-Secondary data analysis

-Edits and codes questionnaires

-Conducts preliminary analysis of data

Statistician/Data Processing

-Serves as expert on theory and application on statistical techniques

-Oversees experimental design, data processing, and analysis

Field Work Director

-Handles selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of interviewers and field workers

Marketing Research at Marriott Corporation

Marriott functions in three main areas: lodging (Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Marriott Suites, Residence Inns, Courtyard Hotels, and Fairfield Inns), contract services (Marriott Business Food and Services, Education, Health-Care, In-Flight Services, and Host International, Inc.) and restaurants (family restaurants, Travel Plazas, and Hot Shops). It is probably best known, however, for its lodging operations.

Marketing research at Marriott is done at the corporate level through the Corporate Marketing Services (CMS). CMS’s goals include providing the management of the different areas of Marriott with the information they need to better understand the market and the customer.

CMS conducts many different types of research. They use quantitative and qualitative research approaches such as telephone and mail surveys, focus groups, and customer intercept to gain more information on market segmentation and sizing, product testing, price sensitivity of consumers, consumer satisfaction, and the like.

The process of research at Marriott is a simple stepwise progression. The first step is to better define the problem to be addressed and the objectives of the client unit and to develop an approach to the problem. The next step is to formulate a research design and design the study. CMS must decide whether to conduct its own research or buy it from an outside organization.

If the latter option is chosen, CMS must decide whether or not to use multiple firms. Once a decision is made, the research is carried out by collecting and analyzing the data. Then, CMS presents the study findings. The final step in the research process is to keep a constant dialogue between the client and the CMS. During this stage, CMS may help explain the implications of the research findings or may make suggestions for future actions.

Marketing Research Associations Online

Domestic

AAPOR: American Association for Public Opinion Research (www.aapor.org)

AMA: American Marketing Association (www.marketingpower.org)

ARF: The Advertising Research Foundation (www.amic.com/arf)

CASRO: The Council of American Survey Research Organizations (www.casro.org)

MRA: Marketing Research Association (www.mra-net.org)

QRCA: Qualitative Research Consultants Association (www.qrca.org)

RIC: Research Industry Coalition (www.research industry.org)

International

ESOMAR: European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (www.esomar.nl)

MRS: The Market Research Society (UK) (www.marketresearch.org.uk)

MRSA: The Market Research Society of Australia (www.mrsa.com.au)

PMRS: The Professional Marketing Research Society (Canada) (www.pmrs-aprm.com)

In Russia: Russian Marketing association ( www.rma.ru)

Gildia of marketers – professional marketers organization

Steps in decision making process

-Establish objectives

-Determine performance/potential

-Select problem/opportunity to pursue

-Develop alternatives

-Choose best alternative

-Implement alternative

-Modify as necessary

LECTURE 2: DEFINING THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROBLEM AND DEVELOPING AN APPROACH

Marketing research process

Identifying a management problem or opportunity; translating that into a research problem; and collecting, analyzing, and reporting the results

Management problem

Determining the best course of action to take to maximize the organization’s objectives

Marketing research design

The specification of procedures for collecting and analyzing data to help identify or react to a problem or opportunity

Types of research design

-Exploratory research:attempts to discover the general nature of the problem and the variables that relate to it

-Descriptive research: focuses on the accurate description of the variables in the research model

-Causal research: attempts to specify the nature of the functional relationship between two or more variables in the problem model

Steps in the research design process

-Define the research problem

-Estimate the value of the info to be provided by the research

-Select the data collection methods

-Select the measurement techniques

- Select the sample

-Select the analytical approach

-Evaluate the ethics of the research

-Specify the time and financial cost

-Prepare the research report

Factors to be Considered in the Environmental Context of the Problem

-past information and forecasts

-resources and constraints

-objectives

-buyer behavior

-legal environment

-economic environment

-marketing and technological skills

Proper Definition of the Research Problem

Broad Statement--->Specific Components

The Role of Theory in Applied Marketing Research

1. Conceptualizing and identifying key variables- Provides a conceptual foundation and understanding of the basic processes underlying the problem situation. These processes will suggest key dependent and independent variables.

2. Operationalizing key variables- Theoretical constructs (variables) can suggest independent and dependent variables naturally occurring in the real world.

3. Selecting a research design- Causal or associative relationships suggested by the theory may indicate whether a causal or descriptive design should be adopted.

4. Selecting a sample- The theoretical framework may be useful in defining the population and suggesting variables for qualifying respondents, imposing quotas, or stratifying the population (see Chap. 11).

5. Analyzing and interpreting data- The theoretical framework (and the models, research questions and hypotheses based on it) guide the selection of a data analysis strategy and the interpretation of results (see Chap. 14).

6. Integrating findings-The findings obtained in the research project can be interpreted in the light of previous research and integrated with the existing body of knowledge.

Development of Research Questions and Hypotheses

At United, Food is Uniting the Airline With Travelers

United Airlines, as other major airlines, had to deal with passenger loyalty (management decision problem: how to attract more and more loyal passengers). The broad marketing research problem was to identify the factors that influence loyalty of airline travelers.