Market research is an essential part of an organization's marketing strategy. Market research results provide information about customers, products, trends and competitors. Market research can be defined as “a business activity that discovers information useful for making marketing decisions.” (Manuel Mktg, p. ) Market research results influence decisions regarding: market segmentation, sales performance, product characteristics, distribution options, promotional and pricing strategies as well as attitudes and behaviors consumers. (Put manually). Thus, due to their importance and potential value, market research findings are of utmost importance to organizations. They must therefore be valid, precise and impartial. Without these constraints, market research can, at best, be worthless and potentially detrimental to an organization's existing or future marketing strategies. The field of market research is said to have begun in 1911, when Charles Parlin undertook consumer research on agricultural equipment, department stores and automobile demand. His work “made business fact finding a profession.” (Book-Bartels) Market research was originally studied and taught in business schools, but these schools were "considered second-class citizens of the academic establishment." (William Muse, commenting on Walls.) Eventually, market research gained credibility by using a highly scientific approach, deemed legitimate by other scholars. This market research was essentially quantitative in nature. (Muse) researchers eventually became dissatisfied with the limitations of quantitative research and therefore needed more in-depth methods to determine what consumers think and feel. Market research...... middle of paper ......e is available to businesses at very low cost and can be applied to more in-depth market research, while potentially reducing the cost of some research basic quantitative data. In our rapidly changing environment In an international and increasingly technological world, it is necessary to predict what customers might want or demand in the future, even if there are few apparent needs in the present. This expensive idea was discovered by British Airways a decade ago, when market research among passengers indicated they wanted more legroom. They are now equipping their planes with laptop USB hubs that customers would never have considered owning or using. Valid and well-conducted market research should be considered an important part of any organization's marketing operations, as the results of this research could ultimately lie at the center of any future business viability.