Marketing requires research – lots and lots of research. Research is a constant process and helps marketers to make informed decisions about the strategy and tactics an organization needs in order to succeed. While many organizations use primary research to gather data, they also use a great deal of secondary research from outside sources.
One of the best outside source of research is the work done by Pew Research. Since funding for Pew’s research comes from the Pew Charitable Trust, it enables their research to be objective and arms-length from research paid for by an organization that desires a certain direction.
Have you ever wondered how Pew conducts its research? In this fascinating video, done with SAGE, leaders at Pew explain how projects are selected, initiatives are chosen, how data is collected, the designing and testing of questionnaires, data analysis, and reports are disseminated.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss the importance of research for marketing decision-making.
- Outline the six steps of research for students: problem definition, research strategy, population and sample selection, data gathering, and reporting.
- Before showing the video, instruct students to take notes on: how projects are selected; how data is collected; how questionnaires are designed and tested; how data is analyzed; and how final reports are prepared and disseminated.
- Show the SAGE video of how Pew conducts research: http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/08/the-research-lifecycle-a-look-inside-the-pew-research-center/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=23151a0ab0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_02_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-23151a0ab0-399503221
- Finally, have students search for interesting topics and research reports on Pew’s Web site.
Source: Pew Research Center, SAGE
