Limitations of Marketing Research
Though marketing research (MR) has many advantages, it likewise has many limitations or disadvantages.
- Marketing enquiry studies consumer behaviour as well as marketing environment. Since these factors proceed on changing, it cannot laissez passer on exact information.
- MR is likewise a social science. So, it cannot laissez passer on exact solutions.
- It cannot endure an option to decision making. In other words, it cannot supplant determination making. It aids inwards decision-making. It tin ameliorate the character of decisions. However, it cannot guarantee a 100% success.
- It tin trim back the business risks. However, it cannot totally eliminate all these risks.
The demerits or limitations of marketing enquiry are depicted below.
Imgage credits © Prof. Mudit Katyani.
The limitations or disadvantages of marketing enquiry are every bit follows:
- Marketing enquiry (MR) is a costly affair.
- It is likewise lengthy as well as time-consuming.
- It has a express scope.
- It has a express practical value.
- It can't predict consumer behavior.
- It can't laissez passer on 100% accurate results.
- It provides suggestions as well as non solutions.
- Non-availability of qualified as well as experienced staff affects its quality.
- It uses a fragmented approach.
- It tin endure misused.
- Non-availability of a reliable information affects it.
- It is resistant to marketing managers.
Now let's hash out higher upward listed limitations of marketing research.
- Costly : Marketing enquiry is a costly affair. It needs a lot of money to deport diverse marketplace enquiry activities. Huge funds are required to pay salaries, create questionnaires, deport surveys, create reports, etc. It is non a feasible selection for small-scale businesses. It is suitable entirely to large companies who tin afford its cost.
- Time consuming : Marketing enquiry is a lengthy as well as time-consuming process. This procedure involves many of import steps. All these steps are crucial as well as non fifty-fifty a unmarried footstep tin endure neglected or avoided. In other words, at that spot are no short-cuts inwards MR. Generally, it takes at to the lowest degree 3 to half-dozen months to solve a marketing problem. Therefore, it cannot endure used inwards urgent or emergency situations.
- Limited scope : Marketing enquiry solves many business-related problems. However, it cannot solve all occupation organisation problems. It cannot solve problems related to consumer behavior, income as well as expenditure relationship, etc. Thus, its orbit is limited.
- Limited practical value : Marketing enquiry is entirely an academic exercise. It is mainly based on a hypothetical approach. It gives theoretical solutions. It does non laissez passer on realistic solutions to real-life problems. Its solutions await proficient on newspaper only are harder to implement inwards a existent sense. Thus, it has a express practical value.
- Can't predict consumer behavior : Marketing enquiry collects information most consumer behavior. However, this information is non accurate because consumer behaviour cannot endure predicted. It keeps on changing according to the fourth dimension as well as moods of the consumers. Consumer behaviour is likewise really complex. It is influenced past times social, religious, family, economical as well as other factors. It is really hard to study these factors.
- No accurate results : Marketing enquiry is non a physical scientific discipline similar physics, chemistry, biology, etc. It is a social science. It studies consumer behaviour as well as marketing environment. These factors are really unpredictable. Therefore, it does non laissez passer on accurate results. It gives results, only it cannot laissez passer on 100% right results.
- Provides suggestions as well as non solutions : Marketing enquiry provides information to the marketing manager. It guides as well as advises him. It likewise helps him to solve the marketing problems. However, it does non solve the marketing problem. The marketing director solves the marketing problems. So, MR entirely provides suggestions. It does non furnish solutions.
- Non-availability of technical staff : Marketing enquiry is done past times researchers. The researchers must endure highly qualified as well as experienced. They must likewise endure hard-working, patient as well as honest. However, inwards India, it is really hard to notice proficient researchers. Generally, it is done past times non-experienced as well as non-technical people. Therefore, MR becomes a costly, time-consuming as well as unreliable affair. So, its character is likewise affected due to non-availability of technical staff.
- Fragmented approach : Marketing enquiry studies a work entirely from a item angle. It does non accept an overall thought into consideration. There are many causes for a marketing problem. It does non study all causes. It entirely studies i or ii causes. For example, if at that spot is a work of falling sales. There are many causes for falling sales; like, miserable quality, high-price, competition, recession, consumer resistance, etc. It volition entirely study ii causes viz; low-quality as well as high price. It volition non study other causes. So, it is non a reliable one.
- Can endure misused : Sometimes, marketing enquiry is misused past times the company. It is used to delay decisions. It is used to back upward the views of a item individual. It is likewise used to catch mightiness (managerial) inwards the company.
- Non-availability of reliable data : The character of the marketing enquiry written report depends on the character of the collected data. If the information is complete, up-to-date as well as reliable, thence the MR written report volition likewise endure reliable. However, inwards India, it is really hard to instruct full, latest as well as trustworthy data. So, non-availability of a reliable information is likewise its limitation.
- Resistance of marketing managers : The marketing managers create non piece of work the suggestions given inwards the marketing enquiry report. Primarily, they experience that these suggestions are non practical. Secondly, they likewise experience that their importance volition move less if they piece of work these suggestions. There is a conflict betwixt the marketing managers as well as the researchers.