RESEARCH

METHODS
Claro G. Ganac
Broad Marketing Research Process
Nature, Scope and
DILEMMA OR PROBLEM
Parameters of the Problem
Observation, Secondary
EXPLORATORY Research, Qualitative
RESEARCH Research, Literature Review
• Research Problem
PROBLEM DEFINITION • Hypothesis
• Objectives
CONCLUSIVE • Research Design
RESEARCH • Execution/Analysis
MR Report/Thesis/ Evaluation
REPORT or Feasibility Study
 Objects of Applied Research

Problem Identification Problem Solution

Expectations Alternatives

Evaluation
Results
=

Recommendation
GAP or OPPORTUNITY

Problem Statement Strategy or Tactic

Two-Step Marketing Research

MARKET RESEARCH • Business trends

• Market sizing and
profiling
• Product needs or wants
Problem / • Company image
Opportunity • Underlying consumer
Identification
attitudes/behavior
• Segmental profile
• Competition analysis
• Current demand and
sales
Problem Solution
2-Step Marketing Research

MARKET RESEARCH
• Usage, Attitude, Image
(UAI) Study
Problem Identification • Competitive
Benchmarking
• Product Research

Problem Solution • Brand Name Study

• Pricing Research
• Promotions Research
• Distribution Research
• Post Ad Recall and
Effectiveness Studies
 Why Marketing Research

Primary Research
Methods
Research Decision Making Process

Becomes
information
Data when which when Becomes
organized analyzed intelligence

MAKE DECISION
Information is ….
Identify and define market/
management/knowledge
opportunities and problems

Develop alternative courses of

action to solve management
and marketing problems
Monitor marketing performance

Generate, refine, and evaluate

theory and concepts

Improve understanding of
marketing as a process
8
FIGURE 8-2 Types of marketing information

TYPES OF DATA
Research Methods
Survey and Data
Collection
Research
enables the Research
generation Methods
of data and
its analysis
Sampling Design

Measurement
Research Design: Definition

• A research design is a framework or

blueprint for conducting the
marketing research project. It details
the procedures necessary for
obtaining the information needed to
structure or solve the research
problems/questions.
Classification of Research Designs

Research Design

Exploratory Conclusive
Research Research

Descriptive Casual
Research Research

Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Design Design
 Basic Research Methods
Objectives

Help
Helpdefine
definethe
theparameters
parametersand
and
Exploratory boundaries
boundariesof
ofthe
theproblem
problemand
and
Research suggest
suggesthypotheses
hypotheses


Describe
Describemarket
marketdemographics,
demographics,
attitudes
attitudesand
andbuying
buyingpatterns
patterns
Descriptive 
Determine
Determinemarket
marketsegment
segment
Research differences
differencesininattitude
attitudeand
andusage
usage

Discover
Discoverthe
therelationship
relationshipbetween
between
two
twoorormore
moreevents
eventsor orsituations
situations

Predict
Predictmarket
marketbehavior
behavior

Causal

Test
Testhypotheses
hypothesesabout
aboutcause
causeand-
and-
effect
effectrelationships.
relationships.
Research Source: Adapted from Prentice
Hall
 Exploratory & Conclusive Research
Differences
Exploratory Conclusive
Objective: To discover To test specific hypotheses
ideas;provide insights and examine relationships.
and understanding.
Character- Information needed is
istics: Information needed is clearly defined. Research
defined only loosely. process is formal and
Research process is structured. Sample is large
flexible and and representative. Data
unstructured. Sample is analysis is quantitative.
small and non-
representative. Analysis
Findings of primary data is
/Results: qualitative. Conclusive. Can be used for
decision-making.
Outcome:
Tentative, preliminary. Findings used as input into
Input to more in-depth decision making.
Exploratory
Research
 Exploratory Research
Boundaries
SCOPE OF THE Factor 1
(Limitations)
RESEARCH Parameters
PROBLEM (Variables) Insights

Factor …. EXPLORATORY
Factor 2
N RESEARCH

Ideas Feelings,
Motives
Factor 3
Uses of Exploratory Research

• Formulate the problem or define a problem

more precisely
• Identify alternative courses of action
• Develop hypotheses
• Isolate key variables and relationships for
further examination
• Gain insights for developing an approach to the
problem
Uses of Exploratory Research
• Gain background information
• Identify underlying attributes and properties
of a phenomena, behavior,
• Clarify problems and formulation of
hypotheses.
• Establish research priorities.
 Difference between Exploratory and
Conclusive Research
Exploratory Conclusive

Objective: To provide insights and To test specific hypotheses

understanding. and examine relationships.

Characteristics: Information needed is Information needed is

defined loosely. clearly defined. Research
Research process is process is formal and
flexible and structured. Sample is large
unstructured. Sample is and representative.
small and non-
representative. Analysis Data analysis is
of primary data is quantitative.
Findings qualitative. Research instrument
/Results: structured

Outcome: Open-ended. Vague. Conclusive.

Tentative at best
Exploratory Research Methods

Observation

Case Study
Exploratory Secondary
Research

Qualitative
Observation Research

A research method
that does not involve
personal interaction
between interviewer
and subject.
 Observation Research
People
People Mystery
MysteryShoppers
Shoppers
Watching
Watching
People
People One-Way
One-WayMirrors
Mirrors

Types
Typesof
of People
People
Observation
Observation Watching Audits
Research
Research Watching Audits
an
anActivity
Activity

Machines
Machines Traffic
TrafficCounters
Counters
Watching
Watching
People
People Passive
PassivePeople
PeopleMeter
Meter
 Observational Research

Advantages Disadvantages

1. Eliminates bias from the 1. Data collection costs are

interviewing process high

2. Subjective, unsolicited
2. Does not rely on the
info is limited
respondent's willingness
to provide data
3. No insight on the
problem that you didn’t
think to consider
Secondary Research

Data previously collected for

any purpose other
than the one required at
hand.

ALWAYS USE THIS FIRST

TO EXPLORE
Sources of Secondary
Data
 PRIVATE (INTERNAL)
INFORMATION
• Accounting records
• Sales reports
• Past marketing research
studies
• Private database (usually
from credit card
companies) that are
purchased
Sources of Secondary Data
 PUBLIC
• Government agencies (NSCB, NEDA,
NSO, etc.)
• Business chambers and trade
associations (PCCI, Business Process
Association of the Philippines, Philippine
Marketing Association, etc.)
• Think-tank organizations, universities
(UP, UA & P, Social Weather Station, etc.)
• Marketing Research agencies (AC
Nielsen, etc.)
• Newspapers and other publications
Advantages of Secondary Research

• Saves time and money if on target

• Aids in determining direction for primary data
collection
• Pinpoints the survey respondents to approach
• Serves as a basis of comparison
for other data
Disadvantages of Secondary
Research

• May not answer the exact question of your

research problem
• Data and information is generally late, and
may not be useful anymore for the purpose
of the study
• Quality - Don’t know who gathered it and
how the data was gotten
• Accuracy of data may pose a problem-
Don’t know age of the info and how biased
the survey was
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is
a loosely defined term.
It implies that the
research findings are
not determined by
quantification or
quantitative analysis.
Qualitative Research Methods

• Depth Interviews
• Projective Techniques
• Focus Groups
• Observation (Ethnography)
 Conclusive and
Descriptive Research
 Primary Data
Objective is to obtain new and
needed information relevant to the
purpose of the research.

ALWAYS
USE THIS LAST
Advantages of Primary Research

• Answers a specific research question

• Data are current
• Source of data is known; margin of
error can be predicted
• Secrecy can be maintained
Disadvantages of Primary
Research

• Expensive
• Quality declines if interviews
are lengthy
• Reluctance of respondents to
participate in lengthy interviews
• Bias may be present
 Conclusive Research

Conclusive Research

Descriptive Causal
Research Research

 Composition and
 Cause-and-
characteristics
effect
 Differences relationships
 Associations
 Predictions
 Types of Descriptive Studies
Descriptive
Studies

Consumer
Perception
Market
Sales And Behavior Characteristic
Studies Studies Studies

• Attitudes • Customer
• Sales Trends characteristics
• Image
• Forecasts and • Buying
Potential • Product Usage behavior

• Market Share • Advertising • Distribution

• Sales Analysis • Marketing Mix • Competitive

Analysis
Descriptive and Causal Research
Descriptive Causal
Objective: Describe market Determine cause
characteristics or and effect
functions; discover relationships
differences and
associations Manipulation of one
Characteristi or more
cs: Marked by the prior independent
formulation of specific variables; Control
hypotheses of other mediating
variables
Preplanned and
structured design Experiments

Methods: Surveys
Opinion polls
Consumer Panels
Observation and other
data
 Use of Descriptive Research
• Describe the
characteristics of
relevant groups, such as
consumers, employees,
organizations, or
market areas.
• Estimate the magnitude
(number or proportion)
of a specified group in
the population
exhibiting a certain
behavior.
 Use of Descriptive Research
• Determine the degree of
relationship between
social, economic,
marketing and other
variables.
• Facilitate specific
predictions
• (For evaluation studies)
To determine the
effective of management,
HR, marketing strategies
and programs
 Descriptive Research -- Example

What does this data indicate to you about the relationship

between income and perceptions of location?
 Descriptive Research
• Cross-sectional studies
– Data collected at a single period in time from
a cross-sectional sample of the unit of
interest that is disbanded after the data
collection
• Longitudinal studies
– Repeated measurements taken over a long
period of time from a panel group or sample
of the unit that is maintained for future
measurements
 Cross-sectional Studies
• Data collected at a single period in time
from a cross-sectional sample of the unit
of interest that is disbanded after the
data collection
– Conducted in a single time period
– Uses a cross-sectional sample of the unit
– Once the study is complete the sample is not
used again
– Most common descriptive research method
 Longitudinal Studies
• Repeated measurements taken over a
long period of time from a panel group or
sample of the unit that is maintained for
future measurements
– Measurements taken during many different
time periods
– Measurements taken from a panel
– A PANEL is a sample of units that is
maintained for multiple measurements taken
during multiple time periods
 Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs

Cross Sample
Sectional Surveyed at
Design T1

Sample Same Sample

Longitudinal Surveyed at also Surveyed
Design T1 at T2

Time T1 T2
Consumer Panel Research
• Consumption of key products (usually
FMCG)
• Fixed respondents record their purchases
and/or use of the different products in daily
diary-type form
• Panel studies are tracking research of the
same respondents
• The panel may be enrolled for 1 to 2 years
(should be “typical” of the market segment
participants)
• TV viewership panel involves use of device
that automatically records the channel
viewed, durations, channel switching, etc.
 Longitudinal Panels
• OMNIBUS PANEL: different subjects are
pulled from the panel for each time
period
– Drawbacks: data is not as reliable
• TRUE PANEL: the same subjects are used
for the panel every time data is collected
– Drawbacks: members sometimes evolve out
of the desired study group or are induced by
the study to change their practices thus
tainting the data
Results of Longitudinal
Brand Use Study
 Changes in Brand Shares:
Case 1

• What insights can you gain from this table?

 Changes in Brand Shares:
Case 2

• What insights can you gain from this table?

What kind of descriptive research?
What kind of descriptive research?
What kind of descriptive research?
 The life cycle of a survey from a design
perspective
Target Population
Construct
What Who
is the is the Sampling Frame
survey survey
Measurement about? about?
Sample

Response
Collection dimention Respondent
concerns how questionnaire
Edited will be administered to
Response respondents Postsurvey Adjustments

Survey statistics
The Measurement dimension describes The Representational dimention
what data are to be collected about the concerns what population are
observational units in the sample described by the survey