Hiring a market research firm to access deep insight into markets is valuable but many times highly costly for young start-ups or small businesses. However, if you know where to look, you can gain access to quality knowledge that top market research companies freely distribute online. The information on these websites is published in a variety of forms, and usually spans the gamut of all things market research.
Public opinion polls
Many times market research firms are hired by an organization to conduct public opinion polls and distribute the response in the form of a press release or news release. These can prove to be very valuable as you get to know the market, particularly when developing your marketing strategy or when the report is specific to your industry. For instance:
- Public opinion poll on perceptions in law breaking (Insights West, 2014)
- Canadian consumers spend big on beauty (NPD Group, 2014)
- Canadians not buying mobile payments (GFK, 2014)
White papers
Another highly valuable form of content that is distributed by market research firms is the white paper. A white paper is a technique in content marketing where the company distributes information and analysis on a topic. Because their intent is usually to sell their services, it is still important to use a critical eye when evaluating the white papers. Furthermore, most companies will require you to submit a basic level of information (name and email address or website registration) to gain free access to the reports. For instance:
- A meeting of worlds: Healthcare and the digital revolution (Ipsos North America, 2013)
- New channel effectiveness in restaurant marketing mix (Ipsos North America, n.d.)
- Communities of consent: how communities of consent can help build trust in the age of big data (Vision Critical, n.d.)
- 12 ways to use market research (Peanut Labs, 2014)
Market research blogs
Company blogs are also worth checking out for brief opinions by market analysts on the state of the economy or general trends. A blog format allows the author to supplement the data with their personal analysis so the resulting content allows for the quick ability to interpret what it means for your business. For instance:
- Uncommon sense: Let your customers tell you what they think (Nielsen blog, 2014)
- Homeowners want new kitchens, bathrooms as renovations boom (Insights West blog, 2014)
- Engaging the Millenial shopper this holiday season (Vision Critical blog, 2014)
Industry-specific
If you are lucky, you can perhaps identify a market research firm that specifically focuses on the industry in which your business operates. This type of free content will most likely only occur in large umbrella industries where resources are rich to provide free content. For instance:
- Non-profit focus: 2014 State of the Canadian Web Nation (GoodWorks, 2014)
- Real estate focus: Construction Cost Guide 2014 (Altus Group, 2014)
Finding what works for you
In the end, be aware that it might take some time to explore the rich and varied content freely available by private market research firms. To jumpstart your search, here are some key websites to reference:
»Altus Group (real estate focus)
»GFK Canada
»Good Works (non-profit focus)
»Insights West
»Ipsos Canada
»itracks
»McKinsey & Company
»Neilsen
»NPD Group
»Peanut Labs
»PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
»TNS Canada
»Vision Critical
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