This web document is designed to assist students in APR/BUS 307 in completing the research component of their Final Project Assignment. It provides information on resources available in the SAU Library, materials accessible through the Internet as well as a look at what is available at other libraries in the area.

Research is an important part of the advertising process.

From deciding what products people may purchase to determining where to market a product, research is required. Large ad agencies employ people whose sole responsibility is research. In addition, agencies pay a lot of money to obtain information that will give their marketing an edge. You'll need to research well to make your product ad campagin a success.

This assignment requires that students answer a variety of questions about their product. Below are some of the issues to consider:

Product & Company Information

• What is our product?                    
• Who owns the product?
• Who are the main competitors?
• How healthy is the company?
• What is the product market share?
• Who is buying the product & why?

Marketing & Media Data & Statistics

• What is the target market for the product?
• Where is the product being advertised?
• How much is being spent to advertise the product?
• What are the best places to advertise?
• What will it cost to advertise the product in newspapers, on the radio, on tv and on the internet?
• What ad campaigns have been used for the product?
• What are the future plans for the product?
  

Locating Information on Products & Companies

This is probably the easiest area to research. There are literally hundreds of places to find information about specific products and their companies: books, articles, websites, etc. When doing product/company research, keep in mind that the goal is to get current, up-to-date information, which often requires using databases to find current articles in magazines and newspapers. Remember, also, that there is a distinction between private and public companies. Public companies are stock owned, while private companies are owned by and individual or group of investors. It is MUCH easier to find information on public companies. Information on individual products is best found in articles or on the web. Note: one of your first tasks may be to determine what company makes the product. This is not always evident.

The SAU Library has a good collection of books in this area. Below is a sample listing of major reference tools available at the SAU Library that provide company information. There are many others in the collection that are located near these sources. Browse Around!

Standard & Poor's Industry Survey. REF 338.76 S785

• Published Quarterly
• Covers all major industry areas
• Outlines industry history, trends and outlook
• Lists major players, sale statistics, market shares, and market cost information
• List additional sources: trade associations, trade publications, websites
       

Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands/Consumable Products.
REF 658.8343 E56

• Covers major product leaders
• Tells what company owns product
• Gives product history, marketing campaigns, competitors
• Lists advertising agency and sources for further reading
• Good source if you haven't picked a product
     

Hoover's Handbook of American Business: Profiles of Major U.S.
Companies. REF 338.74 H789

• Gives concise profile of major United States companies
• Basic contact information and statistical data about sales
• List competitors

Ward's Private Company Profiles. REF 338.74 W266

• Contains basic contact information
• Tells company history and discusses major competitors
• Basic sales statistics

Other Sources

• Company annual report-SAU owns some: Vertical File & Fiche
  Also available on many company websites
• Trade Associations-most industries have associations, which are helpful in supplying data specific to that industry. The Encyclopedia of Associations, REF 354.1 E56 provides this information.
• Magazine & Newspaper Articles:
  • First Search-contains several databases (demo)
  • Business & Industry-facts, figures, key events
  • ABI/Inform-journal articles on all aspects of businesses
  • Business Dateline-regional information
  • WilsonBusiness-articles from leading business journals
  • ProQuest-geared specifically to business
  • NewsBank-good for current news about companies & products
  • Websites (for help on internet research, look here)
    • Quicken.com-stock site, includes links to info on companies
    • Michigan Electronic Library-Business Section
    • The Prentice Hall Directory of Online Business Information. REF 016.33 P927 1997-this book lists specific websites for business, including websites by industry

       

Locating Information on Markets & Media

Market information includes statistics about consumers and their spending habits, data on specific market mediums and their costs as well as data on the money that is being spent by companies to market their product. All this information is important for competitors in determing how best to compete with existing products.

This information is available, but it is not as easy to locate as business and product information. This especially true when it comes to specific data about how much a particular company is spending to advertise a particular product. Companies like to keep secrets! Of course, everything comes at a price. Large ad agencies pay big bucks to obtain this data from market research services. The SAU library is limited in this area, but does have a handful of resources that can help.

SATISTICAL SOURCES (Consumer Spending)-

Almanac of Consumer Markets. REF 658.834 A445

• Contains statistics on U.S. consumer spending and demographic data on the U.S. population

Statistical Abstract of the United States. REF 317 U58

• Yearly publication of U.S. Government
• Gives breakdown of spending habits of Americans by income, race and age in broad categories
• Some industry statistics as well

Markets of the U.S. for Business Planners. REF 330.973 M345

• Contains data on the 183 U.S. urban market areas
• Includes market maps
• Lists statistics on consumer spending in areas and projections for future

Websites with Statistical Data

• United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

MARKETING & MEDIA SOURCES-

Advertising Media Sourcebook. 659.1 T939

• Reviews media research tools and provides basic data provided
• Cable Ad Costs
• Spot TV Ad Costs
• Network Radio Costs
• Major Market Newspaper Rates
• Outdoor Billboard Costs

Broadcast & Cable Yearbook. REF 384.54 B863

• Lists TV, Cable, & Radio Stations by State/City
• Includes Nielsen DMA Market Atlas-define national TV markets geographically based on viewing patterns. Lists # of households in area and stations which cover that particular region.
• Contact information

Market Share Reporter. REF 380.105 M345

• Includes private, public and international companies
• Organized by industry with specific market share by product.
• This is where you can find sale and use statistics on specific products
  • Auto Sales: # of mini-vans
  • Household Products: coffee makers
  • How People Use Microwave

Standard Directory of Advertisers. REF 659.102 S785
JACKSON DISTRICT LIBRARY

• Lists major advertising agencies in United States
• Tells companies/products ad agencies work for and gives advertising spending figures
• Lists specific brands

Searching for Information Using Online Resources-

• Databases (Find Articles)
  • First Search
  • ProQuest (demo)
  • NewsBank (demo)
    
    
• Web Searching
  • Search Engines: HotBot          Metacrawler
  • Advertising Age
  • Industry Web Sites

Note: if you are considering advertising your product on the Internet, you will probably not find the cost of such ads easily. At present, this information is not located in standard reference materials.

For assistance, feel free to give me a call or send a e-mail.

"Make Every Effort to Add to Your Faith, Knowledge"
2 Peter 1:5

©2001 Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI
All rights reserved.