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Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
8
Chapter Case Study: Swim, Lift, Play—But Also Donate: Using Market Research
to Redefine the YMCA
1 What kinds of market research has the Y conducted?
The Y conducts quantitative research to gather data to investigate what people perceive when they think
of the Y. The goal is to show, with data, facts, figures, and graphics, how programs run by the Y and
2 Which questions has the Y sought to answer with each different type of market research it has
conducted?
A national survey assessed the Y’s program awareness, why it offered the programs, and customer
3 Who are the main stakeholders that the Y is attempting to reach with the information it has
gained through its market research?
4 Are there other types of market research that the Y could conduct in the future to answer
other important questions? Give some examples of both the questions it still faces and the
research methods it could use to answer them
The Y can utilize various secondary and primary research methods:
Secondary data might come from free or very inexpensive external sources such as census data,
information from trade associations, and reports published in magazines. Firms also can purchase more
specific or applicable secondary data from specialized research firms. Finally, secondary sources can be
Additional Teaching Tips
This chapter explores how information systems create greater value for the customer. The research
process is one of the main concepts in this chapter as well as introducing the student to research
vocabulary and concepts.
This chapter is one that quite often students don’t like. They have difficulty in applying the research
vocabulary and understanding the research process. Students can often regurgitate the process but when
asked how it applies they are often confused. A teaching tip on understanding how information systems
can create value is to have students write down a product website they often visit and why they visit it (the
value they find in the website). Have them partner up in class and exchange papers. The partner will then
think of ways (using the book as an aid) that information systems can add value to that website. A
discussion between the partners after this exercise often leads to clarity of how information systems
Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
9
create greater value to the customer and the instructor can write some of these on the board during
classroom discussion.
Online Tip: This exercise can be easily transferred to a discussion posting in the online forum where
students are partnered up in the same way (or perhaps they can answer anyone’s post that hasn’t had a
reply yet) resulting in a short summary paper addressing how information systems create value.
The second concept is the research process. Again, students can often regurgitate the process but can’t
apply the concepts or the research terminology. After a discussion on vocabulary and concepts led by the
instructor, students can learn this process by applying critical thinking. This can be done either in groups
or as a class (for the online forum it can be a virtual team exercise). Assign either the class or the
teams a problem to solve (usually one that is widely understood by students) that is marketing based and
has students use their critical thinking to apply each step of the research process and use 3-5 terms
(such as exploratory, causal, descriptive).
Some examples of assigned research topics: (1) Will moving the pizza from the back to the front of the
college cafeteria result in more pizza sales? (2) Will offering an additional incentive to students to return
used book to the bookstore (instead of selling them on Amazon.com) provide more buy-back opportunity
for the college? The important aspect of this exercise is to keep the problem market-related and have
students use the vocabulary words correctly and understand how the process can lead to the solving of
marketing-related issues.
Connect Activities
Activity
Type
Learning Objectives 10-
01
02
03
04
05
Nike: Understanding Female Customers
Case Analysis
X
X
Superior Razors: The Marketing Research Process
Click & Drag
X
Kraft: Marketing Research Behind Ritz Toasted Chips
Video Case
X
X
AutoTrader.com: Using Marketing Research
Case Analysis
X
X
X
X
Dunkin’ Donuts: Market Research and Bakery
Sandwiches
Video Case
X
X
X
Using Market Research to Redefine the YMCA
Case Analysis
X
X
X
ISeeIt Video Case: Market Research Process
Video Case
X
X
X
Nike: Understanding Female Customers
▪ Activity Type: Case Analysis
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-03, 10-04
▪ Difficulty: Medium
▪ Activity Summary: This case describes Nike’s efforts to understand its female customers. Students
are asked questions applying chapter concepts to the case.
Activity
▪ Introduction: Nike is one of the most recognized brands in the world, predominantly for its apparel
and athletic shoe products. In recent years, Nike has failed to cater to the needs of its female
customers compared to smaller athletic brands. To investigate why the firm wasn’t capturing the
Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
10
female market share, Nike conducted research to better understand the female market. Nike wanted
to use this research to build a better product offering that was attractive to women. Review the case
that follows and answer the questions regarding Nike’s research techniques.
▪ Concept Review: Marketing research consists of a set of techniques and principles for systematically
collecting, recording, analyzing, and interpreting data that can aid decision makers involved in
marketing goods, services, or ideas. Marketing research is a critical function of any business decision
process. When marketing managers attempt to develop their strategies, market research can provide
valuable information that will help them make segmentation and positioning decisions.
Follow-Up Activity
Visit the Nike Women YouTube channel and see how Nike has implemented the findings of their research
in its marketing communications: https://www.youtube.com/user/NikeWomen.
One of the most popular ads is “Voices” from 2012, which can be found in the “Popular Uploads” section
of the page.
Superior Razors: The Marketing Research Process
▪ Activity Type: Click & Drag
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-01
▪ Difficulty: Medium
▪ Activity Summary: This case asks the student to classify different steps in a marketing research
project according to the step of the marketing research process each one represents.
Activity
▪ Introduction: The marketing team at Superior Razors, a producer of a national brand of men's
shaving products, has conducted research to find out how well the company is doing in comparison to
its competition and to hypothesize how it will fare in the near future. Read about the research project
and then assemble the marketing research process as instructed.
▪ Concept Review: Firms invest billions of dollars in marketing research every year. Why do marketers
find this research valuable? First, it helps to reduce some of the uncertainty under which they
constantly operate. Successful managers know when research might help their decision making, and
they take appropriate steps to acquire the information they need. Second, marketing research
provides a crucial link between firms and their environments, which enables firms to be customer
oriented because they build their strategies using customer input and continual feedback. Third, by
constantly monitoring their competitors, firms can respond quickly to competitive moves.
Kraft: Marketing Research Behind Ritz Toasted Chips
▪ Activity Type: Video Case
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-02, 10-03
▪ Difficulty: Medium
Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
11
▪ Activity Summary: This video case describes a research project that led to the introduction of Ritz
Toasted Chips, a snack product from Kraft. After the video ends, students are asked questions about
the video and related course concepts.
Activity
▪ Introduction: What is the difference between a cracker and a chip? Kraft asked that very question as
it decided to launch Ritz Toasted Chips, an extension of their Ritz cracker brand, originally launched
in 1934. Kraft needed to do market research to understand what would be the best product to create
and introduce to the market.
▪ Concept Review: Because research is both expensive and time consuming, it is important to
establish in advance exactly what information is required to answer specific research questions and
how that information should be obtained. It is important to ensure that the potential benefits of
answering the research questions exceed the cost of conducting the research.
▪ Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.
Follow-Up Activity
Internet research challenge: Have students find some websites for consulting companies that perform
marketing research for consumer packaged goods companies like Kraft. Note the wide range of different
kinds of studies performed.
AutoTrader.com: Using Marketing Research
▪ Activity Type: Case Analysis
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-01, 10-02, 10-03, 10-04
▪ Difficulty: Medium
▪ Activity Summary: This case describes a marketing research project undertaken by Autotrader.com
to understand the influences on consumers shopping for a car. Students answer questions applying
chapter concepts to the case.
Activity
▪ Introduction: Imagine you are responsible for making next year's media buys for a large automobile
dealership. You have your choice among traditional media, like television and newspaper advertising,
and Internet-based channels, like social networking sites and automotive sites. How do you decide
which types of advertising are most likely to build sales? The online automobile dealer
AutoTrader.com recognizes that convincing car dealers to advertise on its site requires proof that
their media dollars will be well spent. To convince dealers, AutoTrader.com uses marketing research
to better understand consumers’ car buying behavior.
▪ Concept Review: Marketing research consists of a set of techniques and principles for systematically
collecting, recording, analyzing, and interpreting data that can aid decision makers involved in
marketing goods, services, or ideas. Marketing research is a five-step process. First, the research
objectives are defined. Second, the study is designed. In the third step, researchers collect the data.
There are numerous secondary data sources and various primary data collection techniques. Next is
Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
12
the thorough and methodical step of analyzing and interpreting the data. In the final phase in the
marketing research process, the results are prepared and presented to the appropriate decision
makers, who undertake appropriate marketing strategies. In the research process, there are also
ethical considerations that must be examined.
Follow-Up Activity
Class discussion: Who has recently purchased a car? Do AutoTrader.com’s research findings match
students’ own experiences?
Dunkin’ Donuts: Marketing Research and Bakery Sandwiches
▪ Activity Type: Video Case
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-01, 10-02, 10-03
▪ Difficulty: Medium
▪ Activity Summary: Dunkin’ Donuts decided to expand its offerings by developing a line of bakery
sandwiches. This video case describes their development process. After the video ends, students are
asked questions about the video and related course concepts.
Activity
▪ Introduction: Dunkin’ Donuts saw an opportunity to expand its product mix beyond traditional
breakfast foods by offering bakery sandwiches with fillings such as ham, turkey, and chicken and tuna
salad. The company used marketing research techniques at every step of the development process
in order to ensure that the sandwiches they introduced would meet customers’ needs and could be
made and sold profitably in its locations.
▪ Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.
Follow-Up Activity
• The first phase of marketing research for Dunkin’ Donuts was to learn about when people wanted to
eat, what proteins and bakery items they preferred, and what prices they wanted to pay. In small
groups, have the students choose one research method OTHER than a survey and describe how it
could be used to learn more about consumers' sandwich preferences.
• Students sometimes have trouble understanding how experiments work. As a class, design a simple
experiment that could be used to compare three different recipes for a ham and cheese croissant
sandwich.
Using Market Research to Redefine the YMCA
▪ Activity Type: Case Analysis
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-01, 10-02, 10-03, 10-04
Chapter 10 - Marketing Research Marketing 6th
Copyright © 2018 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
13
▪ Difficulty: Medium
▪ Activity Summary: This case describes marketing research conducted by the YMCA as a first step
in a campaign to change consumers’ perceptions of its purpose and mission. After reading the case,
students answer questions requiring them to apply chapter concepts to the case.
Activity
▪ Introduction: The YMCA conducted marketing research to gain a better understanding of how its
brand was viewed by consumers. This activity is important because marketers are frequently called
on to design and implement marketing research programs. The goal of this activity is to apply
marketing research frameworks to the YMCA’s research activities.
ISeeIt Video Case: Market Research Process
▪ Activity Type: Video Case
▪ Learning Objectives: 10-01, 10-02, 10-03
▪ Difficulty: Easy
▪ Activity Summary: This video case explores how marketing research could be used to help to make
decisions about programs at a coffee shop.
Activity
▪ Introduction: Marketing research is a detailed process by which marketers can improve decision
making by using formal, structured approaches and information. By asking the right questions of the
right people, marketers can gain insights into the wants and needs of customers and take the
necessary actions to grow their businesses. This holds true for Martha at the Coffee Collective. She is
already successful within her local market but she wants to improve her offerings by hosting an open
mic night for local musicians, storytellers and other activities. She decides to have Gabbie and Marco
collect survey data as part of their marketing class assignment to see if her customers would want
this new feature. While Gabbie and Marco both design, collect and analyze information from potential
customers, they find mixed results from their surveys, mostly because Gabbie adopted a more
structured process. After looking at the results, Martha decides not to offer this new feature at the
Coffee Collective and instead focuses on providing the products, service and coffee drinking
experience that her customers have come to expect.
▪ Video: The video is presented to the student below the introductory information. The video plays
embedded on the page, after which questions are presented.
