Collecting Data
Data collection is a crucial step in the research process because it enables the generation of insights that will influence the marketing strategy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Construct the rationale of field work or data collection from a marketing research process perspective
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
- The marketing research process is comprised of six steps: 1. problem definition, 2. development of an approach to the problem, 3. research design formulation, 4. field work or data collection, 5. data preparation and analysis, and 6. report preparation and presentation.
- Data collection involves a field force or staff that operates either in the field, as in the case of personal interviewing, from an office by telephone, or through mail (traditional mail and mail panel surveys with pre-recruited households).
- Proper selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of the field force helps minimize data-collection errors.
Key Terms
- scientific method: The scientific method is a body of techniques for acquiring new knowledge or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method of inquiry must be based on empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning.
- Data: Data are values of qualitative or quantitative variables belonging to a set of items; Data are typically the results of measurements and can be visualised using graphs or images
- mall intercept: a survey whereby respondents are intercepted in shopping in malls. The process involves stopping the shoppers, screening them for appropriateness, and either administering the survey on the spot or inviting them to a research facility located in the mall to complete the interview.
The Marketing Research Process is comprised of the following steps:
- Step 1: Problem Definition
- Step 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem
- Step 3: Research Design Formulation
- Step 4: Field Work or Data Collection
- Step 5: Data Preparation & Analysis
- Step 6: Report Preparation & Presentation
Step 4: Field Work or Data Collection
Field work, or data collection, involves a field force or staff that operates either in the field, as in the case of personal interviewing (focus group, in-home, mall intercept, or computer-assisted personal interviewing), from an office by telephone (telephone or computer-assisted telephone interviewing/CATI), or through mail (traditional mail and mail panel surveys with pre-recruited households). Proper selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of the field force helps minimize data-collection errors. In marketing research, an example of data collection is when a consumer goods company hires a market research company to conduct in-home ethnographies and in-store shop-alongs in an effort to collect primary research data.
Focus Group: Soldiers and their family members participate in focus groups.
Marketing Research is Systematic and Objective
- Systematic planning is required at all stages of the marketing research process, especially in the data collection step. The procedures followed at each stage are methodologically sound, well documented, and, as much as possible, planned in advance. Marketing research uses the scientific method in that data are collected and analyzed to test prior notions or hypotheses.
- Marketing research aims to provide accurate information that reflects a true state of affairs and thus, should be conducted impartially. While research is always influenced by the researcher’s philosophy, it should be free from the personal or political biases of the researcher or the management. This is especially important in the data collection phase. The data collected will be analysed and used to make marketing decisions. Hence, it is vital that the data collection process be free of as much bias as possible.
Primary Versus Secondary Research
There are many sources of information a marketer can use when collecting data. The Nielsen Ratings is an audience measurement system that provides data on audience size and the composition of television markets in the United States. The Gallup Polls conduct public opinion polls with its results published daily in the form of data driven news. The U.S Census Bureau, directed by the U.S. Government is the principal agency that is responsible for producing data about American people and the economy. Population, housing and demographic characteristics are gathered to help plan and define transportation systems, police and fire precinct, election districts and schools.
Analyzing Data
Data Analysis is an important step in the Marketing Research process where data is organized, reviewed, verified, and interpreted.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Summarize the characteristics of data preparation and methodology of data analysis
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
- The Marketing Research Process is comprised of 6 steps: 1: Problem Definition, 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem, 3: Research Design Formulation, 4: Field Work or Data Collection, 5: Data Preparation and Analysis, 6: Report Preparation and Presentation.
- Data is carefully edited, coded, transcribed, and verified so it can be properly analyzed during this phase of the research process.
- Verification ensures that the data from the original questionnaires have been accurately transcribed, while data analysis gives meaning to the data that have been collected.
- Bias must be avoided when interpreting data because only the results (not personal opinion) should be communicated.
Key Terms
- data mining: A technique for searching large-scale databases for patterns; used mainly to find previously unknown correlations between variables that may be commercially useful.
- Marketing Research: The function that links the consumers, customers, and public to the marketer through information. This information is used 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.
- business intelligence: Any information that pertains to the history, current status or future projections of a business organization.
Overview of the Marketing Research Process:
- Step 1: Problem Definition
- Step 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem
- Step 3: Research Design Formulation
- Step 4: Field Work or Data Collection
- Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
- Step 6: Report Preparation and Presentation
Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
Analysis of data is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data with the goal of highlighting useful information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting decision making. Data analysis has multiple facets and approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a variety of names in different business, science, and social science domains. Data mining is a particular data analysis technique that focuses on modeling and knowledge discovery for predictive rather than purely descriptive purposes. Marketers use databases to extract applicable information that identifies customer patterns, characteristics and behaviors.
Data Analysis: Taking notes is an important part of data analysis and testing parameters.
Business intelligence covers data analysis that relies heavily on aggregation and focusing on business information. In statistical applications, some people divide data analysis into descriptive statistics, exploratory data analysis (EDA), and confirmatory data analysis (CDA). EDA focuses on discovering new features in the data and CDA focuses on confirming or falsifying existing hypotheses. Predictive analytics focuses on application of statistical or structural models for predictive forecasting or classification. Text analytics applies statistical, linguistic, and structural techniques to extract and classify information from textual sources, a species of unstructured data. All are varieties of data analysis.
Meeting: Researchers can set up a debriefing meeting to review the analysis.
During this phase of the research process, data is carefully edited, coded, transcribed, and verified in order for it to be properly analyzed. Statistical market research tools are used. The validity of the results is also assessed to confirm how well the data measures what it is supposed to measure. Oftentimes, the research team will arrange a debriefing session with the client to review highlights from the data and brainstorm potential ideas on how the findings can be implemented. This typically happens when a client hires a market research company and they want to remain thoroughly involved in the research process.
Data Output: Types of data analysis outputs include a heat map, bar plots, and scatter plots.
Helpful tips to keep in mind during data analysis:
- Communicate the results.
- Try to avoid bias when interpreting data.
- Just because results fail to confirm original hypotheses, does not mean the research results are useless.