The scope of International Marketing Research

1. Traditionally, Marketing research has been charged with the following
three broad areas of responsibility,
 Environmental Studies –
Added environmental complexity of global marketing ,
managers need timely input on various national environments
 Market Studies –
Determine the size of a market and the needs of potential
customers
 Competitive Studies –
provide insights about competitors, both domestic and foreign

2. is most useful when the company does
not have a base in that country and its relevant experience is
limited
 Global Marketing Research also is used to make both strategic and
tactical decisions. Strategies decisions include deciding what
market to enter, how to enter them(exporting, licensing, Joint
Venture), where to locate production facilities and how to position
products via an Vs. Competitors
 Marketing Research provides the information the firm needs to
avoid the costly mistakes of poor strategies or lost opportunities
E.g.-
Pepsi Cola in Europe , they grab youth market with Pepsi MAX
( diet Pepsi) by Researching that youth people concern about a cola
that comes without Sugar

3. The Research Process
There are 4 Steps to follow in a research
(domestic or international assignments)
 Problem definition and development of
research objectives
 Determine of the sources of information
 Collection and analysis of the data from
primary and secondary sources
 Analysis of the data

4. Utilizing Secondary Data

5. Advantages and Disadvantages of
Secondary Data
Advantages
 Inexpensive
 Easily accessible
 Immediately available
 Will provide essential background and help to
clarify or refine research problem – essential
for literature review
 Secondary data sources will provide research
method alternatives.
 Will also alert the researcher to any potential
difficulties.

6. Disadvantages
 Frequently outdated – e.g. census data
 Potentially unreliable – not always sure
where information has come from
 May not be applicable – may not totally
answer your research questions
 Lack of availability – i.e. no data available
or very difficult to obtain

7. Analysis by Inference
(Not in a position to run a research)
Inference can be made on the basis of Related Products,
Relative Market Size and Analyze of demand patterns
 Related Products
E.g.- Between Replacement tires and automobiles on the road
 Relative Market Size
E.g. – U.S.A and Canada
(almost Same Economic System and Consumption Patterns)
 Analysis of Demand Patterns
E.g. - Relationship with GDP per Capita and Total Manufacturing

8. Primary Data
Primary research consists of a collection of original
primary data collected by the researcher. It is often
undertaken after the researcher has gained some insight
into the issue by reviewing secondary research or by
analyzing previously collected primary data.

9. Collection Methods of Primary Data

10. Developing a Research Across
Cultures
 A researcher must deal with Problems of Comparability
when survey research is undertaken in more than one
country to compare buyers attitudes or behaviors in
different markets
 Focus groups help capture appropriate variables to
investigate
 Creating a cross-cultural questionnaire requires
Back translation…or
Parallel translation

11. Focus Groups
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group
of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs,
and attitudes towards a product, service, concept,
advertisement, idea, or packaging.
How focus groups SHOULD be used:
Learning how your product is used
Understanding customers’ experience with product
Acquiring descriptive consumer brand perceptions
Exploratory testing of new product, positioning, and promotion
strategies
How focus groups SHOULD NOT be used:
Estimate size or dollar value of market
Definitively identify segments
Make go/no-go decisions on new products, brand positioning, or
promotion strategies

12. Observation
 Powerful Research tool
 Researchers use all of their senses to
examine people in natural settings or
naturally occurring situations
 Data Collected Via Photographs and
Videotape (When Acceptable)

13. The challenges
 The global marketplace is complex
 Differences from country to countries exist at many
levels
 Companies frequently lack familiarity with foreign
markets
 Comparing studies across countries can be
difficult
 International research is a relatively costly
endeavor

14. Studying the Competition
Identify core competencies to predict future
direction of competitors
Monitoring Competition – Factors to be collect
Overall Company Statistics
• Sales , Market Share and Profits
• Balance Sheet
• Number of employees
• Production Capacity
Marketing Operations
• Types Of Products (Quality,
Features)
• Price and Price Strategy
• Size and the type of Sales Force
Future Intentions
• New Product development
• Current test Markets
• Planned entry into new Markets
Competitive Behavior
• Pricing Behavior
• Reaction of competitive moves,
past and expected

15. Prepared By
Keshan De Silva
Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing Stage
03
Sri Lanka Institute Of Marketing