Marketing Research Exam 1

The first stage of the marketing research process is Problem Determination. What is the best course of action if the phenomenon to be investigated is broad or vague?
a. Find a new research topic that is less broad or vague.
b. Reject the research request.
c. Conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue.
d. Gather primary data through a survey to clarify.

C

Which of the general approaches to marketing research focuses on describing a population?
a. Causal research
b. Descriptive research
c. Exploratory research
d. Population research

B

At which stage can errors enter the marketing research process?
a. Information reporting
b. Data capture
c. At any stage
d. Data analysis

C

Under which moral reasoning framework is it more difficult to judge an action as ethical?
a. The rights approach
b. The utility approach
c. It is equally difficult for all approaches
d. The justice approach

A

Marketing research should be avoided when
a. the goal of the research is to support a particular position with pseudo

scientific results.
b. attempting to sell products, services, or ideas under the guise of marketing research.
c. when time, budget, or other resources are lacking to do the research properly.
d. All of the above are correct.

Much of the data that marketing managers need to make routine decisions do not exist inside a company's databases.
a. True b. False

False

Descriptive research is a less common means of gathering primary data.
a. True b. False

False

Even the best marketing research projects contain error of one kind or another.
a. True b. False

True

If an action is legal, then it is ethical.
a. True b. False

False

Trying to sell products after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research is an unethical approach known as "sugging."
a. True b. False

True

The first thing that must occur for research to be properly designed:
a. The problem or opportunity must be precisely defined.
b. Secondary research must be analyzed.
c. Primary research data must be collected.
d. A research request agreement must be put in place.

A

Which of the following statements about primary data is true?
a. It is time

consuming to generate primary data.
b. It is inexpensive to generate primary data.
c. It should be generated even when information can be obtained from the company's internal or external sources.
d. It is not new

Which broad approach to marketing research sheds light on a particular issue at a particular time?
a. Putting systems in place that provide marketing intelligence on an ongoing basis
b. Collecting data to address specific problems
c. Both A and B
d. Neither A nor B

B

All of the following represent examples of the causal research approach, except:
a. Determining what price to charge for a product
b. Determining which product packaging design is most effective
c. Determining which version of a product to offer
d. Determining the frequency with which something occurs within a population

D

The most critical error in research work is
a. total error.
b. coding error.
c. sampling error.
d. editing error.

A

The stage of marketing research in which error can enter the process is
a. problem definition.
b. data capture.
c. data analysis.
d. Error can enter during any stage.

D

Which method of ethical reasoning holds that the correct course of action is the one that promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people?
a. Utility approach
b. Justice approach
c. Rights approach
d. All approaches do this.

A

Which of the following statements about the ethical reasoning frameworks is true?
a. It's easy to apply these frameworks to marketing research decisions.
b. It's optional to use one or more of these ethical reasoning frameworks.
c. These frameworks will not always lead to the same conclusion about the ethics of research.
d. All of these statements about ethical reasoning frameworks are true.

C

"Sugging" is best described by which of the following statements?
a. Salespeople using results of marketing research studies to help sell their products
b. Conducting research to support a particular position with pseudo

scientific results
c. Attempting to sell products or services after telling respondents you are conducting marketing research
d. All of these statements describe "sugging."

Marketing research should be avoided when
a. it is unethical.
b. management bias cannot be overcome with valid research results.
c. it wastes a company's resources.
d. All of these statements about avoiding marketing research are true.

D

The first key step in problem formulation:
a. Clarify the problem/opportunity
b. Select research problem(s) to be addressed
c. Prepare and submit a research request agreement
d. Meet with the client

D

When meeting with the client, to get as much information as possible about the problem/opportunity, how many times should you ask "why" the situation has occurred to dive deeper into possible causes?
a. One
b. Three
c. Five
d. None

the client will volunteer this information

The two basic sources of change in the marketing environment are
a. internal and external.
b. complex and simple.
c. helpful and harmful.
d. planned and unplanned.

D

Researchers should be actively involved in problem formulation by
a. listening carefully as managers provide their perspective on the problem.
b. accepting managers preexisting assumptions.
c. allowing managers to perform their own diagnosis and prescribe treatment for a problem.
d. All of the above are ways in which researchers can be actively involved in problem formulation.

A

A well

stated decision problem
a. takes the manager's perspective.
b. is as simple as possible.
c. takes the form of a question.
d. All of the above are correct.

A manager's view of the problem or opportunity is known as the
a. decision problem.
b. manager's problem.
c. hypothesis.
d. research problem.

A

Which part of the research request agreement discusses the groups from whom the information must be gathered?
a. Logistics
b. Population and subgroups
c. Background
d. Decision problem

B

The section of a formal research proposal that discusses the editing and proofreading of questionnaires, coding instructions, and type of data analysis is
a. the appendices.
b. the research design and data sources.
c. the analysis.
d. the problem definition and background.

C

What is the document that is typically used to describe the nature of the problem and ask research providers to offer proposals?
a. Research request agreement
b. Request

for

Problem formulation involves more art than science.
a. True b. False

True

When meeting with the client, it is important to keep the broader issue in mind to keep from going down a very specific and possibly incorrect path.
a. True b. False

True

Understanding the source of a problem rarely provides clues about the type of research that is needed.
a. True b. False

False

"Normal thinking" can help managers or researchers understand the true nature of a problem.
a. True b. False

False

Discovery

oriented research rarely solves a problem in the sense of providing actionable results.
a. True b. False

With a known decision problem, a researcher's primary task is to develop a partial range of research problems.
a. True b. False

False

The research request agreement helps ensure that the client and the researcher agree about the research problems to be addressed.
a. True b. False

True

Unlike the research request agreement, the research proposal specifies the techniques to be used in implementing research.
a. True b. False

True

If a company is going to consider and evaluate multiple research providers and select to work with, a request

for

The introduction of New Coke in the early 1980s is an example of a product introduction, backed by research, that had a disastrous result. Why did the marketing research process fail in the case of New Coke?
a. Because researchers asked too many questions
b. Because researchers asked complicated questions
c. Because researchers asked all the wrong questions
d. Because researchers forgot to ask any questions

C

How can a company avoid the trap of researching the wrong problem?
a. Meet with the client to get as much information about the problem/opportunity.
b. Delay research until the problem is properly defined.
c. Conduct exploratory research to pin down the issues.
d. All of the above are correct.

D

How a firm responds to a new product introduced by a competitor is an example of which type of marketing problem/opportunity?
a. Unplanned change in the marketing environment
b. Planned change in the marketing environment
c. Both types of change are applicable to this example.
d. Neither type of change is applicable to this example.

A

Why is it important for the researcher to be actively involved in problem formulation?
a. Because researchers have a better understanding of the problem than the manager does
b. Because researchers bring a new perspective to the problem/opportunity situation
c. Because managers are focused on root causes, not symptoms, of the problem
d. All of the above are correct.

B

Which of the following examples represents a strategy

oriented decision problem for a restaurant owner?
a. Determining the effectiveness of two proposed advertising campaigns for the restaurant
b. Understanding consumer perceptions of competing restaurants
c. Providing information about the overall awareness level of the restaurant in a target market
d. Providing information about customer satisfaction with the restaurant

What differentiates a decision problem from a research problem?
a. A research problem is a restatement of the decision problem, from the researcher's perspective.
b. A research problem states specifically what research can be done to provide answers.
c. A decision problem takes the manager's perspective.
d. All of these statements are correct.

D

Why does the research request agreement make the job of the researcher easier?
a. Because it describes exactly how to conduct the research
b. Because it makes certain that the client and the researcher agree about the research problem to be addressed
c. Because it describes the research conclusions the researcher should try to obtain
d. All of these statements are correct.

B

Which of the following statements about the research proposal is true?
a. It specifies the techniques that will be used for implementing the research.
b. It does not include a detailed plan to complete the study.
c. It does not include a description of the population t be studied.
d. It predicts the outcome of the research project.

A

A request

for

Which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of exploratory research?
a. To get a better understanding of the problem or situation
b. To determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem
c. To identify areas where research might be useful
d. To clarify concepts

B

Which of the following are key characteristics of exploratory studies?
a. They are typically small scale and flexible.
b. They are typically large scale and rigid.
c. They are typically large scale and flexible.
d. They are typically small scale and rigid.

A

The type of exploratory research to use when a researcher hopes that ideas will drop "out of the blue" or be fully developed because of the "snowball" effect is
a. focus groups.
b. data mining.
c. depth interviews.
d. literature search.

A

Who has the most important role in a focus group?
a. The least vocal member of the focus group
b. The most vocal member of the focus group
c. The focus group moderator
d. The manager whose decision problem is being discussed

C

Which of the following are focus group outcomes to avoid?
a. Using focus group data to provide final answers to the problem
b. Using focus group data to intentionally support a manager's position
c. Letting executive bias influence the interpretation of focus group data
d. All of the above are correct.

D

Exploratory research is inappropriate for any problem about which little is known.
a. True b. False

False

Exploratory studies are very flexible and rarely use detailed questionnaires.
a. True b. False

True

Projective methods help researchers overcome subjects' reluctance to discuss their feelings and/or provide truthful answers.
a. True b. False

True

One important measure of a focus group's success is whether the participants talk to each other rather than the moderator doing all the talking.
a. True b. False

True

The primary function of focus groups is to validate a seller's beliefs about its own product.
a. True b. False

False

A manager needing to investigate why market share for a product has slipped might use which of the following exploratory research approaches to identify a research problem?
a. Analysis of sales data in company databases
b. A focus group with consumers
c. A quick online survey of current product users
d. All of these are appropriate exploratory research approaches in this example.

D

Which statement about an exploratory study is true?
a. It is almost always relatively large in scale.
b. It is flexible regarding methods used for gaining insight.
c. It consumes the bulk of the research budget.
d. It is appropriate for a problem that is well

known and understood.

One of the quickest and least costly ways of conducting exploratory research is
a. projective methods.
b. literature search.
c. depth interviews.
d. case analyses.

B

What is the primary advantage of a focus group over other exploratory techniques?
a. It involves detached and prolonged observation of consumers' emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors.
b. It overcomes the subjects' reluctance to discuss their feelings or provide truthful answers.
c. It features group interaction, allowing participants to hear and respond to others' ideas.
d. Selected participants usually form a heterogeneous group.

C

Which of the following statements are characteristics of depth interviews?
a. Participants are selected based their likely ability to provide useful information.
b. It's important to include people with differing viewpoints and opinions.
c. They don't require a random sample.
d. All of these statements are characteristics of depth interviews.

D

Which exploratory research approach is best if you're concerned about minimizing the potential for "group think?"
a. Focus groups
b. Depth interviews
c. Nominal groups
d. All of these approaches minimize the potential for "group think."

C

Data mining is an exploratory research technique that is defined as
a. Data mining is not an exploratory research technique.
b. making detached and prolonged observations of consumer emotional responses, cognitions, and behaviors.
c. studying selected examples of the phenomenon about which insights are needed.
d. searching for statistical patterns in datasets.

D

What is the role in a focus group that is most critical to its success?
a. Facilitator
b. Monitor
c. Coordinator
d. Moderator

D

A concern or pitfall about the use of focus groups for exploratory research is
a. that the participants talk to each other rather than the moderator.
b. that managers find it too easy to use focus group data to intentionally support their positions.
c. that participants in the group are relatively homogeneous.
d. that everyone in the group will try to contribute ideas.

B

What is the primary disadvantage of using standardized marketing information as a source of secondary data?
a. It can provide information to marketing researchers about some very specific areas.
b. It is less expensive than collecting primary data.
c. The way the data is collected is standardized so it can be used by multiple companies.
d. All of these represent disadvantages.

C

Which of the following are common uses of information supplied by standardized marketing information providers?
a. Profiling customers
b. Measuring product sales and market share
c. Measuring advertising exposure or effectiveness
d. All of these responses are potential uses for standardized marketing information.

D

A marketing researcher that analyzes demographic, consumer behavior or other data by combining it with geographic data are using what type of research approach?
a. Geodemography
b. Cartography
c. Boundary mapping
d. Statistical extrapolation

A

Measuring the market share of a product by having a representative number of consumers log their product purchases and usage relies on which approach?
a. Diary panels
b. Statistical extrapolation
c. Geodemography
d. Scanner data analysis

A

What kind of media consumption are people meters used to track?
a. Print media
b. People meters track cross

platform media consumption.
c. Internet
d. Television

What is true about single

source data?
a. It combines all known or obtainable customer data and resulting behaviors at the individual or household level.
b. Much of the single

There is often a cost to obtaining external, secondary data, and generally it is much more comparable to collecting primary data on a topic.
a. True b. False

False

Profiling customers using market segmentation demands that firms group their customers into relatively heterogeneous groups.
a. True b. False

False

Combining various types of data with geographic data to produce a map showing the average data for a region is an approach known as geodemography.
a. True b. False

True

Analyzing scanner data from retailers provides a way to assess product sales and market share.
a. True b. False

True

Portable people meters detect an inaudible code embedded in programming watched or heard by carriers of the devices so as to measure actual media exposure.
a. True b. False

True

Many of the companies that want the advantages of single

source data are not in a position to capture proprietary data.
a. True b. False

What is the first step to getting started on a search for secondary data on a topic?
a. Use an authority to help identify sources of secondary data.
b. Develop a list of key terms and authors.
c. Begin searching for secondary data.
d. Identify what you want to know and what you already know.

D

What use of standardized marketing information, such as the Dun and Bradstreet global commercial database, would enable isolating potential new customers with specific characteristics?
a. Measuring product sales and market share
b. Profiling customers
c. Measuring advertising exposure or effectiveness
d. Forecasting product adoption

B

What research approach might a business use to determine where to locate a new franchise that is close to an existing set of customers?
a. Geotargeting
b. Geodemography
c. Geospatial
d. Geofencing

B

Using census and other data, as Nielsen's PRIZM does, to classify residential neighborhoods into homogeneous groups with names such as "The Cosmopolitans," "Boomtown Singles," and others is an example of what?
a. Segmentation
b. Stereotyping
c. Demographication
d. Stratification

A

What means of measuring sales to consumer households would you use if data from retailers was NOT available?
a. Diary panel of a representative group of individuals
b. Data captured by scanners at the point of sale
c. Geodemography
d. Data captured by people meters

A

How does the Nielsen company use the data it collects from people meters?
a. To decide which television shows to cancel or renew
b. To measure exposure to, and readership of, print media
c. To estimate the size and nature of the audience for individual television programs
d. To measure how many products are sold because of television advertising

C

To gauge the effectiveness of a single advertising campaign that appears simultaneously across a wide spectrum of media, a marketing researcher would use what type of services?
a. Multi

platform
b. Full

Which statement or statements about single

source data are true?
a. Marketing researchers have tried for decades to create systems that tie customer data together.
b. Much of the single

Which one of the following is NOT of the three general types of primary data collection?
a. Advocacy research
b. Causal research
c. Exploratory research
d. Descriptive research

A

A research study conducted in a realistic or natural environment is which type of study?
a. Field experiment
b. Focus group
c. Laboratory experiment
d. Case analysis

A

The degree to which the outcome of an experiment can be attributed to an experimental variable and not to other factors is known as
a. external variation.
b. external validity.
c. internal validity.
d. internal variation.

C

What type of field experiment would not be a good choice for determining which of two different web pages produced the best response?
a. A/B test
b. Split test
c. Market test
d. All of the above are good choices.

C

Which consideration of market testing creates the possibility that competitors might see a company's new product before it is commercialized?
a. Control
b. Time
c. Cost
d. Any of these considerations would create that possibility.

A

In which type of test market does the company attempt to sell the product being tested through normal distribution channels in the test market cities?
a. controlled
b. simulated
c. standard
d. experimental

C

If goals of test marketing included preventing competitors from learning about a new product, keeping costs to a minimum and completing faster than full

scale testing, which type of market test would be best?
a. Controlled
b. Experimental
c. Simulated
d. Standard

Causal studies typically take the form of experiments.
a. True b. False

True

Field experiments differ from laboratory experiments mostly in terms of environment.
a. True b. False

True

Field experiments usually have higher degrees of internal validity than do laboratory experiments.
a. True b. False

False

A/B tests are only conducted in online settings.
a. True b. False

False

The accuracy of a test market increases with the length of time the testing occurs.
a. True b. False

True

Standard test market results typically aren't as accurate as controlled test market results.
a. True b. False

False

Simulated test markets are more suited for evaluating product extensions than for examining the likely success of radically different, new products.
a. True b. False

True