Text 5: focus group studies

A very popular research technique in the 1980s has been focus group studies. The idea is to bring together a group of about 6 to 15 people who represent the market you wish to reach. You let them discuss the research question in an unstructured manner (an open conversation) to see what they say without much prompting. Focus groups are a fast and efficient way to get input from selected markets.

Consumer advisory boards are similar to focus group in that they are made up of the consumers whose ideas are sought by managerial decision markets. The difference is that consumer advisory boards meet on a regular basis over time, and a focus group will generally meet only once.

Text 6: survey research

Survey research includes a variety of techniques designed to get the personal views of some sample of the target market. The basic forms of survey research are questionnaires and personal interviews.

Observation techniques. One of the most fundamental techniques is simply to observe what is happening in the marketplace. For example, the newest cash registers record what items are being purchased (including colours, prices, and so on) and at which stores. At the end of the day, a researcher can observe the effects of a new display, a change in price, or other such changes. Some researchers follow customers as they shop and note where they stop, whether or not they read labels, and so on.

Another popular technique used today is license plate surveys. This consists of going through the parking lot and looking at the license plates to see where the consumers are coming from.

Experimental research. The most rigorous and controlled research process in marketing is experimental research. Experimental research studies groups and individuals in a setting where they can be exposed to products, advertisements, and other marketing efforts to test their reactions. It is called experimental research because it is run like a laboratory experiment, with many controls.

The whole purpose of such experiments is to create products and promotions that will result in satisfied customers and profit for the seller.

Task 5. Prepare written answers to the questions:

1. What are traditional eight marketing functions ?

2. What is marketing segmentation?

3. What is market targeting?

4. What are the newest marketing functions?

5. Do marketing researches use any special techniques?

6. How are those groups chosen?

7. What are the various steps in the process of marketing researches?

Task 6. Prepare a piece of information using the questions as a plan:

1. Product differentiation and market segmentation are separate marketing functions. How are they related? How do they differ?

2. Can you briefly describe what a focus group is? Survey research? Observation techniques?

3. Do marketing researchers use any special techniques?

Task 7. Make independent analysis and get prepared for the discussion:

It is easy to document the social ills for which marketing is partially responsible. Discuss the social benefits and social costs imposed by marketing. Take the position you have not held previously and defend it (that is, defend marketers if you have opposed them and vice versa). Discuss whether less developed countries would or would not benefit from more marketing.