Purpose
This article basically tries to have a look into the effectiveness of marketing efforts being carried out by the companies. While posing introspective queries about the modus operandi and the desires effects or workability of marketing efforts, the article also talks about providing inputs to marketing professionals for making the marketing techniques more effective.
Business Problem under investigation
Marketing decision makers have always wanted to make their marketing moves as effective as possible, based on whatever knowledge they gain about the market. But, what is worrying Gordon A. Wyner (2002), the writer of this article, is that the research process often ends up ignoring some of the issues, which happen to be equally crucial in making marketing efforts successful. Citing an example, it is stated that emphasis is often given to measuring things like product, advertisement, and purchase for achieving rigor in sampling and quantitative analysis. But it is felt that parameters which are difficult to quantify like brand, customer service, and segmentation often fail to attract adequate attention of the researcher.
Underlining the importance of such researches, Wyner (2002) has grouped the marketing research methods into two general groups;
- The methods which measure the effects of marketing stimuli i.e. which measure the net outcome of marketing campaigns carried out by the company.
- The methods which measure the contribution of customers towards a successful marketing strategy.
The writer has also tried to find out the key limitations in finding out the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. The limitations that have been mentioned are;
- Marketing research is stated to be weekly linked to the financial outcomes of the business.
- The tuning of marketing research with the feasibility aspect is far from being comprehensive.
- Thirdly, the paper states that often the marketing efforts are limited to a narrow subject area, which prevents them from combining information and insights to address overall business problems.
Subsequently the articles suggests some steps like preparing the research parameters in tune with the decision making schedule and marketing objectives and integrating the existing researches with the one’s being carried out.
Data Collection Methods
Wyner (2002) has relied more on secondary sources for qualitative data, for preparing this introspective paper as the nature of this study involves a broader analysis of the subject.
Conclusions drawn
This study concludes that, “Researchers should apply their skills in structured analysis to explain the rewards and costs of alternative paths. To truly make marketing more effective, decision makers need to understand marketing, economics, and organization”. That is the research will be more effective if all supporting activities are also taken into account, besides the marketing objectives.