1. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Research Chapter 8

2. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Defining the Issue What is marketing research? –Traditional view “the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information.” –Redefined view “systematic and objective identification of information, collection, analysis and dissemination of information for the purpose of improving decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing.”

3. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. International versus Domestic Research Similar but different –International research involves the use of similar tools and techniques as in domestic research, but the market environments differ. The primary differences –New parameters –New environments –Number of factors involved –Broader definition of competition

4. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. The Need for Research Reasons that firms may be reluctant to view international research as important: –Lack of sensitivity to differences in consumer tastes and preferences. –Limited appreciation for the different marketing environments abroad. –Lack of familiarity with national and international data sources and the inability to use them. –Actual but limited business experience in a country or with a specific firm may be used as a substitute for organized research.

5. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Research Objectives Research objectives vary from firm to firm because of the views of management, the corporate mission, and the marketing situation. Information needs are linked closely to the level of international expertise in the firm.

6. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Opportunity Analysis Foreign-market opportunity analysis –Broad-brush approach to narrow down market possibilities. –Cursory analysis of general market variables- total and per capita GNP, mortality rates, and population data. –Individual market data, product data,market trends, and restrictions. –Consideration of governmental restrictions.

7. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Going International

8. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Secondary Data Sources Governments International organizations Service organizations Directories and Newsletters Electronic Information Services Other firms

9. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Research Primary research –Conducted to fill specific information needs. –Essential to strategic marketing plan formation. –Useful in international market segmentation. Determining information requirements –Formulate research questions to determine precisely the information that is sought.

10. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Determining Research Administration Centralized –The research specifications are designed by the home office and forwarded to country operations for implementation. Coordinated –An intermediary such as an outside research agency brings headquarters and country operations together. Decentralized –Corporate headquarters establishes the broad thrust of research and delegates design and implementation to the local countries.

11. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Research Techniques Interviews –Knowledge persons are a valuable information resource (personal bias must be discounted). –Goal, obtain in-depth information instead of a wide variety of information. Focus groups –Interaction within a group about a specific topic. –Ideal size, 7-10. Observation –Observation results can be influenced by presence of the observer. Surveys –Gather quantitative rather than qualitative information through personal or remote contact with the subject population.

12. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Designing the Survey Questionnaire –Question format Structured or unstructured. Direct or indirect. Ensure data equivalence. –Question content Consider interviewee’s ability and willingness to answer. Adapt questions to societal constraints. –Question wording Use simple unambiguous words, terms and questions. Check for errors using translation-re-translation approach and alternative wording for questions. Pretest the survey.

13. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. The Sampling Plan System data must be: –Relevant –Timely –Flexible –Accurate –Exhaustive –Convenient

14. Developed by Cool Pictures & MultiMedia PresentationsCopyright © 2007 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. Environmental Scanning One method consist of obtaining factual input. Use of Content Analysis. Conducted by inside and outside corporate groups.