ABSTRACT
A company can get information in two major ways: from its network and own operational experience in the market or through dedicated market research projects. Managers have a tendency to disbelieve foreign market research as a means of getting reliable and cheap information on issues about which they oftentimes already have a preconceived opinion. It has been found that informal, person-to-person information gathering prevails as a means of getting reliable international market information. The longer the experience in the market, the more varied the sources, and the more value firms extract from its information capture. The accessibility, reliability and comparability of international market data is an area where the market analyst must tread carefully. The international firms carry out market research in international markets, both in order to get hold of information about new market opportunities and to control various parts of their strategic marketing decisions in established markets.
