MARKET RESEARCH PROCESS

STEPS CONSIDERATIONS
Define the problem or  What are the 2-3 main things that need answered?
Study objective  How will you make a decision?

Clarify schedule and  When do you need to deliver to decision-makers?

cost constraints

 How will you answer the key research questions?

 What type of analysis is needed?
Outline Research
 Will you use telephone surveys, mail surveys, internet surveys, personal
Design interviews, focus groups, or a combination?
 Who should participate? What are barriers to reaching them?

 Have other similar studies been done?

Develop Data  Do you want to track or trend data over time?
Collection Instrument(s)  Are you comparing to national studies?
 Do you need a screener / do you have skip patterns?
 What analysis do you intend to conduct?

 What population are you trying to describe?

Create Sample Plan  Do you need/want to represent certain sub-groups within that population?
 Create sample frame / selection process / sample size / acquire sample

 Match survey questions to the future analyses you intend to conduct

Outline Analysis Plan  Outline expected relationships, group differences, etc.

 Internally with work colleagues first

Pretest  Externally with 1-2 actual respondents
 Test flow / timing / interpretations

Collect Data  Often the longest step in the process – allow for ample data collection time in
your schedule

 A market research vendor will clean data, code open ended questions, provide
Cleaning, Coding, data tabulations and raw data
Editing
 Are there statistical differences between groups?
Analysis / Interpretation  Test your hypotheses? What relationships exist in the data?
 Do you need to weight the data?
 Do you need additional ad hoc analysis conducted?

Investigate Conflicting /  Consider following-up with respondents

Confusing Results  Consider conducting additional qualitative research

Prepare Report  Incorporate market research supplier’s final report, results of in-depth
interviews, additional in-house data analysis with your own expertise and
knowledge of the issue into deliverables (report, presentation, etc.) for decision-
makers

USE Information
 This is why you conducted the research, bought the study, etc.