Like most consumers of American-made entertainment, we do enjoy a rousing cinematic story of love, enchantment and discovery, especially if it features a plucky heroine who triumphs over cold-hearted villains.

The Walt Disney Company, of course, has perfected that story-telling formula over its long, illustrious history.  In recent years, along with the brain power within its stable of top-notch writers and editors, it seems that the company has also employed a thoroughly modern strategy for test-driving new characters and concepts before they hit screens or toy store shelves: kid-centric focus groups.

The eating habits and dietary concerns of American consumers have shifted in recent years. Words and phrases like organic and gluten-free have invaded our daily vocabulary. The food and beverage market is constantly influenced by diet trends.  Historically, diets have changed with the times, which can have major impact on the the food and beverage industry.  Personally, I still enjoy a good steak and baked potato, but I also do so with the knowledge that it is not as healthy as I once thought it was (though I try to drown those thoughts in A1 steak sauce).

The downturn in public opinion of red meat in recent years has resulted in a rise of popularity of poultry. With comparable health benefits and less risk, poultry has become a power player in the food and beverage market.

There was a time not very long ago when owning a Supersized product was a sign of prosperity in this country. It was virtually our birthright as Americans to eat Supersized fast food meals, drive oversized gas-guzzling cars, and park them in the driveways of our castle-sized mini-mansions. 

For the pet industry, even our canine companions were larger during this grand, pre-recession era (circa 2008), where affluence abounded, at least for some.  Back then, our dogs were beasts worthy of legend. Owning a large dog was often a statement, especially for men. It screamed, I’m Paul Bunyan and this here is Babe the Blue Ox. These big dogs were our best friends and our protectors.

Ten years ago, few American consumers were familiar with the brand name Chobani.  Now, thanks to that brand of Greek yogurt and a handful of others, the yogurt market has undergone a sea change. Call it a Greek yogurt counter-revolution, one which has yanked this particular food industry category back to the future.

Spend any time with Rob Kaminsky and you will find that he is a skilled listener who also loves to talk. He's very knowledgeable and well-versed on almost any topic, especially anything to do with Life Sciences, Healthcare and Medical Devices....and he can converse about them for hours. He is passionate about his work and his craft and cares deeply about his clients, or as he calls them, his partners.

The business of providing business intelligence is changing by the second.  The rise of Internet research tools during the past decade has made it seemingly "easier" for companies and individuals to learn arcane details about nearly every aspect of life, including industries across the globe.

Yet for Rob Granader, CEO of MarketResearch.com and Profound, emerging challenges usually are accompanied by opportunities: Staying focused on providing high-quality market intelligence on a wide range of industries is Rob's top priority.

Internet sensation Grumpy Cat recently became the latest spokesmodel for pet food retail giant Friskies.  The blue-eyed Snowshoe Siamese gained fame last year after its owners developed a quirky series of posts in social media channels including Facebook and YouTube featuring Grumpy Cat's somber facial expression framed by catchphrases such as: "I had fun once. It was awful."

With all the wikis, blogs and articles available for free on the web, it is impossible to look at the market research arena without wondering,  What makes the paid data worth more than free data?  The answer has a lot to do with what kind of information you need and who is providing that information.

Each day the Research Specialists at MarketResearch.com help people find reports that best suit their business intelligence needs. If you're a business leader who has already experienced the process of finding and acquiring market intelligence on your industry, you may wonder what we can do to help you.

The answer is, plenty.

For starters, we bring an unbiased approach to identifying the research you need to make effective strategic decisions. Second, we help you minimize risks from the unknowns that can be part and parcel of finding and purchasing business intelligence reports, in particular, the possibility that a given report may not have exactly the methodology and data-sets of information that best suit your needs. 

Jeff Miller, a Senior Research Specialist at Marketresearch.com, hails from a quintessential "Small-town  America" location, Columbus, Ohio. He now lives in New York -- another classic American city although clearly miles apart from the small-town feel of his origins.