MARK4311 Chapter 16 The Research Report Notes (MRP Step 11. Prepare & Present the Final Research Report) Book/Lecture Notes

Business Reports- Research Process

1. Plan 2. Identify what decision makers/users want ✓ Business goals ✓ Research objectives ✓ Expectations 3. Get data 4. Analyze data 5. Insight: Findings/Recommendations

Business Reports

1. Written for business purpose(s). 2. Organized, written statement of facts. 3. Provides INSIGHT...e.g., potential solution to the problem! 4. Helps business people make better decisions. ❖ Be scientific (e.g., state hypotheses) ❖ Presents facts ❖ Cite research sources

Value of Business Reports

An OPPORTUNITY to contribute to team/department/firm and increase credibility and enhance your resume

Know Your Audience

Ask These Questions: What is the message, purpose, audience(primary/secondary), what does the audience know, what does the audience need to know, cultural differences, biases/preconceived notions of the audience, strategies to use to overcome negative attitudes, impact of audience's lifestyle/demographic, audience's interests/values/ and concerns Know their NEEDS, EXPECTATIONS, MINDSET/EMOTIONAL STATE

The Marketing Research Report

COMMUNICATES: research results, recommendations, conclusions, other key information to the client COSTS: time, effort, money, waste of T-E-M if the report does not communicate effectively RESEARCHER SHOULD ASK: What is the purpose? Who is the audience? What are your audience's interests, values, concerns?

Disseminating Results Throughout the Organization

Dashboards: provide digital interfaces that allow users to quickly and easily see information that is presented in a simplified manner. Dashboards are part of the "democratization" of marketing research that was referred to in the introduction. They allow companies to gather and integrate data from several different sources and then exhibit the data automatically with tables, graphs, and other numerical displays. Dashboards can be used for tracking a number of marketing activities, such as performance of web pages, responses to advertising campaigns, and geo- graphical buying behavior.

Presentation DO's & Tips

EFFECTIVE DESIGN: Make it memorable/relevant. 1. Use creative backgrounds & colors. 2. Use compelling visuals/statistics. 3. Use big fonts. 4. Highlight key info. 5. Use plenty of white space/Limit info per slide. EFFECTIVE VISUALS: easy to follow, do not overload with data the audience get confused, forget what you said and tune out. use tables and charts, avoid using too many visuals. Table- useful for presenting large amount of information Bulleted or segmented or chunked formatting, not everything together ❖ Effective Designs ❖ Use motion effectively ❖ Integrate video, pictures, graphics, etc. ❖ Stay on time ❖ Keep audience attention ❖ Practice, practice, practice ❖Can you present your material naturally? ❖Can you connect with audience? ❖Have you checked equipment? ❖Have you timed your presentation? ❖Are you ready for questions or objections? 1. Many decision makers do not read detailed BR. 2. Make it easy for DMs to navigate....format & charts! 3. Executive Summary 4. Title ... clear and catchy

Guidelines/ Principles for the Marketing Research Report FORM FORMAT STYLE

Headings: indicate the topic of each section. All information under a specific heading should relate to that heading Subheadings: should divide that information into segments. Visuals: are tables, figures, charts, diagrams, graphs, and other graphic aids that concisely present information that might otherwise be difficult to comprehend. Style: Proper grammar and sentence construction are essential in report writing. Topic Sentence: should state that main idea. Body Paragraph: provides the main idea of the topic sentence by giving more information, analysis, or examples. For example, continuing from the topic sentence example: Transitional Sentence: which tells readers where they are headed. This helps readers' comprehension. use jargon sparingly use strong verbs favor the active voice remove extra words avoid changes in tense keep the subject and the verb close together Controlling for the length of paragraphs should encourage good communication. As a rule, paragraphs should be short. Business communication experts believe most paragraphs should be under or around the 100-word range. This is long enough for the topic sentence and three or four sentences in the body of the paragraph. The paragraph should never cover more than one main topic. Complex topics should be broken into several paragraphs.

3 Types of Business Reports

Informational: monitor and control operations, implement policies and procedures, demonstrate compliance, document progress Analytical: asses opportunities, solve problems, support decisions Proposals: internal proposals, external proposals

Internal Presentations VS External Presentations

Internal: ✓ Example: IT, Sales, Customer Service, etc. ✓ Who has the influence & authority to act on your ideas? External: ✓ Example: Co-branding/Co-marketing ✓ Who has the influence & authority...

Elements/Parts of the Marketing Research Report

Reports are organized in sections, or elements. A. FRONT MATTER: 1. Title Page 2. Letter of Authorization 3. Letter/Memo of Transmittal 4. Table of Contents 5. List of Illustrations 6.Abstract/Executive Summary B. BODY: 1. Introduction 2. Research Objectives 3. Method 4. Results 5. Limitations 6. Conclusions or Conclusions and Recommendations C. END MATTER: 1. Appendices 2. Endnotes Front Matter: consists of all pages that precede the first page of the report, consists of all pages that precede the first page of the report: the title page, letter of authorization (optional), letter/memo of transmittal, table of contents, list of illustrations, and abstract/executive summary. Title Page: The title page (Figure 16.1) contains four major items of information: (1) the title of the document, (2) the organization/person(s) for whom the report was prepared, (3) the organization/person(s) who prepared the report, and (4) the date of submission. Letter of Authorization: Letter of Authorization The letter of authorization is the marketing research firm's certification to do the project. This element is optional. The letter/memo of transmittal describes the general nature of the research in a sentence or two and identifies the individual who is releasing the report. The primary purpose of the letter/memo of transmittal is to orient the reader to the report and to build a positive image of the report. It should establish rapport between the writer and receiver. It gives the receiver a person to contact if questions arise. Letter of Transmittal: Use a letter of transmittal to release or deliver the document to an organization for which you are not a regular employee. Memo of Transmittal: Use a memo of transmittal to deliver the document within your organization. Table of Contents: The table of contents helps the reader locate information in the research report. The table of contents should list all sections of the report that follow. Each heading should read exactly as it appears in the text and should identify the number of the page on which it appears. List of Illustration:If the report contains tables and/or figures, include in the table of contents a list of illustrations with page numbers on which they appear. Tables are words and/or numbers arranged in rows and columns; figures are graphs, charts, maps, pictures, and so on. Abstract/Executive Summary: the abstract or executive summary is a "skeleton" of your report. It serves as a summary for the busy executive or a preview for the in-depth reader. It provides an overview of the most useful information, including the conclusions and recommendations, are summaries of reports, Portion of a research report that explains why the research was done, what was found, what those findings mean, and what action, if any, management should undertake. Body: The body is the bulk of the report. It contains an introduction to the report, an explanation of your method, a discussion of your results, a statement of limitations, and a list of conclusions and recommendations. Generally, only a few people will read a traditional marketing research report in its entirety. Most will read the executive summary, conclusions, and recommendations. Introduction: The introduction to the marketing research report orients the reader to its contents. Research Objectives: may be listed either as a separate section or within the introduction. The listing of research objectives should follow the statement of the problem, since the two concepts are closely related. Method: The method describes, in as much detail as necessary, how you conducted the research, who (or what) your subjects were, and what tools or methods were used to achieve your objectives. Method or Methodology: Methodology refers to the science of determining appropriate methods to conduct research, Describes, in detail, how you conducted the research. ✓ Sample plan description ✓ Sample size determination ✓ Method of gathering data ✓ Data Analysis techniques Results: The results section is the main body of your report. Some researchers prefer to use the term findings. The results section is the most important portion of your report and should logically present the findings of the research. MOST IMPORTANT PORTION, logically presented, organized around your study objectives Limitations: Typical limitations in research reports often focus on but are not limited to factors such as constraints of time, the size and composition of the sample, and biases that may have been introduced into the research process.Limitations of research, such as constraints of time, the size and composition of the sample, and biases that may have been introduced into the research process, should always be reported. ADDS CREDIBILITY Conclusions & Recommendations: Conclusions are the outcomes and decisions you have reached based on your research results. Recommendations are suggestions for how to proceed based on the conclusions. ❖ Summarize key points ❖ Restate your conclusions or recommendations ❖ Lay out next steps

Business Report Components

Survey Report: Executive Summary Introduction and Background Methodology Findings Conclusions Recommendations References Appendixes Business Proposal: Cover Page Executive Summary Current Situation Specific Objectives Deliverables Overview Timeline ResultsEnhancers Pricing

Using Visuals

Tables: allow the reader to compare numerical data. Top-Two Box Scores: Pie Charts: is a circle divided into sections. Each section represents a percentage of the total area of the circle associated with one category of data. Bar Charts: are used often in reporting survey data because they are easy to interpret. They are useful to report the magnitude of responses or to compare magnitudes among groups. Line Graphs: are easy to interpret if they are designed properly. Flow Diagrams: introduce a set of topics and illustrate their relationships. Tables-which identify exact Graphs and charts- which illustrate relationships among items Pie charts-which compare a specific part of the whole to the whole Bar charts and line graphs- which compare items over time or show correlations among items Flow diagrams- which introduce a set of topics and illustrate their relationships (useful when the sequence of events or topics is important) Maps- which define geographical locationsPhotographs, which visually display and provide live examples of findings Drawings-which illustrate details of findings to provide clarity

The Marketing Research Report: Oral Presentation

The purpose of the oral presentation is to succinctly present the recommendations and conclusions of research and to provide an opportunity for questions and discussion. identify and analyze your audience, audience expectations, key points, cohesive structure, informative introduction, present succinctly and clearly, plan the time, make visual portray key points, coherent ending with summary of findings, practice presenting, check room and equipment, arrive early, be positive and confident, speak loudly, look engaged, dress properly

Alternative Ways To Present The Marketing Research Report

Videos: Many marketing research firms and advertising agencies supplement their written and oral research reports with videos showing "in-the-moment" clips (sometimes called "vox pops" or "voice of the people"). Videos can be embedded in electronic reports or incorporated into oral presentations. A written and oral report can be replaced by a documentary-style video.

Audience Learning Style

Visual learners 1. 40% of the population. 2. Learn best from illustrations & diagrams Images convey powerful messages and with emotional power

Marketing Research Report

is a written and/or oral report that transmits research results, conclusions, vital recommendations, and other important information to the client, who in turn bases his or her decision making on the contents of the report.

Data Visualization

is the visual display of information in graphical or pictorial form, Tableau specializes in data visualization, or the visual display of information in graphical or pictorial form. Increasingly, marketing research firms are being asked to support end users in managing their own data.

Plagiarism

refers to representing the work of others as your own. Citing the work of others not only allows you to avoid charges of plagiarism but also adds credibility to your message. All sources, including information that is found online, should be accurately referenced.You do not need to document facts that are common knowledge or can be easily verified. But if you are in doubt, document!