Desk Research

As a market research professional you are involved in identifying and solving problems, pitching of proposals to various institutions and much more.

The first thing you are advised is to split your research into two different divisions, named as primary and secondary research. Primary research involves you getting down to the ground and analyzing the problem right from scratch. But on the other hand research done by gathering readily available information from sources like government records, print and digital media is called a secondary research, also known as Desk research. 

 So now a question arises, we do all the work from base to apex in a primary research and come up with possible insights and solutions, then why do we need a secondary research?

Secondary research helps us to have an early understanding of the market or the industry.The availability of data is in abundance, for example a government record would cover a larger spectrum of issues. The time involved in conducting this research is less and is also very cost efficient. Data collected from secondary research helps you identify the effectiveness of your primary research. But also, care should be taken to distinguish secondary research from primary that uses raw data sources. So if this method of research is filled with all these perks, does it mean that we can forgo primary research? The answer to that question is a big NO! Like a coin having two sides, the disadvantages are also to be taken into account. The data sometimes lacks consistency of perspective and becomes obnoxious, the biases and inaccuracy cannot be checked. Published statistics often raise more questions than they can answer.

After analysing this method of study briefly, imagine if a business study is given the form of a human being, then the major organs would represent Primary Research. Desk Research will be a representation of the Legs and Vertebra column which helps the entire body to stand firmly. It acts as a morale support to the entire study. It is like a sign board that directs you to the correct destination.

John Richard

PGP MR 2015-16

john.richard@northpointindia.com

The Passing Fancy

“Fashion changes, but style endures”

Style and fashion are often used interchangeably, but I believe style is an expression of individualism and charisma while fashion comes after style. Style is an artistic form of expression: It’s a way of life, a reflection of inner beauty, where the intellect shines through, complete with a comfort quotient. ‘Comfort Quotient’ is perhaps essential to begin with. It could mean different things to different people. A person’s idea of style could differ from another. For one, it could mean costly clothes and a luxury handbag or belt. For another it might be comfortable shorts and a loose t-shirt. This wouldn’t imply that the latter is unpretentious as compared to the former.

Yves Saint Laurent famously said “Fashion fades, style is eternal.”  Whereas fashion is an art that is difficult to keep up with because trends change seasonally, style is impacted by much longer-lasting factors. Personal style is something you’ve developed over a period of time. It is dictated by religion, culture and subculture, weather, body type, profession, upbringing, occasion etc.

Fashion trends on the other hand emerge due to the repetition of ideas; but style is how you put it together. Fashion helps identify with a group of others - whether it is a lifestyle, profession, a religion, or an attitude. Thus, the term ‘fashion’ has become synonymous with the overall growth of the country as well.

Fashion is also a way of identifying another. Your perception of someone based on their attire could be erroneous, but the confidence with which they carry themselves is what matters ultimately. I believe there is no right or wrong pertaining to style. But Fashion perhaps, yes. For instance, someone wearing printed pants would have been ridiculed a couple of years ago, but today; it’s a popular fashion trend.

I’m a firm believer in – wear what you love , not what others expect you to; There are numerous ways in which you could style your clothes, they may or may not necessarily be in line with the current  fashion fad. Style is a sense of self identity, mirror of your inner self. It could be eccentric, wild, unconventional, untamed – but original. It should encapsulate what you believe in, where you belong, how you feel. That’s the power style commands over other forms of expression. The unique and distinctive nature is what makes one passionate about pursuing it.

So get out there, walk with your head held high, carry yourself with pride because what emerges from you is a reflection of what’s truly inside you, and I assure you, it’s glorious.

Shruti Venkatram

PGP MR 2015-16

shruti.venkatram@northpointindia.com