3.2.3

Primary Market Research

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Primary Market Research

Primary market research is market research that is done by a firm for its own use. A business can tailor this research to their own exact needs.

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Examples of primary market research

  • For example, a firm may use questionnaires, surveys or interviews to carry out primary research.
  • Firms often do this without the customer thinking about it.
  • A key benefit of primary research is that it is tailored exactly to the needs of the business.
  • Focus groups: small groups of customers discuss products or services to give detailed opinions.
  • Observation: businesses can watch customer behavior directly to gain insights without asking questions.
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The likert scale

  • At airports, firms like Ferrovial, which owns Heathrow often ask what your service was like at security clearance queues.
  • This is known as a likert scale, which is a form of market research that firms use to try to understand and gauge what customers think of their product or service.
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Sampling

  • Sampling involves selecting a smaller group from the target market to represent the entire market.
  • It is useful because it reduces costs and saves time compared to asking every customer.
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Disadvantages of primary market research

  • It can be expensive to carry out surveys, interviews, or focus groups.
  • It can take a long time to collect and analyze data.
  • Bias can occur if the sample is not representative or questions are poorly designed

Jump to other topics

1Understanding Business Activity

1.1Business Activity

1.2Classification of Businesses

1.3Enterprise, Business Growth & Size

1.4Types of Business Organisation

1.5Business Objectives & Stakeholder Objectives

2People in Business

3Marketing

3.1Marketing & the Market

3.2Market Research

3.3Marketing Mix

3.4Legal Controls

4Operations Management

5Financial Information & Decisions

6External Influences on Business Activity

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