Leeyen Rogers, age 25, decided to stop drinking soda for health reasons. Instead, she drinks tea to stay hydrated during her busy workweeks as VP of marketing at JotForm in San Francisco.

She prefers to drink iced tea during the day and hot tea at night for relaxation. For Leeyen, tea is a versatile, guilt-free beverage that doesn’t have the potential sugar crash associated with soda. “I don’t love drinking plain water, so tea is a healthy and delicious alternative,” she says.

Leeyen’s beverage choice is representative of a larger trend influencing American consumer habits. The overall demand for tea has increased due to its perceived health benefits, convenience, and availability. In the United States, volumes in the ready-to-drink tea category grew by 3.7 percent, outperforming carbonated soft drinks, which declined 1 percent.

The mobile health market could reach an astounding $86.6 billion by 2020, a yearly increase of 20.8 percent over a five-year period, according to Kalorama Information. In the race to re-imagine patient care, a number of innovative companies are creating new, breakthrough solutions that allow patients to access medical care from the comfort of their homes.

Whether you’d like to to text a therapist, or video conference with a doctor, a variety of services and mobile apps are being released to accommodate different needs and preferences. This dynamic field is quickly becoming crowded with competitors, and we can expect to see big shifts in the coming years as companies jostle for position and test new business models.

In this series, we highlight specific research companies on MarketResearch.com so users can learn more about the resources that are available on our website. Through question-and-answer interviews, we delve into each research company's unique expertise and how they help businesses develop winning strategies. Today, we’re interviewing Occams Business Research, a global provider of information services that spans multiple industry verticals and geographies. Learn more about this market research provider in the interview below.

What trends should market researchers expect in 2016? To find out, we asked a variety of executives and thought leaders to share their predictions for the coming year. Our sources include industry veterans at established firms, as well as a number of innovative entrepreneurs.

These respondents cited a range of influential factors including the role of mobile devices, big data, and social analytics in understanding consumer behavior. New technological developments could help market researchers unlock real-time data and answer strategic business questions more quickly and accurately. To find out more about these trends, check out the series of quotes below. 

In this series, we spotlight specific publishers on Profound and MarketResearch.com. Through Q&A discussions, we highlight each publisher's unique expertise and how they help businesses get the insights they need to achieve mission-critical objectives. Today, we’re interviewing the Freedonia Group, a leading international market research company that publishes more than 400 studies annually. Learn more about them in the post below.

The Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina supports entrepreneurial development and job creation in regions across the state. Through a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Kenan Institute recently launched Technology Commercialization Carolina, a new initiative that promotes tech-based start-ups.

To drive business innovation and promote economic growth, the Kenan Institute provides research services to UNC faculty and a diverse client base across a wide array of industries. The Kenan Institute creates custom analytical reports for entrepreneurs who need current market data to develop business plans and secure funding. Although the Kenan Institute has access to a robust university library system, its staff needed a wider breadth of market research.

In our publisher spotlight series, we are taking a closer look at specific publishers on Profound and MarketResearch.com. Through Q&A discussions, we highlight each publisher's unique expertise and how they help businesses achieve growth and overcome challenges. Today, we’re interviewing GlobalData, a top research firm that provides actionable insights into the energy and healthcare markets. Learn more about them in the post below.

Managing business risks is a key priority for many companies large and small — especially during tumultuous economic times. One way to protect your business is to conduct ongoing market research. By using expert industry analysis, you can avoid costly mistakes, forecast potential market fluctuations, and create an environment for success.

Market research is also critical during “make or break” moments, such as a new product launch. With the right data on hand, you will be better equipped to evaluate risks and rewards and make decisions that will pay off over the long term.

The travel industry is undergoing tremendous change. Social media is opening up new creative ways for travel companies to market to consumers and broaden their reach. At the same time, mobile shopping is skyrocketing, forcing industry players to adapt quickly in order to capture the sales of on-the-go shoppers.

Perhaps most importantly, the sharing economy is now a multibillion dollar market and one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Some analysts speculate that disruption is the “new normal” in the travel industry. To learn more about these shifts, read the blog post below.

Competitive intelligence sounds like a useful concept in theory, but should it be considered an ongoing business priority? We asked a variety of executives, entrepreneurs, and consultants to weigh in on this question. Here, we’ve gathered their insights in a series of quotes to highlight a range of unique perspectives. Read on to learn more about the value of tracking your competitors and keeping a close watch on emerging market trends.