Unit rationale, description and aim

Information is regarded as a strategic asset in marketing and an essential part of the marketing research process. This unit deals with the practical application of research strategies, methods, and techniques to gather, analyse and infer marketing data considering the dignity and cultural diversity of different stakeholders. This unit also helps marketing managers measure the core factors that drive marketing activity and analyse the consumers and organisation's performance outcomes. The success of organisations can lie in their access and usage of information, to develop competitive advantage. Information has to be gathered by employing appropriate market research that enforces respondents' dignity, cultural diversity, and wellbeing. Marketing research involves the creative and technical approaches to convert unexplained phenomena to useful information about customers, competitors and regulations in local and international markets. This useful information in turn, helps marketers to make smart and informed decisions.

The aim of this unit is to prepare students for marketing research roles and assist them to develop skills and knowledge in managing market research data to make strategic and tactical decisions conforming to high ethical standards. Additionally, this unit equips students with market research techniques and strategies to address and resolve market-related challenges, enhancing the learning provided by other units in the marketing program.

2026 10

Campus offering

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Unit offerings may be subject to minimum enrolment numbers.

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 2Online Unscheduled
  • ACU Term 4Online Unscheduled
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 2Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

MKTG207 Marketing Toolkit OR MKTG100 Marketing: Creating and Capturing Customer Value

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Identify the key approaches to the use of primary ...

Learning Outcome 01

Identify the key approaches to the use of primary and secondary research in marketing decision making
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC11

Construct relevant information to address a market...

Learning Outcome 02

Construct relevant information to address a marketing problem by proposing a research design and data collection instrument.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC4, GC9, GC11

Apply the methods of market research in a way not ...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply the methods of market research in a way not to compromise the dignity of participants
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC7, GC8

Analyse marketing research data

Learning Outcome 04

Analyse marketing research data
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC8, GC9

Apply relevant marketing research techniques and t...

Learning Outcome 05

Apply relevant marketing research techniques and technologies to decision-making about brands, customers, and markets
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC9, GC11

Content

Topics will include:

  • Difference between management and marketing problems.
  • Solving marketing problems in the real-world considering stakeholders' dignity and cultural diversity (e.g., indigenous populations)
  • The marketing research process for problem-solving
  • Data, sampling, and collection methods
  • Measures and hypothesis development science
  • Quantitative techniques to solve a real-world marketing problem using SPSS (latest version)
  • Qualitative techniques
  • Writing and presenting the findings for marketing decision-makers. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

To pass students must demonstrate mastery of all learning outcomes and achieve an overall mark of at least 50%. Each assessment is marked against rubrics aligned with the learning outcomes.

The assessment strategy progressively builds participants' marketing research skills, enabling them to conduct, interpret, and report findings to address real-world marketing challenges or opportunities.

  • Assessment One requires students to produce a report identifying a broader marketing problem by conducting a literature review, analysing industry and trade sources, and consulting external data to assess its nature, intensity, and underlying causes.
  • Assessment Two requires students to work as a group and develop a research design process and an accompanying data collection tool while ensuring the dignity and cultural diversity of all stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, are respected throughout the development process.
  • Assessment Three requires students to analyse both quantitative and qualitative datasets provided by the lecturer, using descriptive and inferential methods to inform decision-making while extracting meaningful insights from qualitative findings.


This unit employs a two-lane approach for incorporating AI into selected assessment items, teaching students how to approach AI use ethically.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Marketing Research Problem T...

Assessment Task 1: Marketing Research Problem

This assessment consists of a report that highlights the broader marketing problem (e.g., poor performance of a brand) presented by a real-world firm's marketing manager. Students will undertake a literature review, scan information from industrial and trade magazines, or consult external sources to dig out the nature, intensity and possible reasons that cause the marketing problem to occur.

Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Diagnostic Report

Artefact: Written report

Weighting

25%

Learning Outcomes LO1
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7

Assessment 2. Proposed research design and data c...

Assessment 2. Proposed research design and data collection tool

This assessment requires students to develop both a research design process and an associated instrument. Beyond proposing a research design, students must create a data collection tool. Throughout the development process, they should ensure the dignity and cultural diversity of all stakeholders, including indigenous communities, is respected.

Submission Type: Group

Assessment Method: Group Research Proposal

Artefact: Research design process and instrument

Weighting

35%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC4, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Assessment Task 3: Data analysis and final report...

Assessment Task 3: Data analysis and final report

Students will receive both quantitative and qualitative datasets from the lecturer, accompanied by a brief overview of the variables of interest. They will perform descriptive and inferential analyses on the quantitative data to guide decision-making. In addition, students are expected to analyse the qualitative data to derive meaningful insights from their findings.

Submission Type: Individual

Assessment Method: Data Analysis & Report

Artefact: Research report

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO3, LO4, LO5
Graduate Capabilities GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

The learning and teaching strategy is based on student engagement in the learning process by participation in workshops and in practical activities designed for each workshop. These workshops support students to actively participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge both individually and in small groups. By taking part in these workshops, students will systematically develop their understanding of the key aspects of marketing research and build skills in marketing research. Students will be involved in a practical data collection and interpretation project to experience the various issues in designing and conducting a marketing research project and writing and presenting marketing research findings. The experiential approach underpinning the learning and teaching strategy for this unit extends to practical analytical approaches used in marketing research based on 'real world' examples.

Mode of delivery: This unit is delivered in both “Attendance” and “Online” modes to accommodate diverse learning needs and preferences, ensuring students progressively build their skills throughout the semester.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Malhotra, N. K., Nunan, D., & Birks, D. F. (2020). Marketing research. Pearson UK.

Burns, AC & Bush, RF 2021, Marketing Research, 10h ed. Person Education, Upper-Saddle River, NJ.

Malhotra, N. 2021, Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, Global Edition, Pearson

Babin, B, D" alessandro, S, Winzar, H., Lowe, B., Zikmund, W. 2020Marketing Research, 5th Asia-Pacific edition, Cengage learning.

Berger, J. Humphreys, A. Ludwig, S. Moe, W. 2019, Uniting the Tribes: Using Text for Marketing Insight, JM, 84(1), pp 1-25

Cao, G. Duan, Y., Banna, A. 2019, A dynamic capability view of marketing analytics: Evidence from UK firms, IMM, 76, pp 72-83

Strijker, D., Bosworth, G. and Bouter, G., 2020. Research methods in rural studies: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Journal of Rural Studies78, pp.262-270.

Moisander, J., Närvänen, E. and Valtonen, A., 2020. Interpretive marketing research: using ethnography in strategic market development. In Marketing Management (pp. 237-253). Routledge.

Dolbec, P.Y., Fischer, E. and Canniford, R., 2021. Something old, something new: Enabled theory building in qualitative marketing research. Marketing Theory, p.14705931211032257.

Crick, J.M., 2021. Qualitative research in marketing: what can academics do better?. Journal of Strategic Marketing29(5), pp.390-429.

Farrukh, M., Raza, A., Meng, F., Wu, Y. and Gu, Z., 2021. Shaping social marketing research: a retrospective of the journal of social marketing. Journal of Social Marketing.

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