A symbol, logo or design that is recognisable and distinguishes a product from competitors
Competition
The rivalry among sellers trying to achieve goals such as increasing profits, market share, and sales volume
Competitor
A rival business operating in the same market offering similar goods or services
Direct competition
Businesses produce similar products that appeal to the same group of customers
Dynamic market
A market that is subject to rapid/continuous change
Indirect competition
Different businesses make or sell products that are not in direct competition but compete for the same customer experience e.g. Netflix and the local cinema
Innovation
The creation, development and implementation of a new product, process or service
Market
Where buyers and sellers interact
Market growth
An increase in demand/sales for a particular product/service
Market share
The % of the total market a business has in terms of volume or value
Market size
The total amount of sales/customers in a market measured by value/volume
Mass market
A large unsegmented market where mass appeal products are on sale
Niche market
A specialised section of the market where customers have specific needs/wants
Online retailing
Selling goods and services on the internet
Product innovation
The development/creation of products not previously available
Sales volume
The quantity of a good or service sold within a period of time. Calculation Sales revenue/selling price
Uncertainty
The inability to predict/a lack of knowledge about future events and outcomes/reasons for uncertainty. Is caused by unexpected often external factors outside the business's control, even though sometimes these can be predictable
Biased questions
Where the questions do not produce findings that give a true reflection of the views of the target audience on the product or service
Consumer behaviour
How consumers make decisions about how they choose and use products or services
Databases
An organised collection of data stored electronically with instant access, searching and sorting facilities
Face-to-face survey
A research method used where the interviewer communicates directly with the respondent using a questionnaire
Focus group
A group of people who participate in a discussion as part of market research to give feedback about a product or service
Government data
Government publications that a business can use such as the census of the population
Interview bias
Where the opinion of the interviewer interferes with the judgements of the interviewee
Market orientation
When a business's products/services are based around the needs and wants of the customer
Market reports
A document that contains information, stats, research and facts on a chosen field
Market research
Gathering, presenting and analysing information about products/customers
Market segmentation
Dividing a whole market into particular customer groups that have similar characteristics
Observations
Where market researchers watch the behaviour of customers
Primary market research
Obtaining data first hand by the business to match the specific needs of the business. It can also be known as field research
Product orientation
When a business prioritises a product's design quality or performance rather than meeting customer preferences to guide production and marketing decisions
Qualitative research
Market research collected relating to the opinions and beliefs of consumers . Data not presented numerically
Quantitative research data
Numerical information gathered and can be presented and analysed using graphs, charts, table etc
Respondent bias
When respondents respond inaccurately to a question for some reason
Sample
A small group of people who must represent a proportion of a total market when carrying out market research
Secondary market research
Data collected by another business or organisation but used by the business in question. Also known as desk research
Social networking
A platform such as Facebook, X and You Tube, which can be used to market a businesses products/services
Survey
A method of (primary) research used to collect information
Test marketing
Trialling the product in a small area or to a limited number of users to assess the suitability of a product
Added value
The increase in value that a business creates when producing a product/service. The difference between the price the customer pays and the total cost of inputs needed to create a product