MK815 Marketing Research in a Digital Age Assignment Brief | University of Strathclyde

Assignment Brief

Instructions

Introduction: In today’s digital age, market research is a cornerstone for making well-informed and effective decisions. It bridges the gap between the ever-evolving digital landscape and consumer needs, allowing organizations to navigate competitive markets successfully. This assignment has been designed to evaluate your proficiency in applying the principles of market research by engaging you in a practical, hands-on task that spans the entire research process.

The Problem: Your group is tasked with suggesting a student-focused ANDROID/iPhone/iPad “App” in a sector of your choice. This app should cater
specifically to student needs, preferences, and challenges, offering solutions or enhancing their daily lives. You are free to select any sector that interests you. Potential areas could include clothing, food, leisure, holidays, shopping, games, or any other domain of your choice.

Task 1: Market Analysis and Problem Identification
I'd like for you to conduct a comprehensive market analysis within your chosen sector to identify and define a marketing problem your app aims to solve.

Task 2: Secondary Research
You can use secondary research sources to explain the need and potential of your proposed app.

Task 3: Exploratory Qualitative Research
Design and execute exploratory qualitative research to refine your app concept. This can include any qualitative methods discussed during class sessions.

Task 4: Online Questionnaire Development
Create an online questionnaire to evaluate your app's concept. Distribute this to 50 participants as a pilot test, then analyse the data collected.

Task 5: Presentation Development
Compile a professional presentation pitching your app, incorporating critical insights derived from your research findings.

Task 6: Critical Reflection Report
Using Wilson’s (2019) Marketing Research Process, prepare a detailed (individual) report critically reflecting on the success and challenges of your research project, offering insights into the overall process.

The Assessment:

Part 1 Group Task (60%): You will prepare a 15-minute group presentation, which will be uploaded as an unlisted YouTube video, with slides and the video link submitted to MyPlace. Building on Wilson’s (2019) “Marketing Research Process”, the presentation should begin with an overview of your marketing problem, objectives, research design and data collection tools. The focus of the presentation should be on highlighting key findings, explaining how this informed your app and using this to justify and pitch your final app. You will be assessed on the effectiveness of your research project about informing a final app. This means that neither your initial app idea nor the
final app you present is central to your grade, and in some cases, you may find, based on your research, that your final app is not viable for the market. All members of the group should contribute to the final presentation. Verbal and visual presentation skills will be considered in marking. Remember this is a marketing pitch for your app, so don’t be afraid to get creative.

Part 2 Individual Task (40%): Drawing on Wilson’s (2019) Marketing Research
Process, you will be writing a 2,000 (+/-10%) word report which will critically evaluate the project, offering a nuanced analysis of its effectiveness and rigor. This involves reflecting on the decisions made during the research process, assessing their alignment with best practices in marketing research, and considering how these decisions influenced the quality and validity of the findings. The evaluation should draw on relevant marketing research theories and academic principles to critique the research design, execution, and outcomes, identifying both strengths and limitations. By incorporating these insights, the report will provide recommendations for improving the research process in future projects, ensuring a deeper understanding of the
practical dynamics of marketing research. Here, rather than describing your research steps, focus on an in-depth critique of decisions, drawing on principles from marketing research texts and academic frameworks.