Descriptive Market Research

Generally considered the most popular form of market research, this research method has the objective of providing an accurate description for something that is occurring (e.g., monthly sales volume, customer preference).

Exploratory Market Research

Marketing research method that uses a less structured and often less scientific approach to discover general information about a topic that is not well understood by the marketer.

Market

From a marketers perspective, consists of all people and/or organizations possessing the necessary qualification for making a purchase or otherwise developing a relationship with the marketer.

Market Pricing

A process for setting the initial price for a product that relies on analysis of market research to determine what customers perceive as an acceptable price and includes such methods as Backward Pricing, Psychological Pricing and Price Lining.

Market Research Distributors

Companies that function as intermediaries in the research market by acquiring access to information, such as research reports, from producers of the research (e.g., market research companies) and then selling this information to those seeking research (e.g., marketer developing a new product).

Market Segment

A smaller part of a larger market consisting of customers grouped (i.e., segmented) by characteristic shared by others in their group.

Market Segmentation

A key element of a target marketing strategy in which large markets, where customers possess different characteristics, is divided into smaller market segments in which customers are grouped by characteristic shared by others in the segment.

Market Segmentation Variables

Represent characteristics of a market that allow marketers to create customer grouping (i.e., market segments) and range from broad characteristics, such as demographics, to individually specific characteristics, such as personal product usage.