Market Research

8/26/13

Evolutionary vs. Revolutionary

In a recent blog post I wrote about identifying claims full of hype in market research. This got me thinking about evolutionary vs. revolutionary changes we’ve seen and how most really fall into the former. Perhaps it’s no surprise given that all market research works to the same end (i.e., gaining new knowledge) by largely […]

By David KennedyRead More

8/15/13

Trends in market research: Analyzing the hype

We’re surrounded by hype about products and services every day, whether it’s technology, entertainment, political, or even business practices. The next big thing promises to change our lives and make the old thing irrelevant. Market research is at the intersection of many industries and trends so it’s no surprise that we see plenty of big […]

By David KennedyRead More

8/6/13

Digital media is enhancing market research

According to last Friday’s article from Mashable (based on data from eMarketer), Americans are consuming more digital media than TV for the first time. The biggest jump in digital consumption comes from people using their smartphones to connect online. People are emailing coworkers while they are out to eat, reading online restaurant reviews while sitting […]

By Andrew MonroeRead More

8/1/13

Missouri Colleges and Universities: Private or Public

A while back, we posted some demographic information about the origins of foreign college students in Missouri. As we continue examining Missouri college demographics, here are a few more snippets for you, focusing on student age and on public schools versus private schools. 70% of college students in Missouri go to public universities, while 30% […]

By Kevin RainesRead More

7/23/13

A Lesson from Social Entrepreneurs – Think Customers and Markets

Earlier blogs have noted a shift among nonprofits – we are embracing the language and practices of entrepreneurs. Whether an outgrowth of boldness – or the necessity brought on by the recession – we are looking for new ways to serve and earn revenues – and for new revenue streams. Recently I had the opportunity […]

By Karla RainesRead More

7/18/13

Part 3: Actual behavior – What we do

Did sales increase after the campaign? Who donated the most money? When did website traffic peak? We can answer these questions by measuring actual behavior, a practice that is not as common in market research as one might think. This may be due to age-old industry norms that insist measuring actual behavior is too difficult […]

By Matt BruceRead More

7/17/13

Part 2: Behavioral intention—What we plan to do

Social psychologists suggest that before people engage in an action, they cognitively create behavioral plans (i.e., intentions). You probably intend to drive to work before you get in the car, and you plan to bake cookies before warming up the oven. Hundreds of studies have examined behavioral intentions, and these studies have found that behavioral […]

By Matt BruceRead More

7/16/13

Part 1: Previous Behavior – What we did

Sometimes we need to know about shopping behavior or drinking behavior or seatbelt use, and because of time or cost, we are unable to conduct a diary study or observational research, so instead we ask about previous behavior. This is a reasonable substitute for many types of behaviors because previous behavior is typically a strong […]

By Matt BruceRead More

7/15/13

Measuring human behavior: Opportunities and Challenges

Tracking, predicting, or measuring change in human behavior is often the goal of market research. We frequently want to know what people do, how they spend their money, or who they vote for. While understanding attitudes, perceptions, and other precursors to behavior is important because they are the avenues to persuasion, sometimes our focus on […]

By Matt BruceRead More

7/10/13

Proxies for culture

We often rely on formal market research to measure attitudes, values, lifestyles, and other measures of culture, yet given that culture touches everything around us we often don’t need to look far for other signs of a shifting culture. Trends in one area can easily show insight into another. For example, the increasing sales of […]

By David KennedyRead More