Abstract:

The role of marketing research within larger companies varies widely. The aim of this paper is to evoke a discussion on ways to improve the status of the company researcher in the decision making process. The paper describes the place of marketing research in the organisational structure and gives critical description of its functioning within that organisation schedule in four large companies, without the claim of presenting optimal solutions. The paper was written on the basis of an exchange of experience among marketing researchers of a number of prominent German companies (or subsidiaries of international companies), large public services and advertising agencies.