Marketing Research and

Information Systems

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The Importance of
Information
Companies need
information about
their:
 Marketing environment
 Competition
 Customer needs
Managers don’t need
more information, they
need better
information.
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 What is a Marketing
Information System (MIS)?
A MIS consists of people, equipment, and
procedures to gather, sort, analyze,
evaluate and distribute needed, timely,
and accurate information to marketing
decision makers.
The MIS helps managers to:
1. Assess Information Needs,
2. Develop Needed Information,
3. Distribute Information.
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The Marketing Information System

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 Functions of a MIS: Assessing
Information Needs

Information What
Managers They Really
Would Like to Need & What
Have is Feasible to
Offer

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 Functions of a MIS: Developing
Information
Information Needed by Managers Can be Obtained
From:
Computerized
Computerized Collection
Collection of
of Information
Information from
from
Internal
Internal Data
Data Data
Data Sources
Sources (i.e.
(i.e. Accounting)
Accounting) Within
Within the
the
Company.
Company.

Marketing Collection
Collection and
and Analysis
Analysis of
of Publicly
Publicly Available
Available
Marketing Information
Information about
about Competitors
Competitors and and the
the
Intelligence
Intelligence Marketing
Marketing Environment
Environment (i.e.
(i.e. Technological).
Technological).

Marketing Design,
Design, Collection,
Collection, Analysis,
Analysis, and
and Reporting
Reporting
Marketing of
of Data
Data about
about aa Specific
Specific Marketing
Marketing Situation
Situation
Research
Research Facing
Facing the
the Organization.
Organization.

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Functions of a MIS:
Distributing Information
Distributes Routine
Information for
Decision Making

Information Must be Distributed

to the Right Managers at the Right Time.

Distributes Nonroutine
Information for Special
Situations
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 The Marketing Research Process

Implementing
Defining the Developing the Interpreting
the research
problem and research plan and reporting
plan -- collecting
research for collecting the findings
and analyzing
objectives information
the data

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 Marketing Research Process
Step 1. Defining the Problem & Research Objectives

Exploratory •Gathers preliminary information

that will help define the problem
Research and suggest hypotheses.

•Describes things as market

Descriptive potential for a product or the
Research demographics and consumers’
attitudes.

Causal •Test hypotheses about cause-

Research and-effect relationships.

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Marketing Research Process
Step 2. Develop the Research Plan

Research plan development follows these

steps:
 Determining Specific Information Needs

 Gathering Secondary information

 Planning Primary Data Collection

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 Develop the Research Plan
Gathering Secondary Information
Both Must
Be:
Information That
Already Exists Relevant Information
Somewhere. Collected for the
Accurate Specific Purpose
+ Obtained More at Hand.
Quickly, Lower Cost. Current

- Might Not be Impartial

Usable Data. Online Databases
Of f e r a we a l t h of i nf or ma t i o n
t o mar k e t i ng d e c i s i o n mak e r s .

Examples:
•Lexis-Nexis
•CompuServe
•Dialog

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 Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Observational Research Approaches
Research
Survey
Gathering data Research
by observing
people, Asking Experimental
actions and individuals Research
situations about attitudes,
(Exploratory) preferences or Using groups of
buying people to
behaviors determine
(Descriptive) cause-and-effect
relationships
(Causal)

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 Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Contact Methods
Mail Telephone Personal Online
Flexibility Poor Good Excellent Good
Quantity of Good Fair Excellent Good
Data Collected
Control of Excellent Fair Poor Fair
Interviewer
Control of Fair Excellent Fair Poor
Sample
Speed of Data Poor Excellent Good Excellent
Collection
Response Rate Fair Good Good Good
Cost Good Fair Poor Excellent

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Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Sampling
Probability or Who is to be
Plans surveyed?
Non-probability
sampling? (What Sampling
Unit?)
Sample -
representative
segment of the
population

How should the How many

sample be should be
chosen? surveyed?

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 Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Research Instruments

Questionnaire Mechanical Devices

• What questions to ask? • People Meters
• Form of each question? • Supermarket Scanners
•Closed-end
•Open-end • Galvanometer
• Wording? • Tachistoscope
• Ordering? • Eye Cameras

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 Develop the Research Plan
Presenting the Research Plan
Summarize the plan in a written proposal
and cover:
 Management problems addressed,
 Research objectives,
 Information to be obtained,
 Sources of secondary information,
 Methods for collecting primary data,
 Way the results will help management decision
making.
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Marketing Research Process
Step 3. Implementing the Research Plan

Collecting the
Data

Processing the
Data Research Plan

Analyzing the
Data

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 Marketing Research Process
Step 4. Interpreting and Reporting Findings

Researcher Should Present Important Findings

that are Useful in the Major Decisions Faced by
Management.

Step 1. Interpret the Findings

Step 2. Draw Conclusions

Step 3. Report to Management

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 Other Marketing Research
Considerations

Marketing
Marketing Public
Public Policy
Policy
Research
Research inin and
International and
Small
SmallBusinesses
Businesses International Ethics
Marketing Ethics
and
and Marketing in
Research in
Nonprofit
Nonprofit Research Marketing
Marketing
Organizations
Organizations Research
Research

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