By Jyotiranjan Roul.

The systematic and objective process of obtaining information needed for taking marketing decisions. The function that links customer, consumer, and public to the marketer through the information which is used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performances & improve understanding of marketing as a process.

Marketing research is the application of the systems approach to the task of collecting, organizing, analyzing, & interpreting desired marketing information.

So it is a technique in decision making process to solve any marketing problem.

The marketing researcher is directly concerned with 3 operations Input, process, output Input is usually data , i.e. facts, figures, values Collected data is processed. Output is in the form of information

It should be timely. It should be up-to-date. It should be accurate. It should be sufficient. It should be relevant for decision. It should be reliable. It should be economical. It should be understandable. It should be viable without further modification. It should be the information not the data.

Situation analysis Preliminary investigation Research design Sources of data Data analysis Report preparation Follow-up recommendations.

Define and analyze the mkt. problems to be solved. Determine the purpose of inquiry State the ultimate objective. You should have familiarity of situation surrounding the problems. Sources are: personal interview, company records, library materials and trade papers.

It is an investigation to feel the problem. Researcher may meet consumers, dealers, marketing executives, competitors to get background information. This investigation should be economically feasible.

It is the master plan for conducting formal investigation. It is the specification of methods and procedures for acquiring the information needed for solving problem. Data gathering forms are prepared. Questionnaires and other forms are tested. Samples for investigations are planned.

A study requires primary and secondary data. Primary data must be assembled by researcher for 1st time. It is collected through number of methods like surveys, observational methods or experimental methods. Secondary data is already available for processing.

Collected data must be edited, tabulated, and analysized.

It contains
Title page Table and content A brief outline of research and its findings A concise statement of mkt problems Aim and objective of research Research design( methodology) Data analysis and results Limitations imposed on research Findings, conclusions and recommendations. Appendices

The repot must be followed up to ensure the implementation of recommendations. An excellent report may be simply wasted when management takes no steps in the implementation of recommendations of the research report.

2 sources
Internal source External source Another classification: - Primary data - Secondary data

Inf. Obtained from original source

Consumers Sales man Sales record Invoices, credit slips It gives latest information. It has to be accurate

It is compiled by someone other than the researcher. It is already existing. It lacks reliability. It may have bias. Unit cost of information is low

Published survey of markets. General library research sources Govt. publications , reports Advt. media, news paper, magazines Trade associations Universities Stock exchange , banks Specializes libraries.

It It It It

must must must must

be be be be

sufficiently current relevant and valid accurate and reliable impartial

It must be cheaper to use It is quicker to obtain It is available on all subjects. Its unit costs are low

1.Survey technique.
Mail survey , postal inquiry Personal interview telephonic survey 2. Panel research 3. Observational approach 4. Experimental research

Thank you