This document discusses different types of market research, including desk research and field research. Desk research involves using secondary sources like newspapers, websites, and trade journals, while field research gathers primary data through surveys, interviews, and observations. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, time requirements, specificity of information, and ability to access unique data. The document also provides examples of different survey methods and considerations for sampling techniques.

1. MARKET RESEARCH

2. Types of Market Research
- Field Research
- Desk Research

3. DESK RESEARCH
(SECONDARY INFO)
 Using information which has already
been gathered

4. Examples of Desk Research
 Newspaper articles
 Competitors Websites
 Trade journals

5.  Desk Research – Advantages
 Less expensive to gather than Field Research
 Information is more readily available
 Desk Research – Disadvantages
 Information may be out of date
 Information may not be specific enough for
your needs
 Information may also be accessed by
competitors

6. FIELD RESEARCH
(PRIMARY INFO)
 The business which collects the
information will be the only one with
access to it
 Information does not exist and is
gathered for a specific purpose

7.  Information gathered through field
research is usually qualitative – peoples
opinions and views e.g. someone rates
the service in a restaurant as very good
 These subjective opinions can then be
converted into quantitative info – this is
factual based on numbers – e.g. 5 people
rated the service as very good

8. Examples of Field Research
 Surveys
 Interviews
 Observations
(See Field Research Methods)

9.  Field Research – Advantages
 Information is more likely to meet your
needs/for a specific purpose
 Information is up-to-date
 Field Research – Disadvantages
 Costly to gather
 Time consuming to gather
 People may lie when answering your questions

10. Internal Information
 Much of the information an organisation
requires will already be held and created by its
various departments.
 For example the production figures for
February, sales figures for March, absence
figures for April

11.  Internal Sources – Advantages
 Unique to the organisation therefore it is
relevant
 The source is reliable and known
 Internal Sources – Disadvantages
 Information may be out-dated or incomplete
 The cost involved in keeping data on
computers

12. External Information
 Information which is found from outwith the
organisation.
 For example an article in a Sunday Newspaper,
competitors website, survey to customers,
focus group

13.  External Sources – Advantages
 Easy to obtain, saving time in gathering
 The information can be accessed quickly using
the internet in some cases
 External Sources – Disadvantages
 Unreliable sources
 Informaton may be out-dated

14. Task
 Type ‘List of marketing research firms’
into Wikipedia
 Choose and research one business from
the UK and prepare a PowerPoint with
info about that business
 Include where it started, who started it,
who it does research for, what kind of
research it does and any other interesting
info

15. Field Research Methods
• Surveys (Questionnaires)
• Other Methods

16. Methods of Surveying
 Personal interview - where individuals are
asked questions at home or in the street using a
questionnaire.
 Advantages: This allows for two-way communication. It
allows for points to be clarified. Body Language can be
read to add extra information.
 Disadvantages: Time consuming to gather information
from each interviewee. Expensive to pay interviewers for
their time and training.
 Telephone survey - where individuals are
contacted at home and asked questions.
 Advantages: This is a relatively inexpensive form of
research as there is no travel costs. The response is
immediate.
 Disadvantages: People may not like taking part in a
survey and hang up. Complicated surveys are unsuitable
for this method.

17. Methods of Surveying
 Postal survey - Where a list of questions is sent
out through the post.
 Advantages: This is a relatively inexpensive method as
it does not require an interviewer.
 Disadvantages: Time taken to collect the responses can
be slow. It tends to yield a low return rate.
 Online survey - Where a list of questions are
answered using a website.
 Advantages: This is a great way to gather information
from a wide geographical area with little cost.
 Disadvantages: Only people who have access to
computers can complete the survey.

18. Methods of Surveying
 Street survey - Where people in the street are
asked a list of questions.
 Advantages: This is a good method for choosing the
candidates (target segments) you wan to survey.
 Disadvantages: Requires employees to carry out the
surveys which could cost extra for the training.

19. Other Field Research
Methods
 Hall Test - where consumers are invited to try a
product and give their reactions. It allows
qualitative information to be gathered.
 Advantages: Researchers are able to collect visual
information and reactions to products.
 Disadvantages: Consumers may tell you what they
think you want to hear.
 Observation - where a person watches and
records the behaviour of individuals. This
provides quantitative information.
 Advantages: Researchers are able to collect unbiased
information as consumers do not know they are being
watched.
 Disadvantages: You cannot gain verbal or written
responses from those observed.

20. Other Field Research
Methods
 Focus Groups – Involves specially selected
groups of people. Usually led by an experienced
chairperson who will encourage discussion. It
allows for opinions, attitudes and feelings to be
gathered.
 Advantages: Researchers are able to generate a
discussion which may yield extra information.
 Disadvantages: This extra information can be hard to
analyse and decisions may be based on the responses
of a small group of people.

21. SAMPLING
 The sample group should be made
up of people that are representative
of all the potential buyers of the
product

22. CHOOSING A SAMPLE
 Quota sampling is a method for
selecting survey participants where the
business can put a demand on who they
want to sample (targeting).
 The idea is to select subjects from each
segment based on a specified proportion.
 For example, an interviewer may be told
to sample 200 females and 300 males
between the age of 45 and 60.

23.  Random sampling is where a list of
names is randomly generated to survey.
Usually picked using computer software.
 This means there is no bias shown when
selecting participants however the people
selected MUST be interviewed.
 Unfortunately the software doesn’t reflect
the population in proportion

24.  Stratified Random Sampling is where
segments are identified to represent the
population. After which a random sample
of each segment is taken.
 For example, if 60% of the population is
female then the researcher will take 60%
of the feedback from females

25. Types of Information
 Written –Letters, reports, questionnaires,
forms – whether on paper, e-mail, fax or
on the Internet
 Verbal – Face to face (meetings,
interviews), pager, phone, voice mail,
answering machine
 Pictorial - Pictures, Videos, Signs, Displays
 Graphical - Graphs, Charts, diagrams
 Numerical – Figures, Prices, Percentages

26. Advantages/Benefits
 Written – can be referred back to, useful
for complicated information
 Verbal – immediate response can be
given
 Pictorial – easier to understand and
remember than lengthy written
instructions
 Graphical – Easy comparisons can be
made
 Numerical – easy to see trends and make
comparisons

27. Disadvantages/Costs
 Written – Requires a degree of Literacy
skills
 Verbal – Points may be misinterpreted
 Pictorial – Does not suit complex
information
 Graphical – Requires numeracy skills to
create the graphs
 Numerical – Requires numeracy skills to
interpret the information