Market research and customer profile research
Market research is the process of determining the viability of a new service or product through research
conducted directly with potential customers. Market research allows a company to discover the target market
and get opinions and other feedback from consumers about their interest in the product or service.
This type of research can be conducted in-house, by the company itself, or by a third-party company that
specializes in market research. It can be done through surveys, product testing, and focus groups. Test subjects
are usually compensated with product samples or paid a small stipend for their time. Market research is a
critical component in the research and development (R&D) of a new product or service.
•Companies use market research to test the viability of a new product or service by communicating
directly with a potential customer.
•With market research, companies can figure out their target market and get opinions and feedback
from consumers in real-time.
•This type of research can be conducted in-house, by the company itself, or by an outside company that
specializes in market research.
•The research includes surveys, product testing, and focus groups.
•Market research is a combination of primary information—information gathered directly—or secondary
information, which is information an outside entity has already gathered
Understanding Market Research
The purpose of market research is to look at the market associated with a particular good or service to ascertain
how the audience will receive it. This can include information gathering for the purpose of market
segmentation and product differentiation, which can be used to tailor advertising efforts or determine which
features are seen as a priority to the consumer.
Importance of Market research
Market research is a critical tool in helping companies understand what consumers want, developing products
that those consumers will use, and maintaining a competitive advantage over other companies in their
industry.
A business must engage in a variety of tasks to complete the market research process. It needs to gather
information based on the market sector being examined. The business needs to analyze and interpret the
resulting data to determine the presence of any patterns or relevant data points that it can use in the decision-
making process.
How Market Research Gathers Information
Market research consists of a combination of primary information, or what has been gathered by the
company or by a person hired by the company, and secondary information, or what has been gathered by an
outside source.
Primary Information
Primary information is the data that the company
has collected directly or that has been collected by
a person or business hired to conduct the research.
This type of information generally falls into two
categories: exploratory and specific research.
Exploratory research is a less structured option and
functions via more open-ended questions, and it
results in questions or issues being presented that
the company may need to address. Specific
research finds answers to previously identified
issues that are often brought to attention through
exploratory research.
Secondary Information
Secondary information is data that an outside entity has already gathered. This can include population
information from government census data, trade association research reports, or presented research from
another business operating within the same market sector.
The Development of Market Research
Formal market research began in Germany during the 1920s. Around the same time, market research in the
United States took off during the advertising boom of the Golden Age of Radio. Companies that advertised
on the radio began to understand the demographics that were revealed by how different radio shows
were sponsored.
Face-to-Face Interviews
From there, companies were developed that would interview people on the street about publications that
they read and whether they recognized any of the ads or brands within the ads that were published in the
magazines or newspapers the interviewer showed them. Data collected from these interviews were
compared to the circulation of the publication in order to see how effective those ads were. Market
research and surveys were adapted from these early techniques.
Phone Research
Data collection then shifted to the telephone, making face-to-face contact unnecessary. A telephone
operator could collect information or organize focus groups—and do so quickly and in a more organized and
orderly fashion. This method improved the market research model greatly.
Online Market Research
With people spending more time online, many market research activities have shifted online as well. While
the platform may have changed, data collection is still mainly done in a survey-style form. But instead of
companies actively seeking participants by finding them on the street or by cold calling them on the
phone, people can choose to sign up and take surveys and offer opinions when they have time. This makes
the process far less intrusive and less rushed since people can do so on their own time and by their own
volition.
What Are the Main Types of Market Research?
The main types of market research are primary research, which includes focus groups, polls, and surveys,
secondary market research, which includes articles, info graphics, and white papers, qualitative research,
which gives insights into how customers feel and think, and quantitative research, which uses data and
statistics, such as website views, social media engagement, and subscribers.
What Is Online Market Research?
Online market research is market research that is conducted over the Internet. Online market research can
be either qualitative or quantitative and follow the same format as primary and secondary market
research methods.
What Are Paid Market Research Surveys?
Paid market research involves a group of individuals that are paid to partake in a research study. This can
involve filling out surveys, partaking in group studies, research panels, and more. The individuals are
usually pre-selected and monetarily rewarded for their time and effort.
What Is a Market Study?
A market study is the proactive analysis of market demand for a product or service. A market study looks
at all of the factors involved in the market that influence the demand for that product or service. This
includes price, location, competition, substitutes, and general economic activity
The Bottom Line
Market research allows companies to understand the demand
and viability of their product and to see how it might perform
in the real world. Market research is conducted either through
primary information or secondary information, both providing
unique insights into a company's offering. Market research is a
key component of a company's research and development
(R&D) stage and is a key aspect of its success and growth.