1. By HARI KRISHNA

2. (1) Marketing research offers
suggestions and not
decisions:
Marketing research is not a substitute for
decision making process. It only offers
possible suggestions/solutions to marketing
problems. It actually acts as a tool that
facilitates decision-making process. It guides
marketing managers in taking balanced,
result-oriented and rational decisions. The
suggestions offered by marketing researchers
are usually possible/probable solutions but not
the exact solutions. MR does not provide
readymade solutions to marketing problems. It
only provides indicators. It may not provide
conclusive information on marketing problems.

3. (2) Marketing research
cannot predict accurately:

In MR, efforts are being made to estimate or predict
the possible future situation. For this/ certain
research studies are undertaken. However, the
results/ conclusions arrived at may not be complete,
perfect or accurate. Future is always uncertain and
exact prediction about the future is just not possible
through marketing research. This is because market
environment is ever changing consumer behavior is
difficult to estimate correctly and reliable data for
research purpose may not be available. As a result,
the decisions taken and policies framed on the basis
of such research studies may not be accurate and
useful for solving current marketing problems.

4. (3) MR conclusions are not
always dependable:

There are many who are skeptics of MR. Their
criticism is that MR conclusions are not dependable.
There are examples where the research failed to
deliver desired results or a product failed even when
the research had shown promising market demand
and consumer support. The classical example is that
of Coke. Its MR showed that 68% customers in US
liked the taste of the new formula developed by the
Coca-Cola Corporation. However, the New Coke
failed and in less than six months of its launch, the
Coke management had to re-launch old Coke under
the brand name Coke Classic. However, this failure
of MR was mainly due to conventional approach of
researchers.

5. (4) Not an exact science:

Since marketing research plates to consumers, it cannot
be accepted as an exact science. Both quantifiable and
non-quantifiable factors have to be assessed with the help
of various techniques available to formulate marketing
policies that will help to achieve maximum sales. The
technical part of marketing research comes into operation
particularly while collecting, analyzing, interpreting facts
and figures. No amount of sophistication makes the
subject an exact science. Because, as stated earlier, it
concerns primarily the consumer as a human being Study
of human behavior precludes absolute mathematical
accuracy Probable trends, at the most can be indicated
within pre-determined limits. This sets a basic limitation to
marketing research.

6. (5) Time lag in presentation
and implementation:

There are other constraints as well that make for qualified
utility of marketing research in decision-making. For
example, there is the limitation of time. Collection of data,
their checking as to accu-racy and analysis and
presentation often involve considerable time. The
formulation of policies and their implementation as also
their subsequent evaluation, which are a necessary
follow-up, also take time. People’s tastes and preferences
are subject to frequent changes. It is, therefore necessary,
keeping in mind the scope and nature of marketing
research, that the projects should be completed in time to
ensure their utility. In this process, at times, as a
compro-mise some accuracy may have to be sacrificed,
but the degree of it can be decided in relation to the
specific circumstances.

7. (6) Limitations of
personnel:

Another constraint that is experienced pertains to
personnel and its quality. Trained, well-equipped and
well-directed research personnel can improve the
quality and utility of marketing research. In the
absence of this, research is likely to be costly and
unreliable. Correct and complete information has to
be collected from the respondents tactfully. The
interviewer has to be reasonably aware of the
psychological make-up of the persons that are being
interviewed and should be able to analyze their
thoughts and reactions. Apart from this, interviewers
may have their own failings
and weaknesses.
Hence the training interviewers and investigators is a
must.

8. (7) A cost-generating
operation:

Marketing research is expensive. The existence of
sellers’ market or a sheltered market in many
developing countries in particular has also been
responsible for an apathetic approach to
marketing research. However, with the growth and
development of their economies, the marketing
conditions are changing in favor of buyers and the
need for and the value of marketing research are
being increasingly recognized by the enterprises in
these countries also. With the communication
between the purchaser and the manufacturer
becoming indirect, meagre and unsatisfactory and
as a result of competition, the manufacturer is
increasingly becoming anxious to know the

9. (8) Marketing research
cannot study all marketing
problems:
 Marketing research is rather very wide
in
scope. However, it cannot study all
marketing problems particularly where it is
difficult to collect relevant data. Similarly,
research study is not possible where value
judgments are involved. Even it is not
useful for dealing with urgent marketing
problems where quick decisions and
follow-up actions are necessary.Thus, all
marketing problems are not researchable
and all research problems are not
answerable.

10. (9) Resistance by
marketing executives:

Researchers study marketing problems
and offer information and guidance to
marketing executives in their decisionmaking
process.
However,
some
executives are reluctant to use the
solutions suggested by the researchers.
They feel that such extensive use will act
as a threat to their personal status.
Findings of the research work may bring
them in difficulties if the policy-decisions
taken accordingly prove to be wrong.

11. ( 10) Lengthy and timeconsuming activity:

MR is a lengthy and time-consuming
activity. It involves various stages/steps,
which need to be completed in an orderly
manner. It is not desirable to conduct
research work in a haphazard manner.
Naturally, the research work takes longer
period for completion and the findings
when available may prove to be old and
outdated. Even data collected very soon
become old or historical due to fast
changing market environment. As a result,
research findings based on them become
irrelevant in the changed situation.

12. (11) Complexity of the
subject:

Marketing research fails to give complete
and
full
proof
solutions
to
management.This
is
because
marketingresearch itself is not an exact
science. It is concerned with the study of
human beings and human behavior is
always difficult to predict, errors in drawing
conclusions are possible due to this human
element in marketing research activities.
Errors in the research studies are also
possible due to uncertainty of human
behavior and also because of nonavailability of reliable data.

13. (12) Non-availability of
qualified staff:

For scientific MR, professional marketing
researchers with proper qualifications,
training and experience are necessary.
Research work is likely to be incomplete/
unreliable in the absence of such expert
staff. Companies find it difficult to have the
services of such expert staff. They find it
difficult to pay high salary to professional
consultants. Research activities are
conducted in limited areas due to nonavailability of properly qualified staff. Such
staff includes statisticians, psychologists,
sociologists, economists and computer
experts.

14. ( 13) Changing behaviour of
consumers:

Consumer is the focal point in marketing
research. However, his buying motives
are difficult to judge precisely and
accurately. This brings some sort of
uncertainty in the conclusions drawn
from the research activity. The findings
of the research work (particularly in the
case of consumer research) may not
prove to be accurate.

15. (14) Absence of effective
communication:

The research activity will be useful and
result-oriented only when there is
meaningful dialogue between the
marketing management and marketing
research team. However, such dialogue
is ineffective in many organizations. This
make’ research activity ineffective.