Market Research

The Research Proposal

 Role of the MR Proposal
• Critical early dialogue between the
management team and the market
researchers
• Provides a terms of reference for the
project
• Helps the client to ‘sell in’ the research
internally (critical!)
• To win the business!!!!
 Where does it fit?
• The client provides an MR brief:
– Background
– Key business issues
– Potential research objectives
– Target customers
– Timescale
• The proposal is a detailed research plan
in response to this.
 What does it contain?
• Executive Summary
• Background (the onus is on you!!!)
• The Research Plan:
– Business/Marketing problem definition
– Research objectives
– Research approach/methodology
– Data collection methods
– Sampling plan - size, frame, criteria, etc.
• Outputs - report, presentations, videos, etc.
• Timescale
• Cost
• Credentials
Constructing the Research Plan
• Define the business/marketing problem

• Define the research objectives

• Research approach/methodology

• Data collection methods

• Sampling plan - size, frame, criteria, etc.

 Defining the problem
• The most critical part of the research
process
• Be thorough, be specific, be confident!!!
• Define the business problem/issue
• Define the marketing problem/issue
• Define the research problem/issue
 Example: The Storecard
Business Problem Marketing Problem Research Problems
• Need to retain • How do we increase the • Why do people stop
profitable/loyal product lifecycle from using the card after
customers 12 months? 12 months?

• Need to drive sales • Does the Storecard

make customers feel
valued & rewarded?

• What changes should

we make to improve
this?
Constructing the Research Plan
• Define the business/marketing problem

• Define the research objectives

• Research approach/methodology

• Data collection methods

• Sampling plan - size, frame, criteria, etc.

 Research
Approach/Methodology
Exploratory/Qualitative Conclusive/Quantitative
• Few assumptions • Test hypotheses
• Rich, detailed info • Larger sample
• Flexible • Structured, simple data
• Open questions • Closed questions
• Small sample • Generate generalisable,
• Generate hypotheses, projectible facts
ideas, possibilities
Why do people stop using the card after 12 months?
What changes should we make?
Stage 1

Approach Methods Sample Frame:

• Cardholder lists
• Explanatory • 6 Focus Groups
• “Freefind”
• Exploratory • 15 Paired Depth Quota sampling:
• Qualitative Interviews • Age
• Stage of motherhood
• No. of kids
• Location
• Card holdings
• Card usage
• Store usage
Why do people stop using the card after 12
months?What changes should we make?
Stage 2
Approach Methods Sample Size:
• Descriptive • Telephone • 1200
• Quantitative survey
• Closed Sample Frame:
questions: • Cardholder lists
– Ranking
– Likert Scales
– Semantic Scales Quota sampling
• Same criteria
Constructing the Research Plan
• Define the business/marketing problem

• Define the research objectives

• Research approach/methodology

• Data collection methods

• Sampling plan - size, frame, criteria, etc.

What does the proposal contain?
• Executive Summary
• Background (the onus is on you!!!)
• Business/Marketing problem definition
• Research objectives
• Research approach/methodology
• Data collection methods
• Sampling plan - size, frame, criteria, etc.
• Analysis plan
• Outputs - report, presentations, videos, etc.
• Timescale
• Cost
• Credentials
 Some indicative costs
Including design, recruitment, data collection,
analysis and report writing . . .

• £2500 per focus group

• £15 per 10 minute telephone/personal
interview
• £?? per postal questionnaire
• £1200 per edited highlights video
• + Expenses (e.g. telephone, postage, fax,
travel, printing, additional outputs, additional
presentations, etc.)
Thank You