Research brief

At a meeting to decide what form the research will need to take, the client explains the marketing problem and outlines the company's research objectives. The marketing problem might be the need to attract new customers to a product group, and the research objectives to identify groups of customers (market segments) who might have a use for the product and the characteristics of the product that appeal to them most. Other information that should be provided for the research agency includes the following.

1. Background information: the product's history and the competitive situation.

2. Sources of information: the client may have a list of industries that might be potential users of the product. This helps the researchers to define the scope of the research.

3. The scale of the project: is the client looking for a 'cheap and cheerful' job or a major study? This has implications for the research design and survey costs.

4. The timetable: when is the information required?

The client should produce a specific written research brief. This may be given to the research agency prior to the meeting and perhaps modified as a result of it but, without fail, should be in the hands of the agency before it produces its research proposal. The research brief should state the client's requirements and should be in written form so that misunderstandings are minimized. In the event of a dispute later in the process, the research brief (and proposal) form the benchmarks against which it can be settled. It is typical to brief two or three agencies as the~ extra time involved is usually rewarded by the benefits of more than one viewpoint on the research problem ... and a keener quote!

Research proposal

A research proposal lays out what a marketing research agency promises to do for its client, and how much this will cost. Like the research brief, the proposal should be written in a way that avoids misunderstandings. A client should expect the following to be included.

1. A statement of objectives: to demonstrate an understanding of the client's marketing and research problems.

2. What will be done: an unambiguous description of the research design-including the survey method, the type of sample, the sample size and how the fieldwork will be controlled.

3. Timetable: if and when a report will be produced.

4. Costs: how much the research will cost and what, specifically, is/is not included in those costs.

When assessing a proposal, a client needs to ensure that it is precise, jargon-free and that it addresses all the issues the client expects.

Exploratory research

Prior to the main qualitative data collection stage, exploratory research is employed to carry out the preliminary exploration of a research area. This usually occurs between acceptance of the research proposal and the main data collection stage, but can also take place prior to the client / agency briefing meeting and before submission of the research proposal, as an aid to its construction. Exploratory research techniques allow the researcher to understand the people who are to be interviewed in the main data collection stage, and the market that is being researched. The main survey stage can thus be designed with this knowledge in mind rather than being based on the researcher's ill-informed prejudices and guesswork.

A project may involve all or some of the following exploratory research activities:

• secondary research;

• qualitative research (group discussions and depth interviews);

• observation.