The Market Research Process

Learn about the five steps that make up the market research process...

By: Ivan Thompson

The process of market research is a set of five

subsequent steps that describe the tasks that must be carried out to carry out
a market research study.

This set of five steps includes: 1) Definition of the problem and of the
["research objectives","research plan design",""]
data collection, 4) data preparation and analysis, and 5)
interpretation, preparation, and presentation of the report with the results.

Step 1.- Definition of the Problem and the Objectives of the

Market Research:

Market research process, according to Philip Kotler and Gary

Armstrong is often the most difficult, but it is what guides the whole process.
of research [1].

In the definition of the problem, the purpose of it must be taken into account.
study, the background of relevant information, the information that is
necessary and how it will be used in decision-making. Furthermore, this part
includes the discussion with decision-makers, interviews with
industry experts, secondary data analysis, and focus group sessions
[2].

Once the problem has been carefully defined, it must be established

the objectives of market research, which according to Kotler and
Armstrong can be of three types [1]:

[Link]ón Exploratoria:Busca obtener información preliminar que

help to define problems and to suggest the hypothesis.
2. Descriptive Research: Aims to better describe the problems of
marketing, situations or markets, such as potential of
market of a product or the demographic parameters and attitudes
of the consumers who buy the product.
[Link] Research: Aims to prove the hypothesis about relationships
of cause and effect.

Step 2.- Design of the Market Research Plan:

Once the problem has been precisely defined and established the
research objectives, it is necessary to determine what information is
needs and how, when, and where to obtain it. For this, a plan is designed.
of research—written—that details the specific approaches of the
research, contact methods, sampling plans, and instruments
that researchers will use to obtain and process the data. In addition,
the deadlines in which the work must start and finish are established
of research.

According to Naresh Malhotra, research design is the structuring or

execution plan that serves to carry out the research project.
Detail the procedures necessary to obtain the required information
[2].

The market research plan generally includes some of the

following elements:

A clear approach to the nature of the market problem

investigate [3].
The main inherent factors and related discomforts with the
problem (beliefs, attitudes, motivations, lifestyles,
competitive activities, among others) [3].
A precise definition of the product or service to be researched.
The establishment of the main measurement areas, for example,
consumption, beliefs about products, expectations, process of
decision making, purchase frequency, media exposure,
etc... [3].
The methodology to follow, such as type of data, sampling method,
research instruments, etc... [3].
The degree of accuracy that the survey findings will have.
The time and cost that the market research will have.
The conditions that apply to research surveys.
The researchers' experience in conducting specific classes
of research.

To complement this list of elements, it should be considered that

establishing a market research design includes the following
steps (according to Malhotra) [2]:

1. Analysis of secondary data

2. Qualitative research
3. Methods for the quantitative data collection (study,
observation and experimentation).
4. Definition of the necessary information.
5. Measurement procedure for scales.
6. Questionnaire design.
7. Sampling process and sample size.
8. Planning of data analysis.

Step 3.- Data Collection

This step of the market research process is usually the most

expensive and the most prone to errors [1].
According to Peter Chisnall, the two main types of data (to be obtained) are
classified as [3]:

Primary data: It is the information collected for the first time, unique.
for that particular research and is collected through one or
several of these elements: a) observation, b) experimentation and c)
questionnaires (the most popular).
Secondary Data: Also known as research
documentary, refers to the existing information, useful for the
specific survey. This type of data is available: a) in form
internal (within the same company, such as records of
transactions, for example, of invoices) and b) externally (outside
from the company, such as government reports, official statistics,
etc...)

For the collection of primary data (which is obtained through work

from the field), according to Malhotra, data collection includes a force of
work or a staff that operates interchangeably in the field, as is the
in the case of interviewers who conduct personal interviews
homes, shopping centers or computer-assisted ones), from a
office by phone (telephone interviews and phone interviews
computer-assisted) or through mail (traditional mail, sending
of questionnaires by mail using pre-selected addresses) [2].

Currently, we must add the importance of the internet in the

online data collection, as it is one of the means that has the highest
growth in your audience and because digital market research
allows for a faster, more economical, and more
versatile

Finally, it is worth noting that the selection, training, supervision and

more appropriate assessment of the workforce helps to reduce the
errors in data collection [2].

Step 4 - Data Preparation and Analysis

After obtaining the data, it is processed and analyzed to isolate the

information and important findings. It is necessary to verify that the data
the questionnaires are accurate and complete, and encode them for their
analysis. Subsequently, the results are tabulated, the averages are calculated and
other statistical measures are taken [1].

According to Malhotra, the preparation of the obtained data includes its editing,
coding, transcription and verification. Each questionnaire or observation is
debe revisar o editar y, si es necesario, se corrige. La verificación asegura
that the data from the original questionnaires be transcribed with
detention and accuracy, while its analysis gives greater meaning to the
collected information [2].

Step 5.- Interpretation, Preparation and Presentation of the Report

the Results
This is the step in which, according to Kotler and Armstrong, the researcher of
markets interpret the results, draw conclusions, and inform the
address [1].

According to Chisnall, data analysis and evaluation transform the data.

no processed collected during the field survey (and from the
documentary research), in administrative information, then, to be given
to be known in an attractive and effective way [3].

The following details eight points that guide the process for the
elaboración del informe (propuesto por Chisnall) [3]:

The style of the report must be related to the needs of

the clients (or the management).
2. Clear language must be used in the survey reports.
3. The diagrams and tables used in the survey reports
the titles must be clear, the units of measurement must be cited clearly and, if
uses published material, perhaps in an appendix.
4. To a large extent, it is a matter of taste and budget whether a text is
complement with diagrams and tables.
5. The type of printing and the binding of the reports of the
surveys must be verified with the researchers, the same as the
number of copies of the survey reports that will be sent to
customer (or to the address).
6. If the researchers have to make a formal presentation of
the main findings before a board of executives, the topic
It should be evaluated with the researchers before it is commissioned.
research and copies of the survey report must be kept
to distribute it before the meeting.
7. This final stage of the market research process involves the
professional experience with research. Both, as well as the
content like the style of the report must satisfy the
client needs. The format and binding of the report
they deserve meticulous care; these elements help to ensure that a
the report should be clear and effective.
8. Finally, care must be taken that the reports of the
research presents results within a logical structure.

Consulted Sources:

From the book: Marketing Fundamentals, Sixth Edition, by Kotler Philip and Armstrong
Gary, Prentice Hall, 2003, Pages. 161 the 174.
From the book: Market Research A Practical Approach, Second Edition,
Malhotra Naresh, Prentice Hall, 1997, Pages 21 22. y
From the book: The Essence of Market Research, by Chisnall Peter, Prentice
Hall, 1996, Pages 14 to 20.
Concept obtained from the website: [Link], on June 17, 2006, URL of
the website: [Link]
Definición de Encuesta

Learn what the definition of one of the most used methods is in the
Market research: The Survey...

By: Ivan Thompson

The survey is one of the most commonly used methods in research.

markets because it allows obtaining extensive information from primary sources.
Therefore, it is important for marketers and market researchers
get to know what the definition of a survey is, but from different
perspectives to have a more complete overview of it.

Definición de Encuesta:

According to Stanton, Etzel, and Walker, a survey consists of gathering

data interviewing people [1].

For Richard L. Sandhusen, surveys obtain information

sistemáticamente de los encuestados a través de preguntas, ya sea
personal, telephone, or by mail [2].

According to Naresh Malhotra, surveys are interviews with numerous

people using a previously designed questionnaire [3].

In summary, the definition of a survey focuses on it as a method.

which consists of obtaining information from the surveyed individuals through
the use of pre-designed questionnaires.

To complement this definition, it is worth mentioning that according to the author

Malhotra, the survey method is a structured questionnaire that is given
to a sample of the population and is designed to obtain information
specific to the interviewees [1].

On the other hand, it is worth noting that the Marketing Dictionary of Cultural S.A.
define the term surveying as the method of collecting information
quantitative that consists of interviewing members of a sample,
based on a perfectly structured questionnaire [4].

Consulted Sources:

From the book: Fundamentals of Marketing, 13th Edition, by Stanton, Etzel, and Walker, Mc
Graw Hill, 2004 Pages. 212-219.
From the book: Marketing, First Edition, by Sandhusen L. Richard, Company
Continental Editorial, 2002, Page 229.
From the book: Market Research A Practical Approach, Second Edition, by
Malhotra Naresh, Prentice Hall, 1997, Page 130 196. y
From the book: Marketing Dictionary, from Cultural S.A., Edition 1999, Page 113.
Types of Survey

Learn about the different types of surveys that exist.

the present and what each of them consists of...

By: Ivan Thompson

The survey is a method of market research that is used to

obtain specific information from a sample of the population through the
use of structured questionnaires that are used to obtain data
accurate information from the surveyed people.

Currently, there are at least four types of surveys that allow

obtain primary information, so it is essential that
market researchers and marketers should know what they are and in what
consists of each of them.

Types of Survey, According to the Medium:

Currently, there are four types of surveys that are divided according to the
medium used to conduct the survey:

1. Surveys based on face-to-face or interview

depth [1]: Consist of direct or personal interviews with
each respondent. They have the advantage of being controlled and guided by
the surveyor also tends to obtain more information than with
other means (the telephone and email). Its main disadvantages
it is the time it takes for data collection, its cost that
It is higher than phone, mail, or internet surveys.
(because it includes travel expenses, transportation, bonuses, and others that are paid to the
interviewers) and the possible limitation of interviewer bias (by
example, their appearance, style of asking questions and the language
corporal that uses, all of which may influence the responses of
respondent).

[Link] surveys [1]: This type of survey consists of a

phone interview with each respondent. Their main
advantages are: 1) a large number of people can be reached in
less time than the personal interview, 2) their costs are usually
low and 3) is easy to manage (nowadays, there are software
specialized for managing telephone surveys). Without
embargo, its main disadvantage is that the interviewer has a
minimum control over the interview, which should be short (to not
to disturb the respondent.

[Link] surveys [1]: It consists of sending a "questionnaire" to

the potential respondents, ask them to fill it out and make it
send [1] to the company or to a mailbox. For the shipment of
questionnaire there are two means: 1) Traditional mail and 2) the
 email (which has gained more relevance in recent times
years). The main advantages of this type of survey are
related to the sincerity with which they usually respond the
surveyed (without the direct pressure that the presence implies
from the interviewer), the low cost (in relation to the face-to-face survey
and by phone) and the wide coverage that can be reached
(as long as there is a good database available). Your
Disadvantages are: The low response rate and the lack of lists with
updated information.

[Link] surveys [1]: This type of survey consists of

"place" a questionnaire on a webpage or send it to the
emails from a predefined panel. Its main advantages
1) the wide coverage that can be reached (even to thousands
of respondents in various countries at the same time), 2) the savings of
time (thousands of answered surveys can be obtained in
matter of hours), the low costs (which are less than the
face-to-face surveys, by phone and postcards) and the use of
audiovisual media during the survey. Its disadvantages are: No
The identity of the respondent can always be verified and the
question that the sample raises regarding its representativeness
of the universe.

Other Types of Survey:

Point of sale survey: It is one that is conducted at the

corridors of a commercial establishment and consists of intercepting
to the buyers at that time to request them to fill out the
questionnaire [2].

Omnibus survey: It consists of a closed questionnaire.

multithemed, composed of several modules that collect
information from the same sample on different topics, for
different clients, who subscribe to the service and benefit from a
cost savings, since they are shared by all the
subscribers. The fact that they are carried out periodically
weekly, monthly, or quarterly makes them very suitable for studies
of monitoring [2].

Subscription survey: It is a one-time survey that

is sold to several interested clients with needs
similar. It should not be confused with the omnibus survey.

Consulted Sources:

From the book: Fundamentals of Marketing, 13th Edition, by Stanton, Etzel, and Walker, Mc
Graw Hill 2004, Pgs. 212-219.
From the book: Marketing Dictionary, by Cultural S.A., Edition 1999, Page 112.
Surveys: A General Overview

Learn what surveys are, what their main characteristics are

tools, what types of surveys exist today, how
the group of people to be surveyed is determined and what are the
ventajas y desventajas de lasencuestas...

By: Ivan Thompson

Definición de Encuesta:

The survey is a method of market research that consists of

obtain information from the surveyed individuals through the use of
questionnaires designed beforehand.

Main Tool of the Surveys:

The questionnaire or form to gather data is the main one.

herramienta que se utiliza en lasencuestas; el cual, incluye una serie de
pre-prepared questions in a pre-established order and clear instructions
to guide the obtaining of answers.

It is important to highlight that a well-designed questionnaire, with well-formed questions

set and precise instructions are vital to achieve
the objectives of market research. On the contrary, a
questionnaire without the appropriate questions and/or with very vague instructions
it can cause the failure of all the efforts and investments made. Therefore, the
designing a questionnaire requires a lot of care, time, effort, and
specialized personnel for its preparation.

Types of Survey:

Currently, there are the following types of surveys available:

1. Surveys based on face-to-face interviews or

depth [1]: They consist of direct or personal interviews with
each respondent.

2. Telephone surveys [1]: This type of survey consists of a

telephone interview with each respondent.

3. Postal survey [1]: It consists of sending a 'questionnaire' to the

potential respondents, ask them to fill it out and make it
send [1] to the company or to a P.O. box.

4. Online surveys [1]: This type of survey consists of

to put a questionnaire on a web page to be filled out by
the cyber-visitors or send it to the emails of a
predefined panel.
Determination of the Group of People to Survey

Unlike a census, where all members of the population are

studied, the surveys collect information from a portion of the
population of interest; that is to say, a group of people is approached
(shows) that are representative of the entire group (universe).

To obtain a 'sample', sampling is used.

According to Stanton, Etzel, and Walker, the fundamental idea of sampling is that a
small number of elements—a sample—if it was selected in the
appropriate form of a number greater than those elements—a universe—,
it will have the same characteristics and approximately in the same
proportion that the larger number. (Therefore) to obtain reliable data
this method requires the correct technique to select the sample
[1].

According to this Chisnall, there are two main types of samples [4]:

1. Random or Probability: This occurs where each element of a

population, from which the sample has been extracted, has a
known (and non-zero) probability of being selected [4]. That is,
that each member of the 'total population' has the same opportunity
to be included in the sample to be obtained.

2. Fee or No Probability: Also known as judgment or

proactive; it is a type of stratified sampling in which the
selection of sampling units within the stratum
specified (for example, age, sex, socioeconomic group) is
conducted by interviewers on a non-random basis
Therefore, the sample size is adjusted to what the
researcher considers as an approximate reflection of the
characteristics of the universe.

Stanton, Etzel, and Walker mention (in their book Fundamentals of Marketing)
A common question about sampling is: What size should it be?
a sample? With random methods, the sample has to be the
large enough to truly be representative of the universe. In the case
from non-random samples, as the goal is not to make
generalizations, researchers can choose any size
it shows that it suits them and the managers who use the data
[1].

Ventajas y Desventajas de lasEncuestas:

Naresh Malhotra, in his book 'Market Research: A Managerial Approach'

"Practical," mentions that the survey method has several advantages [3]:

First, the questionnaire is easy to apply.

Second, the data obtained is reliable because the
responses are limited to the mentioned alternatives.
 Finally, coding, analysis, and interpretation are
relatively simple.

However, the mentioned author also considers that the method of

the survey has the following disadvantages:

That the interviewees may not be able or may not be willing to

provide the desired information.
That the interviewees are not willing to answer if the
the information requested is sensitive or personal.
That structured questions and fixed response alternatives
may result in the loss of validity in certain types of
data, such as beliefs and feelings.
Finally, the fact that it is not easy to draft the questions of
appropriate way.

Conclusions:

"Information is power," say the media and departments.

from marketing. Therefore, obtaining information directly from customers
it is an urgent need that can be met through the
conducting periodic surveys.

However, for the surveys to help obtain the information that

the marketer needs to make decisions, five should be considered
critical aspects:

The proper preparation of the questionnaire.

2. The careful selection of the sample.
3. The correct choice of the type of survey to be used for
to reach the selected sample.
4. The maximum exploitation of the advantages offered by the method of
survey.
5. The anticipation of the disadvantages of this method to reduce to
minimum its negative impact.

Finally, it is worth noting that the good interpretation of the data

obtained, its transformation into information and the subsequent decision making
more appropriate decisions will make the surveys a valuable
tool in the hands of the smart marketer.

Consulted Sources:

From the book: Fundamentals of Marketing, 13th Edition, by Stanton, Etzel, and Walker, Mc
Graw Hill, 2004, Pages. 212-219.
From the book: Marketing, First Edition, by Sandhusen L. Richard, Company
Editorial Continental, 2002, Page 229.
From the book: Market Research A Practical Approach, Second Edition, by
Malhotra Naresh, Prentice Hall, 1997, Pages 196, 197.
From the book: The Essence of Market Research, by Chisnall M. Peter,
Prentice Hall, 1996, Pages 20 and 21.
The Internet Studies Panel

Learn about some peculiarities of one of the tools most

important elements of online market research: The panel of
online studies...

By: Ivan Thompson

Unpanel a sample of people, establishments, etc., from which you

collects information continuously and periodically, to provide it to the
companies that subscribe to this service [1].

On the other hand, an online study panel is a group of people

with a specific profile and access to the Internet that have been selected
in order to know your opinion on a specific topic. The
panelists give their opinions and answer questions through a
online questionnaire, that is, a face-to-face interview is not necessary
[2].

An online study panel aims to help the

different companies to understand the needs and behavior of
real consumers in order to provide better products and services in
the market [2].

Why do people participate in a study panel?

internet?

One of the main reasons that drives people to enroll in a

this type of panel is to have the opportunity to express your opinion
and actively participate in the development of new products and services,
or in the improvement of the already existing ones.

Another very important reason is to obtain various types of benefits

for responding to a survey.

Another group of people does it because they find it fun...

Do the panelists pay to be part of a study panel?

internet?

Registering for aPanel is free of charge.

On the contrary, a panelist may receive different types of

incentives for responding to a survey, for example:

Cash payments
Direct prizes or through raffles
Promotions and special offers that interest you
Samples of the products corresponding to the surveys

How can one join an online study panel?

Registering with some or all of the companies specialized in this topic.
Registration is done online, providing all the information that you
request each company through an online form.

What information must the PANELIST provide to belong

to an online study panel?

The required information varies depending on the company; but in general,

the following data is requested:

First name and last name

E-mail
Sex
Date and year of birth
Country of residence
City of residence
Marital status
Level of academic education
Telephone
Employment status
Nro. de Hijos
Place from where you connect to the internet (home, office, other...)

Which companies have an online research panel?

There are several companies in the field, but here we provide you with a list
from 4 prestigious companies

1. American Customer Opinion:

[Link]:

3. NPD Online Research:

4. Panel Pearson:

Consulted Sources:

1. Marketing Dictionary, 1999 edition, by Cultural S.A., Page 243

2. Pearson Panel: [Link]