Marketing Research
Objective: Describe the five steps in conducting market research
1. Define the Problem:
Does each bag of M&Ms contain the same number of candies?
How many of each color M&M is in each bag?
2. Analyze the situation:
Complete the M&Ms website worksheet.
3. Develop a data-collection procedure:
Get a bag of M&Ms and complete the Data Collection Worksheet
4. Examine and organize information:
Complete the Group Comparison Worksheet
5. Propose a solution
Complete the Solutions Worksheet
M & Ms Website Worksheet
Directions: Use Google to answer the questions below.
History
1. What year were M&Ms first sold to the public?
In March of 1941.
2. How were they packaged?
In cardboard tubes.
3. When the packaging was changed, what was it changed to?
It was changed to the brown packaging used today.
4. When were peanut M&Ms first introduced?
In 1954.
5. Where are M&M candies made in the United States?
Newark New Jersey.
6. What color was added to peanut M&Ms in 1960?
Yellow.
7. What does M & M stand for?
Mars &Murrie.
8. The original M&M chocolate candies contained what color mix?
Red,ellow, brown, green, and violet.
9. What is colorworks?
A website where you can order your favourite colour m&ms.
10. What is M&M world?
A Store that specializes in M&Ms and related merchandise.
11. What happened to the original name of M&M plain chocolate candies in 2000?
Milk Chocolate M&Ms.
12. Can you get your school colors?
Yes.
13. What color was originally used for the letters on the M&Ms?
Black.
14. What % of each color do you get in a bag of M&Ms?
Brown=
14
% Green=
16
% Yellow=
14
% Orange= 20
% Red=
% Blue=
%
13
24
For the following questions do a google search as well.
1. What are the details of the great color quest?
People who find a bag filled with orange get a prize.
2. What company has M&Ms teamed up with for the great color quest?
Aloe
3. The M&M Spokescandies were introduced as a form of marketing. Who are they? (List
their names)
Red, Blue, Yellow, Crispy, and Mrs. Brown.
4. Th e r e a r e g a m e s yo u ca n p l a y wi t h M& M s. U s e t h e i n t e r n e t t o f i n d a g a m e
a n d t r y p l a yi n g i t wi t h yo u r g r o u p . W ri t e o u t t h e n a m e o f t h e g a m e a n d t h e
i n s t r u c t i o n s f o r h o w t o p l a y.
The M&M Game is an icebreaker that allows people to get to know each other. Each person grabs some M&Ms
and shares facts about himself or herself. For each piece of M&M candy they took, they will have to answer a Question,
depending on its color. For example* you can designate a candy favorite hobbies green candy, favorite foods yellow candy,
favorite movies orange candy, favorite places to travel candy, most memorable or embarrassing moments Blue candy. Wild
cards; they can share anyone they choose.
M&M Data Collection Worksheet
1. How many candies are in your bag (count twice for accuracy)?_
141
2. Count each candy per color and quantity (count twice for accuracy)
Color
Number
Red
11
Green
44
Brown
17
Yellow
16
Orange
26
Blue
27
3. What is the percentage of each color per bag? ((# of color/total)*100)
Color
Percent
Red
7.8%
Green
31.2%
Brown
12.1%
Yellow
11.4%
Orange
18.4%
Blue
19.2%
4. Using Excel, create a pie chart showing the percent of each color M&M. (Use the data in
the first table above). Change the colors of the chart to match the colors of the M&Ms.
Submit the chart to the hand in folder so it can be marked in colour.
Group Comparison Worksheet
Communicate with the members of other groups to complete the table below:
Group
Name
Total in
Bag
% of
Red
% of
Blue
% of
Green
% of
Brown
% of
Yellow
% of
Orange
141
7.8%
19.2%
31.2%
12.1%
11.4%
18.4%
Jai Rai
142
8.5%
19%
24.6%
7%
21.8%
19%
Thomas
140
13%
25%
24%
8%
18%
11%
Jordan
142
8.5%
23%
22%
12%
18%
19.7%
Erik
138
7%
22%
20%
10%
22%
19%
Pavneet
141
9%
18%
31%
13%
16%
13%
140.67
13%
24%
16%
14%
14%
20%
Our Group
*m&m
standard
%s
*m&m % can be found online
Solutions Worksheet
1. Does each bag of M&Ms contain the same number of candies?
NO
2. If the answer to number 1 is no, what is the average number of candies per bag?
140.67
3. How many of each color M&Ms is in each bag? (Approximately)
4. How do the Group results compare to the M&M website results?
They were not close.
5. Which color is most prevalent?
GREEN
6. Is there a trend or reason for the most prevalent color?
7. Which color is least prevalent?
RED
8. Is there a trend or reason for the least prevalent color?
no
9. Why do they introduce new colors as a marketing strategy?
Because people like to see colourful things.
10. List any examples of advertisements, TV shows, movies that have used M&Ms (or
specific color M&Ms) as part of the script.
11. If you were marketing a bag of M&Ms what would be your breakdown of each color and why?
12. What does your group think of the Great Color Quest marketing strategy? (Explain)
We think it is a good strategy because people would buy m&ms to win.
Orange Is Coming Back to the M&M'S Mix; Great Color Quest Consumer Contest Yields First
Winner with Discovery of Bag of All-Orange M&M'S
Feb. 5, 2004
Orange was officially "found" in South Carolina and will be added back to the M&M'S(R) stable of
colors. Black and white since New Year's Eve, M&M'S launched the Great Color Quest consumer
contest to bring back the color, enlisting the support of consumers to find the six all-colored bags
of M&M'S from among the more than 37 million black-and-white packages.
"The M&M'S(R) Great Color Quest contest is designed to give the wonder of color back to the
people," said Doug Milne, senior marketing manager, M&M'S Brand. "While the color orange has
now been found, there are still five colors to go, with full bags of brown, red, yellow, blue and
green M&M'S waiting to be found so that all the colors can come together again."
While the color orange has now been found, there are still five colors to go, with full bags of
brown, red, yellow, blue and green M&M'S waiting to be found so that all the colors can come
together again.
In South Carolina, a life-long fan of M&M'S purchased an all-orange bag at a local store and soon
discovered that she was the first Great Color Quest winner. Consumers who purchase one of the
remaining black and white bags of M&M'S(R) containing candies that are all one color may also
be winners. A total of six lucky winners will receive a 2004 Volkswagen New Beatle Convertible
GLS in the color of the candy they discover, a trip to Los Angeles, and $20,000 in cash.
Each of the M&M'S(R) varieties - milk chocolate, peanut, crispy, almond, peanut butter and minis have turned black and white and are part of the Great Color Quest contest. More information
about the Great Color Quest is available at http://www.mms.com/us/bw/quest/.
