Overview
The marketing environment comprises forces—internal and external—that influence a firm’s ability to serve customers. Marketing research systematically collects, analyzes, and interprets data about this environment to support evidence‑based decisions.
Key Concepts
- Microenvironment: Company, suppliers, intermediaries, competitors, publics, customers.
- Macroenvironment: Demographic, economic, natural, technological, political/legal, cultural forces (DESTEP).
- Environmental Scanning: Continuous monitoring of trends, threats, and opportunities.
- Marketing Research Process: Define problem → Develop research plan → Collect data → Analyze → Report.
- Data Types: Primary (surveys, focus groups, observation, experiments) vs. secondary (internal databases, syndicated reports).
- Sampling Techniques: Probability (simple random, stratified) vs. non‑probability (convenience, quota).
- Analytics Tools: Crosstabs, regression, cluster analysis, sentiment analysis.
Step‑by‑Step Example
Scenario: A grocery app sees declining orders from Gen Z users. Design a research plan to uncover causes.
- Problem Definition: Why is Gen Z monthly order frequency down 18 %?
- Research Plan: Mixed‑method—online survey + TikTok focus groups.
- Data Collection:
- Survey 400 Gen Z customers (probability sample) on price sensitivity and UX pain points.
- Conduct 3 virtual focus groups to probe attitudes toward competitor apps.
- Analysis: Regression shows delivery fee elasticity is –2.1; thematic coding of focus groups highlights desire for carbon‑neutral delivery.
- Report: Recommend student‑discount fee tier and carbon offset badge to regain share.
Quick Tip
Triangulate insights—combine quantitative surveys for “what” and qualitative interviews for “why” to build richer strategies.