My Paper

Marketing Debate: What Is the Best Type of Marketing Research?

MKT 500 Marketing Management

Xining Li (Sam)

Background

Quantitative marketing research utilizes the quantitative research techniques to the area of marketing researches. It’s based on the positivist view of the world and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process where the buyer and seller both satisfy on the “four Ps” of marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion.

Quantitative marketing research typically is composed of questionnaires and scales. Respondents are asked to complete the survey.  Marketers use this information to understand the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to develop marketing strategies and plans accordingly.

On the other hand, Qualitative marketing research is used after surveys, to explain their meanings. Although qualitative research sample is relatively small and fast, it can provide marketers with insight and in depth results. For example, diary accounts, open-ended questionnaires, unstructured interviews and unstructured observations are the typical information gathered by qualitative marketing research. Qualitative data is typically descriptive data and as such is harder to analyze than quantitative data.

Why Quantitative marketing research

Strength in numbers characterizes the many advantages of quantitative research. Quantitative research statistically measures customer behavior, attitudes and performance. Utilizing a series of tests and techniques, quantitative research will often output data that's referred to a larger population. Because it is so deeply based on numbers and statistics, quantitative research has the capability to translate data into easily quantifiable charts and graphs effectively. For example, a rating scale or closed questions on a questionnaire would generate quantitative data as these produce either numerical data or data that can be put into categories (e.g. “yes”, “no” answers)....