The macro level of marketing, according to The Fuqua School of Business, is one in which you explore "factors affecting the structure and efficiency of markets and the profitability of firms within markets." Examining profit margins, strategies for differentiating your products from your competitor's, and marketing channels are topics that fall within the macro level of marketing.
How marketing managers make decisions based on available information is a critical facet of marketing. If, through research, you can generate new methods for improved decision-making, it can improve, or perhaps in some cases eliminate, costly testing that marketing managers routinely engage to help perfect marketing decisions. How marketers test product advertising, or how product changes might affect purchasing decisions, are two areas that you can research in this area.
As the name implies, examining marketing at the micro level involves getting a closer look at how your target market decides to make a purchase. This includes emotional factors: how the consumer researches a product prior to making a decision, and other psychological triggers that might steer a buyer toward or away from your product.
Researching best practices, particularly in aligning sales and marketing, can provide a pool of information to companies. CEOs and marketing executives will have real-life examples of what has been working for their peers, and what pitfalls can occur that may not be anticipated. This can save companies a great deal of money and benefit consumers by keeping costs and prices down.
Social marketing is behavior change marketing that is used to promote well-being, and is commonly used in developing countries. Behavior change is a difficult and lengthy process, so research is important to unearth barriers and predictors to change, as well as gauge the success of the program. For example, the United States helped develop one of the oldest and largest social marketing programs in Bangladesh over 30 years ago that is still active. The longevity of the program is allowing researchers to observe measurable behavior change to prove the program is working; allows marketers to duplicate efforts in other countries; and helps secure additional funding.