Select a company that produces a product that you use and with which you are familiar. For the company to make decisions about developing new products and attracting new customers, it must rely on marketing research. These decisions feed into the company’s marketing plan. For the firm you selected:

The company I have chosen which also includes the product is Folgers coffee.

1. Define one specific problem it could address through marketing research.
Market research told the Folgers executives that people who drink their coffee will "save" premium coffees for special occasions. So, to appeal to existing customers while potentially attracting new customers, the new Folgers Gourmet Selections are "gourmet-inspired coffee [and can] be consumed on an everyday basis."

2. What type of research design do you recommend for addressing that problem, and why?
Well Folgers could do a survey to see the percentage of how many people drink Folgers, how many people drink other brands and then send the individuals a sample of other coffees made by this company to see if the newly made coffee’s would help them. Hand out samples and coupons for this coffee in order to increase its share of the market.

3. What is the most appropriate way to collect the data? Justify your choice.
Well that is a hard decision to make, because if you send out for a customer’s feedback, they may not respond back. If you give out free samples at a grocery store you could get feedback right on the spot. The best appropriate way to collect the data is to hand out samples of prepared Folgers and another brand to grocery store customers. Ask them to rate each coffee for taste, etc.
4. How will you ensure high validity, reliability, and representativeness of the data?
To ensure high validity, reliability, and representativeness of the data I would go to the grocery store at different times of the day and several different days of the week. You just have to make sure that we survey hundreds of people to get a fair sample.

5. Design an appropriate sampling plan.
Grocery stores I plan on to survey the customers:
• Wal-mart
• K mart
• Local grocery store
• Shopko
The number of hours and days I spend in each store
• Wal-mart – from 9:00am-3:00pm on Fridays
• K mart – from 9:00am – 3:00pm on Saturdays
• Local grocery store – from 9:00am – 12:00pm on every Sunday
• Shopko – from 1:00pm – 4:00pm on every Sunday
Coffee samples I would give the customers
Gourmet supreme
• Bold Java (full-bodied and intense aroma with a bold, rich taste ans smooth finish. It is available in ground coffee.)
• Brazilian Sunrise (An exotic blend of rich Brazilian beans with a bold, smooth taste. Available in ground coffee)
• Lively Colombian (Distinctively rich and full-bodied taste of 100% Colombian bbeans, Available in ground coffee and whole bean.)
• Mourning Café (light-bodied with a clean finish and a delicate bright taste of aroma. Available in ground coffee.)
• Bistro Blend (Wonderfully rich and bold taste made from specially roasted and blended beans. Available in ground coffee.)
• Hazelnut Crème (the rich flavor of Hazelnut Crème with an enticing aroma and smooth finish. Available in ground coffee and whole bean)
• Vanilla Biscotti (Smooth vanilla flavor with a creamy finish. Available in ground coffee and whole bean)
• Chocolate Truffle (Creamy-smooth and rich, with an irresistible chocolate flavor. Available in ground coffee)
• Crème Brulee (Sweet, creamy vanilla flavor sprinkled with a warm, caramelized finish. Available in ground coffee.)
• Caramel Drizzle (A hint of creamy caramel flavor with a warm, rich finish. Available in ground coffee.)

You do not want to tell your customers what coffee is in the cup. You want to ask them what kind they liked best and record it. The surveyor will then conduct all the records of which the customers liked best for future references so that way if you have to look back in the records to see what one was popular and why.

Great! It seems like you have designed a thorough sampling plan for conducting marketing research for Folgers coffee. By visiting different grocery stores at different times and days, you are ensuring a representative sample of customers. Additionally, by offering a variety of coffee samples without disclosing the brand, you are allowing customers to provide unbiased feedback on their preferences.

To ensure the high validity, reliability, and representativeness of the data, make sure to train the surveyors to conduct the survey consistently and accurately. It's important to collect data from a large sample size to minimize biases and increase the generalizability of the results.

Once you have collected the data, analyze it to identify the most preferred coffee flavors and determine the reasons behind the customers' preferences. This information can then be used to inform product development decisions or marketing strategies for Folgers coffee.

Overall, it's important to remember that marketing research is an ongoing process, and it can provide valuable insights for companies like Folgers to make informed decisions about product development and attracting new customers.