Marketing Research 101

Practical Tips to Making Research

a Day at the Beach

What is Marketing Research?Process of designing, gathering, analyzing and reporting information that may be used to solve specific marketing problems.*

*Alvin C. Burns & Ronald F. Bush

Look for Change!

Why?

Get to know audience

Determine marketing

direction

Justify dollars spent

Without research data - it is only your opinion

Pearl

How do we start?

1. Establish Your Need & Define The Problem

2. Determine Your Goals/Objectives

3. Identify Information Sourcesa. Secondary Researchb. Primary Research

Secondary Research

Trade Publications

Industry Associations

Previous Research

Projects

Outside Research Firms

Internet Search

Primary Research

Surveys

Focus Groups

Usability Studies

Tracking

How do we start? (con’t)4. Determine Methods

a. In primary research: in-person, telephone, online, mail, etc.

b. Observation can also be used5. Design Data Collection

Forms6. Determine Sample Size &

Plan

How do we start? (con’t)

7. Collect Data

8. Analyze Data

9. Create Your Final Report

Surveys

How will the surveys be administered?

In-Person InterviewsIn-Person WrittenBy MailBy TelephoneOnline

Surveys

Who is your target audience?

Potential StudentsCurrent StudentsEmployeesChurch MembersCertain Community GroupsSunday School Members

Surveys

Will you need to provide an incentive?

Increases response rate overall

What kind & value? Money, Drawing, Gift, etc.

When? Prepaid or Promised

Surveys

What do you want to know?Eliminate bias in questions

Do not make assumptionsMultiple choice is easier to respond to and easier to analyze

Pearl

Test, Test, Test!

SurveysHow will you sample your audience?

Cross-sectional Studies - Snapshots of Population

Longitudinal Studies - Movies of Population

Surveys

Collect Your DataCode Your DataAnalyze Your Data

Prepare & Present Your

Report

Surveys

Disadvantages:

Inability to probe further

Dependent on quality of questionnaire

Dependent on quality of data collection

Integrity

Code of Marketing Research Ethics from the American Marketing Association

SurveysPractical Ways on Limited Budget:

Create it in-houseAdminister with in-house staff or hire student workers

Invest in statistical softwareLocal university class projectCompanies such as SurveyMonkey.com

Focus Groups

Small groups - 6 to 12

people

Guided by moderator

Unstructured

Spontaneous

60-90 minutes

Focus Groups

Why?

Used to generate ideas

Learn “vocabulary”

Insights into attitudes

Better understand other

studies

Pearl

Do not use focus groups as a basis for major company

decisions!

Focus GroupsModerator’s Role?Keep discussion focusedOvercome productivity threats

Has detailed list of topics

Able to communicate, observe, and relate well to audience

Focus Groups

Nontraditional Focus Groups

May be onlineObserve on computersUp to 50 participants4 to 5 hoursAllows client interaction

Focus Groups

Disadvantages:

Not always representative of reality

Group dynamics

Difficult to interpret results

Could be high cost

Focus Groups

Practical Ways on Limited Budget

Conduct in-house but with outside moderator

Video tape sessionProvide lunch or other inexpensive incentive

Usability Studies

What are they?Measurement of the ease of use concerning the interaction between the user and the product

Usability Studies

Guided by moderator

Uses basic script

Observation of users using a product, performing a task or reviewing materials

Uses “think out loud”

Usability Studies

Why?

Test design

Observe reactions

Observe information processing

Pearl

Remember that moderating a study

is an art as well as a science

Usability Studies

Disadvantages:

Should not generalize for whole population

Possibility of bias

Results may vary greatly among individuals

Usability StudiesPractical Uses:

Printed materials

Web site navigation

Advertisements (ex. Daniel Starch)

New facilities

Videos

Comparison materials

Usability StudiesPractical Ways on Limited Budget:

Conduct in-house

Use in-house moderator

Video tape session

Use specialty items, tickets to company events, etc. as incentives

Tracking

What is it?

A way of justifying expenditures

Pearl

If you aren’t tracking your marketing

efforts, you could be throwing money out the window!

TrackingWhat should you track?

Advertising efforts (print, broadcast, outdoor, etc.)

Web site

Email promotions

PR campaigns

Everything!

Tracking

Make tracking easy - Agree on purpose and use of evaluation in writing

(Creative Brief)

Write objectives in measurable terms

TrackingPractical Ways to Track:

Unique phone numbers or extensions

Unique web address or codes

Web forms

Web tracking software

BRC codes

Email tracking software

TrackingAdd’l For PR Campaigns:

Number of messages distributed

Number placed

Number people potentially exposed

Tracking

Set up tracking report

Ideally have database that can help run reports

If not, track it manually!

There is always Excel!

Tracking

Disadvantages:It takes time and effort!

Pearl

Make sure you use the data you collect!

Pearl

Keep management informed!

Marketing Research

So where do you start?Track Your CampaignsUsability StudiesSurveysFocus Groups for Brainstorming