Reading: Marketing Data Sources

Marketing Information: Where the Data Are

Photo of a woman's hands on a laptop keyboard; the homepage of GOOGLE is on the screen.Earlier sections of this module alluded to excellent sources of marketing data, many of which are freely available or carry a minimal cost. Others are well-respected commercial sources of marketing data and customer insights. This reading provides an overview of useful go-to data sources that marketers should know about, should the occasion arise to use them. The data sources recommended below are a representative sampling, rather than a complete list.

It is also worth noting that the marketing information landscape is continually changing. Marketers would be well served to continually scan for new developments and information sources that may be beneficial to improve their understanding of customers and ways of serving them.

Publicly Available Data Sources

Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and non-governmental organizations often publish freely available data that may inform marketers’ understanding of consumers, customers, the geographies, and industry sectors where they operate. Great information sources include the following:

Publicly Available Data Sources
Source Description
data.novascotia A centralized portal for open data available from the Nova Scotian government on a wide variety of topics.
Statistics Canada A Canadian government-maintained Web site that provides access to a wide variety of statistical data published by the federal government. Also helpful for finding data that you know exist somewhere, but you aren’t sure which agency maintains it.
Google Public Data Directory A directory of publicly available data sources from around the world.
Google Trends A search tool for exploring search volume for any term used in a Google search.
Pew Research Center Public opinion and research reports from a non-partisan, American think tank. Freely available research covers social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world.
United Nations UNdata A data service of the United Nations that provides centralized access to a wide variety of U.N.-maintained data sets such as demographics, socioeconomic status, and development indicators for nations around the world.
World Bank Data Economic data and economic development indicators for 100+ countries around the world.
World Trade Organization (WTO) Data Information about international trade and tariffs and the regulatory environment for 100+ WTO member countries.

Syndicated Marketing Research Data

A number of commercial companies provide syndicated marketing research that is well respected and often well used by organizations that subscribe to their services. A sampling of these services is provided below:

Syndicated Marketing Research Data
Source Description
Acxiom Extensive consumer datasets containing demographic, purchasing, credit, and other information companies can map to their own customer and prospect data for research, marketing analytics, and marketing campaign execution.
Experian Extensive consumer datasets containing demographic, purchasing, credit, and other information that companies can map to their own consumer and prospect data for research, marketing analytics, and marketing campaign execution.
Ipsos Canadian syndicated surveys on a range of topics.
IRI Point-of-sale data linked to household panel purchasing data, providing detail around sales, pricing, promotion, and market share for a variety of consumer products.
Media Audit Audience demographics and media consumption profiles for 100+ media markets in the U.S.
MRI Simmons (formerly GfK MRI and MediaMark) Extensive datasets around multimedia audience research and measurement.
Nielsen Point-of-sale data linked to household panel purchasing data, providing detail around sales, pricing, promotion, and market share for a variety of consumer products. Datasets to support popular lifestyle and behavioural segmentation systems such as PRIZM.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research Database of public opinion and polling questions exploring many aspects of American life, including contemporary data as well as polling data dating back to the 1930s.
Yankelovich MONITOR provides long-running syndicated research about consumer values, attitudes, and trends.
Environics Canadian syndicated surveys on a range of topics.

Other Useful Sources for Marketing Data

These additional sources for other types of marketing information also warrant attention. Whether or not marketers use them, they should be aware of these tools and how they can be useful for a variety of marketing purposes. 

Other Useful Sources for Marketing Data
Source Description
Google Analytics Detailed analytics, statistics, and insights about website traffic, usability, and sales effectiveness. Free and premium services available.
LexisNexis Searchable source for full-text articles from regional, national and international newspapers, government documents, and many legal, medical, and business publications.
Statista A subscription-based statistics portal, providing searchable access to many original sources of market, industry, and business data.

 

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Introduction to Marketing I 2e (MKTG 1010) Copyright © 2021 by NSCC & Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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