Sales Chapter 3 Homework Almost Certainly The Research Will Done The

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

see Practicing Marketing Research: Where Do I Send the RFP? (p 72)

It’s best to pinpoint suppliers through extensive research or professional referrals. By pinpointing

4. THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROPOSAL

I. Research Proposal

A. Research Proposal–document developed usually in response to an

1. Title Page–includes the title of the project from the RFP, the names of the prepares of the

proposal, and contact information who the proposal is being prepared for and the date

2. Statement of the Research Objectives–usually stated in the

RFP–if not they must be determined as described

4. Areas of Questioning–not found in all proposals–however, it may be helpful and is a tentative

list of survey topics based on the research objectives

6. Personnel Involved–provides a list of all people involved in the project and short vita of each

7. Specifications and Assumptions–to make sure that supplier and potential client are on the

9. Cost–specify the cost and payment schedule

10. Timing–state when various phases of the project will be completed

II. What to Look for in a Marketing Research Supplier

A. Desirable Qualities in Marketing Researcher:

2. Is honest

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

4. Is flexible

6. Provides high-quality output

8. Has high quality-control standards

10. Keeps the client informed throughout a project

B. Two Important Qualities–confidentiality and honesty–these are ethical issues

C. Good Communications–successful marketing research organization requires good

communications both within the research company and with clients

1. Managers spend at least 80 percent of every working day in direct communication with other

(48 minutes of every hour)

5. WHAT MOTIVATES DECISION MAKERS TO USE MARKET RESEARCH?

2. Clarity of presentation

4. Political acceptability within the firm

6. SUMMARY

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW & CRITICAL THINKING

1. The definition of the research problem is one of the most critical steps in the research

process. Why? Who should be involved in this process?

2. What role does exploratory research play in the market research process? How does

exploratory research differ from other forms of marketing research?

Exploratory research is used by the researcher to investigate the research problem in depth. This

may lead to better definition of the problem, better understanding of the situation, and better

3. Give some examples of symptoms of problems and then suggest some underlying real

problems.

Declining sales revenue may be an outward symptom of 1) poor positioning strategy, 2) possible

4. Give several examples of situations in which it would be better to take a census of the

population rather than a sample.

5. Critique the following methodologies and suggest more appropriate alternatives:

a. A supermarket is interested in determining its image. Cashiers drop a short

questionnaire into the grocery bag of each customer prior to bagging the groceries.

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

This method has the advantage of potentially reaching all customers. However, the customer

might not find the questionnaire in the bottom of the grocery bag. The customer also might not

b. To assess the extent of its trade area, a shopping mall stations interviewers in the

parking lot every Monday and Friday evening. After people park their cars,

interviewers walk up to them and ask them for their Zip codes.

One of the first problems identified with this method is interviewing customers only on Monday

and Friday evenings. How many different customers might be missed? Many people take

c. To assess the potential for new horror movies starring alien robots, a major studio

invites people to call a 900 number and vote yes if they would like to see such movies

or no if they would not. Each caller was billed a $2 charge.

Your sample will probably not be representative of the target market. Only those with extreme

feelings would call to answer this question. Many people would have an opinion, but will not be

6. You have been charged with determining how to attract more business majors to your

school. Outline the steps you would take, including the sampling procedures to accomplish

this task.

A. Identify the problem and state the marketing research objectives.

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

B. Create the Research Design.

C. Choose the Basic Method of Research.

Surveys, observation, or experiments. In this case a survey could give good results. If you ask

D. Selection of the Sampling Procedure.

First define the population of interest, then decide whether to conduct a census or a

representative sample. Will you use a probability or nonprobability sample? How large will the

E. Collecting the Data.

By now we have written and tested the survey instrument and selected the sample. We might

hire a field service firm to administer the survey or train a research team composed of in-house

resources.

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

F. Analysis of the Data.

This may also be done in-house or contracted to an outside agency. Cost, speed, and capability

are considerations.

G. Preparation and Writing the Report.

7. What can researchers do to increase the chances that decision makers will use the

marketing research information they generate?

Be sure that the marketing manager is on-board with the research from the very beginning. The

manager needs to agree that the information sought by the research will help make a decision.

Be sure the research clearly answers the research questions and that these answers are in a form

8. Explain the critical role of the research proposal.

The research proposal is the contract or the charter that defines the scope of the research project.

It contains the specific statement of the research question that the project is to answer. It

9. (Team exercise) Divide the class into teams of four or five. Half of the teams should

prepare short RFP’s on the following topics:

1. Food on campus

2. Role of fraternities and sororities on campus

3. Entertainment in your city

4. Your university Web site

5. Role of student internships in education

6. Online purchasing of school supplies

7. Purchasing music on the Internet

The RFP’s should state clearly and precisely the research objectives and other pertinent

information. The remaining teams should create proposals in response to the RFP’s.

WORKING THE NET

1. Go to the Internet and search on “intranet + future.” Report your findings to the class.

In January 2006, we found 175 “hits.” Most were worthless. The best of them got at the issue

2. Describe how putting research reports on the Web can benefit managers.

Once research reports are on the firm’s Web site, they are available for other managers to review

at any time in the future. This means instant access to information that can help managers to

3. Go to a search engine and type “writing RFPs.” Explain what kind of help is available to

prepare RFPs.

REAL-LIFE RESEARCH

Case 3.1- Let’s Go Out to Eat (p 79)

Key Points

• Creating positive customer experiences can make any customer more valuable to the

Questions

1. Would you say that this was an exploratory study? If not, what are the research

questions?

2. Is this research causal or descriptive? Why?

3. Explain how the Olive Garden might use this information; McDonald’s.

4. What might be included in an RFP to do further research?

The RFP would include the benefits of future research, the timeline and the cost estimate.

Case 3.2– Cessna Aircraft (p 84)

Key Points

McDaniel & Gates – Marketing Research, 9th Edition Instructor’s Manual

Questions

1. What is the management decision problem?

Cessna wants to sell more aircraft. Based upon previous research, they think they understand

that 20 percent of the people who hold private pilot’s licenses eventually buy aircraft. Women

2. Define the marketing research problem(s).

Cessna needs to gain understanding about buyer behavior in the light aircraft market. In 2000,

3. Develop the marketing research objectives.

Objective 1. Identify the market segments that demand the product line offered by Cessna

Aircraft.

4. Explain how a marketing researcher should use the problem definition process to answer

the above questions.

The market researcher should determine strategies that will differentiate Cessna’s market