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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

3.4.3 Step 3: Obtaining problem-specific data

Obtaining problem-specific data is also known as formal investigation where the marketing research methods we mentioned earlier are put into practice. The researcher needs to draw up a research design, which is a plan for what data is needed to test the hypotheses, how it is to be collected, and how it is to be analysed.

There are four main methods for collecting the data ¾ survey, observation, experimental and focus groups.

Survey methods are the most common method of collecting primary data. In fact, the general public tends to equate marketing research with surveys. As they are so well-known they can sometimes be implemented with insufficient skill or care, making it difficult or unreasonable for the respondent to give useful answers. For instance, Table 3.5 outlines some errors you may recognise from participating in a survey yourself.

Table 3.5 A questionable questionnaire

Suppose that a summer camp director has prepared the following questionnaire to use in interviewing the parents of prospective campers. How would you assess each question?

What is your income to the nearest hundred dollars? People don't usually know their income to the nearest hundred dollars, nor do they want to reveal their income that closely. Moreover, a researcher should never open a questionnaire with such a personal question. Are you a strong or weak supporter of overnight summer camping for your children? What do strong and weak mean? Do your children behave themselves well at a summer camp? Yes ( ) No ( ) "Behave" is a relative term. Furthermore, are yes and no the best response options for this question? Besides, will people answer this honestly and objectively? Why ask the question in the first place? How many camps mailed literature to you last year? This year? Who can remember this? What are the most salient and determinant attributes in your evaluation of summer camps? What are salient and determinant attributes? Don't use big words on me! Do you think it is right to deprive your child of the opportunity to grow into a mature person through the experience of summer camping? A loaded question. Given the bias, how can any parent answer yes?

Source: Armstrong and Kotler (2005. p. 126)

Another way of analysing consumer behaviour is the observational method . This technique gives accurate information on what consumer behaviour takes place as well as when it takes place, but is weak in explaining why it happens. Still, it is a valuable and unobtrusive form of data collection. Experimental methods simulate real-life situations. They can range, for instance, from having a lab-style supermarket shelf where respondents are asked to select a brand from all those on display to test-marketing a new product in supermarkets of selected cities.

The focus group method comprises an informal session of eight to ten people whose discussion is guided by a trained moderator (or group leader). Naturally the discussion focuses on the topic of the hypothesis or research problem. An example of focus group based research is that of customers aboard the Royal Viking Queen cruise ship. This article will also be of use when we discuss consumer behaviour in the next chapter. Turn to it now and the following one by Ligerakis (2004) on using the Internet for primary data collection.

Reading 3.3

Marti, B. E. 1995, 'Marketing aspects of consumer purchasing behaviour and customer satisfaction aboard the Royal Viking Queen', Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing , 4 (4), 109-116.

Reading 3.4

Ligerakis, M. 2004, 'E-research gathers pace', B&T , 6 February, p. 16.

Activity 3.3

Write down a couple of potential problems that may have resulted in inaccurate findings from the Royal Viking Queen focus groups.

Consider this

You have probably experienced surveys of one form or another as a respondent. Ask yourself: Were you annoyed at the time taken? Did you give accurate responses? Did you feel the questions got to the root of your experience as a consumer of the product?

(Analysing your own survey encounters may make you sensitive to the advantages and disadvantages of the various survey methods.)

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