Marketing Management, 14e (Kotler/Keller)
Chapter 4 Conducting Marketing Research
1) ________ provide diagnostic information about how and why we observe certain effects in the
marketplace, and what that means to marketers.
A) Marketing insights
B) Marketing metrics
C) Marketing channels
D) Marketing information systems
E) Marketing-mix models
2) ________ is the systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data and findings
relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company.
A) Marketing communications
B) Internal marketing
C) Marketing research
D) Market segmentation
E) Marketing planning
3) Anne, a beautician by profession, owns a salon in the small town of Franklin, New Jersey.
Every weekend, she makes it a point to visit the other salons in Franklin to find out about the
beauty services they offer to customers. Anne is attempting to conduct market research by
_______.
A) studying customer behavior
B) forming alliances with competing firms
C) using experimental research techniques
D) checking out rivals
E) tapping into marketing partner expertise
4) Which of the following types of marketing research firms gathers consumer and trade
information and then sells it for a fee (e.g., Nielsen Media Research)?
A) custom marketing research firms
B) syndicated-service research firms
C) specialty-line marketing research firms
D) generic marketing research firms
E) focused marketing research firms
5) Amity Inc., is a firm which collects and processes household data and sells it to other firms
which produce consumer durables. Amity is an example of a ________.
A) custom marketing research firm
B) specialty-line marketing research firm
C) syndicated-service research firm
D) generic marketing research firm
E) focused marketing research firm
6) A field-service firm is a ________.
A) custom marketing research firm
B) syndicated-service research firm
C) specialty-line marketing research firm
D) consumer marketing research firm
E) social marketing research firm
7) You are the marketing research director of a medium-sized manufacturing firm and you would
like to engage an outside marketing research firm to conduct field interviews. Which of the
following options categories of marketing research firms should you use?
A) syndicated-service research firms
B) custom marketing research firms
C) global research management firms
D) specialty-line marketing research firms
E) brand management specialty research firms
8) The marketing research process begins by ________.
A) developing a research plan
B) defining the problem, the decision alternatives, and research objectives
C) analyzing the internal environment
D) reading marketing research journals
E) contacting a professional research consultant
9) Which of the following is considered to be the last step in the marketing research process?
A) presenting findings
B) analyzing information
C) controlling the environment
D) arriving at a decision
E) drafting the report
10) If the goal of marketing research is to shed light on the real nature of a problem and to
suggest possible solutions or new ideas, the research is said to be ________.
A) descriptive
B) quantitative
C) primary
D) secondary
E) exploratory
11) Unistar Inc., is an FMCG company that produces a wide range of offerings such as grocery
items and personal care products. If Unistar wants to estimate the demand for its new line of
body moisturizers, which are all priced at $18, it should opt for ________ research.
A) descriptive
B) exploratory
C) prescriptive
D) causal
E) qualitative
12) A company would like to study the impact of advertising expenditure on sales and sales
revenue. This is an example of ________ research.
A) prescriptive
B) causal
C) secondary
D) exploratory
E) qualitative
13) The marketing manager needs to know the cost of the research project before approving it.
During which stage of the marketing research process would such a consideration most likely
take place?
A) Step 1 defining the problem
B) Step 4 analyzing the information
C) Step 5 drafting the report
D) Step 2 developing the research plan
E) Step 3 collecting information
14) Designing a research plan calls for decisions on all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) research objectives
B) data sources
C) research approaches
D) research instruments
E) sampling plans
15) ________ are data that were collected for another purpose and already exist.
A) Primary data
B) Secondary data
C) Primitive data
D) Cross-sectional data
E) Ordinate data
16) Before Sandra opened her florist shop she read all she could about the floral industry. She
also consulted several published research reports to understand growth patterns in the local area
with particular interest in the location of florists throughout the city. This ________ helped her to
decide on the location of her store.
A) primary data
B) secondary data
C) primitive data
D) tertiary information
E) licensed information
17) Primary data can be collected in several ways. Installing CCTV cameras in a retail store
whereby consumers’ actions can be recorded is an example of ________.
A) focus group research
B) survey research
C) observational research
D) behavioral research
E) experimental research
18) ________ approach uses concepts and tools from anthropology and other social science
disciplines to provide deep cultural understanding of how people live and work.
A) Cognitive research
B) Inductive research
C) Archaeological research
D) Ethnographic research
E) Deductive research
19) The goal of ethnographic research is to ________.
A) capture cause-and-effect relationships by eliminating competing explanations of the observed
findings
B) understand consumers’ behavior by observing a sample groups discussing various topics of
interest at length
C) study demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, and so on, in relation to
consumer buying patterns
D) analyze customers’ purchasing behavior through catalog purchases and customer databases
E) immerse the researcher into consumers’ lives to uncover unarticulated desires that might not
surface in any other form of research
20) A(n) ________ is a gathering of 6 to 10 people carefully selected by researchers based on
certain demographic, psychographic, or other considerations and brought together to discuss
various topics of interest at length.
A) target group
B) pilot group
C) focus group
D) customer base
E) ethnographic group
21) As the marketing manager of Cominform Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturer of health drinks, you
have selected 10 individuals who match the profile of your target customer, to participate in a
discussion on changing lifestyle trends related to health. You have also hired a skilled moderator
to facilitate the discussion and ensure that everyone participates and stays focused on the topic.
The moderator provides questions and probes based on the “script” prepared by you. The
discussions are also recorded for further analysis. Which of the following methods of acquiring
primary data is being used in this case?
A) observational research
B) surveys
C) behavioral data
D) experiments
E) focus groups
22) Why must the researchers avoid generalizing from focus-group participants to the whole
market?
A) Participants’ responses are not reliable.
B) Most of the participants are likely to be ignorant about the topic of discussion.
C) The size of the group is too small and the sample is not drawn randomly.
D) Most of the participants are likely to exhibit similar tastes and preferences.
E) The participants usually come from diverse backgrounds.
23) Which of the following is used to assess people’s knowledge, beliefs, preferences, and
satisfaction and to measure these magnitudes in the general population?
A) observational research
B) descriptive research
C) quantitative research
D) survey research
E) experimental research
24) The most scientifically valid research is ________ research.
A) observation
B) focus-group
C) survey
D) behavioral
E) experimental
25) ________ is designed to capture cause-and-effect relationships by eliminating competing
explanations of the observed findings.
A) Experimental research
B) Behavioral research
C) Observational research
D) Focus group research
E) Descriptive research
26) Which of the following rules must be kept in mind while framing a questionnaire?
A) Use broad and loosely defined words in the questions.
B) Avoid using response bands.
C) Ensure that fixed responses overlap.
D) Frame hypothetical questions.
E) Allow for the answer “other” in fixed-response questions.
27) Because of its flexibility, ________ are the most common technique of collecting primary
data.
A) questionnaires
B) telephonic interviews
C) behavioral research studies
D) experimental designs
E) focus groups
28) ________ allow respondents to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how
people think.
A) Open-end questions
B) Dichotomous questions
C) Likert scale questions
D) Multiple choice questions
E) Semantic differential questions
29) Which of the following is true of qualitative research?
A) It is a structured measurement approach that permits a range of possible responses.
B) It is indirect in nature, so consumers may be less guarded.
C) It requires large sample sizes.
D) Its results can be easily generalized to broader populations.
E) It generally results in similar results and conclusions across researchers.
30) A scale that connects two bipolar words is called a ________.
A) dichotomous question
B) multiple-choice question
C) Likert scale
D) semantic differential
E) word association
31) A question that respondents can answer in an almost unlimited number of ways is called a
________.
A) structured question
B) closed-end question
C) completely unstructured question
D) dichotomous question
E) multiple choice question
32) “Truancy should be checked in schools: 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree
nor disagree, 4) Agree, 5) Strongly agree.” This is an example of a ________.
A) Likert scale
B) semantic differential
C) multiple choice question
D) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)
E) dichotomous question
33) An item in a questionnaire states that “most politicians cannot be trusted.” Respondents are
required to provide their answers by choosing any one of the following options: 1) Strongly
disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree, 5) Strongly agree. This is an
example of a ________.
A) semantic differential
B) word association question
C) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)
D) Likert scale
E) dichotomous question
34) If a marketing researcher chooses to use word associations, the researcher is using ________.
A) closed-end questions
B) Likert scale questions
C) open-end questions
D) rating scale questions
E) semantic differential questions
35) In which of the following types of tests is a picture presented and respondents are asked to
make up a story about what they think is happening or may happen in the picture?
A) visual perception test
B) Rorschach Ink-blot Test
C) story completion test
D) Thematic Apperception Test
E) Renfrew Action Picture Test
36) The question “What is your opinion of the measures taken by the government to control
inflation?” is an example of a ________ question.
A) semantic differential
B) word association
C) completely unstructured
D) story completion
E) dichotomous
37) In which of the following qualitative method are subjects asked to complete an incomplete
stimulus?
A) word association
B) projective techniques
C) visualization
D) brand personification
E) laddering
38) ________ requires people to create a collage from magazine photos or drawings to depict
their perceptions.
A) Brand personification
B) Projective technique
C) Visualization
D) Laddering
E) Metaphor Elicitation Technique
39) The primary purpose of ________ is to identify the range of possible brand associations in
consumers’ minds.
A) experimental research
B) deshboarding
C) laddering
D) semantic differentials
E) word associations
40) With respect to the sampling plan, three decisions must be made: (1) the sampling unit—who
is to be surveyed; (2) sample size—how many people should be surveyed; and (3) ________.
A) sample cost—how much does sampling cost
B) surveyor skill—who should conduct the survey
C) sample security—how should the sample data be protected
D) sampling procedure—how should respondents be chosen
E) sample supervisor—who leads the sampling effort
41) During a focus-group session, one set of participants indicated that Dell computers reminded
them of a surfer, Apple computers of a mad scientist, and IBM was equated to Ebenezer Scrooge
from Charles Dickens’s tale, “A Christmas Carol”. Which of the following qualitative research
approaches relates to the approach described above?
A) projective techniques
B) visualization
C) brand personification
D) laddering
E) brand architecture
42) According to the concept of ________, a series of increasingly more specific “why”
questions can reveal consumer motivation and consumers’ deeper, more abstract goals.
A) word association
B) projection
C) visualizing
D) brand personification
E) laddering
43) ________ measure the interest or emotions aroused by exposure to a specific ad or picture.
A) Tachistoscopes
B) Polygraphs
C) Galvanometers
D) Audiometers
E) GPS systems
44) ________ flash an ad to a subject with an exposure interval that may range from less than
one hundredth of a second to several seconds.
A) Tachistoscopes
B) Audiometers
C) Polygraphs
D) GPS systems
E) Galvanometers
45) ________ attached to television sets in participating homes now record when the set is on
and to which channel it is tuned.
A) Tachistoscopes
B) Polygraphs
C) GPS systems
D) Audiometers
E) Galvanometers
46) Which of the following statements about telephonic interview is true?
A) It usually takes a long time to gather information through telephonic interviews.
B) The interviewer is unable to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them.
C) The response rate for telephonic interviews has been typically lower than for mailed
questionnaires.
D) The U.S. government generally encourages telemarketing by firms.
E) Telephone interviewing in the U.S. is getting more difficult because of consumers’ growing
antipathy toward telemarketers.
47) If a marketing researcher wishes to reach those people who would not give personal
interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by interviewers, he or she should use
________.
A) mail questionnaires
B) telephonic interviews
C) online interviews
D) focus groups
E) observational research
48) Which of the following is considered to be the most versatile of all the contact methods?
A) mail questionnaires
B) telephone interviews
C) personal interviews
D) online interviews
E) field trials
49) In ________ interviews, researchers stop people at a shopping mall or busy street corner and
request an interview on the spot.
A) intercept
B) arranged
C) group
D) structured
E) behavioral
50) Which of the following is an advantage of personal interviews?
A) It is a relatively inexpensive method of gathering information.
B) The possibility of interviewer bias is minimized.
C) Participants can choose to respond at their own convenience.
D) It facilitates anonymous responses.
E) Interviewers can record additional observation about the respondent such as body language.
51) Which of the following is one of the key disadvantages of online market research?
A) Online research is expensive.
B) Online research is time consuming.
C) People tend to be dishonest online.
D) Online research lacks versatility.
E) Samples can be small and skewed.
52) Which of the following is an advantage of online research?
A) Samples are generally representative of the target population.
B) Members of online panels and communities tend to have low turnover.
C) Online research is relatively free of technological problems and inconsistencies.
D) People tend to be honest and thoughtful online.
E) Online research is slow but gather detailed information.
53) The ________ phase of marketing research is generally the most expensive and the most
prone to error.
A) contact
B) research planning
C) questionnaire design
D) interview design
E) data collection
54) After collecting the relevant information, the next step in the marketing research process is to
________.
A) develop the research plan
B) define the problem and research objectives
C) present the project report
D) make the final decision
E) analyze the acquired data
55) After computing averages and measures of dispersion for the major variables and applying
advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional
findings from the gathered information, the researchers ________.
A) define the problem, the decision alternatives, and the research objectives
B) present findings relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management
C) evaluate the costs associated with data collected
D) analyze the appropriateness of the data sources used
E) develop the research plan
56) Why do firms employ more than one persona to gather information about the target
consumers?
A) Within a group, consumers usually exhibit similar tastes and preferences.
B) The distribution of income and wealth are more or less equal across different customer
segments.
C) Although customers have uniques, essentially their basic needs and requirements are the
same.
D) Any target market may have a range of consumers who vary along a number of key
dimensions.
E) The firms want to provide consumers with a greater number of product choices.
57) A ________ has been defined as a coordinated collection of data, systems, tools, and
techniques with supporting software and hardware by which an organization gathers and
interprets relevant information from business and environment and turns it into a basis for
marketing action.
A) marketing metric
B) marketing channel system
C) marketing decision support system
D) marketing research system
E) database management system