Research methods for marketers

 Part 1 RESEARCH CONTEXT As a prominent local research expert, you have been approached to carry out some initial exploratory secondary research on behalf of the above proposed business, as well as a plan for appropriate primary research. The following paragraphs outline the research context and ‘brief’. You have been recruited as a local researcher by the ‘No Alcohol’ Institute; a research organisation sponsored and funded by the UK Government. The purpose is to carry out a study of attitudes to alcohol among university students in Leicester. The ‘No Alcohol’ Institute wishes to develop an awareness programme among students in Leicester during January 2020 of the health risks arising from excessive alcohol intake. Before launching that programme, they want you to get data for them on some of the following: • The wider background situation in the UK concerning alcohol related problems. • attitudes of current undergraduate students in the age range 19-24 to drinking alcohol and managing alcohol intake. • current student social behaviour patterns around alcohol • student perceptions of their own drinking habits and that of family members or friends, including any financial implications. • how and why some students might experience issues of alcohol abuse or addiction, or related problems, when they come to study away from home. Also, the ‘No Alcohol’ Institute would be interested in identifying the level of knowledge of undergraduate students of the health risks associated with varying levels of alcohol intake. You are asked to prepare a research plan for to address the ‘No Alcohol’ Institute’s requirements. In this plan, they expect you to undertake exploratory secondary research, and some primary research, with a sample of university students in Leicester. NB The ‘No Alcohol’ Institute is an entirely fictitious organisation invented solely for the purposes of this examination case study. Part 2 PROPOSED RESEARCH TASK You will need to consider what exploratory secondary research would be useful here and how it might contribute to the later part of the study – the main data collection. For the primary research, you will need to comment on sampling, quantitative data perception and respondent choice, on the research method taken (interview, survey, focus group) and the specific insights that the proposed research can offer. Some consideration of the dimensions (issues) that the research would focus on is also important, and how the data generated could be of value to the ‘No Alcohol’ Institute. Finally, you should indicate some data analysis that is appropriate for the research method(s) you propose. Important facts You need to do some background reading on the context (secondary desk research) and to prepare ideas on the key areas noted in the task. Preliminary secondary research is needed so that you understand the patterns of alcohol consumption in the UK, some of the current behaviour and lifestyle trends and how that links to the health issues of young people in the age range 19 to 24. propose a specific main data collection process and you should consider what method would address the requirements of the ‘No Alcohol’ Institute. You are expected to demonstrate knowledge of research design, to be able to explain different parts of the research process logically and to illustrate all those elements in a relevant way in this case. Some reference to key authors is advised when considering choice of research method, sampling methods, approaches to data collection and potential data analysis.