Not Just Numbers: Rediscovering the Promise and Power of Marketing Research

In this provocative and insightful book, highly regarded marketing research expert Lawrence Gibson argues that the multibillion-dollar marketing research industry has largely failed. The book shows you exactly why it's failed and how it must change. Gibson asserts that businesses need a different way of looking at marketing research, both more scientific and more practical. Marketing research needs to help you solve marketing problems and capitalize on marketing opportunities and not merely be a source of data.

The logical steps required to do marketing research right are simply and clearly described in the book. Cases from the author's extensive experience show you how his problem-solving approach has worked in real-world situations and demonstrate the dramatic sales and financial gains you can achieve when marketing research is properly designed and used.

The book also provides you practical guidance to enhance your problem-solving and political skills to help corporate leaders identify more profitable actions and make more profitable decisions.

Lawrence Gibson had a long and highly regarded career in marketing research. He was Director of Corporate Marketing Research at General Mills, Inc., for 20 years, an advertising agency researcher, and a consultant to such clients as General Motors, Amoco, and Motorola.

For many years Gibson led the American Marketing Association’s Introduction to Marketing Research program at Notre Dame, and was a frequent speaker at AMA and Advertising Research Foundation conferences. He has served on AMA’s National Board and chaired its Marketing Research Committee. He was a member of the Marketing Research Editorial Review Board and has published many articles in professional journals.

Gibson was a Trustee of the Marketing Science Institute. He’s chaired The Conference Board’s Marketing Research Council and the Association of National Advertisers’ Research Committee. He also served on the Business Research Advisory Council of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.