __________ technique to collect the data in order to meet their deadline. A. In-depth interview B. Experimental C. Questionnaire D. Survey E. Focus group

E. Focus group A focus group is a qualitative research technique which involves a meeting of 6 to 10 people, moderated by a professional, who carefully moves the conversation through a defined agenda in an unstructured, open format. Vegan Videos can meet its deadline using focus group.

Apex Jerseys, a manufacturer of sports apparel and sporting equipment, has experienced a sharp drop in sales over the last quarter. The marketing manager has asked the research department to investigate this alarming development. The first step taken by the researchers in their investigation should be to ___________. A. Design a questionnaire to gather pertinent data B. Decide which statistical procedure to use C. Determine sources of internal secondary data D. Identify the sample of customers to survey E. Formulate a specific research problem

E. Formulate a specific research problem Defining the research problem helps the researchers identify exactly what information is needed to help management in this situation. This is the first step in the marketing research process.

The marketing manager for ABC Corp. decides to scour his CRM and supplier databases to see if any helpful information comes to light. He uses a software package to run a variety of analyses. The problem with what he is doing is that he did NOT __________. A. Hire a statistician B. Include employee information C. Ask customer permission D. Consider his supplier reactions E. Implement a research process

E. Implement a research process Without implementing the market research process, no amount of technology can create worthwhile results. The manager is simply using the software without properly defining and implementing the market research process.

As a marketing manager you want to know whether the target market will be receptive to a new advertising campaign. _________ is the best way to answer this question. A. An Internet search B. Asking employees C. Historical analysis D. Gut instinct E. Market research

E. Market research Market research involves methodical identification, collection, analysis, and distribution of data. It can be used for solving marketing problems.

*T/F* Causal research is useful for identifying characteristics of a target market or determining how customers use a product.

FALSE Descriptive (and not causal) research is more appropriate for identifying characteristics of a target market and determining how customers use a product. Causal research tries to discover the cause and effect between variables.

You are the marketing manager for Brand X-Stream Fishing Rods. You are interested in gathering secondary data on the quality of competitor product offerings before you collect primary data on new products that your target market desires. To collect this data you use an Internet search engine to find websites with the desired information. You decide to use the information found on the Consumer Reports Web site rather than that found on Wikipedia. The reason for you selecting the Consumer Reports data is because it comes from a more ________ source than the data from Wikipedia. A. Timely B. Complete C. Modern D. Focused E. Reliable

E. Reliable It is now possible to access a huge amount of information using search engines; however, care should be taken to evaluate the validity of the data and the reliability of the source. The Consumer Reports data is a more reliable source of information than Wikipedia.

You are the marketing manager for XYZ Corporation, and have hired a marketing research firm. Together, you and the researchers decide that you need data from current customers and non-customers who fit a specific demographic and lifestyle profile. The selection of these individuals as targets for data collection represents the ___________ research design activity. A. Type of research B. Nature of Data C. Nature of data collection D. Information content E. Sampling plan

E. Sampling plan A sample is a subgroup of the population selected for participation in the research. The sampling plan defines who will be selected to participate in the research. Selecting people only from specific demographic and lifestyle profile thus represents the sampling plan activity.

The marketing manager for Joe's Shoe-Mart has decided to conduct descriptive research and knows that she needs primary data. Based on some preliminary research of trade journals and interviews with customers she knows what questions she wants to ask. However, the customers she wants information from, are spread out over many stores in several states. The best technique for her to collect this data would be _______. A. Interviews B. Observation C. Focus Groups D. Experiments E. Surveys

E. Surveys Surveys are structured questionnaires given to a sample group of individuals representing the population of interest and are intended to solicit specific responses to explicit questions. Since the customers are spread out in several states, a survey would be the easiest and the most cost-effective technique for collecting the data.

The marketing manager for Joe's Shoe-Mart has decided to conduct descriptive research and knows that she needs primary data. Based on some preliminary research of trade journals and interviews with customers she knows what questions she wants to ask. However, the customers she wants information from, are spread out over many stores in several states. The best technique for her to collect this data would be _______. A. Interviews B. Observation C. Focus Groups D. Experiments E. Surveys

E. Surveys Surveys are structured questionnaires given to a sample group of individuals representing the population of interest and are intended to solicit specific responses to explicit questions. Since the customers are spread out in several states, a survey would be the easiest and the most cost-effective technique for collecting the data.

A company uses its information system to explore ways of reducing the wait time for technical support calls from its customers. In this example, the information system is helping address a _______ issue. A. Tacit B. Sporadic C. Paradoxical D. Strategic E. Tactical

E. Tactical Formal information systems provide a great deal more information that can help guide strategic decisions (changes in demographics can lead to new market opportunities) or address critical tactical issues (shorten call wait times for customer service).

Jan Smith, the marketing manager of Big Wheel Autos, has noticed that in many European countries more of the population is moving into urban centers. This has resulted in an increased demand for subcompact cars that can maneuver through these tighter quarters rather than full size automobiles. This is an example of how _________ can influence marketing management decisions. A. Movement B. Geographic changes C. Economic trends D. External forces E. Environmental factors

Subcompact cars suit the urban environment. Hence, as more and more people start living in urban centers, which is basically a change in the geographic location, the demand for subcompact cars will keep on increasing. This is an example of how geographic changes can influence marketing management decisions. B. Geographic changes