Solution Manual For
Marketing Research, Global Edition, 9th edition Alvin C. Burns Ann Veeck
Chapters 1-16
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING RESEARCH
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter you will learn:
1-1 The relationship of marketing research to marketing, the marketing concept, and marketing
strategy
1-2 How to define marketing research
1-3 The function and uses of marketing research
1-4 How to describe a marketing information system (MIS) and understand why marketing
research occupies a place in an MIS
1-5 The job skills that are useful in marketing research
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction to Marketing Research
Marketing Research is Part of Marketing
The Philosophy of The Marketing Concept Guides Managers’ Decisions
Creating The ―Right‖ Marketing Strategy
What is Marketing Research?
Is it Marketing Research or Market Research?
The Function of Marketing Research
What Are the Uses of Marketing Research?
Identifying Market Opportunities and Problems
, Generating, Refining, and Evaluating Potential Marketing Actions
o Selecting Target Markets
o Product Research
o Pricing Research
o Promotion Research
o Distribution Research
Monitoring Marketing Performance
Improving Marketing as a Process
Marketing Research is Sometimes Wrong
The Marketing Information System
Components of an MIS
o Internal Reports System
o Marketing Intelligence System
o Marketing Decision Support System (DSS)
o Marketing Research System
Job Skills
KEY TERMS
Marketing Crowdsourcing
Marketing concept Marketing strategy
Marketing research Market research
Function of marketing research Basic research
Applied research Marketing information system (MIS)
,Internal reports system Marketing intelligence system
Marketing decision support system (DSS) Marketing research system
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
1. The purpose of the first section in the chapter is to review marketing, the marketing concept,
marketing strategy, and the environments that affect marketing activities. A way to test
students is to have them role-play as marketing managers for a new brand version of a
particular product. In the following examples, what would be the target market, salient
marketing activities, positioning strategy, and environmental factors?
Launching a new brand of sparkling water fruit drink
Marketing an online apartment finder that assists college students in finding an
apartment. The finder would search for apartments based on criteria, check on vacancies,
and let the user place a refundable deposit to hold the apartment for 24 hours while he/she
checked it out.
Being the new vice president of the ABC Interactive Television Programs Division
Positioning the iPhone against other similar products
2. The AMA definition makes clear that marketing research exists to create information to be
used in marketing decisions. Product failures are good class examples of how marketing
information should have been used to design products, packaging, or services. Students can
often recall products or services that were disappointing or otherwise failures in their eyes.
Class discussion can be stimulated with the question, ―What product or service can you think
of or have encountered that would have benefited from good marketing research?‖ On the
flip side, students may relate products that they believe are especially successful, such as
Amazon. This is a company most students can relate to. Although many stores now deliver
directly to the home, Amazon has created Amazon lockers and other safeguards for the home
delivery business. Does this influence a student’s purchase decision? Do students buy from
Amazon instead of a local retailer because of these safeguards? The objective with successful
product/service examples is the same.
3. The website for New Product Works (GfK Custom Research) is www.gfkamerica.com. As
an exercise, tell students to visit the Web site to see what it is all about. Class discussion can
focus on the marketing research aspects of the new product development process outlined
and described there and this company’s services.
4. To drive home the importance of marketing research information in marketing decisions, ask
students what type of restaurant they would build and operate right off campus. They will opt
for one that is appropriate for college students—maybe a late night hangout or a takeout
service. Then ask what type they would build if the location were beside a university in a
distant state. They will most likely give the same answer. Now, move the location to a
, foreign university (say mainland China where all college students live in dorms, eat in dining
halls, have free tuition, don’t drive cars, etc.). If possible, use a country that you are familiar
with and that is quite different from your students’ situations. They will come to realize that
they need information in order to make reasonable decisions about the restaurant.
5. Hold a class brainstorming session on marketing opportunities. Select one of the examples
below or use your own to generate several different directions in which these companies
could go. Ask the class what marketing research information would be useful to evaluate the
success potential of each opportunity.
What marketing opportunities are there for:
A zoo?
A family restaurant?
A pet food company?
The Active Learning exercises featured Knorr and Google. What are the marketing
opportunities for those firms?
6. Perhaps using one of your own applied research experiences, such as a consultation, to
illustrate the various characteristics of marketing research (applied rather than basic,
sometimes inaccurate, and shaped by budget and time constraints). Note: if you use class
projects where surveys are done for sponsors, you can bring one of these into the class and
describe how it illustrates the characteristics. You may want to bring a recent copy of an
academic marketing journal to class to provide some examples of basic research.
You may want to reinforce the idea that marketing research projects, unlike the other
components of MIS, are not continuous— they have a beginning and an end. This is why
marketing research studies are often referred to as ―projects.‖ Marketing research projects are
launched only when there is a justifiable need for information that is not available from
internal reports, intelligence, or the DSS.
7. Because it is a complicated and abstract concept, it is worthwhile to go over the components
of an MIS. To make it more real, use a company example and ask students what they think
would be involved with each component. Possible examples are: a hotel chain such as
Marriott, a fast food chain such as Taco Bell, or a periodical such as People magazine. Ask
students to provide examples for each component of an MIS. For instance, marketing
intelligence might be a ―clipping‖ service on relevant competitors, internal reports might be a
salesperson’s reports and notes, marketing research might be an annual customer satisfaction
survey, and so forth.
8. The DSS concept is intuitive to students who are computer literate. They should know about
spreadsheet programs, database managers, word processors, and graphics programs. Some
will have experience with integrated ―office‖ packages. Ask students what computer
hardware, software and analytical tools they think they will need to be good marketing
decision makers.
Marketing Research, Global Edition, 9th edition Alvin C. Burns Ann Veeck
Chapters 1-16
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO MARKETING RESEARCH
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
In this chapter you will learn:
1-1 The relationship of marketing research to marketing, the marketing concept, and marketing
strategy
1-2 How to define marketing research
1-3 The function and uses of marketing research
1-4 How to describe a marketing information system (MIS) and understand why marketing
research occupies a place in an MIS
1-5 The job skills that are useful in marketing research
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Introduction to Marketing Research
Marketing Research is Part of Marketing
The Philosophy of The Marketing Concept Guides Managers’ Decisions
Creating The ―Right‖ Marketing Strategy
What is Marketing Research?
Is it Marketing Research or Market Research?
The Function of Marketing Research
What Are the Uses of Marketing Research?
Identifying Market Opportunities and Problems
, Generating, Refining, and Evaluating Potential Marketing Actions
o Selecting Target Markets
o Product Research
o Pricing Research
o Promotion Research
o Distribution Research
Monitoring Marketing Performance
Improving Marketing as a Process
Marketing Research is Sometimes Wrong
The Marketing Information System
Components of an MIS
o Internal Reports System
o Marketing Intelligence System
o Marketing Decision Support System (DSS)
o Marketing Research System
Job Skills
KEY TERMS
Marketing Crowdsourcing
Marketing concept Marketing strategy
Marketing research Market research
Function of marketing research Basic research
Applied research Marketing information system (MIS)
,Internal reports system Marketing intelligence system
Marketing decision support system (DSS) Marketing research system
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
1. The purpose of the first section in the chapter is to review marketing, the marketing concept,
marketing strategy, and the environments that affect marketing activities. A way to test
students is to have them role-play as marketing managers for a new brand version of a
particular product. In the following examples, what would be the target market, salient
marketing activities, positioning strategy, and environmental factors?
Launching a new brand of sparkling water fruit drink
Marketing an online apartment finder that assists college students in finding an
apartment. The finder would search for apartments based on criteria, check on vacancies,
and let the user place a refundable deposit to hold the apartment for 24 hours while he/she
checked it out.
Being the new vice president of the ABC Interactive Television Programs Division
Positioning the iPhone against other similar products
2. The AMA definition makes clear that marketing research exists to create information to be
used in marketing decisions. Product failures are good class examples of how marketing
information should have been used to design products, packaging, or services. Students can
often recall products or services that were disappointing or otherwise failures in their eyes.
Class discussion can be stimulated with the question, ―What product or service can you think
of or have encountered that would have benefited from good marketing research?‖ On the
flip side, students may relate products that they believe are especially successful, such as
Amazon. This is a company most students can relate to. Although many stores now deliver
directly to the home, Amazon has created Amazon lockers and other safeguards for the home
delivery business. Does this influence a student’s purchase decision? Do students buy from
Amazon instead of a local retailer because of these safeguards? The objective with successful
product/service examples is the same.
3. The website for New Product Works (GfK Custom Research) is www.gfkamerica.com. As
an exercise, tell students to visit the Web site to see what it is all about. Class discussion can
focus on the marketing research aspects of the new product development process outlined
and described there and this company’s services.
4. To drive home the importance of marketing research information in marketing decisions, ask
students what type of restaurant they would build and operate right off campus. They will opt
for one that is appropriate for college students—maybe a late night hangout or a takeout
service. Then ask what type they would build if the location were beside a university in a
distant state. They will most likely give the same answer. Now, move the location to a
, foreign university (say mainland China where all college students live in dorms, eat in dining
halls, have free tuition, don’t drive cars, etc.). If possible, use a country that you are familiar
with and that is quite different from your students’ situations. They will come to realize that
they need information in order to make reasonable decisions about the restaurant.
5. Hold a class brainstorming session on marketing opportunities. Select one of the examples
below or use your own to generate several different directions in which these companies
could go. Ask the class what marketing research information would be useful to evaluate the
success potential of each opportunity.
What marketing opportunities are there for:
A zoo?
A family restaurant?
A pet food company?
The Active Learning exercises featured Knorr and Google. What are the marketing
opportunities for those firms?
6. Perhaps using one of your own applied research experiences, such as a consultation, to
illustrate the various characteristics of marketing research (applied rather than basic,
sometimes inaccurate, and shaped by budget and time constraints). Note: if you use class
projects where surveys are done for sponsors, you can bring one of these into the class and
describe how it illustrates the characteristics. You may want to bring a recent copy of an
academic marketing journal to class to provide some examples of basic research.
You may want to reinforce the idea that marketing research projects, unlike the other
components of MIS, are not continuous— they have a beginning and an end. This is why
marketing research studies are often referred to as ―projects.‖ Marketing research projects are
launched only when there is a justifiable need for information that is not available from
internal reports, intelligence, or the DSS.
7. Because it is a complicated and abstract concept, it is worthwhile to go over the components
of an MIS. To make it more real, use a company example and ask students what they think
would be involved with each component. Possible examples are: a hotel chain such as
Marriott, a fast food chain such as Taco Bell, or a periodical such as People magazine. Ask
students to provide examples for each component of an MIS. For instance, marketing
intelligence might be a ―clipping‖ service on relevant competitors, internal reports might be a
salesperson’s reports and notes, marketing research might be an annual customer satisfaction
survey, and so forth.
8. The DSS concept is intuitive to students who are computer literate. They should know about
spreadsheet programs, database managers, word processors, and graphics programs. Some
will have experience with integrated ―office‖ packages. Ask students what computer
hardware, software and analytical tools they think they will need to be good marketing
decision makers.
