Marketing Research Reports

Marketing research reports provide the foundation for developing effective marketing strategy and advertising campaigns.

Marketing research
Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications."[ ! "t is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and services. #he goal of marketing research is to identify and assess ho$ changing elements of the marketing mi% impacts customer behavior. #he term is commonly interchanged $ith market research; ho$ever, e%pert practitioners may $ish to dra$ a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically $ith markets, $hile marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.[&! Marketing research is often partitioned into t$o sets of categorical pairs, either by target market' (onsumer marketing research, and )usiness*to*business +)&), marketing research -r, alternatively, by methodological approach' .ualitative marketing research, and .uantitative marketing research (onsumer marketing research is a form of applied sociology that concentrates on understanding the preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers in a market* based economy, and it aims to understand the effects and comparative success of marketing campaigns. #he field of consumer marketing research as a statistical science $as pioneered by /rthur 0ielsen $ith the founding of the /(0ielsen (ompany in 1&2. [2!

#hus, marketing research may also be described as the systematic and ob3ective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing.[4! #he task of marketing research +M5, is to provide management $ith relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information. (ompetitive marketing environment and the ever* increasing costs attributed to poor decision making require that marketing research provide sound information. 6ound decisions are not based on gut feeling, intuition, or even pure 3udgment. Marketing managers make numerous strategic and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. #hey make decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. #hese decisions are complicated by interactions bet$een the controllable marketing variables of product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. 7urther complications are added by uncontrollable environmental factors such as general economic conditions, technology, public policies and la$s, political environment, competition, and social and cultural changes. /nother factor in this mi% is the comple%ity of consumers. Marketing research helps the marketing manager link the marketing variables $ith the environment and the consumers. "t helps remove some of the uncertainty by providing relevant information about the marketing variables, environment, and consumers. "n the absence of relevant information, consumers8 response to marketing programs cannot be predicted reliably or accurately. -ngoing marketing research programs provide information on controllable and non*controllable factors and consumers; this information enhances the effectiveness of decisions made by marketing managers.[9! #raditionally, marketing researchers $ere responsible for providing the relevant information and marketing decisions $ere made by the managers. :o$ever, the roles are changing and marketing researchers are becoming more involved in decision making, $hereas marketing managers are becoming more involved $ith research. #he role of marketing research in managerial decision making is e%plained further using the frame$ork of the ";<(";<" model' #he ;<(";< model conceptualizes managerial decision making as a series of si% steps. #he decision process begins by precisely defining the problem or opportunity, along $ith the ob3ectives and constraints.[9! 0e%t, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action +controllable factors, and uncertainties +uncontrollable factors, are enumerated. #hen, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. #he ne%t step is to identify and select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. #hen a detailed plan to develop and implement the alternative selected is developed and put into effect. =ast, the outcome of the decision and the decision process itself are evaluated. #he <volution of Marketing 5esearch +M5,[edit!

Marketing research has evolved in the decades since /rthur 0ielsen established it as a viable industry, one that $ould gro$ hand*in*hand $ith the )&) and )&( economies. Markets naturally evolve, and since the birth of /(0ielsen, $hen research $as mainly conducted by in*person focus groups and pen*and*paper surveys, the rise of the "nternet and the proliferation of corporate $ebsites have changed the means by $hich research is e%ecuted. >eb analytics $ere born out of the need to track the behaviour of site visitors and, as the popularity of e*commerce and $eb advertising gre$,businesses demanded details on the information created by ne$ practices in $eb data collection, such as click*through and e%it rates. /s the "nternet boomed,$ebsites became larger and more comple% and the possibility of t$o*$ay communication bet$een businesses and their consumers became a reality. ?rovided $ith the capacity to interact $ith online customers, 5esearchers $ere able to collect large amounts of data that $ere previously unavailable, further propelling the Marketing 5esearch "ndustry. "n the ne$ millennium, as the "nternet continued to develop and $ebsites became more interactive, data collection and analysis became more commonplace for those Marketing 5esearch 7irms $hose clients had a $eb presence. >ith the e%plosive gro$th of the online marketplace came ne$ competition for companies; no longer $ere businesses merely competing $ith the shop do$n the road competition $as no$ represented by a global force. 5etail outlets $ere appearing online and the previous need for bricks* and*mortar stores $as diminishing at a greater pace than online competition $as gro$ing.>ith so many online channels for consumers to make purchases, companies needed ne$er and more compelling methods, in combination $ith messages that resonated more effectively, to capture the attention of the average consumer. :aving access to $eb data did not automatically provide companies $ith the rationale behind the behaviour of users visiting their sites,$hich provoked the marketing research industry to develop ne$ and better $ays of tracking, collecting and interpreting information. #his led to the development of various tools like online focus groups and pop*up or $ebsite intercept surveys. #hese types of services allo$ed companies to dig deeper into the motivations of consumers, augmenting their insights and utilizing this data to drive market share. /s information around the $orld became more accessible, increased competition led companies to demand more of Market 5esearchers. "t $as no longer sufficient to follo$ trends in $eb behaviour or track sales data; companies no$ needed access to consumer behaviour throughout the entire purchase process.#his meant the Marketing 5esearch "ndustry, again, needed to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of the marketplace, and to the demands of companies looking fora competitive edge. #oday, Marketing 5esearch has adapted to innovations in technology and the corresponding ease $ith $hich information is available. )&) and )&( companies are

$orking hard to stay competitive and they no$ demand both quantitative +@>hatAB, and qualitative +@>hyAB, marketing research in order to better understand their target audience and the motivations behind customer behaviours. #his demand is driving Marketing 5esearchers to develop ne$ platforms for interactive, t$o*$ay communication bet$een their firms and consumers. Mobile devices such as 6mart?hones are the best e%ample of an emerging platform that enables businesses to connect $ith their customers throughout the entire buying process. "nnovative research firms, such as -n5esearch $ith their -nMobile app, are no$ providing businesses $ith the means to reach consumers from the point of initial investigation through to the decision and, ultimately, the purchase. /s personal mobile devices become more capable and $idespread, the Marketing 5esearch "ndustry $ill look to further capitalize on this trend. Mobile devices present the perfect channel for 5esearch 7irms to retrieve immediate impressions from buyers and to provide their clients $ith a holistic vie$ of the consumers $ithin their target markets, and beyond. 0o$, more than ever,innovation is the key to success for Marketing 5esearchers. Marketing 5esearch (lients are beginning to demand highly personalized and specifically*focused products from the M5 firms; big data is great for identifying general market segments, but is less capable of identifying key factors of niche markets, $hich no$ defines the competitive edge companies are looking for in this mobile*digital age. Marketing research characteristics[edit!

7irst, marketing research is systematic. #hus systematic planning is required at all the stages of the marketing research process. #he procedures follo$ed at each stage are methodologically sound, $ell documented, and, as much as possible, planned in advance. Marketing research uses the scientific method in that data are collected and analyzed to test prior notions or hypotheses. <%perts in marketing research have sho$n that studies featuring multiple and often competing hypotheses yield more meaningful results than those featuring only one dominant hypothesis.[C! Marketing research is ob3ective. "t attempts to provide accurate information that reflects a true state of affairs. "t should be conducted impartially. >hile research is al$ays influenced by the researcher8s research philosophy, it should be free from the personal or political biases of the researcher or the management. 5esearch $hich is motivated by personal or political gain involves a breach of professional standards. 6uch research is deliberately biased so as to result in predetermined findings. #he ob3ective nature of marketing research underscores the importance of ethical considerations. /lso, researchers should al$ays be ob3ective $ith regard to the selection of information to be featured in reference te%ts because such literature should offer a comprehensive vie$ on marketing. 5esearch has sho$n, ho$ever, that many marketing te%tbooks do not feature important principles in marketing research.[D!

E(omparison $ith other forms of business research

-ther forms of business research include' Market research is broader in scope and e%amines all aspects of a business environment. "t asks questions about competitors, market structure, government regulations, economic trends, technological advances, and numerous other factors that make up the business environment +see environmental scanning,. 6ometimes the term refers more particularly to the financial analysis of companies, industries, or sectors. "n this case, financial analysts usually carry out the research and provide the results to investment advisors and potential investors.

Product research #his looks at $hat products can be produced $ith available
technology, and $hat ne$ product innovations near*future technology can develop +see ne$ product development,.

Advertising research * is a specialized form of marketing research conducted to

improve the efficacy of advertising. (opy testing, also kno$n as "pre*testing," is a form of customized research that predicts in*market performance of an ad before it airs, by analyzing audience levels of attention, brand linkage, motivation, entertainment, and communication, as $ell as breaking do$n the adFs flo$ of attention and flo$ of emotion. ?re*testing is also used on ads still in rough +ripomatic or animatic, form. +Goung, p. & 2,

Classification of marketing research

-rganizations engage in marketing research for t$o reasons' + , to identify and +&, solve marketing problems. #his distinction serves as a basis for classifying marketing research into problem identification research and problem solving research. ?roblem identification research is undertaken to help identify problems $hich are, perhaps, not apparent on the surface and yet e%ist or are likely to arise in the future like company image, market characteristics, sales analysis, short*range forecasting, long range forecasting, and business trends research. 5esearch of this type provides information about the marketing environment and helps diagnose a problem. 7or e%ample, #he findings of problem solving research are used in making decisions $hich $ill solve specific marketing problems. #he 6tanford 5esearch "nstitute, on the other hand, conducts an annual survey of consumers that is used to classify persons into homogeneous groups for segmentation purposes. #he 0ational ?urchase ;iary panel +0?;, maintains the largest diary panel in the Hnited 6tates.

6tandardized services are research studies conducted for different client firms but in a standard $ay. 7or e%ample, procedures for measuring advertising effectiveness have been standardized so that the results can be compared across studies and evaluative norms can be established. #he 6tarch 5eadership 6urvey is the most $idely used service for evaluating print advertisements; another $ell*kno$n service is the Iallup and 5obinson Magazine "mpact 6tudies. #hese services are also sold on a syndicated basis. (ustomized services offer a $ide variety of marketing research services customized to suit a client8s specific needs. <ach marketing research pro3ect is treated uniquely. =imited*service suppliers specialize in one or a fe$ phases of the marketing research pro3ect. 6ervices offered by such suppliers are classified as field services, coding and data entry, data analysis, analytical services, and branded products. 7ield services collect data through through the internet, traditional mail, in*person, or telephone intervie$ing, and firms that specialize in intervie$ing are called field service organizations. #hese organizations may range from small proprietary organizations $hich operate locally to large multinational organizations $ith >/#6 line intervie$ing facilities. 6ome organizations maintain e%tensive intervie$ing facilities across the country for intervie$ing shoppers in malls. (oding and data entry services include editing completed questionnaires, developing a coding scheme, and transcribing the data on to diskettes or magnetic tapes for input into the computer. 05( ;ata 6ystems provides such services. /nalytical services include designing and pretesting questionnaires, determining the best means of collecting data, designing sampling plans, and other aspects of the research design. 6ome comple% marketing research pro3ects require kno$ledge of sophisticated procedures, including specialized e%perimental designs, and analytical techniques such as con3oint analysis and multidimensional scaling. #his kind of e%pertise can be obtained from firms and consultants specializing in analytical services. ;ata analysis services are offered by firms, also kno$n as tab houses, that specialize in computer analysis of quantitative data such as those obtained in large surveys. "nitially most data analysis firms supplied only tabulations +frequency counts, and cross tabulations +frequency counts that describe t$o or more variables simultaneously,. >ith the proliferation of soft$are, many firms no$ have the capability to analyze their o$n data, but, data analysis firms are still in demand. )randed marketing research products and services are specialized data collection and analysis procedures developed to address specific types of marketing research problems. #hese procedures are patented, given brand names, and marketed like any other branded product.

Types of marketing research

Marketing research techniques come in many forms, including'

Ad Tracking J periodic or continuous in*market research to monitor a brandFs

performance using measures such as brand a$areness, brand preference, and product usage. +Goung, &KK9,

Advertising Research J used to predict copy testing or track the efficacy of

advertisements for any medium, measured by the adFs ability to get attention +measured $ith /ttention#racking,, communicate the message, build the brandFs image, and motivate the consumer to purchase the product or service. +Goung, &KK9,

Brand equity research ho$ favorably do consumers vie$ the brandA Brand association research $hat do consumers associate $ith the brandA Brand attribute research $hat are the key traits that describe the brand
promiseA

Brand name testing * $hat do consumers feel about the names of the productsA Commercial eye tracking research
e%amine advertisements, package designs, $ebsites, etc. by analyzing visual behavior of the consumer

Concept testing * to test the acceptance of a concept by target consumers Coolhunting * to make observations and predictions in changes of ne$ or e%isting
cultural trends in areas such as fashion, music, films, television, youth culture and lifestyle

Buyer decision making process research to determine $hat motivates

people to buy and $hat decision*making process they use; over the last decade, 0euromarketing emerged from the convergence of neuroscience and marketing, aiming to understand consumer decision making process

Copy testing J predicts in*market performance of an ad before it airs by analyzing

audience levels of attention, brand linkage, motivation, entertainment, and communication, as $ell as breaking do$n the adFs flo$ of attention and flo$ of emotion. +Goung, p & 2,

Customer satisfaction research * quantitative or qualitative studies that yields

an understanding of a customer8s satisfaction $ith a transaction

Demand estimation to determine the appro%imate level of demand for the

product

Distribution channel audits to assess distributorsF and retailersF attitudes

to$ard a product, brand, or company

Internet strategic intelligence searching for customer opinions in the

"nternet' chats, forums, $eb pages, blogs... $here people e%press freely about their e%periences $ith products, becoming strong opinion formers.

arketing effectiveness and analytics )uilding models and measuring results to determine the effectiveness of individual marketing activities.
* /n employee or representative of the market research firm anonymously contacts a salesperson and indicates he or she is shopping for a product. #he shopper then records the entire e%perience. #his method is often used for quality control or for researching competitors8 products.

ystery consumer or mystery shopping

Positioning research ho$ does the target market see the brand relative to
competitorsA * $hat does the brand stand forA

Price elasticity testing to determine ho$ sensitive customers are to price

changes

!ales forecasting to determine the e%pected level of sales given the level of
demand. >ith respect to other factors like /dvertising e%penditure, sales promotion etc.

!egmentation research * to determine the demographic, psychographic, and

behavioural characteristics of potential buyers

"nline panel * a group of individual $ho accepted to respond to marketing research

online 6tore audit to measure the sales of a product or product line at a statistically selected store sample in order to determine market share, or to determine $hether a retail store provides adequate service #est marketing a small*scale product launch used to determine the likely acceptance of the product $hen it is introduced into a $ider market Liral Marketing 5esearch * refers to marketing research designed to estimate the probability that specific communications $ill be transmitted throughout an individual8s 6ocial 0et$ork. <stimates of 6ocial 0et$orking ?otential +60?, are combined $ith estimates of selling effectiveness to estimate 5-" on specific combinations of messages and media. /ll of these forms of marketing research can be classified as either problem*identification research or as problem*solving research.

#here are t$o main sources of data primary and secondary. ?rimary research is conducted from scratch. "t is original and collected to solve the problem in hand. 6econdary research already e%ists since it has been collected for other purposes. "t is conducted on data published previously and usually by someone else. 6econdary research costs far less than primary research, but seldom comes in a form that e%actly meets the needs of the researcher. / similar distinction e%ists bet$een e%ploratory research and conclusive research. <%ploratory research provides insights into and comprehension of an issue or situation. "t should dra$ definitive conclusions only $ith e%treme caution. (onclusive research dra$s conclusions' the results of the study can be generalized to the $hole population. <%ploratory research is conducted to e%plore a problem to get some basic idea about the solution at the preliminary stages of research. "t may serve as the input to conclusive research. <%ploratory research information is collected by focus group intervie$s, revie$ing literature or books, discussing $ith e%perts, etc. #his is unstructured and qualitative in nature. "f a secondary source of data is unable to serve the purpose, a convenience sample of small size can be collected. (onclusive research is conducted to dra$ some conclusion about the problem. "t is essentially, structured and quantitative research, and the output of this research is the input to management information systems +M"6,. <%ploratory research is also conducted to simplify the findings of the conclusive or descriptive research, if the findings are very hard to interpret for the marketing managers. Marketing research methods[edit!

Methodologically, marketing research uses the follo$ing types of research designs'[M! )ased on questioning .ualitative marketing research * generally used for e%ploratory purposes small number of respondents not generalizable to the $hole population statistical significance and confidence not calculated e%amples include focus groups, in*depth intervie$s, and pro3ective techniques .uantitative marketing research * generally used to dra$ conclusions tests a specific hypothesis * uses random sampling techniques so as to infer from the sample to the population involves a large number of respondents e%amples include surveys and questionnaires. #echniques include choice modelling, ma%imum difference preference scaling, and covariance analysis. )ased on observations <thnographic studies by nature qualitative, the researcher observes social

phenomena in their natural setting observations can occur cross*sectionally +observations made at one time, or longitudinally +observations occur over several time* periods, * e%amples include product*use analysis and computer cookie traces. 6ee also <thnography and -bservational techniques. <%perimental techniques * by nature quantitative, the researcher creates a quasi*artificial environment to try to control spurious factors, then manipulates at least one of the variables e%amples include purchase laboratories and test markets 5esearchers often use more than one research design. #hey may start $ith secondary research to get background information, then conduct a focus group +qualitative research design, to e%plore the issues. 7inally they might do a full nation*$ide survey +quantitative research design, in order to devise specific recommendations for the client. )usiness to business market research[edit!

)usiness to business +)&), research is inevitably more complicated than consumer research. #he researchers need to kno$ $hat type of multi*faceted approach $ill ans$er the ob3ectives, since seldom is it possible to find the ans$ers using 3ust one method. 7inding the right respondents is crucial in )&) research since they are often busy, and may not $ant to participate. <ncouraging them to @open upB is yet another skill required of the )&) researcher. =ast, but not least, most business research leads to strategic decisions and this means that the business researcher must have e%pertise in developing strategies that are strongly rooted in the research findings and acceptable to the client. #here are four key factors that make )&) market research special and different to consumer markets'[1! #he decision making unit is far more comple% in )&) markets than in consumer markets )&) products and their applications are more comple% than consumer products )&) marketers address a much smaller number of customers $ho are very much larger in their consumption of products than is the case in consumer markets ?ersonal relationships are of critical importance in )&) markets. Marketing research in small businesses and nonprofit organizations[edit!

.uestion book*ne$.svg #his section does not cite any references or sources. ?lease help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Hnsourced material may be challenged and

removed. +/pril &K &, Marketing research does not only occur in huge corporations $ith many employees and a large budget. Marketing information can be derived by observing the environment of their location and the competitions location. 6mall scale surveys and focus groups are lo$ cost $ays to gather information from potential and e%isting customers. Most secondary data +statistics, demographics, etc., is available to the public in libraries or on the internet and can be easily accessed by a small business o$ner. )elo$ are some steps that could be done by 6M< +6mall Medium <ntreprise, to analyze the market' ?rovide secondary and or primary data +if necessary,; /nalyze Macro N Micro <conomic data +e.g. 6upply N ;emand, I;?,?rice change, <conomic gro$th, 6ales by sectorOindustries,interest rate, number of investmentO divestment, "O-, (?", 6ocial anlysis,etc.,; "mplement the marketing mi% concept, $hich is consist of' ?lace, ?rice, ?roduct,?romotion, ?eople, ?rocess, ?hysical <vidence and also ?olitical N social situation to analyze global market situation,; /nalyze market trends, gro$th, market size, market share, market competition +e.g. 6>-# analysis, )O( /nalysis,channel mapping identities of key channels, drivers of customers loyalty and satisfaction, brand perception, satisfaction levels, current competitor*channel relationship analysis, etc.,,etc.; ;etermine market segment, market target, market forecast and market position; 7ormulating market strategy N also investigating the possibility of partnershipO collaboration +e.g. ?rofiling N 6>-# analysis of potential partners, evaluating business partnership., (ombine those analysis $ith the 6M<8s business planO business model analysis +e.g. )usiness description, )usiness process, )usiness strategy, 5evenue model, )usiness e%pansion, 5eturn of "nvestment, 7inancial analysis +(ompany :istory, 7inancial assumption, (ostO)enefit /nalysis, ?ro3ected profit N =oss, (ashflo$, )alance sheet N business 5atio,etc.,. 0ote as important ' -verall analysis should be based on C>P : +>hat, >hen, >here, >hich, >ho, >hy and :o$, question. "nternational Marketing 5esearch plan[edit!

"nternational Marketing 5esearch follo$s the same path as domestic research, but there are a fe$ more problems that may arise. (ustomers in international markets may have

very different customs, cultures, and e%pectations from the same company. "n this case, Marketing 5esearch relies more on primary data rather than secondary information. Iathering the primary data can be hindered by language, literacy and access to technology. )asic (ultural and Market intelligence information $ill be needed to ma%imize the research effectiveness. 6ome of the steps that $ould help overcoming barriers include; . (ollect secondary information on the country under study from reliable international source e.g. >:- &. (ollect secondary information on the productOservice under study from available sources 2. (ollect secondary information on product manufacturers and service providers under study in relevant country 4. (ollect secondary information on culture and common business practices 9. /sk questions to get better understanding of reasons behind any recommendations for a specific methodology (ommonly used marketing research terms[edit!

Market research techniques resemble those used in political polling and social science research. Meta*analysis +also called the 6chmidt*:unter technique, refers to a statistical method of combining data from multiple studies or from several types of studies. (onceptualization means the process of converting vague mental images into definable concepts. -perationalization is the process of converting concepts into specific observable behaviors that a researcher can measure. ?recision refers to the e%actness of any given measure. 5eliability refers to the likelihood that a given operationalized construct $ill yield the same results if re*measured. Lalidity refers to the e%tent to $hich a measure provides data that captures the meaning of the operationalized construct as defined in the study. "t asks, @/re $e measuring $hat $e intended to measureAB /pplied research sets out to prove a specific hypothesis of value to the clients paying for the research. 7or e%ample, a cigarette company might commission research that attempts to sho$ that cigarettes are good for one8s health. Many researchers have ethical misgivings about doing applied research. 6ugging +from 6HI, for "selling under the guise" of market research, forms a sales technique in $hich sales people pretend to conduct marketing research, but $ith the real purpose of obtaining buyer motivation and buyer decision*making information to be used in a subsequent sales call. 7rugging comprises the practice of soliciting funds under the pretense of being a research organization. (areers in marketing research[edit!

6ome of the positions available in marketing research include vice president of marketing research, research director, assistant director of research, pro3ect manager,

field $ork director, statisticianOdata processing specialist, senior analyst, analyst, 3unior analyst and operational supervisor.[ K! #he most common entry*level position in marketing research for people $ith bachelor8s degrees +e.g., ))/, is as operational supervisor. #hese people are responsible for supervising a $ell*defined set of operations, including field $ork, data editing, and coding, and may be involved in programming and data analysis. /nother entry*level position for ))/s is assistant pro3ect manager. /n assistant pro3ect manager $ill learn and assist in questionnaire design, revie$ field instructions, and monitor timing and costs of studies. "n the marketing research industry, ho$ever, there is a gro$ing preference for people $ith master8s degrees. #hose $ith M)/ or equivalent degrees are likely to be employed as pro3ect managers.[ K! / small number of business schools also offer a more specialized Master of Marketing 5esearch +MM5, degree. /n MM5 typically prepares students for a $ide range of research methodologies and focuses on learning both in the classroom and the field. #he typical entry*level position in a business firm $ould be 3unior research analyst +for ))/s, or research analyst +for M)/s or MM5s,. #he 3unior analyst and the research analyst learn about the particular industry and receive training from a senior staff member, usually the marketing research manager. #he 3unior analyst position includes a training program to prepare individuals for the responsibilities of a research analyst, including coordinating $ith the marketing department and sales force to develop goals for product e%posure. #he research analyst responsibilities include checking all data for accuracy, comparing and contrasting ne$ research $ith established norms, and analyzing primary and secondary data for the purpose of market forecasting. /s these 3ob titles indicate, people $ith a variety of backgrounds and skills are needed in marketing research. #echnical specialists such as statisticians obviously need strong backgrounds in statistics and data analysis. -ther positions, such as research director, call for managing the $ork of others and require more general skills. #o prepare for a career in marketing research, students usually' #ake all the marketing courses. #ake courses in statistics and quantitative methods. /cquire computer skills. #ake courses in psychology and consumer behavior. /cquire effective $ritten and verbal communication skills. #hink creatively.[ K! (areer ladder in marketing research[edit!

Lice*?resident of Marketing 5esearch' #his is the senior position in marketing research. #he L? is responsible for the entire marketing research operation of the company and serves on the top management team. 6ets the ob3ectives and goals of the marketing research department. 5esearch ;irector' /lso a senior position, the director has the overall responsibility for the development and e%ecution of all the marketing research pro3ects. /ssistant ;irector of 5esearch' 6erves as an administrative assistant to the director and supervises some of the other marketing research staff members. +6enior, ?ro3ect Manager' :as overall responsibility for design, implementation, and management of research pro3ects. 6tatisticianO;ata ?rocessing 6pecialist' 6erves as an e%pert on theory and application of statistical techniques. 5esponsibilities include e%perimental design, data processing, and analysis. 6enior /nalyst' ?articipates in the development of pro3ects and directs the operational e%ecution of the assigned pro3ects. >orks closely $ith the analyst, 3unior analyst, and other personnel in developing the research design and data collection. ?repares the final report. #he primary responsibility for meeting time and cost constraints rests $ith the senior analyst. /nalyst' :andles the details involved in e%ecuting the pro3ect. ;esigns and pretests the questionnaires and conducts a preliminary analysis of the data. Qunior /nalyst' :andles routine assignments such as secondary data analysis, editing and coding of questionnaires, and simple statistical analysis. 7ield >ork ;irector' 5esponsible for the selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of intervie$ers and other field $orkers.[ !

Marketing N /dvertising Market 5esearch 5eports, /nalysis N #rends

Marketing research reports provide the basis for a developing effective marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. -ne may choose bet$een a topic of advertising, branding and communication, internet advertising, direct marketing, email marketing, events N promotions, public relations and print advertising.

/dvertising is a type of communication that is used to influence an audience. /dvertising messages typically promote services, products, ideas, persons and businesses.

/dvertising is a $ay of commercial promotions that could include in flight advertising, street furniture, passenger screens, billboards, sky$riting, flyers, $all paintings, banners, ta%i cabs, passenger screens, television, ne$spapers, radios, sub$ay platforms, human billboards and places $here organizations and sponsors are $illing to pay to put out a message. #here are also other forms of advertising like press ads in magazines and ne$spapers. /n e%ample of press advertising $ould be advertising in the classified section of the ne$spaper. Mobile billboard advertising is most often a billboard or digital screen that has been mounted on a moving vehicle. (onvert advertising or guerrilla advertising is $hen a brand or product is used in a large entertainment venue. /n e%ample of this $ould be $hen a soft drink, $atch or pair of sneakers is sho$n or referred to in a popular movie. "n*store advertising consists of advertising in store videos, the aisles and on the inside of shopping carts in a retail store.

(elebrity advertising uses the po$er of money, fame and popularity to influence consumers. :o$ever, the use of a celebrity can sometimes be damaging to a brand if the celebrity falls out of favor. 0on commercial advertising $ould include religious groups, political parties, political candidates and special interest groups. 0on profit advertising often relies on free advertising or advertising in the form of a public service announcement. ?ublic service advertising is used o educate and motivate the public about many non commercial issues such as ?olio "mmunization, :"L, recycling and save environment campaigns.

Marketing N /dvertising "ndustry (urrent #rends

#he total online and offline advertising is about H6 R4D4 billion as on &K K mark that include local ne$spapers, local ne$spapers, local radio, local $eb sites, local #L, direct mail, billboards etc.

>hen $e look at local advertising the component of interest is mainly local paid search advertising $hich is very small but rapidly gro$ing. Ilobal online advertising revenues pro3ections amount to RD H6 billion. Ilobal #L advertising revenue pro3ections as per &K * H6 R C1 billion. #he ne$spaper advertising revenues is H6 RMK billion as per &K . Ilobal Magazine /dvertising 5evenues amounting to H6 R2C billion as on &K . /ccording to market research the Ilobal 5adio /dvertising 5evenue pro3ections is about H6 R2K billion. Ilobal -utdoor /dvertising 5evenues pro3ections amount to H6 R&C billion and #otal "nternet Hsers >orld$ide H6 R .1D billion as on &K K. /s per market research pro3ections during &K 2, >orld$ide Mobile /dvertising $ould amount to H6 R 2.K billion.

?aid local search is e%pected to remain the fastest*gro$ing category, nearly doubling to R .M billion and accounting for almost a quarter of local online ad spending. =ocal e*mail $ill climb by 94S to R&22 million $hile local banners and listings $ill increase M.4S to R9.C billion. )y &K K*&K local search and e*mail are forecasted to comprise half the local online ad market. :o$ever market researchers predict overall flattening or decline in local online ads in four years as the category approaches R K billion.

#he global advertising market size is continuing to gro$ despite the recession. >orld$ide ad spending $ill total R41C.1 billion in &K , up from R4D9.D in &K K up from R4D9.D in &K K. #he gro$th rate did slo$ some$hat, $ith a 4.9S gro$th rate in &K vs a 9.MS gro$th rate in &K K. #his ad spend encompasses a range of advertising mediums, including directory listings, online ads, magazine ads, ne$spaper ads, outdoor ads like billboards, radio ads and #L commercials.

#he online advertising market size is playing a big role in these robust numbers. /dvertisers $ill spend RMK.& billion globally in &K , $hich is a D.&S gro$th from last year.

Ma3or Marketing N /dvertising "ndustry ?layers

>ith almost R9KK million being spend on ads this year, $ho are the biggest spendersA /ccording to Media research, ?roctor N Iamble $as the biggest advertiser in the H6 from Qanuary to Qune &K , spending R .2 billion dollars. #his is follo$ed by /#N# $ith a spend of R . billion dollars. #he other ma3or advertisers $ere Ieneral Motors +R1&4 million,, (omcast +RMM4 million,, Lerizon +RMKM million,, ?fizer +RC22,, =F-real H6/ +RC&C million,, (hrysler +RC& million,, #ime >arner +R M million, and Qohnson N Qohnson +R9M1,.

-thers like >iedenPTennedy, Traft, 7ord, Mullen, Livaki, Ioogle (reative =abs, :orizon Media, Irey 0G, 2CKi, ));- and IroupM among others $ho have successfully created some $inning brand campaigns.

#he 2K*second slot bet$een #L sho$s is a largely coveted space for most advertising companies today. #elevision vie$ers are very much influenced by visual ads and print

ads, thus e%panding the product consumer base. #he follo$ing companies deal in providing advertising facilities to their clients #here are different types of advertising services given by the companies. #he list of K reputed advertisng companies in the $orld are' /meredia, /rnold >orld$ide, ));-, ;oyle ;ane )ernbach, Ioodby 6ilverstein N ?artners, 0.>. /yer N 6on, -gilvy N Mather, 6aatchi and 6aatchi, ?artnership /dvertising and >iedenPTennedy..

Master of Marketing Research From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Question book-new.svg his article relies on references to primary sources. !lease add references to secondary or tertiary sources. "February #$$%& Master of Marketing Research "MMR,M'MR, MR()& is a graduate degree program that may be from one to three years in length. 'tudents pursuing this degree study the aspects of research in the field of marketing. *nlike an M.).+., which is a general business degree, the Master in Market Resaearch focuses solely on the aspects of marketing research. (ontents ,hide. /istory # Master in Market Research degree #.. +lso known as #.# Recent trends affecting market research education 0 'chools offering Masters in Market Research "or e1uivalent& 0.. +frica 0.# +sia-!acific 0.0 2urope 0.3 4orth +merica 3 'ee also 5 References 6 27ternal links

/istory,edit-

he first Master of Marketing Research was developed by the erry (ollege of )usiness in .898. Marketing faculty, together with leading marketing research professionals, developed a curriculum that :was designed to develop marketing research professionals of the highest caliber and thereby satisfy a critical need of *.'. business.: ,.Master in Market Research degree,edit-

;enerally, a Master in Market Research combines classroom work with real-world research opportunities and special pro<ects. (ourses stress practical application to real-world marketing research problems, rather than the theoretical application suggested in most bachelor=s business degrees. hese degrees give specific instruction on research methodology, variable coding, and database construction and management. (lassroom topics might include database management, focus group development, statistics in marketing, and consumer behavior. +lso known as,edithe Master in Market Research may also be known as the Master of 'cience in Marketing Research "M.'.M.R., Master of 'cience in Marketing +nalysis "M.'.M.+.&. 'imilar in nature to the Master in Market Research is a Master of )usiness +dministration with an emphasis in marketing research. >n 2urope, the degree is known as Master in Market Research and (onsumer )ehavior at >2 *niversity?>2 )usiness 'chool and as Master of Marketing +nalysis at ;hent *niversity. >n (anada, the degree is known as Master of )usiness-Marketing?+nalysis. >n +ustralia, the degree is known as Master of )usiness in Marketing Research "M.).M.R.& at 2dith (owan *niversity, and as Master of Marketing "M.Mrkt.& at the *niversity of asmania. Recent trends affecting market research education,edit@ob 'pecialiAation. here is evidence that modern professional <obs are rapidly being disaggregated,.- and becoming increasingly specialiAed.,#- While management of the marketing mi7 will continue to be overseen by generalists broadly trained in business and?or marketing, this trend towards specialiAation is creating new opportunities for professionals with focal training in the area of market research and the closely related area of consumer behaviour. he current and future <ob prospects for these market research specialists are highly attractive. For e7ample, in the *nited 'tates by #$.% <obs in Market and 'urvey

Research are e7pected to grow to 05$,5$$ as compared to .89,5$$ <obs for Marketing Managers, 30,8$$ <obs for +dvertising and !romotion Managers and 63,.$$ <obs for !ublic Relations Managers.,0- hese two trendsBspecialiAation of professional <obs, and high demand in the labor market for market research specialistsBsuggest an increasing importance for post-graduate training designed to provide a gateway for university graduates seeking to pursue careers in the areas of market research and consumer behavior. (onsumer )ehavior Research by behavioral and neural scientists continue to make large contributions to our understanding of human decision making, and their findings are e7erting a strong influence on the nature of marketing and market research. +s companies struggle in a new world of :big data:,3- and social media such as witter and Facebook, companies are facing increasing challenges in collecting, analyAing and interpreting this data to better understand their customers. his suggests that consumer behavior and (ustomer insight will likely play an increasing role in the work of market researchers.

Marketing research process From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

,hide- his article has multiple issues. !lease help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. his article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. "@uly #$.0& his article is written like a personal reflection or opinion essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the sub<ect. "@anuary #$.0& he market research process involves a round of separate stages of data interpretation,disambiguation needed-, organiAation and collection. hese stages could be considered as a benchmark of market research, but it depends on an organiAation how they have encapsulated their strategies to follow this process. /ence some of the interlinked stages could be conducted repeatedly and some of the stages can also be omitted. ;iven below is a typical market research process which is depicted stage-wiseC Defining the !roblem or 4eed- he starting phase is always identifying the reason or problem for which research is to be conducted. his includes collecting of

relevant initial information and how this information will affect decision making process. >t also includes defining problems after discussing with decision makers of the organiAation. Ence the problem is defined precisely and the need of research is discussed, the further process could be conducted in an efficient manner. Determining who will do the research- Ence the initial stage of defining the problem and the need of research is done, it is important to determine who will do the research and what will be the approaches to resolve these problems. his involves creating a problem solving framework and analytical models after discussing with organiAation e7perts. >n this sample case studies are created according to the defined framework by enforcing the relevant information and secondary data. !icking out the appropriate methodology- + specific methodology is entailed by the research professional after identifying the specific needs and e7ploring the case studies. >t may include a combination of specific approaches like telephone survey, web or email survey, one-to-one interviews, secondary research etc. his methodology acts as a blueprint of research process and following basic stepsC Methods for collecting and preparing 1uantitative information Determining the need of this information 'caling and measuring procedures Designing sample Questionnaire Formulating case studies and sampling process !lanning information analysis Data (ollection !rocess- his process includes field work and desk work for collecting all relevant data and information. Field work includes interviewing the personals by interacting them face to face by visiting them in home or offices or arranging group meetings at any preferred place. Desk work includes contacting personals over telephone or via series of emails and web meetings. his could take comparatively more time as compared to the field work. >nvolving e7perienced and trained e7ecutive for this helps in reducing data collection errors. Data !reparation, tabulation and analysis of results- +fter the data collecting stage the collected data is edited, corrected if re1uired and validated. his process is the most important process in the research as the results are generated on the basis of data preparation. 'o it is re1uired for an organiAation to verify the authenticity of the collected data and edit or correct it if needed. he final data is then segmented according to the business standards and inserted into the (RM

database in a more tabulated form so that search or combination could be made easily. - he entire process is properly documented with respect to organiAational standards so that it can be referred in future for decision making process or to change or modify any specific process or module. his document contains overall architecture of the pro<ect depicting all the processes with the help of tables, graphs and figures to provoke impact and clarity. Market Research undeniably plays a vital role in e7ploring the business. he above process if conducted in an efficient manner could help predicting and correlating customer needs and then modeling or modifying the business strategies accordingly.

/ow to Write a ;ood Market Research Report

/fter you have done your Market 5esearch $ork, you have to $rite a report. :o$ever, the best research can get put aside $ithout being read. 7ollo$ing are a fe$ tips for $riting a good Market 5esearch 5eport that you can be proud of.

#he first thing you have to do is to get your reader8s attention $ith a po$erful headline and a good opening summary. "f you fail to get your prospects8 attention, you $ill fail to communicate and deliver the benefits of your research.

/l$ays remember that if your report is not read and action taken, your company $ill receive no benefits from all the research that you have done, and that8s a pretty darn shame. )ut if you do the report right, you are probably about DK percent of the $ay to a promotion. 6o read on and pay attention.

#he trick is $riting a research report that $ill grab the reader8s attention $ithout allo$ing his or her mind to $ander even for a second. -r $orse' Making a copy mistake that turns her or him off entirely ** and gets your research report instantly tossed into the nearest virtual or literal trash can.

"n a very real sense, your body copy is a minefield that must be navigated $ith the greatest of care' <very $ord, every sentence and paragraph of body copy represents the

chance to either intensify your prospect8s focus ... or to completely lose him.

)ut take care, in long research reports ** the headline and opening summary represent only about 4 percent of the total volume of the report copy required. #here8s a lot of pages $here you can loose your reader8s attention. =ose him, even for a split second, and you8ve probably lost him ** and your promotion ** for goodU

#here are three unforgivable sins that you must be a$are of and avoid $hen $riting your report. /void the follo$ing three unforgivable sins $hen crafting your research report'

, ;o not confuse your reader... &, ;o not bore your reader, and 2, ;o not set off his )6 detector...

)y follo$ing the seven simple rules belo$, you can avoid all three dangers and produce a top quality Market 5esearch 5eport'

5ule 0umber ' Teep Gour 5eport =ogically -rganized.

:umans are 0-# logical animals. )ut $hen reading or learning, they generally require that the material be presented in a clear, logical $ay. #hat generally means starting at point "/" ... progressing to point ")" ... moving on to point "(" ... and so on, until you have reached your ultimate conclusion.

#o do that, you must build your case logically and methodically ** much like a mason builds a brick $all. Gou must lay a solid foundation of research and then build upon each completed analysis argument $ith the ne%t ... brick by brick ... in a logical order, proving your research points.

/sk yourself, ">hat must my reader kno$ first ... second ... third ... and so on, in order to conclude that this research offers the opportunity of a lifetimeA"

5ule 0umber &' Teep the 5eport Moving.

>hen a reader8s eyes first fall upon your report, a little stop$atch starts ticking in his head. "f at any point, he feels you8re not moving along quickly enough, you $ill lose him.

(reating a dynamic flo$ of information in your research report is absolutely essential for ma%imum readability. #here are three $ays to do it ...

/, (reating and follo$ing a "chain of logic" outline helps a lot in this regard ** by ensuring that you make each point once, then move on. "f prospects feel like you8re going back over stuff you already covered, any sense of momentum you may have established is instantly destroyed.

), (heck the momentum of each draft by reading it aloud. Mark the places $here you ** as a reader ** begin to become distracted or bored. -nce again, highlight any sections that begin to lose you. <ach of these sections $ill kill readership and response if they8re still there in the final draft. <dit them or delete them.

(, Making each section of copy shorter than the one before is a great $ay to create momentum. 7or e%ample ** let8s say you have to make ten analysis points in order to complete the report. Gou could spend O& pages making your first analysis ... page making your second ... 2O4 of a page making your third ... O& page making your fourth ... and then $rap up the final si% points in a series of bullets covering a single page.

5ule 0umber 2' Teep Gour 5eport 6imple.

0ever ask your prospect to $ork in order to figure out $hat you8re saying. #$o*dollar $ords, esoteric references and comple% sentences are killers in research reports.

6ubtlety, nuance and comple%ity are for poets ** 0-# market reportsU

#ry to limit yourself to one complete, clearly presented thought per sentence. >hen you connect t$o thoughts in a sentence, make sure they connect directly and clearly $ith each other. /lso be sure to avoid inserting undeveloped or underdeveloped thoughts in sentences or paragraphs. #hey8re like little boobytraps in the report. #hey stop readers cold.

5ule 0umber 4' Teep the 5eport 7at*7ree.

5eaders should feel as though they8re getting good value in return for the number of $ords they8re made to read. Gour challenge is to never use three $ords $hen t$o $ill do the 3ob. :ere are four $ays to say more $ith less'

/, Hse more precise $ord choices' >hen you fail to use the $ord that most precisely and accurately communicates a thought, you $ind up using five, si% or even ten $ords instead. >hen searching for the most precise $ord, checking synomyms in a thesaurus often gives you the ans$er.

), <liminate unnecessary $ords' :ere again, reading copy aloud really helps. Much of the time, for e%ample, the $ord "that" is totally unnecessary. >hen in doubt, leave it outU

(, /void unhelpful repitition' 5epetition of key sales points ** a H6? or ma3or benefit, for e%ample ** is a beautiful thing. 5epeating minor thoughts only slo$s the copy and bores the reader.

;, 7igures of speech can help you say more, faster' "f a pictures is $orth a thousand $ords, metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech are as $ell.

5ule 0umber 9' Teep Gour 5eport )elievable.

Gour reader is already skeptical. Making grandiose claims that you can8t +or don8t, prove beyond the shado$ of a doubt $ill only confirm $hat he or she already suspects' #hat you8re full of beans. /nd this $ill get your promotion trashed in a heartbeat.

5ule 0umber C' Teep Gour 5eport ?otent.

-ne of the fastest $ays to lose your prospect8s attention is to fail to focus on his favorite sub3ect' :"M or :<5U #he $ord "Gou" has been called the most po$erful $ord in the <nglish language ** and for good reason. 7inding $ays to personalize the report ** applying each passage as if had been $ritten for the reader ** is a key to keeping his attention.

5ule 0umber D' /void Hnintended "mpressions.6

:ere8s $here insisting that friends read your report can pay huge dividends. )y the time you8re ready to stick a fork in your ne$ promotion, you can almost recite it $ord for $ord ** front$ards and back$ards. #hat means you8re too close to the report to catch things that may be misread ... even things that may raise ob3ections or implant an erroneous impression in your reader8s mind.

)ottom line' Gour research report is only as strong as its $eakest link. /nd that makes it essential to get do$nright obsessive about every $ord, every turn of phrase, every 3ot and tittle. /nything that could confuse or bore your prospect or set off his )6 detector must be addressed. "f that means reading the entire draft aloud to yourself or someone else, so be it. "f it means sho$ing it to five, ten or &K friends, that8s cool too.