Marketing research should be aimed at displaying
the versatility of this field of activity. As a result of these measures, the goods should be brought to the consumer with the satisfaction of the needs of the latter. Functionally, this term is represented by a hierarchically organized system for managing the functioning of a business entity in the market, as well as the regulation of various market processes with their mandatory preliminary study.
Marketing research is based on market development requirements such as transparency and predictability. The effective existence of marketing requires the availability of reliable and timely information with subsequent analysis. It is upon fulfillment of this condition that the subject's line of business under consideration is able to fully satisfy the needs of customers.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude: a marketing research is based on the collection of information with the possibility of further interpretation, as well as conducting both estimated and predicted calculations made for the relevant services and management of the enterprise.
Some experts, considering this concept, are limited to listing its main functions without specifying the essence. However, it would be more correct to adopt the definition of I. Belyavsky. So, “marketing research is the activity of specialists of various nature aimed at satisfying the analytical and information needs of an enterprise. In other words, this is an integral part of marketing, forming a scientific and practical independent direction. "
An analysis of marketing research is aimed at choosing an object, which can be taken as the business entity itself, and the forces that are part of the microenvironment (suppliers, competitors, consumers and customers). Also, objects (the federal or regional) and the population can be selected.
The purpose of marketing research is based on the creation of an information-analytical base when making appropriate decisions, with the help of which it will be possible to significantly reduce the level of uncertainty. The great variety of goals that marketers can set can be divided into four main groups:
- search, involving the collection of supporting information (able to provide significant assistance in the development of certain hypotheses with a view to their further study);
- descriptive, providing a thorough description of some phenomena and factors, taking into account their influence and relationships;
- experimental, which consist in testing the main hypotheses about the forms of existence of causal relationships between demand, the proposed characteristics of the product and the consumer;
- exculpatory - designed to strengthen objective information formed the belief, opinion, point of view or position of the enterprise management.