Marketing Research Methods
Order Instructions:
Marketing Research Methods
A debate exists among marketing researchers over the use of research techniques. Some researchers believe that the only way to understand consumers and products is to utilize qualitative research. Critics of qualitative research, however, disapprove of methods such as marketing focus groups or in-depth interviews. These critics contend that qualitative research is prone to bias because of small sample size and the subjectivity of qualitative approaches. They prefer quantitative research methods. Those researchers preferring quantitative research methods point to the use of large sample sizes and rigorous statistical approaches that exemplify the quantitative method and imply greater generalization. Critics of this research method like to cite the Coca-Cola study.
In 1984, Coca-Cola spent millions of dollars on quantitative market research for their New Coke product. Research results led executives to change the formula to a newer, sweeter formula. Sales of New Coke were very disappointing and post-launch research indicated that consumers disliked the new product. Less than three months after the introduction of New Coke, the Coca-Cola Company announced a return to the old formula leading some to question the merits of quantitative research.
• On the Internet, research the quantitative marketing research undertaken by Coca-Cola. How did they design the research? In hindsight, what were seen as the shortcomings that resulted in such faulty data?
• Do you believe that the best marketing research approach is qualitative or quantitative? Justify your response. Are there particular situations where one approach is clearly preferable?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method as a tool for marketing research? Provide specific examples to illustrate your response.
Resources
• Article
o D’Esopo, M., & Almquist, E. (2007). An approach to mastering the marketing mix. Business Strategy Series, 8(2), 122–131. Retrieved from ProQuest Central database.
In this article the authors describe how structural equation modeling, historical analyses, and in-market experiments can be used to analyze marketing investment patterns.
• Hauser, W. (2007). Marketing analytics: The evolution of marketing research in the twenty-first century. Direct Marketing, 1(1), 38–54. doi:10.1108/17505930710734125
By using advances in technology, such as data mining, and other marketing analytics, the author argues that companies can be much more effective in researching marketing issues and problems.
• Lee, N., & Broderick, A. (2007). The past, present, and future of observational research in marketing. Qualitative Market Research, 10(2), 121–129. doi:10.1108/13522750710740790
This article reviews the history and philosophical debates surrounding the use of observational research in marketing and then describes how technology has allowed observational research to expand beyond just qualitative research.
• Reppel, A., Szmigin, I., & Gruber, T. (2006). The iPod phenomenon: Identifying a market leader’s secrets through qualitative marketing research. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(4), 239–249. doi:10.1108/10610420610679601
A problem with online marketing research is how to account for those individuals who do not use the Internet. The authors in this article present a possible solution to this dilemma.
• Schibrowsky, J., Peltier, J., & Nill, A. (2007). The state of Internet marketing research: A review of the literature and future research directions. European Journal of Marketing, 41(7/8), 722–733. doi:10.1108/03090560710752366
After reviewing research studies on Internet marketing research, the authors of this study identify the three most researched areas: consumer behavior, Internet strategy, and Internet communications. They also discuss current trends in online marketing.
• Van de Ven, B. (2008). An ethical framework for the marketing of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(2), 339–352. Retrieved from http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/applied+ethics/journal/10551
SAMPLE ANSWER
Order Instructions:
Marketing Research Methods
A debate exists among marketing researchers over the use of research techniques. Some researchers believe that the only way to understand consumers and products is to utilize qualitative research. Critics of qualitative research, however, disapprove of methods such as marketing focus groups or in-depth interviews. These critics contend that qualitative research is prone to bias because of small sample size and the subjectivity of qualitative approaches. They prefer quantitative research methods. Those researchers preferring quantitative research methods point to the use of large sample sizes and rigorous statistical approaches that exemplify the quantitative method and imply greater generalization. Critics of this research method like to cite the Coca-Cola study.
In 1984, Coca-Cola spent millions of dollars on quantitative market research for their New Coke product. Research results led executives to change the formula to a newer, sweeter formula. Sales of New Coke were very disappointing and post-launch research indicated that consumers disliked the new product. Less than three months after the introduction of New Coke, the Coca-Cola Company announced a return to the old formula leading some to question the merits of quantitative research.
• On the Internet, research the quantitative marketing research undertaken by Coca-Cola. How did they design the research? In hindsight, what were seen as the shortcomings that resulted in such faulty data?
• Do you believe that the best marketing research approach is qualitative or quantitative? Justify your response. Are there particular situations where one approach is clearly preferable?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method as a tool for marketing research? Provide specific examples to illustrate your response.
Resources
• Article
o D’Esopo, M., & Almquist, E. (2007). An approach to mastering the marketing mix. Business Strategy Series, 8(2), 122–131. Retrieved from ProQuest Central database.
In this article the authors describe how structural equation modeling, historical analyses, and in-market experiments can be used to analyze marketing investment patterns.
• Hauser, W. (2007). Marketing analytics: The evolution of marketing research in the twenty-first century. Direct Marketing, 1(1), 38–54. doi:10.1108/17505930710734125
By using advances in technology, such as data mining, and other marketing analytics, the author argues that companies can be much more effective in researching marketing issues and problems.
• Lee, N., & Broderick, A. (2007). The past, present, and future of observational research in marketing. Qualitative Market Research, 10(2), 121–129. doi:10.1108/13522750710740790
This article reviews the history and philosophical debates surrounding the use of observational research in marketing and then describes how technology has allowed observational research to expand beyond just qualitative research.
• Reppel, A., Szmigin, I., & Gruber, T. (2006). The iPod phenomenon: Identifying a market leader’s secrets through qualitative marketing research. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(4), 239–249. doi:10.1108/10610420610679601
A problem with online marketing research is how to account for those individuals who do not use the Internet. The authors in this article present a possible solution to this dilemma.
• Schibrowsky, J., Peltier, J., & Nill, A. (2007). The state of Internet marketing research: A review of the literature and future research directions. European Journal of Marketing, 41(7/8), 722–733. doi:10.1108/03090560710752366
After reviewing research studies on Internet marketing research, the authors of this study identify the three most researched areas: consumer behavior, Internet strategy, and Internet communications. They also discuss current trends in online marketing.
• Van de Ven, B. (2008). An ethical framework for the marketing of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(2), 339–352. Retrieved from http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/applied+ethics/journal/10551
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