This document provides an introduction and overview of the marketing research course. It outlines the teaching staff, course objectives, structure, assessments, and schedule. Key points: - The course is taught by Dr. Steven Lu, who has a PhD in Marketing and experience publishing and consulting. - The objectives are to introduce applied marketing research tools and teach the fundamentals of producing quality market research. - Assessments include two exams, a term project conducted in stages involving a market research study, and class participation. - The schedule provides an outline of the topics to be covered each week, including secondary research, qualitative research methods, surveys, sampling, and data analysis.

1. Lecture 1
Introduction
Dr. Steven Lu

2. Teaching Staff
 Dr Steven Lu
 Economics & Business Bldg, Level 5, Room 503
 Tel: 90365260
 Email: Steven.Lu@sydney.edu.au
 Consultation: Tuesday 1-3pm or by appointment
2

3. Dr Steven Lu
 Education
 M.A. in Economics, York Uni., Canada
 Ph.D. in Marketing, Uni. of Toronto, Canada
 Published in Marketing Science and Statistical Science
 Presented papers at many conferences in Australia,
New Zealand, Singapore, Europe, Canada, and the US.
 Awarded the 2009 ANZMAC Emerging Researcher of
the Year Award.
 Consulted for many companies and organizations
(e.g., Oracle, Dell, Sydney City Toyota, hotels, and
gaming clubs).

4. This class
 Introduce the course
 Objectives
 Structure
 Assessments
 What is marketing research?
 Ethics in marketing research

5. Class Times and Locations
 Weeks 1-6: Badham 145 Tutorial Room 2
 Weeks 7-13: Economics & Business
Laboratory 4

6. Course Objectives
 Introduce the applied research tools used
by marketers
 Learn the fundamentals of producing
quality market research
 Increase sensitivity to the biases and
limitations of marketing data

7. Text
 Prescribed Text: McDaniel and
Gates, Marketing Research, 9th
edition, Sydney, Wiley & Sons (ISBN
9781118074619)
 Recommended Text: Coakes, et al. SPSS v.20
for Windows: Analysis without
Anguish, Sydney, John Wiley & Sons (ISBN
9781118337769)

8. Grading
Grading Breakdown:
Exam #1 20%
Exam #2 30%
Term Project:
Stage 1 20%
Stage 2 20%
Class Participation 10%
Total 100%
Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be
submitted
in hard copy, and electronically, via Blackboard

9. Exams
 Two exams (week 7 and finals period)
 Exams are not cumulative
 Exams are closed book and notes
 Variety of question types (not decided
yet)
 Closed form tend to come from text
 Essay come from lecture and text

10. Term Project
 In Australia, only a very small percentage (around
2-3%) of the eligible population donates blood.
This year’s term project will focus on how to
broaden the blood donor base of the Australian
Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86yxeFF5RC8
 Groups (3 – 4 students) will work together
(Hands-on experience learning about a common
consumer behaviour)
 Projects involve two stages:
 Stage 1: Planning & executing market research
 Stage 2: Analysing quantitative data
 Stages due dates listed on syllabus

11. Class Participation
 To promote a learning and knowledge sharing
atmosphere, students are encouraged to prepare and
participate in class discussions. Marks awarded will
be based on one’s preparation and contributions
during class discussions. Students will also be
provided with opportunities to discuss their research
& learning experiences through engagement of the
term project. This includes two key activities:
 Survey Critique
 Each of you needs to critique a survey assigned to you (due
week 8).
 Survey Completion
 Each of you needs to finish a survey online as a respondent
(due week 9).

12. Topic schedule
Week Lecture Topic Readings
1 Course Intro Chap 1, 2
4 Mar
2 Research Process Chap 3, 4
11 Mar Secondary Data Research
3 Qual Res: Focus Group Chap 5, 8
18 Mar interviews
Observational Res.
4 Survey Research Chap 6, 12
25 Mar
Common week 1 to 7 Apr

13. Topic schedule
Week Lecture Topic Readings
5 Measurement Chap 10,11
8 Apr
6 Revision
15 Apr
7 Exam 1
22 Apr
8 Online data collection Chap 7
29 Apr Sampling Chap 13
9 Experimentation Chap 9
6 May
10 Data Coding & Preparation Chap 15
13 May Data Analysis: Descriptive
Analysis

14. Topic schedule
Week Lecture Topic Readings
11 Data Analysis: Testing for Chap 16
20 May Difference
T-tests
12 Data Analysis: Testing for Chap 18
27 May Association
Correlation Analysis
Regression Analysis
13 Revision
3 Jun
Exam Period Exam 2

15. Intro. to marketing research

16. Reviving an Ailing Giant
---Chrysler
 Founded by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925
 In 1979 The Chrysler Corporation petitioned the US
government for $US1.5 billion loan to avoid
bankruptcy.
 In the early 1980s, Chrysler was fighting for survival
 By marketing research its marketing department
found that consumers needed “a reliable, spacious and
convenient mode of transportation”.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afvn-
2NJSy8&feature=related

17. Marketing Research Defined
Marketing Research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public
to the marketer through information that is used to identify and define marketing
opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions;
monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a
process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these
issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements
the data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings
and their implications. (AMA)
Broadly, Marketing Research is the planning, collection, and analysis
of data relevant to marketing decision making and the communication
of the results of this analysis to management.

18. Marketing Research Associations
 Australian Market & Social Research
Society (AMSRS)
 http://www.amsrs.com.au/
 American Marketing Research Association
(RMA)
 http://www.mra-net.org/about/index.cfm
 European Society for Opinion and
Marketing Research (ESOMAR)
 http://www.esomar.org/

19. The Marketing Research Impact
Its Importance to Management – Three Critical Roles
Descriptive:
• The gathering and presenting of statements of fact;
Diagnostic:
• The explanation of data or actions;
Predictive:
• The specification of how to use descriptive and diagnostic
research to predict the results of a planned marketing decision.

20. Types of Research Studies
Applied Basic
Research aimed at solving a Research aimed at expanding
specific, pragmatic problem— the frontiers of knowledge
better understanding of the rather than solving a specific,
marketplace, determination of pragmatic problem.
why a strategy or tactic failed,
or reduction of uncertainty in
management decision making.

21. Harrah's Entertainment Inc
 History of Las Vegas
 1950s: Flamingo (Benjamin Siegel)
 1980s: Mirage (Stephen Wynn)
 Harrah’s: Founded by William Harrah in 1937
 Gary Loveman
 Who was a professor at HBS
 Joined Harrah’s as COO in 1998
 Built CRM (Database marketing & Loyalty Card
Program)
 Profit doubled at the end of 1999

22. Decision to Conduct Marketing Research
• It is not always a good idea to conduct marketing research. Reconsider
conducting marketing research under the following circumstances:
 The resources are lacking to do proper research;
 The research results might not be useful to management;
 The opportunity has passed;
 The decision has already been made;
 Managers cannot agree on what they need to know to make a decision;
 Decision-making information already exists;
 The research cost outweighs the benefits of the research;
 You do not have the time to do the research right;

23. The Development of Marketing Research
Understanding the Historical Context
Mature Years - 1950-Present:
• Change from seller’s market to buyer’s market is key
•1960s predictive and descriptive mathematics employed
Adolescent Years - 1920-1950:
• A.C. Nielsen begins research in 1922
• 1940s focus groups and random sampling selection begin
Early Growth - 1900-1920:
• Curtis Publishing started first research department in 1911
• Recall measures and scaling introduced
Inception - Pre-1900:
• Harrisburg, PA - first research survey in 1824
• Mail surveys introduced in 1895 with 10% response rate

24. Top 40 Marketing Research Firms
2-6

25. Marketing Research Ethics
Suppliers Should not Engage in:
• Allowing subjectivity into the research
• Violating client and respondent confidentiality;
• Selling unnecessary research
• Using Professional Respondents;
• Failing to Properly Validating the Data;
• Using Others’ Research as Original Work;

26. Marketing Research Ethics
Clients Should Not Engage in:
• Requesting Bids When a Supplier Has Been Predetermined;
• Requesting Bids to Obtain Free Advice and Methodology;
• Requesting Proposals without Authorization;

27. Next Class
 Research Process
 Secondary Data