Primary And Secondary Marketing Research example essay topic

Introduction Primary Marketing research is a technique of collecting customized, original information from potential consumers that shows their buying behavior, preferences, and behaviors concerning certain products or services. Secondary marketing research is gathering information from existing sources such as figures, reports, the Internet, or demographic data. The objective of this paper is to illustrate primary and secondary marketing research and how it can benefit my organization. The primary marketing research that we used in the resort industry was surveys.

Surveys can give a company and its management a lot of information on performance, satisfaction and demographics. A combination of these types of research work well when researching and developing a marketing plan. Primary and Secondary Marketing Research Primary Marketing research is a technique of collecting customized, original information from potential consumers that shows their buying behavior, preferences, and behaviors concerning certain products or services. This type of information can be collected or obtained from customer surveys, product testing, customer purchasing records, and customer interviews. This type of information is usually collected for a specific type of objective.

As a note secondary marketing is not as accurate or specific as primary marketing research. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources (SUNY at Albany). For example, secondary marketing research can tell you the amount the average consumer spent on at a ski shop, a restaurant or at a ski resort but is unable to forecast or estimate the future spending or spending limits. Credit card companies are a good example of secondary marketing research because they can show what has been charged and where but can not forecast the spending habits for the future.

This information is also generic to an area and is unavailable for specific individuals. How Primary and Secondary Marketing is used in the resort industry The primary marketing research that we used in the resort industry was surveys. Many types of surveys were used including and not limited to one on one interview surveys, internet surveys, mail surveys and customer satisfaction surveys. These surveys included pertinent data such customer service satisfaction, overall experience, travel habits, rental equipment requirements and region.

Our customers were encouraged to be completely honest when it comes to their responses and they were thanked by the resort for their time filling out our survey with a complimentary ticket to return again during the season or for a discount in the restaurant or boutique. These surveys gave management an idea of areas that needed improvement and what the public thought of the resort. In the resort industry I had a rapport with American Express and we were able to find out the demographics of those spending money at ski shops, ski resorts and hotel stays. This information was used to plan our marketing strategy for the season and the areas to concentrate on with the highest number of travelers and sports enthusiasts. This secondary marketing research worked well and gave us a lot of information solely based on past purchases but couldn't predict the future spending habits of these travelers. We were able to pinpoint and target market certain areas according to purchases.

We did not know specific people and individual amounts spend but we were able to decipher regions to market heavier and those that didn't prove to be worthwhile. This research saved us time, money and energy. This is a way to work smarter and not harder. Conclusion In conclusion, my professional opinion would be that primary and secondary marketing research is best utilized as team or compliment to the other.

I feel that if a company has a product or service that it wants to market, it must know not only to who it wants to market it to, but also where to market it. As a note secondary marketing is not as accurate or specific as primary marketing research but it is needed to compliment or complete the primary research. It has been proven in the resort industry that both primary and secondary research works well together and is very useful. Types of research need to be redefined as necessary to benefit the business to the fullest. The most important feature of secondary sources is that they offer an interpretation of information gathered from primary sources. Reference: University at Albany SUNY (2001).

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