MARKET RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATE

MARKET RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION TEMPLATE
Group A
The number of students at your university has dropped considerably over the past three years.
The dean of the business school has come to your marketing research class asking for a study about the
reasons behind the drop in the students’ enrollment and to create a marketing plan to increase it.
Your market research is not complete until the results are documented. Don’t forget to use the results
of any ongoing market surveillance. Also be sure to be aware of history and past market research, but do
not overly rely on it. More credence should be given to more current information.
Realize that the bigger the scope of the project and the greater the importance of the outcome, the
more time and energy you should invest in developing the brief. Remember, it is not about carrying out
some research, but about achieving an outcome. A brief should contain some, and ideally all, of the
following information. To succeed, you actually need to answer two basic questions: What’s the problem?
What’s the research purpose? Try and explain the importance of the problem, focus on the benefits of the
solution, conclude with your intention to find the solutions.
This format is meant to guide you as you document your market research. Obviously, not every area
is pertinent to every project. If you have additional items not included in this list, add them also. Once
you have entered the appropriate information in the following areas, your market research must be
documented.
You are required to create:
• References and in-text citations in APA format.
• The paper should be formatted according to the APA rules. This means font times new roman
size 12, double spaced with 1-inch margins.
Group A Topic(s) Assigned Below:
Environmental Impact Considerations & Certification Requirements
Identify any known regulations or product certification requirements such as accreditation bodies for
business schools and how they are ranked. List any applicable industry standards, regulations, trade
journals, or process guides germane to the product or service to be acquired. Identify any professional
societies or organizations that represent the market sector or advance the science and technology of the
products or services comprising the marketplace.
Performance Requirements
State the critical performance requirements which the product or service must meet. This part of the
marketing plan is about setting ambitious but achievable goals and defining how you’ll track your
performance during the described period. Specify any real constraints that exist. However, please be
realistic about whether your objectives can be met within that timeframe.
You can use our SMART goals template to make sure that you’re setting the right objectives. Ask
yourself the following questions:
• What are your business goals?
• How much do you have to generate from your marketing efforts?
• What is your budget?
• What are some of the things you’d like to do?
• How many sales do you need to reach those goals?