Pragmatically speaking, marketing research follows a three-phase looping cycle:
-
- Discovery of the problem
- Measurement of the intensity of the problem
- Experimentation to change the effect relatable to the problem
Following on the scientific method, each phase of the marketing research cycle relies on a peculiar research approach. It must be said, however, that marketing research, market research, survey, and the like are generic terms. Depending on what you want to know, it is more appropriate to speak of one of three kinds of studies, each employing its own techniques.
Try LogRatio’s fully automated solution for the professional analysis of survey data.
In just a few clicks LogRatio transforms raw survey data into all the survey tables and charts you need,
including a verbal interpretation of the survey results.
It is worth giving LogRatio a try!
Three types of surveys
-
- Exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are often conducted in the discovery phase. They aim to identify unsolved problems; to formulate the problem in accurate and detailed terms; to identify alternative, viable solutions to the problem.
- Descriptive survey. Descriptive surveys are traditionally used to measure the intensity of the problem object of the study. This is by far the most commonly used kind of marketing research study. Typically of a quantitative nature, descriptive research can help in making predictions and estimates. However, only when we know exactly what we want to measure can we plan a descriptive study design that will produce trustworthy, useful information.
- Causal survey. Causal studies apply to the experimental phase. They help to identify the cause of what we are predicting and the effect it exerts. For instance, a question that can be addressed by means of a causal study reads: Did the price cut cause the increase in sales? Experimentation and measurement provide the only reliable basis to validate management assumptions and establish causal relationships.
Try LogRatio’s fully automated solution for the professional analysis of survey data.
In just a few clicks LogRatio transforms raw survey data into all the survey tables and charts you need,
including a verbal interpretation of the survey results.
It is worth giving LogRatio a try!