American Marketing Association state market research is the function . which link the consumer, customer and the public to the marketer through information- information used to identify, define, marketing opportunity and problem, generate, define and evaluate performance and improve understanding of marketing as a Process.
according to Philip Kotler "marketing research is a systematic design collection analysis and reporting of data and finding relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company."
market research may also be defined as the intelligent tool of Management or an investigative arm of marketing manager helpful in Planning and controlling marketing operations.
Thus marketing research has a broad area of application which describe its scope. the main purpose of marketing research to a marketer are planning and controlling, but one point that must be stressed that a marketer or a marketing managers has always limitation in term of resources and time. there may be number of problem or decision to face and due to the above limitation only critical problem area should be identified and given priority for research.
elements of marketing research
- marketing research is a problem solving instrument
- its existence is perpetual as consumer need and want are subject to change
- it is a calculated process comprising of orderly and emphatic investigation
- it adopt scientific method and objectivity in solving marketing problem which implies that the researcher must have a judicial approach based on logic and reason
- the purpose of Investigation is well defined
