Introduction In today's competitive economy, market research is vital to a growing organization. So much so that having gathered in-depth market information should be a prerequisite for any startup. Market research helps a business excel by providing help with factors such as advertising, marketing, pricing, market trends, customers, competition, among others. Effective market research can be so helpful that a company can psychologically condition its customers to believe they need the product it is selling even if they can't even afford it. A perfect example of exemplary marketing research and strategies would be a small company known as Apple Inc. Today's research will demonstrate the importance of marketing research and the different methods used to carry out this research using Apple Inc., one of the world's leaders in technology and marketing genius as an example. Market Research Definition So, what is market research? Market research is “the systematic collection, recording, and analysis of data with respect to a particular market, where the market refers to a specific group of customers in a specific geographic area” (Burns & Bush, , 2006). A company collects this information to learn more about the target market and existing customers. Learning this information is indicative of a company's organizational and business tactics as market research helps uncover the needs and/or wants of the audience. Typically, research is done by collecting statistical data along with business analysis of the information collected. This type of research can help determine buyer trends and thus help companies learn how to market their products by increasing demand and sales…middle of paper…research (5th ed.). Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection Database on November 7, 2011. Apple Product Feedback. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/feedback/McDaniel, Jr., C., & Gates, R. (2007). Market Research (7th ed.). Retrieved from the University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.McQuarrie, E. (2005), The market search toolbox: a concise guide for Beginners (2nd ed.), University of Phoenix eBook Library database, November 7 2011.Perreault, W. , Cannon, J. and McCarthy, E. (2009) Grassroots Marketing: An Approach to Marketing Strategy Planning. 17th edition. McGraw Hill Company, NYMagee, D. (2011, July 21). Apple's competitive advantage: multiple products that integrate as one. Times of international affairs. Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/184577/20110721/apple-dominance-smartphone-ipad-iphone-mac-marketshare.htm