market research

market research
the gathering and studying of data relating to consumer preferences, purchasing power, etc., esp. prior to introducing a product on the market.
[1925-30]

* * *

Study of the requirements of specific markets, the acceptability of products, and methods of developing and exploiting new markets.

Various strategies are used for market research: past sales may be projected forward; surveys may be made of consumer attitudes and product preferences; and new or altered products may be introduced experimentally into designated test-market areas. Formal market research dates back to the 1920s in Germany and the 1930s in Sweden and France. After World War II, U.S. firms led in the use and refinement of market-research techniques, which spread throughout much of Western Europe and Japan.

* * *

      study of the requirements of various markets, the acceptability of products, and methods of developing or exploiting new markets. A variety of techniques is employed, depending on the purpose of the research: salesmen's expectations may be used as a guide to future demand for a product; past sales may be projected forward; surveys may be made of consumer attitudes and product preferences, either generally or in particular regions; and new or altered products may be introduced experimentally into designated test-market areas.

      Formal market research dates back to the 1920s in Germany and the 1930s in Sweden and France. After World War II, American firms probably led in the use and refinement of market-research techniques, which spread throughout much of western Europe and Japan. Whereas the information obtained through market research in industrialized economies is fairly specific, relating to particular products or individual firms, in less-developed countries more general information is sought.

      By the 1980s market research was being used in Communist countries in planning the production of consumer goods, particularly as the variety of these goods increased. The Soviet Union had established a Market Research Institute in 1965 to study long-term trends in consumer interests and expenditures.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • market-research — market research …   Dictionary of sociology

  • market research — market re search n [U] a business activity which involves collecting information about what goods people buy and why they buy them ▪ They had to conduct market research, then advertise the product …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • market research — ► NOUN ▪ the activity of gathering information about consumers needs and preferences …   English terms dictionary

  • market research — n. the study of the demands or needs of consumers in relation to particular goods or services …   English World dictionary

  • Market research — Marketing Key concepts Product marketing · Pricing …   Wikipedia

  • market research — A technical analysis of factors such as volume, price trends, and market breadth that are used to predict price movement. Bloomberg Financial Dictionary * * * market research market research ➔ research * * * market research UK US noun [U] (also …   Financial and business terms

  • Market Research — The process of assessing the viability of a new product or service through techniques such as surveys, product testing and focus groups. Market research allows a company to discover who their target market is and what these consumers think about… …   Investment dictionary

  • market research — noun research that gathers and analyzes information about the moving of good or services from producer to consumer • Syn: ↑marketing research • Hypernyms: ↑research • Hyponyms: ↑market analysis, ↑product research, ↑consumer research …   Useful english dictionary

  • market research — Qualitative and quantitative research on the tastes, values, and perceptions, on the personal, household, and neighbourhood characteristics, and on the purchasing behaviour, of individual consumers of (or industrial customers for) equipment and… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • market research — N UNCOUNT Market research is the activity of collecting and studying information about what people want, need, and buy. A new all woman market research company has been set up to find out what women think about major news and issues …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”