There are a few emerging age groups on which marketers are increasingly doting: 0 to 20 and 12 to 34. If that seems a bit broad, that's because it is, and intentionally so.

Remember that kid in your class that always had a "dog-ate-my-homework" excuse when it came time to turn in an assignment? That child most likely did not grow up to become a Coca-Cola employee.

The beverage behemoth didn't grow to represent a 70% share of its industry without plenty of homework along the way. But the company's approach to data gathering regarding its latest product launch, the Coca-Cola Freestyle, takes market research to a new level.

Who is your ideal client? A man? A woman? Someone who is 35, or someone who is 55? Which clubs or associations does he or she belong to, if any? Have you taken the time to reallyget to know you customer?

Whoa, you say, slow down. That's a lot of questions. Well, yes. But you need to know the answers to even more of them when it comes to identifying that ideal person for your services or products.