How Marketing Research Was Born: From Street Surveys to Strategy

Have you ever filled out a survey after buying something online? Or seen an ad and thought, “They really know what I like”?

That’s not magic—it’s marketing research.

But where did this powerful tool come from?

To find the answer, we need to go back almost 200 years—to the days of newspapers, street corners, and one curious man named Daniel Starch.

📰 The First Step: Asking People What They Think

In the early 1800s, the printing press had already changed the world. Newspapers could now reach large groups of people quickly. But there was a problem: information only flowed one way—from the newspaper to the people.

There was no way to know what the people thought in return.

That changed in the 1820s in the United States.

Some newspapers began using a new method called street surveys. They asked people on the street to give their opinions about current news or public issues.

And just like that, consumer research was born.

It was simple, but powerful: if you know what people think, you can better meet their needs.

📈 Vocabulary Builder: Marketing Research Terms

1. Marketing research
📊 Definition: The process of collecting information about what people want, like, or think
📝 Example: Marketing research helps companies understand their customers.

2. Consumer
🛍 Definition: A person who buys goods or services
📝 Example: Companies use surveys to learn more about their consumers.

3. Survey
📋 Definition: A set of questions used to collect opinions or data
📝 Example: The company sent out a survey to learn how customers felt about their new product.

4. Quantitative
🔢 Definition: Based on numbers or measurable data
📝 Example: Quantitative research helps companies measure results clearly.

5. Effective
✅ Definition: Working well or producing the result you want
📝 Example: The ad was effective because people remembered and responded to it.

🧠 Meet Daniel Starch: The Father of Modern Marketing Research

A century later, in the 1920s, advertising was everywhere—on signs, in newspapers, and even on early radios. But how did companies know if their ads were working?

Enter Daniel Starch, a professor and pioneer in the field.

He believed that for advertising to be effective, five things had to happen:

• It had to be seen

• It had to be read

• It had to be believed

• It had to be remembered

• And finally—it had to make the person act

That last step—taking action—was the most important of all.

To prove his theory, Daniel created his own marketing research company and developed some of the first quantitative methods for measuring results. He didn’t just ask “Did you like this ad?”—he asked, “Did you act because of it?”

His methods helped turn marketing into a science, not just a guess.

💡 Why This Still Matters Today

Every time you see:

• A product review

• An Instagram poll

• A pop-up survey asking about your shopping experience...

You’re seeing the legacy of Daniel Starch and the first street surveys.

Marketing research helps brands understand their audience—and helps you get better products, more useful ads, and a more personal experience as a consumer.

📚 Quick Quiz

1. What made the first marketing research possible?
A) Radio ads
B) Street surveys
C) Online shopping

2. What is Daniel Starch known for?
A) Creating the first newspaper
B) Inventing the internet
C) Developing marketing research methods

3. What’s the final step in Starch’s advertising theory?
A) Seeing the ad
B) Believing the message
C) Acting on the message

✅ Answers: 1–B, 2–C, 3–C

✨ Final Thought

Marketing research started with a simple question:
“What do people think?”

From street corners to data charts, it continues to evolve, shaping the way companies communicate, advertise, and innovate.

So the next time someone asks you to take a quick survey, remember:
You’re not just giving an opinion.

You’re part of a story that began nearly two centuries ago.

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