This document provides an overview of market research for business and public affairs executives. It outlines the key steps in conducting market research: defining objectives, reviewing secondary data sources, conducting primary research through surveys or interviews, analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data, reporting findings and implications, and taking action based on the research. Market research helps organizations make smarter investments, be more competitive, and depoliticize major decisions. Both small and large budgets can be effective, though larger budgets allow for primary research.

2. Overview
This is a high-level introduction to market^
research that should give business and
public affairs executives just enough insight
to effectively scope and oversee their
organization’s research projects.*
^Market = consumers, voters, audiences
*This presentation assumes that you will be managing staff, or securing
consultants, capable of conducting social science research.
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

3. Outline
Why do market research?
II. Scoping and budgeting
III. Secondary research
IV. Primary research
V. Analysis
VI. Reporting
VII. Taking Action
VIII. More info…
I.
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

4. Why do market research?
•
What's it for?
 Saves money (make smarter investments).
 Makes you more competitive.
 Limits influence of hunches, emotions, and pride
(depoliticizes decisions/strategy).
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

5. Why do market research?
•
Who needs it? (hint: almost everyone)
 Any org with a lot at stake!
 Any org or dept looking to depoliticize a major
decision.
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

6. Why do market research?
•
Example applications…
 Product development
 Strategy evaluation or formulation
 Messaging optimization
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

7. Scoping:
Setting research objectives
•
•
•
•
What, precisely, would you like to know?
How, and by whom, will your research
findings be used?
How soon do you need to know?
How reliable should your findings be?
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

8. Scoping:
Budgets and big decisions
•
How big is your budget? (w/HR)
Very Small (<$5K):
Reasonable (>$5K):
• Usually limited to “secondary
research” (working with others’
data).
• Able to do “primary research”
(your own study/data).
• Difficult to get data on
specialized populations.
• Limited to the kinds of data the
original researchers gathered.
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved
• Add’l costs: research design,
recruiting, deeper analysis.
• Able to get data on very specific
populations.
• The kinds of data you gather are
up to you.

9. Secondary research:
Is the data already available?
•
Some popular data-sets for secondary
research:
 U.S. Census (very broad; biz and public affairs):
www.census.gov
 Pew Research (public affairs):
www.pewresearch.org/data/download-datasets/
 Industry reports (be cautious)
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

10. Secondary research:
Is the available data suitable?
•
If it’s available, are you sure it's actually
applicable to your circumstances?
• Is it valid or logically “generalizable” to the
•
population of concern?
If not, keep looking or be prepared to
conduct your own study(ies)…
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

11. Primary research
•
•
Your OWN study(ies)
Two methods: quantitative or qualitative
 Quantitative (reliable and precise, IF well
designed)
○ Surveys
○ Experiments (often involving surveys)
 Qualitative (much less reliable and less
precise, BUT context-rich and less costly)
○ Focus groups
○ Interviews
○ Ethnographies
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

12. Analysis
•
Quantitative = Statistics (seeking useful
and statistically significant
patterns/correlations)

•
•
Descriptive
 Inferential
Qualitative = Researcher interpretation
and/or coding (usually for later statistics)
BOTH methods must employ techniques
for ensuring reliability.
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

13. Reporting
•
•
How in-depth should the report be?
How should it structured?
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

14. Reporting
•
Exec Summary Example:
Intro
II. Methodology
III. Findings (parsing themes and highlights)
IV. Managerial implications (e.g. strategy
recommendations)
I.
a)
For business: Make sure to check your findings for
implications upon each of the “4 P’s” (i.e. your
marketing mix).
V. Appendix (data and notable analyses)
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

15. Take action
•
What now? – ACT to…
 Implement strategy adjustments
 Adjust/create products
 Adjust/create promotional campaigns
 And so on…
© Copyright 2013, Jude Calvillo – All Rights Reserved

16. Thanks / More Info…
For more info, consulting, or repurposing:
Jude Calvillo / Sovereign Market
Phone: 888.568.4849
Email: Click here
LinkedIn (bio): linkedin.com/in/judecalvillo
Website: www.SovereignMarket.com