IV: END-OF-CHAPTER ANSWER GUIDE
CHAPTER QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
CONCEPTS: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
4.1 What is the marketing information system (MIS)? What types of information does it include?
4-2 How does a marketing decision support system (MDSS) allow marketers to easily get the
information they need?
4-3 Define the concept of customer insights and the role it plays in market planning decisions.
4-4 Why is defining the problem to be researched so important to ultimate success with the
research
project?
4-5 Explain the difference between primary data and secondary data.
4-6 What techniques can marketers use to gather data in exploratory research? How is this type of
data collection useful?
4-7 Explain what descriptive research is.
4-8 Describe the purpose of casual research. How does it differ from descriptive research?
4-9 What are the main methods to collect primary data?
4-10 GIGO—garbage in, garbage out—is mentioned in the chapter. What is the significance of
this concept to market research?
4-11 What is a (computer) cookie? What ethical and privacy issues relate to cookies?
4-12 What important issues must researchers consider when they plan to collect data online?
4-13 When we consider data quality, what are the differences among validity, reliability, and
representativeness? How can you know the data have high levels of these characteristics?
4-14 How do probability and nonprobability samples differ? What are some types of probability
samples? What are some types of nonprobability samples?
With a probability sample, each member of the population has some chance of being
included in the sample. Using a probability sample ensures researchers that the sample is
Types of nonprobability samples include a convenience sample (composed of individuals
who just happen to be available when and where the data are being collected) or a quota
4-15 What is a cross tabulation? How are cross tabulations useful to analyze and interpret data?
ACTIVITIES: APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNE
4-16 In Class, 10–25 Minutes for Teams Your firm is planning to begin marketing a consumer
product in several global markets. You have been given the responsibility of developing plans
for marketing research to be conducted in South Africa, in Spain, and in China. In a
role-playing situation, present the difficulties you expect to encounter, if any, in conducting
research in each of these areas
4-17 Creative Homework/Short Project Select a multinational company that sells products to
consumers.
a. Identify a particular product and a research question related to that product that is
most appropriately studied using a cross-sectional design. Justify your reasoning for
selecting this design.
b. Identify a particular product and research question related to that product that is most
appropriately studied using a longitudinal design. Justify your reasoning for selecting
this design.
MyMarketingLab for answers to Assisted Graded Questions
4-18 Creative Homework/Short Project As an account executive with a marketing research
firm, you are responsible for deciding on. The type of research to be used in various
studies conducted for your clients. For each of the following client questions, list your
choices of research approaches:
initiatives?
d. What existing features of an e-commerce site selling clothing to women are most
important
for making a purchase decision?
MyMarketingLab for answers to Assisted Graded Questions.
4-19 Creative Homework/Short Project For each of the topics you selected in item 4-17, how
might you use a more passive (observation) approach to support the communication methods
you employ?
4-20 Creative Homework/Short Project To what degree could secondary data sources be used
to address the topics you selected in item 4-17? What specific secondary sources (if any)
might be most useful to help address your selected issues?
4-21 In Class, 10–25 Minutes for Teams Your marketing research firm is planning to conduct
surveys to gather information for a number of clients. Your boss has asked you and a few
other new employees to do some preliminary work. She has asked each of you to choose
three of the topics (from among those listed next) that will be included in the project and to
prepare an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of these communication methods
of
collecting data: mail questionnaires, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, and
online questionnaires.
a. The amount of sports nutrition drinks consumed in a city
b. Why a local bank has been losing customers
c. How heavily the company should invest in manufacturing and marketing home fax
machines
question areas, data (or the acquisition of that data) might be in sensitive or private areas
for the consumer. For example, how many people would truthfully tell you how much
they drink each week or how much they spend on lottery tickets? Therefore, the selection
of the data collection method must also include some appreciation of the psychology and
behavior of the individual being questioned.
4-22 For Further Research (Individual) Some companies use neuromarketing to gain an
edge over their competitors. Research at least two companies that employ this technique.
Explain how they use neuromarketing to gain a competitive advantage and assess whether
the value of the information these marketers gained was worth the investment (Hint: Just
start by googling the term “Neuromarketing”).
4-40 What factors are important in understanding this decision situation?
Among various other factors that will be generated by students, the following factors are
important in understanding this decision situation:
4-41 What are the alternatives?
4-42 What decision(s) do you recommend?
4-43 What are some ways to implement your recommendations?
MYMARKETINGLAB
Go to mymktlab.com for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following
Assisted-graded writing questions:
4-44 Creative Homework/Short Project. Your company recently launched a new “dry” shampoo.
4-45 Creative Homework/Short Project. You work for a small company that designs and sells
women’s trendy rubber rain boots throughout the United States. Sales have been strong, but
you think they could be stronger. You have begun the market research process and are now
ready to design the sample. Will you design a probability sample or a nonprobability sample?
What type of probability or nonprobability sample will you use? What are the advantages of
the method that you chose? What are the limitations of the method you chosen