Abstract:

Firstly the paper argues the low acceptance and low status of market research in too many of our potential client companies, posing problems of lack of funds in what is a more expensive sector to research. There is great need for education of Marketing Managers and Directors as to the benefits of both market and especially marketing research to help their business and profits. Then the paper goes inside the sector to discuss particular hurdles that an agency working with farmers has to overcome. We look particularly at sampling problems and interviewing requirements, of how to identify and locate potential respondents, and the costs of so doing. We then outline the steps we take to overcome them, and developments in research methodologies of recent years to this end.