Viewpoint: Making the case for context – Creating value from market research history

Daniel Nunan and Anca C. Yallop

This article examines the history of the market research sector and how it can provide value. There is increasing interest in the history of market research in the UK.

There is an emerging interest in the history of market research in the United Kingdom, as seen by the creation of the Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR—www.amsr.org.uk). Although the archive is at an early stage, its rapid development highlights how little focus there has been on analyzing the history of the sector. With the exception of historical reflection associated with anniversaries, such as Ian Blythe's (2005) book written for the 50th anniversary of the Market Research Society (MRS), there has been limited interest in systematically exploring the past.

Although professional associations or large companies often establish...

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