Research

Market Research & Data Acquisition
A
Summer Internship Report
SUBMITTED BY:
ARUN KUMAR
(1842270013)
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE
OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
from
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University Lucknow
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:
Mr. Rohit Krishnani

Assistant Professor
MBA, M.Com
Department of Management Studies

BANSAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
LUCKNOW
i
COMPANY CERTIFICATE
ii
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Summer Training Report entitled “Market Research & Data
Acquisition” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of
Master of Business Administration is a record of original training undergone by Arun
Kumar (1842270013 ) during the year 2018-20 of his study in the Department of
Management Studies, BANSAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
LUCKNOW, under my supervision and the report has not formed the basis for the award of
any Degree/Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate of any University.
Place: Lucknow Signature of Guide
Date: / /2019 Assistant Professor Mr. Rohit Krishnani MBA,

M.Com,
Counter Signed
Head of the Department
Mr. Puneet Tikkha, M.B.A., M.Phil
Assistant Professor
Submitted to the Department of Management Studies, BANSAL INSTITUTE OF

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, Lucknow for the examination held on / /
INTERNAL EXAMINER
EXTERNAL EXAMINER
iii
DECLARATION
I, Arun Kumar, hereby declare that the Summer Training Report, entitled “Market
Research & Data Acquisition”, submitted to the Bansal Institute of Engineering &
Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of
Master of Business Administration is a record of original training undergone by me
during the period July - August 2019 under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Rohit
krishnani, MBA, M.Com, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies,
Bansal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Lucknow and it has not formed the basis
for the award of any Degree/Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate of any
University.
Place: Lucknow Signature of the Student
Date: / /
iv
Department of Management Studies | Bansal Institute of Engineering & Technology Lucknow
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am extremely thankful to our Chairman, Bansal Institute of Engineering &
Technology, Lucknow, for his invaluable support. I wish to express my profound
gratitude to my venerable Director, Bansal Institute of Engineering & Technology for
their kind permission to undergo project work successfully.
I immensely thank our Head of the Department, Mr. Puneet Tikkha, M.B.A.,
M. Phil, Assistant Professor, for his valuable suggestions and guidance for the
completion of project work. I express my sincere thanks to my Project Guide Mr. Rohit
krishnani, MBA, M.Com, Assistant Professor, for guiding me throughout the work. I
thank God Almighty for showering his perennial blessing on me for giving me the
courage to pursue this project work successfully.
Arun Kumar
(1842270013)
v
TABLE OF CONTENT
 Company Certificate ii
 Certificate iii
 Declaration iv
 Acknowledgement v
1. INTRODUCTION 1-23
2. MARKETING RESEARCH 24-31
3. HISTORY OF MARKETING 32-57
4. METHODOLOGY USED IN MARKETING RESEARCH 58-85
5. CONSLUSION 86
6. LIMITATIONS 87
7. SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 88
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 89
9. QUESTIONNAIRE 90-97
vi
INTRODUCTION
1.1. INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY:
Kantar was founded in 1992 and characterizes itself as "data, insights and consulting
company". It has more than 30,000 employees working in 100 countries in various
research disciplines, including social media monitoring, advertising effectiveness,
consumer and shopper behavior and public opinion. It is part of WPP, and its global
headquarters are in London, UK. Eric Salama is the current Chief Executive Officer. In
April 2019, Kantar unified all its legacy brands, such as Kantar TNS, Kantar Millward
Brown and Kantar Worldpanel, into Kantar.
Major competitors include GfK, Nielsen, Meetrics and Ipsos.
In 2019, WPP sold a 60% stake of Kantar to Bain Capital Private Equity. Kantar's
valuation was c.$4.0bn.
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Type Subsidiary
Industry Market research
Founded 1993 (as the Market Research, Insight and
Consultancy division of WPP)
Headquarter London, England, UK
Key people Eric Salama (CEO)[1]
Products Market research
Data investment management
consultancy
Parent WPP
Website www.kantar.com
KANTAR IMRB (formerly IMRB International) is a market
research, survey and business consultancy firm. Headquartered in Mumbai, India with
operations in over 15 countries IMRB is a part of the Kantar Group, WPP’s research,
insights, and consultancy network.
2
Established in 1970, KANTAR IMRB was modeled on the lines of the British Market
Research Bureau. IMRB provides market research and insights across South Asia,
the Middle East and North Africa with specialist divisions
in quantitative, qualitative, media, retail, industrial, customer satisfaction, business to
business and social and rural research. KANTAR IMRB’s syndicated research offerings
include the Market Pulse, the National Food Survey, Web Audience
Measurement (WAM), I-Tops, and I-Cube reports.
With over 1200 employees, KANTAR IMRB is one of the largest providers of market
research in India in an industry estimated to be worth a minimum of $ 187 million.[2] As
the oldest extant market research company in India, KANTAR IMRB has been
responsible for establishing the first and only household panel, the first
television audience measurement system and the first radio panel in the country and has
played a key role in the development of market research in India. It has been rated the
'Best Market Research Company' by industry body Market Research Society of India
(MRSI) for several years.
KANTAR IMRB's specialised areas are consumer markets, industrial marketing, business
to business marketing, social marketing, and rural marketing.
3
 MISSION AND OF KANTAR:
 MISSION:- Client service focus, Empowered employees, Innovative
research
strategies and cost effective.
 VISSION:- To sustain in Rank 1
 IMRB is the vision of Mr Subhas Ghoshal.
 IMRB is born out with the conviction that good advertising can only be built with
sound consumer insight.
 IMRB is the university of Indian market research.
 IMRB is the one of the top 15 Market research company in the world. IMRB was
set up in 1970.
 IMRB is a division of Hindustan Thomson Associates (HTA) in India.
 IMRB is member vof KANTAR group one of the world’s largest research,
information and consultancy network.
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Specialized area of IMRB:-
 Consumer market.
 Industrial marketing.
 Business to Business marketing.
 Social marketing.
 Rural marketing.
Awards and Achievements of IMRB:-
 The most net worthy award is being the MR agency for the
year 2005-2009.
 IMRB present cutting edge research for several years at
international forums and won awards for there efforts.
 IMRB has established India’s first TV rating system.
 IMRB created social economic classification system (SEC) in
India.
Clients of IMRB:-
 Bharti group
 TVS motors
 Cadbury
 Nestle
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 Pepsi group
 Idae
 Airtel
 ITC group
 Indian Airline and so on.......
1.2 HISTORY OF THE COMPANY:
IMRB was established in 1971 (official start date 15 March 1971), to provide market
research services to the clients of Hindustan Thompson Associates, although work was
going on from an earlier date (as early as 1967). Early clients included fast-moving
consumer goods companies such as Unilever, ITC, Pond’s, and Horlicks. The initial
decade saw rapid expansion into new areas of business, with the first qualitative study
being conducted by the end of the decade, and IMRB pioneering psephology in India
through an ongoing series of opinion poll surveys for India Today, that successfully
predicted Congress’ victory in the 1980 general election.
Subsequent decades saw the development of new verticals, with the creation of
specialized units and the offering of several syndicated research products. IMRB also
played an important role in the standardization of market research practice in India, and
was responsible for the creation in 1983 of the Socio-Economic Classification system, a
method now used across India to define target audiences. In 1987, as a founder member
of the MRSI, it helped evolve industry wide codes of conduct, and standards for survey
data collection that are still in use today.
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With the global acquisition of J. Walter Thompson by Sir Martin Sorrell in 1987, IMRB
became a constituent of WPP and continued its pace of growth, growing over 25% per
annum through the 1990s under the leadership of Ramesh Thadani. The 1990s saw the
creation of specialized units focusing on development research, employee
satisfaction, loyalty programs, technology and media and the acquisition of several new
multinational clients. IMRB's insights also played a role in the development of several
new products for major Indian brands such as Marico, Bingo
Chips, Godrej and Dabur and by this time supported 40 out of top 50 brands in India.
In 1996, along with the Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT)
IMRB initiated the periodic ITOPS survey which monitors the IT hardware market
among households and businesses. Since 1998, in collaboration with the Internet and
Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), an industry body IMRB also started providing a
series of annual syndicated research reports named I-Cube which surveys the online and
mobile landscape in India. More recently, in 2010 IMRB launched the Web Audience
Measurement (WAM) system, India’s first standardized internet audience measurement
system based on a panel.
which in turn is owned by Martin Sorrell's WPP Group plc. Within WPP, IMRB is
aligned with the Kantar Group, an umbrella network of global market research companies
that together account for over $2 billion in revenues and form the world’s second biggest
market research conglomerate.
In 2002, as part of a process of rebranding, it changed its name from the Indian Market
Research Bureau to IMRB International, adopted a new logo, and began a process of
rapidly expanding its international services. This was accompanied by a shift from its
offices at Esplanade Mansion to its current premises in Dadar, Mumbai. As part of
geographical expansion, IMRB helped set up LMRB in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1981
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and AMRB in 1999 with headquarters in Dubai and offices throughout the Middle
East and North Africa.
1.3. STRUCTURE OF COMPANY:
IMRB is headquartered in Mumbai, India. Its parent company is Hindustan Thompson
Associates, which in turn is owned by Martin Sorrell's WPP Group plc. Within WPP,
IMRB is aligned with the Kantar Group, an umbrella network of global market research
companies that together account for over $2 billion in revenues and form the world’s
second biggest market research conglomerate.
8
(Fig. A diagrammatic chart representing IMRB's ownership structure.)
In India, IMRB International operates out of its five full service offices in Ahmedabad,
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore and is supported by 15 other regional
centers for collection of survey information. Overseas, IMRB functions through its
associates AMRB-MENA in the Middle East and North Africa, with offices in Algiers,
Dubai, Jeddah, Casablanca and Cairo; and LMRB, with offices in Colombo and Sirius,
headquartered in Dhaka.
IMRB is currently headed by Preeti Reddy. As the oldest market research company in
India, it has served as the training ground of many industry leaders including Dorab
Sopariwala, Ranjit Chib and Meena Kaushik, who went on to found their own companies.
1.4 BUSINESS DIVISIONS AND SERVICES:
IMRB is organized into several independent business divisions that focus on specific
areas of market research. It currently has eight business units in addition to its oldest
division, the quantitative research division.
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Year of
Name of
Establishme Areas of Expertise Scope of Work
Division
nt
Quantitative custom and  Responsible for a wide

Quantitativ
syndicated range of data analytics
e Research 1971
research, National Foods  Comprises the bulk of
Wing
Survey IMRB's custom research
Probe  Integrates insights

Ethnographic, qualitative
Qualitative 1979 from anthropology, psychology
custom research
Research and the social sciences
 Tracks over 70,000

Media and
MarketPulse, TGI, custom households purchase behavior
Panel 1992
media research  Conducts custom
Group
specialized media research
Business  Runs WAM, India's
and ICube, Web Audience Measurement
Industrial 1994 ITops, WAM, B2Bconsult service
Research ing  Brings out industry/
Division sector specific reports
Brand 1996 New tools that help  Provides brand and
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Year of
Name of
Division
nt
Science understandbrands, and communications consulting and
communication in an advisory services
Indian context
Customer  Focuses on stakeholder
Satisfaction Customer and Employee researcher-employees, vendors,
Managemen satisfaction shoppers

1994
t and surveys, Loyalty  Tracks employee
Measureme Programs satisfaction and stakeholder
nt loyalty levels
 Provides customized
software and platforms for data
collection and analysis

Market research software,
 Provides
MindTech data fusion, CASS
2001 software support for
Systems (computer aided survey
television audience
systems)
measurement,
and retail purchase data
collection
Social and 1991 Developmental Research,  Primarily services aid
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Year of
Name of
Division
nt
Rural Public Health Research, agencies, NGOs, and the
Research All India Health Survey government
Institute  Responsible for the
largest UNICEF Survey
on polio, data collection for
National Family Health Survey
 Handles operations in
Data processing, data processing,

Abacus
advancedanalytics, market charting,statistical analysis,
Market 2001
research software, survey database management and
Analytics
programming updation, Excel Macro Creation
and Quality Testing
In addition to its eight specialized units, IMRB also has Abacus field offices that are
responsible for the recruitment, administration and quality control of survey responses.
While a significant amount of its work involves customized research such
as usage studies, branding studies, public opinion research, concept testing, product
testing, need assessment studies, packaging and label research, and market
segmentation studies IMRB also offers a variety of syndicated research products and
reports that are widely used as industry bench-marks of consumer behaviour, such as:
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1. Market Pulse, a continuous monthly tracking of household purchases across
various FMCG categories. The panel covers over 70,000 homes with 56,000
homes in urban and 14,000 in rural India and is widely used as a benchmark for
purchase and pricing behaviour. Its counterpart the Elite Household Panel tracks
information in affluent, urban households.
2. WAM and RAM, a standardized audience measurement system that samples web
and radio audiences, and provides real time detailed segmented data on web usage
behaviours.
3. I-Tops and I-Cube, syndicated annual research reports on the landscape of new
technology in India.
4. TGI India, a collaboration with TGI, which provides the largest single source of
marketing and media information covering data on consumer attitudes,
motivations, media habits and purchasing behaviour.
1.5. SECTORS UNDER THE KANTAR’S RESEARCH:
 Energy and Environment
 Construction and Building Materials
 Education and Training
 Logistics & Transportation
 Health Market Research & Data Acquisitione
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1.6 SERVICES OF KANTAR:
 B2B & Industrial
 Kantar Worldpanel
 Marketing Sciences
 Livelabs
 International Research
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 Consumer
 Stakeholder Management
 Qualitative
 Retail Services
I. B2B & Industrial, the Business & Industrial Research arm of Kantar IMRB
provides market research and consulting services to the B2B and industrial
markets.It is the only organization of its kind that provides corporates with a
research-based consultancy. With the vast repository of knowledge and
understanding gained through studying diverse sectors for several years, B2B &
INDUSTRIAL provides discerning market perspective for sound decision making.
We work with leading organizations like Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors,
Siemens, SKF, HSBC, ICICI Bank, Amrutanjan, Aventis, Aditya Birla, Anil
Starch, IRCTC and Royal Thai Embassy.
II. Kantar Worldpanel is the expert in shopper behaviour, tracking the evolving
world of FMCG purchase dynamics in India. Kantar Worldpanel is the expert in
shopper behaviour. Through continuous monitoring, advanced analytics and
tailored solutions, Kantar Worldpanel inspires successful decisions by brand
owners, retailers, market analysts and government organisations globally. Kantar
Worldpanel India tracks monthly FMCG purchases of 81200 Indian homes thus
giving for India an understanding of changing FMCG purchase dynamics. Kantar
Worldpanel tracks 97 categories across Food & Beverages, Personal Market
Research & Data Acquisitione and Home Market Research & Data Acquisitione.
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III. Marketing science is the thought leader of kantar imrb, tasked with Market
Research & Data Acquisitiontion and innovation. We distil the best in
psychology, sociology, technology, statistics, and economics, to develop
insightful, actionable, and fast-paced solutions that are marketer-centric.We are a
motley group of people with a vibrant mix of youth and experience amongst our
ranks, possessing a wide range of skill-sets and training.
We are researchers, designers, statisticians, economists, ethnographers hailing
from diverse backgrounds. We draw on each other’s talents and capabilities to
conceptualize solutions to complex problems and deliver them in the simplest,
most impactful manner.Our expertise lies in the field of forward-looking
consumer understanding, be it through segmentation, pricing, forecasting,
branding, communication, or product testing. We regularly work with the best
minds in academia and technology globally to ensure that our solutions are
founded on proven principles and are applied creatively to anticipate the future.
We apply cutting edge and latest analytical thoughts, processes and models – from
picture recognition to social media analytics to neural networks and agent based
modelling – to system-1-inspired methods of consumer engagement.
We are constantly validating, challenging, and recasting our own work, in order to
keep up with the demanding and ever-changing nature of the times we live in.Our
solutions are flexible enough to adapt themselves to various sectors like fmcg,
auto, durables, financial services, telecom etc. They have been used to frame and
execute successful strategies across companies and sectors, both in india and
globally.
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IV. An approach to creative problem solving, LIVELABS is an innovation practice
housed within Kantar IMRB. At LIVELABS, diverse minds come together to
solve business problems with a unique creative approach. The story gets a new
beginning. The status-quo is disrupted. New Market Research & Data
Acquisitions are born.
 LIVELABS are a group of unsettlers, with a method to their madness.
Some designers, some architects, some engineers, some psychologists, and
some pure thinkers & tinkerers, who are on an uninhibited journey to
breathe innovations from insights and turn them into strategic solutions
that help businesses navigate through the unknown future.
 LIVELABS helps discover white-space opportunities to create innovative
products and experiences which have never been pondered upon before.
They are passionate about finding real solutions for real problems, to make
a difference for whom it is being made.
17
V. Kantar IMRB’s International Research unit has vast experience in
serving clients across the globe having conducted studies in 65 countries just last
year. With resources stationed all over the world, we’re well equipped to meet
all your research needs while integrating both cultural nuances and local flavours
to help your business succeed, no matter the time zone.
 Kantar IMRB Consumer has always combined deep sectoral knowledge as
well as an intrinsic understanding of client business with cutting edge
quantitative research techniques in order to provide solutions for a wide
variety of business issues. Working closely with other Kantar IMRB
specialist units in the areas of Qualitative, Retail & Digital Research, it
leverages syndicated offers like the Kantar Worldpanel and Target Group
Index to provide end-to-end solutions right across the whole life cycle of a
brand.
 Employing more than a 100 researchers across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, &
Bangalore for client account management, we also retain a Marketing
Science Group (consisting of more than 20 persons) whose R&D ,
methodology development and modelling capabilities provide cutting edge
technical expertise in the different areas of brand & communication
tracking, brand equity, ad pre testing, segmentation, pricing research,
innovation testing & volumetrics, product optimization & diagnostics.
 Kantar IMRB philosophy has always been to completely understand the
issue at hand and then utilise the best possible research solution – be that
by applying, or modifying one of our own research products to meet the
necessary business requirements or even crafting a completely customized
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research design to fit the issue profile. Our own research products to meet
the necessary business requirements or even crafting a completely
customized research design to fit the issue profile.
 Stakeholder Management partners with clients to create customer centric
organizations, using proprietary stakeholder management solutions and
tools to deliver positive business results
 Stakeholder Management is an independent, specialist unit of Kantar
IMRB and an exclusive member of the Walker Information Global
Network (WIGN) in the Indian subcontinent. Stakeholder Management
partners with clients to create customer centric organizations, using
proprietary stakeholder management solutions and tools to deliver positive
business results by way of greater stakeholder loyalty and faster growth.
Stakeholder Management is a leading measurement expert in the area of
stakeholder loyalty and satisfaction in South Asia
 Offering an experienced team with multi-disciplinary backgrounds
exclusively dedicated to assist clients in stakeholder management practices
across various sectors
 Operating out of Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore and leveraging
Kantar IMRB’s pan-India field network to service its clients effectively
 Experience with over 500 clients from diverse sectors and a repertoire of
over 3000 successful stakeholder management programs.
VI. Kantar IMRB Qualitative has always placed a strong emphasis on getting the
best possible inputs and expertise, and this is evidenced by our formidable team of
specialist Qualitative researchers, whose diverse fields of expertise (art, humanities,
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behavioral and physical sciences) as well as cultural backgrounds (international and
local) have resulted in the foremost name in qualitative research, both in India and
the world.
 In addition, our integrated research approach draws from a variety of
social sciences such as ethnography, psychology, and anthropology
amongst others, with the result that Qualitative now possesses a
comprehensive portfolio of tools that blend traditional methods with
modern techniques from semiotics and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
 Coupled with our unparalleled expertise in communication, brand &
product creation, as well as developmental and social issues, Qualitative is
uniquely placed to offer an uncompromising, multidisciplinary exploration
of consumer motivation and behaviour and provide high-quality insights
into what guides it.
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 In early 2010, Qualitative launched Kantar IMRB Innovation Labs – an
innovation consulting practice whose objective is to provide tangible,
impactful, and disruptive business outcomes and innovation platforms for
organizations. At the heart of its innovation philosophy is ‘Design
Thinking’ – a unique problem-solving approach that combines the power
of three critical skills – Empathy, Creativity, and Rationality – for business
problem solving and strategy.
 Qualitative’s most recent foray is called The Alternate Room – a place that
provides a fresh, relevant, and sometimes, controversial perspective on
brands, behavior, and trends.
 Our aim is, as it has always been, to lead clients from insights to solutions.
 Key Clients
 Qualitative’s experience spans sectors, categories, companies and nations.
Over the last 20 years, we have gained a loyal clientele, with 5 of our top
10 clients having been with Qualitative right from the beginning.
 British American Tobacco
 Unilever India
 Glaxo SmithKline
 TATA Group
 Godrej Group
 PepsiCo
 ITC Group
 Raymond Group
 Mahindra & Mahindra
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VII. Kantar IMRB Retail – At the cutting edge of retail research
In the fiercely competitive business of retail, both retailers and marketers are forever
striving for an advantage to get ahead of the pack. Retailers want to leverage every last
square inch of retail space to improve the customer experience, which in turn drives sales,
while marketers jostle with competition for the Market Research & Data Acquisitionl
retail presence, one that will not only draw the customer’s attention, but also put the
product ‘front and centre’ in the consumer’s mind space.
Both these goals require a deep understanding of consumer behaviour in and around
physical retail environments. It is important, therefore, to understand the dynamics
between the various elements of the retail environment that drive shopper behaviour.
Kantar IMRB Retail offers a unique suite of products and services that aids client
decision-making across different points of the consumer retail experience.
We believe that every point of sale offers countless research opportunities, because this is
where active shoppers are at that critical juncture of deciding on ‘what’ they should buy
while the store environment is constantly feeding them stimulus on ‘why’ they should
buy.
Currently being used by clients across a variety of industries and sectors, we believe that
our offerings give you a much better insight into what makes for the Market Research &
Data Acquisitionl shopper experience, as opposed to traditional research methodologies,
which depend heavily on in-home research or ‘forced exposure tests’ in simulated
environments supplemented with some in-store research.
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Our core services:
RetailScaping - a retail network expansion tool
Two Ahead Shopper Science - studying the science and art of shopping
Scores - an evaluation of store performances
CEx - an index for measuring customer experience across every P2P touch point
Retail Compliance Tracker - real time auditing system of multiple delivery aspects at the
PoS
The Digital Shopper - understanding the role and dynamics of online shopping today
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2. MARKETING RESEARCH
2.1. INTRODUCTION TO THE MARKETING RESEARCH:-
The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 set a new tone and emphasized the use
of market research by federal agencies.
The government’s rules and policies regarding market research are defined primarily in
FAR Part 10, FAR Part 2.101 and FAR Part 7.102. In addition, the federal government’s
policy on small business utilization and the requirements for contracting officers to locate
and encourage the maximum participation of small businesses is outlined in FAR Part 19,
specifically FAR Part 19.202.
In addition, multiple agencies have published FAR Supplements to define specific polices
on the use of market research. Also, many agencies and buying offices have developed
“Best Practices” guides which include assistance regarding effective market research
techniques. It is helpful and important to become aware of available best practices.
So… what is market research?
Market research is the continuous process of collecting and analyzing data on products,
services, business practices and vendor capabilities to satisfy agency needs. Simply put,
market research is learning about the market to make informed and suitable decisions and
choices about the acquisition of goods and services.
Market research is also a critical tool in helping contracting officers find qualified small
business vendors.
Simply stated, market research is the foundation for building an effective solicitation and
a successful contract. It is the most important methodology a contracting officer can use
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to find small business vendors. And, small businesses are critically important to
promoting competition in the procurement process and growing the overall economy.
You may also consider recording and making available best practices for your own
agency or buying unit Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the
producers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information used to identify
and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate
marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of
marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address
these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the
data collection process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their
implications."
 It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis
of qualitative and quantitative data about issues relating to marketing products and
services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing
elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behaviour. The term is
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commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may
wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically
with markets, while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing
processes.
 According to the Marketing Research Association (2000), Marketing’ Research is
defined as follows- “Marketing Research is the function which links the
consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information- information
used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate,
refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and
improve understanding of marketing as a process.”
 “Marketing Research specifies the information required to address these issues;
designs the method of collecting information; manages and implements the data
collection process; analyzes the results; and communicates the findings,
recommendations and their implications.”
 Marketing research is the systematic collection and analysis of data relating to sale
and distribution of financial products and services. Market research is an early
step in the marketing process, and includes an analysis of market demand for a
new product, or for existing products, as well as appropriate methods of
distributing those products.
 Techniques in market research include telephone polling and focus group
interviews to determine customer attitudes, pricing sensitivity, and willingness to
use delivery alternatives. Most large banks have their own market research
departments that evaluate not only products, but their Brick and Mortar branch
banking networks through which most banking products are sold.
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 Marketing research refers to gathering and analysis of information about the
moving of goods or services from producer to consumer. Marketing research
covers three wide areas: market analysis, which yields information about the
marketplace; product research, which yields information about the characteristics
and desires for the product; and consumer research, which yields information
about the needs and motivations of the consumer.
 Marketing research is nothing but gathering and analysis of information about the
moving of goods or services from producer to consumer. Marketing research
covers three wide areas: market analysis, which yields information about the
marketplace; product research, which yields information about the characteristics
and desires for the product; and consumer research, which yields information
about the needs and motivations of the consumer. The results of marketing
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research will supply facts needed to make marketing decisions and will determine
the extent and location of the market for a product or service.
 Accelerating product cycles, easy access to information on products and services,
highly discerning consumers, and fierce competition among companies are all a
reality in the world of business. Too many companies are chasing too few
consumers. In his book Kotler on Marketing- “How to Create, Win, and Dominate
Markets,” Philip Kotler, marketing guru and a professor at Northwestern
University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, discusses what a business
has to do to be successful. He wrote, “The premium will go to those companies
that invent new ways to create, communicate and deliver value to their target
markets”.
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 Knowing, understanding, and responding to your target market is more important
than ever. And this requires information good information. Good information can
lead to successful products and services. Good information is the result of market
research.
 Marketing research is a $1.3-billion-dollar-a-year industry. The industry is
growing at over 10 percent a year, with profits running at a similar level.
Marketing Research provides, analyzes, and interprets information for
manufacturers on how consumers view their products and services and on how
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they can better meet consumer needs. The ultimate goal is to please the consumer
in order to get, or keep, the consumer’s business.
 Marketing Research evolved as the U.S. economy shifted from a production-
driven one to a market-driven one. As the American production of goods and
services, plus imports, was beginning to satiate American demand, marketers
needed to learn how to tailor their products to the needs and likes of an
increasingly discerning public. This tailoring resulted in increased market demand
and, for successful companies, increased market share.
 Marketing research is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of data
about issues relating to marketing products and services. The term is commonly
interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may wish to
draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets,
while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.
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2.2. HISTORY OF MARKETING:
 Evidence for commercial research being gathered informally dates to the
Medieval period. In 1380, the German textile manufacturer, Johann Fugger,
travelled from Augsburg to Graben in order to gather information on the
international textile industry. He exchanged detailed letters on trade conditions in
relevant areas. Although, this type of information would have been termed
"commercial intelligence" at the time, it created a precedent for the systemic
collection of marketing information.
 During the European age of discovery, industrial houses began to import exotic,
luxury goods - calico cloth from India, porcelain, silk and tea from China, spices
from India and South-East Asia and tobacco, sugar, rum and coffee from the New
World. International traders began to demand information that could be used for
marketing decisions. During this period, Daniel Defoe, a London merchant,
published information on trade and economic resources of England and Scotland.
Defoe was a prolific publisher and among his many publications are titles devoted
to the state of trade including; Trade of Britain Stated, (1707); Trade of Scotland
with France, (1713) and The Trade to India Critically and Calmly
Considered, (1720) - all of which provided merchants and traders with important
information on which to base business decisions.
 Until the late 18th-century, European and North-American economies were
characteristicted by local production and consumption. Produce, household goods
and tools were produced by local artisans or farmers with exchange taking place
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in local markets or fairs. Under these conditions, the need for marketing
information was minimal. However, the rise of mass-production following the
industrial revolution, combined with improved transportation systems of the early
19th-century, led to the creation of national markets and ultimately, stimulated the
need for more detailed information about customers, competitors, distribution
systems and market communications.
 By the 19th-century, manufacturers were exploring ways to understand the
different market needs and behaviours of groups of consumers. A study of the
German book trade found examples of both product differentiation and market
segmentation as early as the 1820s. From the 1880s, German toy manufacturers
were producing models of tin toysfor specific geographic markets; London
omnibuses and ambulances destined for the British market; French postal delivery
vans for Continental Europe and American locomotives intended for sale in
America. Such activities suggest that sufficient market information was collected
to support detailed market segmentation.
 In 1895, American advertising agency, N. H. Ayer & Son, used telegraph to
contact publishers and state officials throughout the country about grain
production, in an effort to construct an advertising schedule for client, Nichols-
Shephard company, an agricultural machinery company in what many scholars
believe is the first application of marketing research to solve a marketing/
advertising problem).
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 Between 1902 and 1910, George B Waldron, working at Mahin's Advertising
Agency in the United States used tax registers, city directories and census data to
show advertisers the proportion of educated vs illiterate consumers and the
earning capacity of different occupations in a very early example of simple market
segmentation.
 In 1911 Charles Coolidge Parlin was appointed as the Manager of the Commercial
Research Division of the Advertising Department of the Curtis Publishing
Company, thereby establishing the first in-house market research department - an
event that has been described as marking the beginnings of organised marketing
research. His aim was to turn market research into a science. Parlin published a
number of studies of various product-markets including agriculture (1911);
consumer goods (c.1911); department store lines (1912) a five-volume study of
automobiles (1914).
 In 1924 Paul Cherington improved on primitive forms of demographic market
segmentation when he developed the 'ABCD' household typology; the first socio-
demographic segmentation tool. By the 1930s, market researchers such as Ernest
Dichter recognised that demographics alone were insufficient to explain different
marketing behaviours and began exploring the use of lifestyles, attitudes, values,
beliefs and culture to segment markets.
 In the first three decades of the 20th-century, advertising agencies and marketing
departments developed the basic techniques used in quantitative and qualitative
research - survey methods, questionnaires, gallup polls etc. As early as 1901,
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Walter B Scott was undertaking experimental research for the Agate Club of
Chicago. In 1910, George B Waldron was Market Research & Data
Acquisitionrying out qualitative research for Mahins Advertising Agency.
 In 1919, the first book on commercial research was published, Commercial
Research: An Outline of Working Principles by Professor C.S. Duncan of the
University of Chicago.
 Adequate knowledge of consumer preferences was a key to survival in the face of
increasingly competitive markets. By the 1920s, advertising agencies, such as J
Walter Thompson (JWT), were conducting research on
the how and why consumers used brands, so that they could recommend
appropriate advertising copy to manufacturers.
 The advent of commercial radio in the 1920s, and television in the 1940s, led a
number of market research companies to develop the means to measure audience
size and audience composition. In 1923, Arthur Nielsen founded market research
company, A C Nielsen and over next decade pioneered the measurement of radio
audiences. He subsequently applied his methods to the measurement of television
audiences. Around the same time, Daniel Starch developed measures for testing
advertising copy effectiveness in print media (newspapers and magazines), and
these subsequently became known as Starch scores (and are still used today).
 During, the 1930s and 1940s, many of the data collection methods, probability
sampling methods, survey methods, questionnaire design and key metrics were
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developed. By the 1930s, Ernest Dichter was pioneering the focus group method
of qualitative research. For this, he is often described as the 'father of market
research.'[22] Dichter applied his methods on campaigns for major brands including
Chrysler, Exxon/Esso where he used methods from psychology and cultural
anthropology to gain consumer insights. These methods eventually lead to the
development of motivational research. Marketing historians refer to this period as
the "Foundation Age" of market research.
 By the 1930s, the first courses on marketing research were taught in universities
and colleges. The text-book, Market Research and Analysis by Lyndon O. Brown
(1937) became one of the popular textbooks during this period. As the number of
trained research professionals proliferated throughout the second half of the 20th-
century, the techniques and methods used in marketing research became
increasingly sophisticated. Marketers, such as Paul Green, were instrumental in
developing techniques such asconjoint analysis and multidimensional scaling,
both of which are used in positioning maps, market segmentation, choice analysis
and other marketing applications.
 Web analytics were born out of the need to track the behavior of site visitors and,
as the popularity of e-commerce and web advertising grew, businesses demanded
details on the information created by new practices in web data collection, such
as click-through and exit rates. As the Internet boomed, websites became larger
and more complex and the possibility of two-way communication between
businesses and their consumers became a reality. Provided with the capacity to
interact with online customers, Researchers were able to collect large amounts of
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data that were previously unavailable, further propelling the marketing research
industry.
 In the new millennium, as the Internet continued to develop and websites became
more interactive, data collection and analysis became more commonplace for
those marketing research firms whose clients had a web presence. With the
explosive growth of the online marketplace came new competition for companies;
no longer were businesses merely competing with the shop down the road —
competition was now represented by a global force. Retail outlets were appearing
online and the previous need for bricks-and-mortar stores was diminishing at a
greater pace than online competition was growing.With so many online channels
for consumers to make purchases, companies needed newer and more compelling
methods, in combination with messages that resonated more effectively, to capture
the attention of the average consumer.
 Having access to web data did not automatically provide companies with the
rationale behind the behavior of users visiting their sites, which provoked the
marketing research industry to develop new and better ways of tracking, collecting
and interpreting information. This led to the development of various tools like
online focus groups and pop-up or website intercept surveys. These types of
services allowed companies to dig deeper into the motivations of consumers,
augmenting their insights and utilizing this data to drive market share.
 As information around the world became more accessible, increased competition
led companies to demand more of market researchers. It was no longer sufficient
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to follow trends in web behavior or track sales data; companies now needed
access to consumer behavior throughout the entire purchase process.This meant
the Marketing Research Industry, again, needed to adapt to the rapidly changing
needs of the marketplace, and to the demands of companies looking for a
competitive edge.
 Today, marketing research has adapted to innovations in technology and the
corresponding ease with which information is available. B2B and B2C companies
are working hard to stay competitive and they now demand both quantitative
(“What”) and qualitative (“Why?”) marketing research in order to better
understand their target audience and the motivations behind customer behaviors.
 This demand is driving marketing researchers to develop new platforms for
interactive, two-way communication between their firms and consumers. Mobile
devices such as Smart Phones are the best example of an emerging platform that
enables businesses to connect with their customers throughout the entire buying
process.
 As personal mobile devices become more capable and widespread, the marketing
research industry will look to further capitalize on this trend. Mobile devices
present the perfect channel for research firms to retrieve immediate impressions
from buyers and to provide their clients with a holistic view of the consumers
within their target markets, and beyond. Now, more than ever, innovation is the
key to success for Marketing Researchers. Marketing Research Clients are
beginning to demand highly personalized and specifically-focused products from
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the marketing research firms; big data is great for identifying general market
segments, but is less capable of identifying key factors of niche markets, which
now defines the competitive edge companies are looking for in this mobile-digital
age.
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2.3. PURPOSE OF THE MARKETING RESEARCH:
 Performed to support the development of effective acquisition planning
 Requires written acquisition plan.
 Objective is to arrive at the most suitable acquisition approach.
 Should provide solid information on:
 Existing products.
 Capable small business sources.
 Competitive market forces.
 Commercial practices.
 Product performance and quality.
 Successful acquisition practices of other organizations.
a) The purpose of marketing research (MR) is to provide management with relevant,
accurate, reliable, valid, and up to date market information. Competitive
marketing environment and the ever-increasing costs attributed to poor decision
making require that marketing research provide sound information. Sound
decisions are not based on gut feeling, intuition, or even pure judgment.
b) Managers make numerous strategic and tactical decisions in the process of
identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make decisions about potential
opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and
implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. These
decisions are complicated by interactions between the controllable marketing
variables of product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. Further complications
are added by uncontrollable environmental factors such as general economic
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conditions, technology, public policies and laws, political environment,
competition, and social and cultural changes. Another factor in this mix is the
complexity of consumers.
c) Marketing research helps the marketing manager link the marketing variables with
the environment and the consumers. It helps remove some of the uncertainty by
providing relevant information about the marketing variables, environment, and
consumers. In the absence of relevant information, consumers' response to
marketing programs cannot be predicted reliably or accurately.
Ongoing marketing research programs provide information on controllable and
non-controllable factors and consumers; this information enhances the
effectiveness of decisions made by marketing managers.
d) Traditionally, marketing researchers were responsible for providing the relevant
information and marketing decisions were made by the managers. However, the
roles are changing and marketing researchers are becoming more involved in
decision making, whereas marketing managers are becoming more involved with
research. The role of marketing research in managerial decision making is
explained further using the framework of the DECIDE model.
e) A key goal of market research is to determine and find qualified small business
sources. It is also used to determine if commercial items are available to meet
acquisition requirements.
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f) In addition, market research is used to evaluate circumstances surrounding the
possible consolidation of contract requirements and to determine if contract
bundling and consolidation are avoidable.
2.4. MARKET RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION
 Explanation of the acquisition’s background and purpose.
 Description of the agency’s needs, in terms of function and performance.
 Desired schedule of delivery.
 List of small business and other sources who were contacted.
 Discussion of customary commercial practices.
 Identification of price ranges discovered.
 Description of available commercial or non-developmental items.
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2.5. MARKET RESEARCH =MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Market research is evolving into market intelligence. That is, a solid understanding of the
industry and market through investigation & discovery, surveys, requests for information,
trade events, associations, site visits, “industry days,” etc.
Solid market research or market intelligence can be used to: validate requirements, or not;
identify more efficient requirements – to eliminate gold-plating; ensure that requirements
are consistent with industry practices; and, importantly, ensure that requirements are
inclusive of small business.
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2.6. RESOURCES FOR MARKET RESEARCH
 Historical records –recent research, former bidder lists, current awardees, etc.
 Knowledgeable contract professionals (PCRs, BOSs, etc.)
 Industry conferences, publications, meetings and databases.
Market research is not an exact science, but many excellent resources are available to
assist in such efforts.
It is helpful to begin with historical files for similar acquisitions. Review recent market
research, former bidder lists, current awardees and other related information.
In addition, contact knowledgeable small business contract professionals, such as PCRs,
Business Opportunity Specialists, PTAC employees and small business specialists, within
and outside of your agency. Also, industry conferences, publications and meetings can be
a great resource for market research. When considering the use of the 8(a) Business
Development Program to meet your needs, an SBA, district office, Business Opportunity
Specialist can be an invaluable resource in identifying capable program participant firms.
And, finally use market research databases. This is critically important and easy to do.
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2.7. SCOPE OF MARKETING RESEARCH:
The scope of marketing research stretches from the identification of consumer wants and
needs to the evaluation of consumer satisfaction. It comprises of research relating to
consumers, products, sales, distribution, advertising, pricing and sales forecasting.
First, marketing research is systematic. Thus systematic planning is required at all the
stages of the marketing research process. The procedures followed at each stage are
methodologically sound, well documented, and, as much as possible, planned in advance.
Marketing research uses the scientific method in that data are collected and analyzed to
test prior notions or hypotheses. Experts in marketing research have shown that studies
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featuring multiple and often competing hypotheses yield more meaningful results than
those featuring only one dominant hypothesis.
Marketing research is objective. It attempts to provide accurate information that reflects a
true state of affairs. It should be conducted impartially. While research is always
influenced by the researcher's research philosophy, it should be free from the personal or
political biases of the researcher or the management. Research which is motivated by
personal or political gain involves a breach of professional standards. Such research is
deliberately biased so as to result in predetermined findings. The objective nature of
marketing research underscores the importance of ethical considerations. Also,
researchers should always be objective with regard to the selection of information to be
featured in reference texts because such literature should offer a comprehensive view on
marketing. Research has shown, however, that many marketing textbooks do not feature
important principles in marketing research.
2.7.1. MARKET RESEARCH & DATA ACQUISITIONEER
IN MARKET RESEARCH:
Some of the positions available in marketing research include vice president of marketing
research, research director, assistant director of research, project manager, field work
director, statistician/data processing specialist, senior analyst, analyst, junior analyst and
operational supervisor.
The most common entry-level position in marketing research for people with bachelor's
degrees (e.g., BBA) is as operational supervisor. These people are responsible for
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supervising a well-defined set of operations, including field work, data editing, and
coding, and may be involved in programming and data analysis.
Another entry-level position for BBAs is assistant project manager. An assistant project
manager will learn and assist in questionnaire design, review field instructions, and
monitor timing and costs of studies. In the marketing research industry, however, there is
a growing preference for people with master's degrees.
Those with MBA or equivalent degrees are likely to be employed as project managers.
A small number of business schools also offer a more specialized Master of Marketing
Research (MMR) degree. An MMR typically prepares students for a wide range of
research methodologies and focuses on learning both in the classroom and the field.
The typical entry-level position in a business firm would be junior research
analyst (for BBAs) or research analyst (for MBAs or MMRs). The junior analyst and the
research analyst learn about the particular industry and receive training from a senior staff
member, usually the marketing research manager.
The junior analyst position includes a training program to prepare individuals for the
responsibilities of a research analyst, including coordinating with the marketing
department and sales force to develop goals for product exposure. The research analyst
responsibilities include checking all data for accuracy, comparing and contrasting new
research with established norms, and analyzing primary and secondary data for the
purpose of market forecasting.
As these job titles indicate, people with a variety of backgrounds and skills are needed in
marketing research. Technical specialists such as statisticians obviously need strong
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backgrounds in statistics and data analysis. Other positions, such as research director, call
for managing the work of others and require more general skills. To prepare for a Market
Research & Data Acquisitioneer in marketing research, students usually:
i.Take all the marketing courses.
ii.Take courses in statistics and quantitative methods.
iii.Acquire computer skills.
iv.Take courses in psychology and consumer behavior.
v.Acquire effective written and verbal communication skills.
vi.Think creatively.
2.8. CORPORATE HIERARCHY OR STRUCTURE OF
CORPORATE IN MARKET RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS:
1. Vice-President of Marketing Research: This is the senior position in marketing
research. The VP is responsible for the entire marketing research operation of the
company and serves on the top management team. Sets the objectives and goals of
the marketing research department.
2. Research Director: Also a senior position, the director has the overall
responsibility for the development and execution of all the marketing research
projects.
3. Assistant Director of Research: Serves as an administrative assistant to the
director and supervises some of the other marketing research staff members.
4. (Senior) Project Manager: Has overall responsibility for design, implementation,
and management of research projects.
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5. Statistician/Data Processing Specialist: Serves as an expert on theory and
application of statistical techniques. Responsibilities include experimental design,
data processing, and analysis.
6. Senior Analyst: Participates in the development of projects and directs the
operational execution of the assigned projects. Works closely with the analyst,
junior analyst, and other personnel in developing the research design and data
collection. Prepares the final report. The primary responsibility for meeting time
and cost constraints rests with the senior analyst.
7. Analyst: Handles the details involved in executing the project. Designs and
pretests the questionnaires and conducts a preliminary analysis of the data.
8. Junior Analyst: Handles routine assignments such as secondary data analysis,
editing and coding of questionnaires, and simple statistical analysis.
9. Field Work Director: Responsible for the selection, training, supervision, and
evaluation of interviewers and other field workers.
2.9 MARKET RESEARCH :
Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets or
customers. It is a very important component of business strategy. The term is commonly
interchanged with marketing research; however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a
distinction, in that marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing
processes, while market research is concerned specifically with markets.
Market research is one of the main factors used in maintaining competitiveness
over competitors. Market research provides important information which helps to identify
and analyze the needs of the market, the market size and the competition. Market-
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research techniques encompass both qualitative techniques such as focus groups, in-depth
interviews, and ethnography, as well as quantitative techniques such as customer surveys,
and analysis of secondary data.
Market research, which includes social and opinion research, is the systematic gathering
and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using statistical and
analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support
decision making.
There are two main sources of data — primary and secondary.
a. Primary research is conducted from scratch. It is original and collected to solve the
problem in hand.
b. Secondary research already exists since it has been collected for other purposes. It is
conducted on data published previously and usually by someone else.
Secondary research costs far less than primary research, but seldom comes in a form that
exactly meets the needs of the researcher.
A similar distinction exists between exploratory research and conclusive research.
Exploratory research provides insights into and comprehension of an issue or situation. It
should draw definitive conclusions only with extreme caution. Conclusive research draws
conclusions: the results of the study can be generalized to the whole population.
c. Exploratory research is conducted to explore a problem to get some basic Market
Research & Data Acquisition about the solution at the preliminary stages of research. It
may serve as the input to conclusive research. Exploratory research information is
collected by focus group interviews, reviewing literature or books, discussing with
experts, etc. This is unstructured and qualitative in nature. If a secondary source of data is
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unable to serve the purpose, a convenience sample of small size can be collected.
Conclusive research is conducted to draw some conclusion about the problem. It is
essentially, structured and quantitative research, and the output of this research is the
input to management information systems (MIS).
Exploratory research is also conducted to simplify the findings of the conclusive or
descriptive research, if the findings are very hard to interpret for the marketing managers.
 Market research for business/planning
Market research is a way of getting an overview of consumers' wants, needs and beliefs.
It can also involve discovering how they act. The research can be used to determine how
a product could be marketed. Peter Drucker believed, market research to be the
quintessence of marketing. Market research is a way that producers and the marketplace
study the consumer and gather information about the consumers' needs. There are two
major types of market research: primary research, which is sub-divided
into quantitative and qualitative research, and secondary research.
Factors that can be investigated through market research include:
1. Market information: Through market information one can know the prices of
different commodities in the market, as well as the supply and demand situation. Market
researchers have a wider role than previously recognized by helping their clients to
understand social, technical, and even legal aspects of markets.
2. Market segmentation: Market segmentation is the division of the market or
population into subgroups with similar motivations. It is widely used for segmenting on
geographic differences, demographic differences (age, gender, ethnicity,
etc.), technographic differences, psychographic differences, and differences in product
use. For B2B segmentation firmographics is commonly used.
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3. Market trends: Market trends are the upward or downward movement of a market,
during a period of time. Determining the market size may be more difficult if one is
starting with a new innovation. In this case, you will have to derive the figures from the
number of potential customers, or customer segments.
4. SWOT analysis: SWOT is a written analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats to a business entity. A SWOT may also be written up for the
competition to understand how to develop the marketing and product mixes.
5. PEST analysis: PEST is an analysis about external environment . It includes a
complete examine of a firm's Political, Economical, Social and Technological external
factors. which may impact firms objective or profitability. They may become a benefit for
the firm or harm its productivity.
6. Brand health tracker: Brand tracking is way of continuously measuring the health
of a brand, both in terms of consumers’ usage of it (i.e. Brand Funnel) and what they
think about it. Brand health can be measured in a number of ways, such as brand
awareness, brand equity, brand usage and brand loyalty.
Another factor that can be measured is marketing effectiveness. This includes:
 Customer analysis (Segmentation of target customers)
 Choice modelling
 Competitor analysis
 Risk analysis
 Product research
 Advertisement research
 Marketing mix modeling
 Simulated test marketing
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 Market research for the film industry:
It is important to test marketing material for films to see how an audience will receive it.
There are several market research practices that may be used:
a. concept testing, which evaluates reactions to a film Market Research & Data
Acquisition and is fairly rare; positioning studios, which analyze a script for marketing
opportunities;
b. focus groups, which probe viewers' opinions about a film in small groups prior to
release; test screenings, which involve the previewing of films prior to theatrical release;
c. tracking studies, which gauge (often by telephone polling) an audience's awareness of a
film on a weekly basis prior to and during theatrical release;
d. advertising testing, which measures responses to marketing materials such as trailers
and television advertisements;
e. exit surveys, that measure audience reactions after seeing the film in the cinema.
 Influence from the Internet
a) The availability of research by way of the Internet has influenced a vast number of
consumers using this media; for gaining knowledge relating to virtually every type
of available product and service. It has been added to by the growth factor of
emerging global markets, such as China, Indonesia and Russia, which is
significantly exceeding that of the established and more advanced B2B e-
commerce markets. Various statistics show that the increasing demands of
consumers are reflected not only in the wide and varied range of general Internet
researching applications, but in online shopping research penetration.
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b) This is stimulated by product-enhancing websites, graphics, and content designed
to attract casual "surfing" shoppers, researching for their particular needs,
competitive prices and quality. According to the Small Business
Administration (SBA), a successful business is significantly contributed to by
gaining knowledge about customers, competitors, and the associated industry.
Market research creates not only this understanding, but is the process of data
analysis regarding which products and services are in demand.
c) The convenience and easy accessibility of the Internet has created a global B2C e-
commerce research facility, for a vast online shopping network that has motivated
retail markets in developed countries. In 2010 between US$400 billion and $600
billion in revenue was generated by this medium. It was anticipated that in 2015
this online market w generate between $700 billion and $950 billion.
d) Beyond online web-based market research activities, the Internet has also
influenced high-street modes of data collection by, for example, replacing the
traditional paper clipboardwith online survey providers. Over the last 5 years,
mobile surveys have become increasingly popular. Mobile has opened the door to
innovative new methods of engaging respondents, such as social voting
communities.
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 Research and social media applications
The UK Market Research Society (MRS) reports research has shown that on average, the
three social media platforms primarily used
by Millennials are LinkedIn, Facebook andYouTube. Social Media applications,
according to T-Systems, help generate the B2B E-commerce market and develop
electronic business process efficiency. This application is a highly effective vehicle for
market research, which combined with E-commerce, is now regarded as a separate,
extremely profitable field of global business. While many B2B business models are being
updated, the various advantages and benefits offered by Social Media platforms are being
integrated within them.
Business intelligence organizations have compiled a comprehensive report related to
global online retail sales, defining continued growth patterns and trends in the industry.
Headed "Global B2C E-Commerce and Online Payment Market 2014," the report
perceives a decrease in overall growth rates in North America and Western Europe as the
expected growth in the online market sales is absorbed into the emerging markets. It is
forecasted that the Asia-Pacific region will see the fastest growth in the B2C E-
Commerce market, leading it to replace North America as the B2C E-Commerce sales
region leader within a few years. This effectively offers a significant motivational
platform for newInternet services to promote user market research-friendly applications.
 Research and market sectors
a) The primary online sale providers in B2C E-Commerce, worldwide, includes the
USA based Amazon.com Inc. which remains the E-Commerce revenues, global
leader. The growth leaders in the world top ten are two online companies from
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China, both of which conducted Initial Public Offering (IPO) this year; Alibaba
Group Holding Ltd. and JD Inc. Another company from the top ten is Cnova
N.V., a recently formed E-Commerce subsidiary of the French Group Casino,
with various store retailers developing and expanding their E-Commerce facilities
worldwide. It is a further indication of how consumers are increasingly being
attracted to the opportunities of online researching and expanding their awareness
of what is available to them.
b) Service providers; for example those related to finance, foreign market trade and
investment promote a variety of information and research opportunities to online
users. In addition, they provide comprehensive and competitive strategies with
market research tools, designed to promote worldwide business opportunities
for entrepreneurs and established providers. General access, to accurate and
supported market research facilities, is a critical aspect of business development
and success today. The Marketing Research Association was founded in 1957 and
is recognized as one of the leading and prominent associations in the opinion and
marketing research profession. It serves the purpose of providing insights and
intelligence that helps businesses make decisions regarding the provision of
products and services to consumers and industries.
c) This organization knowledge of market conditions and competition is gained by
researching relevant sectors, which provide advantages for entry into new and
established industries. It enables effective strategies to be implemented; the
assessment of global environments in the service sectors, as well as
foreign market trade and investment barriers! Research, is utilized for promoting
export opportunities and inward investment, helping determine how to execute
competitive strategies, focus on objective policies and strengthen global
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opportunities. It is a medium that influences, administrates and enforces
agreements, preferences, leveling trading environments and competitiveness in
the international marketplace.
d) The retail industry aspect of online market research, is being transformed
worldwide by M-Commerce with its mobile audience, rapidly increasing as the
volume and varieties of products purchased on the mobile medium, increases.
Researches conducted in the markets of North America and Europe, revealed that
the M-Commerce penetration on the total online retail trade, had attained 10%, or
more. It was also shown that in emerging markets, smart-phone and tablet
penetration is fast increasing and contributing significantly to online shopping
growth.
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3. METHODOLOGY USED IN MARKETING RESEARCH
Ations engage in marketing research for two reasons: firstly, to identify and, secondly, to
solve marketing problems. This distinction serves as a basis for classifying marketing
research into problem identification research and problem solving research.
Problem identification research is undertaken to help identify problems which are,
perhaps, not apparent on the surface and yet exist or are likely to arise in the future like
company image, market characteristics, sales analysis, short-range forecasting, long range
forecasting, and business trends research. Research of this type provides information
about the marketing environment and helps diagnose a problem. For example, the
findings of problem solving research are used in making decisions which will solve
specific marketing problems.
The stanford research institute, on the other hand, conducts an annual survey of
consumers that is used to classify persons into homogeneous groups for segmentation
purposes. The national purchase diary panel (npd) maintains the largest diary panel in the
united states.
Standardized services are research studies conducted for different client firms but in a
standard way. For example, procedures for measuring advertising effectiveness have been
standardized so that the results can be compared across studies and evaluative norms can
be established. The starch readership survey is the most widely used service for
evaluating print advertisements; another well-known service is the gallup and robinson
magazine impact studies. These services are also sold on a syndicated basis.
A. Customized services offer a wide variety of marketing research services customized to
suit a client's specific needs. Each marketing research project is treated uniquely.
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B. Limited-service suppliers specialize in one or a few phases of the marketing research
project. Services offered by such suppliers are classified as field services, coding and data
entry, data analysis, analytical services, and branded products. Field services collect data
through the internet, traditional mail, in-person, or telephone interviewing, and firms that
specialize in interviewing are called field service organizations. These organizations may
range from small proprietary organizations which operate locally to large multinational
organizations with wats line interviewing facilities. Some organizations maintain
extensive interviewing facilities across the country for interviewing shoppers in malls.
C. Coding and data entry services include editing completed questionnaires, developing a
coding scheme, and transcribing the data on to diskettes or magnetic tapes for input into
the computer. Nrc data systems provides such services.
D. Analytical services include designing and pretesting questionnaires, determining the
best means of collecting data, designing sampling plans, and other aspects of the research
design. Some complex marketing research projects require knowledge of sophisticated
procedures, including specialized experimental designs, and analytical techniques such as
conjoint analysis and multidimensional scaling. This kind of expertise can be obtained
from firms and consultants specializing in analytical services.
E. Data analysis services are offered by firms, also known as tab houses, that specialize in
computer analysis of quantitative data such as those obtained in large surveys. Initially
most data analysis firms supplied only tabulations (frequency counts) and cross
tabulations (frequency counts that describe two or more variables simultaneously). With
the proliferation of software, many firms now have the capability to analyze their own
data, but, data analysis firms are still in demand.
Branded marketing research products and services are specialized data collection and
analysis procedures developed to address specific types of marketing research problems.
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These procedures are patented, given brand names, and marketed like any other branded
product.
Methodologically, marketing research uses the following types of research designs:-
1. Based on questioning:
A. Quantitative marketing research
B. Qualitative marketing research
A. Qualitative marketing research generally used for exploratory purposes — small

number of respondents — not generalizable to the whole population — statistical
significance and confidence not calculated — examples include focus groups, in-depth
interviews, and projective techniques.
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B. Quantitative marketing research generally used to draw conclusions — tests a

specific hypothesis – uses random sampling techniques so as to infer from the sample to
the population — involves a large number of respondents — examples
include surveys and questionnaires. Techniques include choice modelling, maximum
difference preference scaling, and covariance analysis.
2. Based on observations
A. Ethnographic studies by nature qualitative, the researcher observes social
phenomena in their natural setting — observations can occur cross-sectionally
(observations made at one time) or longitudinally (observations occur over several time-
periods) – examples include product-use analysis and computer cookie traces. See
alsoEthnography and Observational techniques.
B. Experimental techniques by nature quantitative, the researcher creates a quasi-

artificial environment to try to control spurious factors, then manipulates at least one of
the variables — examples include purchase laboratories and test markets.
Researchers often use more than one research design. They may start with secondary
research to get background information, then conduct a focus group (qualitative research
design) to explore the issues. Finally they might do a full nationwide survey (quantitative
research design) in order to devise specific recommendations for the client.
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3. Business to business
Business to business (B2B) research is inevitably more complicated than consumer
research. The researchers need to know what type of multi-faceted approach will answer
the objectives, since seldom is it possible to find the answers using just one method.
Finding the right respondents is crucial in B2B research since they are often busy, and
may not want to participate. Encouraging them to “open up” is yet another skill required
of the B2B researcher. Last, but not least, most business research leads to strategic
decisions and this means that the business researcher must have expertise in developing
strategies that are strongly rooted in the research findings and acceptable to the client.
There are four key factors that make B2B market research special and different from
consumer markets:[30]
a. The decision making unit is far more complex in B2B markets than in consumer
markets.
b. B2B products and their applications are more complex than consumer products.
c. B2B marketers address a much smaller number of customers who are very much
larger in their consumption of products than is the case in consumer markets.
d. Personal relationships are of critical importance in B2B markets.
4. Small businesses and nonprofits
Marketing research does not only occur in huge corporations with many employees and a
large budget. Marketing information can be derived by observing the environment of their
location and the competitions location. Small scale surveys and focus groups are low cost
ways to gather information from potential and existing customers. Most secondary data
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(statistics, demographics, etc.) is available to the public in libraries or on the internet and
can be easily accessed by a small business owner.
Below are some steps that could be done by SME (Small Medium Enterprise) to analyze
the market:
1. Provide secondary and or primary data (if necessary);
2. Analyze Macro & Micro Economic data (e.g. Supply & Demand, GDP, Price change,
Economic growth, Sales by sector/industries, interest rate, number of investment/
divestment, I/O, CPI, Social analysis, etc.);
3. Implement the marketing mix concept, which is consist of: Place, Price, Product,
Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence and also Political & social situation to
analyze global market situation);
4. Analyze market trends, growth, market size, market share, market competition (e.g.
SWOT analysis, B/C Analysis, channel mapping identities of key channels, drivers of
customers loyalty and satisfaction, brand perception, satisfaction levels, current
competitor-channel relationship analysis, etc.), etc.;
5. Determine market segment, market target, market forecast and market position;
6. Formulating market strategy & also investigating the possibility of partnership/
collaboration (e.g. Profiling & SWOT analysis of potential partners, evaluating business
partnership.)
7. Combine those analysis with the SME's business plan/ business model analysis (e.g.
Business description, Business process, Business strategy, Revenue model, Business
expansion, Return of Investment, Financial analysis (Company History, Financial
assumption, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Projected profit & Loss, Cash flow, Balance sheet &
business Ratio, etc.).
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5. International plan
International Marketing Research follows the same path as domestic research, but there
are a few more problems that may arise. Customers in international markets may have
very different customs, cultures, and expectations from the same company. In this case,
Marketing Research relies more on primary data rather than secondary information.
Gathering the primary data can be hindered by language, literacy and access to
technology. Basic Cultural and Market intelligence information will be needed to
maximize the research effectiveness. Some of the steps that would help overcoming
barriers include:
1. Collect secondary information on the country under study from reliable international
source e.g. WHO and IMF
2. Collect secondary information on the product/service under study from available
sources
3. Collect secondary information on product manufacturers and service providers under
study in relevant country
4. Collect secondary information on culture and common business practices
Ask questions to get better understanding of reasons behind any recommendations for a
specific methodology.
Related business research
Other forms of business research include:
A. Market research is broader in scope and examines all aspects of a business
environment. It asks questions about competitors, market structure, government
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regulations, economic trends, technological advances, and numerous other factors that
make up the business environment (see environmental scanning). Sometimes the term
refers more particularly to the financial analysis of companies, industries, or sectors. In
this case, financial analysts usually Market Research & Data Acquisitionry out the
research and provide the results to investment advisors and potential investors.
B. Product research — This looks at what products can be produced with available
technology, and what new product innovations near-future technology can develop
(see new product development).
C. Advertising research – is a specialized form of marketing research conducted to
improve the efficacy of advertising. Copy testing, also known as "pre-testing," is a form
of customized research that predicts in-market performance of an ad before it airs, by
analyzing audience levels of attention, brand linkage, motivation, entertainment, and
communication, as well as breaking down the ad's flow of attention and flow of emotion.
Pre-testing is also used on ads still in rough (ripomatic or animatic) form.
Common terms:-
Market research techniques resemble those used in political polling and social science
research. Meta-analysis (also called the Schmidt-Hunter technique) refers to a statistical
method of combining data from multiple studies or from several types of studies.
Conceptualization means the process of converting vague mental images into definable
concepts. Operationalization is the process of converting concepts into specific
observable behaviors that a researcher can measure. Precision refers to the exactness of
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any given measure. Reliability refers to the likelihood that a given operationalized
construct will yield the same results if re-measured. Validity refers to the extent to which
a measure provides data that captures the meaning of the operationalized construct as
defined in the study. It asks, “Are we measuring what we intended to measure?”
1) Applied research sets out to prove a specific hypothesis of value to the clients paying
for the research. For example, a cigarette company might commission research that
attempts to show that cigarettes are good for one's health. Many researchers have ethical
misgivings about doing applied research.
2) Sugging (from SUG, for "selling under the guise" of market research) forms a sales
technique in which sales people pretend to conduct marketing research, but with the real
purpose of obtaining buyer motivation and buyer decision-making information to be used
in a subsequent sales call.
Frugging comprises the practice of soliciting funds under the pretense of being a
research organization.
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4. MARKETING RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Marketing research techniques come in many forms, including:
1. Ad Tracking – periodic or continuous in-market research to monitor
a brand's performance using measures such as brand awareness, brand preference, and
product usage.
2. Advertising Research – used to predict copy testing or track the efficacy of

advertisements for any medium, measured by the ad's ability to get attention (measured
with Attention Tracking), communicate the message, build the brand's image, and
motivate the consumer to purchase the product or service.
3. Brand awareness research — the extent to which consumers can recall or recognize
a brand name or product name.
4. Brand association research — what do consumers associate with the brand?
5. Brand attribute research — what are the key traits that describe the brand promise?
6. Brand name testing – what do consumers feel about the names of the products?
7. Buyer decision making process— to determine what motivates people to buy and
what decision-making process they use; over the last decade, Neuro-
marketing emerged from the convergence of neuroscience and marketing, aiming to
understand consumer decision making process.
8. Commercial eye tracking research — examine advertisements, package designs,

websites, etc. by analyzing visual behaviour of the consumer.
9. Concept testing – to test the acceptance of a concept by target consumers.
10. Coolhunting (also known as trendspotting) – to make observations and

predictions in changes of new or existing cultural trends in areas such as fashion,
music, films, television, youth culture and lifestyle.
11. Copy testing – predicts in-market performance of an ad before it airs by

analyzing audience levels of attention, brand linkage, motivation, entertainment, and
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communication, as well as breaking down the ad's flow of attention and flow of
emotion.
12. Customer satisfaction research – quantitative or qualitative studies that yields an

understanding of a customer's satisfaction with a transaction.
13. Demand estimation — to determine the approximate level of demand for the
product.
14. Distribution channel audits — to assess distributors’ and retailers’ attitudes

toward a product, brand, or company.
15. Internet strategic intelligence — searching for customer opinions in the Internet:
chats, forums, web pages, blogs... where people express freely about their experiences
with products, becoming strong opinion formers.
16. Marketing effectiveness and analytics — Building models and measuring

results to determine the effectiveness of individual marketing activities.
17. Mystery consumer or mystery shopping – An employee or representative of the

market research firm anonymously contacts a salesperson and indicates he or she is
shopping for a product. The shopper then records the entire experience. This method is
often used for quality control or for researching competitors' products.
18. Positioning research — how does the target market see the brand relative to
competitors? – what does the brand stand for?
19. Price elasticity testing — to determine how sensitive customers are to price
changes.
20. Sales forecasting — to determine the expected level of sales given the level of
demand. With respect to other factors like Advertising expenditure, sales promotion
etc.
21. Segmentation research – to determine the demographic, psychographic, cultural,

and behavioural characteristics of potential buyers
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22. Online panel – a group of individual who accepted to respond to marketing

research online.
23. Store audit — to measure the sales of a product or product line at a statistically
selected store sample in order to determine market share, or to determine whether a
retail store provides adequate service.
24. Test marketing — a small-scale product launch used to determine the likely
acceptance of the product when it is introduced into a wider market.
25. Viral Marketing Research – refers to marketing research designed to estimate
the probability that specific communications will be transmitted throughout an
individual's Social Network. Estimates of Social Networking Potential (SNP) are
combined with estimates of selling effectiveness to estimate ROI on specific
combinations of messages and media.
All of these forms of marketing research can be classified as either problem-identification
research or as problem-solving research.
 Quantitative marketing research is the application of quantitative research
techniques to the field of marketing. It has roots in both the positivist view of the world,
and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which
both the buyer and seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four Ps" of marketing:
Product, Price, Place (location) and Promotion.
As a social research method, it typically involves the construction
of questionnaires and scales. People who respond (respondents) are asked to complete
the survey. Marketersuse the information to obtain and understand the needs of
individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and marketing plans.
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Typical general procedure:
Simply put, there are five major and important steps involved in the research process:
a. Defining the problem.
b. Research design.
c. Data collection.
d. Data analysis.
e. Report writing & presentation.
A brief discussion on these steps is:
a. Problem audit and problem definition - What is the problem? What are the
various aspects of the problem? What information is needed?
 Conceptualization and operationalization - How exactly do we define the concepts
involved? How do we translate these concepts into observable and measurable
behaviours
 Hypothesis specification - What claim(s) do we want to test?
b. Research design specification - What type of methodology to use? - examples:
questionnaire, survey
 Question specification - What questions to ask? In what order?
 Scale specification - How will preferences be rated?
 Sampling design specification - What is the total population? What sample size is
necessary for this population? What sampling method to use?-
examples: Probability Sampling:- (cluster sampling, stratified sampling, simple
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random sampling, multistage sampling, systematic sampling) & Nonprobability
sampling:- (Convenience Sampling, Judgement Sampling, Purposive Sampling,
Quota Sampling, Snowball Sampling, etc. )
c. Data collection - Use mail, telephone, internet, mall intercepts
 Codification and re-specification - Make adjustments to the raw data so it is
compatible with statistical techniques and with the objectives of the research -
examples: assigning numbers, consistency checks, substitutions, deletions,
weighting, dummy variables, scale transformations, scale standardization.
 Statistical analysis - Perform various descriptive and inferential techniques (see
below) on the raw data. Make inferences from the sample to the whole population.
Test the results for statistical significance.
 Interpret and integrate findings - What do the results mean? What conclusions can
be drawn? How do these findings relate to similar research?
Write the research report - Report usually has headings such as:
1) executive summary;
2) objectives;
3) methodology;
4) main findings;
5) detailed charts and diagrams.
Present the report to the client in a 10-minute presentation. Be prepared for questions.The
design step may involve a pilot study in order to discover any hidden issues. The
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codification and analysis steps are typically performed by computer, using statistical
software. The data collection steps, can in some instances be automated, but often require
significant manpower to undertake. Interpretation is a skill mastered only by experience.
 Statistical analysis
The data acquired for quantitative marketing research can be analysed by almost any of
the range of techniques of statistical analysis, which can be broadly divided
intodescriptive statistics and statistical inference. An important set of techniques is that
related to statistical surveys. In any instance, an appropriate type of statistical analysis
should take account of the various types of error that may arise, as outlined below.
 Reliability and validity
 Research should be tested for reliability, generalizability, and validity.
 Generalizability is the ability to make inferences from a sample to the population.
 Reliability is the extent to which a measure will produce consistent results.
 Test-retest reliability checks how similar the results are if the research is repeated
under similar circumstances. Stability over repeated measures is assessed with the
Pearson coefficient.
 Alternative forms reliability checks how similar the results are if the research is
repeated using different forms.
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 Internal consistency reliability checks how well the individual measures included
in the research are converted into a composite measure. Internal consistency may
be assessed by correlating performance on two halves of a test (split-half
reliability). The value of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient is
adjusted with theSpearman–Brown prediction formula to correspond to the
correlation between two full-length tests. A commonly used measure
is Cronbach's α, which is equivalent to the mean of all possible split-half
coefficients. Reliability may be improved by increasing the sample size.
 Validity asks whether the research measured what it intended to.
 Content validation (also called face validity) checks how well the content of the
research are related to the variables to be studied; it seeks to answer whether the
research questions are representative of the variables being researched. It is a
demonstration that the items of a test are drawn from the domain being measured.
 Criterion validation checks how meaningful the research criteria are relative to
other possible criteria. When the criterion is collected later the goal is to establish
predictive validity.
 Construct validation checks what underlying construct is being measured. There
are three variants of construct validity: convergent validity (how well the research
relates to other measures of the same construct), discriminant validity (how poorly
the research relates to measures of opposing constructs), and nomological
validity (how well the research relates to other variables as required by theory).
 Internal validation, used primarily in experimental research designs, checks the
relation between the dependent and independent variables (i.e. Did the
experimental manipulation of the independent variable actually cause the
observed results?)
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 External validation checks whether the experimental results can be generalized.
 Validity implies reliability: A valid measure must be reliable. Reliability does not
necessarily imply validity, however: A reliable measure does not imply that it is
valid.
Types of errors:
Random sampling errors:
1. sample too small
2. sample not representative
3. inappropriate sampling method used
4. random errors
5. Research design errors:
6. bias introduced
7. measurement error
8. data analysis error
9. sampling frame error
10. population definition error
11. scaling error
12. question construction error
13. Interviewer errors:
14. recording errors
15. cheating errors
16. questioning errors
17. respondent selection error
18. Respondent errors:
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19. non-response error
20. inability error
21. falsification error
22. Hypothesis errors:
23. type I error (also called alpha error)
24. the study results lead to the rejection of the null hypothesis even though it is
actually true
25. type II error (also called beta error)
26. the study results lead to the acceptance (non-rejection) of the null hypothesis even
though it is actually false
Qualitative marketing research involves a natural or observational examination of the
philosophies that govern consumer behavior. The direction and framework of the research
is often revised as new information is gained, allowing the researcher to evaluate issues
and subjects in an in-depth manner. The quality of the research produced is heavily
dependent on the skills of the researcher and is influenced by researcher bias.
 Data collection:
Qualitative marketing researchers collect data ranging from focus group, case study,
participation observation, innovation game and individual depth interview.
 Focus group:
The focus group is marketing research technique for qualitative data that involves a small
group of people (6–10) that share a common set characteristics (demographics, attitudes,
etc.) and participate in a discussion of predetermined topics led by a moderator. There are
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opportunities to conduct focus groups with the use of focus group software.[1]There are
many types of focus group as well, but they always involve discussion among the
group(s). The problem of the focus group is the issue of observer dependency: the results
obtained are influenced by the researcher or his own reading of the group's discussion,
raising questions of validity. Non-verbal cues, which may contradict the views
participants articulate, are important and can easily be missed if the researcher is not
familiar with visual cues, body language and other non verbal cues.
 Qualitative case study:
Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex
phenomena within their contexts. Because it only studies one case, so it is very up-close,
in-depth. It contains high levels of internal validity (the extent to which one is able to say
that no other variables except the one being studied caused the result), but the external
validity is low. Customer behaviour is a good example for qualitative market research.
 Participation observation:
Participation observation is watching participants' behavior in real world settings without
trying to manipulate their actions. This method is high in external validity but low in
internal validity.
 Innovation game:
Innovation game refers to a form of primary market research developed by Luke
Hohmann where customers play a set of directed games as a means of generating
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feedback about a product or service. A facilitator explains the game(s) to be played and
controls the paces, monitors the participants' levels and manages the time. There are many
types of innovation games, such as 20/20 vision, me and my shadow, and buy a feature.
 Individual depth interviews:
In-depth interviews, also called IDIs, have been an integral component of market research
since its inception in the 1920s. This method is useful when you want detailed
information about a person’s thoughts and behaviors or want to explore new issues in
depth. One can get unique points from each respondent, and their answers will not be
influenced by other people as in a focus group. In-depth interviews are held one-on-one
between the respondent and the interview via a telephone, conducted in person, or
through an online platform (increasingly common).
The primary advantage of in-depth interviews is the amount of detailed information
provided as compared to other data collection methods, such as surveys. Another
advantage is reaching respondents that are geographically dispersed, which cannot occur
in a focus group. This method is often used to refine future research or provide context to
future studies. The primary disadvantage of in-depth interviews is the time to conduct,
transcribe, and analyze. As such, this method could have higher costs associated with it
than other methods.
 Uses:
Qualitative market research is often part of survey methodology, including telephone
surveys and consumer satisfaction surveys. We apply the qualitative market research
when:
a) New product Market Research & Data Acquisition generation and development
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b) Investigating current or potential product/service/brand positioning and marketing
strategy
c) Strengths and weaknesses of products/brands
d) Understanding dynamics of purchase decision dynamics
e) Studying reactions to advertising and public relations campaigns, other marketing
communications, graphic identity/branding, package design, etc.
f) Exploring market segments, such as demographic and customer groups
g) Assessing the usability of websites or other interactive products or services
h) Understanding perceptions of a company, brand, category and product
 Typical general procedure:
a) Setting the question
b) Deciding the objectives
c) Planning research design[7]
d) Select data collection techniques
e) Sample design
f) Data collection
g) Analysis
h) Do the report
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Advantages:
a) More detailed and in-depth questions
b) Reduced cost, since the scale of this kind of research is small
c) Discovering the "why" behind certain behaviors
d) Quick turnaround: the direction of the research can be changed easily
Disadvantages:
a) Issues on confidentiality and anonymity can pose problems during presentation of
findings.
b) If researcher does not have enough skills such as communication skill, the quality
of research is likely to be low.
c) The sample size is relatively small, the result may not be very accurate.
d) Qualitative research produces large amounts of data which requires a tremendous
amount of work and labor on the part of the researcher.
Vs. quantitative marketing research:
 Objective:-
Qualitative research is usually aimed to have an inside look about opinions or
motivations, while quantitative research uses data to simplify the result.
 Sample:-
Qualitative research usually has a smaller sample size than quantitative research due to
the complexity of its data.
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 Data collection:-
Qualitative research usually uses unstructured or semi-structured techniques to collect
data, e.g. individual depth interviews or group discussions, while quantitative research
only uses structured techniques such as online questionnaires, on-street or telephone
interviews.
 Outcome:-
The outcomes of qualitative marketing research are usually conclusive and cannot be used
to make generalizations about the population of interest, instead developing an initial
understanding and sound base for further decision making. The findings of quantitative
marketing research are conclusive and usually descriptive in nature.
 Data analysis
 Coding:-
Coding is an interpretive technique that both organizes the data and provides a means to
introduce the interpretations of it into certain quantitative methods.
 DATA ACQUISITION:
Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real world physical
conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be
manipulated by a computer. Data acquisition systems, abbreviated by the
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acronyms das or daq, typically convert analog waveforms into digital values for
processing. The components of data acquisition systems include:
1. Sensors, to convert physical parameters to electrical signals.
2. Signal conditioning circuitry, to convert sensor signals into a form that can be
converted to digital values.
3. Analog-to-digital converters, to convert conditioned sensor signals to digital
values.
(Fig. Digital data acquisition system block diagram)
Data acquisition applications are usually controlled by software programs developed
using various general purpose programming languages such
as assembly, basic, c, c++, c#, fortran, java, labview, lisp, pascal, etc. Stand-alone data
acquisition systems are often called data loggers.
There are also open-source software packages providing all the necessary tools to acquire
data from different hardware equipment. These tools come from the scientific community
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where complex experiment requires fast, flexible and adaptable software. Those packages
are usually custom fit but more general daq packages like the maximum integrated data
acquisition system can be easily tailored and is used in several physics experiments
worldwide.
 Methodology:-
A. Sources and systems:- Data acquisition begins with the physical
phenomenon or physical property to be measured. Examples of this include temperature,
light intensity, gas pressure, fluid flow, and force. Regardless of the type of physical
property to be measured, the physical state that is to be measured must first be
transformed into a unified form that can be sampled by a data acquisition system. The
task of performing such transformations falls on devices called sensors. A data
acquisition system is a collection of software and hardware that allows one to measure or
control physical characteristics of something in the real world. A complete data
acquisition system consists of daq hardware, sensors and actuators, signal conditioning
hardware, and a computer running daq software.
A sensor, which is a type of transducer, is a device that converts a physical property into a
corresponding electrical signal (e.g., strain gauge, thermistor). An acquisition system to
measure different properties depends on the sensors that are suited to detect those
properties. Signal conditioning may be necessary if the signal from the transducer is not
suitable for the daq hardware being used. The signal may need to be filtered or amplified
in most cases. Various other examples of signal conditioning might be bridge completion,
providing current or voltage excitation to the sensor, isolation, linearization.
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For transmission purposes, single ended analog signals, which are more susceptible to
noise can be converted to differential signals. Once digitized, the signal can be encoded to
reduce and correct transmission errors. Data acquisition involves gathering signals from
measurement sources and digitizing the signals for storage, analysis, and presentation on
a pc. Data acquisition systems (a.k.a. Das or daq) convert analog waveforms into digital
values for processing. The device we will be using utilizes this process. Once connected
to the computer via the shielded cable, we will be able to either send analog signals into
the device (using a wavtek generator) which can then be viewed on the pc itself, or
generate a signal from the device itself and manipulate the values through the use of the
measurement & automation explorer.
B. Daq hardware:- Daq hardware is what usually interfaces between the signal and a
pc.[6] it could be in the form of modules that can be connected to the computer's ports
(parallel, serial, usb, etc.) Or Market Research & Data Acquisitionds connected to slots
(s-100 bus, applebus, isa, mca, pci, pci-e, etc.) In the motherboard. Usually the space on
the back of a pci Market Research & Data Acquisitiond is too small for all the
connections needed, so an external breakout box is required. The cable between this box
and the pc can be expensive due to the many wires, and the required shielding.
Daq Market Research & Data Acquisitionds often contain multiple components
(multiplexer, adc, dac, ttl-io, high speed timers, ram). These are accessible via a bus by
a microcontroller, which can run small programs. A controller is more flexible than a hard
wired logic, yet cheaper than a cpu so that it is permissible to block it with simple polling
83
loops. For example: waiting for a trigger, starting the adc, looking up the time, waiting for
the adc to finish, move value to ram, switch multiplexer, get ttl input, let dac proceed with
voltage ramp.
C. Daq device drivers:- Daq device drivers are needed in order for the daq
hardware to work with a pc. The device driver performs low-level register writes and
reads on the hardware, while exposing api for developing user applications in a variety of
programs.
Input devices:-
a. 3d scanner
b. analog-to-digital converter
c. time-to-digital converter
d. Hardware[edit]
e. computer automated measurement and control (camac)
f. industrial ethernet
g. industrial usb
h. lan extensions for instrumentation
i. nim
j. powerlab
k. pci extensions for instrumentation
l. vmebus
m. vxi
84
D. Daq software:- Specialized daq software may be delivered with the daq hardware.
Software tools used for building large-scale data acquisition systems include epics. Other
programming environments that are used to build daq applications include ladder
logic, visual c++, visual basic, labview, and matlab.
85
CONCLUSION
The conclusion is drawn from my research report in Market Research & Data
Acquisition with the help of respondents’ feedback:
It is apparent through the study that to achieve the desired target, the mobile
companies have formulated various marketing strategies to meet their specific targets.
Even though Market Research & Data Acquisition plans are costing low as compared to
Market Research & Data Acquisition it has still made its good market value. Each player
has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. Through the market survey it has become
apparent that Market Research & Data Acquisition is leading the chart of providing
services.
The conclusions are:-
 Market Research & Data Acquisition provide quality service due to which it is
steadily capturing the market.
 Due to the brand name ‘Market Research & Data Acquisition’, it is giving a tough
challenge to others.
 Another good thing about Market Research & Data Acquisition is its customer
Market Research & Data Acquisitione department, which is responsible and
prompt towards customer.
 Retailers complain about its poor network coverage.
 All Market Research & Data Acquisition users want its call rate to be more
cheaper.
 Most of the retailers said that Market Research & Data Acquisition is number one
Internet provider.
 Retailers complained about the time-lag in activation process & poor supply of
Market Research & Data Acquisition
 Established brands are giving tough competition to Market Research & Data
Acquisition.
86
 Market Research & Data Acquisition has emerged out as the best player in
providing value added services among the private operators.
LIMITATIONS:
As the time was less, so the survey couldn't be conducted in a larger area so there
was a time constraint. All the findings are based on the response given by the retailers, so
any false information given by respondent could make the result wrong. Some people
didn't have enough time to fill up questionnaire. Some people were tolerating to fill
questionnaire and they were reacting as the survey is conducting for false purpose. There
was also a language problem. The questionnaire was in English and a number of retailers
didn't understand English.
87
SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
 Reduce Call Rates.
 Provide customers with updated information about tariff plans and schemes.
 Attention to rural market.
 Increase coverage on highways and rural areas.
 Take necessary steps to rectify fluctuation in network signal.
 Proper contact with customer through the help of trade fairs, mega event and-road
shows.
 Complains should be handled quickly.
 Company should be emphasis on more effective advertisement.
 The most important task is that company should give its priority to coverage.
If the company could cover home towns, cities and villages as mentioned in the
brochure, The demand of Market Research & Data Acquisition would get increased by
day. The company should enhance its awareness among many people by mobile road
shows, outdoor advertising in local and national newspapers as well as more type of ads
on prime time on television channels for different uses segments. So that many people
may come to know about the service and can become a subscriber of the company. The
policy or company should be simple and bring more transparency. The company should
up date marketing department in town offices for the benefit of the subscribers as well
for the company.
88
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:
i. Kotler Philip; Marketing Management
ii. Kothari, C.R.; Research Methodology
INTERNET:
i. www.google.com
ii. www.Market Research & Data Acquisition.com
iii. www.wikipedia.com
MAGAZINES & NEWS PAPERS:
i. Business today
ii. Business India
iii. The Times of India
iv. Company catalogue
89
QUESTIONNAIRE
1.Is this your first Market Research & Data Acquisition?
a) Yes
b) No
2.What are factors which you keep in mind before a Market Research & Data Acquisition
a) Model
b) Budget
c) Services
d) Other
3.Which payment mode do you prefer?
a) Through loans
b) Cash
c) Others
4.How you came to know about Market Research & Data Acquisitions?
a) T.V Ads
b) Paper ads
c) Friends recommendation
5.How do you rate the Brand value of Market Research & Data Acquisitions?
a) Very good
b) Good
c) Fair
90
d) Not satisfied
6.What are the qualities you are looking for while purchasing a Market Research & Data
Acquisition?
a) Quality
b) Services
c) In Budget
d) Others
7.How was your experience during test drive
a) Excellent
b) Very Good
c) Good
d) Not satisfied
8.Based on your with Hyundai would you recommend friends and family to buy Market
Research & Data Acquisition ?
a) Definitely would
b) Porbably would
c) May be /may be not
d) Probably would not
91

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Market Research & Data Acquisition

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF:

Mr. Rohit Krishnani

Department of Management Studies

Master of Business Administration is a record of original training undergone by Arun

Management Studies, BANSAL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

any Degree/Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate of any University.

Place: Lucknow Signature of Guide

Date: / /2019 Assistant Professor Mr. Rohit Krishnani MBA,

Head of the Department

Mr. Puneet Tikkha, M.B.A., M.Phil

Submitted to the Department of Management Studies, BANSAL INSTITUTE OF

Place: Lucknow Signature of the Student

I am extremely thankful to our Chairman, Bansal Institute of Engineering &

Technology, Lucknow, for his invaluable support. I wish to express my profound

gratitude to my venerable Director, Bansal Institute of Engineering & Technology for

their kind permission to undergo project work successfully.

courage to pursue this project work successfully.

2. MARKETING RESEARCH 24-31

3. HISTORY OF MARKETING 32-57

4. METHODOLOGY USED IN MARKETING RESEARCH 58-85

7. SUGGESTIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS 88

1.1. INTRODUCTION OF COMPANY:

research disciplines, including social media monitoring, advertising effectiveness,

Brown and Kantar Worldpanel, into Kantar.

Major competitors include GfK, Nielsen, Meetrics and Ipsos.

valuation was c.$4.0bn.

Industry Market research

Founded 1993 (as the Market Research, Insight and

Consultancy division of WPP)

Headquarter London, England, UK

Key people Eric Salama (CEO)[1]

Products Market research

Data investment management

KANTAR IMRB (formerly IMRB International) is a market

insights, and consultancy network.

the Middle East and North Africa with specialist divisions

in quantitative, qualitative, media, retail, industrial, customer satisfaction, business to

Measurement (WAM), I-Tops, and I-Cube reports.

research in India in an industry estimated to be worth a minimum of $ 187 million.[2] As

(MRSI) for several years.

to business marketing, social marketing, and rural marketing.

 MISSION AND OF KANTAR:

 MISSION:- Client service focus, Empowered employees, Innovative

strategies and cost effective.

 VISSION:- To sustain in Rank 1

 IMRB is the vision of Mr Subhas Ghoshal.

sound consumer insight.

 IMRB is the university of Indian market research.

 IMRB is a division of Hindustan Thomson Associates (HTA) in India.

information and consultancy network.

Specialized area of IMRB:-

 Business to Business marketing.

Awards and Achievements of IMRB:-

 IMRB present cutting edge research for several years at

international forums and won awards for there efforts.

 IMRB has established India’s first TV rating system.

 IMRB created social economic classification system (SEC) in

 Indian Airline and so on.......

1.2 HISTORY OF THE COMPANY:

predicted Congress’ victory in the 1980 general election.

data collection that are still in use today.