Define the management decision problem confronting Melissa Marcello and Julie Litzenberger and a corresponding marketing research problem and show the linkages between the two.

Review the American Idol Case.
The research question is, “What still needs to be known about the viewers and voters for contestants of the popular TV show American Idol?” Given that the marketing research problem is to determine who the viewers actually are and their motivations for voting for American Idol contestants.
Write a 3 to 5 Page paper (1000 to 1500 words) in APA format to answer the following question: What is the demographic profile of the American Idol audience? Below is a recommended outline.
1. Cover Page (See APA Sample paper)
2. Introduction
a. A thesis statement
b. Purpose of paper
c. Overview of paper
3. Body
a. Define the management decision problem confronting Melissa Marcello and Julie Litzenberger and a corresponding marketing research problem and show the linkages between the two. Cite source with in-text citations.
b. Apply the components of the marketing research problem listed on PAGE 61 to suggest what research can be done. Cite source within-text citations.
c. Describe key concepts to be used in the marketing research problem approach. Cite source with in-text citations.
4. Conclusion – Summary of main points
a. Lessons Learned and Recommendations
5. References – List the references you cited in the text of your paper according to APA format.
(Note: Do not include references that are not cited in the text of your paper)

Case 2.1
American Idol: A Big Hit for Marketing Research?

“This could be more of a challenge than we previously thought,” Melissa Marcello told her business associate, Julie Litzenberger. After nodding in agreement, Litzenberger put down her cup of coffee at the Vienna, Virginia, Starbucks coffee shop near her firm’s headquarters.
Both Marcello and Litzenberger were far along their career paths as researchers in the winter of 2008 when they met at Starbucks. Marcello was CEO of research agency Pursuant, Inc. (www.pursuantresearch.com), and Litzenberger led the public relations division at marketing communications agency Sage Communications (www. sagecommunications.com). Both were based in the Washington, D.C., area.
Litzenberger took the last bite of her cinnamon scone before sipping her latte. She nodded again to Marcello across the table for two before answering. “Research studies that are the most successful in moving the needle are the studies where the research firm uses scientific and credible methods, poses the right questions, and provides the client company with the insights needed to sufficiently reduce risk in decision making,” Litzenberger said. “In short, improving decision making is what effective marketing research is about.”
Over the years, Marcello and Litzenberger had witnessed prospective client companies voicing resistance to pursuing marketing research. Skeptics of professional marketing research sometimes would say that they “already knew enough about customers to make decisions.” Other times, skeptics would assail the sampling methods of studies in an attempt to dismiss the results. And in other instances, skeptics would merely claim that finding the answers to such questions about customers would be too expensive to obtain. In sum, professionally done marketing research was presented as being impractical.
Marcello and Litzenberger were attempting to overcome a challenge in client development. Specifically, they were attempting to obtain evidence to confront skeptics of professionally done marketing research without compromising the privacy of previous clients with whom they had worked. It was inappropriate for them to share the results of previous studies with anyone other than the clients who had contracted them for those custom marketing research studies.