Application of Decision Making to Marketing Research

Marketing decisions should be emphasised on:

1. Market 
2. Marketing programme 
3. Marketing organization 
4. Product - price 
5. Place
6. Promotion 
7. Advertising 
8. Sales promotion and publicity 
9. Sales management and personal selling. 

Some of these issues are briefly discussed below.

•  Market Decision: Market decision is concerned with how to enter the market and which market to enter. Marketing decision should be on marketing organization and the marketing program to be achieved. Other relevant marketing decision areas include: 
•  Product Decisions :In this case, decision should be made on: Product quality Product features Product style, packaging and labeling, branding, colour, etc. 

In developing a product, the manufacturer has to choose a quality level that will support the product's intended position in the target market in relation to competition. The concept of optimum competition should be considered. (See Achumba and Osuagwu (1994) for a comprehensive discussion of this concept).

Product features are a competitive tool for differentiating the company's product from competitors' products. Also, decision should be made on style as good design offers several benefits. For example, it can create product replacement cycles for products in the maturity stage of their product life cycle.

In branding decision, the decision is whether the company should put a brand name on its products. Also, decision must be made to provide legal protection of unique product features. Branding decision helps the marketer segment markets. Good brands also help to build corporate image.

Developing an effective packaging for a new product requires a large number of decisions. The first decision should be carried on packaging concept. Also,

decisions must be made on further elements of packaging design such as size, shape, materials, colour, texture and brand mark. Marketers will also design labels for their products.

Decisions should be made to survey customers to identify the main product services that might be offered and their relative importance. These include discounts, after sales service, credit facilities, and replacement guarantee, among others.

Pricing Decisions

All profit and non- profit organisations face the task of setting a price on their products or services. A Nigerian company has to decide what it wants to accomplish with the particular product or service. Also, the company has to consider the following factors in setting the price:

• Selecting the pricing objective 
• Determining demand 
• Estimating costs 
•  Analysing competitors' prices and offers 
• Selecting a pricing method, and 
• Selecting the final price, among other relevant issues to pricing. 

 Distribution Decisions

Place or distribution channel decisions should be emphasised on:

• Retailer marketing decisions: A retailer must make decisions on target market, product assortment and service, pricing, promotion. etc. 
• Physical distribution decision: Physical distribution involves planning, implementing, controlling the physical flows of material and final goods from points of origin or manufacture to points of use to meet customer needs at a profit. In this situation, decision should be made on transportation cost, warehousing, inventory carrying, receiving and shipping administration, and order processing. 

 Decision on Promotion Mix

Promotion mix consists of four elements, which include:

• Advertising 
•  Sales promotions
• Public relations 
• Personal selling 

Advertising consists of non-personal forms of communication conducted through paid media under clear sponsorship. Marketing managers must make decisions in developing an advertising programme, which include the following questions/considerations:

• What are the advertising missions? 
• How much can be spent? 
• What message to be sent? 
• What media to use to carry the advertising message? 
• How to measure the advertising result? 

Sales promotion consists of short-term incentives to encourage purchase or sale of a product, service, or idea. In using sales promotions, a company must decide how to establish objectives, select the tools, develop the program, pretest the sales promotions program, implement and control it, and finally evaluate the results.

 In deciding when and how to use product publicity, management should decide how to carry out the publicity objectives, choose the publicity messages and vehicles that will implement the publicity plan, and evaluate the results. 

Most companies use sales representative and assign them an important role in the marketing mix. Marketing managers must decide how to design and manage the personal selling resources of their firms. Sales force design calls for decisions on sales objectives, strategy, structure, size, compensations, evaluations, etc. Managing the sales force includes recruitment and selection of sales representatives, training, directing, motivation, and evaluation, among others.