In the summer of 1986 the concept for Quirk’s Marketing Research Review, a new business magazine for the marketing research industry, was introduced to potential readers and advertising prospects. A mock issue was printed which included a sampling of articles, a peek at the graphics to be used, and some guidelines the proposed publication would adhere to, including:

  • having a qualified, viable reader audience that is actually involved in marketing research;
  • presenting material that is valuable, understandable and interesting (using knowledge of the field, good contacts within the industry, and a clean, straightforward writing style);
  • keeping readers informed of new technologies and meth- odologies being used in the industry; 
  • avoiding too much talk about what is going on in academia or including peripheral news except as it relates to marketing research.

My belief that such a magazine was needed gew out of my experiences in the 1960s as the research director for the Miller Publishing Co. in Minneapolis. It was my responsibility to conduct the research and make presentations to clients. Many of the individuals at the client level had limited experience in and knowledge of research and most did not expect continued involvement in this field. I believed a business publication stressing the practical side of marketing research would be a valuable tool but I did not know if marketers in other industries also had limited experience with market research techniques. It was only when doing in-depth research for the publication that I realized this is the norm in many industries.

In 1986 we knew that for Quirk’s Marketing Research Review to be a success we would need the support and cooperation of many people. First would be those who assisted with the initial issues, including Emmet Hoffman, Robert Truhlar, Keith Hunt, Dave Hahn, Jim Quirk and Beth Hoffman. We also needed advertising support from the providers of marketing research products and services. Finally, it was critical to have the support of the reader audience (in the form of requests to receive the publication) in order to allow us to meet the criteria for obtaining second-class mailing privileges shortly after our initial issues were mailed.

Some didn’t believe the marketing research community would or could support this effort. It wasn’ t so much that they were negative but rather skeptical. One individual, who had considered a similar venture, believed the risks were too great. However, most were supportive and urged us to pursue the venture. Well, all of the elements did come together and we were able to get the first issue out. And then the second, and the third, and the fourth, fifth, sixth and so on. How time flies. This is our 100th issue. It is hard to believe more than 10 years have passed and what has occurred during this time. The technical part of the publication has changed enormously. The prepress work formerly took more than two weeks and now is accomplished in three or four days.

Printing began on a small sheet-fed press and we now use a web. The first computer we bought to handle circulation data had a 20MB hard drive, which we thought was more than enough for any future needs. The unit we now use has a 2.5 gigabyte hard drive and 32MB of RAM. But although scores of mechanical changes have taken place the goals have not changed. Often during these 100 issues we have reviewed the original guidelines and goals to insure we are not deviating from them. Based on the response from our readers and advertisers I believe we have generally been successful. In the first issue I stated our goal as follows: "to serve you with practical and timely information concerning the marketing research industry." I also asked readers to write or call us with comments, pro and con. We have heard from you, followed our advice, and trust you will continue to contact us with your comments.

What does the future hold? The major change we see in marketing research is in its globalization. As more companies market their products and services beyond their borders good market information becomes critical. Companies will expect, even demand, uniformly high levels of data collection throughout the world. As we expand our
circulation to reach those outside the United States we plan to be there to assist them.

Reaching this milestone could not have been possible without the support of you, our readers. We humbly thank you. One of the reasons I stayed in research for my entire working career is because I found the vast majority of people working in this field to be very nice. That has been a constant for the 40 years I have been in this industry.

Finally, thanks to those who are responsible for getting the magazine out. Joe, Jim, Evan, Steve, Dan and Marlene are the ones who should get the credit, as they have taken on the day-to-day responsibility of producing each issue. They are the unsung heroes. Here’s looking forward to the next 100 issues!