Part One
Chapter 1
The Role of Marketing Research
AT-A-GLANCE
What is Marketing Research?
Business and marketing research
Marketing research defined
Applied and Basic Marketing Research
Applied marketing research
Basic marketing research
The scientific method
Marketing Research and Strategic Management Orientation
Customer orientation
Long-run profitability
A cross-functional effort
Keeping customers and building relationships
Marketing research: A means for implementing the marketing concept
Marketing research and strategic marketing management
Identifying and evaluating market opportunities
Analyzing and selecting target markets
Planning and Implementing a Marketing Mix
Product research
Pricing research
Distribution research
Promotion research
The integrated marketing mix
Analyzing marketing performance
When Is Marketing Research Needed?
Time constraints
Availability of data
Nature of the decision
Benefits versus costs
Marketing Research in the Twenty-First Century
Communication Technologies
Global marketing research
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Know what marketing research is and what it does for business.
Understand the difference between basic and applied marketing research.
Understand how the role of marketing research changes with the orientation of the firm.
Be able to integrate marketing research results into the strategic planning process.
Know when marketing research should and should not be conducted.
Appreciate the way that technology and internationalization are changing marketing research.
CHAPTER VIGNETTE: “Samapple!!”
The technology sector is perhaps one of the fastest moving areas of today’s consumer market. As technology continues to change and grow, firms must be aware of consumers’ desires in order to compete effectively. Apple, once America’s favorite technology brand, became complacent, neglecting the critical role that market research plays before the development of new products. As a result, Apple has slipped from first place to fifth place, with other firms rising to the top, particularly Samsung. This vignette clearly illustrates the importance of agile marketing research in the technology sector.
SURVEY THIS!
This feature allows students to better understand the researcher’s job in determining what information is needed so that data can be analyzed and become an intelligent source of information. This first interaction with the “Survey This!” feature is for students to play the role of respondent and complete the survey by going to the URL provided by your instructor. Answers are anonymously stored in the database along with those of other students using this book around the world. Once the survey is completed, students can visit the course website and obtain a copy of the questions.
RESEARCH SNAPSHOT
Care for Some Horns and Halos
In marketing parlance, a halo is an effect that indicates a consumer has a positive perception of a product, whereas a horn indicates a consumer’s negative perception of a product. These effects have a particularly strong influence over consumers’ beliefs about food and nutrition. Marketing research has demonstrated that some of these beliefs can be mitigated over time.
A Hog Means Family
Harley-Davidson has worked hard to establish long term relationships with its customers by utilizing marketing research. The firm has been particularly skilled in using social media data-mining to assess the interests of its American customers.
When it came time to branch out overseas, Harley-Davidson engaged in marketing research to assess the preferences of Indian consumers, who have long preferred scooters to larger motorcycles. This research allow the company to expand its customer base.
Watching What?
The changing landscape of technology has significantly altered the way Americans consume television programming. This shift has led Nielsen, once the foremost research firms for tracking television viewing habits, to make errors in their estimates of viewership. This snapshot illustrates how important it is to maintain accurate data collection techniques, especially in the face of a changing technological landscape.
Chapter 1
The Role of Marketing Research
AT-A-GLANCE
What is Marketing Research?
Business and marketing research
Marketing research defined
Applied and Basic Marketing Research
Applied marketing research
Basic marketing research
The scientific method
Marketing Research and Strategic Management Orientation
Customer orientation
Long-run profitability
A cross-functional effort
Keeping customers and building relationships
Marketing research: A means for implementing the marketing concept
Marketing research and strategic marketing management
Identifying and evaluating market opportunities
Analyzing and selecting target markets
Planning and Implementing a Marketing Mix
Product research
Pricing research
Distribution research
Promotion research
The integrated marketing mix
Analyzing marketing performance
When Is Marketing Research Needed?
Time constraints
Availability of data
Nature of the decision
Benefits versus costs
Marketing Research in the Twenty-First Century
Communication Technologies
Global marketing research
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Know what marketing research is and what it does for business.
Understand the difference between basic and applied marketing research.
Understand how the role of marketing research changes with the orientation of the firm.
Be able to integrate marketing research results into the strategic planning process.
Know when marketing research should and should not be conducted.
Appreciate the way that technology and internationalization are changing marketing research.
CHAPTER VIGNETTE: “Samapple!!”
The technology sector is perhaps one of the fastest moving areas of today’s consumer market. As technology continues to change and grow, firms must be aware of consumers’ desires in order to compete effectively. Apple, once America’s favorite technology brand, became complacent, neglecting the critical role that market research plays before the development of new products. As a result, Apple has slipped from first place to fifth place, with other firms rising to the top, particularly Samsung. This vignette clearly illustrates the importance of agile marketing research in the technology sector.
SURVEY THIS!
This feature allows students to better understand the researcher’s job in determining what information is needed so that data can be analyzed and become an intelligent source of information. This first interaction with the “Survey This!” feature is for students to play the role of respondent and complete the survey by going to the URL provided by your instructor. Answers are anonymously stored in the database along with those of other students using this book around the world. Once the survey is completed, students can visit the course website and obtain a copy of the questions.
RESEARCH SNAPSHOT
Care for Some Horns and Halos
In marketing parlance, a halo is an effect that indicates a consumer has a positive perception of a product, whereas a horn indicates a consumer’s negative perception of a product. These effects have a particularly strong influence over consumers’ beliefs about food and nutrition. Marketing research has demonstrated that some of these beliefs can be mitigated over time.
A Hog Means Family
Harley-Davidson has worked hard to establish long term relationships with its customers by utilizing marketing research. The firm has been particularly skilled in using social media data-mining to assess the interests of its American customers.
When it came time to branch out overseas, Harley-Davidson engaged in marketing research to assess the preferences of Indian consumers, who have long preferred scooters to larger motorcycles. This research allow the company to expand its customer base.
Watching What?
The changing landscape of technology has significantly altered the way Americans consume television programming. This shift has led Nielsen, once the foremost research firms for tracking television viewing habits, to make errors in their estimates of viewership. This snapshot illustrates how important it is to maintain accurate data collection techniques, especially in the face of a changing technological landscape.