The Role of Marketing Research

Fig. 1.2 Customer Groups

• Consumers
• Employees
• Shareholders
• Suppliers
Uncontrollable
Controllable Environmental
Marketing Factors
Variables
Marketing • Economy
• Product
Research • Technology
• Pricing
• Laws &
• Promotion Regulations
• Distribution • Social & Cultural
Assessing Marketing Factors
Providing
Information Information Decision • Political Factors
Needs Making

Marketing Managers
• Market Segmentation
•Target Market Selection
• Marketing Programs
• Performance & Control
 Organizational Chart for VNU
Fig. 1.4
Executive Board
Corporate Staff

Marketing Media Measurement Business

Information & Information Information Directories

ACNielsen Nielsen Media Research VNU Business Golden Pages

VNU Advisory Nielsen/Net Ratings Publications Gouden Gids
Services Nielsen Film VNU emedia & Paginas Amarelas
BASES Entertainment Information Marketing Paglni Auril
Claritas Nielsen Home VNU Expositions Promedia
Spectra Entertainment VNU Exhibitions Europe Telkom Directory
Market Decisions Nielsen Music Verizon Puerto Rico
Nielsen Book
Nielsen Entertainment Intel
IMS
PERO/HIC
Scarborough
SRDS
 Marketing Research Suppliers & Services
Fig. 1.5

RESEARCH
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
SUPPLIERS

FULL SERVICE LIMITED SERVICE

Field Branded
Syndicate Internet Products
Services
Services Services and Services

Standardized Customized Coding and

Data Entry Data
Services Services
Services Analytical Analysis
Services Services
 Top 50 U.S. Marketing Research Firms
Table 1.2
U.S. Rank Organization Headquarters Website ($, in millions) ($, in millions) revenue
2004 2003
1 1 VNU Inc. New York www.vnu.com $1,794.4 $3,429.2 47.7%

2 2 IMS Health Inc. Fairfield, Conn. www.imshealth.com 571.0 $1,569.0 63.6

3 4 Westat Inc. Rockville, Md. www.westat.com 397.8 397.8 —

4 5 TNS U.S. New York www.tns-global.com 396.0 1,732.7 77.2

5 3 Information Resources Inc. Chicago www.infores.com 379.6 572.8 33.6

6 6 The Kantar Group Fairfield, Conn. www.kantargroup.com 365.7* 1,136.3* 67.8*

7 7 Arbitron Inc. New York www.arbitron.com 284.7 296.6 4.0

8 8 NOP World US New York www.nopworld.com 213 408.5 47.9

9 9 Ipsos New York www.Ipsos-na.com 193.9 752.8 74.2

10 10 Synovate Chicago www.synovate.com 193.5 499.3 61.3

11 — Harris Interactive Inc. Rochester, N.Y. www.harrisinteractive.com 154.8 208.9 25.9

— 13 Harris Interactive Inc. Rochester, N.Y. www.harrisinteractive.com 116.7 155.4 24.9

— 20 Wirthin Worldwide McLean, Va. www.harrisinteractive.com 38.1 53.5 28.8

12 11 Maritz Research Fenton, Mo. www.maritzresearch.com 136.6 185.8 26.2

13 12 J.D. Power and Associates Westlake Village, Calif. www.jdpower.com 133.5 167.6 20.4

14 14 The NPD Group Inc. Port Washington, N.Y. www.npd.com 110.5 139.2 20.6

15 16 GfK Group USA Nuremberg, Germany www.gfk.com 93.0 834.6 88.9

16 15 Opinion Research Corp. Princeton, N.J. www.opinionresearch.com 91.5 147.5 38.3

 Top 50 U.S. Marketing Research Firms (Cont…)
Table 1.2
U.S. Rank Organization Headquarters Website ($, in millions) $, in millions) revenue
2004 2003
17 17 Lieberman Research Worldwide Los Angeles www.lrwonline.com 67.2 77.7 13.5

18 18 Abt Associates Inc. Cambridge, Mass. www.abtassociates.com 41.5 41.5 —

19 21 Market Strategies Inc. Livonia, Mich. www.marketstrategies.com 37.9 39.5 4.1

20 22 Burke Inc. Cincinnati www.burke.com 37.1 43.4 14.5

21 30 comScore Networks Inc. Reston, Va. www.comscore.com 34.9 34.9 —

22 24 MORPACE International Inc. Farmington Hills, Mich. www.morpace.com 31.1 34.5 9.9

23 25 Knowledge Networks Inc. Menlo Park, Calif. www.knowledgenetworks.com 29.8 29.8 —

23 34 OTX Research Los Angeles www.otxresearch.com 29.8 29.8 —

25 23 ICR/Int'l Communications Research Media, Pa. www.icrsurvey.com 29.0 29.4 1.4

26 36 Directions Research Inc. Cincinnati www.directionsrsch.com 27.3 27.3 —

27 28 National Research Corp. Lincoln, Neb. www.nationalresearch.com 26.7 29.7 10.1

28 32 Marketing Research Services Inc. Cincinnati www.mrsi.com 25.4 25.4 —

29 29 Lieberman Research Group Great Neck, N.Y. www.liebermanresearch.com 25.1 25.5 1.6

30 33 Peryam & Knoll Research Corp. Chicago www.pk-research.com 22.5 22.7 0.1

31 — National Analysts Inc. Philadelphia www.nationalanalysts.com 22.3 22.3 —

32 — Public Opinion Strategies LLC Alexandria, VA www.pos.org 21.2 21.2 —

 Top 50 U.S. Marketing Research Firms (Cont…)
Table 1.2
U.S. Rank Organization Headquarters Website ($, in millions) $, in millions) revenue
2004 2003
33 27 Walker Information Inc. Indianapolis www.walkerinfo.com 20.4 23.8 14.3

34 39 The PreTesting Co. Inc. Tenafly, N.J. www.pretesting.com 19.8 20.4 2.9

35 19 C&R Research Services Inc. Chicago www.crresearch.com 19.7 19.7 —

36 35 Flake-Wilkerson Market Insights Little Rock, Ark. www.mktinsights.com 18.8 18.8 —

37 37 Data Development Worldwide New York www.datadw.com 18.3 20.7 11.6

38 41 Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas Inc. New York www.srbi.com 17.2 17.2 —

39 45 Cheskin Redwood Shores, Calif. www.cheskin.com 16.5 19.0 13.2

40 38 RDA Group Inc. Bloomfield Hills, Mich. www.rdagroup.com 15.4 17.0 9.4

41 47 Marketing Analysts Inc. Charleston, S.C. www.marketinganalysts.com 15.2 15.6 2.6

42 46 Market Probe Inc. Milwaukee www.marketprobe.com 14.1 24.6 42.7

43 44 Savitz Research Cos. Dallas www.savitzresearch.com 14.0 14.0 —

44 42 The Marketing Workshop Inc. Norcross, Ga. www.mwshop.com 13.9 13.9 —

45 48 Ronin Corp. Princeton, N.J. www.ronin.com 13.5 13.9 2.9

46 49 MarketVision Research Inc. Cincinnati www.marketvisionresearch.com 11.8 11.8 —

47 — RTI-DFD Inc. Stanfordd, Conn. www.rti-dfd.com 11.5 11.5 —

48 — Q Research Solutions Inc. Old Bridge, N.J. www.qresearchsolutions.com 11.2 11.2 —

49 50 Data Recognition Corp. Maple Grove, Minn. www.datarecognitioncorp.com 10.8 10.8 —

50 — Phoenix Marketing International Rhinebeck, N.Y. www.phoenixmi.com 10.6 10.6 —

Total $6,291.0 $13,307.7 52.7%

All other (138 CASRO companies not included in the Top 50)3 656.6 $737.7 11.0%

Total (188 companies) $6,947.6 $14,045.4 50.5%

*Estimated by Top 50 1U.S. and worldwide revenue may include nonresearch activities for some companies that are significantly higher. See individual company profiles for
details. 2Rate of growth from year to year has been adjusted so as not to includer
 Selected Marketing Research
Career Descriptions
Fig. 1.6

Vice President of Marketing Research: The senior position in marketing

research. The vice president (VP) is responsible for the entire marketing
research operation of the company and serves on the top management
team. This person sets the objectives and goals of the marketing research
department.
Research Director: Also a senior position. The research director has the general
responsibility for the development and execution of all the marketing
research projects.
Assistant Director of Research: Serves as an administrative assistant to the
director and supervises some of the other marketing research staff
members.
(Senior) Project Manager: Has overall responsibility for design,
implementation, and management of research projects.
Statistician/Data Processing Specialist: Serves as an expert on theory and
application of statistical techniques. Responsibilities include experimental
design, data processing, and analysis.
 Selected Marketing Research Career Descriptions
Fig. 1.6 cont.

Research Director
Vice President of Marketing Research
• Part of company’s top management • Also part of senior
management
team
• Heads the development
• Directs company’s entire market
and execution of all
research operation research projects
• Sets the goals & objectives of the
marketing research department
Assistant Director of Research
• Administrative assistant to director
• Supervises research staff members

Senior Project Manager

• Responsible for design, implementation, & research
projects
 Selected Marketing Research Career
Descriptions
Fig. 1.6 cont.
Senior Analyst
• Participates in the development of projects
• Carries out execution of assigned projects
• Coordinates the efforts of analyst, junior analyst, & other personnel in the
development of research design and data collection
• Prepares final report

Analyst Statistician/Data Processing

• Handles details in execution of project • Serves as expert on theory and
• Designs & pretests questionnaires application on statistical techniques
• Conducts preliminary analysis of data • Oversees experimental design, data
processing, and analysis

Junior Analyst Fieldwork Director

• Secondary data analysis •Handles selection, training, supervision,
• Edits and codes questionnaires and evaluation of interviewers and field
• Conducts preliminary analysis of data workers
 Marketing Research Suppliers & Services

• Internal suppliers
• External suppliers
– Full-service suppliers
• Syndicated services
• Standardized services
• Customized services
• Internet services
– Limited-service suppliers
• Field services
• Coding and data entry services
• Analytical services
• Data analysis services
• Branded marketing research products
 Criteria for Selecting a Research Supplier
 What is the reputation of the supplier?
 Do they complete projects on schedule?
 Are they known for maintaining ethical standards?
 Are they flexible?
 Are their research projects of high quality?
 What kind and how much experience does the supplier
have? Has the firm had experience with projects similar
to this one?
 Do the supplier's personnel have both technical and non-
technical expertise?
 Can they communicate well with the client?

Competitive bids should be compared on the basis of

quality as well as price.
 Careers in Marketing Research
• Career opportunities are available with marketing
research firms (e.g., AC Nielsen, Burke)
• Careers in business and non-business firms and agencies
with in-house marketing research departments (e.g.,
Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, the Federal Trade
Commission, United States Census Bureau)
• Advertising agencies (e.g., BBDO International, Ogilvy &
Mather, J. Walter Thompson)
• Positions: VP of marketing research, research
director/assistant director, project manager, field work
director, statistician/data processing specialist,
senior/junior analyst, and supervisor.
A Sample of Marketing Research Jobs
 Preparation for a Career in Marketing Research

• Take all the marketing courses you can.

• Take courses in statistics and quantitative methods.

• Acquire Internet and computer skills. Knowledge of

programming languages is an added asset.

• Take courses in psychology and consumer behavior.

• Acquire effective written and verbal communication skills.

• Think creatively. Creativity and common sense command a

premium in marketing research.
 Marketing Research Associations Online
Domestic
AAPOR : American Association for Public Opinion Research
(www.aapor.org)
AMA : American Marketing Association (www.ama.org)
ARF : The Advertising Research Foundation
(www.amic.com/arf)
CASRO : The Council of American Survey Research
Organizations (www.casro.org)
MRA : Marketing Research Association (www.mra-net.org)
QRCA : Qualitative Research Consultants Association
(www.qrca.org)
RIC : Research Industry Coalition
(www.researchindustry.org)
 Marketing Research Associations Online

International

ESOMAR: European Society for Opinion and Marketing

Research (www.esomar.nl)

MRS: The Market Research Society (UK)

(www.marketresearch.org.uk)

MRSA: The Market Research Society of

Australia (www.mrsa.com.au)

PMRS: The Professional Marketing Research Society

(Canada) (www.pmrs-aprm.com)