Marketing and processes

Primary (field) research is the process of collecting primary data. This is information which has been gathered for a specific purpose through direct information such as observation, surveys and through experiment. This is always carried out personally by the business as no one else has yet collected because it has been specially collected for this particular piece of research. This allows you to decide who and what is asked. However this can be time consuming and you have to take into account whether people will be willing to answer and if their answers are honest and reliable.

Secondary (desk) research is the process of collecting secondary data. This is information which already exists, such as accounts and sales records, government statistics, newspaper articles or reports from advertising agencies. This is information which is already available, both within and outside the business. Advantages of using Secondary data is that it is already available and therefore time is saved on collecting the data, also it allows you to use huge amounts of data so that the final outcome is more precise and the overall research is more successful. However, it may be difficult to find the specific data you require for your research and some data available may not be appropriate for what you are looking for, so that the questions you are asking may not be answered. Also some data available may out of date and not suitable to include in your research. Sometimes collecting Secondary data can be expensive if agencies are used or if a company charges you for the data that they have already gathered.

2.3 Choice and Justification of Market Research methods I will use

The market research methods I intend to use are as follows:

Primary

I intend to use a questionnaire in my market research because it will allow me to decide who and what is asked so that I can achieve the results that I require. This will also allow me to ensure that the results I obtain are up to date and relevant towards my research.

Secondary

I am going to use the internet in my market research as it has a wider range of data for me to access and will allow me to attain more specific results in relation to my task. This will not be expensive and should enable to me to find results that are appropriate and up to date.

I plan to get hold of leaflets from already up-and-running leisure centres so that I can acquire data from successful businesses in this market. This should give me information on the general marketing methods of businesses in this market so that I can achieve a general idea of the techniques already in use for attracting customers and maintaining sale whilst increasing profits.

I am going to use the notes I took when the guest speaker visited our class from Durham County Council. This will help me in the construction of my questionnaire, as Mr Batty gave us valuable advice about his own first hand experience.

Caroline Lemon October 2003

GCSE Business Studies Coursework