Page 114 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Unit 6: Rural Marketing Research

13. Foreign Government Data, International publications: These help in the area of international Notes
business as also at the introductory stage of products as they can tell about the rate of
product penetration in other countries as a bench mark for India. Of course other economic
parameters, which may be differentiating the countries, will have to be kept in mind.
Secondary data as the name itself suggests, is the data for which some body else has done the job
of collecting the information as Primary data.
At this stage it may be a good idea for the students to get some secondary Market Survey data,
by gathering information from libraries, where old copies of newspapers, magazines and other
publications are available. (You may also list down as many secondary sources as possible from
where you can get the data). Please collect information about any one of the following:
1. Mid-size car price variation in the last three years.
2. Washing powders, introduction of several new brands in the last three years.
3. New distribution systems in the area of consumer durables.

To get an idea about the objectives let us take Surf Excel as the product. You can find out the
following from your respondents (persons you are going to talk about the product).
1. Reasons why housewives prefer the product.

2. What types of housewives are likely to use the product?
3. In a given area how many would be using the product?
4. How many more would use it if a cheaper package is used to sell to another segment at a
lower rate?
5. Besides package and price what are other factors, which help the buyer to decide in favor
of the product?

Once the objectives are well defined, it is important to go to get the source of data.
Focus group research is conducted by inviting some ten/twenty persons from the market segment
of the product, to get to know from them their views about the product, its price, and channels
of distribution. The expert conductor of the meeting will ask them, “What do you think about
the quality of Surf Excel.”

With free and easy dialogue, and without the burden of family presence, persons come out and
give their frank opinions.

Tasks

1. Discuss the marketing research methods.
2. Develop a questionnaire for the organizations for the EPABX survey.

Questionnaire Method

Questionnaire consists of questions, which are of the closed type, where options are provided
and the respondent has to just give his choice from among the options. It consists of relevant
questions, which the respondents can easily answer. It is the most common and effective way of
getting the answers as it means direct contact with the user and gets the replies to the problems
baffling the marketer.

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