The Changing Landscape Of Marketing Research: A Study Of Marketing Consultants

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The field of marketing research is undergoing dramatic change as technology of various forms penetrates its realm. This study seeks to gather a snapshot of the U.S. marketing research industry in its current state of evolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Specifically, this study examines the mix of data collection methods, analysis techniques, targeted research participants, and project topics emphasized by today’s working consultants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>While findings confirm a rather expected major shift toward Internet-related means of collecting data, analysis techniques remain relatively unchanged over the last twenty years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Furthermore, findings reveal that research design decisions are to some degree formed based on consultants’ perceptions of their own Internet self-efficacy and their firms’ orientations toward either B2B or B2C clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Implications for both practitioner and academic researchers are discussed.</span></p>

The changing role of the marketing researcher in the age of digital technology: Practitioner perspectives on the digitization of marketing research

“…They explained that although they feel they are expected to develop new digital skills, in reality, many of their activities have not changed significantly (see also Ford, 2014). Indeed, in the context of marketing research, very few studies have actually explored what skills practitioners use (Wright & Wagner, 2011).…”