Marketing Communications Research PDF

**Marketing Communications Research** **Understanding Market Research** - Relevant information reduces risk, increases power, and improves decision making (Introduction to market research and decision making) - Asking the right questions is key to successful market research (Askin...

**Marketing Communications Research** **Understanding Market Research** - Relevant information reduces risk, increases power, and improves decision making (Introduction to market research and decision making) - Asking the right questions is key to successful market research (Asking great questions increases success) - Information can provide a competitive advantage if used correctly (Information and competitive advantage) **The Market Research Process** 1. **Problem Definition and Research Objectives** - Clearly define the information needed and why it is needed - Decide if qualitative and/or quantitative research is required - Determine how the research findings will be used 2. **Research Plan (or Strategy)** - Decide if research will be conducted internally or externally (using a market research agency) - Determine data sources: secondary and/or primary - Select research techniques: observation, survey, experiment, focus group - Define sample size and type, degree of confidence - Choose fieldwork method: face-to-face, phone, or online - Design questionnaires - Establish cost and timing 3. **Fieldwork** - Conduct interviews/data collection and supervise the process 4. **Data Analysis** - Code, edit, weight, and extract trends/correlations from the data 5. **Report Presentation** - Interpret the findings and provide a summary, conclusions, and recommendations 6. **Action Taken/Not Taken** - Ensure the information is used to inform decision-making **Types of Research** **Quantitative Research** - Surveys to gather numerical data on \"Who?\", \"What?\", \"How?\", \"Where?\", and \"When?\" - Can measure brand awareness, customer behavior, and market trends - Provides statistically significant results from a representative sample **Qualitative Research** - In-depth interviews and focus groups to explore motivations, perceptions, and unconscious drivers - Uses creative techniques like projective methods, collages, and role-playing - Provides deeper insights but with smaller, non-representative samples **Other Research Methods** - Omnibus surveys for quick, cost-effective data collection - Home audits to track customer purchases and usage - Retail audits to monitor shelf space, prices, and product turnover - Concept testing for ads, packaging, promotions, and new products - Tracking studies to measure advertising awareness and brand recognition - Neuromarketing and biometrics to understand subconscious responses **Advantages and Disadvantages of Online vs. Offline Research** **Online Advantages** - Easier access to respondents - Ability to observe customers in their natural environment - Quicker feedback and data collection - Wider geographical reach **Online Disadvantages** - Potential for information overload and unstructured data - Less control over the research process **Optimizing Research** - Start with secondary research to leverage existing information - Use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods - Continuously test and optimize through techniques like A/B testing and multivariate testing **Key Takeaways** - Clearly define the research objectives and how the findings will be used - Leverage both qualitative and quantitative research methods - Utilize online tools and analytics to complement traditional research - Continuously test and optimize to improve decision-making Optimizing Marketing Decisions with Data Analytics ================================================== Data-Driven Marketing --------------------- - Constant optimization and improvement through instantaneous measurement of marketing effects (Kaizen) - \"Data trumps intuition\" - Matt Round, former director of personalization at Amazon (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) - Analytics are used in digital marketing, similar to \"market research\" and \"testing\" in traditional marketing communications (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) - Digital analytics are often free, while traditional market research (focus groups, hall testing, ad tracking) is paid for (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) - Analytics means digital analytics, but market research also analyzes audience, ad/offer/content response (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) Effective Market Research ------------------------- - Research is valuable but requires experienced advice and strict control to be usefully applied (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) - \"Dodgy data is worse than no data!\" - Good data can make the difference between winning and losing (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) - Asking good questions is a key skill - it\'s important to know what information is needed (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) Key Considerations for Market Research -------------------------------------- 1. Budgets allowing, research can reveal anything required (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) 2. Consider carefully what information is required, as there is too much information available (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) 3. Always check secondary sources before commissioning expensive primary research (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) 4. Consider online as well as offline research (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515) 5. Set up a marketing intelligence and information system (Chaffey and Smith, 2008, p. 515)