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>