Unit4.Typesof

MarketingResearchMarketingResearch

Marketingresearchprovidesinformationtoreduceuncertainty.Ithelpsfocusdecision-making.Sometimesmarketingresearchersknowexactlywhattheirmarketingproblemsareanddesigncarefulstudiestotestspecifichypotheses.Forexample,asoftdrinkcompanyintroducinganewclearcolamightwanttoknowwhetheragoldorsilverlabelwouldmakethepackagingmoreeffective.Thisproblemisfullydefinedandanexperimentmaybedesignedtoanswerthemarketingquestionwithlittlepreliminaryinvestigation.3TypesofMarketingResearchExploratoryResearchDescriptiveResearchCausalResearchTesthypothesesaboutcause-and-effectrelationships.Testshypothesesaboutcause-and-effectrelationships.Gatherspreliminaryinformationthatwillhelpdefinetheproblemandsuggesthypotheses.Describesthingsasmarketpotentialforaproductorthedemographicsandconsumers’attitudes.4Marketingresearchcanbeclassifiedonthebasisofeithertechniqueorfunction.Experiments,surveys,andobservationalstudiesarejustafewcommonresearchtechniques.Classifyingresearchbyitspurposeorfunctionshowshowthenatureofthemarketingprobleminfluencesthechoiceofmethods.Thenatureoftheproblemwilldeterminewhethertheresearchis(1)exploratory,(2)descriptive,or(3)causal.Exploratoryresearch

isconductedtoclarifythenatureofambiguousproblems.Managementmayhavediscoveredageneralproblem,butitmayneedresearchtogainabetterunderstandingofthedimensionsoftheproblemandtoaidanalysis.

TypesofMarketingResearch

(SeeP59-60)

ExploratoryresearchExploratoryresearchisnotintendedtoprovideconclusiveevidencefromwhichtodetermineaparticularcourseofaction.Usuallyexploratoryresearchisconductedwiththeexpectationthatsubsequentresearchwillberequiredtoprovidesuchconclusiveevidence.Rushingintodetailedsurveysbeforelessexpensiveandmorereadilyavailablesourcesofinformationhavebeenexhaustedcanleadtoseriousmistakes.Forexample,supposeaChinesefast-foodrestaurantchainisconsideringexpandingitshoursandproductlinewithabreakfastmenu,ExploratoryresearchwithasmallnumberofCurrentcustomersmightfindastrongnegativereactiontoeatingaspicyvegetablebreakfastataChinesefastfoodoutlet.Thus,exploratoryresearchmighthelpcrystallizeaproblemandidentifyinformationneededforfutureresearch.DescriptiveResearchThemajorpurposeofdescriptiveresearch,asthenameimplies,istodescribecharacteristicsofapopulation.Marketingmanagersfrequentlyneedtodeterminewhopurchasesaproduct,portraythesizeofthemarket,identifycompetitors'actions,andsoon.Descriptiveresearchseekstodeterminetheanswerstowhy,what,when,where,andhowquestions.InfinitilearnedfromdescriptiveresearchthatAmericansgenerallystarttoshopforacarbyconsideringsixmodels.Theythennarrowthefieldandusuallyvisitthreeshowroomsbeforetheysettleonamodel.Thistakesanaverageoftwoweeks.Thesedescriptivefindings,combinedwithknowledgethattheyfacedcompetitionfromdozensofluxurymodelsonthemarket,influencedInfinititoencouragedealerstoemphasizethequalityoftheconsumer'sshoppingexperience.However,buyersofluxurycarstypicallytaketwiceaslongtocompletethedecisionandmakeapurchase.Thesedescriptivefindings,combinedwithknowledgethattheyfacedcompetitionfromdozensofluxurymodelsonthemarket,influencedInfinititoencouragedealerstoemphasizethequalityoftheconsumer'sshoppingexperience.Thecompanymadesizableinvestmentsindramaticarchitectureforshowroomsandelegantfurnishingssuchasfountainsandindoorbridges.SomeInfinitishowroomshavecontemplationzones-designatedareaswherecustomerscansitwithoutharassmenttoconsidercarpurchasesinsilence.Magazinestypicallyconductdescriptivesurveystoidentifythecharacteristicsoftheiraudience.ForyearsTeenmagazinemanagerssensedthat12to15year-oldgirlscaredalotaboutfragrances,lipstick,andmascara,buttheylackedanyquantitativeevidence.Theirdescriptiveresearchfoundthat94.1percentof12to15-yearoldgirlsusecreamrinse/conditioner,86.4percentusefragrance,and84.9percentuselip-gloss.OfthegirlsusingFragrance,73percentpreferredusingtheirownbrand,17percentsharedtheirbrand,and6percentusedsomeoneelse'sbrand.Resultsshowedthatmostgirlsusecosmetics.Brandloyaltybeginsearly,and12-to-15year-oldspreferusingandchoosingtheirownbrands.Accuracyisofparamountimportanceindescriptiveresearch.Whiletheycannotcompletelyeliminateerrors,goodresearchersstrivetodescriptiveprecision.Supposeastudyseekstodescribethemarketpotentialforpersonalphotocopyingmachines.Ifthestudydoesnotpreciselymeasuresalesvolume,itwillmisleadthemanagerswhoaremakingproductionscheduling,budgeting,andotherdecisionsbasedonit.Unlikeexploratoryresearch,descriptivestudiesarebasedonsomepreviousunderstandingofthenatureoftheresearchproblem.Althoughtheresearchermayhaveageneralunderstandingofthesituation,theconclusiveevidencethatanswersquestionsoffactnecessarytodetermineacourseofactionhasyettobecollected.Manycircumstancesrequiredescriptiveresearchtoidentifythereasonsconsumersgivetoexplainthenatureofthings.Inotherwords,adiagnosticanalysisisperformedwhenconsumersanswerquestionssuchas"Whydoyoufeelthatway?“Althoughtheymaydescribewhyconsumersfeelacertainway,thefindingsofadescriptivestudysuchasthis,sometimescalleddiagnostic,donotprovidecausalevidence.Frequently,descriptiveresearchattemptstodeterminetheextentofdifferencesinneeds,attitudes,andopinionsamongsubgroups.

CausalResearch(SeeP62)

Themaingoalofcausalresearchistoidentifycauseandeffectrelationshipsbetweenvariables.Exploratoryanddescriptiveresearchnormallyprecedecause-andeffectrelationshipstudies,Incausalstudiesresearcherstypicallyhaveanexpectationabouttherelationshiptobeexplained,suchaspredictingtheinfluenceofprice,packaging,advertising,andthelikeonsales.Thus,researchersmustbequiteknowledgeableaboutthesubject.Ideallythemanagerwantstoestablishthatoneevent(say,anewpackage)isthemeansforproducinganotherevent(anincreaseinsales).

Causalresearchattemptstoestablishthatwhenwedoonething,anotherthingwillfollow.Thewordcauseiscommonineverydayconversation,butfromascientificresearchperspective,atreecausalrelationshipisimpossibletoprove.Nevertheless,researchersseekcertaintypesofevidencetohelpthemunderstandandpredictrelationships.Atypicalcausalstudyhasmanagementchangeonevariable(forexample,advertising)andthenobservetheeffectonanothervariable(suchassales).Someevidenceforcausalitycomesfromthefactthatthecauseprecedestheeffect.Inotherwords,havinganappropriatecausalorder

ofevents,ortemporalsequence,isonecriterionforcausalitythatmustbemettobeabletomeasurearelationship.Ifaconsumerbehaviortheoristwishestoshowthatanattitudechangecausesabehaviorchange,onecriterionthatmustbeestablishedisthatattitudechangemustprecedethebehaviorchangeintime.Intheaboveexample,someevidenceofconcomitantvariationexistsbecauseadvertisingandsalesappeartobeassociated.Concomitantvariationoccurswhentwophenomenaoreventsvarytogether.Whenthecriterionofconcomitantvariationisnotmet--thatis,whenthereisnoassociationbetweenthevariables--reasoningsuggeststhatnocausalrelationshipexistsIftwoeventsvarytogether,oneeventmaybethecause;however,thisbyitselfisnotsufficientevidenceforcausalitybecausethetwoeventsmayhaveacommoncause;thatis,bothmaybeinfluencedbyathirdvariable.Forinstance,alargenumberoficecreamconesweresoldonemorningatAtlanticCity'sbeach.Thatafternoon,alargenumberofdrowningoccurred.Mostofuswouldnotconcludethateatingicecreamcausesdrowning;morelikely,onthatdaythebeachwascrowdedandthenumberofpeopleprobablyinfluencedbothicecreamsalesanddrowning.Theeffectcouldhavebeenproducedinotherways.Thus,causationrequiresmorethanconcomitantvariationandapropertimesequencebetweentheoccurrencesoftwoevents.Theremaybeplausiblealternativeexplanationsfortheobservedrelationship.Apluralityofcausesispossible.Considerapresidentialcandidatewhoreducesadvertisingexpendituresneartheendoftheprimarycampaignraceandwinsmanymomdelegatesintheremainingprimaries.Toinfercausalitythatreducingadvertisingincreasedthenumberofdelegates-mightbeinappropriate,becausethepresumedcauseoftheincreaseindelegatesmaynothavebeentherealcause,itismorelikelythatneartheendoftherace,marginalcandidateswithdrew.Therealcauseprobablywasunrelatedtoadvertising.

Intheseexamplesthethirdvariablethatisthesourceofthespuriousassociationisaverysalientfactorreadilyidentifiableasthetreeinfluenceofchange.However,withinthecomplexenvironmentinwhichmanagersoperate,identifyingalternativeorcomplexcausalfactscanbedifficult.Insummary,researchtoinfercausalityshould:1.Establishtheappropriatecausalorderorsequenceofevents2.Measuretheconcomitantvariationbetweenthepresumedcauseandthepresumedeffect3.Recognizethepresenceorabsenceofalternativeplausibleexplanationsorcausalfactors.Evenwhenthesethreecriteriaforcausationarepresent,theresearchercanneverbecertainthatthecausalexplanationisadequate.Mostbasicscientificstudiesinmarketing(forexample,thedevelopmentofconsumerbehaviortheory)ultimatelyseektoidentifycause-and-effectrelationships.Oneoftenassociatessciencewithexperiments.Topredictarelationshipbetween,say,priceandperceivedqualityofaproduct,causalstudiesoftencreatestatisticalexperimentswithcontrolsthatestablishcontrastgroups.Anumberofmarketingexperimentsareconductedbyboththeorydevelopersandpragmaticbusinesspeople.ReviewofKeyTermsandConceptsExploratoryresearch:Initialresearchconductedtoclarifyanddefinethenatureofproblem.探索性研究Descriptiveresearch:Researchdesignedtodescribecharacteristicsofapopulationorphenomenon.描述性研究Causalresearch:Researchconductedtoidentifycause-and-effectrelationshipsamongvariables.因果（關系）研究:ThewayinwhichtwConcomitant

variationophenomenaoreventsvarytogether.伴隨變量，共變因素

DiscussionandReviewQuestions1.Sometimesmarketingresearchersknowexactlywhattheirmarketingproblemsareanddesigncarefulstudiestotestspecific

hypotheses.Canyougiveanexampletoexplainthat?2.Howtoclassifythemarketingresearch?3.Whatisexploratoryresearch?Canyougiveaexample?4.Whatisthemajorpurposeofdescriptiveresearch?Andwhatdoesdescriptiveresearchseektodetermine?5.Whydoesaccuracyisofparamountimportanceindescriptiveresearch?6.Frequently,whatdoesdescriptiveresearchattemptstodetermine?7.Whatisthemaingoalofcausalresearch?8.Whatexpectationdoestheresearcherstypicallyhaveincausalstudies?9.Canyougiveanexampletoexplainthat"atypicalcausalstudyhasmanagedchangeonevariableandthenobservetheeffectonanothervariable"?10.Whatdoesmostbasicscientificstudiesinmarketingultimatelyseektoidentifyinthecausalresearch?SelectedAnswers

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