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CHAPTER 1
An Introduction to Marketing Research
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
To know the relationship of marketing research to marketing, the marketing concept, and
marketing strategy
To define marketing research
To understand the purpose and uses of marketing research
To classify different types of marketing research studies
To describe a marketing information system (MIS) and understand why marketing
research occupies a place in an MIS
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Marketing Research: Part of Marketing?
The Marketing Concept: The “Right” Philosophy
The “Right” Marketing Strategy
How Do We Define Marketing Research?
What Is the Purpose of Marketing Research?
What Are the Uses of Marketing Research?
Identifying Market Opportunities and Problems
Generate, Refine, and Evaluate Potential Marketing Actions
Monitor Marketing Performance
Improve Marketing as a Process
A Classification of Marketing Research Studies
The Marketing Information System
Components of the MIS
Internal Reports System
Marketing Intelligence System
Marketing Decision Support System (DSS)
Marketing Research System
Before Reading Further…
KEY TERMS
Applied research
Basic research
Internal reports system
Market research
Marketing
Marketing concept
Marketing decision support system (DSS)
Marketing information system (MIS)
Marketing intelligence system
Marketing research
Marketing research system
Marketing strategy
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
1. The purpose of the first section in the chapter is to review marketing, the marketing concept,
marketing strategy, and the environments that affect marketing activities. A way to test
students (and to bring their thinking back to school as this will be the first week in a new
term) is to have them role play as marketing managers for a new brand of a particular
product. In the following examples, what would be the target market, salient marketing
activities, positioning strategy, and environmental factors?
Launching a new brand of sparkling water fruit drink
Marketing an online apartment finder that assists college students in finding an
apartment. The finder would search for apartments based on criteria, check on vacancies,
and let the user place a refundable deposit to hold the apartment for 24 hours while he/she
checked it out.
Being the new vice president of the Microsoft Xbox division
A movie company that uses inexpensive talent (such as actors with little acting ability)
and specializes in horror and science fiction “made for video” films
2. The AMA definition makes it clear that marketing research exists to create information to be
used in marketing decisions. Product and service organization failures are good class
examples of how marketing information should have been used to design products,
packaging, or services. Students can often recall products or services that were disappointing
or otherwise failures in their eyes. Class discussion can be stimulated with the question,
“What product or service can you think of, or have you encountered that would have
benefited from good marketing research?” On the flip side, students may relate products that
they believe are especially successful. College student-oriented products are a good category
as all students can relate to them. The objective with successful product/service examples is
the same.
3. To drive home the importance of marketing research information in marketing decisions, ask
students what type of restaurant they would build and operate off campus. They will probably
opt for one that is appropriate for college students—maybe a late night hangout or a takeout
service. Then ask what type they would build if the location was beside a university in a
distant state. They will most likely give the same answer. Now, move the location to a foreign
university (say mainland China where all college students live in dorms, eat in dining halls,
have free tuition, don’t drive cars, etc.). If possible, use a country that you are familiar with
and is quite different from your students’ situations. They will come to realize that they need
information in order to make reasonable decisions about the restaurant.
4. Hold a class brainstorming session on marketing opportunities. Select one of the examples
below or use your own to generate several different directions that these companies could go
in. Ask the class what marketing research information would be useful to evaluate the
success potential of each opportunity brainstormed.
What marketing opportunities are there for the following?
A zoo
A family restaurant
A pet food company
5. Perhaps using one of your own applied research experiences such as a consultation, illustrate
the various characteristics of marketing research (applied rather than basic, sometimes
inaccurate, and shaped by budget and time constraints). Note: If you use class projects where
surveys are done for sponsors, you can bring one of these into the class and describe how it
illustrates the characteristics. You may want to bring a recent copy of an academic marketing
journal to class to provide some examples of basic research.
6. Because it is a complicated and abstract concept, it is worthwhile to go over the components
of an MIS. To make it more real, use a company example and ask students what they think
would be involved with each component. Possible examples include: a hotel chain such as
Marriott, a fast-food chain such as Taco Bell, or a periodical such as People magazine.
Indicate or generate class discussion to identify the various specific examples that would go
into each of the components of an MIS. For instance, marketing intelligence might be a
“clipping” service on relevant competitors, internal reports might be salespeople’s reports
and notes, marketing research might be an annual customer satisfaction survey, and so forth.
