Deck 8: Marketing Research, Decision Support Systems, and Sales Forecasting

Question 1

What did much of the early marketing research consist of?

A) written testimonials received from purchasers of firms' products
B) use of mailed questionnaires to gather data
C) telephone surveys conducted to assess overall household preferences
D) sampling studies using techniques derived from voting records

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following describes a symptom?

A) a problem that has outgrown its ability to be contained easily
B) the cause of market share loss
C) a bad decision or a poor use of strategic planning
D) an alert to marketers that a problem exists

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Walmart prefers transaction records sorted by customer type, product, sales method, type of order, and order size. What is analyzing internal data sorted in this manner called?

A) sales analysis
B) financial analysis
C) accounting analysis
D) marketing cost analysis

Answer 3

A

Question 4

What is Environics Research Group?

A) a full-service research supplier firm
B) a limited-service research supplier firm
C) a full-service media and advertising firm
D) a limited-service media and advertising firm

Question 5

Which areas are working more closely together in order to take advantage of the methodologies available?

A) telephone, in-person, and Internet research
B) food, beverage, and health care research
C) competitive intelligence, public intelligence, and private research
D) marketing research, database management, and competitive intelligence

Question 6

When is marketing research most likely to be contracted to an outside firm?

A) when the problem is well defined and clearly understood by the hiring company
B) when the project is being led by in-house personnel with marketing degrees
C) when the outside provider has the ability to do the work for a lower cost
D) when the outside provider has the latest technology

Question 7

Which of the following describes an organization that regularly provides a standardized set of data on a periodic basis to its subscribers?

A) full-service research supplier
B) syndicated service
C) supplier relationship management company
D) market simulation firm

Question 8

What does a marketing cost analysis evaluate?

A) effectiveness of the sales force
B) current levels of corporate assets and liabilities
C) profitability of certain customers, territories, or product lines
D) whether summaries of invoices and orders received can be useful

Question 9

Which of the following is most likely to be a logical starting point in identifying the marketing problem?

A) ascertaining the budget and logistical limits that the problem warrants
B) determining the computational scope of the problem
C) evaluating the firm's target market and marketing mix elements
D) simulating a market research based on formulated hypotheses

Question 10

What type of firm is a marketing research firm who contracts with clients to conduct complete marketing research projects?

A) syndicated
B) limited-service
C) full-service
D) customer-service

Question 11

What is a benefit of using internal data for marketing research?

A) Most internal data are not current enough to be used.
B) Internal controls limit the use of such data.
C) Tracking consumer information lacks detail and consistency.
D) Sales analysis is one of the least expensive methods.

Question 12

What happens after the marketing research problem has been well defined?

A) Researchers can focus on securing the exact information needed to solve it.
B) The issue then becomes whether you're looking at a problem or at its symptoms.
C) The research process is sometimes slowed down and becomes inaccurate.
D) All that is left is to adjust the marketing mix to the conditions.

Question 13

Which of the following is one of the steps in the marketing research process?

A) identifying theories
B) defining the problem
C) determining whether data are primary or secondary
D) interviewing the marketing research staff about skill levels

Question 14

Entertainment Research Group specializes in rating movie theaters using input from moviegoers. What type of research firm is this an example of?

A) contract market research firm
B) computerized data supplier
C) full-service consulting firm
D) limited-service research supplier

Question 15

Who does market research aid by presenting pertinent information in a useable format?

A) managers with a means to judge sales performance
B) decision makers in analyzing data and suggesting possible actions
C) virtual marketplaces that will accurately depict what will happen in the actual marketplace
D) consumers to validate their purchases

Question 16

What kind of research seeks to discover the cause of a problem by discussing the problem with informed sources and examining pre-existing data?

A) situation analysis
B) informal investigation
C) exploratory research
D) cost or bottom-line analysis

Question 17

What can researchers begin doing once a firm has defined the problem it seeks to solve?

A) looking for government data that will provide the needed information
B) conducting exploratory research
C) completely changing the marketing mix
D) deciding whether to experiment or conduct a survey

Question 18

Which term refers to the process of collecting and using information for marketing decision making?

A) market engineering
B) marketing research
C) market capitalization
D) marketing sampling

Question 19

When is marketing research most likely to be contracted to an outside firm?

A) when the outside provider is a government agency
B) when the firm wishes to integrate its core competency with its supplementary divisions
C) when the outside provider is likely to collect more reliable and accurate information
D) when the firm decides to expand its market base by introducing a new product or service

Question 20

In recent years, how have advances in computer technology significantly changed the nature of marketing research?

A) by narrowing the focus of the data collection process
B) by allowing the use of simulations that ask "what-if" questions
C) by eliminating the need for outside research firms
D) by providing an in-house market research group with primary data

Question 21

Which statement best describes primary data?

A) It is collected for the first time specifically for a marketing research study.
B) It takes less time to acquire and is less costly than secondary data.
C) Its newly published results consist of government investigations.
D) It is part of a strategic planning activity to ensure proper resource allocation.

Question 22

Managerial decision makers are often presented with the results of a marketing research study. What is a common problem these results confront them with?

A) They are too concerned about the costs associated with market research.
B) They prefer to use the finance department as their main source of information.
C) They believe the data will be of little use because of the research limitations.
D) The data presented does not lead directly to the solution stage.

Question 23

What are the two important advantages of secondary data over primary data?

A) a wide variety of statistics and large sample groups used to create the data
B) a high level of detail and endorsement by other users
C) accuracy and specificity of the data gathered for the research study
D) cost and speed of locating the data

Question 24

A department manager recommends using secondary data in a marketing research project. What is the department manager looking for?

A) personal interviews of people not directly related to the project
B) information previously compiled and published
C) newly generated database entries that need to be sorted before use
D) personal observations of situations affecting the business

Question 25

Which of the following serves as a source of internal data for a firm involved in marketing research?

A) syndicated service firm reports
B) marketing cost analysis
C) census data
D) business and trade magazines

Question 26

Which factor is most likely to have an influence on the choice between primary and secondary data?

A) data source
B) substitutability
C) availability
D) applicability

Question 27

Phil is using data collected and published by a trade association in his marketing research study. What kind of data is Phil using?

A) secondary
B) primary
C) soft
D) hard

Question 28

What is the final step in the marketing research process?

A) interpreting findings and presenting information to decision makers
B) in-depth computer analysis of the data followed by database update
C) evaluating the research design for improvement and efficiency
D) providing feedback to researchers concerning their effectiveness

Question 29

What is a master plan or model for conducting marketing research called?

A) hypothesis
B) research design
C) theory
D) analysis

Question 30

Megan believes the reason the sales of one of her company's products have fallen is due to a price increase. She cites sales from the previous year to the same customers as evidence of declining sales. Where is Megan in the marketing research process?

A) defining a problem
B) developing a hypothesis
C) creating a research design
D) collecting data

Question 31

As part of his marketing research duties, Nathan evaluates company expenses for selling, warehousing, advertising, and delivery by the Mendocino Vinegar Cooperative. What is Nathan conducting?

A) informal competency investigation
B) experimental research project
C) external profile project
D) marketing cost analysis

Question 32

What is a statement called that potentially explains the relationship among variables, which, in turn, carries clear implications for testing the relationship?

A) survey mission
B) census criterion
C) scanning protocol
D) hypothesis

Question 33

What kind of data is information collected for the first time, specifically for a marketing research study?

A) secondary
B) primary
C) soft
D) experimental

Question 34

When is a research design deemed to be successful?

A) when a structured conclusion is drawn from an investigative study
B) when it measures only what researchers intend to measure
C) when the secondary data does not easily solve the problem
D) when it has the proper style for statistical and technical reports

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a good source of secondary data for marketing research studies?

A) Statistics Canada
B) Industry Canada
C) federal, provincial, and municipal governments
D) Internet newsgroups

Question 36

Raj is deciding which customers to include in a sample. Where is he in the marketing research process?

A) formulating a hypothesis
B) collecting data
C) creating a research design
D) defining a problem

Question 37

What term refers to the process of discussing a marketing problem with informed sources both within and outside the firm and examining information from secondary sources?

A) situation analysis
B) informal investigation
C) exploratory research
D) interpretative research

Question 38

After a problem has been defined and an exploratory investigation is conducted, what should the marketing researcher be able to do next?

A) collect both primary and secondary data
B) draw significant conclusions
C) immediately proceed to a solution
D) formulate a hypothesis

Question 39

Which statement best describes secondary data used in marketing research?

A) It is the data collected for a specific market study.
B) It provides richer and more detailed information compared to primary data.
C) It is usually collected and compiled by the investigator conducting the study.
D) It requires less time and is less expensive to gather.

Question 40

What is a limitation of secondary data not found in primary data?

A) It is more expensive to collect and analyze than primary data.
B) It is not readily accessible for marketers.
C) It may not be completely relevant to the specific needs of the marketer.
D) It is usually in the form of raw data and hence not reliable.

Question 41

What kind of sampling involves "on the street" interviews conducted with anyone who passes by?

A) media
B) convenience
C) cluster
D) stratified

Question 42

You are a market researcher for a cable television company seeking to determine the number of multi-dwelling buildings in a selected neighbourhood. What source would be your best chance of acquiring this information quickly?

A) Statistics Canada
B) the local Better Business Bureau
C) interviews with neighbourhood leaders
D) interviews with the local Chamber of Commerce

Question 43

What is the basic characteristic of a probability sample?

A) Every individual in the relevant universe has an equal chance of being selected.
B) There is a chance of any member of the population being selected.
C) All possible members of the population have provided information.
D) 100 percent of all subgroups have been handpicked.

Question 44

A marketer wants information about counties and cities in western Canada with 25,000 residents or more. Where would be a good place to look for this information?

A) Canada Revenue Agency
B) Canadian Post Office Postal Code Directory
C) Statistics Canada
D) provincial maps of land usage and title

Question 45

Along with reducing purchase transaction time, what are Universal Product Codes used for?

A) National Surveys of Canada data collection
B) Canada Border Services Agency monitoring
C) inventory control, ordering, and delivery research
D) Industry and Consumer Business Bureau tracking

Question 46

What kind of probability sample is constructed so that randomly selected subsamples of different groups are represented in the total sample?

A) stratified
B) convenience
C) quota
D) cluster

Question 47

In the context of the sampling process, what is the universe is also known as?

A) stratified group
B) population
C) cluster
D) quota

Question 48

A consumer product company is analyzing data collected and published by trade associations and general business magazines. What is this data best referred to as?

A) internal and primary data
B) external and private data
C) internal and secondary data
D) external and public data

Question 49

What is a group of people chosen from a defined population to be survey respondents or research participants called?

A) quota
B) cluster
C) sample
D) community

Question 50

Which of the following is a probability sample?

A) stratified sample
B) quota sample
C) convenience sample
D) accidental sample

Question 51

What kind of survey on highway drivers includes 100 drivers from north of downtown, 100 from south of downtown, 100 from west of downtown, and 100 from east of downtown?

A) vehicle
B) cluster
C) quota
D) convenience

Question 52

Which of the following is a type of nonprobability sample?

A) convenience sample
B) cluster sample
C) stratified sample
D) simple random sample

Question 53

Since few libraries carry specialized trade journals, what is one of the best ways to gather data from these journals?

A) through the newspaper
B) through Maclean's magazine
C) through ProQuest Direct's ABI/Inform
D) through the City of Toronto Directory

Question 54

Why is sampling one of the MOST important aspects of research design?

A) If a study fails to involve consumers who accurately reflect the target market, the research will likely yield misleading conclusions.
B) If a study includes a large enough number of people, it will be accurate; determining that number is the hard part.
C) If a study uses a sampling method that has never been tried before, the sampling method will have to be defended in depth before the conclusions can be used.
D) If a study doesn't say what people think it's going to say, it will have to be redone.

Question 55

What is the total group of people that a researcher wants to study called?

A) population or universe
B) sample or unit
C) quota or target
D) cluster or group

Question 56

What kind of data is collected and published by organizations such as trade associations or general business magazines?

A) primary
B) external
C) internal
D) private

Question 57

What is one result of using nonprobability sampling?

A) The handpicked sample will represent a true population.
B) Representatives will answer honestly because they are proud to have been chosen.
C) A homogenous sample will be selected.
D) A definitive study will not be done on this data.

Question 58

What kind of probability sample is constructed so that every individual in the relevant universe has an equal opportunity of being selected?

A) accidental
B) convenience
C) quota
D) simple random

Question 59

What are the two types of nonprobability samples?

A) convenience and quota
B) cluster and convenience
C) stratified and convenience
D) random and cluster

Question 60

What kind of probability sample constructed so that randomly selected subsamples of different groups are represented in the total sample?

A) stratified
B) convenience
C) exclusive
D) quota

Question 61

What method was developed by social anthropologists in which customers are observed in their natural setting and their behaviour is interpreted based on social and cultural characteristics?

A) controlled experiment
B) mall intercept surveys
C) exploratory research
D) interpretive research

Question 62

What do survey methods used in marketing research for collecting primary data involve?

A) Delphi technique
B) review of sales data on customer purchase rates to estimate the future sales
C) analysis of historical census data
D) questionnaires to obtain demographic information of consumers

Question 63

Which method used for conducting primary research gathers information by encouraging the participants to engage in a discussion on a predetermined topic?

A) trend analysis
B) Delphi technique
C) focus group
D) interpretative research

Question 64

Which product is least likely to be subjected to test-marketing prior to introduction?

A) a new brand of low-carb pasta
B) a new type of Internet service
C) a new type of debit card
D) a new car model

Question 65

Which statement best describes the experimental method of marketing research?

A) It is the least expensive of all marketing research procedures.
B) Most marketing research experiments are conducted in the laboratory.
C) The researcher controls or manipulates a test group.
D) It is a nonscientific investigation compared to survey research.

Question 66

Which term refers to the marketing research technique used to introduce a new product into a chosen area and then observe its degree of success?

A) laboratory experimentation
B) concept testing
C) test-marketing
D) observational marketing

Question 67

When might market researchers employ the survey method?

A) when it is necessary to obtain exact demographic information
B) when it is not necessary to establish contact or involvement with the respondent
C) when it is more cost-effective than secondary data collection
D) when it is coupled with observation to create a "complete" research technique

Question 68

What is an accidental sample is also known as?

A) simple random
B) convenience
C) stratified
D) cluster

Question 69

Teenage Research Unlimited, a consumer-oriented marketing research firm, wishes to obtain data on the buying habits and shopping preferences of teenagers. What kind of research should it use?

A) observations of how teenagers walk around and check out their cars
B) mail survey sent out to high school students
C) interviews of sales people in stores catering to teens
D) focus group interviews with teens

Question 70

Erica is a marketing researcher involved in improving drug store layouts. Erica would like to know how frequently customers in a particular store actually turn left to the cosmetics counter and try out tester fragrances. What would be the best method for Erica to collect this data?

A) observation
B) controlled experiment
C) voluntary mail-back questionnaires
D) interviews at the cash register

Question 71

How do marketers obtain primary data?

A) through trend analysis, exponential smoothing, and the Delphi technique
B) through observation, surveys, and experiments
C) through private data, government data, and internal data
D) through marketing information systems, business intelligence, and consumer intentions

Question 72

What is one of the obstacles to telephone interviewing for marketing research?

A) telephone caller-ID systems
B) the cost of multiple telephone lines and long-distance charges
C) getting quality interviewers
D) the call-waiting service

Question 73

Which statement illustrates an advantage of personal interviews?

A) They provide biased and inaccurate information.
B) They allow the researcher to collect more detailed information.
C) They are a relatively quick method of ongoing data collection.
D) They have limited flexibility in the format of the interviews.

Question 74

What is an advantage of using mail surveys when conducting market research?

A) Mail surveys take a short time from the point of view of the researcher.
B) Mail surveys may encourage more honest responses.
C) Mail survey respondents are not susceptible to biases.
D) Mail surveys have a higher response rate than personal interviews.

Question 75

Which statement best describes focus groups used by marketers to gather primary data?

A) They elicit information from the customers through a question-and-answer format.
B) They allow participants to respond at their leisure.
C) They are typically used for measuring the success of a new product introduced in a specific area.
D) They are valuable tool for exploratory research and development of new product ideas.

Question 76

Which of the following describes people metres?

A) physical devices used in interviewing techniques
B) secondary-data generators for tracking turnstile activity
C) electronic devices that record TV viewing habits
D) phone-interview tracking procedures

Question 77

Net Assets is a regional Internet company that has decided to conduct online research through its business. What is a major feature of such online research?

A) People consider it more intrusive and, therefore, results are more detailed for the researcher.
B) The ease of answering a survey online encourages higher response rates.
C) It can be extraordinarily time consuming.
D) It is associated with increased costs.

Question 78

Which statement best describes online surveys?

A) They allow researchers to establish rapport with the respondents and explain confusing or vague questions.
B) They allow participants to respond at their leisure.
C) They are a highly time consuming method.
D) They are more intrusive than telephone surveys.

Question 79

What is the average size of a focus group?

A) 3-7
B) 8-12
C) 13-17
D) 18-22

Question 80

Overall, what is the ideal method for obtaining primary data about consumers?

A) telephone interviews
B) focus groups
C) videotaping behaviour over an extended period of time
D) personal interviews conducted face-to-face