This document discusses market research and its role in integrated marketing communication. Market research helps provide accurate information to marketers, identify consumer needs, monitor performance, and reduce risks. It is used to evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and economy of marketing mix elements. Market research involves various personnel from client companies, research agencies, and communications agencies. A typical research proposal outlines the project, problem, purpose, methodology, time/resource requirements, and costs. The document also describes different types of market research methods, sampling methods, data segmentation, market monitoring techniques, media measurement, test marketing, and perceptual mapping.

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Integrated Marketing
Communication
Research & Analysis

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Role of Research

Means of providing accurate, impartial information to marketing
decision makers

Identifies consumer needs

Monitors marketing performance

Helps risk reduction

Improves understanding of marketing as a process

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The Use of Research in IMC

Helps to evaluate the:
1.
Efficiency,
2.
Effectiveness and
3.
Economy
of each element within the marketing communications mix (4 Ps)

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Personnel in Market Research

Client company

Marketing research manager

Market research agency

Product/brand manager

Communications agency

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Outline of a Typical Research
Proposal
1)
Project title
2)
Statement of marketing problem
3)
Purpose and scope of project
4)
Data sources and research methodology
5)
Estimate of time and personnel requirements
6)
Cost estimates

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7 Stages of Market Research
1 Problem formulation.
2 Determine research design.
3 Data collection method design.
4 Sample design.
5 Data collection.
6 Analysis and interpretation of data.
7 Prepare research report.

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Types of Market Research

9. Types of Market Research
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Primary
Secondary
Information is gathered first hand
Information gathered from existing
sources
Various methods of collection
Can be free or purchased from specialist
companies
Both exploratory and/or conclusive
Internal and external sources
Qualitative
Quantitative
✓ Saves time and money
✓ Aims to find out
what relevant
others think
✓ Measurement as ✓ Helps define objectives
main aim
✗ Only feasible on
small samples
✓ Highly
structured
✓ Suggests possible avenues for
research design
✗ No intention to
measure anything
✗ Difficult to
measure people’s
views
✗ No way of checking accuracy
✗ Data is fairly old

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Sampling Methods

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Issues with Sampling Methods
Probability Sampling
Non-Probability Sampling
✗ Expensive
✗ No intention of creating
statistical validity
✗ Time consuming
✓ Easy to gather sample group
✗ Selected respondents cannot be
substituted easily
Seldom used in market research

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Sampling Error

The extent to which the average situation in a sample varies
from the actual average situation in the population of
interest

Nothing can be done to eliminate this error

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Non-sampling Error

Things that can go wrong or can vary when carrying out a
survey

Interviewer may be biased

Non-responses

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Market Monitoring

An ongoing process of market analysis

Data is obtained from a variety of sources

Continuous research and syndicated surveys

Develop strategies based on the understanding of consumers
to launch or sustain products

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Market Monitoring
Audits

Companies pay a subscription and receives the latest data at
regular intervals

Permits analysis of the market i.e. sales value and volume

Allow progress of individual companies, products, product
variations and prices to be monitored over time

Constant source of reference

Helps locate gaps in the market for possibilities of new
products

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Segmentation of Data
Geodemographic data

Classifies small geographical areas according to the
characteristics of their inhabitants
Psychographic data

Differentiates and aggregates consumers in terms of
psychological dimensions

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Types of Market Research

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Market Monitoring
Syndicated Research
Omnibus Surveys
Brief and basic mixture of secondary
and primary data
Unique products of certain agencies
Hundreds of firms can have access to
the same data
A fresh sample is recruited every time
✓ Tend to fill gaps in the regular data
provision
✓ Can ask specific questions when
the need arises
✓ Low cost
✓ Cost effective compared to ad-hoc
research
✗ Respondent fatigue and viewing
order effect

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Media Measurement
Message research

Used for pretesting and post-testing all aspects of creative
messages

Conducted through ad hoc methods
Media research

Looks at effectiveness of different media as vehicles for the
message

Can be bought commercially

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Test Marketing

A controlled experiment in which one or more proposed
marketing actions are trialed in a limited section of the market
place
✓ Assess the viability of a new product before its’ launch
✗ Exposes the product to competitors

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Perceptual Mapping

Drawing of spatial maps based on views of consumers on
different dimensions of the product, couched in comparative
terms