Whatever you write in your paper, it will all be a marketing study. On the one hand, it is good because you at least have some idea about what awaits you. On the other hand, you must remember that this is a very broad subject area that will change and transform, depending on the topic that you choose.
That is why we continue to talk about studies, and at the end of this article we will give a list of possible topics.
Basic Principles and Stages of Marketing Research
The implementation of marketing research requires compliance with certain principles, which will guarantee its effectiveness. Such basic principles include:
- Consistency;
- Complexity;
- Economy;
- Efficiency;
- Reality;
- Accuracy;
- Objectivity;
- Regularity.
The definition of a problem and the formulation of objectives of the study are the main priorities. The process of research occurs in several stages.
At the first stage, specialists formulate the subject and agree on goals. Therefore, the choose the main problem, the solution of which will determine the outlook for the following stages.
Objectives of the study may be:
- Exploring: you should provide collection of certain previously researched data, on the basis of which it is possible to make a hypothesis.
- Descriptive: you should include a description of a specific problem (phenomenon).
- Experimental: you should provide the testing of a hypothesis about a certain cause-and-effect relationship between the phenomena investigated.
At the second stage, secondary marketing data are analyzed, which are collected from internal and external sources. Such collection is a result of other studies, or it can be assembled for completion of some other tasks. This stage is called "desk" research.
Secondary information can be collected from internal and external sources.
Sources of internal secondary information:
- Financial and statistical reports of a firm;
- Sales data on products and markets;
- Customers’ accounts;
- Data from previous studies, etc.
Sources of external secondary information:
- Publications of government agencies or in particular handbooks, statistical reviews;
- Periodicals, books;
- Commercial information sold by commercial research firms.
When studying such data, it is necessary to verify their conformity to objectives, reliability (that means they have been properly collected and developed), relevance (that is means the information used is sufficiently modern to make an administrative decision), and objectivity (that means there was a principle of impartiality applied when the information was collected and worked out).
Secondary data are often the starting point for research. They help clarify a problem and identify whole studies. However, in most cases, they cannot provide all necessary information, and a company must collect primary data through so-called "field studies".
Primary information is collected specifically to achieve the specific goal of a particular study.
The great complexity of collecting primary data requires careful preparation. The plan for collecting primary information should at least determine:
- Method of research;
- The principle of sampling;
- Research tools;
- The way to communicate with an audience.
In the process of collecting primary data, a research object, costs, and duration are determined, as well as who will carry out research, methods of collecting information and presenting current data.
Secondary and primary information has certain positive and negative properties.
Advantages of secondary data:
- Low price;
- Availability;
- Promptness of receipt;
- Ability to compare data from different sources;
- Availability of data that sometimes cannot be obtained independently.
Disadvantages of secondary data:
- Incompleteness;
- Reliability of information from certain sources is not guaranteed;
- Presence of obsolete ones is possible;
- Inconsistency of data from different sources is possible;
- The methodology of its collecting and processing is often unknown.
Advantages of primary data:
- It is collected for specific purposes of the study;
- It is not obsolete;
- The methodology of collection is controlled by a company;
- Access to research results is limited for competitors.
Disadvantages of primary data:
- Data collection takes a lot of time;
- It needs significant expenditures;
- Not all information can be collected in this way;
- Due to insufficient qualification of researchers it may be inaccurate.
The analysis stage of received and grouped information provides the implementation of its division and systematization according to certain characteristic features and the analysis of data for individual elements of problem research behind the methodology of statistical, logical and sociological approaches.
Results of analytical studies of individual elements and sections of the problem under study are united by spheres and directions.
Results of marketing research should be introduced the form of a report. Based on the results obtained, a firm develops proposals for improving the sales system, the flow of goods, pricing, sales, marketing, expansion of the production range, after-sales service, and other activities that are the part of documents aimed at improving the efficiency of company's production and commercial activities.
Possible Thesis Topics
As usual, we have selected the possible topics. Note that a thesis is a much more responsible task than a simple essay, and it requires a different approach and different energy costs. If you choose not the best topic for an essay, you can always change it. But the wrong topic for a thesis is a disaster. If you realize that the issue is uninteresting to you in the middle of the writing process, it will be too late to change anything. Therefore, evaluate all pros and cons in advance, read various materials, perhaps, consult with your supervisor.
- Development of criteria for assessing effectiveness of special events in shopping centers.
- Development of integrated marketing communications in the real estate market.
- Organization of advertising activities in an enterprise.
- Ecological marketing.
- Introduction of information services for microelectronics enterprises on condition of resource limitations.
Do not forget that your topic should be relevant. This will be the first thing you will write about in your thesis. Tell what helps strengthen the influence of marketing, why researching into your topic can be useful and for whom specifically. Approach your paper with responsibility, and you will succeed.