By market study depending upon point of view one understands:

• the complete process of the solution of market-referred economical problems (whereby with "„market "“here usually a sales market is meant) by analysis of information about the appropriate market, or
• more continuously, more systematically, on scientific methods based and objective process, which observes the market happening as well as the enterprise surrounding field, in order to win and analyze information. This takes place for the purpose of the identification or security of marketing decisions.

The market study has its specializations like e.g. the industrial market study, which is called under others also B2B-Marktforschung or capital goods market study.

In addition, the market study is one of the most important tools marketing, it supplies decision making aids for other divisions like for example the Controlling and Business of the Intelligence. The trend to the outsourcing seized meanwhile also the enterprise-internal Marktforschungsabteilungen. After so far the data acquisition was only paged out to specialized institutes, now also the evaluation of the data is accomplished automated by Research servers. - Also for non--statisticians - results prepared the electronic distribution graphic to that up to each individual sales office represent here a very important auxiliary use. A progressive standardisation of the market study will guarantee the long-term comparability of different studies and will increase thus their utilizable value.

Expiration of a market study project

In the market study usually project-oriented one works. A market study project is divided into the following phases:

1. Formulation of the problem
2. Production of a research Design
3. Definition of the sources of information
   • Primary sources (information is raised for the first time purposefully for the project, on the basis an inquiry, an experimental experimental assembly or on the basis Umsatzstatistiken, correspondences with customer, repair lists, stock reports, price lists etc.) - primary research or Field so mentioned Research
   • Secondary sources (information was already raised from other causes and to find itself for instance in statistic yearbooks, reports of the IHK, balances of other enterprises, folders, catalogs, publications of scientific institutes etc.) - secondary research or Desk so mentioned Research
4. Procurement of information
5. Analysis and interpretation of the data
6. Presentation of the research result
7. Consultation and conversion.

The most important and at the same time most difficult phase is first: the formulation of the problem. Only, if the problem is exactly outlined, the research methods which can be used can be fixed in a research Design in such a way specified. In this Design also one specifies, which information is needed for the execution of the study. Such information (and/or characteristic numbers) must fulfill the following conditions:

1. Validity (validity; English validity): The information and/or does characteristic number give at all an answer to the research So for instance the gross domestic product is alone no valid characteristic number for the prosperity of a nation, since this depends still on many other factors.
2. Reliability English reliability): Can the information and/or characteristic number be determined Thus the gross domestic product cannot be determined often reliably, because economic sectors are not detectable like the shadow economy.

If the necessary information cannot be referred from secondary sources (like already before accomplished market studies or literature like the publications of offices for statistics) or if such information became outdated, they must be raised particularly. In addition tools serve like the questioning, the observation and the experiment. Often the raised data are captured directly electronically (for instance over a computer cash register or an on-line statistics, which is connected with a central data base). During the use of primary sources usually also the question about a suitable sample arises.

Methods of the primary research

For the provision of information in the context of the primary research a broad repertoire at methods is available. Roughly thereby between the rather qualitative and the rather quantitative methods one differentiates. To the qualitative methods belong for example deep and/or manual interviews, group discussions (also groups of focuses) and Workshops. Here usually relatively small samples are asked from 10 to 20 persons. The qualitative evaluation takes place on basis of the tape and/or of the video photographs or on the basis the Mitschriften.

Of quantitative research one speaks, if larger samples are asked and if these are evaluated quantitatively, statistically for example in the form of tables. Among the quantitative methods rank among other things population-representative questionings, telephone inquiries as well as questionings in Teststudios with 100 pro gangs and more.

In practice there are overlaps between the qualitative and the quantitative research. Some market researchers reject this organization therefore. Thus the population-representative inquiries with thousands and more persons are added to the quantitative methods. They contain frequently however qualitative elements in the form of open questions. These again are evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively.

A further organization of the primary research takes place on the level of the contact to the asked one. Here one differentiates between the personal interviews (Face ton Face interview) and the not-personal interviews. The personal interviews can take place either in the house of the asked one (in-home), on the road (in-street) or in particularly for this furnished Teststudios (in-resound). Among the not-personal interviews rank telephone inquiries (computer Assisted of telephones interview, CATI), written questionings (by letter) and on-line inquiries.

The quantitative data can be analyzed with different statistic procedures, which are available in special statistics software such as SPSS or SAS and partly also in programs for the spread-sheet analysis (about Microsoft Excel).

Apart from the direct questioning of the test persons there are the methods of the observation and the experiment in the market study also. Application possibilities are for this for example: Search behavior of the customers in a supermarket, test purchases for the examination of the employees and the like.

A further important research method is the data acquisition in the context of consumer panels. A consumer panel is a large sample of consumers, often with 10.000 or more cases. These log continuously their purchases. In former times the purchases were seized in writing weekly or monthly by the pro gangs and conveyed by letter to accomplishing Institut. Today the panel households are usually equipped with bar code readers. The collection of the bought goods takes place directly after the purchase, which become data on-line conveyed. From the data of the consumer panels the market shares of different marks can be e.g. determined and - which still important actual the shift of market shares.

Market research institutes

Large enterprises and companies usually have own Marktforschungsabteilungen. In smaller enterprises against it care for frequently marketing responsible person (product manager) the market study "„beside "“. Also the large enterprises do not work on the market study projects under normal conditions. The market researchers in the enterprises work rather as intermediaries between the own marketing department and the market research institutes assigned to the studies. The institutes often offer for frequently returning problem definitions standard methods, like for example:

• (Advertising) Pretests: Laboratory tests, which also test Stills"” (print announcements/posters etc.) on controlled test conditions advertising spots or "“. Important examined criteria are consumer acceptance, stamping SAMness (particularly in linkage with the name of the applied mark), emotional hue, arousing from interest to buy and image communication.
• Concept, product and packing test: Similar objective as with the Werbepretest, only that the investigation object is a provisional advertising communication text, a again developed or product which can be launched again or its packing.
• Tracking studies: Sequential questionings, in which during a longer period away information about mark admittingness is raised, - use and image.
• On-line market study: Public opinion polls over Internet to most diverse ranges of topics

Also that Federal Statistical Office as well as the statistic national offices collect and publish for market researchers meaning Informationen.und

Central one of terms and methods

See for this the list of the terms and methods of the market study

Related links

• BVM - Professional association of German market and social researchers
• ADM registered association - Working group of German market research institutes
• Would list all market research institutes in Germany

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