Key Topic 1: Market research - Subtopic 1: Genuine Business Need
Market research is conducted to support business decision making. It may take many formats including online questionnaires, face to face discussions, telephone interviews, group discussions etc. Examples include:
- Research on current management of a specific disease
- Payer perceptions of a new product
- Health professionals views on potential importance of new data
- Creative concept testing for a new product launch
- Testing the impact of proposed key messages for a product
- Researching current awareness and perceptions of a brand
- Researching patients views on management of their disease
There must always be a genuine business need for the research i.e. the results should assist with a particular business decision to be made - this need should be formally documented. Market research should never be conducted to build advocacy or raise awareness of a product or a disease.
The number of participants in a market research exercise must ensure sufficient statistical rigour while not exceeding what is required to achieve the objectives of the market research.
Consider this example
In the UK a complaint was made by a health professional about a market research survey and letter sent on behalf of Merck Sharp & Dohme. The questionnaire enabled the recipient to nominate those physicians from whom he/she sought medical guidance/ knowledge in specified therapy areas.
It was stated in the letter that the information would be used to help structure future medical educational programmes according to need.
The complainant was worried that the company was paying them to send it information regarding other doctors who could then be contacted in a similar unsolicited way.
The letter stated that the nominated colleagues and the addressee would be invited to ‘speak at or take part in relevant professional meetings, scientific partnerships and research initiatives’ and that the information received would be used to ‘deliver tailored information to you and them’. Physicians might also be approached for their knowledge of a specific disease area and its environment. The questionnaire asked for details of local and regional asthma and allergic rhinitis specialists.
Do you think this is a reasonable question to ask in a market research survey? Does there appear to be a genuine business need here?
The UK Authority did not consider that it was unacceptable for Merck Sharp & Dohme to have commissioned market research to validate its understanding of networks in asthma and allergic rhinitis.
