As you've learned, market research is the process of planning, collecting, and analyzing data relevant to a marketing decision.

Review the information on the role of market research.
In a paragraph describe how your current employer or a former employer uses market research or, if you do not think your employer does, discuss how the company could use market research. Give specific examples.
(note: if you've not held a job yet, think about an organization you may have volunteered with or a school group you have been involved with or interview a parent or friend about their employer).

Part 2
Choose two of the following questions to discuss (I encourage you to choose questions that will challenge you).

Are small business owners at a disadvantage if they lack the marketing research resources large companies have? Why or why not? How?
What drawbacks do you see associated with conducting surveys online? Are privacy issues greater with online surveys than with other forms of administering surveys, such as phone, face-to-face, or mail?
You need to conduct research on consumer acceptance for a new product. Describe the process you would use. How would your project change if the product solved an embarrassing problem? What would your challenges be in that situation?
Given the way people tweet about customer service, why do companies still use mystery shoppers? Why not simply follow tweet volume and content to see if service is good?

Part 3
Pizza Hut is going through some challenges and has asked you to identify the most suitable market research or market information approach they should use to help gather information. They've supplied you a list of possible research approaches to choose from.

What research approach(s) from the list below should be used if Pizza Hut wanted to know:

Their market share?
The population around a new store they are thinking of opening?
The likely success of launching their new “super-chili pizza”?
Whether they should launch a new TV advertising campaign that uses athletes who eat pizza?
What impact McDonald’s new healthy food menu is having on their sales?
LIST OF POSSIBLE APPROACHES

= Secondary data – government statistics
= Secondary data – internal records
= Focus groups with customers
= Focus groups with both customers and non-customers
= Mystery shopper research
= Telephone survey with customers
= Telephone survey with both customers and non-customers
= Experiment (test marketing)
= No research required – just do it
= Other research approach
Discuss:

Are there situations where more than one research approach could be suitable? Why do you think that this would be the case?
What are the implications of using the wrong form of research design?