Deck 4: Conducting Marketing Research and Forecasting Demand

Question 1

Unistar Inc., is an FMCG company that produces a wide range of offerings such as grocery items and personal care products. If Unistar wants to estimate the demand for its new line of body moisturizers, which are all priced at $18, it should opt for ________ research.

A) descriptive
B) exploratory
C) prescriptive
D) causal
E) qualitative

Answer 1

A

Question 2

A field-service firm is a ________.

A) custom marketing research firm
B) syndicated-service research firm
C) specialty-line marketing research firm
D) consumer marketing research firm
E) social marketing research firm

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following types of marketing research firms gathers consumer and trade information and then sells it for a fee (e.g., Nielsen Media Research)?

A) custom marketing research firms
B) syndicated-service research firms
C) specialty-line marketing research firms
D) generic marketing research firms
E) focused marketing research firms

Answer 3

B

Question 4

If the goal of marketing research is to shed light on the real nature of a problem and to suggest possible solutions or new ideas, the research is said to be ________.

A) descriptive
B) quantitative
C) primary
D) secondary
E) exploratory

Question 5

Anne, a beautician by profession, owns a salon in Bangkok, Thailand. Every weekend, she makes it a point to visit the other salons in Bangkok to find out about the beauty services they offer to customers. Anne is attempting to conduct market research by _______.

A) studying customer behavior
B) forming alliances with competing firms
C) using experimental research techniques
D) checking out rivals
E) tapping into marketing partner expertise

Question 6

The marketing research process begins by ________.

A) developing a research plan
B) defining the problem, the decision alternatives, and research objectives
C) analyzing the internal environment
D) reading marketing research journals
E) contacting a professional research consultant

Question 7

Quick Research, is a firm which collects and processes household data and sells it to other firms which produce consumer durables. Quick is an example of a ________.

A) custom marketing research firm
B) specialty-line marketing research firm
C) syndicated-service research firm
D) generic marketing research firm
E) focused marketing research firm

Question 8

The goal of ethnographic research is to ________.

A) capture cause-and-effect relationships by eliminating competing explanations of the observed findings
B) understand consumers' behavior by observing a sample groups discussing various topics of interest at length
C) study demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, and so on, in relation to consumer buying patterns
D) analyze customers' purchasing behavior through catalog purchases and customer databases
E) immerse the researcher into consumers' lives to uncover unarticulated desires that might not surface in any other form of research

Question 9

The marketing manager needs to know the cost of the research project before approving it. During which stage of the marketing research process would such a consideration most likely take place?

A) Step 1: defining the problem
B) Step 4: analyzing the information
C) Step 5: drafting the report
D) Step 2: developing the research plan
E) Step 3: collecting information

Question 10

You are the marketing research director of a medium-sized manufacturing firm and you would like to engage an outside marketing research firm to conduct field interviews. Which of the following options categories of marketing research firms should you use?

A) syndicated-service research firms
B) custom marketing research firms
C) global research management firms
D) specialty-line marketing research firms
E) brand management specialty research firms

Question 11

________ are data that were collected for another purpose and already exist.

A) Primary data
B) Secondary data
C) Primitive data
D) Cross-sectional data
E) Ordinate data

Question 12

Designing a research plan calls for decisions on all of the following EXCEPT ________.

A) research objectives
B) data sources
C) research approaches
D) research instruments
E) sampling plans

Question 13

Which of the following is considered to be the last step in the marketing research process?

A) presenting findings
B) analyzing information
C) controlling the environment
D) arriving at a decision
E) drafting the report

Question 14

A company would like to study the impact of advertising expenditure on sales and sales revenue. This is an example of ________ research.

A) prescriptive
B) causal
C) secondary
D) exploratory
E) qualitative

Question 15

________ approach uses concepts and tools from anthropology and other social science disciplines to provide deep cultural understanding of how people live and work.

A) Cognitive research
B) Inductive research
C) Archaeological research
D) Ethnographic research
E) Deductive research

Question 16

Before Sandra opened her florist shop she read all she could about the floral industry. She also consulted several published research reports to understand growth patterns in the local area with particular interest in the location of florists throughout the city. This ________ helped her to decide on the location of her store.

A) primary data
B) secondary data
C) primitive data
D) tertiary information
E) licensed information

Question 17

________ is the systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data and findings relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company.

A) Marketing communications
B) Internal marketing
C) Marketing research
D) Market segmentation
E) Marketing planning

Question 18

Primary data can be collected in several ways. Installing CCTV cameras in a retail store whereby consumers' actions can be recorded is an example of ________.

A) focus group research
B) survey research
C) observational research
D) behavioral research
E) experimental research

Question 19

________ provide diagnostic information about how and why we observe certain effects in the marketplace, and what that means to marketers.

A) Marketing insights
B) Marketing metrics
C) Marketing channels
D) Marketing information systems
E) Marketing-mix models

Question 20

A(n) ________ is a gathering of 6 to 10 people carefully selected by researchers based on certain demographic, psychographic, or other considerations and brought together to discuss various topics of interest at length.

A) target group
B) pilot group
C) focus group
D) customer base
E) ethnographic group

Question 21

In which of the following qualitative method are subjects asked to complete an incomplete stimulus?

A) word association
B) projective techniques
C) visualization
D) brand personification
E) laddering

Question 22

With respect to the sampling plan, three decisions must be made: (1) the sampling unit-who is to be surveyed; (2) sample size-how many people should be surveyed; and (3) ________.

A) sample cost-how much does sampling cost
B) surveyor skill-who should conduct the survey
C) sample security-how should the sample data be protected
D) sampling procedure-how should respondents be chosen
E) sample supervisor-who leads the sampling effort

Question 23

An item in a questionnaire states that "most politicians cannot be trusted." Respondents are required to provide their answers by choosing any one of the following options: 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree, 5) Strongly agree. This is an example of a ________.

A) semantic differential
B) word association question
C) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)
D) Likert scale
E) dichotomous question

Question 24

Why must the researchers avoid generalizing from focus-group participants to the whole market?

A) Participants' responses are not reliable.
B) Most of the participants are likely to be ignorant about the topic of discussion.
C) The size of the group is too small and the sample is not drawn randomly.
D) Most of the participants are likely to exhibit similar tastes and preferences.
E) The participants usually come from diverse backgrounds.

Question 25

The most scientifically valid research is ________ research.

A) observation
B) focus-group
C) survey
D) behavioral
E) experimental

Question 26

Which of the following rules must be kept in mind while framing a questionnaire?

A) Use broad and loosely defined words in the questions.
B) Avoid using response bands.
C) Ensure that fixed responses overlap.
D) Frame hypothetical questions.
E) Allow for the answer "other" in fixed-response questions.

Question 27

________ requires people to create a collage from magazine photos or drawings to depict their perceptions.

A) Brand personification
B) Projective technique
C) Visualization
D) Laddering
E) Metaphor Elicitation Technique

Question 28

Because of its flexibility, ________ are the most common technique of collecting primary data.

A) questionnaires
B) telephonic interviews
C) behavioral research studies
D) experimental designs
E) focus groups

Question 29

________ allow respondents to answer in their own words and often reveal more about how people think.

A) Open-end questions
B) Dichotomous questions
C) Likert scale questions
D) Multiple choice questions
E) Semantic differential questions

Question 30

The primary purpose of ________ is to identify the range of possible brand associations in consumers' minds.

A) experimental research
B) deshboarding
C) laddering
D) semantic differentials
E) word associations

Question 31

Which of the following is used to assess people's knowledge, beliefs, preferences, and satisfaction and to measure these magnitudes in the general population?

A) observational research
B) descriptive research
C) quantitative research
D) survey research
E) experimental research

Question 32

________ is designed to capture cause-and-effect relationships by eliminating competing explanations of the observed findings.

A) Experimental research
B) Behavioral research
C) Observational research
D) Focus group research
E) Descriptive research

Question 33

In which of the following types of tests is a picture presented and respondents are asked to make up a story about what they think is happening or may happen in the picture?

A) visual perception test
B) Rorschach Ink-blot Test
C) story completion test
D) Thematic Apperception Test
E) Renfrew Action Picture Test

Question 34

If a marketing researcher chooses to use word associations, the researcher is using ________.

A) closed-end questions
B) Likert scale questions
C) open-end questions
D) rating scale questions
E) semantic differential questions

Question 35

A question that respondents can answer in an almost unlimited number of ways is called a ________.

A) structured question
B) closed-end question
C) completely unstructured question
D) dichotomous question
E) multiple choice question

Question 36

Which of the following is true of qualitative research?

A) It is a structured measurement approach that permits a range of possible responses.
B) It is means of ascertaining consumer perceptions that may otherwise be difficult to uncover.
C) It requires large sample sizes.
D) Its results can be easily generalized to broader populations.
E) It generally results in similar results and conclusions across researchers.

Question 37

As the marketing manager of Cominform Pte Ltd., a manufacturer of health drinks, you have selected 10 individuals who match the profile of your target customer, to participate in a discussion on changing lifestyle trends related to health. You have also hired a skilled moderator to facilitate the discussion and ensure that everyone participates and stays focused on the topic. The moderator provides questions and probes based on the "script" prepared by you. The discussions are also recorded for further analysis. Which of the following methods of acquiring primary data is being used in this case?

A) observational research
B) surveys
C) behavioral data
D) experiments
E) focus groups

Question 38

The question "What is your opinion of the measures taken by the government to control inflation?" is an example of a ________ question.

A) semantic differential
B) word association
C) completely unstructured
D) story completion
E) dichotomous

Question 39

"Truancy should be checked in schools: 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree, 5) Strongly agree." This is an example of a ________.

A) Likert scale
B) semantic differential
C) multiple choice question
D) Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT)
E) dichotomous question

Question 40

A scale that connects two bipolar words is called a ________.

A) dichotomous question
B) multiple-choice question
C) Likert scale
D) semantic differential
E) word association

Question 41

________ flash an ad to a subject with an exposure interval that may range from less than one hundredth of a second to several seconds.

A) Tachistoscopes
B) Audiometers
C) Polygraphs
D) GPS systems
E) Galvanometers

Question 42

________ attached to television sets in participating homes now record when the set is on and to which channel it is tuned.

A) Tachistoscopes
B) Polygraphs
C) GPS systems
D) Audiometers
E) Galvanometers

Question 43

After collecting the relevant information, the next step in the marketing research process is to ________.

A) develop the research plan
B) define the problem and research objectives
C) present the project report
D) make the final decision
E) analyze the acquired data

Question 44

After computing averages and measures of dispersion for the major variables and applying advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional findings from the gathered information, the researchers ________.

A) define the problem, the decision alternatives, and the research objectives
B) present findings relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management
C) evaluate the costs associated with data collected
D) analyze the appropriateness of the data sources used
E) develop the research plan

Question 45

Which of the following statements about audiometers is true?

A) It usually takes a long time to gather information through audiometers.
B) The audiometers is able to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them.
C) The response rate for audiometers has been typically lower than for mailed questionnaires.
D) Governments generally encourage audiometer setups by firms.
E) Audiometers attached to television sets in participating homes now record when the set is on and to which channel it is tuned.

Question 46

A ________ has been defined as a coordinated collection of data, systems, tools, and techniques with supporting software and hardware by which an organization gathers and interprets relevant information from business and environment and turns it into a basis for marketing action.

A) marketing metric
B) marketing channel system
C) marketing decision support system
D) marketing research system
E) database management system

Question 47

Two complimentary approaches to measure marketing productivity are ________ and marketing-mix modeling.

A) quality ratios
B) salesperson satisfaction rates
C) marketing metrics
D) retailer satisfaction indices
E) customer feedback surveys

Question 48

Which of the following is an advantage of online research?

A) Samples are generally representative of the target population.
B) Members of online panels and communities tend to have low turnover.
C) Online research is relatively free of technological problems and inconsistencies.
D) People tend to be honest and thoughtful online.
E) Online research is slow but gather detailed information.

Question 49

________ measure the interest or emotions aroused by exposure to a specific ad or picture.

A) Tachistoscopes
B) Polygraphs
C) Galvanometers
D) Audiometers
E) GPS systems

Question 50

Which of the following is one of the key disadvantages of online market research?

A) Online research is expensive.
B) Online research is time consuming.
C) People tend to be dishonest online.
D) Online research lacks versatility.
E) Samples can be small and skewed.

Question 51

The ________ phase of marketing research is generally the most expensive and the most prone to error.

A) contact
B) research planning
C) questionnaire design
D) interview design
E) data collection

Question 52

Which of the following is an advantage of personal interviews?

A) It is a relatively inexpensive method of gathering information.
B) The possibility of interviewer bias is minimized.
C) Participants can choose to respond at their own convenience.
D) It facilitates anonymous responses.
E) Interviewers can record additional observation about the respondent such as body language.

Question 53

________ are a structured way to disseminate the insights gleaned from the two complementary approaches to measuring marketing productivity within the organization.

A) Marketing metrics
B) Marketing decision support systems
C) Marketing dashboards
D) Marketing segments
E) Marketing mix models

Question 54

If a marketing researcher wishes to reach those people who would not give personal interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by interviewers, he or she should use ________.

A) mail questionnaires
B) telephonic interviews
C) online interviews
D) focus groups
E) observational research

Question 55

All of the following are considered to be among the seven characteristics of good marketing research EXCEPT ________.

A) the scientific method
B) research creativity
C) multiple methods
D) ethical marketing
E) independence of models and data

Question 56

Why do firms employ two or three research methods?

A) To exhibit similar tastes and preferences.
B) To show findings are equal across different customer segments.
C) To show a unique approach to what they do.
D) To increase confidence in the results.
E) The firms want to provide consumers with a greater number of research choices.

Question 57

According to the concept of ________, a series of increasingly more specific "why" questions can reveal consumer motivation and consumers' deeper, more abstract goals.

A) word association
B) projection
C) visualizing
D) brand personification
E) laddering

Question 58

Thailand's Boon Rawd Brewery conducted a brand personification study and found that Leo, a local beer, was perceived to have a mature personality that values Thai heritage. Singha, another local beer, was perceived as having an international Thai personality - someone who is modern and proud to be a Thai, and yet a citizen of the world with international ambitions. Heineken was viewed as the Master European Brewer, while Chang, a low-cost beer targeted at the rural market, had no clear brand personality. Which of the following qualitative research approaches relates to the approach described above?

A) projective techniques
B) visualization
C) brand personification
D) laddering
E) brand architecture

Question 59

Which of the following is considered to be the most versatile of all the contact methods?

A) mail questionnaires
B) telephone interviews
C) personal interviews
D) online interviews
E) field trials

Question 60

In ________ interviews, researchers stop people at a shopping mall or busy street corner and request an interview on the spot.

A) intercept
B) arranged
C) group
D) structured
E) behavioral

Question 61

London Business School's Tim Ambler believes the evaluation of marketing performance can be split into two parts: ________.

A) long-term results and changes in brand equity
B) short-term results and changes in brand equity
C) long-term results and changes in consumer perceptions
D) short-term results and changes in profitability
E) changes in market share and changes in profitability

Question 62

Marketing insights often explain certain effects in the marketplace.

Question 63

When the companies engage students to design and carry out projects, the payoff to the students is experience and visibility; the payoff to the companies is a fresh set of eyes to solve problems at a fraction of what consultants would charge.

Question 64

Most large companies prefer to use external marketing research consultants rather than employ their own marketing research department.

Question 65

The purpose of causal research is to test a cause-and-effect relationship.

Question 66

A good example of a syndicated-service research firm is Millward Brown.

Question 67

A ________ records how well the company is doing year after year based on measures such as the average perception of the company's product quality relative to its chief competitor.

A) customer-performance scorecard
B) stakeholder-performance scorecard
C) marketing balanced scorecard
D) vendor scorecard
E) generic scorecard

Question 68

The goal of exploratory research is to shed light on the real nature of the problem and to suggest possible solutions or new ideas.

Question 69

________ analyze(s) data from a variety of sources, such as retailer scanner data, company shipment data, pricing, media, and promotion spending data, to understand more precisely the effects of specific marketing activities.

A) Marketing metrics
B) Marketing-mix models
C) Marketing forecasting
D) Marketing intelligence databases
E) Marketing decision systems

Question 70

Secondary data are data freshly gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific research project.

Question 71

According to marketing consultant Pat LaPointe, the ________ measurement pathway of the marketing dashboard reflects how prospects become customers.

A) customer metrics
B) unit metrics
C) cash-flow metrics
D) brand metrics
E) productivity metrics

Question 72

When the marketers of a mobile phone manufacturing company want to determine the impact of individual media such as television and online display ads on sales as well as that of trade activities like every day low price, off-shelf display and so on, they usually use ________.

A) marketing metrics
B) market segmentation strategies
C) market capitalization techniques
D) market basket analysis
E) marketing-mix models

Question 73

If a company actively tracks the satisfaction of its suppliers, banks, and distributors, it is using what is called a ________.

A) customer-performance scorecard
B) stakeholder-performance scorecard
C) marketing balanced scorecard
D) vendor scorecard
E) generic scorecard

Question 74

Which of the following is an internal marketing metric that companies need to monitor?

A) market share
B) consumer satisfaction
C) relative perceived quality
D) total number of customers
E) relative employee satisfaction

Question 75

After developing the research plan, the marketing researcher should define the problem and research objectives.

Question 76

Which of the following refers to the set of measures that help firms to quantify, compare, and interpret their marketing performance?

A) marketing diagnostics
B) marketing information systems
C) marketing simulation
D) marketing intelligence
E) marketing metrics

Question 77

James collected primary data when he distributed a survey to dorm residents to discover their attitudes and opinions on campus life.

Question 78

According to marketing consultant Pat LaPointe, the ________ measurement pathway of the marketing dashboard focuses on how well marketing expenditures are achieving short-term returns.

A) customer metrics
B) unit metrics
C) cash-flow metrics
D) brand metrics
E) productivity metrics

Question 79

Which of the following is an external marketing metric that companies need to monitor?

A) resource adequacy
B) staffing or skill levels
C) active innovation support
D) market share
E) relative employee satisfaction

Question 80

Custom marketing research firms sell field interviewing services to other firms.