Marketing Research What exactly is marketing (or market research? In what ways is it the same as cor different than opinion polling? Chuck Chakrapani (2000, pp. ff) wrote that: “Traditionally. marketing research has been considered a discipline that primarily uses scientific methods w collec, analyze, and interpeet data relevant to marketing of goods and services,” But he went on to say that The acceptance of this defnion has prevented ‘marketing researchers rom being meaninghl pa ets in the decisionmaking process. The practice {and goal of marketing resach should not be Ist to provide ‘input to decison makers but 10 ‘ether data ene interpret them ight of what {aieady known and 10 be 2 pat ol the secon. ‘aking process. To have conned ‘etevance t2 management and marketing, we sould develop 3 ‘ore body of knowledge. Such knawdede should be supported by entersive empirical evidence. There 1S no substitute for empirical endence, Statistical nals on lrited data canna take the place ot fempiicl evidence This isan excellent description of marketing research at its best. However, marketing ‘esearch certainly includes both quantitative and qualitative research, and qualitative ‘esearch, by definition, does not provide data for ‘extensive empitical evidence.” Humphrey Taylor Marketing research draws on many different sources for its data, including primary (ie. “new") research and secondary research (the analysis of ata and other ‘information already available). It docs not necessarily involve the use of new data collection, although it usually does. I includes both consumer (actual or potential ‘eail customers) research and business 10- business (B2B") research where cosporate ‘or institutional customers oF prospects are interviewed. Like opinion polling, marketing research may be conducted locally. regionally nationally o internationally THE MARKETING RESEARCH INDUSTRY There isan irony in my writing this chapter ‘om market research in a book about op polls. I have writica chapters on opinion polls and opinion polling in two lage books fon marketing research, in. which T wied 19 describe public opinion polling to marketing researchers. Here | am writing primarily for those who are miore interested in or more knowledgeable about polling.