Different Types of Market Research

Several types of market and product research can be used to make informed business decisions. Each is designed to uncover specific insights about your target audience, your offerings and the wider market. Some focus on numbers and trends, while others explore motivations, attitudes and behaviours in more depth.

At Proinsight, our services combine a wide range of market research techniques, providing the best possible opportunity to find out what people really think about your product and/or service, as well as your brand as a whole.

What is Qualitative Market Research?

Qualitative market research explores the “why” behind customer behaviour. This kind of research uses methods such as interviews, focus groups or open‑ended surveys to understand opinions, emotions and decision‑making.

It’s ideal when you want to test new concepts, understand purchase barriers, or explore how customers talk about your products and services in their own words. These valuable insights help you design new products, services, and experiences that truly resonate.

What is Quantitative Market Research?

Quantitative market research focuses on numbers. It uses structured surveys, polls or usage data to measure attitudes and behaviours, often with statistically robust sample sizes. This type of research is about answering questions like “how many?”, “how often?” and “how likely?”.

Compared with qualitative research, quantitative findings are often easier to track over time and benchmark against different segments or markets. However, many of the best market research companies use both qualitative and quantitative research together: qualitative to explore ideas, quantitative to measure and validate them.

What is Primary Market Research?

Primary market research involves collecting data directly from your own target audience. This might include bespoke surveys, interviews, focus groups or tailored mystery shopping programmes, all carried out specifically for your organisation.

Since primary research is designed around your exact objectives, it delivers highly relevant, firsthand insights that you can’t obtain from existing reports. It’s especially valuable when you are entering a new market, refining your products/services, or need evidence to support strategic decision-making. This type of market research can be more expensive and time-consuming, but the data is current and relevant to your unique needs.

What is Secondary Market Research?

Secondary market research uses existing information collected by other organisations. Common examples include industry reports, government statistics, trade association data, academic papers and reputable online market research sources.

This kind of market research is often a cost‑effective way to gain an overview of your target market, the competitor landscape, and broader trends before investing in your own research projects. When used well, secondary research helps you refine your questions and ensure any new market research adds maximum value rather than repeating what’s already known. It’s important to remember that this data might be old or not specific enough for your needs though.

Combining Different Kinds of Market Research to Improve Findings

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to market research. The most effective programmes use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, alongside both primary and secondary research, to gather information and gain a complete picture.

For example, you might start with secondary research to get some insights into the market, then use quantitative research to measure demand and segment your audience. Qualitative research and mystery shopper programmes can then bring these numbers to life, providing insights into the true experience your products/services provide. By combining different types of market research, you can reduce risk and make informed decisions with confidence.

Pricing

Each and every research project is as unique as your customers are, and therefore, we don’t offer off-the-shelf packages. Fill in this contact form, and we will be in touch soon to understand your needs before providing you with a personalised quote.