ASSESSMENT BRIEFS AND GRADING CRITERIA

The assessment for the module is comprised of three interlinked parts.

RESEARCH BRIEF

Background to Hera: Background to the problem
Hera is a new company/brand, which would like to launch a business in online dating in UK. In Greek Mythology, Hera was the supreme goddess, patron of marriage and childbirth. We already know that our dating site will be primarily aimed at the 18-30 age groups. We expect that the main target group will be under 25s.

Mintel predicts the UK market will grow from £165m to £225m by 2018. This expansion is partly due to a social shift towards using the Internet for socializing and reflects an increase in the number of single people in the UK. According to the report more than a quarter of people aged 18 and over (27%) now register on dating websites or apps. Zoosk, Tinder, Match.com, eHarmony, elite singles are among the most popular online dating sites for single people. A recent study proved that 27% of new relationships are initiated by meeting online, through dating sites.

The problem
To explore attitudes towards online dating sites and online dating among 18-30 years old and to investigate the consumer profile and market structure in the North West of the UK.

Information Requirements
1. Who are our core consumers? What is their demographic profile?
2. Attitudes towards paying for dating services
3. Why do they use online dating/why don’t they use online dating?
4. Consumer attitudes towards present online dating sites
5. How does this group engage with online dating sites?
6. How do they choose people to request a date?
7. What are their general concerns about online dating sites?
8. What do they like most in online dating sites?
9. What is their ideal online dating site? What features they would like to see in an online dating site?
10. What is their ‘cool’ dating site? Why?
11. How can Hera launch this new online dating site to give it instant ‘cool’ and appeal to consumers age (18-25).

The Need for Research
Hera needs to ensure that they can achieve a profitable segment of the UK online dating market. The client would like to explore the industry and investigate the consumer profile in North West before we make the decision to launch their business, and decide its product range and customer interface.
Method and Sample

Mix of qualitative and quantitative research is required, to provide both informative and insightful feedback and data that is robust enough to provide solid and reliable results in order to inform clear management decisions.

Target group is 18-30 with main focus being 18-25.

Timing
– (Please see timing template in research proposal presentation.)

The Budget
-(Please see the example in research proposal presentation.)
-The budget for this research is £50,000.

Source: Mintel Group, ‘Online Dating – UK – January 2014’, London: Mintel Group Ltd, 2015. Print

Assessment 1 – Research Proposal

–40% of the module grade. Individual, no longer than 1500 words (6-8 sides A4 double-line spaced). Put the page number in footer on each page. Put the assignment into a plastic sleeve, stapled.
In this assessment you will prepare an evaluation of the situation within which the research will be conducted, and evaluate its implications for the research design. You will back up your evaluation with support from academic theories of marketing research design.

This will include a summary of the issues facing you, as a marketing researcher, in determining the type of design strategy that is appropriate for the research project.

Your inputs will be the original briefing provided by the tutor, and any research conducted by yourself and/or the group. Although your focus is primarily upon identifying the factors in the live research situation that will impact on the eventual design, you should reference academic sources when discussing the implications of the research situation for that design. The most important section of the assessment will be the discussion of the implications.

This summary should be written in a non-academic style (with the exception that you must reference academic sources) appropriate to a business report. However, you do not need to use a pure report format (e.g. with numbered sections). The writing style adopted should be clear, concise, consistent and correct in terms of grammar, word use, punctuation, syntax and so on.
Areas to cover:

A. Background objectives of the proposal
You have background information from the brief. Please carry out some further background research (secondary research) and show your understanding of potential problems that might your client might face. You should also discuss the marketplace, the products and services.
B. Research objectives
Please decide the specific business problem and research objectives that you would like to achieve with your research. Make it very clear why these research objectives are important for the client.

C.Methodology
Approach of the research
Please discuss the type of research design you will apply in your project.
Sampling
Please discuss your sampling method and your sample size.
Method of data collection
What type of data are you going to collect? Why?
Data processing and analysis
Which data collection method (Qualitative or quantitative) is the best method to achieve your research objectives? Why?
How will you collect the data?

D.Timing and Fees
Decide on the time required to complete the research.
Clearly write the fee for each item.
Write a clear time schedule for your research project.

E.Summary of the implications and recommendations for the research design. As mentioned above, you should provide support from theoretical and empirical sources to illustrate your recommendations.

Your work will be judged on whether you have demonstrated:

Demonstrate a scholarly understanding of the nature of marketing decisions and information problems, and the process of undertaking marketing research in both continuous and ad hoc projects.

Identify and extract selective information from appropriate sources of primary and secondary information.

Identify appropriate primary research methods for use in solving particular information needs.

Presentation and appropriate style.
Attention to the brief.
It is expected that the volume of scholarly sources will be at least ten. Applied research (relating to the specific problem) will add to this number.