Marketing Research Exam 1

Advertising agencies do marketing research…

a) that estimates market needs for products and services

b) to better understand consumer interests and behaviors in order to serve their corporate clients

c) that provides marketing information in the form of public statistics

d) to collect information on a regular basis and then sell it to clients

b) to better understand consumer interests and behaviors in order to serve their corporate clients

Which of the following statements about marketing research is true?

a) It is involved in some phases of the information management process.

b) It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans.

c) it is just for large corporations with deep pockets

d) When used for planning, marketing research tends to focus on tactical decisions with respect to elements of the marketing mix

b) It is the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring a firm's marketing plans.

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for entering the marketing research field?

a) negotiation skills

b) human relations skills

c) communication skills

d) analytical skills

a) negotiation skills

Syndicated research is _______.

a) conducted by all marketing research firms

b) custom designed research for specific customers

c) conducted by a company’s internal marketing research department

d) collected on a regular basis and sold to other companies

d) collected on a regular basis and sold to other companies

When marketing research is used for planning, _______.

a) it focuses on tactical decisions with respect to the elements of the marketing mix

b) it deals largely with determining which marketing opportunities are worthwhile and which are not

c) it helps management isolate trouble spots and generally monitor ongoing operations

d) it identifies areas in which management should reallocate resources

b) it deals largely with determining which marketing opportunities are worthwhile and which are not

Which of the following is an important reason for studying marketing research?

a) because marketing research is hard work

b) to learn how to read and interpret data

c) to gain an appreciation of the process, what it can and cannot do

d) to understand how to deal with marketing reserch organizations

c) to gain an appreciation of the process, what it can and cannot do

The following categories of firms conduct marketing research except _____.

a) marketing research companies

b) government agencies

c) producers of products and services

d) advertising agencies

b) government agencies

Managers should study marketing research _____.

a) so they can understand what they are asking of researchers when requesting marketing reserach

b) so they can convince businesspeople to do things

c) to become “information detectives”

d) to prevent errors in marketing research

a) so they can understand what they are asking of researchers when requesting marketing reserach

The basic function of marketing research _____.

a) is to gather info that is needed to help managers make better decisions

b) to create exchanges with customers that satisfy the needs of both the customer and the marketer

c) is to gather info to create products that consumers want

d) to use various tech to gather info from as many consumers as possible

a) is to gather info that is needed to help managers make better decisions

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) gather primary data through a survey to clarify

b) reject the reserach request

c) conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue

d) find a new research topic that is less broad or vague

c) conduct exploratory research to clarify the issue

Which of the general approaches to marketing research focuses on describing a population?

a) exploratory research

b) casual research

c) descriptive research

d) population research

c) descriptive research

At which stage can errors enter the marketing research process?

a) data capture

b) data analysis

c) info reporting

d) at any stage

d) at any stage

Under which moral reasoning framework is it more difficult to judge an action as ethical?

a) utility approach

b) justice approach

c) rights approach

d) it is equally different for all approaches

c) rights approach

A process known as sugging means _____.

a) the goal of the research is to support a particular position within pseudoscientific results

b) attempting to sell products, services, or ideas under the guise of marketing research

c) research is conducted even though time, budget, or other resources are lacking to do the research properly

d) conducting research under a pseudonym or other name to hide the true source

b) attempting to sell products, services, or ideas under the guise of marketing research

Much of the data that marketing managers need to make routine decisions _____.

a) already exist inside a company’s database

b) is not easy to collect through research

c) can only be controlled through external sources

d) does not require research to collect

a) already exist inside a company’s database

In _____, each member of the population has a known, nonzero chance of being selected.

a) probability sample

b) sampling frame

c) casual research

d) nonprobability sample

a) probability sample

The _____ holds that the correct course of action is one that promotes "the greatest good for the greatest number."

a) justice approach

b) rights approach

c) utility approach

d) society approach

c) utility approach

Which of the following is true?

a) if an action is legal, then it is ethical

b) if an action is illegal, then it must be unethical

c) legal and ethical essentially mean the same thing

d) there are differences between what is legal and what is ethical

d) there are differences between what is legal and what is ethical

Which of the following is not true of data capture?

a) companies collect and save data even if they don’t know how they will use it

b) companies usually only collect data from customers and the general public

c) generating new data is a time consuming, expensive process

d) companies may be able to create usable info from unprocessed internal data

b) companies usually only collect data from customers and the general public

All of the following are true about problems and opportunities except ____.

a) a problem can turn into an opportunity, but an opportunity cannot turn into a problem

b) a problem is something that needs info

c) info gathered about problems and opportunities help managers make decisions

d) they are 2 sides of the same coin

a) a problem can turn into an opportunity, but an opportunity cannot turn into a problem

The first key step in problem formulation is to _____.

a) clarify the problem/opportunity

b) meet with the client

c) select research problem(s) to be addressed

d) prepare and submit a research request agreement

b) meet with the client

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) 1

b) 3

c) 5

d) none - the client will volunteer this info

c) 5

The two basic sources of change in the marketing environment are _____

a) planned and unplanned

b) internal and external

c) complex and simple

d) helpful and harmful

a) planned and unplanned

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) determining the problem based on an initial analysis

a) listening carefully as managers provide their perspective on the problem

Which part of the research request agreement discusses the approximate estimates of the time and money available to conduct the research?

a) logistics

b) background

c) population and subgroups

d) decision problem

a) logistics

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 problem definition and background

b) the research design and data sources

c) the analysis

d) the appendices

c) the analysis

What is the document that is typically used to describe the nature of the problem and ask research providers to offer proposals?

a) request for proprosal

b) research request agreement

c) research proposal

d) research invoice

a) request for proposal

All of the following are true about a well-stated decision problem except _____.

a) it is detailed and thorough

b) it is as simple as possible

c) it takes the form of a question

d) it takes the manager’s perspective

a) it is detailed and thorough

After stating the manager's decision problem, the next step in problem formulation is ______.

a) selecting research problems

b) clarifying the problem/opportunity

c) developing a full range of possible research problems

d) preparing and submitting the research request agreement

c) developing a full range of possible research problems

Exploratory research can be used for all of the following except _____.

a) to better formulate the manager’s decision problem

b) to clarify concepts

c) to get a better understanding of the problem or situation

d) to determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

d) to determine a set of final answers and decisions to address the research problem

Which of the following are key characteristics of exploratory studies?

a) they are typically small scale and rigid

b) they are typically small scale and flexible

c) they are typically large scale and rigid

d) they are typically large scale and flexible

b) they are typically small scale and flexible

Almost all marketing research projects should start with ______.

a) depth interviews

b) focus groups

c) data mining

d) a literature search

d) a literature search

Potential candidates for a depth interview would include all of the following except ____.

a) sales reps

b) a manager of the company

c) an unknowledgeable consumer

d) retailers

c) an unknowledgeable consumer

Depth interviews should ____.

a) use a long, formal questionnaire

b) include people with differing povs

c) be as short as possible

d) have specific questions

b) include people with differing povs

Which of the following is the primary advantage of focus groups over most other exploratory techniques?

a) focus groups allow for group interaction

b) focus group responses are spontaneous

c) focus groups are appropriate for every circumstance

d) it is easy to identify and recruit participants

a) focus groups allow for group interaction

What is the best way to ensure that a full range of opinions are represented in focus groups?

a) choose participants who are not similar to each other

b) make every person in the focus group take a turn speaking

c) there should be 15-20 participants per focus group

d) hold multiple focus groups

d) hold multiple focus groups

______ is the process of uncovering patterns and other valuable information from large data sets.

a) marketing analytics

b) statistical analysis

c) data mining

d) nominal grouping

c) data mining

The success of the case analysis approach is _____.

a) the researcher’s ability to interpret the diverse amount of info collected across cases

b) recording only the data that supports any initial hypothesis that managers have already formed

c) generating insights on historical changes in behavior

d) to use a variety of collection techniques

a) the researcher’s ability to interpret the diverse amount of info collected across cases

Which of the following is not correct regarding exploratory research?

a) being objective is important when interpreting research from exploratory techniques

b) exploratory research should be used to generate ideas and insights to help clarify problem definition

c) focus groups are more susceptible to executive biases than most other exploratory techniques

d) exploratory research is designed to provide final answers

d) exploratory research is designed to provide final answers

marketing research

the process of gathering and interpreting data for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring the firm’s marketing plans

What are the different environments affecting marketing?

• competitive

• economic

• political and legal

• technological

• natural

• social

Planning questions that MR can help answer

1) Who buys our products?

2) Are our markets increasing or decreasing?

3) Do our customers have needs that we can meet?

4) Are channels of distribution changing?

Control questions that MR can help answer

1) What is our market share?

2) Are customers satisfied with our products?

3) How does the public perceive our company?

4) How do our products compare with direct competitors?

Problem Solving questions that MR can help answer

1) Product (packaging, product design, etc…)

2) Price

3) Place

4) Promotion

5) Process (where are bottlenecks occurring)

6) People (what kind of training is needed)

What kind of questions can MR help answer?

Planning, Control, Problem Solving

Of the following, which provides the best definition of marketing research?

a) creating exchanges with customers that satisfy the needs of both customers and marketers

b) specifying what information is needed, gathering relevant data, and communicating results to decision makers

c) gathering and interpreting data for use in developing and implementing a firm’s marketing plans

d) working behind the scenes to determine market segments and then taking marketing action

c) gathering and interpreting data for use in developing and implementing a firm’s marketing plans

What 4 groups do marketing reserach?

• companies that sell or produce products/services

• advertising agencies

• marketing research companies

• others (gov agencies, trade associations, universities)

Why do companies that produce/sell products and services participate in MR?

to better gauge market needs and produce accordingly

Why do ad agencies participate in MR?

to better understand consumer interest and behavior

What does MR look like at marketing research companies?

standardized or syndicated research, info collected and then sold to clients, and custom-designed research

What are some other orgs that participate in MR?

gov agencies, trade associations, universities

T/F the terms consumer and customer are always appropriate to use interchangeably in marketing

false, it is not always appropriate to use them interchangeably, although sometimes they are

consumers = product users

customers = product buyers

consumers

product users

customers

product buyers

information

organized data

T/F it is always appropriate to interchange opportunity and problem

false

opportunity = positive connotation

problem = negative connotation

What is the growth rate for marketing research analysts through 2030

22% projected growth

Marketing researchers need to be able to:

• interact effectively with others

• understand business in general, and marketing in particular

• conduct basic numerical and statistical processes

• work with related tech

Successful marketing researchers…

• tend to be proactive rather than reactive

• fulfill the primary purpose of helping managers make better marketing decisions

What are 3 reasons to study marketing research?

• some students eventually become marketing researchers (i.e. info detectives)

• everyone needs to learn to be a smarter consumer of marketing research

• every manager needs to understand what marketing research CAN and CANNOT do

What are the 4 steps of the marketing reserach process?

1. Defining the problem

2. Collecting data

3. Analyzing data

4. Reporting findings

What is the main goal of the problem definition stage?

identify and understand the manager’s decision problem and key issues

research request agreement

clearly states problem(s) to be addressed

exploratory research is used…

when the problem is broad or vague

• requires flexibility

• outcome is a clear understanding of what info managers need to make their decision

What are some key questions for stage 1?

• what is the purpose of the study

• is additional background info needed

• what is the source of the problem

• what info is needed to make decisions

• how much is already known

• can a hypothesis be formulated

What is the main purpose of the data collection stage?

gather relevant info from various sources

what stage is the problem definition stage?

stage 1

what stage is the data collection stage?

stage 2

existing data (secondary data)

• needed data may already exist inside a company’s database

• scope of the problem may require existing data from external sources

  • including gov, trade associations, and published sources

  • commercial sources

commercial sources

orgs that specialize in collecting and selling 3rd party data

key questions from stage 2 data collection - existing data?

• can existing data be retrieved from internal sources

• can existing data be retrieved from external sources

• what is to be measured? how?

• what is the source of the data to be collected?

what are the 2 parts of stage 2?

data collection

existing data vs generating new data

what is the main purpose of stage 2 data collection - generate new data?

gather relevant info from various sources

generate new data (primary data)

• when needed data are not available from existing sources, it means collecting data

• generally a time consuming, expensive process

  • casual research

  • descriptive reserach

casual reserach

uses experiments to identify cause and effect relationships between variables

descriptive research

focuses on describing a population, often emphasizing the frequency or the extent to which 2 variables are related to each other

key questions from stage 2 data collection - generate new data stage?

• can observation techniques be used to gather data?

• how should people be questioned?

• can objective answers be obtained by asking people?

• how should questionnaires be administered?

  • what criteria define the population

what is stage 3?

data analysis

what is the main purpose of data analysis?

examine the collected data to identify patterns, trends, and insights

what are the 4 steps involved in data analysis?

1. editing

2. coding

3. aggregation

4. merging

editing

making sure data gathered are complete and consistent

coding

assigning numbers to answers for computer analysis

aggregation

assigning appropriate time units to gathered data

merging

assembling data from dif sources

what are some key questions of stage 3 data analysis?

• who will handle the editing of the data

• how will the data be coded?

• what analysis techniques will be used?

what is the 4th stage?

information reporting

what is the main purpose of stage 4 info reporting?

summarizing the reserach outcomes and presenting them in a clear and actionable format

how are results and conclusions submitted to management in info reporting?

in a clear and accurate written research report

• may include a reserach presentation

what are some key questions for stage 4 info reporting?

• who will read the report?

• what is their technical level of sophistication?

• what is their involvement with the project?

• are managerial recommendations called for?

• what will be the format of the written report?

• is an oral report necessary?

data informed decision

managers gain valuable insights from the research project

• managers couple those insights with their own experiences to determine marketing actions

data driven decision

managers seek to implement the research findings as presented and reported

T/F all projects are perfect and contain no errors

false, even the best projects include errors

what is the main goal of the marketing reserach process

to minimize total error, not any particular type

project approach

collecting data to address specific problems

another name for project approach

flashlight

systems approach

putting systems in place to provide marketing intelligence on an ongoing basis

another name for the systems approach

candle

At what stage of the marketing research process would you be asking the question, “What analysis techniques will be used?”

a) problem definition

b) data collection

c) data analysis

d) info reporting

c) data analysis

marketing ethics

principles, values, and standards of conduct followed by marketers

main question of the utility method

do benefits exceed costs?