Marketing Research
Essays

¶ … Marketing Principles and Practices to Organizational Goals

There are several significant advantages of using qualitative measurements in marketing research. The most significant is the ability to capture the voice of customers that may have evaded the more structured, numerically-based approaches that force respondents to provide a specific set of answers. Qualitative research can also lead to entirely new insights into a new market or service that has not been seen in the past, given the open-ended questions inherent in this approach to research. Qualitative research techniques also can be used to capture the shared knowledge of experts as well, as the Delphi Technique is so well-known and used for. Capturing the tacit expertise and knowledge of a specific group of thought leaders can also be accomplished using qualitative techniques as well. Additional advantages of qualitative measurements include the ability to complete greater exploratory or primary research into a specific subject, often following a specific line of questions as they develop within an interview. An additional advantage of qualitative research techniques are the ability to understand how prospects and customers make trade-offs on substitute products and services. While price elasticity studies are often highly quantitative in scope, the use of interactive discussions of pricing trade-offs can be highly effective in determining just how much a prospect is willing to sacrifice price for a given feature or benefit. The total value of a brand can also be ascertained through the use of these types of qualitative techniques, providing respondents with the ability to define in their own terms the value of the experience a brand delivers. The many advantages of qualitative research are predicated on having more interactive sessions with respondents, including the ability to ascertain how they make trade-offs over time on value versus price. For the many advantages of qualitative measurements, there are several disadvantages as well. First, the results of any study predicated on this approach cannot be analyzed at the higher levels of statistical analysis. As the results of studies and research completed with qualitative measurements are by nature not nominal, ordinal or interval in terms of data orthogonality, they cannot be used to represent an entire customer or segment population. At best they can be used as a means to capture nominally-based data that can lead to only a rough approximation of an overall market size or series of market dynamics. Qualitative data can only be as useful as the means used to capture it as well; if a methodology is very informal and focused on a series of loosely-guided objectives, the overall data will of mediocre quality at best. When the goals and objectives of a research study, in addition to the sampling frame and methodology lack rigor or precise focus, the resulting research can also lack precision and meaning. It is more difficult to create greater levels of meaning and transferability of data when the methodologies are highly qualitative in scope; the data is only relevant for a specific series of objectives and often is defined by applicability to a given point in time as well. Qualitative data is often also open to interpretation, as the methodology can be debated in terms of its relative appropriateness, robustness and value over the long-term. Finally, qualitative data cannot be taken entirely on its own; it must be combined with a series of other research sources to ensure relevancy and accuracy of interpretation, especially over time. In conclusion, qualitative data needs to be taken in context and often balanced with quantitative data to ensure a 360-degree view of a given situation or strategy of interest has the greater level of insights gained from research efforts.

Marketing Research Can Help Solve Mattel's Marketing Challenges

The Zapper's unique value proposition of mitigating and eliminating noise opens up many potential market segments and service areas. What the advertising strategy must do is not only communicate the features and benefits of the product, it must also show how effective it is in making people's lives more enjoyable. Noise is one of the most irritating types of pollution there is, often stopping people from being able to think clearly and get their work done or make effective decisions. The greatest value of the Zapper is in neutralizing these forms of noise pollution to allow people to have a more enjoyable, pleasurable experience at work or at home. The cornerstone of all effective marketing I based on creating expectations and exceeding them (Genestre, Herbig, 1996). The Zapper must create and exceed the expectation of neutralizing harmful and irritating noise and deliver a consistently excellent customer experience (Gurau, 2008). Only by concentrating on precise, high quality production processes will the Zapper consistently meet and exceed these expectations on a consistent basis. Quality and trust of consistent performance will be the anchor points of the marketing strategy, ensuring that customers' faith and expectations of the product will be met and exceeded. Aligning Zapper's Advertising Strategy And Alignment To Marketing Objectives The core of the Zapper marketing strategy must be solidly set on the experiences of the customer if it is to succeed. In defining those experiences, personas, or representations of representative customers in each of the markets, will be used. These personas will explain in detail why and how noise reduction is so critically important to these people and their professions or avocations. For the hospital staff the need to mitigate noise so that greater attention and concentration can be applied to patient care is essential for professional excellence to be achieved. Personas of nurses, physicians and hospital staff will be used to more fully understand their needs. The same level of analysis and research needs to be done on each target market, as the personas' needs and requirements will drive the marketing objectives. As has been stated earlier, additional markets include libraries, in addition to homes with children and teenagers who can use the Zapper to silence a home and make it possible to enjoy music, entertainment and games more. The Zapper can be highly effective in making study times more effective and focused as well. These are all examples of creating a highly unique, differentiated customer experience.

In this paper, the internal and external business environment of ASDA stores have been discussed. The company's culture, background structure, communication all have been discussed. Furthermore, the review of Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental factors with a summary of guidance for strategic decision making is also looked into.

Discussion of International Marketing Issues and Difficulties for an Australian Firm undertaking Market Research in Vietnam

The authors looked at the effects of scents on recall of brands. They noted that, in spite of a lack of research, ambient scents are already being used in a variety of retail settings including grocery stores and…

Introducing a new product of any kind is risky at best. However, introducing a new snack product to a finicky public could be considered crazy. Frito-Lay, a leader in the snacking industry, was not afraid of that risk.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is based on the pyramid structure, with the most basic needs at the bottom of the structure, working upward to the most critical needs in terms of a person being motivated in the workplace or…

¶ … Future of Advertising and Its Impact on Integrated Marketing Communications Programs