As the calendar has now moved into the summer months, many professionals in the beer industry have their efforts focused on one thing: the 4^th of July, one of the biggest days of the year for the U.S. beer market. More than 103 million Americans drank beer on Independence Day in 2013, with 68.3 million cases of beer sold over the course of the weekend, which is a significant increase over previous years. In 2008, beer sales only recorded 24 million cases sold during the holiday weekend. But, as of 2012, Independence Day has claimed the top spot over Memorial Day and Labor Day as the most popular holiday for beer purchases.

Businesses all have their own ethical obligations. As a market researcher, you too have ethical guidelines you need to keep in mind when preparing to conduct research or start looking for secondary data. To fully understand business ethics, we have provided an ethics checklist, along with a list of common unethical market research concerns that may arise during the research process.

MarketResearch.com partners with over 700 publishers to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of diverse business intelligence. Each publisher has its own story and offers unique and insightful perspective into the industries they cover. This week, MarketResearch.com is spotlighting global, multi-industry information provider MarketsandMarkets. Read on to learn more about MarketsandMarkets and their products.

Most everyone would agree that market research is extremely important. There are hundreds of ways accurate market research can help a company, and that’s why every company should conduct beneficial research. The thing that tends to give market research a bad reputation is when companies carry out unnecessary research that gives company leaders the impression that market research is not valuable, overpriced and irrelevant. And, that simply isn’t true!

Research from food industry reports continue to show the increase in two eating habits of Americans: we are starting to make healthier food choices, and we are having more snacks throughout the day. The idea of having three meals a day is beginning to fade, and the age of snacks is moving in. The trend of healthy snacks is predicted to have increasing sales within the next decade, and this growth is driving healthy snack bars to include healthier and high-protein ingredients. Industry leaders are taking advantage of cereal/granola bars #2 sales ranking for snacks by creating their own snack bars. Popularity of companies promoting their own snack bars, as well as including high-protein bars in their selection has become a new trend for industry leaders.

I will never forget the time in high school when my 11th-grade English teacher walked into class on the first day of school and assigned a 15-page research paper on George Orwell’s 1984. I had no clue how I was going to write 15 pages of content, especially on a book that, at the time, was pretty challenging. As it turned out, those 15 pages came pretty easily thanks to the help of some secondary sources. Secondary research is just as important in the data collection process of market research. While market research is definitely not high school English, the same concept applies: external secondary research is a tremendous tool with numerous advantages.

Market Research can be separated into two basic categories: problem-identification research and problem-solving research. Problem-identification research helps marketing teams identify what types of problems they might have, while problem-solving research helps identify ways to solve those problems through marketing mix and segmentation. There are many problem identification and solving methods that can be completed through market research. Take a look at the examples below to see which methods can benefit your company.

Consumers are increasingly looking to protein to boost nutrition in their diets. The results of numerous studies support protein’s role in fighting obesity through supporting weight management. Protein also ensures proper growth, immune, heart and respiratory function. According to “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” from the USDA and Health and Human Services Administration, the average male 31 to 50 years of age needs about 56 grams of protein.

As you might have heard, the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off last week with Brazil’s win over Croatia. While the outcome didn't surprise many (Brazil was a heavy favorite coming into the game as the third seed), the game itself was of great importance to the rest of the world. The first whistle signified the onset of a world event that has been in the planning process since Brazil was awarded the hosting rights in 2007. Of course, like other major events, countless hours, days, months, and years of preparation have gone into this tournament, along with the $11.7 billion put toward its production, making this years’ event in Brazil the most expensive ever. And, after that $11.7 billion went toward funding the actual games, what about the other industries?

Because of the constantly evolving business environment, it can be difficult to keep up with the pace of all the changes. When it comes to market research, the entire concept of marketing has changed due to technological advancements and the emergence of social media. So, as a business leader, you must make sure your marketing teams are using all of their resources efficiently.