Core Concepts of Marketing

CHAPTER3

MARKETING RESEARCH: ANAID TO

DECISIONMAKING

LEARNING O BJECTIVES

Havingcompletedthischapter,youshould'

• Understandtheroleofmarketingresearch.


• Understandthemarketingresearch processandthetechniques
  employed.

DISCOVERINGWHYTHEY CHEW

JUiCYFruitGum, theoldestbrandoftheWm.WrigleyJr.Company, wasn'tchew-

inguptheteenmarket,gum's topdemographic.In1997,thecompanyfounditselfunder

pressurefromcompetitors.Salesandmarketshareweredown. HowcouldWrigleymake

morekidschomponJuicyFruit?

WhatqualitiesaboutJuicyFruitmightappealtoteens? Wrigleywenttothesource

to findout.It foundkidswhochewfivesticksormoreofJuicy Fruiteachweekand

promptlygavethem ahomeworkassignment.Findpicturesthatremindth emofthegum

andwritea shortstoryaboutit.Fromthefocusgroup,Wrigleylearnedth atteenschew

JuicyFruitbecauseit's sweet.It refreshesandenergizesthem.

Theiradagency,BBDO, confirmedwhattheteensweresaying. BBDOasked

morethan 400 heavygumchewerstoratevariousbrandsbyattributesthatbestrepre-

sentedthem.ForJuicy Fruit,respondentspickedphrasessuchas"hastherightamount

of sweetness"and"ismadewithnaturalsweetness."

AnotherstudybyBBDOlookedintowhyteenschewgum.Wasit becausethey're

stressedout-orbecausetheyforgottobrushtheirteethbeforegoingtoschool?Nearly

threeoutoffourkidssaidtheysticka wadintotheirmouthwhentheycravesomething

sweet.AndJuicy Fruitwasthetopbrandtheychosetofulfillthatneed(BigRedwasa

distantsecond).

Sources:"HowSweet It Is,"AmericanDemographics,March2000,p,S18;"FlavorduJour,"AmericanDemographics,March

2000,p,S I0;ErikaRasmusson,"CoolforSale,"Sales&MarketingManagement,March1998,pp.20-22,

Introduction

AlthoughthemarketingresearchconductedbytheWrigleyCo.wasfairlysimple,it pro-

videda newdirecLionfortheirmarketingstrategy.BBDOdevelopedfourTVcommercials

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