RESEARCH PAPER

“USE OF MARKET RESEARCH AND MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN

DIFFERENT DIGITAL MEDIA CHANNELS & CORPORATES”

-NAME: NILADRI DAS

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
• COVER PAGE…………………………………………1
• TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………….2
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY………………………………3
• INTRODUCTION………………………………………4-9
• RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………10-11
• DATA ANALYSIS………………………………………12-17
• CONCLUSION………………………………………….18-19
• FUTURE SCOPE……………………………………….20
• REFERENCES……………………………………………21
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Marketing communications strategy is used by companies or individuals to effectively reach to their
targeted market through various types of methods of communication. It certainly includes multi
dimensions to transmit information. It affirms what, where, how and who is to be communicated a
purposeful message. How you take an initiative and particularly on what strategy largely depends on
your experience, information and exposure. Again, what strategy you adopt to, fairly depends on the
type of industry and budget. The present project is an attempt to provide a descriptive overview of
marketing communication strategy.

I have worked in “Vardhan Consulting Engineers” as a Business Analyst(Marketing) where I learned

market research and marketing communication and how to implement it in the practical world.I had
worked on secondary data,qualitative research and quantitative data’s as well.Made reports on skill
improvement,corporate development,corporate communication and marketing functions and it’s
uses In real life scenarios.

I gained a lot of marketing knowledge from marketing analyst internship experience in VCE.

With the knowledge gained I Prepared the below project where I implemented the knowledge
gained through the internship in the field of marketing communication and market research.
 INTRODUCTION

The top reason consumers quit being a brand fan on Facebook is because the company authors too
many posts, which in turn clutters the recipients’ wall with marketing information. The fact that
messages tend to be repetitive, boring, and irrelevant, and are perceived by many fans as being
overly promotional, is also an important factor in influencing fans to quit a brand’s Facebook page.
companies can use these results to modify their marketing approach and how they author Facebook
posts.
This type of information is provided by marketing research, which is defined as the systematic
gathering and analysis of marketing-related data to produce information that can be used in
decision making. Marketing research involves following a systematic sequence of steps that will
produce reliable and valid data. Through analysis and interpretation the data are transformed into
information suitable for decision-making purposes by managers. Typically, data alone are simply
not usable. It is the analysis and interpretation of the data that makes them useful to managers.
MARKETING RESEARCH
Marketing research may be conducted internally by the firm’s marketing department or performed
externally by a marketing research firm. The information gathered is then used to make decisions
related to the marketing mix or other marketing functions. The marketing mix is the specific
combination of product, pricing, promotional, and distribution decisions made for the purpose of
targeting a particular group of consumers. Some of the more common marketing uses of research
information include market segmentation, identifying specific target markets and their media
habits, analyzing consumer behavior and needs, tracking customer satisfaction, developing new
products, and evaluating various forms of advertising executions and pricing tactics. But, the use of
marketing research information is not limited to just the marketing department. It can be used by all
levels of management to make decisions that impact other aspects of a firm’s operation. It can
guide top management in making strategic decisions about acquisitions, divestitures, and
expansion. It can be used by middle managers to develop production schedules, purchase raw
materials, develop departmental budgets, and determine appropriate staffing levels.

• Functions of Marketing Research

marketing research serves four primary functions within an organization. The exploratory function
of marketing research occurs when researchers have a limited understanding or no knowledge at all
about a marketing situation or a particular outcome. For example, a company may be losing
customers or sales may
be declining, but managers are not sure why. Marketing research can be used to explore some of the
possible causes Marketing Research of lost sales or customers. Alternatively, a firm may be
considering offering a new product in a category with which it has little experience. In this case,
marketing research could be used to delve deep into a consumer’s mind to uncover some of the
hidden reasons or thought processes that go into making a purchase decision for the type of good
being considered.

Marketing research often serves a descriptive function, which refers to the gathering and
presentation of information about a marketing phenomenon or situation. For example, marketing
research can be used to describe the primary consumer of a product, such as a Panasonic HDTV or a
John Deere tractor. It can be used to describe the process a customer uses in deciding on a
restaurant for dinner, such as Romano’s Macaroni Grill or Outback Steakhouse. Figure 1.4 illustrates
the descriptive function of marketing research since it shows the primary reason individuals watch
the Super Bowl football game. While the majority, 55%, are mostly interested in the football game,
some watch it specifically to see the commercials (15%), and others watch for the social aspect of
being with family and friends (27%).4
The diagnostic function of marketing research is particularly helpful in many situations. Here, data
analysis techniques are used to investigate relationships and phenomena within data that have
been gathered through marketing research. The analysis may show that females eat at Olive Garden
more frequently than males. It may show the reasons individuals opt out of subscribing to a
Facebook brand page, as was shown in Figure 1.1. Further analysis of the data may show different
reasons for opting out of a Twitter feed and an e-mail permission program. The diagnostic function
is important to marketers because it allows marketers to discover interrelationships with data.

The predictive function of marketing research allows data to be used to predict or forecast the
results of a marketing decision or consumer action. Retailers use predictive research to determine
what items a consumer is likely to purchase together so suggestive selling can be used. Barnes &
Noble utilizes this technique when website customers select a particular book and the software
then suggests other books they might also want to purchase. Marketing research can be used to
estimate the impact of a coupon or another sales promotional offer. It is often used to estimate the
market share of a brand extension or new product introduction.

Global Concerns
Because of the increase in global competition and due to the elimination of geographic barriers and
lower costs provided by the Internet, marketing research is now being conducted on a broader scale
that involves multiple countries. Compared to the past, fewer studies by major firms are limited to
the United States or just one country. Expanding research into additional countries involves some
unique challenges that will be highlighted in each of the chapters of this text.

A primary challenge, of course, is the translation of surveys into various languages. English is a very
rich language, and sometimes there is not an equivalent word available in a foreign language, forcing
the question to be reworded to ensure a similar meaning. But, more problematic is the difference in
cultures. What is appropriate to ask in one country may be deemed to be inappropriate in another.
For instance, interviewing females in Western countries is perfectly acceptable. But, to do so in many
Middle Eastern countries is not as acceptable unless a male is present. Furthermore, in most cases it
needs to be a female-female surveyor and respondent relationship.

In some countries like the United States, getting individuals to participate in studies is difficult. That
is one reason for the increased usage of online panels and databases. But, in some of the developing
countries, individuals are eager to participate in studies. It is novel and new to them. Of course, this
raises questions of how representative the samples are in both situations, in the United States where
participation is difficult to obtain and in other countries where individuals are eager to participate.
Investigating problems that may cause symptoms

• Poor brand image

• Lower-quality products
• High pricing
• Poor distribution
• Poor customer service
• New competition

Investigating opportunities
• New product or service development
• Site selection for store
• Shifts in consumer wants
Investigating phenomena
• Top 100 advertisers
• Endorser ratings

• Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Feature Qualitative Quantitative

Type of research Exploratory Descriptive/causal

Sample size Small Large

Types of questions Unstructured Structured

Type of analysis Subjective Objective, statistical

Generalizability Limited High

Costs (Typically) Lower More expensive

Time frame (Typically) Shorter Longer

The overall objective of all marketing efforts is sales and raising awareness of companies brand or its
product to target market is where the core function of marketing communication begins. Towards
the prime objective of marketing communication efforts Kotler (2006) comments that marketing
could be understood as managing and implementing profitable customer relationships to satisfy
their needsKotler (2006).With the advent of latest technologies of communication including
multifaceted channels helps business to make an access of potential customers and as a result of this
ability marketing communications has become increasingly important. There should always be a
definite strategic plan to implement and accomplish marketing communication objectives. The
effective frameworks most of the time focus on mission, vision, values, and organizational goals and
strategy (Baines et al., 2008).

Use of Multiple Tools: The function of marketing communication includes multiple communications
tools. The specific combination of various tools differs from company to company based on
products, its market, and its marketing communication strategy for example some companies might
harbor to paid advertising in print and online media where another company of the same product
range might adopt to enormously different media mix.
The Competitive Strategy: A competitive marketing communication strategy is highly essential to
take a company towards desired success. In any case, most of the companies remain unsure of their
most efficient media mix until and unless companies overall marketing objectives are not
communicated through apt marketing communication strategy. In one word marketing
communication can be summarized as a messaging strategy aimed at determining theme of
fundamental selling message chosen to communicate to the concerned market. Further, the another
significant facet of marketing communication is a deliberate process of creating the positioning
statement of the company or its product focusing the statements what is the product company sells
and adhering logic why a customer should purchase it.
Combination of Marketing Communications: On having decided the well planned marketing
communication program any of the following strategy or the mix can be selected to propagate a
strong positioning statement:

• Public relations

• Advertising
• Web site
• Seminars
• Conferences and trade shows
• Downloadable materials
• Direct marketing (offline & online)
• Packaging
• Event sponsorships
• Merchandising promotions

The overall process of marketing communication strategy is getting different gradually as we

proceed towards the new age business and integrated work environment. In such situation of
emerging new standards of business under global effects creating an effective marketing
communication strategy has become more complex and witty job. The potential intervention of
internet across all communication processes has made this job even more challenging. It has always
been very important to precisely understand customer segments and developing the scientific
approach in communicating with those potential customers.

Components of Marketing Communication: Marketing communication plays an important and

vital role in company’s
marketing efforts. In broader sense, it can be described as all the pieces of information into the form
of messages and media a company’s deploy to communicate with the market. The components
include advertising, direct marketing, branding, packaging, internet, printed materials, PR activities,
sales presentations, sponsorships, trade show appearances and the like. The major objectives of
marketing communication include creating and sustaining demand and preference for the product
and finally contributing to mitigating the sales cycle.

Creating Brand Preference: It takes long term and consistent efforts to create preference. One of
the core objectives of marketing communication adheres to using communication components to
position product or company’s name in the
minds of the target customer by creating the top preference order. Once the process of creating
preference is executed successfully it contributes to a great deal in providing positive reflection
towards market share and profitability and finally establishes a high value for the company. The
another important objective of marketing communication minimizing the sales cycle by helping the
accelerating the sales of the products and supporting associated channels of sales by identifying,
capturing attention and delivering a customer. Lahtinen&Isoviita (1999), observed that the
consumers have multiple basic instincts where the marketing communication can target. These
instinctual needs may be hunger, honor, appreciation, sexual interaction, straightness, revenge,
citizenship, avoiding emergency, social interaction, independency, curiosity, family and social
appreciation. The use of marketing communication tools becomes highly effective if the buying
behavior and pattern of the customer is properly understood and analyzed. Such understanding
obviously brings mitigation into sales cycle. This all is possible subject to the involvement of market
research and conversations with salespersons and its effective translation into marketing
communication efforts which results into speeding up the process. Iacobucci D. & Churchill A. (2009)
affirmed that for any sort of product marketing communication can considerably shorten the sales
cycle through customizing supply of information about the product to the targeted group of
customers. Marketing communication is significant in producing value through the steps from
packaging to the delivery of the product that too with the constant supply of essential information to
the buyer.

The Nature of Strategy: The marketing communication needs to have a strategic approach to
produce its best results. The concept of modern marketing practices is highly intricate and
multidimensional where the purpose of marketing communication is to inform and educate to the
prospects and target groups of customers. Salant&Dillman (1994) commented that market research
is mostly done to address the major ingredients of marketing namely product, price, place, and
promotion. They added that, for effective conduction of marketing research the clarity of purpose is
a highly required element. This means the problem and the necessary information to work out the
solution should be outlined before initiating any research. Marketing communication is not sheer
advertising rather it stands responsible for the important factors like telling with required number of
revisions and repetitions. Effective research in marketing communication is more required because
it can alter the consumer behavior as Kotler et al (2008), remarks that price was a few decades ago
the major and most significant factor affecting the consumer behavior on the product choice but
now, other factors have overtaken more important roles to alter buyer’s behavior.

The Latest format of Marketing Communication: The modern format of marketing

communication includes advertising through media, promotions and loyalty program, sponsoring,
public relations, direct marketing and organization of product expository (shop exhibitions, fairs).
Effective communication management incorporates innumerous issues to create an effective,
adequate and coherent planning and strategy. To reap the best effect of marketing communication,
understanding market cult and strategizing accordingly is not only important rather essential in more
professional terms and this all is not possible without potential market research.

Marketing Communication Strategy and Research: The concept of market research can be
understood as an organized effort to collect information about markets or customers. It has always
been an essential and integral part of business strategy. The widely accepted difference between
marketing research and marketing strategy is that marketing research is concerned with various
marketing processes, while market research deals with markets.Research supports planning
organizing and managing marketing activities effectively and most of the times successfully. Market
research encompasses both types of researches like social researches and opinion researches which
generally remains a systematic collection and interpretation of information about individuals or
organizations. Such data is further analytically studied to reach to the statistical results by harboring
the certain methods and techniques. Research helps gaining insight or helps the process of decision
making.
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A research design is a framework or blue print for conducting a research project. It

contains the detailed procedure necessary for obtaining the information needed to
structure and solve a research problem. A research design lays the foundation for
conducting the project.

A cross-sectional descriptive research design is used for conducting this research

work because this design enables the researcher to study the problem at given point
of time of the population of interest.

To identify the problem, to develop and approach the problem and to formulate an
appropriate research design, primary research & secondary research is used.

SOURCES OF DATA
• Primary Data

Primary data is that data which is collected directly by the researchers

themselves. But, the process of collecting primary data is more
complicated. The primary data is collected by using primary methods
such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, etc. For this study
questionnaires are used to collect primary data from the consumers.
• Secondary Data
Data collected from previous sources on which researches are already done.

DATA COLLECTION METHOD

To collect information for the study of customers, primary research is
used. Structured questionnaire is used as an instrument for collecting the
primary data. The response was recorded and measured by using nominal
scale and likert scale. The data collected thus was quantitative in nature.
The questionnaire was pre- tested before final use.

Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on

variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one
to answer stated research questions, test hypothesis, and evaluate
outcomes. The data collection component of research is common to all
fields of study including physical and social sciences, humanities,
business, etc. While methods vary by discipline, the emphasis on
ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same.

In the data collection procedure the respondents can refuse to not

cooperate or provide any information and sometimes can also provide
wrong information. A survey method is the fact that the individual
answer of the interviewer or questionnaire makes a big difference in the
interview.
 DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

50%
45% 44% 43%
40% 38%
35%
30%
25% 24%

20% 19%

15%
10%
5%
0%
Too many Wall cluttered Messages Posts overly Content
posts with marketing repetitive promotional irrelevant
and boring
 Magazines, 6%

Newspapers, 7% Radio, 18%

Internet, 34%

Television, 35%

Other reasons, 3%

To be with
family/friends, 27%

To see football
game, 55%

To see the
advertisements, 15%
 Theory Hypothesis Conclusion
and Test
Hypothesis
Theory
Current Advancement
Knowledge

New
Knowledge

Foundation Golden Age Insight Consultative

First of of Stage of Stage of
Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing Marketing
Research Research Research Research Research

1879 1900 1940 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Full–Service General
Research Population
Firms

Sample
Firms
Client
Boutique Panels
Companies
Research
Firms Sample
Firms
Research Database
Division

Sample
Syndicated Aggregators
Data Firms
 90 %

80 %

70 %

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 %

10 %

0%
Understanding Proactively Providing high Ability to Have strong
all relevent aspects initiating the quality data persuade key relationships
of your business right research executives with the
right people

Rely on outside suppliers to design and execute research (n = 66)

Design and execute research in–house (n = 55)
Fairly evenly split between in–house and outsourced work (n = 76)

DEALING WITH DATA

Data are central to marketing research. While some marketing research involves collection of
information that is not in the form of data, most marketing research has some type of data.
These data must be examined, analyzed, and converted to information that is useful to
managers for decision making. Rather than wait until the end of this text to discuss data
analysis, each chapter contains a “Dealing With Data” section. The concepts presented and
the exercises shown are designed to allow students to apply the “Statistics Review” section to
marketing research data. exercises and information in this section should not be new, but as
with the “Statistics Review” they may appear new depending on how long ago the statistics
course was taken and how well the material was learned. The majority of the data sets are
provided in SPSS format. SPSS is an advanced statistical analysis program used by many
universities, large corporations, and marketing research firms. Limited instructions for using
SPSS will be incorporated into the “Dealing With Data” section. More detailed step-by-step
instructions for using SPSS can be found on the textbook’s companion website at www
.sagepub.com/clowess.
70%
65%

60% 58%
53%
50%

40% 37%

30% 27%

20%
15%

10% 6%

0%

Research Purpose

Research Report Research Design

Data Analysis Sampling Plan

Data Collection
70%
65%

60%

50%
50% 46%

40% 39%

30% 28%
26%
21%
20%
14%
10%

0%
General recall Brand recall Message recall Likability

Online TV

60%
55%

50% 47%

40% 37%

30%
22%
20%

10%

0%
Facebook Newspapers Radio Television
 CONCLUSION
Objective 1: Compare and contrast the three
types of research design.
Exploratory, descriptive, and causal research designs are each appropriate under certain conditions.
Exploratory research uses focus groups, one-on-one interviews, secondary research, and/or pilot
studies to develop a better understanding of a particular problem or situation that may otherwise
be ambiguous. An exploratory study might seek to define the marketing research problem, identify
parameters or variables to be studied further, or generate potential research hypotheses for testing.
Descriptive research studies are the most common form of marketing research and typically seek to
describe existing characteristics, attributes, or behaviors of people, brands, organizations, or other
objects. Survey and observation research form the bulk of descriptive research studies. Causal
research is appropriate when attempting to investigate whether a change in one item causes a
change to occur in another. Establishing causality requires both a temporal sequence and
concomitant variation. Carefully controlled laboratory experiments and field experiments are used
in the determination of causality.

Objective 2: Explain the marketing research

process.
The marketing research process is often organized into six key steps: (1) defining the research
problem, (2) developing the research design, (3) determining the sampling plan, (4) implementing
data collection procedures, (5) analyzing the data, and (6) preparing and sharing the research
report. Defining the research problem starts by establishing the research purpose. Next is the
development of research questions or objectives that outline the scope of the research project and
guide the development of the research design, followed by the creation of hypotheses. Research
design decisions include determining the nature of the approach (descriptive or casual) and
selecting the method of data collection (survey, observation, or experimentation). The sampling
plan begins with a determination of the population to be studied, then describes the process by
which the sample group of study participants will be selected. During data analysis, researchers
apply mathematical and statistical processes to raw numbers for the purpose of providing
meaningful information that can assist managers in making decisions. The final stage of the research
process involves writing and presenting the research report to include a set of actionable
recommendations.

Objective 3: Describe the components of a request for

proposal (RFP) and a research proposal.
Requests for research proposals, commonly referred to as RFPs, are created by firms commissioning
a research study. RFPs typically include background information; an overview of the research
purpose, problem, or question; and a description of the target audience for the study. Important
expectations that influence the cost of the study should be provided, such as desired sample size,
data collection methodology, and the time frame for the study. A research proposal is prepared by
firms who wish to bid on RFPs and contain the following information: (1) introduction and
background to the RFP, (2) research questions, (3) research design, (4) target population, (5) sample
size and method, (6) data collection methodology, and (7) cost and time schedule for the study.
Objective 4: Provide an overview of qualitative
and quantitative research.
Qualitative research involves the use of small-sample, unstructured data collection methods, such
as focus groups, personal interviews, case studies, and other techniques. It is subjective and
exploratory in nature, and results should not be interpreted as providing definitive answers. In
contrast, quantitative research is a more structured process in which data are collected objectively
using larger, more representative samples. Research designs allow for data to be represented
numerically, which permits statistical tests and analyses. Results are more definitive and can be
generalized to the population. Quantitative research is most commonly associated with descriptive
and causal studies.

Objective 5: Recite the ethical considerations in

designing research studies.
Ethical considerations impact research decisions as well as various entities involved in the research
industry. Firms seeking to commission research studies may behave unethically if RFPs are issued
that are not sincere requests for bids. Marketing research suppliers who submit research proposals
in response to RFPs behave unethically when engaging in lowball pricing or bait-and-switch tactics.
Numerous opportunities for unethical behavior exist throughout the research process and include,
but are not limited to, purposively engaging in advocacy research, biasing the sample selection,
distorting the data collected, falsifying data, improperly analyzing data or manipulating statistics,
and violating the confidentiality of proprietary studies. Respondents’ rights to confidentiality and
safety should be protected, as should their rights to withdraw their participation from the study and
to correct inaccurate information.
 FUTURE SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
I have done the research based on secondary data and qualitative research so anyone who
will be doing this research in future can work on primary data and quantitatve data.
 REFERENCES

• Baines, P., Fill, C., Page, K. 2008. Marketing: Case insight. 1st Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 176.
• Iacobucci D. & Churchill A. 2009. Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations (with Qualtrics Card),
South-Western College Pub, London, 201.
• Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. 2006. Principles of Marketing. 11th Edition. New Jersey:
• Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Wong, V. & Saunders, J. 2008. Principles of marketing. Harlow: Pearson
International Limited.
• Lahtinen, J., & Isoviita, A. 1999. Asiakaspalvelujamarkkinointi. 2. Painos. Jyväskylä: Gummerus Oy, 210.
• Rabianski, J. S. 2006. Primary and secondary data: concepts, errors and issues. Appraisal Journal. 71 (1), 43.
• Salant, P. and D.A. Dillman 1994. How to Conduct Your Own Survey. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.