This paper describes the role of market research in building knowledge as well as a tool to assist in improving company business and profit management. We are living the information age, in which knowledge is considered a company asset and more valuable than ever. Companies constantly search for higher profits while marketing professionals are becoming more accountable for responding to financial gains instead of just managing products or communication. This trend has had an impact on the market research business, which is leveraging its involvement with the success of the company as it plays the role of a strategic consultant rather than just a data supplier. This is illustrated by a practical case: 'Living 24/7' carried out in the second half of 2002 by two large-sized companies in Brazil: Procter & Gamble (multinational) and Sadia (Brazilian). In this ethnographical methodology researchers lived in the households of twenty-five consumers for seven days, twenty-four hours a day (24/7). The way the research was carried out and results presented to the clients is an example of the new accountability of market research and how it can contribute to building knowledge for increased client profits.
This paper describes a new media research tool - PPR - which can be applied to improve the effectiveness of media planning. PPR - Public and TV Programme Relation Rate - shows the way to understand how people watch TV, and their feelings and behavior towards each TV programme, considering Latin American attitudes.Television is the main media in Latin American and advertisers have been guided by the high audience shares. However, high audience shares do not guarantee attention to the advertisement, because they refer to which channel the TV is tuned, but they do not indicate where the consumers are and what they are doing while TV programmes are on. PPR shows through the 'relation rate' the importance of each TV programme for the public and how they can cause an impact and change the habits of this public when they become 'manias'. PPR offers qualitative information to media planning.
The market potential of low-income social groups (low class or popular classes) has been underestimated by multinational companies and thus, this public has not been able to access global brands. It is believed that low classes, due to their scarce available income, direct their consumption based on low prices and products of first need. However, the increase of the companies' penetration as well as the expansion of their business can only reach the popular classes before the stagnation of the upper class. This paper describes a case study through which it was possible to reveal a surprising market potential of popular classes in Brazil toward a range of products which are considered superfluous. This strong potential is shown by the wish of the identified group (mothers with babies aged up to 2 years) to show love, care and social status through hygiene and beauty products for children.