M303 Marketing Research

FALL 2026
M303
Marketing Research
Introduction to Marketing Research

Where we are

01Orient

Meet one another and understand how the course will work.

02Frame

See how M303 covers the full marketing-research process.

03Begin

Ask why marketing decisions need evidence rather than intuition alone.

Learning Objectives

01Define business and marketing intelligence

Understand how organizations connect information to decision makers.

02Define marketing research

Explain how research links the firm and the marketplace through information.

03Recognize its importance

Understand why marketing decisions require evidence, not guesses alone.

Opening diagnostic

CHOOSE ONE
Which statement best describes marketing research?
A

It is another name for analyzing data.

B

It connects a firm and its market through information.

C

It begins only after a manager has selected a solution.

Outline

01Introductions

Get acquainted and establish how we will work together.

02Course overview

Expectations, assessments, materials, and the term project.

03Marketing research

Why firms need evidence—and what research contributes.

Your instructor

Aerial view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus
FROM ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYETripAdvisor's most popular travel destination in 2014
Koray Cosguner (Core - Eye)
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Ph.D. in Marketing, Washington University in St. Louis
M.A. in Economics, Koç University, Türkiye
B.S. in Engineering, Bilkent University, Türkiye

RESEARCH

Modeling and analyzing marketing agents' behaviors through the use of statistical and econometric models.

Marketing Science · Management Science · Journal of Marketing Research

CONTACT

kcosgun@iu.edu · (812) 778-0074
Office hours by appointment via Zoom
Email me to schedule · iu.zoom.us/my/kcosguner

Your information

INFORMATION SHEET ON CANVAS
  • First and last name
  • Nickname or preferred form of address
  • Pronunciation, if helpful
  • Major and year
  • Marketing research expertise or relevant experience
  • Expectations for the course
  • Something interesting about yourself

Course outline

Problem
formulation

Preliminary stages of marketing research

Research
design

Choose an appropriate research design

Data
collection

Secondary data
Primary data
Sampling

Data analysis &
recommendations

Fundamentals of data analysis
Preparation of data for analysis
Descriptive statistics, simple tabulations, and cross-tabulations
Hypothesis testing
Correlation and regression analysis

Marketing Research vs. Analytics

01Problem formulation &
research design
→
02Data
collection
→
03Data analysis &
recommendation
M303 · MARKETING RESEARCHThe entire research process
M346 · MARKETING ANALYTICS

What will we do?

THEORY
LecturesLearning through lectures, discussion, and in-class demonstrations
Lecture notesCore concepts and frameworks
ExamsAssess understanding of core concepts
PRACTICE
Practice assignmentsFour applied data-analysis assignments in the second half of the course
Term projectConduct a study and present recommendations
In and out of classDiscussions, data demonstrations, exercises, and assignments

How your grade is built

Three exams establish the foundation; practice assignments and the term project turn knowledge into skill.

Exams3 × 20%60%
Practice assignments4 × 5% · Data-analysis half20%
Term projectReport 10% + Presentation 10%20%
Total100%

Course expectations

3
EXAMS
Non-cumulative

Multiple-choice and true/false questions

4
PRACTICE ASSIGNMENTS
Applied data analysis

Four assignments in the second half of the course. Instructions and required data files will be posted on Canvas.

1
TERM PROJECT
Integrated research project

Group project; groups finalized September 3; includes a written report and presentation.

In-class practice: we will work through research problems together.Exam support: a study guide will be provided before each exam.Project reminders: Canvas reminders will follow the suggested syllabus timeline; they are not separate graded assignments.

The term project follows the full research journey

A team project that begins with a managerial decision and ends with an evidence-based recommendation.

01

Frame

Select a firm or context and develop four research questions.

02

Collect

Design a short survey and gather 70–80 responses.

03

Analyze

Match each question to an appropriate statistical analysis.

04

Recommend

Translate findings into managerial recommendations.

DELIVERABLES
Report 10% + Presentation 10%
Zoom consultations · Dec 1 & 3Presentations · Dec 8 & 10
15–20 minutes per team, including 1–2 minutes for Q&A

Course materials

NO REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
Everything you need will live in one place.

Canvas will contain lecture notes, instructions, and required data files.

WEB TOOLS
Instructor-designed analysis tools

Hypothesis testing · Regression · Conjoint analysis

koraycosguner.github.io/tools.html
Excel and R are optional.
Examples and demonstrations will be presented in class.

The use of GenAI

AI
A LEARNING TOOL
Use it transparently—and keep the thinking yours.
01

You are encouraged to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a tool to assist in your learning process, including assignments.

02

Always acknowledge GenAI use in your assignments and cite it appropriately. Do not present AI-generated work as your own.

03

Use GenAI to supplement—not replace—your critical thinking and problem-solving. You are responsible for inaccurate, biased, offensive, or otherwise unethical content you submit.

04

The exception is exams: GenAI use is prohibited during exams. I will also collaborate with GenAI to develop course content, including readings, datasets, and research exercises.

Important dates

Practice assignments begin with data analysis; project checkpoints are ungraded reminders.

SEPTEMBER
Exam 1 · Sep 22Groups finalized · Sep 3
OCTOBER
Exam 2 · Oct 22Practice Assignment 1 · Oct 15
NOVEMBER
Exam 3 · Nov 19Practice Assignment 2 · Nov 3
Practice Assignment 3 · Nov 12
DECEMBER
Presentations · Dec 8 & 10Zoom consultations · Dec 1 & 3
Practice Assignment 4 · Dec 3
Report/slides · Dec 8
Please contact me as early as possible about documented exam conflicts.
No technology during class sessions.

Introduction to Marketing Research

Marketing research materials arranged on a desk
LECTURE 01
Introduction to
Marketing Research
Why firms need research.

Why do we need marketing research?

Vintage New Coke advertisement or Classic Coca-Cola logo
Have you heard this story before?
NEW COKE · 1985

Tropicana

What do you notice?
DEC 31, 2008Original package
JAN 1, 2009Redesign launches

Netflix–Qwikster

Qwikster and Netflix branding
Have you heard this story?

Why not just make educated guesses?

“
I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
Thomas Watson · IBM chairman · 1943
IBM logo

Educated guesses

“
Interesting and well formed, but in order to earn better than a C, the idea must be feasible.
Yale professor · feedback on Fred Smith’s paper proposing what became Federal Express
FedEx logo

Educated guesses

Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.

Darryl Zanuck
20th Century Fox Films

AI-generated vintage television set

Educated guesses

With over fifty foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market for itself.

Business Week · 1968

Everything that can be invented has been invented.

Charles Duell · Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents · 1899

There is little reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.

Ken Olsen · DEC president and founder · 1977

Why not just use managerial intuition?

01

People are poor at learning from experience.

02

People have poor intuitive senses for the dollar value of information.

03

People process information with limited capacity and predictable biases.

Managers are people!

Why is managerial decision-making difficult?

Managerial decisions are difficult because they are…

What is business intelligence?

Multiple sources
→
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

The ability to access data from multiple sources within an organization and deliver it to business users for analysis.

→
Business usersAnalysis

How business intelligence works

Business Intelligence
Financial IntelligenceManagement IntelligenceMarketing IntelligenceAccounting Intelligence…
Marketing ResearchCustomer Relationship Marketing / Database Marketing
Primary SourcesSecondary SourcesStandardized Sources
PROVIDE DATA ON
ProspectsCustomersCompetitionProducts / Markets

What is marketing intelligence?

Market intelligence (MI) is the process of acquiring and analyzing information in order to…
— Cornish, S. L.

Why do we need marketing intelligence?

  1. Producers have little direct contact with consumers because of geographical distance and channel layers.
  2. Channel partners have limited knowledge of customer attitudes, preferences, and changing tastes.
  3. Firms need to monitor competitors and market changes.
  4. Management goals involve sales targets and market-share achievement.
  5. Firms need to identify successful new-product developments early to support growth and revenue maximization while balancing costs and prices.
  6. Because the future is uncertain, firms need to look at least five to ten years ahead.

What is marketing research?

DEFINITION

Marketing research is all activities that provide information to guide marketing decisions in the marketplace.

→
SHORTER

Marketing research is the link between the firm and the market through information.

Adapted from Sudman & Blair (1998, p. 6)

Marketing research in action

SCENARIO
A food-delivery app is considering a membership program for students in Bloomington.

The question is not simply whether students like the idea, but what to launch, for whom, and at what price.

DECISION
Choose the plan, target, price, and message.
Students receiving a food delivery on a university campus

Listen

Interview students about ordering occasions and pain points.

Measure

Survey awareness, delivery-fee sensitivity, and desired benefits.

Test

Compare lower fees, pickup rewards, and group-order perks.

Recommend

Illustrative result: predictable delivery savings outperform pickup rewards. Pilot a low-fee plan with group-order credits.

In-class exercise

WORK IN GROUPS OF THREE
A food-delivery app is considering a membership program for students in Bloomington.
What marketing research studies should the company conduct before launch?

Possible studies

What studies would help answer the launch decision?

Course outline

Problem
formulation

Preliminary stages of marketing research

Research
design

Choose an appropriate research design

Data
collection

Secondary data
Primary data
Sampling

Data analysis &
recommendations

Fundamentals of data analysis
Preparation of data for analysis
Descriptive statistics, simple tabulations, and cross-tabulations
Hypothesis testing
Correlation and regression analysis

Before you leave

Make sure you submit the information sheet on Canvas before next class.
Anything still unclear? If so, please shoot me an email so we can clarify it next class.
First and last nameNickname or preferred form of addressPronunciation, if helpfulMajor and yearMarketing research expertise or relevant experienceExpectations for the courseSomething interesting about yourself

To sum up

01
Business intelligence

Connects business users with data.

02
Marketing intelligence

Acquires and analyzes marketing data to improve decisions.

03
Marketing research

Links the firm and the market through information.

Firms do marketing research for a reason.If not, they might fail miserably—and educated guesses can be very misleading.
If anything is unclear, shoot me an email so we can clarify it next class.

Next class

COMING NEXT
Marketing Research Process
and Problem Formulation
How do we turn a managerial problem into a researchable question?