11 step process:

1. Establish the need for marketing research – when managers must make decisions and they have
inadequate information, this signals the need for marketing research.
2. Define the problem – once a firm decide to conduct marketing research, the second step is to
define the problem. This the most important step, because if the problem is incorrectly defined,
all that follows is wasted effort.
 Problem statement - should be developed that summarizes the problem succinctly.
3. Establish research objectives – Research objectives tell the researchers what information needs
to be gathered and analyzed to allow managers to make decisions related to a problem.
4. Determine research design – Research design we are referring to the research approach used to
meet the research objectives.
 Three (3) widely recognized research designs:
1. Exploratory research – as the name implies, is a form of causal, informational
research that is undertaken to learn more about the research problem, learn
terms and definitions, or identify research priorities.
2. Descriptive research – refers to research that describes the phenomena of
interest.
3. Causal research – causal studies attempt to uncover what factor or factor cause
some event.
 Experiments – causal studies achieved from a class of studies.

5. Identify information and sources – Because research provides information to help solve
problems, researchers must identify the types and sources of information they will use in step 5.
 Two (2) types of information:
1. Primary – information collected specifically for the problem at hand.
2. Secondary – information already collected.
- Should always be sought first, since it is much cheaper and faster to
collect than primary information and is sometimes superior to
information than an individual firm is able to collect on its own.

6. Determine methods of accessing data

7. Design data collection forms
8. Determine the sample plan and size
9. Collect data
10. Analyze data
11. Prepare and present the final research report

ZappiStore – is the online research provider that is changing the way that companies are accessing
insight.

 The information is already available – managers make any many decision. For routine decisions,
most managers have the experience to act without any additional information.
 The timing is wrong to conduct marketing research – In cases when managers decide they need
marketing research, time is critical. Consequently, time often plays a critical role in marketing
decision to use marketing research.
 Cost Outweigh the value of marketing research – marketing research should be seen as an
investment. Managers should always consider the cost of research and the value they expect to
receive from conducting it.