Faculty of Economics

Business Administration Department

Marketing Research
By: Assist Prof. Abdul Rahman Dard
2025
Chapter 1

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 Aims and Objectives:

After this presentation, you will be able to:

• Define marketing research

• Explain types of marketing research

• Identify characteristics of good marketing research

• Understand ethical considerations in marketing research

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 Contents:

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Meaning of Marketing Research

1.3 Areas of Marketing Research

1.4 Types of Marketing Research

1.5 Marketing research Process

1.6 Characteristics of Good marketing Research

1.7 Ethics in Marketing Research

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 Introduction to Marketing Research:

• Businesses were small, markets were local, and customer

relationships were personal.

• Industrialization and technology expanded markets globally it

means globalization led to comprehensive customer centers.

• Producers need perceptions into customer needs.

• Marketing research bridges the gap between producers and

consumers.
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 Challenges in Modern Markets:

 Challenges in Today’s Markets:

• Companies risk losing touch with customer needs, especially in

global markets.

• Increasing complexity and difficulty of consumers.

• Rapid development of new consumption designs (e.g.,

technology, healthcare…)
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 Importance of Marketing Research:

 Why Marketing Research Matters:

• Essential for understanding customer needs and market fashions.

• Helps companies make informed decisions and minimize risks.

• Supports the development of products and services that meet

customer demands.

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 Meaning of Marketing Research:

 Definitions from various sources:

1) The American marketing Association (AMA) has defined the term

marketing research as: “Systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing
of facts related to marketing.”

2) The British institute of management has defined the term marketing

research as: “The gathering, recording, and analyzing of all facts about
problems relating to the transfer and sales of goods and services from
producer to consumer”
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 Meaning of Marketing Research:

3) According to Philip Kotler: “Systematic problem analysis and fact-

finding for better decision-making”

4) The marketing research society, the leading British professional

body defined as: “A way to stay in touch with customer needs and
wants”

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 Functions of Marketing Research:

 Key Functions of Marketing Research:

• Identifies customer needs and preferences.

• Analyzes market trends and competition.

• Provides data for strategic decision-making.

• Helps in product development and innovation.

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 Benefits of Marketing Research:

 Key Benefits of Marketing Research:

• Reduces risks in decision-making.

• Enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Supports long-term profitability and growth.

• Keeps firms competitive in dynamic markets.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Key Areas of Marketing Research:

• Product Research

• Sales and Distribution Research

• Customer Research

• Pricing Research

• Promotion Research

• Service Research
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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Product Research:

• Focuses on design, development, and testing of new products.

• Improves current products and estimates consumer preferences.

• Includes comparative testing with competitors’ products.

• Analyzes product combination and after-sales services.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Sales Research:

• Observes sales activities by starts and zones.

• Evaluates sales force effectiveness (e.g., distribution, training,

remuneration).

• Contacts, performance with industry standards.

• Identifies areas for improvement in sales strategies.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Distribution Research:

• Evaluates current distribution channels and identifies alternatives.

• Adapts to changing consumer shopping behaviors (e.g., family

shopping trends).

• Focuses on enhancing the customer shopping experience.

• Analyzes the impact of retail innovations.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Customer Research:

• Studies buying behavior and effects (social, economic,

psychological).

• Conducts consumer surveys and depth interviews.

• Analyzes motivations behind purchase decisions.

• Focuses on both retail and industrial customers.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Pricing Research:

• Important for business success and part of the marketing mix (4 Ps).

• Analyzes costs, demand, competition, and technological

developments.

• Locations products relative to competitors’ offerings.

• Uses price as an indicator of quality and value.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Promotion Research:

• Assessments and evaluates promotional methods (advertising, PR,

exhibitions).

• Selects suitable media (TV, radio, print, digital).

• Measures the effectiveness of promotional campaigns.

• Focuses on creating impactful messaging.

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 Areas of Marketing Research:

 Service Research:

• Focuses on the growing importance of service industries.

• Analyzes customer satisfaction and service quality.

• Links service value to product ownership and usage.

• Essential for advanced economies and mixed economies.

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 Types of Marketing Research:

Basis of Classification Types

1. Fundamental Research
Outcome of Research
2. Applied Research
1. Exploratory Research
2. Descriptive Research
Purpose
3. Analytical Research
4. Predictive Research
1. Qualitative Research
Process
2. Quantitative Research
1. Field Research
Environment
2. Laboratory Research
1. One-time Research
Time
2. Longitudinal Research
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 On the basis of the outcome of the research:

Outcome of
Research
Fundamental Research

Applied Research

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 On the basis of the outcome of the research:

 Fundamental Research:

• Also called academic or basic or pure research. Such research is

aimed at investigating or search for new principles and laws.

• Aims to concerned new principles, laws, or theories.

• Focuses on generalization and theoretical understanding.

• Examples: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, Newton’s Laws of Motion,

Einstein Theory of Relativity
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 On the basis of the outcome of the research:

 Applied Research:

• Aims to solve immediate, practical problems.

• Aims to find a solution for an immediate problem facing a society, a

group or industry (business organization).

• The results of such research would be used by either individuals or

groups of decision-makers or even by policy makers.
• Examples: Improving workplace safety and Reducing wastage in
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 On the basis of the purpose of research:

Purpose of Research
Exploratory Research

Descriptive Research

Analytical Research

Predictive Research

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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Exploratory Research:

• Aims to discovering, identifying and formulating a research problem

and hypothesis.
• Used when little or no prior research happens.

• Example:

• Pilot study.
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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Descriptive Research:

• The main purpose of such research is description of the state of

nature or affairs, as it happens at present.

• Examples:

• Absentee rates in an office.

• Shopping preferences of consumers.

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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Goals of Descriptive Research:

• To describe a processes, mechanism or relationship.

• To provide a verbal or numerical picture about a phenomenon.

• To find information to encourage new explanations.

• To create a set of categories or classify types.

• To document information that challenges prior beliefs about an

issue.
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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Analytical Research:

• Goes further than description to explain “why” and “how.”

• Uses present data for critical evaluation.

• Example:

• Reducing customer complaints.

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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Goals of Analytical Research:

• To determine the correctness of a principle or a theory.

• To find out which competing explanation is better.

• To link different issues or topics under a common general statement.

• To build and elaborate a theory so it becomes more completes..

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 On the basis of purpose of research:

 Predictive Research:

• Such research goes outside explaining why and how things

happened.

• It tries to Forecasts about the probability of happening similar thing

in the future based on current data.

• Example: Effect of new packaging on sales, Impact of exchanges rate

on profits.
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 On the basis of the process of research:

Process of Research Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

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 On the basis of the process of research:

 Qualitative Research:

• Such research is applicable for phenomenon that cannot be

expressed in terms of quantity.

• Focuses on feelings, thoughts, and opinions.

• Example:

• Customer feedback, focus groups.

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 On the basis of the process of research:

 Quantitative Research:

• It is applicable for phenomenon that can be expressed in term of

quantity.

• Focuses on measurable data.

• Example:

• Customer Sales numbers, market share statistics.

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 On the basis of the environment of research:

Environment of
Research
Field Research

Laboratory Research

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 On the basis of the environment of research:

 Field Research:

• It is research carried out in the field.

• Such research is common in social science, agricultural science,

history…

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 On the basis of the environment of research:

 Laboratory Research:

• It is research carried out in the laboratory.

• These are commonly experimental research. Such researches are

common in medical science, natural science…

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 On the basis of the time of research:

Time of Research One-time Research

Longitudinal Research

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 On the basis of the time of research:

 One-time Research:

• It is research limited to a single time period.

• Example:

• Survey conducted once.

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 On the basis of the time of research:

 Longitudinal Research:

• Such research is also called on-going research.

• Conducted over multiple time periods.

• Example:

• Following customer behavior complete years.

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