Customer relationship management (CRM)
Sophisticated software and analytical tools that integrate customer information from all sources, analyze it in depth, and use the results to build stronger customer relationships. (188)

Descriptive research
Marketing research to better describe marketing problems, situations, or markets, such as the market potential for a product or the demographics and attitudes of consumers who buy the product. Causal research Marketing research to test hypotheses about cause-and-effect relationships. (172)

Experimental research
The gathering of primary data by selecting matched groups of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling unrelated factors, and checking for differences in group responses. (180)

Exploratory research
Marketing research to gather preliminary information that will help define problems and suggest hypotheses. (171)

Focus group interviewing
Personal interviewing of a small group of people invited to gather for a few hours with a trained interviewer to discuss a product, service, or organization. The interviewer focuses the group discussion on important issues. (181)

Internal databases
Electronic collections of information obtained from data sources within the company. (168)

Marketing information system (MIS)
The people, equipment, and procedures needed to gather, sort, analyze, evaluate, and distribute needed, timely, and accurate information to marketing decision makers. (166)

Marketing intelligence
A systematic collection and analysis of publicly available information about competitors and developments in the marketing environment. (169)

Marketing research
The systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization. (171)

Observational research
The gathering of primary data by observing relevant people, actions, and situations. (176)

Online (Internet) marketing research
Collecting primary data through Internet surveys and online focus groups. (182)

Online databases
Computerized collections of information available from online commercial sources or via the Internet. (176)

Primary data
Information collected for the specific purpose at hand. Secondary data Information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose. (173)

Sample
A segment of the population selected to represent the population as a whole (185)

Survey research
The gathering of primary data by asking people questions about their knowledge, attitudes, preferences, and buying behaviour. Single-source data systems Electronic monitoring systems link consumers' exposure to television advertising and promotion (using television meters) with what they buy in stores (measured using store check scanner data). (179)