Chapter 4

Marketing Research and

Information Systems

1
The Importance of
Information
Companies need
information about
their:
 Marketing environment
 Competition
 Customer needs
Managers don’t need
more information,
they need better
information.

2
 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.

3
The Marketing Information
System (Fig. 4.1)

4
 Functions of a MIS:
Assessing Information
Needs

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

5
 Functions of a MIS:
Developing Information
Information Needed by Managers Can be
Obtained From:

Internal Computerized
Computerized Collection
Collection ofof Information
Internal Data
Data from Data Sources (i.e.
Information
Accounting)
from Data Sources (i.e. Accounting)
Within
Within the
the Company.
Company.
Collection
Collection and
and Analysis
Analysis ofof Publicly
Publicly
Marketing
Marketing Available
Available Information
Information about
about
Intelligence
Intelligence Competitors
Competitors and and the
the
Marketing
Marketing Environment
Environment (i.e. (i.e.
Technological).
Technological).
Marketing
Marketing Design,
Design, Collection,
Collection, Analysis,
Analysis, and and
Research
Research Reporting
Reporting ofof Data
Data about
about aa Specific
Specific
Marketing
Marketing Situation Facing the
Situation Facing 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 7
 Discussion Connections
What is the overall goal of a
Marketing Information System (MIS)?
How are individual components linked
and what does each contribute? (See
Figure 4.1, Slide #5)
Apply the MIS framework to Coca-
Cola. What does this company appear
to be doing well?
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 The Marketing Research
Process (Fig. 4.2)

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

•Gathers preliminary information

Exploratory 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 er a weal t h of i nf ormati on
to market i ng deci si on maker s.

Examples:

•Lexis Nexis

•Compuserve

•Dialog

For ad, click object:

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 Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Observational Research Approaches
Research
Survey
Gathering Research
data by
observing Asking Experimental
people, individuals Research
actions and about
situations attitudes, Using groups
(Exploratory) preferences or of people to
buying determine
behaviors cause-and-
(Descriptive) effect
relationships
(Causal)
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 Develop the Research Plan
Planning Primary Data Collection
Contact Methods (Table 4.3)
Mail Telephone Personal Online
Flexibility Poor Good Excellent Good
Quantityof Good Fair Excellent Good
DataCollected
Control of Excellent Fair Poor Fair
Interviewer
Control of Fair Excellent Fair Poor
Sample
Speedof Data Poor Excellen t Good Excellent
Collection
ResponseRate 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
Sample - Unit?)
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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Process
Step 4. Interpreting and
Reporting
Findings Should Present Important
Researcher
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
PublicPolicy
Policy
Research
Research inin and
International
International and
Small
SmallBusinesses
Businesses Ethics
Marketing
Marketing Ethics
and
and in
Research
Research in
Nonprofit
Nonprofit Marketing
Marketing
Organizations
Organizations Research
Research

For ad, click object:

20
 Review of Concept
Connections
Explain the importance of information to the
company.
Define the marketing information system and
discuss its parts.
Outline the steps in the marketing research
process.
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of
various methods of collecting information.
Discuss the special issues some marketing
researchers face, including public policy and ethics
issues.
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