What is Marketing 
            Research?
      Marketing research is the systematic design, 
       collection, analysis, and reporting of data and 
      findings relevant to a specific marketing situation 
             facing the company.
            The Marketing Research 
                         Process
        Define the problem
         Develop research plan
              Collect information
                                                 Make
                                               decision
                 Analyze information
                       Present findings
                             4-3
                              Step 1
       Define the problem (e.g., Will offering an in-flight 
          Internet service create enough incremental preference 
          and profit for American Airlines to justify its cost?) 
       Specify decision alternatives (e.g., Should American 
          offer an Internet connection?) 
                                                      st
          State research objectives (e.g., types of 1  class 
          passengers are likely to use internet?)
                                    4-4
                           Step 2
                 1) Research           2) Research
                  Approach             Instruments
                3) Sampling            4) Contact
                    Plan                Methods
                              5) Data 
                              Sources
                                4-5
        Research Approaches
   
    Observation—unobtrusive (LP) 
   
    Ethnographic--link between culture & behavior 
    &/or how cultural processes develop over time 
    (participant observation)  
   
    Focus group—discuss topics of interest (LS)
   
    Survey—knowledge, beliefs, preferences, 
    satisfaction
   
    Behavioral data--Data—purchasing data
   
    Experimentation—cause and effect relationships