Consumer surveys fall under the catagory of marketing research.
Marketing research and marketing strategy are two different pieces of the same puzzle. Research and strategy work together, but they are not the same thing. Knowing the unique characteristic of each is crucial to developing an effective marketing plan. Business owners and managers who learn the difference have a distinct advantage over individuals who do not.
Basic Differences
Marketing research is a method of gathering information about current and potential consumers and the findings themselves. Market research may be performed to find out how much people spend on particular items, why customers prefer certain brands, market characteristics and similar information.
On the other hand a marketing strategy is a plan designed to encourage the purchase of a good or service. The knowledge gained from marketing research can help managers develop successful marketing strategies.
Marketing Research
There are two broad types of marketing research: primary research and secondary research. Primary research involves collecting specific information first-hand. For example a store manager who writes up a customer survey, distributes it to his customers and analyzes the findings is doing primary research. Focus groups, surveys, interviews and observation studies are forms of primary research. If you choose to use facts, figures and statistics collected by someone else, you are using secondary research.
Conducting Market Research
Conducting primary research is an art and a science. Survey, interview and focus group questions that are poorly worded will not provide reliable results. Also consumers may lie either unwittingly or because the truth is embarrassing. Observational studies have their flaws as well. People act differently when they know someone is watching.
When it comes to secondary research remember the information you find is only as good as the source. If you don't trust the researcher's collection method or motives don't use their information. In particular do not take the facts and figures supplied by random websites as gospel. Government agencies, professional organizations and associations, books and scholarly journals are good sources of secondary information.
Marketing Strategy
In broad terms marketing strategy is a company's plan to target a particular market and get individuals in that market to make a purchase. Many elements come together to form a complete marketing strategy. Pricing plans, sales methods, promotions and advertising campaigns all play a part. Market research is also important when it comes to strategy development. Research findings can point you in the right direction and can be used to support your decisions. For example, say census data suggests your target market is shrinking. It may be wise to consider modifying your product and targeting a growing segment like the elderly population.
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