Kshitiz Kashyap
BITS PILANI, Pilani
Doing Market Research beyond 2021
Marketing Research is a process or tool used for collection, analysis and interpretation of data.
Marketing Research is employed by businesses, companies, firms, etc. to understand consumer
behavior, preferences and perceptions. Marketing Research helps in better understanding of the
market trends, consumer segments and demographics, competitors and the industry. Marketing
Research lays the foundation for a successful company and strengthens the foundation of already
successful companies.
Marketing Research began in the form of conducting public polls, and then using the obtained
data to derive conclusions and inferences. Over the course of time it adopted new forms of data
collection like Interviews, Focus groups, Observation, etc. to get more insights and better
understanding of consumer behavior.
Marketing research at present is completely different from its initial times. The idea and
methodologies remain the same however, the technique has completely changed. Market
Research before COVID-19 was a mix of both online and offline methods, however, post
COVID-19, the sector has completely become dependent on online modes. Surveys have become
completely online, and they can be seen on each website, in your mails, etc. Interviews are
completely done now via videoconferencing; online focus group communities have developed.
The basic idea of data collection is same, but the methodology has change now. Apart from this,
the focus of market research has also shifted now. Companies are now focusing more on
longitudinal data collection as they want to understand the trend of the market and wish to keep a
track of the data. Researchers are focusing more on consumer sentiments and brand perception
and wish to study how it is changing with time.
Kshitiz Kashyap
BITS PILANI, Pilani
Research methods have become shorter because of the busy culture. Short surveys and quick
polling have replaced long surveys. They can be easily seen on any website, app, etc. Moreover,
the surge in online surveys is also due to the fact that they are inexpensive and short. With the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, online research has completely replaced the traditional research
methodologies for the nearby future. Similarly, online focus groups have developed, while the
video conferencing for interviews has also become extremely popular. These things have
removed some barriers like geography between the researcher and the target audience.
Observation method has been developed in the form of cookies for online research. Researchers
use the cookies to get insights about the tastes and the perceptions of the consumers.
Market Research is not only limited to taking surveys or interviews in the present time. It has
