Marketing communication research

Pre-reading discussion

- What is marketing research?

- What is market research?

- Is there any difference between this research?

- Who usually carries out research in companies?

- Have you ever been involved in any research? If yes, what were your responsibilities?

- Did you manage to achieve the goals of the research?

- Are you interested in conducting research and would you like to do it professionally in the future?

Read the text and answer the questions below:

Market researchis the process of discovering relevant primary and secondary information about the demand for a product or service in a specific market.

Marketing research is a much broader and wider-ranging process, which involves the analysis of every single aspect of the marketing sequence. Marketing research involves discovering consumer reaction to many areas of the marketing process. Thus, it might include market research, product development and testing, pricing, promotional aspects, distribution and selling theory and the evaluation of competition.

The terms market research and marketing research are often used to mean the same thing, but this is obviously not the case. In effect, market research is a part of marketing research. However, market research is of great importance and it would be foolish for an organisation to make decisions with no knowledge of demand factorsin their particular market. Successful market research enables organisations to use risk of making a mistake, when introducing products. However, there is no guarantee that market research will lead to success.

The need for market research

· To reduce the risks associated with new product launches. By investigating potential demand for a new product or service the business should be able to assess with some degree of accuracy the likely chances of a new product achieving satisfactory sales. No research can guarantee success, however.

· To predict future changes. A travel firm may wish to investigate social and other changes to see how these might affect the demand for holidays in the future. For instance, the growth in the number of single person households may suggest that there could be a rising demand for 'singles'-type holidays.

· To explain patterns in sales of existing products and market trends. Market research is not just undertaken for new or planned products. It needs to be conducted for existing products too. Cinema attendances in the US fell in 2001. Unless cinema owners are prepared to find out why this happened then they will not be able to take any remedial action to 'stop the rot'.

· To assess the most favoured designs, flavours, styles, promotions and packages for a product. Consumer tests of different versions of a product or of the proposed adverts to promote it will enable a business to focus on the aspects of design and performance that consumers rate most highly. These can then be incorporated into the final product.

Marketing research can therefore be used to discover information about:

· market size and consumer tastes and trends,

· the product and its perceived strengths and weaknesses,

· the promotion used and its effectiveness,

· competitors and their claimed unique selling propositions,

· distribution methods most preferred by consumers,

· consumers' preferences for packaging the product.

Marketing research

The marketing research activities of the company are usually focused on five main areas. These are: research on markets, on products, on promotion, on distribution and on pricing.

There are three main ways of classifying marketing research.

1. The first method focuses on how the information is obtained. It makes a distinction between continuous and ad hoc marketing research.

Continuous marketing research is all the information that the company gathers in the ordinary course of its activities, data about costs, sales, and so on. This information is used for the routine decision making of the company.

Ad hoc, on the other hand, is marketing research that is designed for a specific project. It is new research that is only carried out when there is a need for the information.

2. The second classification focuses on the nature of the information that is gathered. It makes a distinction between quantitative and qualitative marketing research. Quantitative research includes any data that can be expressed mathematically. Qualitative research includes any data that is not expressed mathematically.

3. The third classification focuses on the purpose of the research. It makes a distinction between descriptive, exploratory and causal marketing research.

Descriptive research provides basic data about a phenomenon, but does not analyse the causes of the phenomenon. This kind of research gives useful information about the size of a market, or the performance of a product.

Exploratory research is intended to identify the nature of a specific problem. A company, whose sales are declining, for example, may want to discover whether this is due to a problem with the product itself, or the actions of competitors.

Causal research is more analytical than descriptive or exploratory research. It is intended to reveal the causes of consumer behaviour or events in the market.

The marketing research process consists of four stages which are as follows: problem definition, information gathering, data analysis, report preparation.

Market research

All enterprises, including commercial ones, carry an element of risk. No plan, it is often said in military circles, ever survives the first contact with the enemy.

Markets are composed of people, and not all human actions are rational and logical. However, the more information an organization has about the market, the customers and the competition, the less likely it is to be taken by surprise. Market research can never eliminate the risk completely but it can reduce it and give an objective indication of the probability of the success for their products and services.

Market research can be defined as the objective and systematic collection, recording, analysis, and interpretation and reporting of information about

a) existing or potential markets,

b) marketing strategies and tactics,

c) the response to current and potential products/ services and

d) the composition and dynamics of the current and potential customer base.

The importance of conducting such research is shown by the following, now famous examples of not listening to the marketplace. Just after World War II Ford designers had developed what they believed would be the best automobile that had ever produced, the Ford Edsel named after Henry Ford’s son. Unfortunately they never consulted with the potential customers and whilst the vehicle might have been technologically advanced, it did not meet the needs of the customer and very few were sold. Similar charges can be perhaps leveled against the suppliers of WAP mobile telephones. Whilst the suppliers were convinced that this was technology that the market wanted, sales were very slow indeed, suggesting that not enough research had been carried out. Asking the customers what they actually want can save a lot of organizational heartache.

(J. Fitzgerald, Black Cat Publishing, pp.25-28; R. Cartwright, Palgrave, p.70)

I. Questions to the text:

1. Define the difference between marketing and market research.

First, Market Research is a more narrow concept because it is research focused on a specific market.

Marketing Research, however, scales on a much broader level.

It encompasses areas such as:

Research into new products

Modes of distribution

Product development

It can also include promotion research, pricing, advertising and public relations. Both concepts are integral parts of marketing, which is essentially everything that happens before the sale of a product or service. Here’s a quick way to sum it up: market research is a subset of marketing research.

2. Do you agree that the areas of both marketing research and market research often coincide? Where do similarities often lie? Where are the differences?

Yes.

3. What does the author of the text mean by saying that: “The terms market research and marketing research are often used to mean the same thing, but this is obviously not the case”?

This means that there’s a certain difference between these two things, therefore many people even professionals tend to be mistaken in mixing them.

4. What are the main points for conducting market research? What information can companies get by conducting market research?

Reduction the risks associated with new product launches, prediction of future changes, explaining patterns in sales of existing products and market trends, assessing the most favoured designs, flavours, styles, promotions and packages for a product.

5. What information does marketing research help to get? What is it usually focused on?

The marketing research activities of the company are usually focused on five main areas. These are: research on markets, on products, on promotion, on distribution and on pricing.

6. What classifications are described in this text? Do you know any other classifications?

1) how the information is obtained. It makes a distinction between continuous and ad hoc marketing research.

2) the nature of the information that is gathered. It makes a distinction between quantitative and qualitative marketing research.

3) the purpose of the research. It makes a distinction between descriptive, exploratory and causal marketing research.

7. Discuss the objectives of continuous and ad hoc research.

Continuous: simple and formulaic research (is all the information that the company gathers in the ordinary course of its activities, data about costs, sales, and so on. This information is used for the routine decision making of the company)

Ad hoc: is designed for a specific project. It is new research that is only carried out when there is a need for the information.

8. Discuss the distinction between quantitative and qualitative marketing research.

The main difference is in the type of information gained.

9. What does the third classification focus on?

The third classification focuses on the purpose of the research. It makes a distinction between descriptive, exploratory and causal marketing research.

10. What are the objectives of descriptive, exploratory and causal marketing research?

Descriptive research provides basic data about a phenomenon, but does not analyse the causes of the phenomenon. This kind of research gives useful information about the size of a market, or the performance of a product.

Causal research is more analytical than descriptive or exploratory research.

11. What is causal research intended to reveal?

It is intended to reveal the causes of consumer behaviour or events in the market.

12. Comment upon the stages of marketing research process.

Formulating the Marketing Research Problem is the main and primary stage, that defines the next stages.

13. Give the definition of market research.

Market research is the process of discovering relevant primary and secondary information about the demand for a product or service in a specific market.

14. How does the text demonstrate the importance of conducting market research?

The author says it is an essential part of marketing research.

15. What was Ford designers’ mistake?

Unfortunately they never consulted with the potential customers and whilst the vehicle might have been technologically advanced, it did not meet the needs of the customer and very few were sold. Similar charges can be perhaps leveled against the suppliers of WAP mobile telephones.

II. Translate the underlined expressions from the text into Russian.

III. Types of research

Below are 11 types of market research, each followed by four statements. Two are true, two are false. Mark the statements T (True) or F (False). Identify in what field you would apply each type of research and why.

1.  Agency research

a. It compares one agency with another.

b. It is carried out by independent agencies, usually experts in particular fields.

c. It is the opposite of in-house research. clinical

d. It is research work for governments.

2 Clinical trial

a. It is research carried out by clinical agencies.

b.  It is research into the effects of drugs or treatment methods.

c. Pharmaceutical companies carry out clinical trials.

d.  It is a test to find out if a finished product works.

3 Desk research

a. It is research carried out using published material.

b. It can include information about geography, politics, economics and social conditions.

c. It involves going out to ask consumers for their opinions.

d. It is the study of research results using computer analysis.

4 Distribution research

a. It is the system of sending research material to different consumers.

b. It is about sending out information to various research companies.

c. It is research into the ways products or services are distributed.

d. It is important when making decisions about where to locate retail outlets or where agents are needed.

5 Exploratory research

a. It is about choosing the best research methods.

b. It is designed to help marketers understand problems.

c. An example of it is a detailed study of why a particular product is losing sales.

d. It is the study of new markets.

Marketing communication research

a. It is the investigation of ways to talk to consumers and public in general.

b.  It is a kind of marketing research.

c. It is about the telecommunications sector.

d.  It looks only at the results of communication methods.

7. Marketing research

a. It is the same as market research.

b. It is about looking at the effects of advertising.

c. It includes market research.

d.  It is about collecting, studying and analyzing information, which affects marketing decisions.

8. Omnibus survey

a. It is research carried out on behalf of several companies together.

b. It is research on the performance of many different products.

c. Omnibus surveys look at several companies and compare their performance.

d. It is a survey which companies can buy from the government.

9. Pricing research

a. It examines the relationship between price and demand.

b. It is about the cost of research.

c. It is very important, since price is a key element in determining market share.

d. It is about profit and loss accounts.

10. Primary research

a. It is the first research that companies do.

b.  It is the most important research into a product and its market.

c. It is original research carried out by a company.

d. It is contrasted with secondary research, which uses published information that is easily available.

11. Product research

a. It looks at the market acceptance of a product.

b. It involves the design and concept of a product, then testing of the product, then market acceptance of the product.

c. It is about competitors’ products

d. It is principally the same as quality testing.

 

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