Marketing Research Proposal: Enhancing Nescafe Max Product Strategy

This marketing research proposal outlines a plan to investigate declining sales of Nescafe Max and identify strategies for product enhancement. It includes problem identification, research questions, objectives, and a descriptive research design employing surveys to gather customer opinions on taste, preferences, and market trends. The proposal details the methodology, sampling technique, ethical considerations, potential limitations, and a budget for the research. The goal is to provide actionable insights for Nescafe Max to innovate, meet consumer demands, and improve its market position. The survey questions are designed to gather demographic data and assess consumer perceptions, leading to data-driven recommendations.

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Marketing Research

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Table of Contents
Overview of Product/Brand...................................................................................................................3
Identify and Clarify Information Needs.................................................................................................3
Statement of Decision Maker’s Purpose................................................................................................4
Define Research Questions....................................................................................................................4
Specify Research Objectives.................................................................................................................4
Confirm the Information Value.............................................................................................................4
Research Design....................................................................................................................................5
Method of Administration.....................................................................................................................6
Data Collection Form............................................................................................................................7
Sampling Technique..............................................................................................................................9
Ethical Considerations...........................................................................................................................9
Potential Limitations...........................................................................................................................10
References...........................................................................................................................................12
Appendix.............................................................................................................................................15

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Overview of Product/Brand
Nescafe is a brand of coffee that is made by Nestle. It can be in different forms. Nescafe has
invented extra strength as well as the instant coffee brand that is called “Nescafe Max” and
creates positioning to be stronger tasting as compared to competing brands. It is assessed that
initial customer’s response was positive but, in current times, sales for the product have been
declining. The maximum company is addressing the marketing research company for
collecting the data regarding how to enhance the product (Kristal, Baumgarth, Behnke, &
Henseler, 2016).
Identify and Clarify Information Needs
The aim of this investigation is to address the marketing research companies for collecting
data regarding how to enhance the product.
Symptom: Declining sales
Underlying Cause: The maximum company is failed for innovating and keeping up with the
existing trends.
Investigation of existing trend in the FMCG market and customer’s preferences are
significant for supporting the Maximum Company to influence the customers towards their
products. An effective method for improving the product is to comprehend the offers of
competitors and getting reviews of customers on this product. The maximum company can
implement customer research to assess the tastes and preferences of customers together to
assess the expectations of products that they want. These are different factors that the
Maximum Company can use in their investigation (Jarman, Luna-Reyes, & Zhang, 2016).
Therefore, consumers are an essential part of improving the product of the Maximum
Company.

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Statement of Decision Maker’s Purpose
Should the Maximum Company launch more unique products and improve the product for
boosting the revenues and sustaining in the existing trends?
Define Research Questions
 What could be customer’s opinion regarding the Nescafe Max?
 What other features can the Maximum Company execute for attracting existing and
new customers for maintaining trends?
 How will customers react towards modified Nescafe Max products?
Specify Research Objectives
 To determine the tastes and preference of consumers with regards to Nescafe Max’s
product in the past
 To assess the key causes of failure of Nescafe Max that result in declining sales of the
Maximum Company
 To contrast Nescafe Max product with products in the existing market
 To address the opinion of customers in current products of Nescafe Max so that the
maximum company can influence new and current customers
Confirm the Information Value
The maximum company can get more data related to Nescafe Max by conducting research on
customer’s opinion on existing products. It helps to further enhance and innovates the
Nescafe Max. In addition, gathered information with respect to existing trends as well as
tastes and preferences will support the Maximum Company to more focus on research and
development and attain the particular goals (Zou, 2016). It would support the Maximum
Company for utilizing its resources in an adequate way. Existing trends will allow the
Maximum Company to emphasize the area required for innovation. In addition, taste and
preferences will permit the Maximum Company to modify their products according to the

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target customer segment. Data and remedies would be created through research and it would
aid to increase the market share in the digital environment (Cometto, Nisar, Palacios, Le
Meunier-FitzHugh, & Labadie, 2016).
Research Design
The goal of the proposed investigation is to address the taste and preference of customers for
improving the Nescafe Max. Descriptive research design will be used in this research for
dealing with the research design objectives as it is all about describing the individual who
contributes to the research. In addition, there are different techniques for pooling the
quantitative research like participant observation, face to face interviews, surveys and
telephone interviews (Petersen, & Brockhaus, 2017). It would support us for addressing the
wants, needs, beliefs, attitudes, and opinion of customers. There are different types of
investigation techniques such as telephone-administered, person administered and person
administered. For gathering the high amount of information, the best technique would be
used such as survey through a questionnaire. This technique would be chosen as there would
be a need of less cost as well as it would provide practical results in a minimum time period
(Oey, & Setiawan, 2017).
Budget:
For preparing the setup of the survey compartment, and Google forms, there would be a
need of $1300. In addition, the budget will include time used for gathering the results after
conducting a survey on respondents. All 200 respondents would be provided small gifts such
as notepad and pen after conducting the survey (Singh, & Ahuja, 2017).
Quality needs
Applicants should be competent to respond to all the questions before closing the survey.
For instance, when an applicant tries for ending the survey without answering the questions,

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the error message can demonstrate to avert them from proceeding (Nierobisch, Toporowski,
Dannewald, & Jahn, 2017).
Targeted time period
The online survey will not take any more responses after reaching a predetermined number
of applicants.
Competency of participate
Internet devices would be used like laptops, the connection of internet as well as iPads for
permitting the respondents for accessing the survey conducted through online sources
(Szczepaniak, 2018).
Level of understanding
The participants should be health savvy, literate as well as should be competent for accessing
the survey with no complexities.
Method of Administration
The self-administered approach is used in the online questionnaire because the company is
targeting customer who gives preference to coffee instead of tea. The online survey is used as
it is faster for the computer and assesses the outcomes. It takes minimum 10 to 15 minutes for
completing a survey. Another approach that is used for this research is telephone
administered as well as person administered survey. These approaches of survey take longer
period and costs as well as efforts for asking with recording the information of applicants
(Garrido-Morgado, González-Benito, Campo, & Martos-Partal, 2015). There are chances for
mistakes when a question is misread, misheard as well as inappropriately recorded.
Therefore, the outcome could be unfair as well as incorrect. In addition, the survey would be
conducted on retail stores from where, a customer buy Nescafe coffee product. We would
select 150 respondents for conducting the survey. After successfully answering the questions,

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we would present them a smaller gift to appreciate them for giving their precious time in the
survey (Kalsie, & Arora, 2017).
Data Collection Form
We are grateful to you for giving their contribution to such a survey. The aim of this survey
is to pool the data about the taste and preference of customers in relation to “Nescafé Max”.
Therefore, the maximum company can offer the quality and better coffee product to
customers. The maximum company can understand different characteristics and
requirements of customers that he expects in products. This survey would take only 3 to 4
minutes to complete. The researcher should assure that all data shared by participants would
be confidential during and after the investigation (Zhang, Liu, & Chen, 2017).
Before the start of the survey, please read the instructions:
Choose ‘Start Survey’ button to start the survey
Continue responding all questions on the survey until you arrive at the end.
Choosing the ‘Submit’ button after completion of the survey
Demographic-based questions
Please specify your gender
Masculine
Feminine
Please mention your age-group
18-21
22-25
26-28
Above 28 years
How often do you drink coffee?
 0 - 3 Cups

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 4 - 6 Cups
 7 - 10 Cups
 10 Cups
Which type of coffee do you drink most?
 Coffee made of Coffee beans
 Canned coffee
 Coffee bought from a coffee shop like Starbuck
 Coffee powder
Through which ways do you know about Nescafe Max coffee?
 TV
 Magazines and Newspapers
 Friends and families
 Sales promotion
 Websites
What factors do you consider when you choose (or not to choose) Nescafe Max coffee?
 Price
 Taste
 Package design
 Convenience to buy
 Attractiveness of advertisement
 Random
 Recommendations from other
Are you satisfied with existing types of favor of Nescafe Max coffee?
 Yes
 No

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Do you think drinking coffee will affect your health?
 Yes
 No
Do you want more new tastes of Nescafe Max coffee to be launched?
 Yes
 No
What is your awareness of canned coffee?
 Maximum
 Minimum
 Average
Sampling Technique
A sample would be gathered by targeted customers on Nescafé Max. The main goal is to
assess preference as well as tastes of customers in context of FMCG market. The sample
would be chosen from retail stores as well as from where; an individual is keen to purchase
the new products. For both segments related to target group, researcher would generate a
close-ended questionnaire for participants. Researcher will choose a sample of 200
customers by using simple random sampling tool as it would aid in marketing investigation.
It would permit a researcher to choose each member in the population for completing the
questionnaire (Bashir, Papamichail, & Malik, 2017).
Ethical Considerations
For ensuring investigation for Nescafé Max, the company conducts the ethical
considerations. There are different factors that should be addressed for completing the
research in an ethical way. Respondents of research would be asked to sign an indemnity
form in order to make sure knowledge about the investigation and its role in other
investigation. There are needed to become fully aware regarding research purpose and

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findings used for. It enables respondents for taking feasible decision regarding whether or not
to link investigation. The protection form would ask when respondents of customers are
deliberate (Mohan, & Sequeira, 2016). It indicates that whoever contributed in the
investigations is related to freedom as well as they are open to leaving investigation in case
they believe it is affecting them unfavorably. An investigator should make sure that
respondents are forced at any aspect for joining and refraining from moving back to the
investigation. Throughout the investigation, it is significant to make the confidentially of
respondents. The investigator can keep all the data provided by respondents in absolute
confidence and practiced for the exclusive intention of investigation (Garczarek-Bąk, &
Disterheft, 2018).
The respondents shall be protected from possible harm that involves emotional, social as well
as psychological damage. An investigator should address the possible areas in which
respondents can be harmed in different manners for avoiding obstacles prior to conducting
the investigation. In case participant is customers then an investigator would make sure their
confidentiality during and after the investigation (Gruber, Kaliauer, & Schlegelmilch, 2017).
Potential Limitations
One limitation is inadequate resources as well as time in conducting the investigation because
of comprehensiveness of investigation. It is possible for conducting the investigation on
individuals who is entailed in the investigation. An investigation would be more credible in
case researcher employed experienced participants and discusses with experts about research
issue. Therefore, these factors will limit the accuracy of investigation and the conclusion that
an investigator draws from at the end (Kukard, & Wood, 2017).
In spite of inadequate resources, the researcher faces lack of result authentication for
anything that is in qualitative nature. For example, in case, an investigator has to measure the
level of satisfaction with respect to Nescafe Max then it would be in subjective nature. There

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would be no need to provide references for such responses; however, there is a need to
provide a standard manner (Gruber, Kaliauer, & Schlegelmilch, 2017).
Another limitation is associated with inadequate previous research on the topic. The
investigation on Nescafe Max is highly available hence it is complex to choose single
investigation that is fully appropriate for this investigation. Hence, there is a need for
building new typology that causes the investigation to be exploratory rather than explanatory
(Kristal, Baumgarth, Behnke, & Henseler, 2016).
In the last, information would be gathered can be the independent supported source. It
indicates that the researcher can use face value outcomes and data offered by respondents. It
may lead to potential causes like exaggeration as well as selective memory that may create in
some form of biasness on the final result of investigation and analysis (Kukard, & Wood,
2017).

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References
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Supporting New Product Development Processes in Multinational
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Organizational linkages for new product development: Implementation of innovation
projects. Journal of Business Research, 69(6), 2093-2100.
Garczarek-Bąk, U., & Disterheft, A. (2018). EEG frontal asymmetry predicts product
purchase differently for national brands and private labels. Journal of Neuroscience,
Psychology, and Economics, 11(3), 182.
Garrido-Morgado, A., González-Benito, O., Campo, K., & Martos-Partal, M. (2015).
Improving sales of private labels in the store. In Advances in National Brand and
Private Label Marketing (pp. 3-7). USA: Springer, Cham.
Gruber, V., Kaliauer, M., & Schlegelmilch, B. B. (2017). Improving the effectiveness and
credibility of corporate social responsibility messaging: An Austrian model identifies
influential CSR content and communication channels. Journal of Advertising
Research, 57(4), 397-409.
Jarman, H., Luna-Reyes, L. F., & Zhang, J. (2016). Public Value and Private Organizations.
In Private Data and Public Value (pp. 1-23). USA: Springer, Cham.
Kalsie, A., & Arora, A. (2017). Comparison of Price Multiples using DDM, DCF and Current
Market Multiples of FMCG Companies. Sumedha Journal of Management, 6(4), 13-
36.
Kristal, S., Baumgarth, C., Behnke, C., & Henseler, J. (2016). Is co-creation really a booster
for brand equity? The role of co-creation in observer-based brand equity
(OBBE). Journal of Product & Brand Management, 25(3), 247-261.