2017 S1 MKTG1045 Group Project PDF

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MKTG1045 MARKET RESEARCH Group Project Contents 1. Project Overview •

Project Objectives

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Project Topic

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Referencing

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Ethics

2. Group Work •

Group Enrolment

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Group Roles

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Equal Work

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Peer Evaluation

3. Assessment •

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Research Processes (15%) o

Project Milestones

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The Data Collection Instrument

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Research Participation

Research Outcome: The Final Report (25%) o

Submission of Final Report

4. Appendices: •

Appendix A: Project Topic

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Appendix B: Script for Approaching Participants

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Appendix C: Participant Information Forms

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Appendix D: Group Roles

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Appendix E: Peer Evaluation Form

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Appendix F: Milestones

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Appendix G: Project Management Marking Criteria

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Appendix H: Project Timeline

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Appendix I: Final Report Marking Criteria

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1. PROJECT OVERVIEW The group assignment allows you to critically evaluate a marketing research problem, undertake marketing research and data analyses, and develop recommendations based on that analysis. This is your opportunity to apply the theory taught in the course in a practical, applied manner. You will be given time in the tutorials to discuss your findings/research, share current problems or issues with the class and gain valuable ideas and feedback. You will also gain experience at presenting and discussing your ideas with your peers. From the assigned topic, your group will need to develop and execute a market research project that will include the collection of primary data. The project has been designed to allow each group the opportunity to develop a market research project that is unique in its research questions and methodology, thus allowing groups the opportunity to collaborate in the classroom, share ideas, and provide your peers with constructive feedback. Project Objectives Upon successful completion of this project, you will be able to: •

Develop skills that will enable you to identify management problems and translate these into feasible research objectives.

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Explain the concepts and methods of market research.

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Develop skills in directing research to maximise objective and unbiased results.

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Evaluate the relevance of research information for marketing decision-making.

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Practice critical analysis and problem solving competencies in market research.

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Work effectively in a team responding to a client brief.

Project Topic There is a single project topic this semester with different areas of focus. A detailed description of this project topic is presented in Appendix A. In consultation with your tutor, your group will choose how to personalise the topic and define the scope of your project. Referencing You will be expected to conduct secondary research and appropriately reference this research. Beyond your textbook, you should reference at least four additional texts/articles (groups that achieve the highest marks tend to reference many more than this minimum). These texts/articles will often be in the form of academic journal articles, which you can access through the library database or Google Scholar. Journals that you may want to specifically consider include: The Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Journal of Consumer Psychology. Below are some academic research articles that may serve as your starting point: •

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Russell, C.A., 2002. Investigating the effectiveness of product placements in television shows: The role of modality and plot connection congruence on brand memory and attitude. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(3), pp. 306-318. Balasubramanian, S.K., Karrh, J.A. and Patwardhan, H., 2006. Audience response to product placements: An integrative framework and future research agenda. Journal of Advertising, 35(3), pp. 115-141. Cowley, E. and Barron, C., 2008. When product placement goes wrong: The effects of program liking and placement prominence. Journal of Advertising, 37(1), pp. 89-98. d'Astous, A. and Seguin, N., 1999. Consumer reactions to product placement strategies in television sponsorship. European Journal of Marketing, 33(9/10), pp. 896-910.

You may also reference work summarized in government or company white papers and research reports. You should use the Harvard referencing style, more details of which you can find on Blackboard.

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Ethics In order to comply with RMIT ethical considerations, only non-sensitive research questions can be pursued. As a guide, sensitive topics include disease or health problems, mental illness or psychological disorders, cultural issues sensitive to a community, gambling, gender identity, grief or death, drug taking or abuse, race or ethnic identity, illegal activity, sexual behaviour, suicide, etc. Your tutor will be the ultimate authority on what is and what is not a sensitive issue and you may only proceed with your research after obtaining permission from your tutor. In order to comply with RMIT ethical considerations, you must only ask people aged 18 years or older to participate in your research. You may only approach people whom you know or strangers in public places. A public place refers to any location where people can be approached without having to ask to permission to do so. For example, students might approach members of the public at RMIT cafes or in the streets around RMIT’s city campus (not a mall). If you do approach a stranger, then you should use the script provided in Appendix B. All participants must be provided with a Participant Information and Consent Form (PICF) prior to completing any research. You will find template PICFs in Appendix C. Note that you will need to pick the right PICF depending on your design, and then customise this template as needed to fit your group’s circumstances.

2. GROUP WORK Groups will consist of (no more than) 6 people from the same tutorial class. Groups will be formed during the second tutorial in week 3. It is very important that you attend the week 3 tutorial class and be placed in a group. Those who do not attend the tutorial on the day of group formation will be allocated into a “ no show” group to work together. As a group, you will be working very closely all semester and each of you will be required to contribute equally to ensure a professional working relationship is maintained. Please be aware that group members are collectively responsible for the group assignment. You therefore should ensure that you have had an opportunity to view the final assignment prior to the final submission. Group Enrolment You will be required to officially enrol into your group on Blackboard. Your tutor will provide you with a group number and further instructions on how to enrol into a group. You must enrol in a group by Week 7. If you are not enrolled in a group, then you will not receive a grade for this project. Group Roles To aid in the management of the group project and ensure each group member plays an active role in the direction of the group project, each group will be required to allocate a role to each member. These roles are important as they direct the responsibility of different aspects of the group project and the milestones throughout the semester that contribute to the Project Management grade of your assessment. Detailed descriptions of the roles are in Appendix D. Groups will be required to inform their tutor of the allocation of roles in the Week 3 tutorial. Equal Work This project is to be completed by the group with equal effort and contribution. It is essential that groups manage their group effectively to complete this project. Group members who do an unequal share of the workload may not receive the same grade as other group members. Groups who feel some members have not contributed equally should report this to their tutor as soon as an issue arises. It is at the discretion of the lecturer/tutor to award different marks for students who have not contributed equally or at the same level as their fellow group members. This decision will be made in line with the peer evaluation form.

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Peer Evaluation The peer evaluation form is designed to better understand the dynamics of your group. It may be used to award separate marks to different group members when there was an unequal sharing of the workload. If your group fails to submit a peer evaluation form at any stage, then the teaching staff will assume that your group shared the workload equally. You are required to individually complete and submit a peer evaluation form at two stages during the group project. The first submission will be approximately halfway through the completion of your group’s project in Week 7, and will be used by the teaching staff to ensure your group is progressing well alongside the Project Management assessment task. This is an opportunity for you to be selfreflective on the progress of the team as a cohesive work unit. The second submission will be in Week 12. A soft copy of the peer evaluation document is available on the Blackboard, under the “Group Project” folder, and also in Appendix E of this document. Submissions of peer evaluation forms must be given to your tutor in class or via email.

3. ASSESSMENT The project will be assessed in two parts: Research Process (15%) and Research Outcome: The Final Report (25%). Overall, the group project will be assessed on the basis of your ability to: •

Correctly identify and define the market research problem (this includes showing an understanding of the factors that support their assessment of the problem);

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Identify and analyse alternative solutions to the problem (including making final recommendation/s);

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Research the problem and conduct analysis on the resulting data

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Write up the report in a convincing and credible manner, showing resourcefulness, analytical and creative ability. This will include conducting secondary research (a literature review) on the main topic and linking research findings to the results of the literature review.

Research Process (15%) Groups will be required to complete tasks throughout the semester to demonstrate their ability to manage and progress satisfactorily with the research project. This component of the group project will be assessed through the completion of four milestones, submission of the data collection instrument for approval prior to fieldwork, and individual submissions of research participation reflection. Details regarding the different milestones are found in Appendix F. Groups will be assessed on the Research Process Marking Criteria (Appendix G), and in line with the project timeline (Appendix H). Project Milestones Project milestones will consist of a mix of in-class presentations (1 and 4) and written submissions (2 and 3). The purpose of the milestones is to report on your group’s direction and strategy for the research, communicating your findings, and demonstrating your group’s ability to progress through the critical phases of the research project. Every group member is responsible for the completion of each milestone under the direction of the appropriate group member. Everyone is required to assist his or her fellow group mates as the project itself is in the foreground. Milestone 1 will be an in-class presentation of between 7-10 minutes and will focus on the topic of your research and the key research objectives your group will investigate. The presenters of the milestone must provide a printed version of the presentation, including notes, to the tutor prior to the commencement of the presentation. Failure to submit a printed copy with notes will result in a reduced mark for this milestone. You are required to arrive to the tutorial ready with a USB stick containing your presentation.

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Milestones 2 and 3 will consist of a 1- to 2-page submission and discussion with your tutor during class. These milestones will focus on your progression through different stages of the research project and allow each group to receive one-to-one feedback on your direction and progress from your tutor. Milestone 4 will be an in-class presentation of between 7-10 minutes and will focus on the key findings of your research and implications for the client. This final presentation requires the input of the whole group and will be a key avenue for feedback prior to the submission of the final written report. The Data Collection Instrument Prior to the collection of any data, each group must submit their data collection instrument to their tutor for review. Only upon approval from the tutor is data permitted to be collected. Groups will be severely penalised if they do not make this approval submission request this in a timely fashion. Your tutor will advise on the method to submit this in class. If the group is collecting data via Qualtrics, then the group must give the tutor administrator access to the Qualtrics survey. Research Participation During semester, each student will be invited to participate in an actual market research study or studies that will take up to 1 hour to complete. After completing this research participation, each student must submit via Blackboard a (maximum) 1-page report reflecting on the research they have participated in. This report will identify the project title, ethics approval number, research objectives, research design, sampling strategy, data collection strategy, data analysis strategy, and reporting strategy. Research Outcome: The Final Report (25%) The final report is due on 11:59pm Friday 26 May. The final report consists of a complete market research report on your research topic and follows the structure set out in the marking criteria (Appendix I). This report should clearly communicate the research project your group has conducted throughout the semester, right from your problem identification, secondary research, and research methodology to a discussion of your findings and the implications. Your report should show your application of market research theory and critical analysis of the research method used in your project. The report word limit is 3,000 words, not including executive summary, reference list, or appendices. There is no 10% grace allowance on the word limit. Please state the number of words on the front page of your assignment. Submission of Final Report The final report must be submitted electronically. A representative from each group – generally the Project Administrator - must submit an electronic copy of the assignment submission to the Grade Centre in Blackboard by the due date and time. Each submission must be accompanied by an electronic assignment coversheet. Please be aware that group members are collectively responsible for the group assignment. You therefore should ensure that you have had an opportunity to view the final assignment prior to the final submission. When a group submits more than one electronic copy of the assessment, the last copy submitted before the due date and time will be the one graded.

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APPENDIX A: PROJECT TOPIC The Effectiveness of Product Placement in the Australian Market A company, Exclusive Inc.1, has engaged your market research team to conduct market research on the effectiveness of product placement on the attitudes and behaviour of Australian consumers. The company defines product placement as a form of advertising that involves displaying brand images or products in the context of other media. Your market research and analysis will help Exclusive Inc. to develop its future marketing strategy. Your client has asked you to choose ONE of the following industries as the focus for your research 2: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Automobile. Beverage. Clothing and accessories. Electronics. Finance. Food. Fragrance.

Once you have selected an industry focus (i.e., A, B, C, D, E, F, or G), the client has asked that your team choose TWO of the following general objectives to research in your project: 1. What is the most effective medium (e.g., television, film, games, radio, magazine, etc.) to present product placements? 2. What brand or product characteristics (e.g., hedonic vs. utilitarian products, functional vs. image vs. experiential, expensive vs. inexpensive, etc.) are more or less likely to benefit from product placement? 3. What are the consumer characteristics (e.g., demographics, psychographics, familiarity with the brand, skepticism toward advertising, etc.) of those who are more or less likely to be influenced by product placements? 4. What product placement features (e.g., product prominence, modality [e.g., audio, visual], congruence with surrounding content, etc.) are more or less likely to lead to positive brand perceptions? 5. When is product placement inappropriate, irrelevant, or undesirable (e.g., product and program incongruence, perceptions of manipulation, etc.)?

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Exclusive Inc. is a hypothetical company. As part of this project, you will need to develop the specific background information for this hypothetical company. For example, you will need to decide how old the company is, how many people it employees, what products/services it provides, its market share, and its history. 2

By choosing an industry focus, you automatically choose the type of company that Exclusive Inc. operates in. For example, if you decide to focus on the automobile industry, then Exclusive Inc. is an automobile company. The idea is that Exclusive Inc. will be a different kind of company for each group.

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APPENDIX B: SCRIPT FOR APPROACHING PARTICIPANTS If you decide to approach a stranger in a public place to participate in your research, then you should follow the script below: You: Hi, my name is ______. I am a student at RMIT University and as part of my studies I am undertaking some research. I am wondering if you would be interested in participating in a short survey with me either now or at another time that suits you? If “NO”: You: No problem at all. Thank you very much for your time. [Politely leave]. If “YES”: You: Great. Would you be interested in undertaking the survey now or at another time? If “NOW”: [Student explains the survey in detail and the rights of the participant before asking the participant to complete the survey]. If “LATER”: [Student exchanges contact details (e.g., email address) and arranges to meet at a convenient time for the participant to undertake the survey. At this later time students will follow the same procedure as outlined in the “NOW” section above]. Please ensure that you meet with participants in a safe and public space (e.g., a busy café or a booked room on the RMIT campus). If you are approaching strangers, then you should work in pairs (i.e., with someone else from your group).

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APPENDIX C: PARTICIPANT INFORMATION FORMS Sample PICF for Web-based Research

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH PROJECT PARTICIPANT INFORMATION Project Title: [Student to fill in name of project] Investigators: Supervising Investigator: Dr. Adrian Camilleri (Bachelor, Masters, and PhD in Psychology) Lecturer in Marketing, School of Economics, Finance and Marketing Email: [email protected] Phone: +61 3 9925 1501 Student Investigator: Name:_________________________________...