Evaluation

Evaluation research may take several forms.

Performance research
For Porter, performance research assesses how well marketing actions were carried out and the degree to which set objectives were reached. This type of research monitors the overall effectiveness of marketing management and questions whether or not further research is necessary.

Measuring advertising effectiveness
Measuring the effectiveness of advertising remains one of the most difficult tasks for marketing researchers. Because a final purchase cannot be directly linked to advertising, advertising effectiveness is measured against four parameters; awareness, likeability, interest and enjoyment. When a campaign is over, marketing research will investigate the degrees to which the target market is aware of the advertising, liked the copy, showed interest in it, and finally, assess if it was enjoyed or not.

The Marketing Manager at the Bournemouth Borough Council considers this is an important role of marketing research:

Jon Weaver, Marketing Manager, Bournemouth Borough Council

Marketing research: a critique
While marketing research can provide marketing managers with an invaluable tool, input generated by extensive research could also result in marketing failure. Take for example the case of the New Coke launch in the early 80s.

In the 80s the longstanding rivalry between Pepsi and Coke reached an unexpected twist when Pepsi's research concluded that consumers, among them, loyal Coke drinkers, preferred Pepsi. Coke's own investigation ratified these claims and incited managers to belief that product improvement was in demand.

A two-year long, four million dollars worth investigation validated the decision of replacing America¡s favorite soft drink in favor of the now infamous New Coke. However, once launched, overall sales of New Coke eventually slumped because consumers felt that an important and well-known brand had been unrightfully extracted from the market.

The New Coke blunder shows how asking the wrong questions can have a negative impact on marketing action. Research in this case should have concentrated on what Coke meant to consumers rather than just focusing on its taste.

One the main limitations of marketing research is that it removes consumers from experiencing reality. Usually marketing research removes consumers from their natural environment. Consumers are asked to think about products and services they otherwise would not have. This is also closely related to measurement. Consumer behavior is very complex and many behaviors and motivations cannot be accessed through research.

When conducting research you should also be aware of the ethical responsibilities you will have. For instance, you might be tempted to tweak information to please a client or invade a consumer's right of privacy by monitoring their online shopping behavior. At all times, you should remember that the ultimate goal of research is to provide objective findings that do not compromise consumers' wellbeing.