Marketing Communications

Download free eBooks at bookboon.com

Marketing Communications
Advertising Research

STEPS IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS

1. RECOGNISE A DECISION SITUATION: the first step is the recognition that a unique
   advertising or promotional problem exists.


2. DEFINE THE DECISION PROBLEM: the advertising manager needs to define and clarify
   the main issues and causal factors operating in the decision situation. The research team
   and techniques are important factors used for identifying what fundamental variables are
   causing problems and what needs correction.


3. IDENTIFY ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION:- a course of action involves the
   specification of some combination of the promotion mix variables. The best alternative
   must be identified because the effectiveness of management decision-making depends on
   the quality of the alternatives considered. This process requires a high standard of creative
   thinking process and information usage.


4. EVALUATE THE COURSES OF ACTION: in order that a decision can be made, there must
   be at least two courses of action identified and uncertainty concerning which course of
   action will maximize the attainment of management objectives. Research is a valuable tool
   in the evaluation of alternative courses of action.


5. SELECT A COURSE OF ACTION: non-routine situations involve substantial uncertainty
   in research information as a way to reduce the uncertainty inherent in the selection of a
   course of action.


6. IMPLEMENT AND MODIFY: research supplies the means for monitoring the
   effectiveness of action selected and the situational variables that influence the
   programme performances. (Warshaw, and Kinnear, 1983)

RESEARCH PROBLEM

Every decision situation often presents a problem of understanding what are the variables operating in
such a situation. Research provides data about operating variables in a decision situation. It is important
for a researcher to define the problem properly.

DEFINING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

RESEARCH PROBLEM is an interrogative statement that depicts a relationship existing between two
of more variables.

It often consists of at least two variables, independent variable – the cause and dependent variable,
the effect.

For example, a marketing manager can ask, “why is the sales of product – X falling fast?” The drop
in sales has provided the symptom for a research problem, which has led to the formulation of the
research question.