Strategic Market Research

Book excerpt: For a company to embrace market research as a facilitator of change, it must be willing to take the approach that makes the most impact on its organization. That approach is the key in making a difference using market research. In this guide, author Anne Beall shares her unique procedure for conducting strategic market research. With more than fifteen years of experience in conducting market research, Beall details the strategic principles she has developed that impact the way in which market research can inspire and change an organization. Strategic Market Research discusses identifying the strategic questions that will help a business; using the right research techniques to answer these questions; obtaining the level of depth required to have insight; reading the nonverbal communications of research respondents when doing qualitative work; identifying the emotional aspects of human behavior; using statistical analyses to understand what drives markets; going beyond the data to interpret the results and make strategic recommendations. In addition to addressing both qualitative and quantitative research, Strategic Market Research provides real-life examples illustrating the application of these concepts in various scenarios, including businesses and non-profit organizations. Implementing the strategic approach from the beginning to the end of a project provides information that promotes change.