Research Guides: COMM 120/296/465/420 Introduction to Marketing: Researching Industries/Markets

Researching Industries & Markets

You can understand the context in which a company operates, including its economic and industrial environment by researching its industry. Sources for industry information include

industry and market research reports (overviews at a broad geographic and sector level)
articles
industry associations
government agencies
public company annual reports ( the 10-Ks of US public companies report industry, economic & risk conditions

For more sources and strategies for industry research explore the Industry & Market Research guide.

Industry & Market Research Databases

Business Source Complete
Industry profiles for a variety of industries and locations, as well as country business & economic profiles.
eMarketer
Market research and trend analysis on digital media, marketing and commerce. Topics covered include B2B and B2C eBusiness, online consumer behaviour, social media, mobile devices.
Forrester Research
Information geared towards IT and technology industry professionals. Emerging trends and issues in e-Business, IT products and services.
IBISWorld Industry Reports
Reports on over 700 US industries and some global industries.
MarketResearch.com Academic
Reports on the U.S. market and specific consumer groups.
Passport GMID
International statistical and market research reports for over 200 countries, covering consumer products and services, demographic and lifestyle reports and economic data.
Vividata
Survey data on Canadians' usage of over 3500 products and services. See the Help section for tutorials and guides.
Thomson ONE
Analyst reports on industries and companies. Click on "Screening & Analysis" on the left, then click on "Research" and "Research Search." Search by keyword or NAICS industry code, and limit by geography. Use Internet Explorer browser and ensure pop-ups are enabled.
Warc : World Advertising Research Center
Includes case studies, trends, company profiles, advertising spending statistics, economic data and consumer insight.

Firefox is the preferred browser.