Market research firms in New York have a large footprint in the consumer product industry.

Take the time to learn about a few of the terms and strategies that New York market research firms employ so that you'll be up to speed on their lingo if you hire them for your business. Here are a few of those terms along with some resources to help get you started.

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Opportunity analysis

Opportunity analysis is a tool used by New York market research firms that asks consumers questions in order to ascertain the consumers' feeling on the value, brand, assumptions and any potential barriers in relation to that product.

I recommend: Visit the website for Goodmind, a market research firm in New York, for a further discussion of opportunity analysis.

Communication research

Communication research, in terms of New York marketing research firms, relates to the aspect of studying the communication effort between the business in question and the consumer. This encompasses everything from seeing that an advertising campaign is working to keeping tabs on a company's website development and execution.

I recommend: Visit the website for Brooks Rose Marketing Research for additional information on communication research.

Mystery shopper, mystery shopping

A mystery shopper is an employee of a market research firm who enters a store or business under the guise of being a normal customer. They interact with members of the business and then report their experience to the market research firm. Everything from the nature of the business employee, to knowledge about products, to ease of transactions are judged.

I recommend: Visit the website for Informa Research Services, another New York market research firm, for additional information on an example of a mystery shopping program.

Sales effectiveness

Sales effectiveness refers to the analysis of a company's sales figures and process by a market research firm. The market research firm will study everything from the cost and marketing of the product, how the clients are served and if there are additional areas where sales or productivity can be increased.

I recommend: CRMBuyer explains and discusses effective sales strategies.

Retail tracking

Retail tracking, in terms of New York market research firms, relates to the concept of tracking products from the warehouse through the point of sale. The point of sale has many avenues including retail stores, discount chains, catalogs and more. Learning where the consumer ultimately buys products will help a company tailor their operations to maximize sales.

I recommend: Visit the website for NPD Group. A market research firm with an international presence, they have a sizable office in New York City. Visit the website for additional information on retail tracking.

Pre-testing

Pre-testing refers to the process of evaluating a marketing campaign before it is launched widely. Many times market research firms will 'pre-test' ideas or concepts in relation to products in a smaller market or to a smaller audience to see if the concept is catching on with the general public or intended audience.

I recommend: Check out the website for Ipsos ASI, another New York based market research firm, for more information on how pre-testing can be incorporated to market research.

New York is one of the main hubs for marketing and market research, with many of the largest firms located in New York City. Furthermore, specific marketing areas, such as consumer surveys, mystery shoppers, focus groups and ad tracking, have become huge businesses in and of themselves. Some market research firms in New York specialize in a particular industry (motion pictures, for example) while others handle clients from all industries.

A marketing firm in New York has a distinct advantage over market research firms located in smaller cities. A firm's location in the Big Apple gives them proximity to the international community, financial institutions and corporate headquarters of many companies. With a wide local pool of talent to choose from, they offer the latest trends in research and the best minds in market research.

Before considering a market research firm in New York:

1. Use online and print directories to learn about NYC market research firms.
2. Check out different types of market research firms in New York.
3. Look at different research methods employed by New York marketing firms.

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Compare the approach and services of various market research firms in New York

Before deciding on any of the market research firms in NYC, first draw up an outline of what you need to know. If you need feedback about a new product, contact a company that has a strong focus group or consumer survey department. Consider point-of-purchase research if you want feedback on consumer response to a product packaging, while segmentation studies assess the core group of customers for a particular product or service.When looking for market research New York, the choices can be confusing. Many of the firms offer the same type of services, and without doing your own market research, it can be difficult to tell at a glance which NY market research firm can do the best job for your company.

I recommend: Choose from a number of tools to help you decide which market research firms in New York to contact. Browse Greenbook.org and search for the market research firms in New York that focus on the services you need. The listings contain basic contact information and an overview of prominent New York marketing firms and their services. This can save you time going back and forth between the websites of various market research firms in New York. Check Bluebook.org for additional information about marketing research firms in NYC that conduct consumer opinion surveys and other services. Affiliated with the MRA (Marketing Research Association), Bluebook.org has both a print version and a searchable directory on its website.

Use basic market research firms in NYC for consumer feedback and opinion services

Before deciding on any of the market research firms in NYC, first draw up an outline of what you need to know. If you need feedback about a new product, contact a company that has a strong focus group or consumer survey department.

I recommend: Trust market research companies in New York such as Goodmind for brand strategy and fine-tuning of business approach or Brooks-Rose Marketing Research for many market research needs like focus groups and telephone and online surveys. Marketing firms in New York offer state of the art technology and follow through on all aspects of research.

Choose market research firms New York that focus on a particular industry

For companies with a narrow focus, such as retail stores looking for perspective on their set-up and customer service, or companies that want to attract more of a particular customer base, like Hispanic Americans or teenagers, consider the fact that market research firms in new York City offer plenty of tightly focused marketing options that cater to a segment of the population. Check out marketing firms in New York that cater to your company's niche.

I recommend: Locate NYC market research firms that can help you attract more Hispanic American customers by choosing a company like Utilis Research that employs Spanish speaking researchers and moderators. Check out market research New York firms like Informa Research or their expertise in the financial business and services like compliance and discrimination testing

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're on a budget, consider online surveys or ad tracking from a smaller market research firms in NYC.

If you're looking to roll out a new product or promotion, marketing firms in New York can help you test public response before you spend a lot of money. By interviewing a sampling of the potential customer base, you can get a good idea of how your audience will react.

Working with market research firms in New York is a good idea for two reasons. First of all, there are dozens of firms in the NYC area, and secondly there is a huge and diverse population in and around the city. You can work with firms in the following ways:

1. Hold in-person focus groups where you or another company representative interview a small sampling of people in a specific demographic;

2. Send out surveys over the Internet to people in a market research firm's database;

3. Conduct web chats or telephone interviews to get the personalization of a focus group without having to rent a facility.

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Work with New York marketing firms that have in-person focus group facilities

When you conduct this type of market research, New York area residents come into an office and you get to see what they look like, how they behave and their reactions to your ideas. Usually an independent interviewer conducts the group while you watch through a two-way mirror. That way opinions are more likely to be unbiased.

I recommend: Check out LexPark Studio in the Flatiron District of Manhatten. It offers facilities for all kinds of focus groups: concept testing, commercial screenings, mock juries and more. Then look at Fieldwork Facilities in Westchester. This facility is located in a suburban area near Connecticut and is a great company to work with if the you seek a group not solely made up of NYC residents.

Work with New York marketing firms that have in-person focus group facilities

When you conduct this type of market research, New York area residents come into an office and you get to see what they look like, how they behave and their reactions to your ideas. Usually an independent interviewer conducts the group while you watch through a two-way mirror. That way opinions are more likely to be unbiased.

I recommend: Check out LexPark Studio in the Flatiron District of Manhattan. It offers facilities for all kinds of focus groups: concept testing, commercial screenings, mock juries and more. Then look at Fieldwork in Elmsford, NY. This facility is located in Westchester County, near Connecticut, and is a great company to work with if the you seek a group not solely made up of NYC residents.

Consider New York market research firms that offer online surveys

Say you want your market research firms NYC based, but you wish to reach an audience that is nationwide or even worldwide. The easiest way to do this is through Internet surveys. You tell the research company who you want to hear from and they pick and choose the people to survey from their database. The upside is that you can get opinions quickly and cheaply. The downside is that some people lie on these surveys or rush through them just to get an incentive.

I recommend: Check out Manhattan-based Russell Research's omnibus option. The omnibus is a survey you can send out on any number of topics to 1,000 members of the popular Survey Spot online panel. Also look at Buzzback Market Research, which has general as well as specialized panels. It can gather opinions from people based in the U.S. and in Europe.

Try market research firms in New York City that offer Web chats or phone interviews

If you need very specific opinions you can't get from a traditional online survey, market research companies in New York have an in-between option that gives you the affordability of online surveys and the specificity of the focus group: Web or phone interviews. You'll pay less than you would to have an in-person group, but stand to get more thorough and honest answers than with surveys.

I recommend: Look at the market research firms New York offers that can provide these services to you. One good one for telephone interviews is Brooks-Rose Marketing Research on Madison Avenue. A second is Invoke Solutions, which has an office in Stamford, CT, which is less than an hour from New York City. Invoke is a leader in online chat-style focus groups and can get you detailed answers in real time.

Market research companies in New York can help your business figure out everything from where to spend your advertising dollars to which products consumers are most likely to buy. Many market research firms in New York City are actually global companies that boast a full line of products and branches in cities around the world. So whether you want to know which television shows Americans are watching or what teenagers are wearing in Japan, market research firms in NYC are your best bet.

If nothing else, company blogs give you access to some free information on consumer habits. But reading up on market research firms in New York news and trends is also a great way to pick the right firm for your company. Here are a few areas where a firm may conduct research:

1. Many NYC market research firms follow the public response to politics and public policy.

2. Most firms conduct surveys to find out where consumers are spending their money.

3. Some New York marketing firms follow what consumers are watching and reading; this is a hot area of research as new forms of media become popular.

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Get a taste of what market research firms in New York are saying about public policy

Market research firms conduct surveys to find out what people think about a public figure; whether or not they wear their safety belts; and how often people read to their children. This helps those in both the public and private sector respond to consumer attitudes and behavior.

I recommend: Harris Interactive publishes its blog, Over the Wire, which gives readers a snapshot of the research the firm conducts on many topics. You can read SRBI's findings on everything from government elections to family policy.

Read free info on consumer habits from marketing firms in New York

Research firms can get the pulse on innovations in technology and current consumer and business trends. Sifting through the data to find nuggets of meaningful information, however, is no easy task. A market research firm's blog may cover findings on consumer habits, but some go a little deeper to discuss how that information was collected.

I recommend: Datamonitor, a New York market research firm, has a great blog that covers new products, consumer trends and current market conditions. Media Mark Research & Intelligence publishes many white papers online that delve into its findings on how research is conducted. It also publishes The Source, its market research newsletter.

Let market research firms in NYC tell you where consumers are getting their information

Knowing what consumers are buying and how much they are likely to spend is great, but you also need to know how to connect with them. Once you know who is most likely to buy your product, you need to find out where they are most likely to see your ad.

I recommend: Nielsen Media conducts its famous television survey to find out what people are watching, how much and where. The Advertising Research Foundation publishes the Journal of Advertising Research, the latest research trends and techniques geared to industry professionals. You can find out which firms the foundation has honored by scrolling the press releases.