Market research must serve a business purpose by articulating the problem to be solved. Problem formulation is a crucial skill, linking the business problem to research questions and choice of research tools. The key distinction is whether a tool is exploratory or confirmatory - qualitative tools tend to be exploratory while quantitative tools tend to be confirmatory. Each research technique has strengths and limitations, so choosing the right tool for the problem is important. Talking directly to consumers through interviews and observations can uniquely reveal customer mindsets.