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BROWN I SUTER STUDENT EDITION

WHAT'S INSIDE:
A Student-Tested, Faculty-Approved
Approach to Learning

Marketing Research

Includes Qualtrics™
Subscription!
SOP HI STICATED RE SEARC H
MA DE SIM PLE 'M

CourseMate Delivers
an Interactive eBook,
Flashcards, Quizzing,
Interactive Games, and
Engagement Tracker!

$79.95 US Suggested Retail Pric e

ISBN-1 3: 978-1-133-95841-3
ISBN-10: 1-133-95841-9
9 0 00 0
PART 3
9 Developing the Sampling
Plan 112
9-1 Defining the Target Population 114
9-2 Identifying the Sampling Frame 115
9-3 Selecting a Sampling Procedure 116
9-4 Determining How Big a Sample You Need 121

10 Data Collection: Enhancing


Response Rates while Limiting
Errors 124
10-1 Types of Error 125
10-2 Calculating Response Rates 130
10-3 Improving Response Rates 133

Vi C 0 NT EN T S

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
PART 4
.Analysis & Interpretation:
Multiple Variables
Simultaneously 160
13-1 CrossTabulation 162
13-2 Independent Samples t-Test for
Means 164
13-3 Paired Sample t-Test for Means 166
13-4 Pearson Product-Moment Correlation
Coefficient 167
13-5 Regression Analysis 169

. The Research Report 172


14-1 The Written Research Report 173
14-2 The Oral Research Presentation 178
14-3 Graphic Presentation ofthe Results 181

CONTENTS Vii

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
We are indebted to the following individuals who served on our Industry Advisory Panel and provided feedback on
the contents of the book during its development. They graciously donated their expertise and time to help us deliver a
book that is relevant, accurate, and covers the most important issues. They offered terrific ideas and objective critique;
any remaining errors in the book are our own.

Karen Ba Scott Keplinger


StrataVerve, Inc. VP Customer Insight & Retention
Minneapolis, Minnesota Aviva USA
Des Moines, Iowa
James Breeze
Chief Experience Officer PauiMetz
Objective Technology Pty Ltd Sen ior Vice President
Sydney, Australia C+R Research
Chicago, Illinois
DiAnn Brown
Adjunct Professor Sara Pitterle
Business Communications Director, Retail Marketing Analytics
Spears School of Business Program
Oklahoma State Un iversity University of Minnesota-Duluth
Stillwater, Oklahoma Duluth, Minnesota

Patrick Glaser Michael Render


Research Director Primary Consu ltant
McKin ley Advisors RVA Market Research and Consulting
Washington, D.C. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Andrew Kennelly
Senior Manager/Ma rket Research
Excellence Evangelist
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, Washington

Copyright 2013 Cengage


••••••
•••••
•••••
•••••••
• ••
ONE APPROACH.
70 UNIQUE SOLUTIONS.

••••
•• • •••
•• •
•••••• •
• • ••••
•••••• ~- # CENGAGE
' .. Learning·
www.cengage.com/41trpress

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
......... . . ••••

1 Marketing Research:
From Data to Information to Action

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
POLL QUESTION:
Almost everyone is a consumer of marketing research.
STRONG LY DISAGREE b b b b b STRONGLY AGREE

Define marketing research.


Discuss different kinds of organizations that conduct marketing research.
List three reasons for studying marketing research.
Discuss why researchers should care about marketing research ethics.

INTRODUCTION of these customers in terms of use of these special


deals-a great example of observational research.'
Marketing research is a much broader and more com-
This chapter introduces the broad role of mar-
mon activiry than most people realize. You 've probably
keting research within an organization. In addition,
completed surveys on paper, online, or over the telephone,
we identify different types of companies that conduct
but there is much more to marketing research than just
marketing research and discuss three important rea-
asking consumers how they think or feel about a product
sons that business students should develop a working
or an ad . Consider the Foursquare mobile check-in app:
knowledge of marketing research. We end the chapter
Consumers note their current location when they visit
with a discussion of marketing research ethics.
a clothing retailer, public library, or popular restaurant
like Outback Steakhouse. Foursquare lets others in the
person's social network know of the consumer's location
and awards badges based on frequency of use.
1·1 THE PROBLEM:
The Foursquare app is fun and allows for enter- MARKETERS NEED
taining rewards like becoming the "mayor" of the INFORMATION
coffee shop or other honors, but what does it have to
do with marketing research? The company carefully
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
tracks number of check-ins, recency of check-ins, and Regardless of the types of products or services offered,
the person's current location to see if loyal customers all organizations share a common problem: They need
should be further rewarded with special sales or event information in order to accomplish their goals effec-
announcements from its business partners like Out- tively. Different organizations need different kinds of
back. And they get a glimpse of the behavioral patterns information, and the information they need can be gath-
ered in many different ways. Services marketers use the

[FAST FACT]
50% OF US MOB IL E
SUBSCR IBERS OWN
SMARTPHONES

Half of all mobile users own smartphones.

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not


>-
environment affect the success of the marketing effort.
~ These factors include other social actors (competitors,
~ suppliers, governmental agencies, customers themselves,
~ results of marketing research studies to determine how and so on) and societal trends in the external environment
~ satisfied their customers are. Politicians use marketing (economic, political and legal, social, natural, technologi-
~ research to plan campaign strategies. Churches use mar- cal, and competitive trends; see Exhibit 1.1 ). As a result, the
keting research to determine when to hold services. The marketing manager has an urgent need for information-
point is that marketing research is an essential activity and that's where marketing research comes in. Marketing
that can take many forms, but its basic functions are to research is the organization's formal communication link
(1) gather data and (2) transform the data into useful with the environment. Through marketing research, the
information that managers can use to make decisions. organization gathers and interprets data from the environ-
The task of marketing is to create exchanges with ment for use in developing, implementing, and monitoring
customers that satisfy the needs of both the customer and the firm's marketing plans.
the marketer: In their attempts to cre- Solid marketing research is becoming increasingly
ate satisfying exchanges with custom- important as the world moves to a global economy. For
marketing ers, marketing managers generally focus example, marketing research helped McDonald's adjust
research
their efforts on the four P's-namely, the its positioning as attitudes toward the company changed
The organization's
formal
product or service, its price, its placement in the United Kingdom. When the company first crossed
communication link or the channels in which it is distributed, the Atlantic in the mid-1970s, customers were attract-
with the environment. and its promotion or communications ed to its American origins and the novelty of fast food .
mix. Many factors in the marketing Reflecting this appeal, McDonald's first U.K. ad slogan

EXHIBIT 1.1
The Need for Information: Environments AHecting Marketing

Governm ent
Entit ies

ORGANIZATION

Shareholders

4 P ART I

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
announced, "There's a difference at produced agricultural machinery. ~
McDonald's you'll enjoy." The agency constructed a crude mar- ~
The fast-food giant used con- ket survey by states and counties; this ~
0
sumer research to keep tabs on opin- was probably the first real instance ~
ions as the market matured. Fifteen of marketing research in the United ~
0
years after McDonald's began serv- States. 3 'il
ing the U.K. market, consumers were Today three major categories of~
describing McDonald's as inflexible firms conduct marketing research: ~
and arrogant-and managers knew (1) producers of products and services, i 1
it was time to adjust. They softened (2) advertising agencies, and (3) mar-~
their messaging strategy and began
to depict McDonald's at the center
McDonald's keting research companies. ~
~
z
g:
of U.K. family life. The company has l-2a Producers of Products
enjoyed more than five years of unbroken sales growth
and Services
and served 325 million customers in a recent quarter or
more than 3.6 million people each day. 2 Marketing research really began to grow around the
end of World War II when firms found they could no
longer sell all they could produce but instead had to
1·2 WHO DOES MARKETING gauge market needs and produce accordingly. Market-
RESEARCH? ing research was called on to estimate these needs. As
consumers began to have more choices in the mar-
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ketplace, marketing began to assume a more domi-
Although individuals and organizations have prac- nant role. The marketing concept emerged, and along
ticed marketing research for centuries-the need for with it came a reorganization of the marketing effort.
information has always existed-the formal practice Many marketing research departments were born in
of marketing research can be traced to 1879 when these reorganizations.
advertising agency N. W. Ayer & Son collected data Most large firms (and many smaller ones, too)
on expected grain production from state officials and have one or more people assigned specifically to
publishers across the United States for a client who the marketing research activity. Organizations that

CHAPTER 1: MARKET I NG RESEARCH 5

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
produce products or deliver services for businesses many agencies also do marketing research for their
or consumers often conduct research designed to clients to determine the market potential of a pro-
develop and market their products and services. For posed new product or the client's market share.
example, organizations as diverse as Kraft Foods, Ad agencies sometimes do research to better un-
National Public Radio, Unilever, ESPN, and South- derstand consumers and their interests and behaviors
west Airlines all have internal marketing research de- in order to serve their corporate clients. For instance,
partments. Large retailers such as Target Corporation media agency MEC conducted an extensive project
and Walmart also operate research departments to to better understand women shoppers in 542 smaller
gather information about consumer preferences, store Chinese cities, which agency executives saw as an im-
image, and so on. portant potential market for expansion in the Chinese
Many companies use marketing research to track market. The segmentation study uncovered five distinct
customer satisfaction and customer usage patterns. segments characterized by the following labels: The
For example, researchers at Silver Dollar City, a popu- Pressure Cooker (desire for personal success, family
lar theme park located near Branson, Missouri, found success, and a sense of identity as a woman); The Tra-
that visitors from over 301 miles away (outer market) ditional (family comes first at all costs); The Practical (a
took three times longer to plan their trips to Silver pragmatic approach to life); The Achiever (desire to ex-
Dollar City than did guests who lived less than 100 cel; open-minded and up to date); and The Undecided
miles away (core market). Based on these findings, the (not in touch with social and economic changes around
marketing department altered its promotions strategy her). Media usage trends differed across the segments.
and started advertising in outer markets several weeks For example, the percentage that had accessed the
before beginning those same ads in the core market. Internet was relatively high for the Achievers (58%),
This resulted in more efficient advertising purchasing, the Practicals (48%), and the Undecideds (35%) but
and the message was presented to visitors at the time dropped significantly for the Pressure Cookers (20%)
they were making plans to visit. and the Traditionals (5%). Further research focused on
women in these smaller Chinese cities found that 23%
l-2b Advertising Agencies now shop on the Web. The implications for reaching
these women are important for MEC clients.<
As you might imagine, advertising agencies often con-
duct research designed to help create and measure
the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. This may l-2c Marketing Research
involve testing alternative approaches to the wording Companies
or graphics used in an ad or investigating the effec- Many companies specialize in conducting market-
tiveness of various celebrity spokespersons. However, ing research. The United States is home to 15 of the
top 25 largest market research firms in
the world. Moreover, worldwide total
revenues for these largest firms exceed
$18.7 billion.' And don't forget that
these numbers don't reflect the research
done by organizations' own research de-
partments or by advertising agencies or
others.
Although most specialized market-
i!i ing research firms are small, a few are
~ sizable enterprises. Exhibit 1.2 shows the
~ names, home countries, and revenues of
~ the 1 0 largest marketing research firms
i!j in the world. Some firms provide syndi-
~ cated research; they collect certain in-
8 formation on a regular basis, which they
~ then sell to interested clients. The syndi-
~ cated services include organizations such
~~:;;:~ " as The Nielsen Company, which provides

6 P ART I

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
trade associations, and universities. Govern-
EXHIBIT 1.2 ment agencies provide much marketing in-
The Warld's10 Largest Marketing Research Firms formation in the form of published statistics.
Worldwide Research In fact, the U.S. government is one of the
Parent Revenue (U.S.$, world's largest producers of marketing facts
Rank/Organization Country in millions} through its various censuses and other publi-
1. Nielsen Holdings NV U.S. $5,353.0 cations. Trade associations often collect and
2. Kanta r U.K. 3,331.8 share data gathered from members. Much
3.1psos SA France 2,495.0 university-sponsored research of interest to
4. GfK SE Germany 1,914.0
marketers is produced by the marketing fac-
ulty or by the bureaus of business research
5. SymphonyiRI Group Inc. U.S. 764.2
found in many schools of business. Faculty
6. 1MS Hea lt h Inc. U.S. 750.0 research is often reported in marketing jour-
7. Westat Inc. U.S. 506.5 nals; research bureaus often publish mono-
8. 1NTAGE Inc. Japan 459.9 graphs on various topics of interest.
9. Arbitron Inc. U.S. 422.3
10. The NPD Grou p Inc. U.S. 265.3
Source: Developed from information in "2012 Honomichl Global Top 25 Research Report,' Marketing 1/ews 1- 3WHY STUDY
(August 31, 20 12), pp. 12 ~40. This report describes the services provided by the 25 largest globa l market
resea rch organizations.
MARKETING RESEARCH?
• •••••••••••••••••••••••••
Almost all business schools offer courses in
marketing research, and many require stu-
dents who are completing majors in market-
ing to take a marketing research course. Why?
(Maybe you're asking yourself this question
right about now!)
We think there are three important rea-
sons for learning about marketing research. First,
some students will discover that marketing research
product-movement data for grocery stores and drug- can be rewarding and fun. For these students, learn-
stores (not to mention the popular TV ratings), and ing how to be an "information detective" may lead
Arbitron, which measures U.S. radio audiences. Syndi- to a career in marketing research. These students
cated research is not custom designed for a particular usually develop an early appreciation for taking
client, but is designed and collected by the research data and converting them into information that can
company and sold to multiple clients. be used by marketing managers to make important
Other firms, though, specialize in custom-designed decisions. So, for some people at least, the study of
research. Some of these provide only a field service; marketing research will be directly relevant to their
they collect data and return the data-collection in- careers.
struments directly to the research sponsor. Some are Even if you don't go on to a career in marketing
limited-service firms, which not only collect the data research, all of us are consumers of marketing and
but also analyze them for the client. And some are public opinion research, almost on a daily basis. The
full-service research suppliers, which help the client second reason for studying marketing research is to
in the design of the research as well as in collecting learn to be a smarter consumer of research results.
and analyzing data. For example, GfK SE provides Businesspeople are often exposed to research results,
full-service customized research services for numer- usually by someone trying to convince them to do
ous Fortune 500 clients. GfK can conduct large-scale something. Suppliers use research to promote the
qualitative or quantitative studies from start to finish, virtues of their particular products and services; ad-
utilizing a range of data collection techniques. vertising agencies use research to encourage a com-
Other organizations that provide or conduct pany to promote a product in particular media ve-
marketing research include government agencies, hicles; product managers inside a firm use research

CHA P T E R 1 : MARKET I NG RESEARCH 7

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
to demonstrate the likely demand for the products
they are developing to get further funding. Effective
managers, however, know the right questions to ask
to evaluate the research results they are shown.
A third key reason for studying marketing re-
Formulate Problem
search is to gain an appreciation of the process, what
it can and cannot do. As a manager, you will need to
Determine
know what to expect marketing research to be able
to deliver. The process of gathering data and gener-
ating information is full of opportunities for error to
slip into the results. Thus, no research is perfect, and
managers must take this into account when making
decisions. Managers also need to understand what
they are asking of researchers when requesting mar-
keting research. The process is detailed, time con-
suming, and requires great amounts of thought and
effort. As a result, marketing research is costly to
an organization and should not be undertaken on
trivial issues or to support decisions that have al-
ready been made.

1-4 THE MARKETING


RESEARCH PROCESS
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
All marketing research efforts are unique, because
the problems or opportunities they address are differ-
ent. Even so, there is a general sequence of steps-the
research process (see Exhibit 1.3)-that can be fol-
lowed when designing and conducting research. This
section provides a quick overview of the research pro- needed information. The manager's decision prob-
cess, and the remaining chapters in the lem and the research problem to be pursued by the
research book discuss the stages in more detail. researcher should be specified and agreed upon by
process The first-and most important- researchers and managers in the form of a written
A general sequence step in the marketing research process research request agreement. The next step is to de-
of steps that can
is to define the marketing problem cide which research design (i.e., exploratory, descrip-
be followed when
designing and to be solved (Chapter 2). Only when tive, or causal) is appropriate (Chapter 3). The choice
conducting research. the problem is precisely defined can of research design depends on how much is known
research be designed to provide the about the problem. If relatively little is known about
the phenomenon to be investigated, exploratory re-
search is needed. Some researchers apply the label
r-Q NLY WHEN TH E "qualitative research" to this kind of research. If, in-
PROBLEM IS PRECISELY stead of being broad or vague, a problem is well de-
fined and clearly stated, descriptive or causal research
DEF INED CAN RESEARC H is needed. Descriptive research focuses on describing
BE DES IGNED TO a population, often emphasizing the frequency with
which something occurs or the extent to which two
PROVIDE THE NEEDED variables are related to one another. The causal design
INFORMATION.J often uses experiments to identify cause-and-effect re-
lationships between variables. Sometimes descriptive

8 PART I

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
or causal research is referred to as "quantita- Next comes the development of an appro-
tive research." priate sample (Chapter 9). Depending on
Sometimes the information that a firm the study, the population might be home-
needs to solve its problem already exists in makers, preschoolers, sports car drivers,
the form of secondary data, or data that Pennsylvanians, tennis players, or oth-
have already been collected for some pur- ers. The particular subset of the popu-
pose other than the question at hand lation for whom data are available is
(Chapter 4). Such data may exist in the known as a sample. There are two basic
firm's own internal information sys- types of sampling plans-those that pro-
tem as purchase or customer data, call duce a probability sample (the preferred
reports from the sales force, or or- type) and those that lead to a nonprobabil-
ders from wholesalers. If ity sample. The size of the sample de-
the firm itself doesn't pends upon how many members
have the necessary in- of the population it is neces-
formation, it may be sary to use to get reliable
available in the form answers without exceeding
of government sta- the time and money bud-
tistics, trade asso- geted for the project. Once
ciation reports, or the sample design is in
data from a com- place, data collection can
mercial research begin (Chapter 10).
supplier. Because Researchers may
such data are gather mountains of
almost always secondary or primary
less expensive data, but data are use-
and can be less unless they are an-
obtained and alyzed and interpreted
analyzed more in light of the problem
quickly, research- at hand (Chapters 11-
ers should look for 13). Most data analysis is
existing sources of data quite straightforward, involving
first before launching a frequency counts (usually, how
primary data collection many people answered a ques-
effort. The Internet has tion a particular way) or simple
greatly facilitated the dis- descriptive statistics (for example,
covery of secondary data. means and standard deviations).
If good secondary Sometimes the research calls for
data aren't available or cross-tabulation, which allows a
don't fit the situation for deeper look at the data by examin-
some reason, the researcher will collect primary data, ing differences or relationships across groups, or some
which are data collected specifically for the study other type of multivariate analysis.
(Chapters 5 and 6). There are lots of questions to be Finally, it's time to prepare the written research
answered when collecting primary data, including the report (and oral presentation) that summarizes the
following: Should the data be collected by observa- research results and conclusions, including graphical
tion or questionnaire? How should these observations representation of data (Chapter 14 ). This is a really
be made-personally or electronically? How should important step, because this is the only part of the
the questions be administered-in person, over the process that most other people will ever see. As a re-
telephone, through the mail, or online? Once there- sult, the research report must be clear and accurate,
searchers have settled on the method to be used for because no matter how well you've performed all the
the study, they must design the data collection forms previous steps in the research, the project will be no
to be used on the project (Chapters 7 and 8). more successful than the research report.

CHAPTER 1: MARKET I NG RESEARCH 9

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
~ HE GOAL OF ANY
Before we move on, there's something important
we need to point out about the research process shown
in Exhibit 1.3. Although we've presented the stages in
a particular order, some of the steps can be carried out MARKETING RESEARCH
at about the same time-and decisions about later steps
will influence what should happen at earlier stages. It
PROJECT SHOU LD BE TO
would get confusing, but Exhibit 1.3 probably should be UNCOVER THE TRUTH
drawn with a number of feedback loops representing the
need to rethink, redraft, or revise the various elements
ABOUT THE TOPIC OF
in the process as it proceeds. For example, the problem INTEREST.J
may not be defined well enough to allow the develop-
ment of the research design. If that happens, you'll need
situations in which there can be actual or potential
to return to stage one to define the re-
harm of any kind (e.g., economic, physical, or mental)
search problem(s) more clearly. Or may-
marketing to an individual or a group. Marketing research ethics
research be the process goes smoothly all the way
are the principles, values, and standards of conduct
ethics through the design of the data collection
followed by marketing researchers.
The principles, forms-and then the pretest of the sur-
values, and standards Unfortunately, there are lots of examples of orga-
vey identifies problems with the forms,
of conduct fo llowed nizations demonstrating questionable ethics. Several
by marketing methods used, research design, or even
years ago the Coca-Cola Company wanted to increase
researchers. problem definition. The process isn't al-
sales through Burger King restaurants. Managers at
ways as straightforward as it looks.
Burger King were willing to sponsor a multimillion-
dollar promotion for Frozen Coke if a two-week mar-
1-5 MARKETING RESEARCH ket test indicated that a Frozen Coke coupon would
increase sales of value meals. When the results for
ETHICS the first week weren't so good, Coke representatives
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ethics are the moral principles and
values that govern the way an in-
dividual or a group conducts its
activities. Ethics apply to all

10 PART I

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
rigged the market test by giving $9,000 in
cash to kids' clubs and other nonprofits in the Leading marketing and opinion research trade
test market city to be used to buy hundreds of associations publish detailed codes of ethics
value meals. The resulting increase in sales was for their members.
enough to convince Burger King to go forward
with the national Frozen Coke promotion ...
which ultimately failed. 6
The goal of any marketing research project
should be to uncover the truth about the topic
of interest. In the previous example, the objec-
tive should have been to learn about the effec-
tiveness of the Frozen Coke promotion, not to
produce a result that somebody wanted to see.
There's a name for research that is conducted
to support a position rather than to find the
truth about an issue: advocacy research. Re-
searchers doing this type of research may word
questions in such a way that they get the an-
swers they want. They might select a sample of
respondents known to support the position the
researcher wants. They might do any number The Voice and Values of Research
of other unethical things (like give kids money
to buy value meals). These kinds of research
practices are fraudulent and must be avoided if
marketing research is to maintain its usefulness
within the organization. what is legal. Even among those who understand this,
It isn 't just marketing researchers who could use many don't seem to consider the ethical implications
research in unethical ways. For example, consider the of their decisions. Some researchers probably just don't
use of sugging: contacting people under the guise of care; others may find it easier to ignore such consider-
marketing research when the real goal is to sell prod- ations because doing the right thing isn't always easy.
ucts or services. Several years ago, one of us was con- Marketing researchers must rec-
tacted by a local automobile dealership and invited ognize that their jobs depend on the
goodwill of the public. "Bad" research advocacy
to a special "market test " at the dealership the fol-
research
lowing weekend. Inquiries with the dealership-and that violates the trust of study partici-
Research that is
the promotions company they were working with- pants will only make it more difficult conducted to support
eventually revealed that the only "research" being and costly to recruit participants for a position rather
conducted involved how many people they could get data collection. Even researchers who than to find the truth
about an issue.
into the dealership to take a test drive ... and buy a don't care about whether their actions
car. An employee of the promotions company admit- are right or wrong ought to be con- sugging
ted that they do this because it works. cerned about such issues from a busi- Contacting people
Some researchers (and managers as well) often fail ness perspective. Good ethics is good under the guise of
to think about whether it is morally acceptable to pro- business-and virtually all marketing marketing research
when the real goal
ceed in a particular way. Many think that if an action and public opinion research associa-
is to sell products or
is legal, then it is ethical. It's not that simple, however. tions have developed codes of ethics to services.
There can be differences between what is ethical and guide the behaviors of their members.

CHAPTER 1: MARKETING RESEARCH 11

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
......... . . ••••
The Research
2 Question:
Formulation of the Problem

Copyright 201 3 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
POLL QUESTION:
Using taste tests is a foolproof method of conducting marketing research.
STRONG LY DISAGREE b b b b b STRONGLY AGREE

Specify the key steps in problem formulation.


Distinguish between two types of decision problems.
Distinguish between a decision problem and a research problem.
Describe the research request agreement.
Outline the various elements of the research proposal.

INTRODUCTION 190,000 blind taste tests with consumers, costing $4


million-to compare the taste of a new version of
A business executive once remarked that he had spent
Coca-Cola with that of Pepsi and regular Coke. The
his entire career climbing the ladder of success only to
new formulation was preferred by a majority of con-
discover when he got to the top that the ladder was
sumers. Further research demonstrated that the results
leaning on the wrong building. He wished that he had
held-in fact, were stronger-when consumers were
devoted more of his time to the things that really mat-
allowed to glimpse the labels to see what they were
tered. If we aren't careful, the same thing can happen
tasting. Managers were confident that they had devel-
with marketing research: We can take all the necessary
oped a product that would successfully solve the taste
steps and get perfectly valid answers-Duly to discover
problem. On the basis of the research, the company
that we've been asking the wrong questions. It is un-
introduced New Coke to the world in April 1984, re-
likely that you will get the chance to "re-do" research
placing the original formula.
if you find out that you missed something or that you
The decision to replace the original product with
went down the wrong path. As a result, it's critical that
New Coke is recognized as one of the biggest mar-
you properly design the research project up front so that
keting blunders in history. 3 The company reversed
you don't spend a lot of money on the wrong problem!
course less than three months later and reintroduced
the original Coca-Cola product. What happened? The
2·1 PROBLEM FORMUlATION research was technically sound; people preferred the
sweeter taste of New Coke. A far greater issue than
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• taste for many consumers, however, was the idea that
The Coca-Cola Company's experience with New the original Coca-Cola-with a century's worth of
Coke in the 1980s is a classic example of how defin- history and imagery-was being discontinued. Al-
ing the problem incorrectly can lead to disastrous re- though Coca-Cola managers recognized in advance
sults.' Coca-Cola's market share had shrunk from that some consumers would probably not accept a
60 percent in the mid-1940s to less than 24 percent in change in the brand, they continued to focus on the
1983. Stung by Pepsi-Cola's "Pepsi Challenge" promo- "taste problem."
tional campaign, which showed consumers consistently Fast-forward to the present day and Coca-Cola is
preferring the taste of Pepsi to Coke in blind taste tests, again focusing on a "taste problem" but from a very
company researchers, managers, and executives became different perspective. The Coca-Cola Freestyle is a
convinced that Coca-Cola had a "taste problem." 2 fountain dispenser with over 100 flavor options. 4 Test-
Coca-Cola Company researchers proceeded to ing began in Orange County, California, and Atlanta,
conduct extensive marketing research-including Georgia, in mid-2009, with combinations of sodas,

13

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
waters, juices, teas, or
basically any combina- Coke's Freestyle allows
tion a consumer could consumers to mix flavors
dream up. 5 If a con- to fit their personal tastes.
sumer likes the taste
of Classic Coke with
a splash of Minute
Maid Orange Juice, the
Freestyle can deliver.
fl-ODAYS
Now with two Edison OPPORTUNITY
Awards recognizing it
as an innovative new
IS TOMORROW'S
product, Freestyle ma- PROBLEM IF
chines can be found all
across the United States
A COMPANY
in a wide variety of res- FAILS TO TAKE
taurants.6 The Freestyle
is more of a taste op-
ADVANTAGE
portunity than a taste OF THE
problem.
OPPORTUNITY.J
2-la Problems
versus products) . Marketers must de-
Opportunities cide how to exploit these "op-
portunities," if at all.
There isn't a perfect for-
We prefer to think of prob-
mula for defining mar-
lems and opportunities as two sides of the same coin.
keting research problems, but in this chapter we'll de-
Regardless of perspective, both situations require
scribe a process that should help. When we talk about
good information about the marketing environment
"defining the problem" or "problem formulation," we
before managers make important decisions. Today's
simply mean a process of trying to identify specific ar-
opportunity is tomorrow's problem if a company fails
eas where additional information is needed about the
to take advantage of the opportunity-but its com-
marketing environment. A marketing manager might
petitors do. And a company that successfully deals
face a situation that has obvious negative ramifications
with a problem before its competitors do has created
for the organization (e.g., unexpected decreasing sales
an opportunity to move ahead in the industry. So, we
for an existing product). These situations are normally
consider any situation in which a company needs in-
thought of as "problems."
formation to be a marketing research problem.
On the other hand, the marketing manager might
face a situation with potentially positive results for
the organization (e.g., researchers have developed a
new product with certain advantages over competing
2·2 THE PROBLEM
FORMULATION PROCESS
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
How can a company avoid the trap of research-
ing the wrong problem? The best way is to delay
research until the problem is properly defined. It
takes time to fully understand what's going on in
any given situation. Well-designed and -executed re-
search can't rescue a project (and the resulting busi-
ness consequences) if a company fails to define the
problem correctly.

14 PART I

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
the process, especially during problem formulation,
but also at later stages.
The second reason to meet is straightforward.
You must gather as much information as possible
e Meet with client to obtain (1) management about the problem at hand. In particular, you must
statement of problem/opportunity, (2) background get a clear understanding of the problem from the cli-
information, (3) management objectives for research, ent's viewpoint, along with all relevant background
and (4) possible managerial actions to result from information. The broader context is critical, as many
research. people will become very focused on a specific task
(e.g., "I need a taste test") versus the broader is-
e Clarify the problem/opportunity sue (i.e., "We're losing market share"). Without the
by questioning managerial assumptions and gathering broader issue in mind, you can accidentally go down a
additional information from managers and/or others as very specific and possibly incorrect path!
needed. Perform exploratory research as necessary. Here are some questions that are appropriate at
this point:
e State the manager's decision
problem, inclu ding source (planned change e What is the problem or opportun ity yo u're facing
or unplanned change in environment) and type right now? Can or should th is be defined more
(discovery or strategy oriented). broad ly? On the other hand, can it be defined
more narrowly?
e Develop full range of possible
research problems that would address the
e What ca used yo u to notice the problem? Is there
any other evidence or information that you have?
manager's decision problem.
e What factors do you th ink have created th is
e Select research problem(s) that best situation? (Ask"Why?"five times to dive deeper into
address the manager's decision problem, based on an the possible ca uses.)
evaluation of likely costs and benefits of each possible
research problem.
e What is likely to happen if nothing changes in the
next 12 months?
e Prepare and submit research
e What do you hope to accomplish using
request agreement to client. Revise in market research?
consultation with cl ient.
e What actions will you take depend ing upon
you r answers?

Planned Change versus Unplanned


Change In general, there are only two ba-
Exhibit 2.1 presents the six key steps in problem sic sources of marketing problems-planned and
formulation. Defining the problem is among the most unplanned changes in the marketing environment.
difficult-and certainly most important-aspects of the Understanding the basic source of the problem will
entire marketing research process. Although we provide provide clues about the nature of the problem and the
some fairly specific directions, problem formulation in- type of research that is needed.
volves both art and science. Approach it with care. Some problems show up unexpectedly. How the
firm responds to new technology or a new product in-
troduced by a competitor or a change in demograph-
2-2a Step 1: Meet with Client ics or lifestyles determines whether the unplanned
The first step toward defining the problem correctly
is to meet with the manager(s) needing marketing re- [FAST FACT]
search. This should be done at the earliest stages of the
project for two important reasons. First, you must be WOMEN-OWNED
able to communicate openly, and this won't happen
until you begin to trust one another. It's important to
BUSINESSES ACCO UNT FOR
keep everyone engaged and actively participating in 29% OF ALL U S BUSINESS ES.
CHAPTER Z: T HE RE S EARCH QUEST I ON 15

Copyright 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Told in the
gardens of Araby (untranslated until now)
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States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
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eBook.

Title: Told in the gardens of Araby (untranslated until now)

Translator: Izora C. Chandler


Mary Williams Montgomery

Release date: March 24, 2024 [eBook #73256]

Language: English

Original publication: New York: Eaton & Mains, 1905

Credits: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed


Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project
Gutenberg (This book was produced from scanned
images of public domain material from the Google
Books project.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOLD IN THE


GARDENS OF ARABY (UNTRANSLATED UNTIL NOW) ***
[Contents]

[Contents]
Told in the Gardens of
Araby

(UNTRANSLATED UNTIL NOW)

By
IZORA CHANDLER
and
MARY W. MONTGOMERY
NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS
CINCINNATI: JENNINGS & GRAHAM

[Contents]

Copyright, 1905, by
EATON & MAINS [3]

[Contents]
CONTENTS

Page
Prelude 5
The Emerald Roc 18
The Story of the Beautiful Girl Who Had Her Wish 44
The Story of the Beautiful One Who Did Not Have Her
Desire 62
Story of the Crying Pomegranate and the Laughing Bear 97
Story of the Bird of Affliction 130
Story of the Water-Carrier 157
Story of the Coffee-Maker’s Apprentice 168
Story of the Candy-Maker’s Apprentice 182
The Crystal Kiosk and the Diamond Ship 203

[5]
[Contents]
Told in the Gardens of Araby
PRELUDE

Memory swings backward to revel in a certain Garden of Delight; to


picture the high whitewashed wall, topped with red tiles, and
guarding within its quadrangle of acres clustering palms, grave
cypress trees, the fig, quince, orange, pomegranate, and mulberry;
also the gray olive, with roots twisted out of the soil as if by force and
seeming to hint that, once upon a time, giant souls were imprisoned
within each grizzly trunk and struggled themselves to death, in mad
wrestlings after freedom.

Shielded by these varied branches, roses and cabbages, lilies and


onions, jessamine and melons, the crimson-flowered oleander,
pumpkins, tomatoes, and carrots mingle in a delightful democracy.
Here the day wakens with sweet morning clearness, waxes into a
scorching noontide, and burns onward, to be extinguished by the
breath of a dewy twilight. Stars march slowly from out the vaulted
shadows overhead, [6]to halt at awful distances. Distant mountain
peaks stretch away beyond the city, in indescribable loveliness, and
melt in the distance, like a veritable land of cloud. Upon the other
hand lies the desert; become a sea of silver under the stern light of
the stars. One stands impressed—oppressed and compelled to
listen to the mighty, threatening silence. Small wonder is it that, to-
day, in the interior of Arabia, like his forefathers during the time of
Abimelech and Jethro, the lonely shepherd is a worshiper of the
stars—poised, unchanging and serene, above the changing,
tumultuous earth.

Through this Garden, in which Memory lies dreaming, a silvery


stream flows from a marble basin. Into this basin play the waters
from a tree-shaded fountain. Beside it sits a gruff old pelican, eyeing
dweller and guest with equal disfavor. This bird of desolation likes
not his fair prison. Sweeter, to his ear, is the owl’s hoot than any
music distilled by human voices.

At one corner of the great quadrangle stands the long, roomy


dwelling. Its lower story comprises the general reception room, the
kitchen, and stables. From contiguous windows in this last, two white
heads lean out and gaze, wistfully, each into the other’s eyes. One is
that of the snow-white ass, upon which the daughter of the house
rides when, [7]attended by Ismail, she goes forth to pay visits. The
other is that of the foal, shut into a separate stall because he has
grown so large that he must be weaned. Here his greatest effort only
succeeds in reaching up and resting his funny little head upon the
window sill; where he must content himself with waving long ears
and casting glances of entreaty across at the mother, who stands
helpless in all but the expression of her sympathy.

Attention is fastened upon these patient dumb creatures. At this, the


young hostess—who, by the way, speaks Arabic, modern Greek,
French, German, English; who interprets Chopin with appealing
sympathy upon the piano in the beautiful drawing-room; and, upon
occasion, picks her mandolin to light, minor-keyed melodies—
decides that the American lady must have a ride about the garden.

Ismail, a dark-skinned boy who has haunted our footsteps in


readiness for service, and whose eyes and teeth are marvels of
brilliancy, leads forth the petted beast and tricks her out with the
most gorgeous trappings. Then the visitor is wheedled into mounting
the high, smooth saddle. This she does gingerly and sidewise, after
the fashion of her countrywomen. The baby donkey is let out to enjoy
a bit of exercise, and crowds so closely to the side [8]of his adored
parent as nearly to crush the ankles of her nervous rider.
The white beasts trot placidly over the graveled walks of the
quadrangle, and the pastime is growing pleasant to the rider. But
“Faster! faster!” commands the young hostess. “It is not with this
sleep of the day that we should seek to amuse one who comes from
the Land of Haste! Faster! Ismail, faster!”

Time is not given in which to explain that a mild gait is preferred; for
the Arab boy at once enters into the spirit of his mistress—strikes a
resounding blow upon each snowy flank, with such immediate effect
that the unaccustomed rider slides from her insecure position and
joins in the merriment.

“Alas! the Orient has broken your spirit! It is not like this that in your
own country you would ride. Think you that I do not know?”

Hastily arranging her flowing skirts, the young girl sprang gayly
astride the high, polished saddle; leaned forward and whispered,
“Away! Babash!” During the next few moments, shadow and sunlight
became a swift kaleidoscope of gayety and color. The little animal,
divining what was expected of her, broke into a gallop of whose
madness one never would have dreamed her capable; and which
made it most comical to witness the wild attempts of her [9]poor little
foal at keeping pace, and his bewilderment when, after viewing, with
despair, her disappearance before him, his astonished gaze
discovered her hastening toward him from behind, only to leave him
again, a little farther on.

Meantime the surly pelican had waddled to an unfrequented corner,


where the gravel, flying from delicate hoofs, could not reach him.
Madame, the elder hostess, came out upon the balcony, which
extended along the second story of the dwelling, to wave her hand in
enjoyment of the sport.
At length, wearied with making exhibition of the speed which, in her
opinion, characterized the home life of her visitor, the young girl
tossed her reins to Ismail, commanded that coffee be brought, then
conducted to a beautiful summerhouse, or kiosk, where were
cushions and rugs in profusion; where the most comfortable corner
hid its hand mirror and rose-water sprinkler, and over whose lattice
climbed roses and jessamine.

Of these latter flowers—so precious to every woman of the Orient—


three were gathered and tucked into the visitor’s belt. “Three, the
Oriental number: one for health, one for wealth, and one for
prosperity. If I wish you these and to you they come, what is there
more, that for it you should ask?” was the compelling explanation,
made in a [10]voice that was music’s own in quality and, like her
manner—when not merrily exemplifying prevailing notions of
American life—was gentle as the most fastidious aristocrat could
desire.

The air was sprayed with rose water; we reclined upon the cushions.
Quiet restored, the Madame descended and joined us. Coffee was
brought—though not at once; for the moments do not urge, as in the
Occident; they weave themselves, unnoted, into slow and shining
hours. Resting thus, and, later on, tasting the cream tart of whose
deliciousness the half has never been told, it was inevitable that we
should fall into the custom of the country and relate, each to the
others, tales of our native lands.

Story-telling is a most natural blossom upon the Oriental life tree.


Silent, tropical, motionless days breed no restlessness of the life
intellectual, no ravening after to-day’s knowledge and its fleeting
fame, no feverish haste after anything. The past fades and the future
becomes dim. It is a Land of the Present Moment. In the estimation
of its people, the present moment, only, is to be compared with
Paradise. As consequence, the dreaming of dreams or the relation of
marvelous tales, concerning adventures and intrigues of imaginary
characters, serves to satisfy the indolent and luxurious character.
Disinclination [11]to travel has found expression in “Better be a dog at
home than a lion afloat.” And universal custom exemplifies the belief
that it is better also to recline at ease, with coffee and nargileh;
enfolded in such peace that any relation of turbulence and romance
is rendered thrilling by mere force of contrast—far better is all this
than to fare forth one’s self. One does not marvel that natures pent in
such inactive bodies should require, to their better satisfaction with
the stories told them, blood-curdling elements, violence, with strange
interventions and achievements of the supernatural. By this means is
poise maintained and the slothful soul drugged into dreaminess.

Action and progress are discouraged in the Orient. Until the


authorities grant permission, a man may not rebuild his house after
the flames have destroyed it; nor may he celebrate the marriage of a
child. Only during the feast month of Ramazan is any woman
permitted outside of her walls after sunset; and a man, without his
lighted lantern, is in danger of trouble with the police. Indeed, the
dwellers not only are expected, but themselves expect, to retire at
sunset into their separate home worlds, without whose walls the
strait-laced effendi likes not to have his women seen at any time.
Yet, even when within the home, cards seldom are resorted [12]to;
and games of chance everywhere are forbidden the good Moslem.

Then how should this be other than a land for reverie? Certain hours
of every day are witness to the sun’s terrible triumph. Its atmosphere
becomes of intolerable sultriness. Its climate renders the people
indolent in action, while permitting their intellects to remain keen and
their passions lively. They have, moreover, quick sense of the
ludicrous; a childish, untutored taste for practical jokes; a refinement
of cunning, and, often seemingly asleep, in reality they never lose
their sagacity. Only when in dispute are their voices and actions
unsubdued. As a rule, they are not good in conversation; any point is
made clear by the relation of some parallel tale; and always the men
are ready to loiter and to loaf.

Although the dairy life of the women is enriched with the arts of
cookery and exquisite needlework, it must become monotonous.
They are passionately fond of the open air; but their fullest
enjoyment of it consists in reclining upon rug and cushion, beneath
some fragrant shade, while their slow, indolent eyes traverse the
beauty of garden, sea, or sky, and the ear is soothed with some story
which, at the same time, stirs the sense, gives wing to imagination,
and satisfies the inaction of their present by calling up [13]visions of
far-away activities, perhaps aided by the unseen and unknown.

One, for whom character needs not to consist in eternal effort, must
find great charm in these people, with their childish love for the
passing hour and readiness to give or accept friendliness. Often the
youths are of ideal beauty. Usually the men are well built, healthful,
abstemious. Always the women are splendidly robust and
handsome. Nearly everyone is unmalicious, gentle in temper,
leisurely—nay, more—loitering. Nobody is in a hurry. He who hastes
is viewed with suspicion. Even punctuality in the payment of dues is
decried; and no shopkeeper, worthy of a booth in the bazaar, will
permit a customer to depart until after bewildering his sight with the
most gorgeous properties upon the shelves. Should an unwary
shopper ask the price of any article or permit his eye to linger upon
it, coffee is at once served and the business call becomes a visit of
ceremony.

With touching faith in his kismet—decreed fate—the peasant


endures whatever of ill his days may bring. He receives every
stranger with perfect faith; trusting that he may be the messenger of
some long-delayed good. The thought of seeking an occupation
rarely occurs to him—however needy he may be. With only a few
piasters in his pouch for [14]present needs, he becomes wealthy; for,
may he not dream of hidden treasure which, when found, will supply
splendors ineffable? Beside, were he to make strenuous effort in the
hope of bettering his estate, he might thwart some beautiful on-
coming providence. In this land where gentle consideration reigns,
children treat their mothers with a royal deference, which but
increases with every added year of their own lives.

The Osmanlis will have nothing to do with hereditary rank. The


misfortunes and sins which constitute the unanswerable Eastern
Question, arise from the fact that their Prophet failed to provide a law
by which his successors might be determined. Members of the
reigning family marry the simplest family; and the genealogical
records are forgotten. Sentiment is opposed to class lines between
ruler and people; hence, in their stories, the young prince is free to
marry any maiden, be she ever so lowly.

However somber this life, the pious Moslem finds content in letting
his mind dwell upon the bliss of that life beyond. He is profoundly
submissive in the presence of death; accepts its coming with
unquestioning resignation, since his Edjel—appointed death hour—
and that of his beloved ones, was decreed by Allah and invisibly
inscribed upon the [15]brow at birth. Dying means that one is bidden,
by “the Cupbearer of the Spheres,” to partake of the joys of
Paradise. Why, then, should one regret the summons?

Devotion is natural to him. Five times each day does the dweller in
village or city obey a call to prayer—even though the muezzin who
cries may be far from holy and his intrigues furnish the point for
many a tale. According to Lady Blunt, “nothing gives so much
distinction, in this land, as regular attendance at prayers.” The name
of Allah enters into every bargain, greeting, or conflict. To the really
faithful, every living creature has some spiritual significance. The
killing of a dog may cost a man many bushels of grain—perchance,
his life. The stork and swallow are sacred. Even the unclean vulture
must not be slain. His body is the abode of some sinful soul; and, if
the bird be killed, the poor soul forever must perish.

The Land of Midian is a mysterious, dreary land of gloomy cliffs and


broad deserts; of shadowless plains, narrow valleys, and
monotonous wilderness regions. Its mirage allures to death; and the
clear atmosphere suddenly may become dark with the burning heat
of the simoon. Through its desert God’s Chosen People are believed
to have wandered during their forty years of punishment and
[16]preparation. Fiery serpents and scorpions made their passage
hideous; and the undisciplined wanderers were “much discouraged
because of the way.”

Over this indescribably romantic country—which has been inhabited


since the earliest time and has undergone fewer changes than any
other known upon the globe—a mighty Presence seems on patient
guard. One is never freed from the sense of some Great Unseen.

At points the configuration is fantastic and weird in the character of


its desolation. It is a region of gloomy cliffs, of granite hills, of
detached, volcanic centers—like that of the true Mount Sinai—and
over whose difficult passages the complaining camel seems fittest
transport.

Each tribe, in this Land of Ishmael, claims descent from some one of
the three members of Abraham’s family; and insists that social and
religious status were overthrown by Mohammed, when he subjected
them to his version of the law of the One God. To this it may be
added that there are those who believe that the enmity of Christians
against the Jews prevented the great prophet from adopting the
Christian faith.

Upon his possession of Arabia does the Sultan base his title of
Caliph. With the downfall of those [17]rulers came a relapse into the
former separate chieftaincies; so that every valley, between desert
and coast, or mountain range, now supports its wandering band. For
this reason, these people love that the stories told them should
concern that time of the Caliphs; when the country flourished as
never before or after.

Yemen, a central, fertile tract in southwest Arabia, is the Arab’s


Arcadia. Here Alexander the Great determined to fix his court after
he should have conquered India. His strong nature was attracted to
this surprising land; where a single step may bear one from dreary
somberness into the most luxurious vegetation—from the desert into
an oasis, redolent with the scent of flowers, shadowed with orchards
and musical with the insect’s drone.

In a land like this, among a people of courtesy and charm, it


becomes gently imperative that the most barren imagination should
indulge in bits of phantasy and the dullest sense become susceptible
to passing beauty. A pure and refreshing fountain is certain to
become a center of romantic interest that will unseal the lips of a
traveler. And, since bachelors are looked upon with disfavor and not
an old maid exists in all the country, it is to be expected that any
relation should turn upon marriage. Nor need one fear that the tale
will prove erotic, [18]since its creation was in a land where the
modesty of a peasant will not admit even of his staring at a company
of bathers; but sends his eyes to search the tree tops or distant
mountains, until temptation is far passed.

Perhaps it will be well to begin these stories from the Orient with a
relation of cruel intrigue and of patient revenge, aided by potent,

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