BB.M research firms gather and analyze data about customers, competitors, distributors, and other actors and forces in the marketplace and society. A large portion of the work performed by most research firms is commissioned by specific companies for particular purposes. However, some firms also routinely collect a wide spectrum of data and then attempt to sell some or all of it to companies that may benefit from such information.

Research may be quantitative, qualitative, or a combination of both. Quantitative research is numerically oriented, requires significant attention to the measurement of market phenomena, and often involves statistical analysis.

Qualitative research focuses on descriptive words and symbols and usually involves observing consumers in a marketing setting or questioning