Market(ing!

) Research
Techniques
Saurab, Srikanteaswaran, Mehak

Niche
IIM Ahmedabad
Contents

1. Role of Marketing Research

2. Syndicated Research In India
3. Defining the MR Problem and developing an Approach
4. Developing a Research Plan
5. Qualitative Research
6. Data Analysis
7. Sampling
8. Factor Analysis
9. Conjoint Analysis
10.Discriminant and Cluster Analysis
11.Multi-dimensional Scaling
 Role of Marketing Research

To connect customer, consumer, and public to the marketer

through information in order to identify and define marketing
opportunities and problems; generate, refine and evaluate
marketing actions; monitor marketing performance and
improve understanding of marketing as a process

To gather and transform customer dialogues into potential

actions that lead to either an increase in sales or in customer
satisfaction

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

 Defining the MR Problem 
DEFINING THE PROBLEM - THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

• Purpose of the study

• Relevant background information
• Information needed
• How will the information be used in decision making?

Ideally before defining the problem, there should be 

• Discussion with decision makers
• Interviews with industry experts
• Analysis of secondary data
• Some qualitative research (like focus groups)

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

 Developing an Approach

Developing an approach requires

• Formulating an objective or theoretical framework

• Identifying analytical models
• Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses
• Determining the information needed

The process should ideally also involve 

• Discussion with decision makers and industry experts
• Analysis of secondary data
• Qualitative research
• Pragmatic considerations

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

 Developing a Research Plan
An ideal research plan involves the following steps

• Definition of Information Needed

• Secondary Data Analysis
• Qualitative Research
• Methods of collecting quantitative data (survey, observation
and experimentation)
• Measurement and scaling procedures
• Questionnaire Design
• Sampling Process and Sample Size
• Plan of Data Analysis

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

 Qualitative Research
Qualitative Research is unstructured and exploratory by nature
and should be used at the very beginning (to get a better
understanding of the problem) and at the very end (to check
viability of solution). 

The following are some of the popular qualitative research

techniques
• Focus Group Discussions
• In-depth Interviews
• Word Association
• Pilot Surveys
• Case Studies

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

 Data Preparation
Garbage in, Garbage Out

Before analysis of data can begin, data has to be prepared for

the analysis. This involves

• Questionnaire Checking
• Editing
• Coding
• Transcribing
• Data Cleaning
• Statistical Adjusting (Weighting, Variable Respecfication,
Scale Transformation)

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

Factor Analysis
Conjoint Analysis
Conjoint Analysis
 Measurement: Scaling Techniques

There are two types of scaling techniques - Comparative and

Non-comparative.

Comparative Scaling Techniques

• Paired Comparison
• Rank Order
• Constant Sum
• Q-Sort
• Magnitude Estimation

Non-Comparative Scaling Techniques

• Continuous Rating
• Itemized Rating

Source: Malhotra, Dash (Marketing Research - An applied orientation)

Discriminant and Cluster Analysis
 Discriminant analysis helps to identify the independent variables that discriminate
a nominally scaled dependent variable of interest. The linear combination of
independent variables indicates the discriminating function showing the large
difference that exists in the two group means. In other words the independent
variables measured on an interval or ratio scale discriminate the groups of
interest to study. [Wilks' Lambda: In the ANOVA table, the smaller the Wilks's
lambda, the more important the independent variable to the discriminant function.]
There are several different ways that can be used to estimate discriminant
function coefficients, but all work on the same general principle: the values of the
coefficients are selected so that differences between the groups defined by the
dependent variable are maximized with regard to some objective function. 
 
The cluster analysis is used to classify objects or individuals into mutually
exclusive and collectively exhaustive groups with high homogeneity within
clusters and low homogeneity between clusters. In other words cluster
analysis helps to identify objects that are similar to one another, based on some
specified criterion. Cluster analysis will cluster individuals by their preferences for
each of the different brands.

Source: www.blurtit.com/q541594.html
Multi-dimensional Scaling
In marketing, MDS is a statistical technique for taking the
preferences and perceptions of respondents and representing
them on a visual grid, called perceptual maps.
From a non-technical point of view, the purpose of
multidimensional scaling (MDS) is to provide a visual
representation of the pattern of proximities (i.e., similarities or
distances) among a set of objects. 
 
Toothpaste Data Set: SPSS

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multidimensional_scaling
Questions