Marketing Research

Dr.Kalpana Agrawal

 Crisp's definition of marketing research is relatively more adequate. According to him, marketing research is "the systematic, objective and exhaustive search for and study of the facts relevant to any problem in the field of marketing"." He, however, ignores problem identification as one of the functions of marketing research.

 Green and Tull's definition removes this lacuna. According to them, marketing. research is "the systematic and objective search for and analysis of information relevant to the identification-and solution of any problem in the field of marketing.

 As indicated earlier, we consider interpretation of research data and preparation of report for decision making also as essential elements of marketing resaearch. Considering the above definitions and various aspects of marketing research, it may be defined as an objective and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting of information relevant to identification of marketing problems and their solutions.

 Scope of marketing research has been growing during the last few decades. The National Industries Conference Board' found in a study of 237 manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies in 1969, that marketing research was conducted in the following areas:

Continue-- (j) research on markets, (ii) research on sales, (iii) research on products, (iv) research on advertising and promotion, and (v) research on corporate growth and development.

Business Economics and Corporate Research

(a) Short-range forecasting (up to one year) (b) Long-range forecasting (over one year) (c) Analysis of business trends (d) Pricing studies (e) Product-mix studies (f) Acquisition studies g) Export and international studies (h) Company-employees studies (i) Plant and warehousing location studies.

Advertising Research
(a) Motivation research (b) Copy research (c) Media research (d) Advertisement effectiveness studies.

Product Research
(a) New-product potential and acceptance studies (b) Competitive product studies (c) Product testing (d) Packaging and branding studies

SaIes and Market Research

(a) Measurement of market potentials (b) Market share analysis (c) Determination of market characteristics (d) Sales analysis (e) Establishment of sales quotas, territories (f) Distribution channel studies (g) Sales compensation studies.

5. Corporate Responsibility Research

(a) Consumer right to know studies (b) Ecological impact research (c) Research on legal constraints on advertising and promotion. (d) Social values and policies studies.

TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES OF MARKETING RESEARCH

The marketing manager should be familiar with the techniques and procedures of marketing research. He needs this knowledge not because he has to conduct, guide or supervise research but because he is involved in the identification and selection of marketing research projects. Only if he understands the basics of research can he predict the outcome of a proposed project and evaluate its utility. It will also help him in estimating its time and Cost implications.

 Marketing research techniques and process have been undergoing significant changes und the impact of developments in behavioural sciences and operations research. It is, therefore, not possible to do more than outline its basic fundamentals. The research procedure discussed here is not necessarily involved in the preparation and implementation of all research projects. It, however, indicates the various elements involved in it.

The basic steps involved in a research project are:

(i) identification and definition of the research problem; (ii) situation analysis and preliminary exploration; (iii) preparation of the research design; (iv) conducting the investigation; (v) processing, analysis and interpretation of research data; (vi) preparation of research report; and (vii) follow-up.

Identification and Definition of the Problem

This is the most crucial step in marketing research, or for that matter, in any kind of research. A researcher cannot hope to get the right answer from his research if he has not in the first instance correctly and fully identified and defined his research problem. What is it that he wants to find out? Does he want to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising, competitor's competition strategy, changes in customers tastes and preferences, demographic or disposable personal income changes? What he eventually finds will depend on what he started to find out.