A decision support system (DSS) provides marketing managers with easy access to data to help make marketing decisions. It allows interactive exploration of data to answer "what if" questions. Marketing research involves collecting and analyzing data to address specific marketing problems and inform decision making. It follows steps including defining the problem, designing the research, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting results. The internet has greatly impacted marketing research by facilitating online surveys, focus groups, and easier access to secondary data sources. Scanner-based research also provides useful insights by monitoring consumer purchase behavior and relating it to marketing mix variables.

1. ision Support Systems
Marketing Research
KEEY THERM! KEEY CONCEPTS
L01 marketing
information everyday
Explain the concept and purpose of a marketing decision support
system. A decision support system (DSS) makes data instantly available to
information about
marketing managers and allows them to manipulate the data themselves to
developments in the marketing make marketing decisions. Four characteristics make a DSS especially useful to marketing
environment that managers use to
managers: They are interactive, flexible, discovery oriented, and accessible. Decision
prepare and adjust marketing plans
support systems give managers access to information immediately and without outside
decision support system (DSS) assistance. They allow users to manipulate data in a variety of ways and to answer "what if"
an interactive, flexible, computerized
questions. And, finally, they are accessible to novice computer users.
information system that enables
managers to obtain and manipulate
information as they are making Define marketing research and explain its importance to marketing
decisions decision making. Marketing research is a process of collecting and analyzing
database marketing the creation data for the purpose of solving specific marketing problems. Marketers use
of a large computerized file of marketing research to explore the profitability of marketing strategies. They can examine
customers' and potential customers' why particular strategies failed and analyze characteristics of specific market segments.
profiles and purchase patterns Managers can use research findings to help keep current customers. Moreover, marketing
research allows management to behave proactively, rather than reactively, by identifying
L0 2 marketing research
the process of planning,
newly emerging patterns in society and the economy.
collecting, and analyzing Describe the steps involved in conducting a marketing research
data relevant to a marketing decision
project. The marketing research process involves several basic steps. First, the
researcher and the decision maker must agree on a problem statement or set
L0 3 marketing research
problem determining
of research objectives. The researcher then creates an overall research design to specify
what information is needed how primary data will be gathered and analyzed. Before collecting data, the researcher
and how that information can be decides whether the group to be interviewed will be a probability or nonprobability
obtained efficiently and effectively sample. Field service firms are often hired to carry out data collection. Once data have
been collected, the researcher analyzes them using statistical analysis. The researcher then
marketing research objective the
specific information needed to solve prepares and presents oral and written reports, with conclusions and recommendations,
a marketing research problem; the to management. As a final step, the researcher determines whether the recommendations
objective should be to provide insightful were implemented and what could have been done to make the project more successful.
decision-making information
management decision problem Discuss the profound impact of the Internet on marketing
a broad-based problem that uses research. The Internet has simplified the secondary data search process, placing
marketing research in order for more sources of information in front of researchers than ever before. Internet
managers to take proper actions
survey research is surging in popularity. Internet surveys can be created rapidly, are reported
secondary data data previously in real time, are relatively inexpensive, and are easily personalized. Often researchers use the
collected for any purpose other than
Internet to contact respondents who are difficult to reach by other means. The Internet can
the one at hand
also be used to conduct focus groups, to distribute research proposals and reports, and to
marketing research aggregator facilitate collaboration between the client and the research supplier.
a company that acquires, catalogs,
reformats, segments, and resells
Discuss the growing importance of scanner-based research.
reports already published by
marketing research firms A scanner-based research system enables marketers to monitor a market panel's
research design specifies exposure and reaction to such variables as advertising, coupons, store displays,
which research questions must be packaging, and price. By analyzing these variables in relation to the panel's subsequent
answered, how and when the data buying behavior, marketers gain useful insight into sales and marketing strategies.
will be gathered, and how the data
will be analyzed
e scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.