MKT - 772 - Chapter 4

Casual research is useful for identifying characteristics of a target market or determining how customers use a product

False: Descriptive

MSN and Yahoo control the majority of internet ad placements

False: Google and Yahoo

A market information system is a software package that companies purchase to help decision makers cope with critical information

False: Not a software package, but a continuing process, collecting, analyzing, and etc.

Primary data is collected for some other purpose than the problem currently being considered

False: Secondary

By analyzing demographics, a company can define the "typical" customer but not the market at large

False: an identify both

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

False: customers are excellent sources

Companies have traditionally had formal systems of collecting and analyzing data from sales force

False: do not exist

Results of a focus group are generalizable to a population of interest

False: do not represent a sample

The more strategic the decision the greater need for secondary data

False: greater need to primary

The most effective use of market information systems is to identify what problems are currently occurring

False: proactively address issues

A major problem for most managers today is not having enough information

False: problem is they have too much information

Managers are typically aware of all the information in their own company

False: usually not aware

Zang Xie, a marketing research consultant, want to use the Internet to quickly gather competitor information for a client, but want to target specific types of information. Her best option would be to use _______.

Fee-based search engines

______ relies on the methodological identification, collection, analysis, and distribution of data in order to discover and solve marketing problems or enhance decision making.

Market research

A marketing research firm is collecting data for a client that sells cold weather apparel. The client is interested in a promotion effectiveness study and an assessment of effectiveness of marketing mix. The client is focusing on what stage of marketing planning?

Marketing control

In order to gather _________, the sales manager at XYZ Company collects, analyzes, and stores data from the macro environment on a continuous basis.

Marketing intelligenc

Small portable computers, powerful statistical software packages and Internet enabled supply chain management systems are all examples of how _________ influences marketing.

Technology

Market information systems serve as a bank where important information is stored until it is needed

True

Microeconomics is the study of activity by individuals, households, and firms.

True

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

True

Secondary data was collected from some other purpose other than the problem currently being considered, but has relevance to the current problem

True

Statistical software packages such as SPSS and SAS have made it easier for managers to assess data and conducts sophisticated analyses

True

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

True

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.

XYZ Nutritional Supplements is conducting an online focus group to learn more about the nutritional habits of senior citizens and the underlying causes of these behaviors. They are having problems because many of the members of their target market do not own computers or are not savvy enough to understand how to access the focus group. This is an example of the _________ problem that companies who use online focus groups face.

Access limitation

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 _________.

An exploratory study

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.

Behavioral

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.

Casual

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.

Census

Which of the following would require the use of exploratory research?

Clarify the research problem

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.

Closed-ended

This is considered the single best source for competitive information because most publicly traded companies will post annual report, press kits, company news and biographies of senior management.

Company Web site

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.

Competitive

Hoover's and similar Web sites are good sources of __________ information.

Competitor

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.

Cost

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.

Data collection

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.

Demographics

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.

Descriptive

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.

Descriptive

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.

Developing hypotheses for testing in causal research.

Juan Martinez, a marketing researcher, is conducting a study for a client that includes merchandising display assessment, inventory management assessment, location/site analysis and market exposure assessment. His research is related to what element of the marketing mix?

Distribution

Joan Doe is a participant in an online focus group for a processed food company. However, during one of the sessions her children are acting up and, as a result, she does not give much thought to her responses. This is an example of the _________ problem that companies that use online focus groups face.

Environmental control

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.

Ethnic groups

An account manager for XYZ research firm is writing a research report for a client. He should focus on the _________ as it is the key section for the decision maker.

Executive Summary

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 _________.

Exploratory

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.

Fit

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

Flexibility

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.

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 ___________.

Formulate a specific research problem

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.

General Knowledge

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.

Geographic changes

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.

Government Sources

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.

Impartial and objective

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 __________.

Implement a research process

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.

In-depth interviews

The manager of an automotive after-market specialties firm is interested in collecting secondary data. He is concerned with the future of the industry and his competition. He would like to find industry research reports along with industry and company analyses of his competitors. His best sources of this information would be ___________.

Independent online databases

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.

Information Content

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?

Information systems

Since they conduct so much research on a continuous basis, McDonald's decided it would be economical to create a(n) __________ marketing research group.

Internal

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.

Macroeconomic

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.

Market Research Organizations

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.

Market research

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.

Mechanical devices

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 ________.

Natural world

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.

Nonprobability Sample

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.

Observational

As the marketing manager for National Household Cleaner Company, you are interested in collecting some qualitative primary data about what outcomes consumers want from your products. However, the difficulty you have encountered is that you want information from a wide range of customers from across the country. The best way to overcome this obstacle is to use a(n) _________.

Online Focus group

M. Jones, the marketing manager for Big Brand Furniture, is conducting an analysis of internal sales data. This data is collected and stored electronically on site by each store. He is able to access this data on his computer at the corporate headquarters. He is gathering this information via a(n) ___________.

Online database

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.

Open-ended

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.

Political/Legal

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.

Primary

The 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

Probability Sample

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

Product

The marketing manager of a large clothing retailer asks his marketing research consultant to conduct a series of studies including message assessment, content analysis and media assessment. This research is intended to help with decisions related to which element of the marketing mix?

Promotion

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.

Qualitative

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.

Quantitative

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.

Secondary

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.

Secondary

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

Reliable

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.

Research problems

The marketing manager of Sid's Steel, a foundry that sells exclusively to other manufacturers wants to better understand the competition she faces. One of her best sources would be her ______ because of their access to information from suppliers and customers.

Salespeople

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.

Sampling plan

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.

Secondary Data

As a marketing researcher, you receive a call from a client requesting that you conduct a series of research studies for them that includes a trend analysis, a positioning analysis, and an identification of public and key issues concerns. They are most likely concerned with what stage of the marketing planning process?

Situation Analysis

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.

Speed

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 _______.

Surveys

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.

Tactical

A manufacturer of food products is looking at entering several new markets. Before they do this, they want to conduct a needs assessment, a determination of purchase criteria, a buyer behavior analysis, and a market demand estimation. They are examining which stage of marketing planning?

Target Market Selection

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

Using the Internet to find secondary data requires careful screening to verify the validity of the data and credibility of the source

True

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.

Validity

Descriptive research identifies

associations between variables

Primary data is data that is

collected specifically for the current research question

To develop hypotheses for testing in causal research

exploratory (and not descriptive) research should be used

Secondary data allows researchers to search a

wide variety of sources