QUESTIONS:

1. What is involved in marketing research and why companies use it?
2. Describe how it is used each of the following marketing research methods:
   • Perceptual mapping for positioning
   • Scanner data for pricing and coupon experiments and brand switching
   • Surveys for assessing customer satisfaction
   • Focus groups for concept testing
   • Cluster analysis for segmentation
   • Conjoint analysis for testing attributes
3. Assume you are a top-level manager and decided to use a single focus group. You get excited you will know what some customers say, and be able to prepare a marketing plan with the results. Why do you know this is premature? On the other side, how many focus groups are enough to support a marketing plan?
4. Imagine designing a conjoint analysis for an ice-cream parlor. In particular, you're in charge of the phone and curve orders. While they're a simple foodstuff, they can be created in many combinations. What factors should you test in terms of your customers' likely preferences? Design a conjoint analysis that would result in identifying 2 or 3 popular combinations that your customers could order every day. Which combination would make your customers most satisfied?