Abstract
In the last chapter it was noted that the manner in which market research is executed is a function of the needs and resources of the industrial organisation. Before embarking on a description of market research techniques it is useful to clarify the differences in emphasis between industrial and consumer market research as this influences the importance of the techniques used. These differences are adequately described by both Gordon1 and Hutchison,2 and the most important can be summarised as follows:
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1
Consumer goods are purchased by members of the public whereas industrial goods are purchased on behalf of an organisation.
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2
The industrial market researcher tends to require a knowledge of product technology.
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3
The consumer population tends to be normally distributed and thus subject to sophisticated statistical analysis, whereas the industrial population is less numerous, and less easily categorised, and random samples are not likely to be representative of the total industrial population.
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Chapter 6
P. K. Minton (Chairman, IMRA Techniques Committee), Technology Statistics and Industrial Marketing Research, a paper presented on behalf of the Industrial Marketing Research Association at the Statistics User’s Conference, March 1974.
See for instance Export Marketing Research Scheme (London: British Overseas Trade Board, H.M.S.O., 1974): and S. Poulder, ‘Market Research Abroad’, Export Direction (Feb 1976).
See D. Jobber, ‘Information and Management’, Quarterly Review of Marketing (Autumn 1976).
D. Jobber and C. Rainbow, A Study of the Development and Implementation of Marketing Information Systems in British Industry (Huddersfield Polytechnic, 1975).
L. Adler, ‘How to Economize in Industrial Marketing Research’, Industrial Marketing Management (Oct 1975).
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© 1980 Ronald McTavish and Angus Maitland
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McTavish, R., Maitland, A. (1980). Industrial Marketing Research: an Overview of Techniques. In: Industrial Marketing. Macmillan Studies in Marketing Management. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-16317-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-16317-5_6
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