BRM I
BRM I - Book Summary
Chapter 1: Introduction to Marketing Research (p. 9-12)
- The market research process consists of six broad stages (discussed below).
Step 1: Problem definition
The logical starting point in wishing to support the decision maker is trying to understand
the nature of the marketing problem that requires research support.
Step 2: Developing a research approach
The development of an approach to the research problem involves identifying factors
that influence research design.
Step 3: Research design
A framework or blueprint for conducting a market research project. It details the
procedures necessary for obtaining the required information.
Step 4: Fieldwork or data collection
All about collecting the required data to explore your research.
Step 5: Data analysis
The editing, coding, transcription and verification of data. This is critical to ensure the
integrity and accuracy of findings.
Step 6: Communicating findings
Communicating effectively to stakeholders - traditionally through documents, but
increasingly through alternative means.
Chapter 2: Defining the Marketing Research Problem and Developing a
Research Approach (p. 39-55)
- By formally developing and exchanging a marketing research brief and research
proposal, the marketing decision maker and the researcher utilise their distinctive skills.
They ensure that the market problem and research problems have been correctly defined
and an appropriate research approach is developed.
- The decision maker needs to understand the capabilities and limitations of research.
Research provides information relevant to management decisions, but it cannot provide
solutions.
- A problem audit provides a useful framework to develop ideas form a brief, allowing the
researcher to interact with the decision maker and identify the underlying causes of the
problem. It is a comprehensive examination of a marketing problem with the purpose of
understanding its origin and nature.
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- A problem audit involves discussions with the decision maker on the following issues:
1. The events that led to the decision that action is needed, or a brief history of the
problem.
2. The corporate culture as it relates to decision making.
3. The alternative courses of actions available to the decision maker.
4. The criteria that will be used to evaluate the alternative course of action.
5. What the decision maker perceives to be gaps in their knowledge.
6. The manner in which the decision maker will use each item of information in making
the decision.
- A problem audit, which (once again) involves extensive interaction between the decision
maker and the researcher, can greatly facilitate problem definition by determining the
underlying causes.
- The interaction between the decision maker and the researcher can be characterised
as follows:
• Communication - a free exchange of ideas between the decision maker and the
researcher is essential.
• Cooperation - marketing research is a team project in which both parties must
cooperate, form problem diagnosis through to the interpretation and presentation of
findings.
• Confidence - mutual trust of each other's distinct skills and contribution should
underlie the interaction between the decision maker and the researcher.
• Candour - there should not be any hidden agendas, and an attitude of openness
should prevail.
• Closeness - an understanding of each other's problems should result in a closeness
that should characterise the relationship between the decision maker and the researcher.
• Continuity - the decision maker and the researcher must interact continually rather than
sporadically.
• Creativity - the interaction between the decision maker and the researcher should be
creative rather than formulaic. Though the research process may be laid out in easy-to-
follow steps, in reality great amounts of creativity are needed at each stage.
- Qualitative interviews with industry experts who are individuals knowledgeable about
the firm and the industry can help in diagnosing the nature of the marketing and research
problem. However, two difficulties may arise when seeking advice from experts:
1. Some individuals who claim to be knowledgeable and are eager to participate may
not really posses expertise.
2. It may difficult to locate and obtain help from experts who are outside the
commissioning organisation, i.e. access to these individuals may be problematic.
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- Secondary data are data collected for some purpose other than the problem at hand.
- Primary data are data originated by the researcher specifically to address the research
problem.
- The marketing decision problem asks what the decision maker needs to do, whereas
the marketing research problem asks what information is needed and how it can best
be obtained. The marketing research problem is information oriented, whereas the
marketing decision problem is action oriented.
- To clarify the difference between the marketing decision problem versus the marketing
research problem:
Marketing decision problem Marketing research problem
Evaluates what the decision maker needs to do Evaluates what information is needed to support the
identified marketing decision
Action oriented Information oriented
Focuses upon symptoms Focuses on the underlying causes
- A conceptual map is a way to link the broad statement of the marketing problem to the
marketing research problem. It involves three components:
1. The marketing decision maker wants to (take an action)
2. Therefore we should study (topic)
3. So that we can explain (question)
- The general rule to be followed in defining the research problem is that the definition
should:
→ allow the researcher to obtain all the information needed to address the marketing
decision problem;
→ guide the researcher in maintaining focus and preceding with the project in a
consistent manner.
- Researchers make two common errors in problem definition:
1. The research problem is defined too broadly: where it does not provide clear
guidelines for the subsequent steps involved in the project.
2. The research problem is defined too narrowly: where it may preclude consideration of
some courses of action.
- With respect to the two common errors, the marketing research problem should be a
broad statement with specific components.
- The broad perspective of the problem is the initial statement of the marketing research
problem that provides an appropriate perspective on the problem.
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- The specific components of the problem is the second part of the marketing research
problem definition that focuses on the key aspects of the problem and provides clear
guidelines on how to proceed further.
- How the researcher perceives the research problem affects the paradigm they will adopt
in either an implicit or explicit manner. Here, a paradigm is a set of assumptions
consisting of agreed-upon knowledge, criteria of judgement, problem fields and ways to
consider them.
- A theory is a conceptual scheme based on foundational statements, or axioms, that are
assumed to be true. Researchers should aim to base their investigations upon objective
evidence, supported by theory.
- Objective evidence is perceived to be unbiased evidence, supported by empirical
findings.
- The role of theory in applied marketing research:
Research Task Role of Theory
Conceptualising and Provides a conceptual foundation and understanding of the basic
identifying key processes underlying the problem situation; these processes will
variables suggest key dependent and independent variables
Operationalising key Provides guidance for the practical means to measure or encapsulate
variables the concepts or key variables identified
Selecting a research Causal or associative relationships suggested by the theory may
design indicate whether a causal, descriptive or exploratory research design
should be adopted
Selecting a sample Helps in defining the nature of a population, characteristics that may be
used to stratify populations or to validate samples
Analysing and The theoretical framework and the models, research questions and
interpreting data hypotheses based on it guide the selection of a data analysis strategy
and the interpretation of results
Integrating findings The findings obtained in the research project can be interpreted in the
light of previous research and integrated with the existing body of
knowledge
- An analytical model is a set of variables and their interrelationships, designed to
represent, in whole or in part, some real system or processes. Models can have many
different forms:
→ Verbal Models: analytical models that provide a written representation of the
relationships between variables.
→ Graphical Models: analytical models that provide a visual picture of the relationships
between variables.
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→ Mathematical Models: analytical models that explicitly describe the relationships
between variables, usually in equation form.
- Research questions are refined statements of the components of the problem.
- A hypothesis is an unproven statement or proposition about a factor or phenomenon
that is of interest to a researcher.
- To illustrate the development of research questions and hypotheses:
Chapter 3: Research Design
- A research design is a framework or plan for conducting a marketing research project. It
details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or
solve marketing research problems.
- Typically, a research design involves:
1. Defining the information needed
2. Deciding whether overall design is to be exploratory, descriptive or causal
3. Designing the sequence of techniques of understanding and/or measuring
4. Constructing and pre-testing an appropriate form for data collection or questionnaire
5. Specifying the qualitative and/or quantitative sampling process and sample size
6. Developing a plan of qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis
- Marketing decision makers seek support from researchers that is of practical relevance to
the decisions they face. To give practical support, decision makers expect information
that is:
• Accurate: the most valid representation of the phenomena under investigation, that
has come from the most reliable or consistent form of measurement.
• Current: as up to data as possible.
• Sufficient: the completeness or clarity of a 'picture' that reflects the characteristics of
the marketing problem the decision makers face.
• Available: that access to the relevant information can be made when a decision is
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imminent.
• Relevant: that the support given makes sense to decision makers.
- Within the accuracy (mentioned above) there are further trade-offs that are primarily
caused by what the researcher is attempting to measure or understand:
→ The subject of investigation is usually human
→The process of measuring or observing humans may cause them to change
→ It is difficult to assess the effects of extraneous variables in marketing experiments and
thus their applications are limited
- The potential participants in any marketing research investigation play a vital role in
deciding which research design will actually work in practice. A subject of study may be
complex and need time for participants to reflect upon and put words to the questions
posed. Certain methods are more likely to build up a rapport and trust - in these
circumstances putting the participants in the right frame of mind and getting them to
respond in a full and honest manner.
- Below is a framework that serves to remind how participants may be accessed, and what
kinds of response may be generated:
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- Research designs may be classified as exploratory or conclusive. Exploratory research is
a research design characterised by a flexible and evolving approach to understanding
marketing phenomena that are inherently difficult to measure. Whereas, conclusive
research is a research design characterised by the measurement of clearly defined
marketing phenomena. To illustrate:
Note that under exploratory research, qualitative exploration and quantitive exploration
should be nodes - despite that they are not present in this figure.
- Differences between exploratory and conclusive research:
Exploratory Conclusive
Objective To provide insights and understanding To test specific hypotheses and
of the nature of marketing examine relationships; to measure
phenomena; to understand
Characteristics Information needed may be loosely Information needed is clearly defined;
defined; research process is flexible, research process is formal and
unstructured and may evolve; small structured; sample is large and aims to
samples; data analysis can be be representative; data analysis is
qualitative or quantitative quantitateve
Findings/results Can be used in their own right; may Can be used in their own right; may
feed into conclusive research; may feed into exploratory research; may set
illuminate specific conclusive findings a context to exploratory findings
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