DUE DATE : 24:00 ON 19 MARCH 2013

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1 Page 1 of 10 ASSIGNMENT : ADVANCED MARKETING RESEARCH: THEORY () CHAPTERS COVERED : CHAPTERS 1-7 DUE DATE : 24:00 ON 19 MARCH 2013 TOTAL MARKS : 100 INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES FOR COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS The complete Instructions to Students for Completing and Submitting Assignments must be collected from any IMM GSM office, the relevant Student Support Centre or can be downloaded from the IMM GSM website. It is essential that the complete instructions be studied prior to commencing your assignment. The following points highlight only a few important notes. 1. You are required to submit ONE assignment per subject. 2. The assignment will contribute 20% towards the final examination mark, and the other 80% will be contributed by the examination, however, the examination papers will count out of 100%. 3. Although your assignment will contribute towards your final examination mark, you do not have to earn credits for admission to the examinations; you are automatically accepted on registering for the exam. 4. Number all the pages of your assignment (e.g. page 1 of 4) and write your name and surname, student number and subject at the top of each page. 5. The IMM GSM requires assignments to be presented in a typed format, on plain A4 paper. Unless otherwise specified, this assignment must be completed within a limit of 3500 words, excluding the bibliography. Students who exceed the word limit may find that only part of the submitted assignment will be marked. 6. A separate assignment cover, which is provided by the IMM GSM, must be attached to the front of each assignment. 7. Retain a copy of each assignment before submitting, in case the original does not reach the IMM GSM. 8. The assignment due date refers to the day up to which assignments will be accepted for marking purposes. The deadline is 24:00 on 19 March 2013 for upload to the IMM GSM website. Late assignments will be accepted, but 25 marks will be deducted from the maximum mark, if received after 24:00 on 19 March 2013 and up to 17:00 the following day, after which no assignments will be accepted. 9. If you fail to follow these instructions carefully, the IMM Graduate School of Marketing cannot accept responsibility for the return of the assignment. It may even result in your assignment not being marked. Results will be available on the IMM GSM website, on Friday, 3 May 2013.

2 Page 2 of 10 QUESTION [90] DEVELOP A MARKETING RESEARCH PROPOSAL Green et al. (1993) have defined marketing research as follows: Marketing research is the systematic and objective search for, and analysis of, information relevant to the identification and solution of any problem in the field of marketing. Green, P.E., Tull, D.S. and Albaum, G., Research For Marketing Decisions. 5th ed. Prentice-Hall. The key words in this definition are systematic, objective, analysis, and field of marketing. Marketing research seeks to set about its task in a systematic and objective fashion. This means that a detailed and carefully designed research plan is developed in which each stage of the research is specified. Such a research plan is only considered adequate if it specifies: the research problem in concise and precise terms, the information necessary to address the problem, the methods to be employed in gathering the information and the analytical techniques to be used to interpret it. Maintaining objectivity in marketing research is essential if marketing management is to have sufficient confidence in its results to be prepared to take risky decisions based upon those results. To this end, as far as possible, marketing researchers employ the scientific method. The characteristics of the scientific method are that it translates personal prejudices, notions and opinions into explicit propositions (or hypotheses). These are tested empirically. At the same time alternative explanations of the event or phenomena of interest are given equal consideration. Example: Not many years ago an agricultural engineering company developed an improved rice-milling machine to address the nature and quality of the rice it produced in view of possible consumer dissatisfaction. The machine was introduced into Thailand where existing rice milling machines were of a design which resulted in a high percentage of broken kernels. The new rice mill produced a negligible percentage of broken kernels. Intuitively a successful product would be predicted, launched with hardly any need for marketing research when the new mill had such obvious advantages over existing products.

3 Page 3 of 10 The agricultural engineering company went through the expensive and timeconsuming process of importing the machine into Thailand. They set up extensive distribution and servicing facilities only to be surprised when the mill failed to gain acceptance and inquiries proved that the company had not interpreted consumer needs correctly. In Thailand, smallholders take their rice to a miller. Since they do not have sufficient cash to pay for milling their rice they pay in broken kernels. The miller then sells the broken kernels for animal feed. The more effective milling machine simply did not fit into the Thai rice processing system. The company s assessment of the market was hardly objective. They saw the broken kernels as a problem, which their product solved. The prospective customer did not see it as a problem at all. The third of the key terms in the definition given above was analytical. The marketing researcher s task goes beyond the collecting of data. He/she must also interpret the data in terms of what it means to the organisation which commissioned the research. Knowing that 60% of those interviewed thought that product A was superior to product B is, in itself, of little value. The organisation needs to know the alternative ways it can respond to this data. Data is equivalent to the raw materials of manufacturing; it has to be converted into information before it becomes useful in decision making. The process of convening data into information is achieved through analysis. Although the need for precision and thoroughness in marketing research has been stressed here, it is to be remembered that, in practice, there is a perpetual conflict between the demands of expediency and the search for truth. The reality is that management is frequently under pressure to make timely decisions. Therefore management often seeks answers through marketing research in the shortest time possible and, moreover, at minimum cost. On such occasions its methods tend to be less theoretically rigorous and its analysis more superficial. YOUR ASSIGNMENT BRIEF: DEVELOP A MARKETING RESEARCH PROPOSAL OF NOT MORE THAN 3500 WORDS. It is a requirement of the module to carry out a research project applying all the marketing research principles you have studied in previous courses. This module provides you with a start to your research report i.e. the research proposal. Marketing research can be concerned with any of a variety of aspects of the market: the product, sales, buyer behaviour, promotion, distribution, pricing, packaging, etc. Since you cannot investigate everything about a market, you must be selective.

4 Page 4 of 10 The question remains as to how you decide where to focus the study, and to what depth each issue should be investigated. The answer in achieving specificity lies in a document called the RESEARCH PROPOSAL. A marketing research proposal is a plan that offers ideas for conducting research. The research depends on the field in which the proposal is written. For example, a marketing research proposal for a television network would examine the various ways to measure viewing habits in order to create shows that would better cater to the demographic. Ultimately, a market research proposal details the who, the what, the where, the when and the how of research and the information and costs associated with it. The elements of a research proposal can be summarised as follows: 1. Background to the problem (problem in context). Provide an historic background of events within the company that might be related to the research issue (1-2 pages). For example: if the research focus is the marketing mix then a background of issues in the company, e.g. changes to management, new product line developments, awareness of change in consumer demands, all contribute to the problem in context. 2. Determine why the research is taking place. A market research proposal must explain the purpose of the research. The abstract at the beginning of the proposal will explain the goals of the research as well as any theories the research is attempting to prove. 3. Identify the information needed for the research. Explain the type of research information that is necessary to serve the purpose identified in step one. For example, if the research is on television viewing habits, one type of information needed is the kind of shows being watched as well as the audience that is watching. Different demographics often have different viewing habits, so identifying the information you need is a critical part of the market research proposal. This information is a necessary component in the first third of the proposal. 4. Explain the research methods that will be used. You know what information is needed; now detail how you will find it. Will you use a poll? What other measuring tools will you use? 5. Explain the cost of the research. The cost will influence those who make the decisions. Each recommendation you make should include a specific cost breakdown as well as a rating of the importance of that research tool in relation to the others. For example, if you can obtain the same information through two different methods, you should include cost, validity and reliability scales for decision making.

5 Page 5 of Conclude the market research proposal with a summary and recommendation. While the bulk of the proposal should explore all options, the summation should include your recommendations and assessments of all the available options. 7. Edit for structure. Be sure to format the market research proposal with an executive summary (abstract/introduction), background (information and research), and a definition of the research or the problem you seek to resolve with the research. Be sure to include objectives, research methods (how information will be gathered and analysed) and method of reporting. (Read more: ehow.com. How to Write a Marketing Research Proposal. [Online] Available at: [Accessed: 16 October 2012]) 1. THE TOPIC OF YOUR PROPOSAL You will have freedom of choice as to the environment in which you carry out your research. For example: working students may be using their own workplace as their field of study. Full time students who do not currently have a workplace in which to direct their research are welcome to contact Rabia Carvalho at the IMM GSM for advice on this or select a topic from the list below. 1.1 Selecting your marketing research topic (MBA Lectures. Tips for Selecting Marketing Research Topics. [Online] Available at: methods/1191/tips-for-selecting-marketingresearch-topics.html. [Accessed: 16 October 2012]) Selection of a research topic is an essential part of research proposal. It requires a lot of time, energy and resources to select an appropriate topic for the research. There are different factors which must be considered before the final selection of the research topic. Some aspects to consider when selecting a research topic are given below: The researcher must be interested in the topic. The researcher can obtain relevant data on the topic. In case of quantitative research the researcher must know the appropriate statistical tools for analysis. The topic should neither be too broad nor too narrow. Researcher must try to add something new to the literature. The topic should be researchable. The topic should be feasible. The research should be ethical. The research should have practical value.

6 Page 6 of Possible fields of marketing research: Relationship marketing Relationship marketing refers to the use of relationships rather than purely transactional means, in order to not only acquire customers, but also to generate customer loyalty that results in repeat custom for the organisation. Branding Branding is an umbrella term to refer to a wide body of literature examining how businesses can use their brands to achieve a competitive advantage, through building brand equity, launching brand extensions, managing global brands, and so forth. Direct marketing The world of direct marketing is a complex one that involves a wide range of tools and techniques that can be used to target consumers in a predominantly transactional manner. Direct marketers rely on information and a series of direct marketing media such as direct mail, magazines, newspapers, TV/radio, co-ops, telemarketing/teleservices and the Internet to disseminate their messages and acquire new customers. Marketing across cultures For some products and services, cultural considerations can play an important role in how marketers interact with consumers. With the increasing globalisation of business, organisations have to pay greater attention to how national culture impacts upon consumer behaviour and customers reactions towards different types of marketing communications. Marketing across cultures is becoming more prominent in business, as more and more businesses are expanding throughout the world. Marketing and consumer psychology Marketing is fundamentally underpinned by consumer behaviour, which can be largely explained by examining consumer psychology. This highlights how consumers behave in each stage of the buying process and why they react as they do. On this basis, marketers can design and implement communication strategies that target specific customer groups based on their psychological profiles. Marketing online When marketing moves online the traditional rules are either broken or extended. Such extensions include the need to take into account privacy, security, the greater ability to customise and personalise user experiences, the changing nature of consumer behaviour and the interaction of online and offline mediums. Mobile marketing Mobile marketing has become the latest marketing communication medium to enable large brands such as Coca-Cola, Nintendo, MTV, New Labour, Lastminute.com, and others to reach customers and target customers in traditional and non-traditional ways. With the lowering of mobile tariffs,

7 Page 7 of 10 including Internet browsing using mobile phones, this medium is becoming increasingly important to marketers. The 4Ps (Price, Product, Promotion, Place) of marketing mix The 4Ps, which have seen a number of extensions, are the cornerstones of the marketing mix that marketing professions have available to them when trying to influence consumer decision-making. Marketing and social networks Social networks (Facebook, Orkut, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn) are not only changing the way that many people use the Internet, but they are also presenting marketing practitioners with new challenges when trying to reach and acquire customers online. At the same time, these social networks have their own challenges in trying to acquire and retain customers when many of the traditional principles of consumer behaviour no longer apply. Marketing ethics The power of the media and changing consumer attitudes are having a significant impact on how organisations are expected to behave, as well as how they should integrate ethics into their marketing campaigns. On this basis, marketing ethics is interested in a range of issues from the business case for ethical practices, to CSR programmes and cause-related marketing, and ethical issues that must be taken into account during the marketing communications process. 1.3 Possible topics of marketing research In order to have some idea of various research topics in marketing; a list is given below: 1. To study the effects of the personality of sales personnel on brand image and brand sales at various stages of brand life cycle 2. To study the managerial perception on the importance of corporate signage and its impact on its implementation 3. To study the effects of sales personnel support to customer on sales of ready-made garments 4. The effects of utilitarian, ego-defensive, value expressive and knowledge function on consumer decision making 5. To study the effects of managerial perception on implications of multinational brands strategy on its implementation 6. To study the impact of ad quality and program involvement on consumer zapping behaviour 7. To study the effects of consumer characteristics, product characteristics and market characteristics on manager s choice of selecting and advertising appeal 8. To study the relationship between consumer knowledge of Islamic banking and consumer product endorsement 9. To study the impact of scarcity and authenticity of research data on effective marketing decision making 10. To study the effects of sales force turnover on corporate image 11. Culturally relevant music in electronic advertising 12. To study the effect of extended brand name on brand identity and recall

8 Page 8 of To study the effect of customer loyalty status and brand characteristics on brand recommendation 14. To study the relationship between product characteristics and choice of exhibition 15. To study the impact of customer steps on waiters salaries and job retention 16. A comparative study between private and own labeling in textile industry 17. The effects of new product development strategies on consumer brand perception and preference 18. To study the consumer dealer service perception on consumer dealer choice 19. Impact of word of mouth marketing on service selection preference 20. To study the impact of commercialisation on quality of higher education 21. A study on the factors affecting success or failure of products at the time of re-launch 22. Conflict between distribution channels due to modern retailing 23. A comparative study on sales-oriented and customer-oriented business approaches in telecommunication sector 24. The effect of high concrete brand name on brand recall 25. Reasons for non-consideration of brands 26. Influence of price promotions on internal and external reference price of consumer 27. A study of factors influencing consumer buying decision for car engine oils in South Africa. 28. Relationship between internal marketing, service quality and customer satisfaction 29. Affects of publicity on consumer perception in showbiz industry 30. Effectiveness of second advertisements on recognition and brand recall 31. Effect of corporate web portal on consumer perception towards the company 32. How CSR efforts affect brand perception 33. A study on relationship by retailer and its impact on store loyalty 34. Consumers perception in competitive advertising 35. A relationship between delays and evaluation of service and its impact on consumer satisfaction 36. The effects of retention strategies on employ morale and productivity 37. Impact of series quality and perceived value on behaviour intentions of consumers in hospitals 38. Self-concept, brand personality and its impact on brand choice 39. Impact of demographics on fashion consciousness 40. Effects of stress on impulse buying behaviour 41. Factors affecting consumer satisfaction in paint industry 42. Factors affecting credibility of television news channels 43. Effects of relationship marketing on consumer satisfaction and retention in life insurance industry 44. Consumer perception of subliminal advertising (attention and retention of consumers for subliminal advertising)

9 Page 9 of The effects of corporate response to defective products in consumer electronics on customer satisfaction 46. Impact of higher sales discount on perceived quality, brand loyalty and buying decision of the product by customer 47. Impact of in-store display on sales (a comparative study between new and mature products) 48. A study on purchase and repeat purchase intention due to brand recall 2. THE OUTLINE OF YOUR PROPOSAL YOUR PROPOSAL MUST BE OUTLINED AS FOLLOWS: A. Problem in context and statement of the problem Provide a problem in context and succinctly, state the problem to be researched. B. Review of the literature Critically review the existing literature, which bears on the stated problem. In this regard you need to access EBSCOHOST. Contact the IMM GSM s librarian, Monique, who will explain to you how to use EBSCOHOST. C. Nature and design of the project Describe in detail what the project intends to do and where the project will be carried out. For a quantitative research approach the hypotheses should be stated along with indications of expected outcomes. D. Methodology This section should describe the procedures and techniques for carrying out the project and should include at least the following points: 1) The nature of the data/information to be collected 2) The methods for collecting the data (including the sampling methods where appropriate; interviewing techniques; participant-observation; questionnaires) 3) The sources of information such as library materials and field notes (with descriptions of field methods where appropriate). E. Resources and clearances 1) Sources of funding (grants, loans, personal funds, etc.) 2) Facilities available (such as computer use and lab/office space in the field and at the home institution) 3) Equipment available, if applicable 4) Assistance available (e.g., contacts in the field or consultants to the project) 5) Preparedness to conduct the research (e.g., background course work, prior related research experience, personal knowledge of the study site in terms of language and culture)

10 Page 10 of 10 6) Documents obtained or to be obtained (including Human Subjects and Informed Consent Forms, clearances from contact persons, letters of introduction from research director and from host institution, passport/visas, etc.). F. Timetable Specify the projected start-up date, the period of fieldwork (broken down by time needed to set up and initiate the project, the time engaged in data collection, and the time required for data analysis and write up of the results), and a projected date of completion for the entire project. G. Literature cited This listing might contain references that have not been located or looked at yet but will likely be of use before the project is completed. PRESENTATION [10]