According to pet industry statistics, on Valentine's Day 2013, Americans spent more than $800 million on cupid-oriented treats for household pets. Market reports from the National Retail Federation show that tokens of love from owners to pets included everything from heart-shaped chew toys for dogs, to sleek red leather collars for cats, to edible 'flower arrangments' for dogs and cats. It's all another indication of how pet industry retailers are quickly adapting to the growing market trends of pet owners who view their four-legged friends as family members.

Two decades in, the cloud computing industry has grown from a "intergalactic fantasy" to an integral  part of our lives.  If you take a moment to realize how it has influenced our behaviors, you would be amazed.  From streaming a movie on Netflix, to uploading your camera photos to the filesharing website, Dropbox, the growth of cloud computing has been impressive and wide-reaching.

If you're thinking of bringing your business into the cloud computing industry, there are several key elements to consider.

During the past decade, the opportunity to relocate computing functions that are software-based to remote servers -- aka the cloud-- have multiplied rapidly.The shift from traditional software models has radically transformed flexibility and cost for many businesses. 

What do Harley-Davidson, the Parthenon Group,  and the Atlanta Gas Light Company have in common? When strategic planning officials at all three entities needed actionable business intelligence, they chose MarketResearch.com.

My name is Jeff Miller and I'm a Research Specialist at MarketResearch.com. Like most cat owners my wife and I have the most awesome cat you'll ever meet. Thirteen years ago my wife peered into a box full of crying kittens and was instantly smitten with this tiny ball of grey and white furr.

Immediately the name came to her: "Grey!" And thus she was named.

For the last 13 years we've been very lucky to have our little companion. A true friend. She's been with us through life's ups and downs and has never asked for anything in return other than fresh food, water and a little lap time.

Then something happened.

Over the course of a few months Grey began to change. It was subtle at first; a little more needy, a little less hungry. But then the changes became more dramatic until we realized that our happy-go-lucky kitty, who charmed everyone she met, was slowly changing into this hyperactive mess who couldn't hold down her meals.

The words the cloud first popped up in technology and computer developer circles in 1994.  In brief, the cloud describes a third-party system that houses digital and data-based information on remote servers.

Since 1994, cloud computing has become more streamlined, affordable and widespread.  It has allowed companies large and small to save money on the storage of internal digital data -- including of accounting information, content archives and other sensitive categories of data.

We've all seen the pet owners who enjoy bringing their BFLF (Best Four-legged Friend) along to the local pet retailers' during Saturday morning errands. These dedicated 'pet parents' are spurring a big increase in the finely targeted displays at your local pet store. Pet stores are overflowing with information about the ingredients and safety benefits of the pet care products on the shelves. 

Pet industry statistics show that the more affection pet owners feel for a pet, the higher their levels of spending. Pet stores that welcome dogs inside, offering biscuits at the checkout are genuinely being pet-friendly—but it’s no coincidence that those pet products are located at the cash register, the better to engage exactly the kind of pet owner who brings their pet to the store. 

Packaged Facts’ pet industry statistics bear out the relationship between the depth of the human/animal bond and the level of pet care spending. In recent pet owner surveys for example, in comparing the 61% of pet owners who strongly agree that their pets are part of the family to the minority 11% who strongly disagree, we find that:

• Only 6% of pet parents buy low-priced pet foods, compared with 33% of those who don’t consider pets to be part of the family.
• Only 12% of pet parents are spending significantly less on pet products because of the economy, compared with 30% of those who don’t consider pets family.
• Only 19% of pet parents have skipped out on providing routine vet care for their pets within the past 12 months, compared with 67% of those who don’t consider pets family.
• Only 22% of pet parents have spent less than $25 in the last 30 days on pet products, compared with 40% of those who don’t consider pets family.

Will Market Research spending finally rise in the Middle East? Many marketers are betting that it will as the post-Arab Spring consumer grabs the attention of businesses around the world.

This week’s Arabian Gazette publishes an article quoting the CEO of TNS MENA; he sees the region experiencing high demand as investors try to unlock this new market.  Estimated at a mere $600 million, the Middle East and Africa is one of the smallest regions in relation to the $33.5 billion global market research sector.

The value of market research has reached the rural communities of central Africa. Microfinance operations aimed at providing banking services to low-income individuals and groups are trying to use market research to better target their clients. Microfinance gives these low-income groups an opportunity to become self-sufficient by giving them and their businesses the means to borrow and save money.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is working with financial institutions specializing in microfinance to train their teams in market research so that they can develop the right products for this growing market. The goal of the program, according to the USAID Rural finance program chief, is to create a more proactive approach in responding to market needs.