MARKETING RESEARCH

Assignment I
(Marketing research is Arts or Science)

Submitted by –

Shivaprasad Ramarao

0916108

AIMIT

Submitted to –

Mr. Madhukar

Marketing Faculty

AIMIT
What is research?

Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. Once can also define research
asa scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. In fact, research
is an art of scientific investigation. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English lays
down the meaning of research as “a careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for
new facts in any branch of knowledge.” Redman and Mory define research as a “systematized
effort to gain new knowledge.” Some people consider research as a movement, a movement
from the known to the unknown. It is actually a voyage of discovery. We all possess the vital
instinct of inquisitiveness for, when the unknown confronts us, we wonder and our
inquisitiveness makes us probe and attain full and fuller understanding of the unknown. This
inquisitiveness is the mother of all knowledge and the method, which man employs for obtaining
the knowledge of whatever the unknown, can be termed as research. Research is an academic
activity and as such the term should be used in a technical sense.

According to Clifford Woody research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating
hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organising and evaluating data; making deductions
and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they
fit the formulating hypothesis. D. Slesinger and M. Stephenson in the Encyclopedia of Social
Sciences define research as “the manipulation of things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of
generalising to extend, correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction
of theory or in the practice of an art. Research is, thus, an original contribution to the existing
stock of knowledge making for its advancement. It is the persuit of truth with the help of study,
observation, comparison and experiment. In short, the search for knowledge through objective
and systematic method of finding solution to a problem is research. The systematic approach
concerning generalization formulation of a theory is also research. As such the term ‘research’
refers to the systematic method.
Why should we call it as Science?

The scientific method is, thus, based on certain basic postulates which can be stated as under:

1. It relies on empirical evidence;

2. It utilizes relevant concepts;

3. It is committed to only objective considerations;

4. It presupposes ethical neutrality, i.e., it aims at nothing but making only adequate and correct
statements about population objects;

5. It results into probabilistic predictions;

6. Its methodology is made known to all concerned for critical scrutiny are for use in testing the
conclusions through replication;

7. It aims at formulating most general axioms or what can be termed as scientific theories.

.Thus from above we can conclude that Marketing research is not a Science but its scientific
approach

Why we should call it as a Art ?

For example, if we assign the number “5 lbs” to represent the weight of an object, we want
tomake sure that the weight is 5 lbs and not 8 lbs or 3 lbs.

Using a carefully calibrated scale is how we ensure in this example that we have correctly
measured the item’s weight—assigned numbers to the object to accurately represent the quantity
of its attribute of weight. The mundane quality of this example disappears when we find
ourselves confronted with the need to measure variables of interest to marketers such as
intentions, attitudes, perceptions, etc. How can we be sure that the number “4” correctly captures
the intensity with which a respondent holds an intention, for example? We will devote further
discussion to the ways of ensuring good measures in our research in this chapter.
3. The definition states that we attach numbers to the attributes of an object and not to the object
itself. For example, we cannot measure the quantity of what you are now holding in your hand.
There is no scale for measuring the amount of “bookness” in a book. We can, however, measure
the attributes of a book—its weight, dimensions in inches, number of pages, and so forth. We can
even measure qualities less obvious such as its statures great literature or its educational value;
but, as described in point number

2, the rules for assigning numbers to those attributes will involve different measuring devices
than those used to measure its physical properties. This caveat also holds true for the
measurement of variables of interest to marketers. We measure a consumer’s attitudes, income,
brand loyalty, etc., instead of measuring the consumer. In some cases, such as attitudes, we go a
step further and measure the subcomponents of the variable. Attitudes, for ex- ample, are said to
consist of cognitive, affective, and cognitive components that we would want to measure to
ensure we have captured the essence of how strong one’s attitude was toward an object. For
example, if we are to claim we have measured a parent’s attitude toward a new product concept
for a child’s fruit drink, we need to measure beliefs and knowledge (the cog- native component
of attitudes), how positive or negative he or she feels about the concept (the affective
component), and the parent’s predisposition to behave toward the product (the cognitive
component).

4. Scientists in the physical sciences such as physics, chemistry, and biology have something of
an advantage over behavioral scientists because the things they are interested in measuring have
a physical reality, and the devices used to measure these things can be physically calibrated.
“Good measures” are generated by carefully calibrating the measuring devices (e.g.,
micrometers, weight scales, etc.). Behavioral scientists, such as marketing researchers, cannot
see or feel those things of interest to them (e.g., perceptions, intentions, brand loyalty, attitudes,
etc.), and so must find ways of determining if the process they use to attach numbers is
trustworthy in order to know if the numbers resulting from that process are trustworthy. In other
words, while a chemist can trust that the weight of a chemical is what a care- fully calibrated
scale says it is, the marketing researcher can trust that he or she has obtained a good measure of
intent to purchase only by having faith in the measurement process used to attach numbers to that
intention. There is no way of comparing the numbers on the intention scale to a standardized
measure for intentions the way a chemist can check the measures of weight against a
standardized scale for weight. We trust the numbers because we trust the process used to attach
those numbers.

Why we can call it as Art as well as Science?

Good questionnaire design is both an art and a science. The questionnaire is a gestalt—more than
the sum of its parts—and must be designed in such a way that it generates meaningful data.
Questions that provide answers to our research questions and test our hypotheses are necessary,
but not totally sufficient to the construction of the questionnaire. We must also contextualize the
information gained from our research objective-related questions if we are to gather meaningful
data that leads to better decision making.

INDUSTRY DEBATE IN toostep.com

Reference (http://toostep.com/debate/is-marketing-science-or-art)

Question –

Science is Normative - There is a clear, pre determined and predictable outcome. Art is
empirical. It's outcome cannot be predicted. It will either be a great success or fall flat
irrespective of the time, money and energy spent. It could be agonizingly difficult or
inspirational and simple.

Where does Marketing Research fall?

Answers –

For Marketing research as a Science !

Often clients have tolld me that it's always a 50:50 chance of a product succeeding, or an ad
working. The refrain at times is "woh marketingwale badi badi baate karte hai par hota kutch
nahi". "Bahot sare bahane bana lete hai".
Ar we Marketing people really "bol bachhans." It brings me to the next question - "Is marketing
an art or a science."

Science is Normative - There is a clear, pre determined and predictable outcome.

Art is empirical. It's outcome cannot be predicted. It will either be a great success or fall flat
irrespective of the time, money and energy spent. It could be agonizingly difficult or
inspirational and simple.

Where does Marketing fall. Given that we work with just 4 parameters that can be established
numerically - awareness, trials, repeats and drop outs - marketing should have been accepted as a
predictable or atleast a subject in which there could be predictable probabilities. Then why the
image of such unpredictability?

Are we as marketing people to blame?

I believe at at a level of competency marketing is a science. however, delivering well beyond

expectations is an art. It involves intuition, inspiration and at times pure luck.

Vijay Raut

Synergy Marketing Advisory Services. Mumbai

09322266445

For Marketing Research as Arts

Marketing is an art, the reason is when we do advertisement, by the same company and for the
same product, to different community, different approach is needed. Here we have to understand
not only the community where the marketing has to be done but at the same time understand the
product, which is marketed. Strategies have to be made and changed at the spur of the moment
according to the client sitting in front of you. The same strategy might not be applicable to two
different client, and even when two different people from the same client group, this needs an art
to change your approach, keeping in mind that you have to satisfy the need of both the party. To
make two different people with different understanding, agree with your marketing strategy, in
my opinion is an art.  

For Marketing Research as Arts and Science

Dear Vijay,
You have come up with a very interesting & critical debate :)

I will go with art bcoz it has that fun part to it which only few can master it. I am firm believer
that a good marketing will relies to a great degree on creativity and thinking. It can also be
reduced to formulas, statistics, and decision rules. But good marketing always represents
creativity that is firmly rooted in data. Marketing is best understood as the meeting place for data
and intuition, analysis and creativity.

Just because marketers today have to express outcomes numerically doesn’t’ mean intuition,
savvy, experience, and self-criticality are abandoned.

In my view, the art vs science debate isn’t really much of a match at all. It is like a partnership,
because marketing as a business is both–art and science.

SUPPORTING ARTICLE

Lintas Media Group simplifies touch points with Connexions

Afaqs.com, New Delhi, September 10, 2010

The main objective behind the research conducted by market research company GFK is to allow
planning teams and brand managers to assess the suitability of media on various qualitative parameters
specific to their brand/category requirements.

It is a fact accepted by one and all that a good media plan can go a long way in strengthening a brand's
identity in the minds of consumers. Realising how the media environment and the media consumers
have evolved significantly in the last few years, Lintas Media Group (LMG) has come up with
Connexions, a media research database.
The main objective behind the research conducted by market research company GFK is to allow
planning teams and brand managers to assess the suitability of media on various qualitative
parameters specific to their brand/category requirements.

The fieldwork for Connexions involved contacting 9300 respondents across 17 cities in India,
representing all zones and key population strata for urban India. The consumer profiles include
men and women in the age group of 12-44 years. Unlike the way research happens in countries
abroad, which involves telephonic interviews, there was a face to face interaction with the
respondents.

The research investigates the consumption behaviour and perceptions of the consumers across 78
touch points, which come under the broad media categories such as TV, radio, cinema, outdoor
and digital. On an average, only 57 per cent of the respondents interact with 10-13 touch points.

The next important issue addressed by the research is how media is preferred to access a touch
point. For this, seven genres of high interest were chosen, including sports, finance, current
affairs and celebrities, among others. It was observed that an affluent male consumes current
affairs news first on TV, followed by newspaper, radio, word of mouth and lastly, on the Internet
or in a magazine. The same man prefers to surf the Internet on priority basis for information
related to travel and leisure.

On the contrary, a housewife - who loves to stay in touch with friends and family - will prefer
mobile for consumption.

The research also points out how the same media can appeal to different TGs (target groups) in
different ways. For example, a magazine that works as a means to escape to a new world for a
housewife can actually improve the quality of life for a youngster or can be read by an old man
to stay connected to other people.
While there is a quantitative measure for each media, sometimes media becomes annoying in the
form of a pop up ad or cinema ads - two cases where a consumer hates to be distracted.

All the information was collected representing more than 100 advertised categories. This is an
annual research and is linked to various other tools that are currently in use for all the clients of
the Lintas Media Group.

Reference

Books

Marketing research text and cases Bruce Wrenn, PhD, Robert Stevens, PhD, David Loudon,
PhD (Page No 155 and Page No.. 125)

Research Methodology KOTHARI (Page No 1, 12, 55)

Web-sites

http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?
sid=28221_Lintas+Media+Group+simplifies+touch+points+with+Connexions

http://toostep.com/debate/is-marketing-science-or-art