BTEC Level 3 Unit 22 Market Research Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 22 Market Research Assignment Brief

Unit in brief

Learners examine the different aspects of market research used by businesses. They will undertake a research project, interpret their findings and produce a report.

Unit introduction

This unit will develop your research skills and your understanding of the role marketing information plays in identifying and satisfying customers’ needs.

In this unit, you will examine the purpose and type of market research undertaken in a business, consider the objectives of the research and the processes followed. You will plan and undertake a research activity using the most appropriate design and sampling method. You will analyse and interpret market research data and present your findings. You will use this knowledge to make recommendations for improvements to the market research process for a selected business.

This unit will give you an insight into the importance of collecting and interpreting marketing information as a tool for making wider marketing decisions, and enable you to make an informed choice on the suitability of this marketing area as a possible employment or training opportunity.

Learning aims

In this unit you will:

A Examine the types of market research used in business
B Plan and implement a market research activity to meet a specific marketing objective
C Analyse and present market research findings and recommend process improvements.

Summary of Unit

Content

Learning aim A: Examine the types of market research used in business

A1 Purpose of market research

• Understand customer behaviour.
• Determine buying trends.
• Investigate brand/advertising awareness.
• Aid new product development.
• Investigate feasibility of entry into new markets.
• To meet marketing objectives.

A2 Types of research

• Qualitative and quantitative.
• Secondary research.
• Internal sources:
  o loyalty schemes
  o EPOS records
  o website monitoring
  o accounting records
  o specialist market research agencies.
• External sources:
  o internet
  o government statistics
  o competitor reports
  o specialist market intelligence agencies, e.g. Mintel, Ipsos.
• Primary research:
  o surveys
  o observation
  o e-marketing
  o focus groups
  o pilot research.

A3 Appropriateness of choice of research

• Cost.
• Accuracy.
• Timelines.
• Response rates.

Learning aim B: Plan and implement a market research activity to meet a specific marketing objective

B1 Planning stage

• Problem definition.
• Set research objectives.
• Budget.
• Determine what data is to be collected.
• Methods to be used:
  o secondary and primary
  o quantitative and/or qualitative.
• Pilot questionnaire design:
  o question type
  o sequencing
  o length of questionnaire
  o avoiding bias
  o relevance of questions to objectives.
• Pilot sampling plan.
• Probability sampling:
  o random
  o systematic
  o stratified
  o cluster.
• Non-probability sampling:
  o quota
  o convenience
  o observation.
• Sample size and effect on confidence levels.
• Pilot research.

B2 Implementation stage

• Review of pilot primary research.
• Final questionnaire design.
• Final sampling plan.
• Data collection, primary and secondary.

Learning aim C: Analyse and present market research findings and recommend process improvements

C1 Statistical analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary research

• Data analysis/interpretation:
  o arithmetic mean, mode, median
  o range and interquartile range
  o standard deviation
  o time series
  o scatter diagrams and trends.
• Interpretation of secondary research.

C2 Presentation of research results

• Reports, tables, graphs.
• Presentation of conclusions and recommendations.
• Awareness of audience type.

C3 Value of the information

• Limitations of the research:
  o sufficiency
  o accuracy
  o bias
  o subjectivity
  o reliability of sample.
• Recommend improvements to the process.

Assessment Criteria

Essential information for Assignments

The recommended structure of assessment is shown in the unit summary along with suitable forms of evidence. Section 6 gives information on setting assignments and there is further information on our website.

There is a maximum number of three summative assignments for this unit. The relationship of the learning aims and criteria is:

Learning aim: A (A.P1, A.M1, A.D1)

Learning aim: B (B.P2, B.P3, B.P4, B.M2, B.D2)

Learning aim: C (C.P5, C.M3, C.D3)

Further information for teachers and assessors

Resource requirements

For this unit, learners will need access and facilities to enable the required research for the unit.

Essential information for assessment decisions

Learning aim A

For distinction standard, learners will justify how different methods of market research clearly support the purpose of the research, the response will include appropriate examples throughout to support the justification.

For merit standard, learners will assess the different types of research that can be used by a selected business that has different marketing objectives.

For pass standard, learners will include in their report examples of types of research used by a selected business. It will be fit for purpose, professional and written in appropriate business language. The report explains at least two primary and two secondary types of research for the business and will use realistic examples.

Learning aim B

For distinction standard, learners will plan a small-scale market research activity for a stated purpose. They will carry out a pilot survey, evaluate the effectiveness of their pilot research and recommend improvements to be made prior to undertaking the final market research activity. Both pilot and final research findings must be provided as an appendix to the learner’s work.

For merit standard, learners will analyse their final plan, consider the methods chosen and their suitability for the stated purpose. Pilot data will be collected and changes will be made to the plan before learners undertake the actual research. The analysis will cover the type of data to be collected and include both primary and secondary methods. The sampling plan will include sample type and size.

For pass standard, learners will produce a plan for carrying out both primary and secondary research. At least two methods of each type must be included in the plan. Pilot data will be collected before learners undertake the actual research.

Learning aim C

For distinction standard, learners will produce a short report that assesses the limitations of the data collected in terms of its accuracy, subjectivity, bias and reliability. The report must go on to judge the effectiveness of the process undertaken in terms of meeting the research/marketing objectives, and to make recommendations for improvements based on the experience gained.

For merit standard, learners will use a wide range of statistical analysis techniques to fully interpret the findings of the market research data collected, and present these findings using charts, tables and diagrams to show the outcomes of the data analysis.

For pass standard, learners will present a basic interpretation of the research data using at least two different formats and two statistical techniques.

Links to other units

This unit links to:

• Unit 2: Developing a Marketing Campaign
• Unit 17: Digital Marketing
• Unit 18: Creative Promotion.

Employer involvement

This unit would benefit from employer involvement in the form of:

• guest speakers
• participation in audience assessment of presentations
• design/ideas to contribute to unit assignment/case study/project materials
• work experience
• business materials as exemplars
• support from local business staff as mentors.

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