MGT 512 Marketing aand Consum

mer Research
Syllabus Fall
F 2015 T
Tuesday/Thurrsday 3:30 4:50

D
Mayzlin
n
Professor: Dina
Office: HO
OH 619
Office Phon
ne: 213-740-33360
Office Hourrs: Thursdayy 9:00 10:000

E-mail: may
yzlin@marsh
hall.usc.edu
Course
eDescription
IntheC
CoreCourse,yo
oulearnedabo
outtheimportanceofmarkeetsegmentatio
on,targetingan
ndpositioning in
formulaatingmarketin
ngstrategies.B
Butasamarkettingstrategycoonsultantorassabrandmanaager,youare
facedw
withthequestion:Howdoesoneimplemen
ntthesestrate giesinpracticee?
Thiscoursew
willintroduceyyoutoqualitattiveandquanttitativeresearcchmethodologgiesthatare
criticalinobtainingth
herelevantmaarketinformatiiontoaidman agerialdecisio
onmaking.Theefirstpartoftthe
edatacollectio
onprocess:bo
othexploratoryymethods(succhasfocusgro
oups)and
coursefocusesonthe
ptivemethods(surveydesign
n).Thesecondpartofthecooursecoversmethodsofdataaanalysis,such
h
descrip
aslogittanalysis,clustteranalysis,facctoranalysisandconjointannalysis.Allthem
methodsarep
presentedinth
he
contexttofbusinessp
problems:1)ho
owtogatherqualitativedataa,2)howtogatthersurveydaata,3)analyzing
surveydata,and4)analyzingsecon
ndaryandexpe
erimentaldata..
ojectinvolvesaallaspectsofth
hemarketreseearchprocess:conductingfocusgroups,
Thefinalpro
designiingaquestionn
naire,collectin
ngandanalyzin
ngthedata.

Learnin
ngObjectives
Studentswillgainfactual,conceptual,an
ndprocedural knowledgeofsstrategicmarketmeasurement.
earchprocess andhowitapp
Studentswillunderstandtthemarketrese
pliesinpracticce.
dsandframew
worksintroduceedinclasstofformmarketreesearch
Studentswillapplymethod
questions,co
ollectandanallyzedata,andformbusinessrecommendattionsbasedon
nthefindings.
orize,analyze,interpret,andeevaluaterelevan
ntqualitativean
ndquantitative
Studentswillgather,catego
informationthroughcased
discussions,asssignmentsanddfinalproject.
pointsofviewinsituations
Studentswillcriticallyquestionproblemss,competingpprioritiesandp
characterize
edbyambiguityyand/oruncerrtainty.
etheabilitytobecreativean dinnovativein
nseekingsoluttionstomarkett
Studentswilldemonstrate
researchdile
emmas.
etheabilitytoccommunicate theirideasclearlyandprecisselythrough
Studentswilldemonstrate
frequentincclasscasediscussionsandgroupprojectprresentation.

RequiredMaterials
LectureNote
es(postedonccoursewebsite
e)required
Readingpacketrequired
Aaker,Kumaar,Leone,andDay(2012),M
MarketingReseaarch(11thEdittion),JohnWileey&Sons
optional

Thestudentsarerequiredtobringalapttoptosomeclaasses(youwillbetoldinadvvancewhich
ertoperformsstatisticalanalysisinclass.
ones)inorde
Studentswillbeaskedtou
useExcelandM
Minitabsoftwaare.MinitabisavailabletoM
Marshall
communitytthroughBusine
essVirtualLab.
StudentswillalsoneedtouseQualtricsssurveysoftwarreavailabletoMarshallcomm
munityat
http://www.qualtrics.com/academicsolutions/usc/.(PPleaseregisterrusingyourUSSCemail
account).

MKT 512 Syllaabus

Prerequisitesand/orRecommendedPreparation:
Itisrecommendedthatthestudentsbeexposedtocoremarketingbeforetakingthecourse.

CourseNotes:
PleasecheckthecoursepostingsontheBlackboardregularlyforclasslectures,announcementsand
instructions(http://blackboard.usc.edu).Youshouldalwayscheckthepostingsherebeforecomingtoclass.

GradingPolicies:
Finalgradesrepresenthowyouperformintheclassrelativetootherstudents.Yourgradewillnotbebased
onamandatedtarget,butonyourperformance.Historically,theaveragegradeforthisclassisabout3.5
(aroundB+).

Threeitemsareconsideredwhenassigningfinalgrades:
Youraverageweightedscoreasapercentageoftheavailablepointsforallassignments(thepoints
youreceivedividedbythenumberofpointspossible).
Theoverallaveragepercentagescorewithintheclass.
Yourrankingamongallstudentsintheclass.

AssignmentsandGradingDetail

Assignments
Points
%ofGrade

TESTSTestI
50
16.5%
TestII
50
16.5%

INCLASSDISCUSSIONPARTICIPATION
50
16.5%

CASES
50
16.5%

GROUPPROJECT
100
33%

TOTAL
300
100.0%

1) Tests
Therearetwoinclassexams.Thefirstexamwillcovermaterialinlectures114.Thesecondexam
willcoverthematerialinlectures1724.Bothexamsareclosedbookandarepaperandpencil(no
softwarerequired).

2) InClassParticipation
Inclassparticipationisapartofthecoursegrade.Thiscourseincludessomebusinesscasesand
inclasslabwork.Inordertoachieveahighparticipationscore,thestudentsareexpectedtodo
thefollowing:
a. Cometoclassontimeandturnoffallelectronicdevices.
b. Cometoclasspreparedtodiscussthedayscase(seeAppendixIandIIforcase
questions).
c. Contributemeaningfullytotheclassdiscussion.
d. Trytheirbestinworkingaloneoringroupsoninclasslabexercises.

3) CaseWriteUps(SeeAppendixIformoredetail).
a. Therearethreecasewriteupsinthefirstpartoftheclassthatneedtobehandedin
(hardcopy)onthedaythatthecaseisdiscussed.
b. Thewriteupsareevaluatedondepthofanalysisandcompleteness.

MKT 512 Syllabus


4) GroupProject(SeeAppendixIIIformoredetail).
a. Thecourseinvolvesahandsongroupprojectinteamsoffour.Eachgroupwillbeasked
tocompleteallstagesofthemarketresearchprocessfromposingthequestiontomaking
recommendationsbasedonthedata.
b. Theprojectsaremeanttoserveaswaysforstudentstotryoutnewideasandtechniques
thattheylearninclass.
c. Thedeliverablesarethefollowing:
i. StudentswillmakeabriefpresentationonSeptember23topitchtheirideasto
theclass.
ii. Studentswillhavetwochancestopretesttheirsurveys:onOctober23and
October30.
iii. ThefinalprojectpresentationstakeplaceonDecember2andDecember4.
iv. Thefinalprojectreportisdue(electronically)onthedayofthescheduledfinal
exam.

AssignmentSubmissionPolicy:
Assignmentsmustbeturnedinontheduedateinperson(viahardcopy).Anyassignmentturnedinlate
willreceiveagradededuction(forexample,ifyourworkisaB+grade,youwillbegivenaC+grade).Ifyou
areunabletoattendclassonthatday,pleaseemailmetheassignmentbythestartofclass.Lateornot,
however,youmustcompleteallrequiredassignmentstopassthiscourse.

MARSHALLGUIDELINES

Add/DropProcess
Example:IfyouareabsentsixormoretimespriortoNov15,2015(thelastdaytowithdrawfromacourse
withagradeofW),Imayaskyoutowithdrawfromtheclassbythatdate.Thesepoliciesmaintain
professionalismandensureasystemthatisfairtoallstudents.

RetentionofGradedCoursework
Finalexamsandallothergradedworkwhichaffectedthecoursegradewillberetainedforoneyearafter
theendofthecourseifthegradedworkhasnotbeenreturnedtothestudent(i.e.,ifIreturnedagraded
papertoyou,itisyourresponsibilitytofileit,notmine).

TechnologyPolicy
LaptopandInternetusageisnotpermittedduringacademicorprofessionalsessionsunlessotherwise
statedbytherespectiveprofessorand/orstaff.Useofotherpersonalcommunicationdevices,suchascell
phones,isconsideredunprofessionalandisnotpermittedduringacademicorprofessionalsessions.ANYe
devices(cellphones,PDAs,IPhones,Blackberries,othertextingdevices,laptops,Ipods)mustbe
completelyturnedoffduringclasstime.Uponrequest,youmustcomplyandputyourdeviceonthetablein
offmodeandFACEDOWN.Youmightalsobeaskedtodeposityourdevicesinadesignatedareainthe
classroom.Videotapingfacultylecturesisnotpermittedduetocopyrightinfringementregulations.
Audiotapingmaybepermittedifapprovedbytheprofessor.Useofanyrecordedordistributedmaterialis
reservedexclusivelyfortheUSCstudentsregisteredinthisclass.

StatementforStudentswithDisabilities
Anystudentrequestingacademicaccommodationsbasedonadisabilityisrequiredtoregisterwith
DisabilityServicesandPrograms(DSP)eachsemester.Aletterofverificationforapprovedaccommodations
canbeobtainedfromDSP.Pleasebesuretheletterisdeliveredtome(ortoyourTA)asearlyinthe
semesteraspossible.DSPislocatedinSTU301andisopen8:30a.m.5:00p.m.,MondaythroughFriday.
ThephonenumberforDSPis(213)7400776.Formoreinformationvisitwww.usc.edu/disability.

StatementonAcademicIntegrity

MKT 512 Syllabus

USCseekstomaintainanoptimallearningenvironment.Generalprinciplesofacademichonestyinclude
theconceptofrespectfortheintellectualpropertyofothers,theexpectationthatindividualworkwillbe
submittedunlessotherwiseallowedbyaninstructor,andtheobligationsbothtoprotectonesown
academicworkfrommisusebyothersaswellastoavoidusinganothersworkasonesown.Allstudents
areexpectedtounderstandandabidebytheseprinciples.SCampus,theStudentGuidebook,
(www.usc.edu/scampusorhttp://scampus.usc.edu)containstheUniversityStudentConductCode(see
UniversityGovernance,Section11.00),whiletherecommendedsanctionsarelocatedinAppendixA.

StudentswillbereferredtotheOfficeofStudentJudicialAffairsandCommunityStandardsforfurther
review,shouldtherebeanysuspicionofacademicdishonesty.TheReviewprocesscanbefoundat:
http://www.usc.edu/studentaffairs/SJACS/.Failuretoadheretotheacademicconductstandardssetforth
bytheseguidelinesandourprogramswillnotbetoleratedbytheUSCMarshallcommunityandcanleadto
dismissal.

EmergencyPreparedness/CourseContinuity
Incaseofadeclaredemergencyiftraveltocampusisnotfeasible,USCexecutiveleadershipwillannounce
anelectronicwayforinstructorstoteachstudentsintheirresidencehallsorhomesusingacombinationof
Blackboard,teleconferencing,andothertechnologies.

PleaseactivateyourcourseinBlackboardwithaccesstothecoursesyllabus.Whetherornotyouuse
Blackboardregularly,thesepreparationswillbecrucialinanemergency.USC'sBlackboardlearning
managementsystemandsupportinformationisavailableatblackboard.usc.edu.

MKT 512 Syllabus

ScheduleofClasses

Tue

8/25

Thu

8/27

Tue

9/1

Thu

9/3

5
6

Tue
Thu

9/8
9/10

Tue

8 Thu
9 Tue
10 Thu

9/15

11 Tue

9/29

12
13
14
15
16

Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu

10/1
10/6
10/8
10/13
10/15

17 Tue
18 Thu
19 Tue

10/20
10/22
10/27

20 Thu
21 Tue

10/29
11/3

22 Thu
23 Tue

11/5
11/10

24
25
26
27

11/12
11/17
11/19
11/24

Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue

28 Thu
29 Tue
30 Thu

9/17
9/22
9/24

11/26
12/1
12/3

ClassPrep

Due:Boston
FightsDrugs
Due:
Communispace

Due:Springfield
Nor'easters

ClassTopic
Introduction
ListeningtotheCustomer
QualitativeResearch

PostClassHomework

TraditionalFocusGroups
OnlineFocusGroups
QuestionnaireDesignI
QuestionnaireDesignII

AttitudeMeasurement
InClassOfficeHours

Speaker:Adriann Cocker

NoClassErevYomKippur

InclassProjectIdeaPresentations
StrategicMarketMeasurement
AnalyzingSurveyData

Review of Key Statistical Finishlabwriteupathome

Concepts

FactorAnalysis
Finishlabwriteupathome

PerceptualMapping
Finishlabwriteupathome

ClusterAnalysis
Finishlabwriteupathome

Review

TestI
AnalyzingSecondaryandExperimentalData

StoreSales
Finishlabwriteupathome

InclassSurveyPretest I

MoreonlinearRegression
LogisticRegression

InclassSurveyPretest II

LogisticRegressionCont.
Finishlabwriteupathome
Logistic Regression inclass
lab

JoelHasen(speaker)
Prep:StarDigital OnlineExperiments
Finishlabwriteupathome
Case
Prep:AirFrance
AirFrance
Finishlabwriteupathome
Prep:Engage
Clickstream
Finishlabwriteupathome

TestII

In ClassSurveyAnalysis

Noclass Thanksgiving
ProjectPresentations
ProjectPresentations

MKT 512 Syllabus

AppendixI(CaseWriteUpQuestions)

Casewriteupsshouldbedoneindividually.(Discussingcaseswithclassmatesisacceptable).Thereisno
requiredformatIamlookingfordepthofanalysis.Pleaselimityourwriteupsto4pages,notincluding
Appendices.

1) BostonFightsDrugs
1) Whatdidyouthinkoftheteamsmodeltofightdrugabuse?
2) Whatdoyouthinkofthedesignoftheprescreeningquestionnaireandfocusgroupinterview
protocols?
3) Doyouagreewiththeteamsconclusionsonpage10,giventhedata?
4) Aretherealternativeconclusionstobedrawnfromthesameexhibits?

2) Communispace
1) AsabrandmanagerwouldyouuseCommunispacesservice?Whenwouldyouuseit?When
wouldn'tyouuseit?Whataretheadvantages/disadvantagesofthismarketresearchtool
comparedtoalternativemethods?
2) WhatisCommunispacescompetitiveadvantage?Howaretheycreatingvalue?
3) WhatdoyouthinkaboutCommunispacesbusinessmodel?Howisitdifferentfromtraditional
marketresearchcompanies?
4) IfyouwereDianeHessan,wouldyoulaunchaWOMproduct?Whatimpactwouldthislaunch
haveonthecompanybrand?

3) TheSpringfieldNoreasters
1) WhatistheMDPandMRPofthecase?
2) Whatdoyouconsidertobethekeyfindingsoftheresearchsurvey?Commentonwhat
Buckinghamlearnedaboutaprospectivecustomerprofile,pricing,andsingleticketversus
seasonticketpackages.WhatconsiderationsshouldtheNoreasterstakeintoaccountin
establishingapricepolicy?
3) DesignaticketpricingplanfortheNoreastersfirstseason.Beveryspecific,andbeprepared
toexplaintheassumptions.Howshouldticketpricingvarybypackagetype?
4) UsingthepriceplanyouhavedesignedandgivenBuckinghamsassumptionsabout
concessionsales(i.e.,39%profitmarginonpage4),willtheteamreachbreakeveninthefirst
year?Ifnot,whatoptionsdoesBuckinghamhavetoreachhistarget?

MKT 512 Syllabus

AppendixII(CasePrepQuestions)

Pleasecompletetheexercisespriortocomingtoclass.Thesedonothavetobehandedin.

1) StarDigitalPrepQuestions
a) Whycantyoumeasuretheeffectivenessofadvertisingbysimplylookingattheclickthroughrate?

DescribetheexperimentconductedbyStarDigital.

b) TakealookattheaccompanyingStarDigitalspreadsheet.

Pleaseanswerthefollowing:

Forhowmanyconsumersdowehavedata?
HowmanypeoplepurchasedatStarDigital?
HowmanypeopleinthetestconditionpurchasedatStarDigital?
HowmanypeopleinthecontrolconditionpurchasedatStarDigital?
Whatwasthelargestnumberofadimpressionsthataconsumersawatwebsite#3?

2) StudyGuideforAirFranceCase(pleaseprintoutthetable,fillitin,andbringittoclass)
Herearesomemetrics(KeyPerformanceIndicatorsorKPIs)tousetoevaluatepublisher
performance.Firstgothroughthislistandfillinthemissingformulas,usingthecolumnnamesfrom
theDoubleClickdatatabontheAirFrancedataspreadsheet.Also,answerthequestionsabout
abbreviations.

KPI
Formula
Avg.CPC
Whatdoesthatstandfor?
CTR
Whatdoesthatstandfor?
TransactionConversionRate(TCR)

#ofBookings/Clicks

NetRevenue

TotalRevenuefromBookingsTotalCostofClicks

ReturnonAd$Spent(ROA)

AverageRevenueperBooking

TotalRevenuefromBookings/#ofBookings

OverallProbabilityofBooking(i.e.,thechancethat
someonebooksatripgiventhattheywereshown
anad)

a) Useapivottabletocalculateeachofthesemetricsforeachofthesevenpublishersinthe
DoubleClickdata.
b) WhichofthesemetricsdoyouhaveKayakdatafor?Dothosecalculations.
c) CreateascatterplotthatshowsapointforeachofthesevenpublishersintheDoubleClickdata:
NetRevenueonthehorizontalaxisandROAontheverticalaxis.
MKT 512 Syllabus

d) LookingjustatGoogleUS,calculatetheKPIsforeachofthecampaignsforthatpublisher.
Inournextclass,wewilldiscuss
HowcanthesetofKPIsbeusedtoevaluatethepublishers?
Whatdotheresultsofyourdataanalysissuggestforchangestotheuseofthedifferent
publishers?(Forexample,shouldtheuseofdifferentpublishersbeexpandedorreduced;
shouldchangesbemadeinthesearchads;shouldothercampaigntacticsbeadjusted?)
Whatothersuggestionsdoyouhaveaboutmanagingtheirsearchadcampaigns?

3) StudyGuideforEngage

Thepurposeofthisexerciseistoshowhowdataminingandsimplemodelsbasedonvisitorinterestscan
greatlyimprovethetargetingofadvertising.

SusanSmileyhadgraduatedfromUSCandsettledintohernewjob.Assheskimmedthewebforthelatest
stockprices,abanneradforasportscarappearedonapage.Shethought,whynot?andclickedonitto
seeifanythinginterestingmightappear.AcrosstownAndyAngstwasjuststartingschool.Ashechecked
thewebforaweatherforecasttodecidewhetherheshouldsurfontheweekend,thesamebannercame
up.Hedidnotclickonthead.
ClearlythecaradvertiserwashappytohaveplacedtheadonSusanspageandprobablywouldrathernot
havepaidfortheonethatappearedonAndys.Inthisexercisewegobehindthescenestoseehowthe
informationgatheringandprocessingpoweroftheInternetcanincreasetheefficiencyoftargeting
advertisingtopotentialcustomers.Wemayalsobeabletosee,atleastinoneexample,thatefficiency
increasesmayhavelimits.
Howdoesabannerreachyourcomputerscreen?Somewhereanadvertiserwishestosendpeople
messagesaboutitsproductandhaschosenbanneradsonthewebasamediavehicle.Typically,an
advertiserworkswithanadvertisingagencytodevelopacampaignforaproduct,say,thesportscar.The
agencyandadvertiserworkoutdetailsofthecreativecontentoftheads,thenumberofviewings(called
exposuresorimpressions)tobeserved,thetypeofvisitorsdesired,andthebudget.
Todelivertheads,theagencydealswithoneormoreadnetworksorlargesites.Anadnetworkisaspace
aggregatorandbrokerthathascontractualarrangementswithasetofsitesofferingadvertisingspaceon
theirpages.Whenthetimecomestoplaceabanner,apieceofsoftwarecalledanadmanager,doesthe
heavylifting.Theadnetworkwillhaveanadmanager,orabigportalsitemayhaveitsown.
Mechanically,whenyouaskforapagebyclickingonahyperlink,amessagegoestotheURLthatis
imbeddedinthehyperlinktodeliverapage.Thepageisdesigned,usuallyonthefly,andsenttoyouasa
seriesoffilesthatareassembledbyyourbrowseranddisplayedonyourscreen.Ifthereisaplaceonthe
pageforanad,amessagegoesouttotheadmanager,whichdecideswhetheroneofthecampaignsitis
schedulinghasanappropriateadforthistimeslot,site,andvisitor.Ifso,itdispatchessufficient
informationtoidentifyyourcomputerandthepagebeingbuilttoanadserver,whichholdstheactualad
file.Theadserverthendispatchestheadfiletoyourcomputer.
Notethatthesiteyouarevisiting,theadmanager,andtheadservermaybeonentirelydifferent
computersatdifferentphysicallocations,or,ofcourse,maybeallononeserver.Onemighthavea
concernthattheaddispatchingprocesswouldintroduceexcessivewaitingtime,but,byandlarge,itdoes
not,becausemostofthemessagesandfilesarequitesmall.
Interestprofiles.Ifweknowsomethingaboutthevisitors,wearebetterequippedtoshowadstopeople
whomightbeinterestedinthemandavoidpeoplewhoarenot.Buthowcanwedeterminepeoples
interests?Anumberofcompanieshavebuiltinterestprofilesofwebusers.DoubleClickandCompanyX
Technologiesareexamples.Profilesarebuiltthroughthecooperationofoneormoreadnetworksorlarge
portals.Eachpagegeneratedbythesesitesisclassifiedfortheinterestsrepresented,e.g,news,sports
(subdividedmanyways),financialservices,etc.andcarriesatagtothateffect.Severalhundredcategories
aretypical.VisitorstothecooperatingsitesareidentifiedbyCompanyXorDoubleClickthroughacookie.
MKT 512 Syllabus

Logfilesfromtheserversarethenanalyzedofflinetogenerateaninterestprofileforeachvisitorthetags
onthepagesthatthevisitordownloaded.
Intheexercisethatfollows,wehaveadatabaseofvisitorswhoreceivedoneormoreexposurestoa
particularadcampaign.LetussupposethattheproductbeingadvertisedisaJeepCherokeeandthead
campaignisonYahoo.Weshallthinkofthedatawehaveasatestsample.Fromthiswewanttodevelop
rulesforwhomtotargetinanextendedcampaignforCherokeeonYahoo.Thedatatellwhetherthevisitor
clickedonthebanneradduringthetest(aclickthrough).Inadditionwehavethevisitorsinterestprofile
(or,actually,asmallbutrelevantsegmentofit).Theprofileentriesarenumbersbetween0and1
indicatingtherelativedegreeofinteresttothatvisitorofsuchtopicsasGames,Arts,Fashion,
Snowboarding,etc.
Wetakeclickthroughsasanimportantandeasilyaccessiblemeasureofeffectivenessofthead.Ourgoal
willbetobuildasimplepredictivemodelofclickthroughsasafunctionofinterestscoresandsuchother
variableswemaybeabletodevelop.Furtherwewishtoevaluatethequalityofthepredictivemodel.The
modelweshalluseislinearregression,althoughothertechniquesarealsopossible.Thisassignmentwill
leadyouthroughbuildingsuchamodel.ThemanipulationsinthisproblemsetcanbedoneinExcel.
TheclickthroughandprofiledataarecontainedinanExcelfileengage_data.xls.Eachrowinthe
spreadsheetrepresentsapersonwhowasexposedtothecampaign.Thefirstcolumnindicateswhetherthe
persondidordidnotclickontheJeepad.Thenextsetofthecolumnsshowsthevisitor'sprofile:they
consistofdifferentcategories.Eachcolumnisadifferentcategorywhichcontainsanumberbetween0and
1.Thehigherthenumber,thehighertheinterestthatthepersondisplayedinthiscategoryinhisprevious
travelsontheNet.Theprofileisnotcompletesincewecanonlytracktheperson'stravelsinsitesthat
participatewiththefirmconstructingtheprofiles.Also,thesamevisitorcanbeexposedanumberof
times.Thuswehavethecolumnandvariablelog(numberofvisits)whichkeepstrackofhowmanytimes
thevisitorwasexposedtotheadinthetestcampaign.

Pleaseanswerthefollowingquestionsaboutyourdata:

1) Howmanydifferentprofilesdoyouhave?
2) Howmanyclicksarethere?
3) Whatistheclickthroughrateinyourdata?
4) Doyouseeanypatternswhichprofiles(people)aremorelikelytoclick?Howcanyoutell?

MKT 512 Syllabus

AppendixIIIGroupProjects

Thecourseinvolvesagroupprojectconductedinteamsoffour.Eachgroupwillworkonamodestsized
marketingresearchstudyfortheirproject.Theprimaryobjectiveoftheprojectistoprovideyouwith
experienceinapplyingtheconceptsandmethodsofmarketingresearchtoarealmarketingproblem.

Theprojectwillbecompletedinfourstages:

Stage1DefiningtheDecisionProblemandResearchProblem:Thiswillinvolvedefiningthemarketing
decisionproblemfacedbythemanager(e.g.,whatmarkettoenter,whatfeaturestoofferinaproduct)and
theresearchproblem(whatinformationwillbeneededtohelpanswerthemanagersquestion).You
shouldalsooutlineyourbroadresearchstrategy(e.g.,segmentationstudy,perceptualmap)forthisproject.

Stage2ExploratoryResearch:Developadiscussionguideforthefocusgrouporindepthinterviewsfor
yourexploratoryresearch;

Stage3QuestionnaireDesign:Thiswillinvolvedevelopingaquestionnaire(thiswillbebasedonyour
exploratoryresearchfindings),pretestingitandrefiningthequestionnairebasedonyourpretests.

Stage4DataCollection,AnalysisandRecommendations:Thiswillinvolvecollectingthedata,analyzingthe
dataandsubmittingthefinalreportwithrecommendations.

Thedeliverables(seesyllabusforexacttiming)are:
A5minuteideapitchpresentation
A15minutefinalpresentation
A10pagereport(doublespaced)duethedaywhenthefinalexamisscheduled

Overview

The project is intended to provide you with firsthand research experience and to illustrate the concepts
andmethodsdiscussedintheclassroom.Itinvolves:

(a)
selectingaproductorservicethatisbeingofferedbyanorganization(oranewproduct/service
thattheorganizationmaywishtooffer),
(b)
identifyingsomemarketingdecisionthatneedstobemaderegardingthisproduct/service,suchas
productpositioningortargetmarketdefinition,
(c)
determiningtheinformationneededtomakethatdecision,
(d)
designingaquestionnairetoobtainthenecessaryinformation,
(e)
collecting,codingandanalyzingthedata,and
(f)
writingareportandpresentingthefindings.

Therearemanydifferenttypesofstudiesthatcanbeconductedforthiscourse.Someexamplesare:

Behavioral Segmentation studies: developing profiles of heavy users and light users
(users/nonusers)ofaproduct/servicebasedondemographics,lifestyles,shoppingbehavior,
benefitssought,andmediahabits.
Attitude/preferencestudies:studyingconsumerspreferencesandattitudesaboutcompeting
products/services, identifying the attributes that are important, and determining whether
consumersegmentsdifferintheirattitudesorintheattributestheyconsiderimportant.(e.g.,
conjointstudies)

MKT 512 Syllabus

Imagestudies:comparingthebrandimageofcompetingproductsorservicesalonganumber
ofdimensions,anddeterminingwhetherdifferentconsumersegmentshavedifferentimages
oftheproducts/services.(e.g.,perceptualmapping)

Customer Satisfaction studies: useful in studying the importance of different attributes of

product /service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Also useful identification of
servicegaps.

Thesestudiesareusefulinmakingavarietyofmarketingdecisions,e.g.,inproductpositioningand
repositioning,newproductintroductions,marketingmixdecisions,markettargeting,etc.Youmaychoose
anykindofproductorserviceaslongasitisnottoodifficulttogetprimarydataaboutit.

Onceyouselectaproduct/serviceandanorganization,youshouldexaminesecondarysourcessuchas
magazinesandnewspapersandtradejournalstogetbackgroundinformationonthenatureoftheindustry,
therangeofproductsbeingoffered,andconsumercharacteristics.Thismaygiveyousomeideasregarding
thequestionsthatneedtoberesearched,andwillalsogiveyousomebasicinformationthatyoumayneed
fordesigningthequestionnaire,suchasthemajorcompetitorsforyourproduct/service,theattributes
alongwhichproductsareevaluated,etc.

You should plan on collecting data from at least 40 respondents. Note that this need not be a random
sample or even a representative sample of the target population. A convenience sample may be used.
Regardlessofthetypeofstudy,theproductclassandthesamplesize,youmustlinktheresearchtosome
managerialdecisionthatneedstobemade.Inotherwords,youmustbeclearaboutthepurposeofthe
study:whatdecisionwillthisresearchhelptheorganizationmake?Thisisimportantbecauseafterthedata
havebeenanalyzedandinterpreted,youmustmakeyourrecommendationstotheorganizationregarding
whatactionsitshouldtake.

MKT 512 Syllabus

AppendixIIIA

ExploratoryResearchforGroupProject

Thiswillprimarilyconsistofafocusgrouporindepthinterviews,supplementedbysecondarydata
sourcesandobservationofconsumersshoppingorconsumptionbehavior.Theobjectiveofthisresearchis
togiveyouinsightintotheresearchproblemandtohelpyoufocusonthekeyissues.Thiswillenableyou
todesignanappropriatequestionnaireforthemainsurvey.

Questionstypicallyaddressedinthistypeofresearchare:What,where,whenandwhydopeople
consume the product/service in questions? What are the important attributes in making a purchase
decision?Whatareconsumersinformationsources?Whataretheinfluencesondecisionmaking?What
needs do products fulfill? What needs do they not fulfill? What moods/emotions/values are associated
with the different products? What brands are preferred and why? What brands are not preferred and
why?Thepossiblelistofquestionsisendless.

Thefocusgroupshouldconsistof6to8members(hint:recruit9forthegroup,toallowforno
shows)thataremembersofthetargetpopulationfortheresearchstudy.Thediscussionshouldlastfor60
90 minutes. This task involves (1) deciding what information is required from the group (prepare a
discussionguide,oralistofquestions/issuesthatneedtobefocusedon)andwhatthecompositionofthe
group should, be, (2) recruiting members for the focus group (this includes obtaining their consent to
having the discussion recorded), and giving them instructions on them/place for the meeting, and (3)
moderatinganddirectingthediscussion,andrecordingthediscussionasunobtrusivelyasfeasible.

Indepthinterviewsshouldbeofmembersofthetargetmarket,betheyconsumersordecision
makers.Eachinterviewshouldlast4560minutes,anditisessentialthattwointerviewersbepresentone
to conduct the interview and one to record the answers. The task here involves (1) who should be
interviewed, (2) obtaining interviewees consent to participate and setting up an appointment, (3)
conducting46interviews.

A Summary of Findings (up to two pages in length, doublespaced) of the exploratory research
mustbeprepared.

MKT 512 Syllabus

AppendixIIIB

ProjectReportandPresentation

This should be no more than 12 pages long (typed, doublespaced). Note that the page limit does not
includethetitlepage,tableofcontents,andappendices.Thereportshouldconsistof:

1. ExecutiveSummary(1page)

Thisisaonepagenontechnicalsummaryofthewholeproject,includingthemethodologyused
andmajorfindings/implications.

2.

3.

Introduction(1page)
This should explain the context of the study and include a clear statement of the research
objectives.Thatis,whywasthestudyneeded.Inaddition,youneedtomentionthescopeofthe
study (i.e., what are the limitations e.g., any issues that, though important to the marketing
decision,arenotaddressedinthestudy).

ResearchDesign(2pages)
a.

SamplingTechnique

b.

Briefly describe the sampling technique you have used (dont just give a general
description, describe it as YOU have used it). Justify using it in the context of your
application.

Identifyanyinadequaciesthatmayexistinyoursamplingtechnique,andbrieflydescribe
howyouwouldmodifyittomakeitbetter(forexample,ifyouhadmore,resourcesi.e.
time/money).Again,thisshouldbespecifictoyourapplication.

DataCollectionMethod

c.

d.

Describe how you collected the data for this study (e.g., facetoface, telephone, mail,
Internetbased),whyyouselectedthismethod,andchangesyouwouldmakeifyouhad
moretime/money.Identifyanylimitationstoyourselectedmethod.

Measurement
In this section, specify the kinds of information you needed to address the research
objectivesofthisstudy.Attachacopyofthequestionnaireandcoverletter(ifapplicable)
inanappendix.

AnalysisProcedures

Brieflydescribetheanalyticproceduresyouused,thestatisticalpackage,andanycodingprocedures
which may be important (e.g.: coding openended questions). Do not present any research findings
here.

4.

Results(6pages)

MKT 512 Syllabus

Thisshouldindicate,foreachresearchobjective,themainfindings.Combinethepresentationof
resultsfromthosequestionsthathangtogetherforaspecificresearchobjective.Thatis,tryand
organizethefindingsintosubsectionsbygroupingquestions(orvariables)thatarerelated.For
example, you may have a number of questions related to shopping habits (How often do you
shop?Whichstoresdoyoushopin?Whatdoyouspendonaveragepershoppingtrip?etc.);the
responsestothesequestionscanbesummarizedinasubsectiontitledshoppingbehavior.Use
your imagination and common sense in deciding how to organize your findings. If appropriate,
briefly mention some of the implications of your findings so that the reader is primed for the
recommendationsmadelater.

The complete results need not be discussed here but rather should be presented in the form of
tables in the Appendix. For example, if you are discussing the responses to a question such as
howoftendoyoudrinkcoffee?,itissufficienttosummarizetheresponseswithastatementlike
Over40%oftherespondentsdranklessthan2cupsaday,while10%drankmorethan5cupsa
day.Thecompleteinformation,ofcourse,shouldbepresentedinatableintheAppendix.

Make sure to interpret and discuss the findings that you describe in this section, rather than
merelyrecitingthenumbers.Indicate,whereappropriate,whetheryourfindingsarestatistically
significant.

5.

Recommendations(2pages)

Inthissectionyoushouldsummarizeyourmajorfindingsandpresentyourrecommendationsfor
management(naturally,thelattershouldbebasedontheformer).

6.

Appendices

This should contain (i) Your exploratory research discussion guide, (ii) a summary of exploratory
researchfindings(iii)acopyofthequestionnairewiththebasicresults,and(iv)tablestoillustrate
thediscussionintheResultssection.Thereisnopagelimitforthissection.

Note:Youneedtonumber,titleyourappendices,andreferencetheminthetext.Ifateamfails
todoso,Iwillreturnthereportandaskformodification.

The report will be graded on (i) quality of data analysis and interpretation of results, (ii) quality of
recommendations,and(iii)readability(clarityofwritingandorganizationofmaterial).

Somehintsoneffectivereportwriting:

1.

Makethereportlookniceandreadable.

2.

Numberthepages.

3.

Dividethereportintosectionswithappropriateheadings.

MKT 512 Syllabus

4.

Haveatableofcontentswithpagenumbers.

5.

Donotgivetoomuchstatisticalinformationinthemainbodyofthereport.Haveaseparate
mathematicalappendixwithtablesofnumbers.

6.

Avoidusingtechnicallanguageunlessneeded.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhenwritingthe
executivesummary.

7.

Remember that your audience is relatively novice in terms of research they are most
interestedinthefindingsandtheimplicationsthosefindingsholdfortheirbusiness.

ProjectPresentation
GroundRules:

Aimfora15minutepresentation.Theexactamountoftimewilldependonclassenrollment
andwillbeannouncedinclass.
UsePowerPoint,transparencies(overheads),orhandoutstosummarizewhatyouplantosay.
Bepreparedforquestionsfromtheaudience.

Suggestedoutlineofpresentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Background(ontheindustry/company/productasappropriate)
Researchpurposeandinformationneeds
Surveymethodology:samplingprocedure,samplesize,responserate,samplerepresentativeness.
Results(mainfindings)
Managerialrecommendations

Planonspendingmostofyourtimeonthelasttwotopics.

MKT 512 Syllabus