Methodology

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Chapter Eighteen
Communicating the Research Results Managing
Marketing Research
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Chapter Eighteen Communicating Research

• Become aware of the primary purposes of a
  research report
• Learn how to organize and prepare a research
  report
• Learn how to make a personal presentation
• Understand the effective use and communication
  of
• marketing research information

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The Research Report

• Explain why the research was done -
• What were the motivations for doing the
  research?
• Was there a problem that had to be addressed?
• State the specific research objectives
• What do you hope to learn?
• What are your research goals?
• Explain how the research was done
• What type of sampling did you use and why?
• Did you do surveys, focus groups, interviews,
  etc?
• Present the findings of the research -
• In what form written slide presentations,
  oral?
• How can you make the findings practical and
  actionable?
• Provide conclusions and recommendations -
• Conclusions for descriptive research
• Recommendations for analytic research

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The Research Report

• Title Page
• Include the submitters information
• Letter of Transmittal
• Letter giving ownership of the research.
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• A page or two highlighting the key findings.
• Background
• Relevant historical information that set the
  stage for the research
• Methodology
• Detail how you conducted the research

• The Key
• Components

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The Research Report

• Findings
• Dovetail the findings with research objectives
  and tie in secondary data into the primary
  findings. Combination of a descriptive and
  analytic approach is generally best
• Limitations
• Discuss problems faced and how they were
  handled.
• Conclusions
• Summarize the key headlines of the research
  findings.
• Recommendations (when appropriate)
• Give management action items based on the
  research.
• Appendices
• Relevant supporting documents, tables, data, etc.

• The Key
• Components

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Reporting the Results

• Some Formatting Tips
• Use bulleted charts when appropriate
• Use text to discuss / elaborate on bullets
• Follow proper writing standards
• Use a minimum of text to convey message
• Don't use too many different graphic types
• Multiple graphics on a page can tell a story
• Dont use over-hyped text
• Appearance - be professional and consistent.

Sample Bar Chart
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Reporting the Results

• Comparative Bar Charts

• Area Graphs

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Reporting the Results

• Comparative Pie Charts

• Stacked Bar Charts

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Reporting the Results

• Line Graph

• Pie / Bar Comparison

• 3-D Bar Charts

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The Presentation

• When Presenting, One Might Use
• A presentation outline
• Visuals - charts on easels, PowerPoint, etc.
• Copies of the final report
• Web options
• Executive summary
• Researcher contact information.
• One Might Want to Convey
• What the data are telling you
• The impact of the data on managerial decision
  making
• What course of action is recommended
• What future studies might be needed
• What was missing from this study
• How the researcher might be aided in future
  research.

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The Presentation

• Tailored to the Audience - Understand Their
• Frame of reference
• Attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and prejudices
• Educational background
• Time constraints
• Position with the organization
• Interest in hearing the results.
• Understanding the Barriers to Effective
  Communication
• Assess the listeners way of listening
• Be responsive to questions in a positive way
• Dont be defensive to criticism
• Take some time to size up the listener's
  personality type.

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The Presentation

• Persuasion - Using the Research Findings to
  Reinforce Conclusions
• Questions the researcher should keep in mind
• What do the data really mean?
• What impact do they have?
• How can the data be conveyed simply?
• How can one make the data valuable and
  applicable?
• What have we learned from the data?
• What do we need to do given the information we
  now have?
• How can future studies of this nature be
  enhanced?
• What can make information such as this more
  useful?

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The Presentation

• Key Factors in the Use of Marketing Research
• The perceived creditability and usefulness of
  the report to the users
• The degree of client and researcher interaction
• The organizational climate for research
• The personality and job tenure of key users.
• The Role of Trust
• Key components of trust between the researcher
  and the decision makers
• A function of interpersonal relationship and
  skill
• Perceived and actual integrity of the
  researcher
• Delivering what is promised
• Being accessible to management / receivers of
  the research
• Perceived willingness of the researcher to
  reduce user uncertainty
• Confidentiality, expertise, professionalism, and
  follow-up.

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Selling the Value of Research

• Issues in Convincing Management
• of the Research Value

• Increase sales and improve customer
  satisfaction
• Better position the company competitively
• Make investors happy
• Improve company effectiveness and efficiency
• Help the company control costs
• Help the company identify opportunities
• Lead to tangible quality and performance
  measures
• Enable the company to stay ahead of customers
  needs and wants.

Chapter 18