Abstract:

The paper describes, which basic requirements are necessary in order to be able to apply market research to product development too. In the understanding of market research as an instrument of marketing there have to be changes, at which the most important ist, that market research takes over no longer only the supply function of the marketing but also takes over marketing function in it's own right. For carrying out market research in this way the following conditions are necessary: technical qualification of personal as well as the variation of methods during the execution of studies for product development. The variants of methods are described with regard to examples, at which the typical problems are treated: reexamination and change of existing products, market conform realisation of partial developed product concepts, development of alternative product programs. In detail the paper shows which starting position was existing when the work begins, which methodic approaches were chosen in detail and which results the client could get from the studies. Finally it is also demonstrated how far the persons responsible for market research tasks of this kind are involved in the realisation of the product concepts established like this. So far the paper points out too, that with regard to that kind of problems market research becomes marketing research.