Marketing research - Term Paper Example

Midterm Exam Marketing Research __________________________ _________________N#_______________________ Discuss how programmatic research might be used for a fast food restaurant chain.Programmatic research involves conducting a sequence of multiple but related researches based on the research question (Malhotra, 2011). This must be conducted by the same group of researchers and decisions makers. For a fast food restaurant, they have to set the period which they need to complete their project within.

Then they have to identify their targeted customers then conduct multiple researches to identify their needs and preferences. 2. The United Way agency in your town has contacted you because it has been experiencing declining donations. You tell the agency that your basic plan to determine why donations are declining will be exploratory, then descriptive. Explain what the research firm means and what you might do. The research firm means that donors have declined in terms of donating towards the good course of the agency.

Since before that there used to be high number of donations, the agency is determined to identify the root cause of the problem and come up with solutions. Thus, to solve this, I would explore and research on the root cause and find the main reason for the declining donations. Then I would give a detailed explanation of this to the agency in a language they can understand and then together we come up with a solution based on these findings. 3. What are some of the advantages of secondary data?

More specifically, what are the advantages of secondary data over primary data?There are various advantages of secondary data over primary data. The first one is that it is in time saving and inexpensive to obtain. The reason is that secondary data is readily available either in the census or other records available for the organization unlike primary data which organizations have to conduct research to obtain. It is easily accessible and can be used over a long period of time (Jong & Berg, 2012).4. An entrepreneur is contemplating establishing a funeral home in a small town.

This person believes the demand for funeral home services is greater than the services being provided. The entrepreneur contacts a consultant and tells the consultant he needs a quantitative survey to determine the total demand for funeral home services in the small town and surrounding communities. If you were the consultant, how would you react to the entrepreneurs request for a survey? What kind of counter proposal would you make? It is quite unfortunate and for the entrepreneur to request for a survey to identify the total request for a funeral home services.

The reason is that no one likes to lose their loved ones. Thus, I would be very shocked with the request since it would be like mocking the individuals who have lost their loved ones. I would propose that the entrepreneur uses observational method by observing the number of individuals seeking the services of a funeral home in the available number of funeral homes. He can seek the services of several individuals depending with the number of funeral homes in the area and each one of them should observe and record the number of individuals seeking these services over a given period of time.5. List and describe at least 5 advantages of online surveys over traditional surveys.

There are various advantages of online research compared to the traditional ones. They include its faster since the rate of response is almost instant. They are cheaper; they are more accurate and more flexible.6. A marketing research firm is attempting to measure customer views of a local restaurant. Design one scaled question for each of the following: a) convenience of parking b) quality of food c) satisfaction with server service d) price of food. Recognize you might need several questions to fully understand the scope of the construct but you only need one relevant question for each.

On a scale of 1 to 5 as follows: 1-very good, 2- good, 3- satisfactory, 4- poor, 5- very poor, answer the following questions.Q a) how convenient is our parking?b) How is the quality of the food?c) How satisfied are you with the server service?d) How are our food prices?7. An auto manufacturer hires a marketing research firm to survey college students to gauge the purchase interest for new Toyota Scion from graduating students. Construct a scale to yield the desired information. With a scale of 1 to 10, with one being a high purchasing interest and 10 being a low purchasing interest, what is your purchasing interest for the new Toyota Scion?8. Why do open-ended questions require more time (and money) to evaluate than closed-ended questions?

Open ended questions are designed to ensure that they encourage full and more meaningful answers. They are more objective and they require the respondent to give their own answers and even expound on it as they feel fit (Aaker, 2010). Thus, they require more time and money to evaluate than closed ended questions which are more leading in their answers.9. Suppose the major attributes for iPad-type devices are as follows: 1) ability to download books; 2) ability to connect to the Internet; 3) backlit non-glare screens that you can read outside on a sunny day; 4) priced under $250; and 5) ability to use a jump drive (USB).

Management wants to know which attributes are considered most important by potential consumers. Construct a question to meet such an objective. Considering the four attributes for the iPad-type devices, which include: 1) ability to download books, 2) ability to connect to the internet, 3) black lit non glare screens that you can read outside on a sunny day, 4) priced under $250, and 5) the ability to use jump drive; which attribute(s) is the most important for you?10. Explain how marketing research can help a company retain its customers and turn them into brand-loyal customers.

Marketing research is capable of enabling a company to retain its customers and turn them into brand-loyal customers. The reason is that through marketing research, a company is able to understand the preferences of their customers and the needs that such customers have. Thus, they come up with products and that are in line with the needs and the preferences given. Customers will keep transacting in an organization that offers them high quality products at an affordable price in line with their needs and preferences.

ReferencesAaker, D. A. (2010). Marketing research. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley .Jong, P. D., & Berg, I. K. (2012). Interviewing for Solutions. New York: Cengage Learning.Malhotra, N. K. (2011). Review of marketing research. Bingley: Emerald.