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• Module overview
• 1. What is marketing?
  • 1.1 What is marketing?
    • 1.1.1 Different uses of the term 'marketing'
    • 1.1.2 Different levels of marketing
    • 1.1.3 A definition of marketing
  • 1.2 Clarification of the marketing definition
    • 1.2.1 Outputs
    • 1.2.2 Inputs
    • 1.2.3 Exchange
  • 1.3 Development of marketing
  • 1.4 Types of marketing
  • 1.5 What is a service?
    • 1.5.1 Characteristics of services
    • 1.5.2 A service definition
    • 1.5.3 Classifications of services
    • 1.5.4 Services: a growth sector
  • 1.6 Marketing in the maritime industry
  • 1.7 Towards social and ethical responsibility
    • 1.7.1 Common criticisms of marketing
    • 1.7.2 Social impact of marketing
  • 1.8 Summary

• 2. Strategic marketing management

  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 The environments
    • 2.2.1 External environment
    • 2.2.2 Internal environment
    • 2.2.3 Mission statements and objectives
    • 2.2.4 Resources
  • 2.3 Controllable factors
  • 2.4 The strategic marketing management process
    • 2.4.1 Planning
    • 2.4.2 Implementation and control
    • 2.4.3 Marketing plan
  • 2.5 Types of marketing strategies
    • 2.5.1 Strategic considerations for services
  • 2.6 Summary

• 3. Marketing research and information systems

  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 The marketing information system (MIS)
  • 3.3 Marketing research
    • 3.3.1 Scope of research
  • 3.4 The marketing research process
    • 3.4.1 Step 1: defining the problem
    • 3.4.2 Step 2: analysing the situation
    • 3.4.3 Step 3: obtaining problem-specific data
    • 3.4.4 Step 4: interpreting the data
    • 3.4.5 Step 5: solving the problem
  • 3.5 Summary

• 4. Consumer and B2B buying behaviour

  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 Consumer buying behaviour
    • 4.2.1 Psychological influences
    • 4.2.2 Cultural and social influences
    • 4.2.3 The decision-making process
  • 4.3 B2B buying behaviour
    • 4.3.1 Business buying processes
    • 4.3.2 Main types of business markets
  • 4.4 The buying of services
  • 4.5 Summary

• 5. Segmenting markets, targeting and positioning

  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Market segmentation
    • 5.2.1 Dimensions used to segment markets
  • 5.3 Target markets
  • 5.4 Market positioning
  • 5.5 Summary

• 6. Product planning and decisions

  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Product concepts
    • 6.2.1 The total product concept
    • 6.2.2 Product classifications
    • 6.2.3 The service offering
  • 6.3 The product mix
  • 6.4 Branding
  • 6.5 Packaging
  • 6.6 Product life-cycle
  • 6.7 Product development
  • 6.8 Summary

• 7. Pricing considerations

  • 7.1 What is the 'price' of a product?
  • 7.2 Pricing environments
  • 7.3 Pricing objectives
  • 7.4 Pricing policies
    • 7.4.1 Discount and allowance policies
  • 7.5 Price setting
    • 7.5.1 Cost-oriented price setting
    • 7.5.2 Demand-oriented price setting
    • 7.5.3 The price setting process
  • 7.6 Summary

• 8. Marketing logistics networks

  • 8.1 Introduction
  • 8.2 Definition of distribution
  • 8.3 Channels of distribution
    • 8.3.1 Selecting channels
    • 8.3.2 Main Australian channels
    • 8.3.3 Distributing services
    • 8.3.4 Managing channels
  • 8.4 Managing distribution
  • 8.5 Distribution and ports
  • 8.6 Summary

• 9. Integrated marketing communications

  • 9.1 Communication with a purpose
  • 9.2 Marketing communication process
  • 9.3 The promotional mix
  • 9.4 Managing advertising
  • 9.5 Managing publicity and public relations
  • 9.6 Managing personal selling
  • 9.7 Managing sales promotion
  • 9.8 Summary

• 10. E-commerce and direct marketing

  • 10.1 Introduction
  • 10.2 Direct marketing
  • 10.3 Electronic commerce
    • 10.3.1 Successful e-commerce
  • 10.4 Online marketing
  • 10.5 Using customer databases
  • 10.6 Privacy issues
  • 10.7 Summary

• 11. Managing the service encounter

  • 11.1 Introduction
  • 11.2 Participants
    • 11.2.1 Customers
    • 11.2.2 Service personnel
  • 11.3 Managing the service encounter
    • 11.3.1 Role theory
    • 11.3.2 Script theory
  • 11.4 Process
    • 11.4.1 Operations management and services
    • 11.4.2 Manufacturing efficiency
    • 11.4.3 Improving services efficiency
    • 11.4.4 Matching supply and demand
  • 11.5 Physical evidence
    • 11.5.1 Types of physical evidence
    • 11.5.2 Space demarcation
    • 11.5.3 Atmospherics
    • 11.5.4 Servicescapes
  • 11.6 Summary

• 12. Customer relationship management

  • 12.1 Introduction
  • 12.2 Customer relationship management
  • 12.3 Customer satisfaction
    • 12.3.1 Benefits of customer satisfaction
  • 12.4 Service quality
    • 12.4.1 Conceptual model of service quality
    • 12.4.2 SERVQUAL
  • 12.5 Summary

3.4.2 Step 2: Analysing the situation

Situation analysis or informal investigation is an attempt to go deeper than mere definition and to explore factors internal and external to the firm that impinge on the problem defined. Such analysis helps the firm decide whether further research is needed. This sort of preliminary research allows the researcher to come up with tentative explanations or solutions.

The type of data collected in a situation analysis is secondary data, as opposed to primary data that is collected in the next step. Secondary data is data collected by other people for their own purposes, whereas primary data is data collected by yourself (or by someone working for you) for your own purposes.

Turn now to the next reading that highlights the advantages and disadvantages of secondary and primary data.

Reading 3.2

Evans, J. R. and Berman, B. 1992, Marketing , MacMillan , New York ,
pp. 90, 93-94.

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