Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Assignment brief QCF BTEC LEVEL 3

Assignment Code: AB300BR11

Qualification

Unit number and title

BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Business

Market Research in Business (Unit 10)

Student name

Assessor name
Mr. Shafqat Abbas

Date issued

Interim Deadline

21st Feb 2016

Assignment title

Final Deadline

Submitted on

05th July 2016

Market Research in Business

Assignment Guidance Notes:

Learners are required to submit their work using the Assessment cover
sheet.

You are required to submit your assignment electronically via our online
portal.

If you need an extension (even for one day) for a valid reason, you must
request in one week advance to the respective academic which can be
accompanied by the evidence.

.
Student Declaration

I certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own and research sources
are fully acknowledged.
Student signature:
Date:

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Specification of Assessment

Present your work in one business report style which should include table of
contents, reference list, foot or end notes and appendices if any

Include the reference code of this assignment on your assignment

submission front page.

Each page must be numbered at the bottom right hand side.

Ensure the following information is in the footer on every page:

o

Your name

The production date of your submission

o The code number of your assignment brief

o The page number
o The name of the Module

Spell-check the document and make sure there are no grammatical errors.

Complete all the tasks.

Produce clear specific reasoning and arguments in support of your answers.

Submit your work in a single work processed document of not more than
4000 words for all Learning Outcomes. This word limit is only a guideline,
and does not include Appendices and Bibliography

You must include a bibliography at the end to show where your information
was sourced.

Your sources must be identified using the Harvard referencing system. The
words used in your bibliography will not be included in your word count

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Unit content
1 Understand the main types of market research used to make marketing
decisions
Primary research: observation; experimentation; surveys, eg face-to-face,
postal, email, telephone; e-marketing research; focus groups; panels; field trials;
piloting; appropriateness of each method eg fitness for purpose, cost, accuracy,
time, validity, response rate Secondary research: internal sources eg data
records, loyalty schemes, EPOS (electronic point of sale), website monitoring,
e-transactions, accounting records, production information, sales figures, sales
personnel, Delphi technique; external sources eg internet, Government
statistics, libraries, universities, company reports, specialist agencies eg Mintel,
Datastream, Dun & Bradstreet; trade journals; criteria for selection eg checking
of validity; use of ICT applications eg storing, organising, retrieving and
reporting data Qualitative and quantitative research: importance and use of
each; triangulation Marketing strategies and activities: eg strategic, technical,
databank, continuous, ad hoc research
2 Be able to plan research
Stages: brief; defining the issue; setting objectives; planning data to be
collected, eg methods of collection, who is to collect it, timings; types of data, eg
internal, external, secondary, primary; target population Research stages:
proposal/brief; defining objectives; planning; forecasting; collection of data;
analysis and evaluation of data; presentation of findings; making
recommendations; re-evaluation of marketing activities Purpose of research
objectives: understand customer behaviour, buying patterns, preferences,
satisfaction, sales trends; brand awareness; advertising awareness; product
development success; new product opportunities; changes in the market;
emergence of new markets; PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological,
legal, environmental); competitor activities
3 Be able to carry out research
Census versus sample: sample size, choosing the sample; probability
sampling, eg random, systematic random, stratified random, multi-stage,
cluster; non-probability, eg quota, convenience, observation, focus group,
judgement; implications of different samples; cost and accuracy of information
Questionnaire: design, questions to be asked; types of questions eg
sequencing, dichotomous, multiple choice, scaled, open ended; length of
questionnaire; bias; relevance; response; pilot stage Survey: design; objectives,
eg of what, where, when, how; difference between survey and questionnaire
4 Be able to interpret research findings
Statistical procedures: arithmetic mean; median; mode; range; inter-quartile
range; scatter diagrams; times series; trends; use of spreadsheets for analysis
Presentation of findings: oral reports; written reports eg formal, informal; visual
aids eg computer graphics, graphs, charts; presentation of conclusions and
recommendations; audience; effectiveness; quality of information; facilities
Diagrammatic analysis and presentation: pictograms; pie charts; bar charts;
frequency curves; histograms; line graphs; scattergrams; appropriate use of
techniques; interpretation of results Limitations of research: excess of
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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

information through customer databases; problems of e-business feedback

overload; reliability of sample; accuracy, bias; subjectivity
Unit 10 Market Research in Business
Assignment 1 Describing different types of market research
This task assesses
P1

Describe different types of market research

P2

Explain how different market research methods have been used to make a
marketing decision within a selected situation or business

You are working for the marketing department at Beiersdorf (a multinational

company that produces Nivea) is one of your clients. You have been asked to
produce a guide that explains the different types of market research that
you can do. Secondly, you are asked to write a report summarising how
the different types of research were used to make decisions about the
new deodorant NIVEA Pearl and Beauty
P1
Task 1

Describe different types of primary and secondary research include

1)

Primary research:
observation
experimentation
surveys, eg face-to-face, postal, email, telephone
e-marketing research
focus groups
panels
field trials
piloting

2) Secondary research:
Internal sources eg data records, loyalty schemes, EPOS
(electronic point of sale), website monitoring, e-transactions,
accounting records, production information, sales figures, sales
personnel, Delphi technique
External sources eg internet, Government statistics, libraries,
universities, company reports, specialist agencies eg Mintel,
Datastream, Dun & Bradstreet; trade journals
3) Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative
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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

research including triangulation

P2
Task 2

Explain how different market research methods have been

used to make the new product development marketing
decision at Nivea. Use the case study to explain:
a) the different types of primary and secondary research that the
business used
b) the qualitative and quantitative research that they carried out
c) How this helped them to make the marketing decisions about
NIVEA Deodorant Pearl and Beauty

Assignment 2 planning your research

This task assesses
P3

Plan market research for a selected product/service using appropriate

methods of data collection

M2 Explain the reasons for choosing the particular method of data collection
for a selected product/service

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

P3
Task 1
Plan market research for your business idea using appropriate methods
of data collection. It should include the following:

1. Brief
2. The research objectives
3. Plan of work

M2 Task 2
A justification of your choices you can explain here why you have
rejected the alternatives.

Assignment 3 Carry out and analyse your research

This task assesses
P4 Conduct primary and secondary research for a selected product/service
making use of identifiable sampling techniques
P5 Interpret findings from the research presenting them clearly in an
appropriate format
M3 Analyse the research findings and make recommendations on how
marketing strategies could be adapted or implemented.
D2 Evaluate the findings from the research undertaken
Scenario
You have spent a long time planning your research and setting up the survey,
focus group and observation. you should now carry out your plan and apply
statistical analysis to the results so that they can be presented graphically,
analysed and interpreted.
P4
Task 1
Identify the sampling techniques you have chosen when carrying out your
research. Include:
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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Sample size

Choosing the sample

Probability sampling e.g. random, systematic random, ,stratified

random, multi stage, cluster

Non probability e.g.

judgment,

Implications of different samples, cost and accuracy of information

quota, convenience, observation, focus group,

P5
Task 2
After you have collected your research you need to interpret your findings.
You should:

Use statistical procedures

Present your findings as a written report using computer packages

such as excel and word to good effect to include graphs and charts.
You must then prepare an oral summary that you will present to an
audience making sure you have checked the quality of the information
you are presenting and the facilities for making the presentation.

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

M3
Task 3

Your report should analyse the findings and make recommendations

on how marketing strategies could be adapted or implemented.

D2
Task 4

Evaluate the findings from your research Include the limitations such as:

Excess of information through customer databases

Problems of e-business feedback overload

Reliability of sample

Accuracy

Bias

Subjectivity

Improvements you would make if you did the research again

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Assignment 4 Explain and evaluate different market research methods

This task assesses
M1 Explain, with examples, how different market research methods are
appropriate to assist different marketing situations.
D1 Evaluate the market research method used by a selected organisation.
At last you have finished your research for the new business. Your boss is very
pleased and as a final task would like you to evaluate the appropriateness of
the different research methods used by you and
M1

Using the methods of research listed below; explain how these were
appropriate in assisting with different marketing situations. You have
studied Nivea who used various methods in order to launch a new product
and you have used some methods yourself in your own small business
research. You can also look at Kelloggs to see how they have used
market research. You should
1. Give an example for each method from either Nivea and/or your
own research and say its appropriateness. You can do this in a
table (see below)

D1
2. Evaluate the market research method used in your own research.
You can do this by explaining what was good and bad about it. You
should make a judgement as to what could be improved by
comparing it to either Nivea or Kelloggs
Methods of research: observation; experimentation; surveys, eg face-to-face,
postal, email, telephone; e-marketing research; focus groups; panels; field trials;
piloting;
Appropriateness: fitness for purpose, cost, accuracy, time, validity, response
rate
Table for task 1
fitness for cost
purpose

accuracy

time

validit
y

respons
e rate

Observation
Experimentation
Face to face
survey
Postal survey
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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Email survey
Telephone
survey
e-marketing
research
Focus groups
Field trials
Piloting

Assessment and grading criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for
assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning
outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria for a pass grade describe
the level of achievement required to pass this unit.

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Indicative reading for learners Textbooks

Dibb S, Simkin L, Pride W M and Farrell O C Marketing Concepts and

Strategies (Houghton Mifflin (Academic), 2005) ISBN 061853203X
Hall D Jones R and Raffo C Business Studies, 3rd Edition (Causeway
Press Ltd, 2004) ISBN 1902796837

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Unit 10: Market Research in Business

Hill E Foundations in Marketing (CIM Publishing, 2001) ISBN

0902130994
Proctor T Essentials of Marketing Research (FT Prentice Hall, 2005)
ISBN 0273694944

Websites

www.bized.ac.uk
Provides interactive and online models and simulations for teachers and
learners, and provides valuable direct access to company reports in the
UK and around the world
www.cim.co.uk The Chartered Institute of Marketing
www.mintel.com Mintel is a global supplier of consumer, media and
market research
www.marketingonline.co.uk MarketingOnlineLive.com
www.marketingteacher.com Free marketing resources for learners,
teachers and professional

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