MARKETING MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION 1

Running Head: MARKETING MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION

Understanding Markets and Buyers

 MARKETING MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION 2

Research and Data Analysis at Dell, Inc

Analysis of Dell Inc. Customers Needs and Behaviors’:

For a successful marketer, it is essential to understand consumers’ psychology and
behavior to become able to successfully grasp the target market. To fully realize consumer need,
demand, marketers are required to complete market research as done by Dell. Dell, Inc being an
American multinational information technology corporation also believes in operating by
analyzing consumers’ needs and behaviors’ by focusing on marketing research. The company
success is all because of its ability to do market research and analyze the data collected (Kotler,
& Keller, 2012). Information collected from the market or about consumers’ needs and
preferences assists the company in serving its customers with customized products as per their
needs and requirements.

The company makes use of both the qualitative as well as quantitative marketing research
techniques to identify its customer needs and behavior (Belk, 2007). Most common research and
analysis techniques used by Dell till now are causal models, competitive intelligence, interactive
and online, focus groups, surveys, and web-tracking. In addition to this, the company sales force
also observes what customers need on the basis of their queries and analyzing their behavior on
the basis of demographic, psychographic, social factors etc. Nowadays, most common method
used to collect and analyze consumers’ related information is internet surveys or social media
sites. All information collected with the help of different qualitative and quantitative marketing
research techniques are analyzed in a way, to assist company in serving its consumers as per
their needs (Nykiel, 2007).

The company’s ability to deliver superior value to its customers totally depends on its
analysis of customers’ needs and behavior. Without an effective analysis of customers’ needs
and behavior, it was not possible for Dell to attain immense success, it is enjoying at present in
comparison to its competitors (Kotler, & Keller, 2012). From the time of its origin, the company
has employed a number of research and analysis techniques, which in turn serve it with all
essential information about its customers and prepare a target profile and select appropriate
marketing strategies. This in turn lead towards delivering superior value to customers, but with
changing time and present cut-throat competitive business environment, it has become essential
for the company to improve its research and data analysis.

Marketing Information Systems & Innovative technologies used by Dell:

Marketing is a continuous process, in which different decisions are made, and outcomes
of all decisions need to be monitored. In this concern, Dell makes use of different marketing
information systems, leading it towards fulfilling its need for marketing information. Different
marketing information systems used by Dell can be divided in following categories: Planning
systems, Control Systems, Marketing Research systems, and monitoring systems (Nykiel, 2007).

Planning systems assist the company by providing information related to sales, cost, and
competitive activities. Control systems help in incessant monitoring of marketing activities and
facilitate company’s marketing executives to distinguish troubles and opportunities existing in
the marketplace. Marketing research systems appropriate executives to test decision rules and
cause/effect hypotheses. This allows the appraisal of the consequences of marketing actions and
 MARKETING MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION 3

promotes improved learning from practice. At the same time, monitoring systems help company
management with information pertaining to the external environment in which it operates.

In addition to above mentioned marketing information systems used by Dell, it also

makes use of a number of innovative technologies in regard to different business functions and
operations. Dell, Inc serves its customers with new and advanced products, which has become
possible for it due to the employment of advance technology. Some innovative technologies used
by Dell at present are mobile device management (MDM), mobile content management (MCM),
mobile application management (MAM), and a Secure Remote Access gateway
(SonicWALL/SRA) to set up secure endpoints (Kotler, & Keller, 2012). At the same time, Dell
also makes use of cloud based analytics and Lattice Engine's software in regard to increasing the
productivity of its workforce, by helping them in predicting, which customers are likely to buy.
In addition to this, the company also makes use of several other innovative technologies in
regard to it its different business related aspects.

Marketing Plan
Likely changes in the environment Dell operates in and recommendations:

Though Dell successfully operates in comparison to its competitors, but with increasing
competition and availability of more and more information to customers, it has become essential
for the company to implement some changes in its marketing research process and marketing
information systems used in presentations (Bradley, 2013). Information availability has enhanced
consumers’ informedness, and this in turn has changed the demand side of market behavior. Now
customers get more discount, as they know various comparable products are available from
competitors. Changes in the demand side are bringing about similar changes in the supply side
(Clemons, 2008).

With an increasing variety of product categories, changes in consumers’ behavior will

also force the company to alter its basic four Ps of marketing further than recognition. The old
four Ps will not work with increasing informedness (Schiffman, 2010). To deal with these future
challenges and likely opportunities it is essential for Dell, Inc. to make appropriate changes in its
marketing research process and use of marketing information systems in the following manner:

With emerging changes in customers’ behavior, the company should make use of new
mental models, which will lead towards new tools and metrics, along with relearning about the
consumer. All marketing research methods or techniques used by the company should be altered
on the basis of emerging mental models, and new data feeds (Clemons, 2008). For improving its
marketing research process the company should put humans at the center, as well it needs to
become a learning organization to anticipate the human’s next move. Research in this regard is
the most effective choice to be the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for anticipating and
understanding human and serving them with superior value. In regard to new positioning, the
company research process should also consider a branding change in the form of Consumer and
Market Learning (CML). This type of research will help the company to become committed to
work as a consumer and market learning organization, and serve customers with superior value
(Rubinson, 2009).
 MARKETING MANAGEMENT & INNOVATION 4

References

Belk, R.W. (2007). Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing. USA: Edward
Elgar Publishing.

Bradley, N. (2013). Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.

Clemons, E. (2008). How information changes consumer behavior and how Consumer behavior
determines corporate strategy. Journal of Management Information Systems, 25 (2),
pp.13 - 40.

Kotler, P. & Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management and Innovation (14th ed.). USA:
Pearson Education, Inc.

Nykiel, R. A. (2007). Handbook of Marketing Research Methodologies for Hospitality and

Tourism. London: Routledge.

Rubinson, J. (2009). The new marketing research imperative: It’s about learning. Journal of
Advertising Research, 49 (1), pp. 7-9.

Schiffman (2010). Consumer Behavior. India: Pearson Education.