Introduction to Marketing Data Sources
What you’ll learn to do: identify major sources of available marketing data
Marketing information and research are powerful tools to improve your understanding of your customers, competitors, and the industry and market in which you work. In today’s information-rich world, many great sources of marketing data are already available. Knowing what they are and how to find them is a great skill for any marketer.
Marketing Data Sources
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Identify major sources of available marketing data
Marketing Information: Where the Data Are
Earlier sections of this module alluded to excellent sources of marketing data, many of which are freely available or carry 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: