Professional Marketing Research
Professional Marketing Research
es are skeptical about the relevance of marketing research in any business framework. Addressing such skepticism has been a significant challenge for practitioners in marketing researchers. This paper seeks to examine different perspectives about marketing research.
Overview
Case 2.1 presents a framework that demonstrates the challenges facing marketing researchers. Melissa Marcello serves as the chief executive of a leading research firm. Her counterpart, Julie Litzenberger is a public relations executive at a firm that specializes in marketing communications. In the case study, the two professionals brainstorm about the various ways in which they would justify the importance to marketing research to clients (Malhotra, p. 780). This is because prospective clients for their firms are always skeptical about the value of marketing research in business or management.However, deliberations between the two executives lead to an idea about researching on the consumer trends for American Idol. They seek to investigate the trends in audiences for this popular show. Although it attracts millions of viewers, there is the likelihood that most voters are teenagers. This would be a marketing masterstroke if the two executives can gather sufficient evidence to validate their hypothesis.
From the case study, it is evident that Marcello and Litzenberger face a critical management decision problem. Their respective firms encounter challenges while trying to convince clients about the role of marketing research (Malhotra, p. 781). Most clients are assertive that their firms are productive even without marketing research. In essence, prospective clients perceive professional marketing as a platform for unnecessary expenditures. Other skeptics were assertive that they had sufficient information about consumer trends for their brands. Such misconceptions had negative implications on the performance of Marcello’s and Litzenberger’s firms. Apart from management decision, a marketing research problem faces the two executives. This challenge pertains to the survey techniques used in marketing research. Some skeptics argue against the validity of methods used in professional marketing research. For instance, it is difficult to convince prospective clients about the reliability of the samples used in professional marketing (Malhotra, p. 780). Additionally, the issue of information privacy is another perspective that serves as a marketing research problem. According to Melissa, it is against the principles of business ethics to disclose information about previous studies. This is because of confidentiality issues that apply to such studies. Consequently, professional marketers cannot use previous surveys to justify the importance of marketing research.
In addressing a marketing research problem, there are various components that come in handy. These components include identification of the problem, formulation of research questions and development of hypothesis. In the case study, the outstanding marketing research problem pertains to the investigation of consumer trends for American Idol (Malhotra, p. 61). Although this show is extremely popular in the United States, it is possible that the majority of the audience comprises of teenagers. Similar trends are also likely with the voting patterns for the show. This study would be helpful to Melissa and her counterpart as they seek to justify the importance of professional marketing research.The first research question for solving the problem would involve investigating the voting patterns. In essence, this could be helpful in determining whether adult viewers vote for the contestants. The second research question for the problem would encompass an assessment of the audience for the show. Consequently, this research question would be beneficial in terms of identifying the demographics in the audience (Churchill, p. 90). Apart from research questions, formulation of hypothesis is another critical component of the market research problem. The null hypothesis in this problem is that teenagers comprise the largest proportion of voters for American Idol.The alternative hypothesis is that teenagers do not comprise the largest proportion of voters for American Idol. Based on the data collected, it would be possible to formulate a comprehensive theoretical framework (Pride, p. 117). Consequently, professionals like Melissa and Litzenberger would justify the significance of marketing research to prospective clients.
Various concepts are essential in developing an appropriate marketing research problem approach. Qualitative research is among the most notable concepts for the approach. In essence, qualitative research helps in examining different types of issues concerning a problem. From the case study, the evaluation of viewers’ perceptions as pertains to American Idol is an essential perspective. It is difficult to examine such perspectives without using qualitative research. Quantitative research is another notable concept in the problem approach.In contrast to the qualitative framework, quantitative analysis involves the statistical evaluation of data (Kolb, p. 61). Consequently, aspects such as sample size and confidence levels are essential. Whereas the qualitative framework is largely descriptive, the quantitative framework encompasses the validation of data. These perspectives are critical towards addressing the marketing research problem in the case study. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches form the basis of developing a theoretical model for the problem (Bradley, p. 101). For instance, marketing professionals would easily justify the essence of market research through the study of American Idol. Although the singers attract the greatest attention in American Idol, sponsors such as Coca-Cola reap extensive rewards. This is because the show serves as an exquisite marketing platform for companies. Such assessments would be vital in convincing skeptics about the importance of professional marketing research.
Conclusion
Professional marketing research is a critical component for modern corporate establishments. This assertion is evident throughout the paper. In the case study, Litzenberger and Marcello brainstorm about the various ways in which they would justify the importance to marketing research to clients. This is because prospective clients for their firms are always skeptical about the value of marketing research in business or management.Their respective firms encounter challenges while trying to convince clients about the role of marketing research.
Most clients are assertive that their firms are productive even without marketing research. In essence, prospective clients perceive professional marketing as a platform for unnecessary expenditures. Other skeptics were assertive that they had sufficient information about consumer trends for their brands. In the case study, the outstanding marketing research problem pertains to the investigation of consumer trends for American Idol. Although this show is exceptionally trendy in the United States, it is possible that the majority of the audience comprises of teenagers. Similar trends are also likely with the voting patterns for the show. Based on the data collected, it would be possible to formulate a comprehensive theoretical framework. Consequently, professionals like Melissa and Litzenberger would justify the significance of marketing research to prospective clients.
References
Bradley, N. (2007). Marketing research: Tools and techniques, Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press
Churchill, G. A. (2009), Marketing research: Methodological foundations, Mason, OH: South-Western
Kolb, B. (2008). Marketing research: A practical approach, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
Malhotra, N. (2010). Marketing Research, 6/E, Boston, MA: Prentice Hall
Pride, W. & Ferrell, O. (2006). Marketing: Concepts and strategies, Mason, OH: Cengage Learning
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