RESEARCH

METHODS
Claro G. Ganac
Broad Marketing Research Process
Nature, Scope and
DILEMMA OR PROBLEM
Parameters of the Problem
Observation, Secondary
EXPLORATORY Research, Qualitative
RESEARCH Research, Literature Review
• Research Problem
PROBLEM DEFINITION • Hypothesis
• Objectives
CONCLUSIVE • Research Design
RESEARCH • Execution/Analysis
MR Report/Thesis/
REPORT Evaluation or Feasibility
Study
 Objects of Applied Research

Problem Identification Problem Solution

Expectations Alternatives

Results Evaluation
=
Recommendation
GAP or OPPORTUNITY

Problem Statement Strategy or Tactic

Two-Step Marketing Research

MARKET RESEARCH • Business trends

• Market sizing and
profiling
• Product needs or wants
Problem / • Company image
Opportunity
Identification • Underlying consumer
attitudes/behavior
• Segmental profile
• Competition analysis
• Current demand and
Problem Solution sales
2-Step Marketing Research

MARKET RESEARCH
• Usage, Attitude, Image
(UAI) Study
Problem Identification • Competitive
Benchmarking
• Product Research
Problem Solution • Brand Name Study
• Pricing Research
• Promotions Research
• Distribution Research
• Post Ad Recall and
Effectiveness Studies
 Why Marketing Research

Primary Research
Methods
Research Decision Making Process

Becomes
information
Data when which when Becomes
organized analyzed intelligence

MAKE DECISION
Information is ….
Identify and define market/
management/knowledge
opportunities and problems

Develop alternative courses of

action to solve management
and marketing problems
Monitor marketing performance

Generate, refine, and evaluate

theory and concepts

Improve understanding of
marketing as a process
8
FIGURE 8-2 Types of marketing information

TYPES OF DATA
Research Methods
Survey and Data
Collection
Research
enables the Research
generation Methods
of data and
its analysis
Sampling Design

Measurement
Research Design: Definition

• A research design is a framework or

blueprint for conducting the
marketing research project. It details
the procedures necessary for
obtaining the information needed to
structure or solve the research
problems/questions.
Classification of Research Designs

Research Design

Exploratory Conclusive
Research Research

Descriptive Casual
Research Research

Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Design Design
 Basic Research Methods
Objectives
Help define the parameters and
Exploratory boundaries of the problem and
Research suggest hypotheses

Describe market demographics,

attitudes and buying patterns
Descriptive Determine market segment
Research differences in attitude and usage
Discover the relationship between
two or more events or situations
Predict market behavior

Test hypotheses about cause and-

Causal effect relationships.
Research
Source: Adapted from Prentice Hall
 Exploratory & Conclusive Research
Differences
Exploratory
Objective: To discover ideas;provide
insights and understanding.
Character- Information needed is defined
istics: only loosely. Research process
is flexible and unstructured.
Sample is small and non-
representative. Analysis of
primary data is qualitative.
Findings Tentative, preliminary. Input to
/Results: more in-depth study
Outcome: Generally followed by further
exploratory or conclusive
research.
Conclusive
To test specific hypotheses and
examine relationships.
Information needed is clearly
defined. Research process is
formal and structured. Sample is
large and representative. Data
analysis is quantitative.
Conclusive. Can be used for
decision-making.
Findings used as input into
decision making.
Exploratory
Research
 Exploratory Research
Boundaries
SCOPE OF THE (Limitations)
Factor 1
RESEARCH Parameters
PROBLEM (Variables) Insights

Factor …. EXPLORATORY
Factor 2
N RESEARCH

Ideas Feelings,
Motives
Factor 3
Uses of Exploratory Research

• Formulate the problem or define a problem

more precisely
• Identify alternative courses of action
• Develop hypotheses
• Isolate key variables and relationships for
further examination
• Gain insights for developing an approach to the
problem
Uses of Exploratory Research

• Gain background information

• Identify underlying attributes and properties
of a phenomena, behavior,
• Clarify problems and formulation of
hypotheses.
• Establish research priorities.
 Difference between Exploratory and
Conclusive Research
Exploratory
Objective: To provide insights and
understanding.
Characteristics: Information needed is defined
loosely. Research process is
flexible and unstructured.
Sample is small and non-
representative. Analysis of
primary data is qualitative.
Findings Open-ended. Vague. Tentative
/Results: at best
Outcome: Generally followed by further
exploratory or conclusive
research.
Conclusive
To test specific hypotheses and
examine relationships.
Information needed is clearly
defined. Research process is
formal and structured. Sample is
large and representative.
Data analysis is quantitative.
Research instrument structured
Conclusive.
Findings used as input into
decision making.
Exploratory Research Methods

Observation

Case Study
Exploratory Secondary
Research

Qualitative
Observation Research

A research method
that does not involve
personal interaction
between interviewer
and subject.
 Observation Research
People Mystery Shoppers
Watching
People One-Way Mirrors

Types of People
Observation Watching Audits
Research
an Activity

Machines Traffic Counters

Watching
People Passive People Meter
 Observational Research

Advantages Disadvantages

1. Eliminates bias from the 1. Data collection costs are

interviewing process high

2. Subjective, unsolicited
2. Does not rely on the
info is limited
respondent's willingness
to provide data
3. No insight on the
problem that you didn’t
think to consider
Secondary Research

Data previously collected for

any purpose other
than the one required at
hand.

ALWAYS USE THIS FIRST

TO EXPLORE
Sources of Secondary
Data
 PRIVATE (INTERNAL)
INFORMATION
• Accounting records
• Sales reports
• Past marketing research
studies
• Private database (usually
from credit card
companies) that are
purchased
Sources of Secondary Data
 PUBLIC
• Government agencies (NSCB, NEDA,
NSO, etc.)
• Business chambers and trade
associations (PCCI, Business Process
Association of the Philippines,
Philippine Marketing Association, etc.)
• Think-tank organizations, universities
(UP, UA & P, Social Weather Station,
etc.)
• Marketing Research agencies (AC
Nielsen, etc.)
• Newspapers and other publications
Advantages of Secondary Research

• Saves time and money if on target

• Aids in determining direction for primary data
collection
• Pinpoints the survey respondents to approach
• Serves as a basis of comparison
for other data
Disadvantages of Secondary
Research

• May not answer the exact question of your

research problem
• Data and information is generally late, and
may not be useful anymore for the purpose
of the study
• Quality - Don’t know who gathered it and
how the data was gotten
• Accuracy of data may pose a problem-
Don’t know age of the info and how biased
the survey was
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is
a loosely defined term.
It implies that the
research findings are
not determined by
quantification or
quantitative analysis.
Qualitative Research Methods

• Depth Interviews
• Projective Techniques
• Focus Groups
• Observation (Ethnography)
 Conclusive and
Descriptive Research
 Primary Data
Objective is to obtain new and
needed information relevant to the
purpose of the research.

ALWAYS
USE THIS LAST
Advantages of Primary Research

• Answers a specific research question

• Data are current
• Source of data is known; margin of
error can be predicted
• Secrecy can be maintained
Disadvantages of Primary
Research

• Expensive
• Quality declines if interviews
are lengthy
• Reluctance of respondents to
participate in lengthy interviews
• Bias may be present
 Conclusive Research

Conclusive Research

Descriptive Causal
Research Research

 Composition and
 Cause-and-
characteristics
effect
 Differences relationships
 Associations
 Predictions
 Types of Descriptive Studies
Descriptive
Studies

Consumer
Perception
Market
Sales And Behavior Characteristic
Studies Studies Studies

• Attitudes • Customer
• Sales Trends characteristics
• Image
• Forecasts and • Buying
Potential • Product Usage behavior

• Market Share • Advertising • Distribution

• Sales Analysis • Marketing Mix • Competitive

Analysis
Descriptive and Causal Research
Descriptive
Objective: Describe market
characteristics or functions;
discover differences and
associations
Characteristics: Marked by the prior
formulation of specific
hypotheses
Causal
Determine cause and
effect relationships
Manipulation of one or
more independent
variables; Control of
other mediating
variables

Preplanned and structured Experiments

design

Methods: Surveys
Opinion polls
Consumer Panels
Observation and other data
 Use of Descriptive Research
• Describe the
characteristics of
relevant groups, such
as consumers,
employees,
organizations, or
market areas.
• Estimate the
magnitude (number
or proportion) of a
specified group in the
population exhibiting
a certain behavior.
 Use of Descriptive Research
• Determine the degree of
relationship between
social, economic,
marketing and other
variables.
• Facilitate specific
predictions
• (For evaluation studies)
To determine the
effective of
management, HR,
marketing strategies and
programs
 Descriptive Research -- Example

What does this data indicate to you about the relationship

between income and perceptions of location?
 Descriptive Research
• Cross-sectional studies
– Data collected at a single period in time from
a cross-sectional sample of the unit of
interest that is disbanded after the data
collection
• Longitudinal studies
– Repeated measurements taken over a long
period of time from a panel group or sample
of the unit that is maintained for future
measurements
 Cross-sectional Studies
• Data collected at a single period in time
from a cross-sectional sample of the unit
of interest that is disbanded after the
data collection
– Conducted in a single time period
– Uses a cross-sectional sample of the unit
– Once the study is complete the sample is
not used again
– Most common descriptive research method
 Longitudinal Studies
• Repeated measurements taken over a
long period of time from a panel group or
sample of the unit that is maintained for
future measurements
– Measurements taken during many different
time periods
– Measurements taken from a panel
– A PANEL is a sample of units that is
maintained for multiple measurements taken
during multiple time periods
 Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs

Cross Sample
Sectional Surveyed at
Design T1

Sample Same Sample

Longitudinal Surveyed at also Surveyed
Design T1 at T2

Time T1 T2
Consumer Panel Research
• Consumption of key products (usually
FMCG)
• Fixed respondents record their
purchases and/or use of the different
products in daily diary-type form
• Panel studies are tracking research of
the same respondents
• The panel may be enrolled for 1 to 2
years (should be “typical” of the
market segment participants)
• TV viewership panel involves use of
device that automatically records the
channel viewed, durations, channel
switching, etc.
 Longitudinal Panels
• OMNIBUS PANEL: different subjects are
pulled from the panel for each time
period
– Drawbacks: data is not as reliable
• TRUE PANEL: the same subjects are used
for the panel every time data is collected
– Drawbacks: members sometimes evolve out
of the desired study group or are induced by
the study to change their practices thus
tainting the data
Results of Longitudinal
Brand Use Study
 Changes in Brand Shares:
Case 1

• What insights can you gain from this table?

 Changes in Brand Shares:
Case 2

• What insights can you gain from this table?

What kind of descriptive research?
What kind of descriptive research?
What kind of descriptive research?
 The life cycle of a survey from a design
perspective
Target Population
Construct
What Who
is the is the Sampling Frame
survey survey
Measurement about? about?
Sample

Response
Collection dimention Respondent
concerns how questionnaire
Edited will be administered to
Response respondents Postsurvey Adjustments

Survey statistics
The Measurement dimension describes The Representational dimention
what data are to be collected about the concerns what population are
observational units in the sample described by the survey