Marketing Research

(Process and Methodology)

In the constantly changing pharmaceutical market
environments characterized by vast R&D costs,
heightened competition, increased regulation, and
ever more demanding consumers, pharmaceutical
marketers are called upon daily to make critical
judgments and decisions.
They evaluate a market's potential, the possible
influence of new government regulatory restrictions,
the effect of past price lowering by competitors, or
the extent to which a new product satisfies the needs
of prescribers and patients. In addition to their prior
education and professional experience, they rely on
accurate, timely, and detailed information describing
the factors that have, are, or will be affecting their
business-operating environment in the future.
PROCESS AND
METHODOLOGY
The marketing research process can be divided into distinct steps, namely…
 
1. Defining the problem
2. Setting the research objectives
3. Designing the research plan
4. Collecting the data
5. Analyzing the data collected
6. Creating a model based on the data; and, finally
7. Evaluating this model and deciding on the optimal marketing
strategy
1. Defining the Problem
This step is critical to the whole research process because the wrong definition
of a problem may lead pharmaceutical marketers to misleading and dangerous
conclusions.
 
 
A commonly employed method used in marketing research problem definition is
exploratory research. This process uses a small number of interviewees and
explores their beliefs, attitudes, or actual experiences regarding a particular
product to uncover the often concealed reasons for their prescribing or
purchasing behavior. A more thorough and expansive marketing research is then
designed based on these findings.
 
The purposes of exploratory research are…
1. To develop hypotheses;
2. To better define the problem
3. To establish research priorities
4. To collect information on research methodologies
5. To test various alternatives
 
2.Setting the Research Objectives
 
Often, research objectives are distinguished as primary and
secondary objectives, with emphasis and thoroughness
placed on primary objectives, and less time and effort allotted
to secondary objectives.
Consider the following example for better understanding primary and secondary
objectives…
 
A migraine medication is to be introduced to the Pakistani market. The company marketers
are busy creating their product's targeting and positioning. They have conducted their
exploratory research, which led them to the definition of the following research objectives…
 
 Primary: Which medical specialty primarily consults migraine sufferers, what is their
practice and prescription volume, what are their unmet needs, and what are their
current prescribing habits?
 
 Secondary: How do they react versus the product's campaign alternatives, their brand
awareness, and competitor company image?
 
3. Designing the Research Plan
 
Research planning involves the following three main steps.
 
Selecting a marketing research agency
This is a very sensitive process because, when identifying an able, external partner, it must
possess essential characteristics. Marketing research agency must have recognition among
pharmaceutical market, therapeutic category expertise, considerable human resources, practical
location, and reasonable prices.
 
 
Preparing the research brief for the agency
This document has to be thoroughly researched and prepared so that it clearly describes the
problem and presents all knowledge about the problem with the external partner.
 
Agreeing on the research plan with the agency
In order to avoid possible misunderstandings, conflicts, and delays, the final research plan is
mutually agreed upon and respectively signed.
4. Collecting the Data
The collection of primary data is done using one of the following research
methodologies…
 
Survey
A survey is systematic research effort, collecting information from a sample of
individuals, using a questionnaire.
 
Observation
Observation is the systematic recording of customer behavior, events, or objects.
Some of the observation research subjects are physical actions,
verbal/expressive behavior, temporal patterns, and spatial relations.
 
Experimentation (test marketing)
Experimentation is often used by pharmaceutical marketers to test specific
product characteristics or marketing campaign items in an effort to fine-tune their
R&D or promotional activities in advance of the actual product launch. Common
examples of such tests are patients tastes and packaging testing
5. Analysing the Data Collected
Once the data collection phase has been completed, the data
are entered into a suitable electronic database and various
statistical tests are utilized for their analysis.
6. Creating a Model, Based on the Data
The systematic collection and analysis of marketing research data eventually
leads to the creation of a detailed situational model describing customer’s
attitudes and behaviors. These models are extremely valuable tools for
marketing decision making. Examples of such models include the
prescribing-decision process maps, patient purchasing decision and follow
up.
7.Evaluating the Model and Deciding on the Optimal
Marketing Strategy
The final step in the marketing research process is the evaluation of the situational
model by company experts, ranging from R&D to upper management, marketing, sales,
manufacturing, advertising, and others working in functional teams toward the
improvement of the product's competitive advantage.
 
 
 

 
Thank you