Feedback & perspectives from Session 2

Hi all,
I've read your feedback & comments from the Session 2 quick-checks. Thanks for speaking up and sharing your thoughts.

Most comments concerned a few issues that came up repeatedly. Let me respond with my perspective to the same:

1. "too fast-Paced"

Over half of you have said this is one form or another. Fair enough. I shall slow down henceforth. My plan now is to prioritize subtopics & drop quite a few slides, passages and readings. I'll do so.

However, the flip side is that originally intended content coverage may suffer a shortfall. To make up, I'll send you additional readings and pre-readings as required.

2. "Basic concepts not emphasized"

Each session's pre-reads are specifically meant to develop familiarity with the basic concepts required for that session. We then build on and extend the basic concepts using various pedagogical tools - cases, simulations, class-discussion, assignments etc.

In MKTR (as in most elective courses), basic concepts are only re-capped at best, not re-taught (so to say). I'd also like to point out that the pre-reads are carefully chosen. Some date back over a decade. They're classics, have stood the test of time and have provided solid grounding in the basic concepts using simple text, examples and illustrations to generations of students.

3. "Live example/simulation expected"

Will happen. The quant (and yes, R) part of the course will have plenty of data play. The Homework for Session 3 does a real-world questionnaire analysis (Session 2's HW was too crowded already). So yes, by managing time within and outside class, I hope to be able to address some of the points that have been raised.

4. "Readings' direct relevance to MKTR?"

OK. This one is interesting and I think unique. The exact words used by Sudarshan B were "Except the last example all other examples/readings did not pertain to Marketing per se. The course is after all Marketing Research." OK, fair enough, here's my (rather long-ish) perspective.

Session 2 was about Survey design. And surveys are extensively used in MKTR to gauge customer opinions on a variety of topics. Opinions on a lot of topics are easy to ask for, give and analyze downstream and ample guidance on how to handle them can be found in the pre-reads, textbook chapters etc.

However, getting opinions on an increasing variety of topics is not-so-straightforward for a number of reasons - complexity, newness, vagueness or sensitivity of the subject; indifference, unawareness, noncomprehension, nonarticulation etc on part of respondents and so on. My aim in session 2 was to bring out some of these non-straightforward aspects so to say, via session 2 and its readings.

Reading 1 (Meet the new Boss: Big Data) talks about how a complex, multi-dimensional and intangible 'object' like the psychographic profile (obtained from routine survey research) when combined with outcomes data can be used to yield a predictive analytics "expert" system. Is there a more direct marketing application? Sure. Imagine if you had customer demo- and psychographics combined with their purchase history and response to (say) couponing or promotions. We'll discuss the possibilities of precisely this scenario in Sessions 4 and 6.

Reading 2 talks about the perils of eliciting opinion on new and complex subjects (e.g., stem cell research), how phrasing influences the results, classic signs to look for that opinion hasn't formed yet (extreme variation in poll results across random groups of respondents), and the importance of having safeguards when measuring opinions on complex subject matter.

Now, one can argue that the link to MKTR needs to made stronger etc and that would be a fair point. However, to question the readings' relevance itself I think is a bit of a stretch. I would argue that folks should take a broad view on the in-class readings. My attempt here is to dig beyond the obvious, surface phenomena and to discern the economic and strategic drivers of these observed phenomena. Doing so requires that we take a more holistic view of business trends and drivers rather than just pigeonhole ourselves into a Marketing silo.

5. Last but not least, I guess I have to mention this comment from Harmeet simply because it spells out precisely what I was hoping to achieve with the pedagogy and the readings. Its heartening that it got through to at least a few people in its intended form. To quote Harmeet verbatim:

"All the material was an add on to the pre reads & not a repitition of what we already know. I love the in class excercises & passage reading analysis - really helps to internalize the concepts well. Would be nice if you gave appropriate time to finish reading the passage before starting discussions/doing quick checks."

Aah, that comment is sweet vindication only. Jai ho.

Well, see you in class tomorrow.

Sudhir