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370+ Best Marketing Research Topics & Ideas for Students to Consider

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What Are Marketing Research Topics?

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Research Topics & Ideas: Marketing

50+ Marketing Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

Marketing and advertising-based research topics

Finding and choosing a strong research topic is the critical first step when it comes to crafting a high-quality dissertation, thesis or research project. If you’ve landed on this post, chances are you’re looking for a marketing-related research topic , but aren’t sure where to start. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Here, we’ll explore a variety of marketing-related research ideas and topic thought-starters, covering both traditional marketing (offline media) and digital marketing (including social media marketing, content marketing and the like). We’ll also look at actual dissertations and theses from marketing students to give you a view of what a well-defined research topic looks like.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps . In this post, we’ll kickstart the process by sharing some research topic ideas within the marketing domain. This is the starting point, but to develop a well-defined research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , along with a well-justified plan of action to fill that gap.

If you’re new to the oftentimes perplexing world of research, or if this is your first time undertaking a formal academic research project, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course. In it, we cover the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from start to end. Be sure to also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic.

Overview: Marketing-Related Topics

How to find a research topic (video)
Traditional (offline) marketing topics/ideas
Digital (online) marketing topics/ideas
Examples of actual dissertation topics
Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
Where to get extra help

How To Find A Research Topic

Before we look at specific research ideas and topics, it’s useful to first understand what the topic ideation process entails and how to go about finding and refining viable topic ideas. In the video below, we cover exactly that. So, if you’re a first-time researcher, be sure to watch this tutorial before jumping into the collection of marketing research topics we present below.

Now that you’ve got a big-picture view of the topic ideation process, we can dive into a few research ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Please note that these research topic ideas are intentionally broad and generic, so you will need to refine them a fair deal using the techniques we discussed in the video above.

To make life a little easier for you, we’ve grouped the topic ideas based on two main categories – traditional marketing and digital / online marketing . For the latter, we’ve divided it up into a few subcategories, including social media marketing, content marketing and search marketing. That said, there is naturally some overlap between topics, so keep this in mind.

Research Ideas: Traditional Marketing

The perceived effectiveness of different types of direct mail campaigns (e.g., postcards, catalogues, brochures) among small business owners in New York
The perception and use of traditional marketing in creating and nurturing customer loyalty and retention among UK Financial Firms.
The impact of demographic targeting on traditional marketing performance among green businesses
The perception of different types of sales promotion (e.g., discounts, coupons, contests) among GenZ consumers
The continued use of celebrity endorsements in traditional marketing campaigns, post-2020.
Exploring factors related to outdoor advertising recall in India
Measuring the ROI of traditional marketing efforts: a review of current methods
Comparing the effectiveness of different traditional media channels (e.g., television, radio, print) in driving engagement and conversions among established brands
The use of public relations in traditional marketing campaigns among large insurance companies
The role of event marketing in building brand awareness and engagement: perceptions among marketing professionals in the UK

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Research Ideas: Digital/Online Marketing

Social media marketing

The use of artificial intelligence in social media marketing among online fashion companies in Sweden
The impact of social media on public relations and media relations: a Case Study of Nandos
The role of Twitter in crisis communication and reputation management: a discourse analysis
The impact of social media influencer presence on brand loyalty and customer retention among Gen X.
The use of social media for market research and consumer insights among SMEs in Kenya
The impact of social media on consumer buying behaviour of fast food in Italy
The challenges and opportunities of social media in global and multicultural marketing: perceptions of marketing departments in large corporations
The relationship between social media engagement and website traffic: an analysis of fitness brands
The effectiveness of influencer marketing on social media platforms for household cleaning products in the UK
The perceptions and understanding of paid vs organic social media advertising among Gen Z consumers in San Francisco

Content marketing

The use and understanding of micro-moments in creating personalized content experiences among content creators in the USA
Comparing the effectiveness of methods of personalization of content marketing: an evaluation of best practice
The experiences and use of SEO in content marketing strategy among small online businesses
The use of social media influencers in content marketing campaigns: a Case Study of Hello Fresh
Comparing different content distribution channels for different types of content: perceptions of best practices among content marketing experts
The use of user-generated content in building brand trust and engagement among green companies in the UK
Measuring the ROI of content marketing efforts among luxury brands
The perception and use of Chat GPT in content creation among small online businesses
The perceptions of interactive and immersive content formats (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality) in marketing among consumers: an experimental study
Comparing image and text-based content formats in driving engagement and conversions on social media: a multi-case study of NGOs

Search engine marketing

The effectiveness of different ad formats (e.g., text ads, shopping ads, video ads) in Search Engine Marketing for tourist destinations
The impact of search engine algorithm updates on Search Engine Marketing performance – who are the winners and losers?
The perception and use of AI and machine learning in Search Engine Marketing strategy and bidding optimization within a UK marketing agency
The use of voice search and its impact on Search Engine Marketing among food retailers in Switzerland
The role of local SEO in driving brick-and-mortar sales: a case study of a local fashion outlet in France
The impact of mobile optimization on Search Engine Marketing performance and conversion rates in Nigeria
Comparing analytical tools for measuring ROI of Search Engine Marketing campaigns
The effectiveness of different types of keywords and search queries in driving traffic towards restaurants in Italy
The use of remarketing and retargeting in search engine marketing campaigns among marketers
The understanding and use of schema markup and structured data in improving Search engine marketing performance among Start-Ups

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Email marketing

The perception and use of AI and machine learning in email marketing among NGOs: a focus on personalized content and dynamic segmentation
The effectiveness of email subject line strategies in driving open and click-through rates: an experimental study
Comparing A/B testing and multivariate testing in improving email marketing performance: a case study
The use of personalization on email marketing performance among craft bloggers
The impact of automated email marketing among local online retailers on customer loyalty and retention
The use of automation and triggered emails in increasing engagement and conversion rates for online courses
The perception and understanding of GDPR and other data privacy regulations on email marketing among SMEs
The role of mobile optimization in email marketing targeting Gen Z consumers
The challenges of measuring the ROI of email marketing campaigns: perceptions of SMEs
The effectiveness of different email formats (e.g., text-based, HTML, interactive) in driving engagement: A/B testing for a small online retailer

Marketing-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding marketing-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various marketing-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

The Influences of Brand Personality, Culture, and Social Media on Iconic Brand Preferences (Whelan, 2021)
Customer Success and the Transformation of Customer Relationships (Raines, 2022)
The Effects of Online Incentivized Reviews on Organic Review Ratings (Jeong, 2020)
Are You For Real? The Consumption-Driven Self-Authentication Process And Its Effects On Perceived Brand Authenticity (Kuchmaner, 2020)
You Are What You Eat: How Food Texture And Packaging Influence Consumer Well-Being (Ning, 2020)
Social Dialogic Listening: Connecting Marketing Activity To Strategy (Collins, 2020)
Millennials’ Attitudes Towards Influencer Marketing And Purchase Intentions (Yu, 2019)
Cannibalization between Two Mercedes-Benz Models and Consumer Behavior (Ma, 2020)
Selling and Buying Aspects of Used Products That Are Brand Anthropomorphized (Kim, 2019)
Global Identity: Conceptualization, Measurement, And Implications For Marketing Strategy (Yoruk, 2022)
The Intersection of Organizational Frontline Marketing and a High-Tech World (Krotz, 2021)
The Unexplored Impacts of Communication Elements in Marketing (Trinh, 2022)
Founder Social Identity As A Predictor Of Customer And Competitor Orientation In Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises (Rutherford, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are far more specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Research Topic

If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about how to find a research topic for your marketing dissertation or thesis, check out our 1-on-1 private coaching services below.

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71+ Research Paper Topics & Ideas for Marketing Students

As a marketing student, you probably have access to a plethora of resources such as your college library and of course, the internet, to come up with great research paper topics.

However, the thought of writing your research paper can be daunting, especially if you’re still brainstorming and don’t know what to write about.

Just like any other piece of writing, start by keeping your audience in mind. Then, make a list of research paper topics that are more relevant to your interests, or a new under-developed field (for example; augmented reality, or people sentiments towards Artificial Intelligence), or a unique research topic that intrigues your audience.

But if you’re still struggling to pin down one out of the many research paper topics for your program, we’ll suggest a number of them for you to either choose from; or for you to take inspiration from and come up with your own.

Table of Contents

How to Choose the Best Research Paper Topics

Before we dive into the details, you’ll have to familiarize yourself with the basics. For starters, pick up a pen and paper and brainstorm different topics that you’d like to write about.

While personal interest is definitely important, we also suggest you opt for a topic that will intrigue your readers. Here are a couple of factors you ought to keep in mind while selecting a topic:

Keeping your personal interest in mind

You probably won’t be able to write a stellar research paper if you’re not interested in the topic. Sit down with your peers and advisors to discuss possible ideas. It will be easier for you to discuss different themes once you’ve written down all your ideas in one place. If you’ve decided on a specific keyword for instance “consumer behaviour”, you can look for similar research papers on the internet.

A research paper isn’t a descriptive essay which you can drag aimlessly. Your research paper needs to be based on factual data and that’s only possible if you’ve conducted thorough research. While jotting down points for your first draft, ensure your statements are supported with references or examples citing credible academicals and research work.

Don’t leave it till the last day

A lot of students tend to undermine the writing process and leave for the last few days. Bear in mind that you can’t possibly write your entire research paper overnight. In order to succeed, you’ll have to devote sufficient amount of time to research.

Also, be prepared to schedule meetings with your advisor on a regular basis as you’re bound to require help along the way. At this point, make sure you only rely on credible sources that will support your dissertation.

Examples & List of Research Paper Topics

If you’re still unable to decide a topic of your interest, here is a list of 70 unique marketing research topics that you can use as marketing project topics for your MBA, or any other marketing course:

How do organizations use CSR ( corporate social responsibility ) to reinforce brand equity?
What manipulation tactics do brands use to get more customers?
How can brand image be communicated via social media marketing?
How can social media impact the buying choices of shoppers?
Are consumers equipped to shield themselves from direct marketing strategies?
Determine and analyze consumer buying behavior for [product name]
How does advertising impact consumer behaviour?
How does family orientation impact marketing communications?
What characteristics do buyers look for when purchasing a product online?
How does global marketing incorporate standardization?
What attributes do consumers look for when comparing products online?
How do financial institutions differentiate their goods and services on the basis of social class?
Is direct marketing really the most effective form of marketing?
What internet marketing trends can be expected for the future?
How to marketing strategies differ across different cultures?
Can brand advertising impact political campaigns?
How do brands exploit impulsive buying?
How does loyalty cards encourage sales and boost customer loyalty?
Can well-marketed brands get away with selling substandard quality products?
How is globalization having on impact on consumer behaviour?
Impact of brand image on customer loyalty
Brand attributes that lead to an increase in customer loyalty
Successful marketing approaches that helped break through strong market monopoly
Impact of cause marketing on brand affinity with young mothers
Effect of consumer promotions and discount offerings on brand equity
The outcomes of advertising in a recession
Influence on Social Media advertising on consumer behaviour
Effect of TV advertising on top of mind awareness
Understanding customer perceptions around event sponsorships
Does corporate social responsibility translate into sales?
Canadians perspective on being targeted with mobile ads based on their browser history
Is direct marketing welcomed by people?
Are customers able to differentiate between various mortgage offering by competing banks?
Does social media influence buying behaviour
Do people like being click baited into sponsored posts?
Understanding the impact of celebrity endorsements on ROI for CPG brands
Women’s sentiments around comparison advertising
How effective is comparison advertising to build brand equity?
Do consumers prefer purchasing routine grocery products online?
Is earned media perceived to be as important as it appears to be?
What makes people want to share content to their friends?
Understanding why content goes viral
Marketing challenges around the evolving family structures
Are we losing the emotional value and significance of money being in a cashless society?
Is centralized global marketing a good idea for brand health in local markets?
How is augmented reality going to enhance marketing experiences?
How will artificial intelligence support in making better marketing decisions?
Is immersion marketing through virtual reality technology going to be accepted?
What does the luxury auto buyer look for in a car?
How to instill a desire to purchase for customers in the luxury category
Harmful effects of advertising to kids
Impact of in-store branding on brand salience
Effect marketing strategies for restaurant businesses
Habit formation and ways to integrate new products in consumer lifestyles
Is display advertising going to die?
Can Snapchat help small business grow?
How do customers perceive the brand who advertise on Instagram?
The impact of humour in advertising
Do customers pay attention to nutrition labels?
What triggers impulse buying behaviour
Essentials to sky rocket a new brand to heights of awareness
The factors that lead to customer satisfaction in young adults
Elements that help build an emotional connection with your audience
How do males and females differ in their buying behaviour of mobile phones
Does language targeting help in ethnic advertising?
Customer Perceptions: Are well known brands good in quality?
Is radio still an effective method of advertising?
Rural vs Urban marketing challenges to be mindful of
Impact of internal branding on employee retention and turnover
An in-depth analysis of political marketing in Canada

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233 Marketing Research Topics To Come Up With An Impressive Paper

Marketing is everywhere nowadays – from TV adverts to the pop-up ads that appear on our web browsers. No matter how much you may try to ignore it, marketing knocks still knocks at your door.

Despite all these, however, many students still struggle to develop top-notch marketing research paper topics. You might say, how is that even possible? Well, my friend, let me bring it to your attention that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of post-graduate students struggling to find such writing ideas.

But this where we draw the battle lines.

Marketing Topics For Research Paper: What You Need To Know

To be certain of a top grade in any field of study, you have to go the extra mile. Marketing is one of those flooded fields with stiff competition. Therefore, you have to come up with something fresh and original to convince your reader.

Create interest in the reader’s mind of a particular offering
Be precise and to the point
Not repeat what is already out there
Not offer the reader what is not there

Unlike any other topic, these are unique because they intend to sell a product or service to potential buyers. Thus, it would help if you handled it with a lot of care.

What To Avoid When Writing Marketing Paper Topics

Below are crucial points to consider for your marketing research topic:

Do not be too wordy
Avoid using words that are uncommon among the famous market
Beware of being sensational

When writing your research paper’s marketing topics, the end goal should be to sell the product and build a reputable brand for yourself.

Explore these writing ideas for your inspiration:

Marketing Research Topics For College Students

Marketing strategies for integrating new products into segmented markets
The impact of coronavirus on marketing communication strategies
How can companies best advertise their products overseas?
Pitfalls to avoid when crafting marketing messages for children and other minors in the society
Factors that determine client satisfaction in new markets
Discuss the effectiveness of using discounts and loyalty cards in the marketing of products
The impact of using black Friday offers in the wake of the Black lives matter movement
Is it practical to contact clients via email subscriptions and newsletters?
The role of conducting marketing research before attempting to bring a new product on board
Define market segmentation and the essential pointers that segment various markets
Compare and contrast marketing strategies in developing countries versus developed countries
How do multinational companies carry out marketing as compared to local enterprises?
The role of technology in marketing: A case study of simulations and virtual reality
Evaluate the effectiveness of consumer education and awareness in marketing
How does the marketing of food items vary from other products in the market?
Discuss the effectiveness of various marketing channels and strategies
Emerging opportunities and challenges in the field of marketing
Modern tactics and paradigms used in business and consumer marketing
Why it is essential to understand the culture of a market before venturing into it
The role of academic papers of marketing in the business world

Professional List of Marketing Research Topics

How CSRs help companies to make inroads into communities
The impact of brand manipulation on the company’s reputation
The role of social media in marketing: A case study of Twitter marketing
How the fashion industry markets its product to potential clients
The impact of gender and stereotypes in creating marketing and promotional messages
How global marketing varies from local and national marketing strategies
The role of political campaigns in impacting marketing and sale of products
Techniques used by the gaming industry to attract teenagers and youths
Analyzing successful business enterprises: A case study of Apple industry
Adverse impacts of advertising alcoholic related products to children
What makes a brand stay in the market for years without losing its meaning?
Has technology replaced traditional marketing tools and strategies?
The role of smartphone advertising in reaching the digital natives and tech-savvies
The impact of radio and TV marketing on getting middle and working-class
Compare and contrast new market entry strategies versus traditional ones
How companies take advantage of impulsive or exorbitant buyers
Evaluate the effectiveness of in-store branding
Discuss the advertising strategies used by hotels and restaurants in attracting potential clients
The impact of social class on preparing marketing and promotional messages
How centralized marketing affects global brands and products

Sport Marketing Research Topics

The role of sports hubs in the management of sports organizations
Facilities and services that help save costs on sports
Sourcing of funding for sporting activities in developing countries
The part of the World Cup and Olympic games on marketing strategies and promotional messages
Marketing strategies that work best for football fans
The effect of sports celebrities on marketing and promotions
How effective is branding on sportswear as a marketing strategy?
Evaluate the effectiveness of Adidas advertising in the Olympic Games 2008 in China
The role of marketing and modern challenges in advertising decisions in the sports industry nowadays
Consumer buying behavior with brand loyalty and types of sports buying behavior.
Factors that cause people to buy certain sports products: A case of Nike
Explore the historical overview of the exciting development of Nike in providing athletes with equipment for their sports.
Analyze the interior structure of a sports company and how this affects its marketing strategies
Specific characteristics of companies that have excelled through sports branding and marketing
The impact of the orientation of sports heritage, performance, and style in marketing
Critically analyze the impact of using Chelsea as a brand name in product advertising
The production and replacement of goods and services: A case of sportswear
How sports brands operate effectively and competitively in international markets
Creating the relevant skills for sports advertising and branding
The impact of practical knowledge about innovative techniques of production in sports marketing

Best-Rated Research Papers Topics in Marketing

Evaluate the effectiveness of online shops as compared to the physical ones
How multinational companies compete in the markets by creating an international marketing orientation
Discuss how certain companies gain a competitive advantage in comparison to other companies
Analyze the importance of concentrating on the needs of consumers when composing marketing messages
The essence of feedback from clients in a marketing strategy
How have giant companies remained and strengthened their leading position in the European sports industry?
Discuss the underlying aspects of modern advertising
The effectiveness of poster advertising on bus stations before the launch of a product
Slogans’ role in marketing: A case study of Adidas’ saying: ‘Impossible is nothing.’
Evaluate the effectiveness of commercials with sports personalities: A case of David Beckham
How companies adapt cultural incidents and attention to individualistic attractions in marketing messages
Ways of determining the budget for a marketing campaign
Assess the workability of creating an innovative and creative marketing message
Discuss how companies strike a balance between making profits and effective marketing strategies
Should modern marketing messages be informative or persuasive?
The impact of comparative marketing messages on the behavior of a product in the market
Why an evaluation of the company’s strength and weaknesses is essential in developing its marketing plan
The role of integrated marketing information of an organization on its marketing plans
How to discover management trends in market segments
Why companies need to build units for marketing information that are concerned with trends and developments within the marketplace

Research Topics in Real Estate Marketing

Why finance is a critical consideration in real estate marketing
Reasons for the fluctuating financial system in real estate
The impact of coronavirus and recession on the real estate industry
Is the curriculum on real estate marketing effective in producing talented minds?
The effects of property finance marketing on the modern society
The role of business investors in helping people own homes
Owning a Home and the Effect of Credit Unions
Challenges and benefits of mortgages and loans on the real estate industry
Explain how real estate companies can cope with business financial loans
Give a detailed analysis of potential customers in real estate marketing messages
Discuss the various property financing versions in the USA
Evaluate the importance of studying Geography and finance in real estate marketing
Discuss the slow rate of growth of real estate industries in developing countries
Why have real estate marketing messages been greeted with a cold shoulder?
Discuss the unexploited possibilities and opportunities in rural areas
How to maintain equity and still control debt funding in real estate industries
The role of investors together with institutional traders in managing the real-estate companies
Technologies advances in real estate that are transforming the industry
How the fiscal sector is affecting property market developments
Assess how real estate companies are coping with the changing market demands

Sample Marketing Research Project Ideas

Distinguish between brand loyalty as a behavior and as an attitude in marketing
The importance of rankings concerning the popularity of brands
Discuss marketing strategies that create a higher self-confidence in buying decisions
Analyze the higher level of risk in purchasing decisions
Why some customers are more store loyal than others
The role of global brands in creating a marketing ecosystem
Discuss the history of world commerce and how marketing strategies have evolved over time
How has the internationalization of finance and business affected marketing?
The importance of geographical extension among marketers
Why do customers pay keen attention to the price of products
The role of mass production in determining the marketing strategies
How to balance between demand and supply when creating marketing messages
How to create a suitable image for a brand, product, or service
The impact of global brands communicating in worldwide sports events
A primary investigation of what motivates people to buy certain products over others
How virtual communities help marketers communicate their messages
An exploration of using cinematic media to promote food products
The impact of personal styles and preferences on marketing messages
What effect do personal statements from celebrities have on marketing strategies?
An analysis of sponsorship based on marketing

High-Quality Marketing Thesis Topics

The implications of social media marketing on cost and speed of delivery
An investigation of the relationship between marketing messages and customer emotions
Examine the relationship sources of income and buying behaviors
Research into the causes of the decline of newspaper advertising
Are marketing messages overrated?
The impact of brand ambassadors on user-generated branding programs
Explore the effects of integrating relationship marketing strategies
Effects of increased commercialization
How often should a promotional notice be posted in a day?
Do global warming and its consequences have anything to do with marketing?
How to create an emotional appeal in marketing messages
Analysis of strategic success factors in the internalization of marketing messages
The impact of repetitive advertising upon consumers
International business management strategies that work well for start-ups
The effect of marketing messages on the physically disabled
Evaluate how marketing messages have been used to spread sexual messages
Discuss the legal and ethical implications of marketing
How to craft compelling marketing messages that do not discriminate against race
What causes the relevant authorities to ban particular marketing messages?
The impact of creating controversial sports messages

Motivating Marketing Research Questions

Opportunities and threats to marketing products and services overseas
How long have you been a customer, and what has kept you going back?
How can companies attract their target audience more often?
Factors that necessitate one company to stand out from another
How to improve your product and service delivery
Practical ways of better serving your clients
Discuss how big is your potential market
Will this market segment grow or shrink in the future?
What other products and services out there are similar to the ones we are offering?
Who are our top competitors, and what are they doing differently from us?
What portion of the market share do our competitors own?
What part is available for you to own or take?
What is the educational level of the people you are writing the promotional message to?
What is the household income of your potential market?
What is the impact of the household size on the kind of marketing strategy to compose?
What are the hobbies and interests of your potential clientele?
What are the most significant challenges you are likely to encounter when marketing?
What is your preference when it comes to making purchases?
What determines the shop or boutique where you buy your products?
How will the product fit the needs of the potential clients?

Must-Have Marketing Research Topics For College Students

Latest marketing strategies in the light of the changing mobile customer experience
How country relations impact the marketing communication messages used at the cross-border level
The new way to boost sales through conversational strategies
The impact of marketing conferences and conventions on the practice
Why most companies slash marketing budgets at the expense of profits
The role of marketing automation in reaching out to more clients
The importance of social networking in developing contacts for marketing
Discuss the effectiveness of content marketing for the entertainment industry
The essence of tag lines in creating memorable marketing messages
Why should a company have customer evangelists?
How to incorporate value prepositions in marketing messages
The impact of marketing messages on millennial and Generation X
How companies are using blogs and YouTube to market their products
Discuss the effectiveness of online marketing among the youth
Should nonprofit organizations prepare marketing messages?
The importance of web analytics in determining the performance of a marketing message
Do companies follow procedure when it comes to permission email marketing?
Explore the various challenges of email campaigns
Discuss the effectiveness of word-of-mouth marketing strategy
Why the voice of the consumer is necessary for a marketing campaign

Hot Topics in Marketing

Analyze the developments made in B2B marketing
Discuss the qualities of a top-notch advertisement copy
What is the importance of benchmarking in business marketing?
The role of brand management in keeping it afloat
Discuss the effectiveness of corporate blogging
Evaluate marketing strategies that consider customer engagement
How to retain customer through marketing campaigns
How to market products amid economic crisis
The impact of 5G on high-tech marketing
How does hiring outside resources affect marketing?
The essence of keywords in online marketing
The rise of personal branding on Instagram and YouTube
How to collaborate marketing operations in different localities
Analyzing the consumer buying behavior of apple laptops
The impact of family orientation on the consumer behavior
Features that clients look for when purchasing online products
Why companies should understand customer perceptions of their products
Discuss the relationship between corporate social responsibility and sales
Evaluate the acceptance of direct marketing from people
The impact of click baits on marketing strategies: Are they ethical?

Marketing Class Project Ideas

The impact of sentiments from brand ambassadors on the performance of products
Consider the behavior of consumer purchases online and offline
What makes a person refer his/her to a particular product?
Why products go viral
The emotional value of marketing messages
Significance of a cashless society
Augmented reality and marketing
Understanding car buyers
How humor affects advertising
Triggers to impulsive buying behavior
Customer satisfaction among young adults
Male and female marketing techniques
Impact of customer perceptions
Political marketing in the USA
Brand management
Market targeting
Market forecasting
Purchasing management
Product positioning
Nonprofit marketing

Digital Marketing Research Topics

Social media marketing
Telemarketing
Smartphones and relationship marketing
Pitfalls of e-marketing
Marketing timing across social media platforms
Digital market segments
Customer privacy
Confidentiality
Black Fridays
Snapchat marketing
Virtual reality technology

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Marketing Research Topics: 375 Ideas for Your Paper

Are you a marketing student searching for fresh ideas for your next research paper? Marketing is a fascinating field where you can analyze why people buy certain products, how brands influence our choices, and what trends shape the industry. In this article, we've gathered all the best marketing research paper topics to help kickstart your brainstorming process. Whether you're into exploring the impact of social media on shopping habits or digging into the secrets of successful advertising, we've got something for everyone. So, let's get those creative juices flowing and find the perfect topic for your next paper!

The List of Marketing Research Topics

Presenting you with a list of insightful marketing topics for research that'll get your brain buzzing with ideas. We've got everything from exploring the latest trends in digital marketing to figuring out why people buy certain things. Each topic is handpicked to spark your curiosity and get you thinking deep. So, grab a pen and start uncovering fascinating subject matters together! ‘What if I want to pay someone to write my paper ?’ Then, you’re also at the right place – our expert marketing and MBA writers are online and waiting for your orders.

Digital Marketing Topics

Digital marketing refers to the use of digital channels, such as websites, social media, email, search engines, and mobile apps, to promote products or services, engage with audiences, and drive business growth. Here are some interesting marketing research paper topics related to the digital product promotion:

Email marketing strategies.
Social media advertising tactics.
Content optimization tips.
SEO fundamentals.
Pay-per-click campaigns.
Influencer marketing insights.
Video content strategies.
Mobile marketing techniques.
Website conversion optimization.
Data-driven decision making.
Affiliate marketing basics.
Brand storytelling methods.
Customer relationship management.
Local search optimization.
Online reputation management.
E-commerce marketing hacks.
Lead generation strategies.
Retargeting strategies.
Marketing automation tools.
Social media engagement tactics.
A/B testing principles.
Content marketing trends.
Voice search optimization.
Chatbot implementation tips.
Analytics for digital marketers.

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Good Marketing Research Topics

Good marketing involves effectively communicating the value of a product or service to the target audience, creating meaningful connections, and ultimately driving desired actions or behaviors while maintaining ethical standards and delivering customer satisfaction. If you’re looking for marketing research topics for college students, here are some good ideas:

Consumer behavior in the post-pandemic era.
The impact of influencer marketing on brand perception.
Emerging trends in mobile advertising effectiveness.
Cross-cultural differences in online shopping behavior.
The role of augmented reality in enhancing consumer experiences.
Ethical considerations in data-driven marketing practices.
Effectiveness of personalized marketing strategies on customer retention.
Influence of social media platforms on purchase decisions.
Brand loyalty in the age of digital disruption.
The effectiveness of storytelling in brand communication.
Adoption and perception of voice search technology by consumers.
Impact of environmental sustainability messaging on brand perception.
Effectiveness of user-generated content in driving sales.
The role of emotions in consumer decision-making processes.
Trends in customer service preferences across different demographics.
The effectiveness of native advertising in digital marketing campaigns.
The impact of online reviews on consumer purchasing behavior.
The role of artificial intelligence in improving marketing ROI.
Strategies for engaging Generation Z consumers in marketing campaigns.
The influence of social media algorithms on content visibility.
The effectiveness of virtual events in brand promotion.
The role of customer experience in building brand loyalty.
Consumer perceptions of data privacy and its impact on marketing.
The effectiveness of cause-related marketing initiatives.
The influence of cultural factors on global marketing strategies.

Social Media Marketing Research Topics

Social media marketing entails using social media platforms to connect with audiences, build brand awareness, engage users through content creation and interaction, and ultimately drive traffic, leads, and sales for businesses or organizations. Now, let’s engage with the following topics:

The impact of user-generated content on brand engagement.
Effectiveness of influencer marketing across different social media platforms.
Trends in video content consumption on social media.
The role of social commerce in driving sales and conversions.
Strategies for enhancing organic reach on social media.
Consumer perceptions of sponsored content on social media.
The influence of social media advertising on purchase intent.
The effectiveness of storytelling in social media marketing.
Trends in social media platform preferences among different demographics.
The role of augmented reality filters in brand promotion on social media.
Strategies for building and maintaining an engaged community on social media.
The impact of social media algorithms on content visibility and reach.
Consumer attitudes towards brand authenticity on social media.
The effectiveness of chatbots in social media customer service.
The role of social listening in shaping marketing strategies on social media.
Trends in live streaming and its impact on brand engagement.
The influence of social media influencers on consumer purchasing behavior.
Strategies for managing social media crises and negative feedback.
The effectiveness of user segmentation in social media advertising campaigns.
The role of user privacy concerns in shaping social media marketing practices.
The impact of social media contests and giveaways on brand awareness.
Trends in social media storytelling formats (e.g., Stories, Reels) and their effectiveness.
Strategies for optimizing content for different social media platforms.
Consumer perceptions of branded hashtags and their impact on engagement.
The role of social media analytics in measuring ROI and campaign effectiveness.

Content Marketing Research Topics

Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a target audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action. Consider our custom coursework writing service if you need hands-on help rather than topics alone. Here are some inspiring topics:

The impact of long-form content on audience engagement and conversion rates.
Trends in content personalization and its influence on user behavior.
Effectiveness of interactive content formats (e.g., quizzes, polls) in driving engagement.
The role of evergreen content in sustaining long-term organic traffic growth.
Strategies for repurposing content across different platforms and formats.
Trends in visual content consumption preferences (e.g., infographics, videos).
The influence of content quality on brand credibility and reputation.
Consumer perceptions of sponsored content and its impact on trust.
The effectiveness of content partnerships and collaborations in reaching new audiences.
The role of user-generated content in building brand authenticity and trust.
Trends in content distribution channels and their impact on reach and engagement.
Strategies for leveraging storytelling techniques to create compelling content.
The impact of content frequency and consistency on audience retention.
Consumer attitudes towards branded content and its influence on purchase decisions.
The role of emotion in content marketing and its impact on audience response.
Trends in content length and its influence on search engine rankings.
The effectiveness of content curation in building thought leadership and authority.
Strategies for optimizing content for voice search and virtual assistants.
The influence of social proof (e.g., testimonials, case studies) in content marketing.
Trends in content gamification and its impact on user engagement and loyalty.
The role of content clusters and topic clusters in improving SEO performance.
Strategies for measuring and optimizing content ROI.
Consumer perceptions of branded storytelling and its impact on brand loyalty.
The effectiveness of content targeting and segmentation in reaching niche audiences.
The influence of content format (e.g., text, audio, video) on engagement metrics and user preferences.

B2B Marketing Project Topics

B2B marketing, short for business-to-business marketing, focuses on promoting products or services from one business to another, often involving longer sales cycles, relationship-building strategies, and tailored messaging to address the unique needs and challenges of business customers. Consider these marketing topics for research in the doman of B2B:

Effective B2B email campaigns.
LinkedIn for B2B lead generation.
Thought leadership strategies.
CRM impact on sales alignment.
Influencer marketing in B2B.
Content syndication for leads.
Optimizing B2B landing pages.
Peer reviews in B2B purchases.
Personalized B2B email automation.
Webinars for B2B thought leadership.
Compelling B2B case studies.
Social proof in B2B branding.
SEO for B2B organic traffic.
Account-based advertising (ABA).
Data-driven B2B personalization.
Content marketing in B2B.
B2B social media advertising.
B2B customer advocacy programs.
Targeted B2B lead magnets.
AI in B2B marketing automation.
B2B customer experience (CX).
Account-based selling (ABS).
Optimizing B2B marketing funnels.
Industry partnerships for B2B growth.
B2B sales enablement tools.

Green Marketing Project Topics

Green marketing, also known as sustainable marketing or environmental marketing, involves promoting products or services that are environmentally friendly or produced in a sustainable manner, aiming to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and contribute to positive environmental outcomes. For sustainable marketing research paper topics, contemplate these options:

Eco-friendly packaging and consumer behavior.
Promoting sustainable products through green marketing.
Green branding trends and brand perception.
CSR's role in green marketing initiatives.
Consumer trust and greenwashing effects.
Raising environmental awareness through campaigns.
Measuring and communicating product impact.
Green certifications and consumer trust.
Green influencer marketing effectiveness.
Storytelling for sustainability communication.
Integrating sustainability into product lifecycle.
Green marketing impact on loyalty.
Sustainable packaging and consumer preference.
Green advertising and brand perceptions.
Cause-related marketing for conservation.
Employee engagement in green initiatives.
Environmental values and consumer behavior.
Green product innovation and competitiveness.
Education campaigns for sustainable consumption.
Overcoming barriers to green adoption.
Government regulations and green marketing.
Circular economy initiatives for sustainability.
Technology for green transparency.
Partnerships for promoting sustainability.
Demographics and green marketing attitudes.

MBA Marketing Project Topics

MBA Marketing refers to a specialized area of study within a Master of Business Administration program that focuses on developing strategic marketing skills, analytical capabilities, and leadership qualities necessary for managing marketing functions in diverse industries and organizational contexts. Analyze the following topic ideas:

Market segmentation strategies for new product launches.
Brand positioning in competitive markets.
Customer relationship management (CRM) in service industries.
Pricing strategies for market penetration.
Digital marketing tactics for reaching millennial consumers.
Market entry strategies for international expansion.
Social media marketing effectiveness in B2C industries.
Consumer behavior analysis in e-commerce.
Brand equity measurement and management.
Product lifecycle management strategies.
Marketing strategies for sustainable and ethical brands.
Competitive analysis and benchmarking in marketing.
Marketing analytics for data-driven decision making.
Influencer marketing impact on brand perception.
Omnichannel marketing strategies for retail businesses.
The role of artificial intelligence in marketing automation.
Marketing strategies for luxury brands.
Customer retention strategies in subscription-based businesses.
The impact of cultural differences on global marketing campaigns.
Crisis management in brand reputation.
Marketing strategies for emerging markets.
Personal branding strategies for professionals.
Strategic alliances and partnerships in marketing.
Customer experience management in the digital age.
The future of marketing: Trends and predictions.

Artificial Intelligence in Marketing

Artificial Intelligence in Marketing involves the utilization of AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics to analyze vast amounts of data, automate repetitive tasks, personalize customer experiences, optimize marketing campaigns, and drive more effective decision-making processes within the marketing domain. These topics will help you get started:

AI-powered personalization in marketing campaigns.
Predictive analytics for customer behavior forecasting.
Natural language processing for sentiment analysis in social media.
AI-driven content creation and optimization.
Automated chatbots for customer service and engagement.
Image recognition for visual search in e-commerce.
AI-powered recommendation systems for product recommendations.
Customer segmentation using machine learning algorithms.
Automated email marketing campaigns with AI.
Dynamic pricing strategies using AI algorithms.
AI-driven lead scoring and qualification.
Fraud detection and prevention using AI in digital advertising.
Automated ad optimization and budget allocation with AI.
Voice search optimization with AI technology.
AI-powered market trend analysis and forecasting.
Personalized product recommendations based on browsing history.
AI-powered customer journey mapping and optimization.
Real-time customer support through AI-driven chatbots.
Automated content curation and scheduling with AI.
AI-powered A/B testing for marketing campaigns.
Automated social media content generation and scheduling.
AI-driven competitor analysis and market insights.
AI-powered customer churn prediction and prevention.
Dynamic website optimization using AI algorithms.
AI-enabled marketing attribution and ROI analysis.

Affiliate Marketing Topics

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses reward affiliates for driving traffic or sales to their products or services through the affiliate's marketing efforts, typically via referral links, promotional content, or other forms of digital outreach, with affiliates earning a commission for each successful referral or sale they generate. Here are some brilliant topics:

Affiliate marketing strategies for beginners.
Effective affiliate program management techniques.
Maximizing affiliate revenue through content optimization.
Affiliate marketing in niche industries.
Leveraging social media for affiliate marketing success.
Building relationships with affiliate partners for long-term success.
Affiliate marketing compliance and legal considerations.
Trends and innovations in affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing for e-commerce businesses.
Choosing the right affiliate network for your business.
Advanced affiliate tracking and analytics.
Affiliate marketing for bloggers and influencers.
Strategies for recruiting and onboarding affiliates.
Creating high-converting affiliate marketing funnels.
Affiliate marketing tools and software for efficiency.
Scaling affiliate marketing campaigns for growth.
Affiliate marketing in the digital product space.
The future of affiliate marketing: Emerging trends.
Building authority and trust as an affiliate marketer.
Affiliate marketing case studies and success stories.
Monetizing your email list through affiliate marketing.
Affiliate marketing for local businesses.
Strategies for diversifying affiliate income streams.
Understanding affiliate marketing commission structures.
Effective communication strategies with affiliate partners.

Marketing Plan Topics

According to the definition of what is a marketing plan , it is a comprehensive document that outlines an organization's marketing objectives, strategies, tactics, and action plans to achieve its business goals within a specified time frame, typically including market analysis, target audience identification, positioning strategies, marketing mix decisions, budget allocation, and performance metrics to measure success and guide ongoing marketing efforts. Here are some compelling research paper topics about marketing:

New product launch marketing plan.
Brand revitalization strategy.
Digital marketing plan for small businesses.
Influencer campaign strategy.
Brand awareness content plan.
Social media engagement strategy.
Multichannel marketing approach.
Event promotion plan.
Customer loyalty program strategy.
Crisis response marketing plan.
Product differentiation strategy.
Mobile outreach plan.
Eco-friendly marketing tactics.
Referral program implementation.
Market expansion strategy.
Cause marketing initiative.
Profit-maximizing pricing plan.
Seasonal promotion strategy.
Thought leadership campaign.
Email lead generation plan.
Affiliate program setup.
User experience enhancement plan.
Strategic partnership marketing.
Demographic targeting plan.
International market entry strategy.

Marketing Topics for Presentation

A marketing presentation is a visual and verbal communication tool used to convey key marketing messages, strategies, and insights to an audience, often including stakeholders, clients, or internal teams, through engaging slides, compelling storytelling, and interactive elements, with the goal of informing, persuading, or inspiring action related to marketing initiatives, campaigns, or projects. Review these topics:

Social media trends.
Content creation tips.
SEO basics.
Influencer partnerships.
Video marketing insights.
Mobile optimization techniques.
Branding essentials.
Customer engagement tactics.
Lead generation methods.
Customer journey mapping.
Website conversion tips.
E-commerce trends.
Storytelling in marketing.
Influencing consumer behavior.
Social media advertising.
Analytics for marketers.
Targeting the right audience.
Cross-channel marketing.
Customer retention strategies.
Creative campaign ideas.
Building brand loyalty.
Marketing in the digital age.

Email Marketing Topics

Email marketing involves the use of email as a communication channel to send targeted messages to a specific audience, typically consisting of subscribers or customers, with the aim of promoting products, services, events, or other offerings, nurturing customer relationships, driving engagement, and ultimately achieving marketing objectives such as lead generation, sales conversion, or brand awareness. Review these marketing research paper topics regarding email product promotion:

How to write effective email subject lines.
Designing visually appealing email templates.
Personalization techniques for email campaigns.
Segmentation strategies for targeted email lists.
A/B testing email content for optimization.
Increasing email open rates with effective timing.
Writing compelling email copy.
Automating email workflows for efficiency.
Integrating email marketing with other channels.
Nurturing leads through email drip campaigns.
Re-engagement tactics for inactive subscribers.
Compliance with email marketing regulations.
Metrics to track for email campaign success.
Optimizing emails for mobile devices.
Leveraging user-generated content in emails.
Implementing dynamic content in email campaigns.
Personalizing product recommendations in emails.
Using storytelling techniques in email marketing.
Strategies for growing your email subscriber list.
Leveraging social proof in email content.
Creating urgency and scarcity in email promotions.
Building trust and credibility through email.
Crafting effective call-to-action buttons in emails.
Utilizing email surveys for customer feedback.
Strategies for reducing email unsubscribe rates.

Influencer Marketing Research Topics

Influencer marketing is a strategy where brands collaborate with individuals who have a significant online following and influence within a particular niche or industry, known as influencers, to promote their products or services to their audience in an authentic and engaging manner, leveraging the influencer's credibility, authority, and reach to increase brand visibility, credibility, and ultimately drive consumer engagement and purchase decisions. Let’s consider the following ideas:

Influencer impact on consumer behavior.
Micro vs. macro influencers' effectiveness.
Industry-specific influencer trends.
Authenticity's role in engagement.
Trust and credibility in partnerships.
ROI measurement in influencer campaigns.
Ethics: Transparency and disclosure.
Selecting influencers aligned with brand.
Long-term versus short-term partnerships.
Content format's effect on engagement.
Influencers' impact on brand perception.
Cross-cultural influencer considerations.
Influencer marketing in emerging markets.
Influencer versus brand content effectiveness.
Risk mitigation strategies.
Influencer marketing in B2B sectors.
Storytelling's role in influencer campaigns.
Handling influencer marketing during crises.
Compensation trends and negotiation.
Influencer partnerships and brand loyalty.
Niche market influencer strategies.
UGC's impact in influencer marketing.
Influencer marketing's effect on traditional ads.
Future trends in influencer marketing.
Measurement standards and benchmarks.

Sales and Marketing Topics

Sales in marketing refer to the process of converting leads or prospects into paying customers through personalized interactions, effective communication, and persuasive techniques, often involving activities such as prospecting, lead qualification, presentations, negotiations, and closing deals, with the overarching goal of generating revenue and fostering long-term customer relationships to drive business growth. Here are some topic examples for you:

Aligning sales and marketing teams for better collaboration.
Effective lead generation strategies for sales teams.
The role of customer relationship management (CRM) in sales and marketing integration.
Sales enablement techniques to support marketing efforts.
Leveraging content marketing to drive sales.
Understanding the buyer's journey for more targeted sales and marketing efforts.
Social selling: Using social media for sales outreach.
Account-based marketing (ABM) strategies for sales success.
Sales funnel optimization: Improving conversion rates.
The impact of storytelling in sales and marketing.
Cross-selling and upselling techniques for increased revenue.
Sales automation tools to streamline processes.
Using data analytics for informed sales and marketing decisions.
Personalization strategies for sales and marketing communication.
Building brand loyalty through sales and marketing efforts.
The importance of customer feedback in refining sales and marketing strategies.
Sales prospecting in the digital age.
Sales negotiation skills for closing deals.
Creating compelling sales presentations and collateral.
The role of events and networking in sales and marketing.
Leveraging partnerships and alliances for mutual growth.
Sales training and development programs for team success.
Overcoming common sales and marketing challenges.
Building a strong online presence for sales and marketing success.
Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for sales and marketing effectiveness.

How to Choose a Marketing Research Topic

Selecting a great topic involves a blend of personal interest, industry relevance, and academic viability. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you choose perfect marketing research topics for college students:

Reflect on Your Interests

Consider what aspects of marketing intrigue you the most. Are you passionate about consumer behavior, branding, digital marketing, or marketing strategy? Your enthusiasm for the topic will keep you engaged throughout the research process.

Explore Current Trends and Issues

Stay updated on the latest developments in the marketing field. Look for trends, challenges, or controversies that pique your interest. Topics of emerging technologies, changing consumer preferences, or environmental sustainability often offer rich research opportunities.

Review Academic Literature

Conduct a literature review to familiarize yourself with existing research in your areas of interest. Identify gaps or unanswered questions that you could explore further. Consider recent studies, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies that may inspire your research.

Consider Practical Applications

Think about how your research topic could contribute to real-world marketing practices. What practical implications or strategic insights could businesses derive from your findings? Choosing a topic with practical relevance can enhance the impact of your research.

Evaluate Feasibility

Assess the feasibility of your chosen topic regarding available resources, data availability, and time constraints. Make sure that your research question is manageable within the scope of your project or academic assignment. Consider accessing relevant data sources, research tools, and academic support.

Seek Feedback and Guidance

Discuss your ideas with your instructor, academic advisor, or peers. They can offer valuable feedback, suggest alternative perspectives, or help you refine your research question. Collaborating with others can enrich your thinking and provide new insights into potential research topics.

Stay Flexible and Open-Minded

Remain open to adjusting your research topic or approach based on new insights or feedback. Be willing to explore different avenues and adapt your focus as you delve deeper into the research process. Remember that flexibility is key to navigating the complexities of academic research. As an MBA student, you will also find these PowerPoint presentation tips useful, as it is another assignment you’ll often deal with during your course.

Finding engaging marketing topics for research is immensely beneficial for students as it cultivates critical thinking skills, fosters creativity, and enhances academic growth. By engaging in research, students deepen their understanding of marketing principles, theories, and practices, gaining insights into industry trends and consumer behavior. Research projects allow students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, honing their analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

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Mental Health Research Topics: 200 Writing Ideas for You

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Marketing Research is essential for any business that wants to understand its customers, competitors, and market trends. Marketing Research Topics are the specific questions that guide the collection and analysis of data to provide insights and recommendations for various marketing decisions.

These topics cover a wide range of areas, such as product development, pricing, promotion, distribution, customer satisfaction, loyalty, segmentation, branding, and more. In this blog, we will discuss some of the top Marketing Research Topics that can help marketers achieve their goals and gain an edge over their competitors.

Table of Contents

1) Best Marketing Research Topics list

a) Digital Marketing Topics

b) Content Marketing Topics

c) Strategic Marketing Problems

d) Social Media Marketing Research Topics

e) Exceptional Marketing Research Topics

f) Unique Marketing Research Topics

g) Premium Marketing Research Topics

h) Interesting Marketing Research Ideas.

i) Current Marketing Research Topics

j) Impressive Marketing Research Topics

2) Conclusion

Best Marketing Research Topics list

Here, we explore various Marketing Research Topics to uncover insights and strategies for informed decision-making and business success.

1) Digital Marketing Research Topics

Listed below are some of the best Digital Marketing Research topics:

a) Digital Marketing's influence on brand recognition

b) Social Media's function in Digital Marketing

c) Efficiency of digital advertising

d) Mobile technology's influence on Digital Marketing

e) Search engine optimisation's role in Digital Marketing

f) Utilisation of Big Data in Digital Marketing

g) Digital Marketing's impact on customer engagement

h) Content Marketing's position in Digital Marketing

i) Effectiveness of strategies in Digital Marketing

j) Digital Marketing's impact on shopping behaviour

k) Artificial intelligence's role in Digital Marketing

l) Video usage in Digital Marketing

m) Digital Marketing's impact on Sales

n) Influencer Marketing's role in Digital Marketing

o) Email Marketing's effectiveness

p) Digital Marketing's impact on customer loyalty

q) Social Media analytics in Digital Marketing

r) Integration of Voice Search in Digital Marketing

s) Digital Marketing's Effect on Return on Investment (ROI)

t) Automation's Role in Digital Marketing

2) Content Marketing Research Topics

Listed below are the top Content Marketing topics:

a) Building brand identity through Content Marketing

b) The social media landscape in Content Marketing strategies

c) Evaluating the impact of content advertising effectiveness

d) Mobile technology's influence on Content Marketing strategies

e) Search engine optimisation's significance in Content Marketing

f) Harnessing Big Data for informed Content Marketing decisions

g) Customer engagement strategies in Content Marketing

h) The crucial role of Content Marketing in digital strategies

i) Assessing the effectiveness of Content Marketing strategies

j) Content Marketing's influence on consumer shopping patterns

k) Artificial intelligence: A catalyst in Content Marketing innovation

l) Video content strategies for effective Content Marketing

m) Driving sales through strategic Content Marketing

n) Influencer collaboration's impact on Content Marketing success

o) Email marketing: A pillar of effective content distribution

p) Fostering customer loyalty through tailored content experiences

q) Social media analytics for informed Content Marketing insights

r) Integrating voice search into Content Marketing strategies

s) Measuring Content Marketing ROI: A comprehensive analysis

t) The role of automation in optimising Content Marketing effort

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3) Strategic Marketing Research Topics

Here’s a list of Strategic Marketing Research Topics:

a) Strategic Marketing Research's influence on brand positioning

b) The role of market segmentation in Strategic Marketing Research

c) Evaluating the effectiveness of competitive analysis in Strategic Marketing

d) Technological innovations and their impact on strategic Marketing Research

e) Consumer behaviour studies: Informing strategic marketing decision-making

f) Strategic Marketing Research in the era of Big Data analytics

g) Customer journey mapping: A strategic approach in Marketing Research

h) The positioning of brand equity in Strategic Marketing Research

i) Assessing the effectiveness of pricing strategies in Strategic Marketing

j) The impact of environmental scanning on strategic Marketing Research

k) Artificial Intelligence's integration in strategic Marketing Research

l) Utilising surveys and feedback loops in strategic Marketing Research

m) Strategic Marketing Research's influence on market penetration

n) Stakeholder analysis: A key component of strategic Marketing Research

o) Email surveys and their role in strategic Marketing Research

p) Building customer retention strategies through strategic Marketing

q) Social Media monitoring in strategic Marketing Research

r) The integration of Voice of the Customer (VOC) in Strategic Marketing

s) Assessing ROI in strategic Marketing Research initiatives

t) The role of automation in enhancing Strategic Marketing Research.

4) Social Media Marketing Research Topics

Here’s a list of Social Media Marketing Research Topics:

a) Exploring Social Media's impact on brand recognition

b) The role and function of Social Media in Digital Marketing

c) Measuring the effectiveness of Social Media advertising

d) Influence of mobile technology on Social Media Marketing

e) Optimising Social Media presence through SEO strategies

f) Leveraging Big Data for insights into Social Media Marketing

g) Enhancing customer engagement through Social Media Marketing

h) Positioning Content Marketing within Social Media strategies

i) Evaluating the effectiveness of Social Media Marketing strategies

j) Understanding Social Media's influence on consumer shopping behaviour

k) The integration of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media Marketing

l) Utilising video content for effective Social Media Marketing

m) Analysing the impact of Social Media Marketing on sales

n) Role and impact of Influencer Marketing in Social Media

o) Effectiveness of Email Marketing in Social Media context

p) Fostering customer loyalty through Social Media Marketing

q) Utilising Social Media analytics for strategic insights

r) Integrating voice search in Social Media Marketing strategies

s) Measuring Social Media Marketing's Return on Investment (ROI)

t) The role of automation in Social Media Marketing

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5) Exceptional Marketing Research Topics

Given below are Research Topics for Exceptional Marketing:

a) Offshore marketing and evaluating optimal distribution strategies for new companies

b) Marketing distribution channels and potential mistakes to avoid

c) Examination of online shopping in China, discussing its influence and opportunities

d) Explanation of the concept of Artificial Intelligence in marketing

e) Discussion of the components of a competitive marketing strategy

f) Impact assessment of augmented reality on the marketing experience

g) Pricing and positioning strategies for marketing effectiveness

h) Description of the role of Social Media in lead generation

i) Development and execution of investment banking in developing markets

j) Impact analysis of European financial supervision on cross-border financial investment

k) Consumer purchase decision and the influence of e-marketing

l) Customer buying behaviour and the role of sensory marketing

m) Gender influence on business startups

n) Analysis of the significance of leadership and culture in organisational change

o) Case study of Nike, evaluating the role of CSR

p) Analysis of the use of Omni-channel tracking in marketing

q) Comparison of Augmented Reality (AR) and Immerse Technologies in Marketing

r) Comparison of the use of User-Generated Content and Content Mapping in Marketing

s) Application of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in marketing

t) Pros and cons of using Predictive Analytics and Browser Push Notifications in marketing

6) Unique Marketing Research Topics

Here’s a list of unique Marketing Research Topics:

a) Analysing the impact of cultural shifts on consumer behaviour

b) Unveiling the power of neuro-marketing in understanding consumer choices

c) The role of augmented reality in enhancing market research

d) Green marketing: sustainability as a critical factor in consumer preferences

e) Cross-cultural marketing: navigating diverse global markets

f) The influence of gamification on market research strategies

g) Ethical considerations in contemporary market research practices

h) Examining the role of blockchain in revolutionising marketing data security

i) VOC analysis: Strategies for effective implementation

j) The impact of virtual events on market research dynamics

k) Harnessing the potential of chatbots in gathering customer insights

l) Understanding the psychology of brand loyalty in changing market landscapes

m) Market research in the age of privacy concerns: navigating regulatory challenges

n) Evaluating the effectiveness of experiential Marketing Research

o) Innovations in mobile market research: adapting to the smartphone era

p) The intersection of market research and artificial intelligence

q) Measuring emotional engagement in Marketing Research

r) The role of predictive analytics in anticipating market trends

7) Premium Marketing Research Topics

Here, we discuss the premium Marketing Research Topics in the contemporary world:

a) Crafting an exclusive brand experience: Beyond digital channels

b) Strategic utilisation of luxury influencers in marketing

c) Innovative approaches to premium Content Marketing

d) Augmented reality in premium branding strategies

e) Customised user journeys: Personalisation in Premium Marketing

f) Blockchain technology in ensuring brand authenticity for premium products

g) Neuro-Marketing: Understanding the premium consumer's mind

h) Exclusive partnerships and collaborations in premium branding

i) Data privacy and security concerns in premium customer relationships

j) Sustainability as a premium brand value: Strategies and challenges

k) The role of experiential marketing in premium product launches

l) Psychological pricing strategies for premium goods

m) Virtual reality experiences for premium brand engagement

n) Ultra-personalisation: Tailoring premium services to individual needs

o) Emerging trends in premium customer retention strategies

p) Cultivating a sense of exclusivity: Membership programs in premium marketing

q) The impact of limited-edition releases on premium brand image

r) Luxury branding in the digital age: balancing tradition and innovation

s) Premium market positioning: Differentiating in a crowded landscape

t) Strategies for niche market penetration in premium sectors

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8) Interesting Marketing Research Ideas

Discussed below are a few interesting Marketing Research ideas:

a) Utilising pillar content for sales growth: An exploration of effective strategies

b) Examining the roles of Mobile Marketing in driving business success

c) The intersection of internet security and its implications for online marketing

d) Determining the optimal social media platform for marketing baby products

e) The role of social media in business survival and growth

f) The importance of competitor analysis in shaping brand marketing strategies

g) Political campaigns as a factor in brand marketing dynamics

h) Assessing the viability of centralised marketing for international brands

i) Exploring brand salience and its impact on in-store branding

j) Social class distinctions and their influence on company service perception

k) Exploring commonly used methods for predicting consumer behaviour

l) Investigating the influence of advertising during economic recession periods

m) Strategies employed in the marketing landscape of the fashion industry

n) In-depth exploration of targeted marketing using paid search engine ads

o) Assessing the impact of television advertisements on consumer moods

9) Relevant Marketing Research Topics

Here’s a list of relevant Marketing Research Topics:

a) Impact of Covid-19 on the marketing initiatives of the organisation

b) Effect of the Covid-19 emergence on business communities

c) Influence of the Covid-19 emergence on marketing operations

d) Examination of the impact of brand promotion and celebrity usage on ROI

e) Analysis of how lockdown situations impact an organisation's PR activities

f) Significance of the marketing mix on organisational performance

g) Discussion on the importance of STP analysis for any business entity

h) Analysis of the impact of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown on the hospitality sector

i) Effects of Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown on the aviation industry

j) Importance of an environmental audit for formulating effective marketing strategies

k) Impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown on the service sector

l) Exploration of the impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown on the sports industry

m) "Just Do It" - one of the most successful environmentally conscious advertising taglines

n) Examination of the successful marketing strategies of Apple, Southwest Airlines, and Budweiser

o) Importance of personalisation in marketing

10) Impressive Marketing Research Topics

Listed below are some of the impressive Marketing Research Topics:

a) Impact of consumers' implicit and explicit knowledge on their purchasing behaviour

b) Implementation of centralised global marketing

c) Integration of IoT, wearables, or smart devices for automated customer service

d) Definition and application of e-CRM in marketing

e) Interconnection between brand awareness and repeat purchases

f) Establishing a company's brand image through Guest Blogging

g) Strategies for managing marketing and company reputation effectively

h) Examination of Corporate Social Responsibility as a marketing tactic

i) Optimal social media approaches to enhance customer engagement

j) Analysis of social media marketing's influence on customer behaviour

k) Relationship dynamics between influencer marketing and lifestyle branding

l) Technologies pivotal in improving customers' online decision-making processes

m) Exploring efficient marketing strategies to mend a damaged reputation

n) Human Resource Management and the motivational factors crucial for future leaders

o) Influence and importance of performance management in large and diverse organisations

Conclusion

Marketing Research Topics vary from how Digital Marketing influences what we buy to whether traditional methods still work. You can also explore Social Media's role, how online ads perform, and the impact of loyalty programs. Other areas include product placement, celebrity endorsements, and how pricing affects what consumers choose. Regardless of the topic, thorough and organised research is crucial for accurate and reliable findings.

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07 May 2024
Cold Call Podcast

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Ferran Adrià, chef at legendary Barcelona-based restaurant elBulli, was facing two related decisions. First, he and his team must continue to develop new and different dishes for elBulli to guarantee a continuous stream of innovation, the cornerstone of the restaurant's success. But they also need to focus on growing the restaurant’s business. Can the team balance both objectives? Professor Michael I. Norton discusses the connections between creativity, emotions, rituals, and innovation – and how they can be applied to other domains – in the case, “elBulli: The Taste of Innovation,” and his new book, The Ritual Effect.

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Beyond Goals: David Beckham's Playbook for Mobilizing Star Talent

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Psychological Pricing Tactics to Fight the Inflation Blues

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150+ Unique Marketing Research Topics for Your Upcoming Projects

Marketing has developed into a massive industry with various specialized sectors. It is a broad field of study that includes different sectors of marketing. In the current era, marketing encompasses digital marketing, and, along with digital and traditional marketing, it is associated with various other marketing branches. Understandably, you feel speculative in this challenging position. After all, finding relevant marketing research topics is not that easy for most students.

When you write a research paper on marketing, you have to prove that you can systematically articulate your thoughts, find appropriate sources of information, and analyze data accordingly. But do not forget that this is only possible if you have a relevant research topic in marketing. In such a situation, we have got you covered!

This article will find some non-trivial and equally unique marketing research topics. We included topics on every possible marketing niche because we wanted topics from every niche.

Table of Contents

Selecting Marketing Research Topics

Before you begin sifting through the offered marketing topics, we suggest you first become acquainted with the selection procedure. The upcoming research paper will discuss your hard work, efforts, and skills. So, the research topic should also be about something that interests you. Take your time. Start researching certain research areas. So, for starters, brainstorm different marketing fields for which you wouldn’t mind delving deeper into the details.

Navigate Different Branches of Marketing

Nowadays, with marketing getting widespread, there are many marketing fields to accommodate your research. Analyze different marketing branches and then think about what fascinates you the most. Next, narrow those lists and start researching more about those topics. Just because marketing is complex doesn’t mean you must be stuck swimming in executive suite jargon to try to make sense of it. We are sure that in the end, you will come up with something extravagantly interesting and unique simultaneously.

Look For Your Marketing Interests

Reading and writing come with a few terms and conditions, and the most important is that the topic must be fascinating . So, the initial step would be to sit and jot down topics in marketing that you’re interested in. When you are interested in something, you automatically become passionate about that field of study. It will constantly motivate you to dig deeper and find relevant sources to support your research theories.

Investigate Factual Topics

Remember, a research paper is not a comprehensive narrative that can be dragged out indefinitely. A lot of research and hard work are required to draught a successful research paper. It is more than just assignment writing , which we used to do in high school. So, ensure that your research topic concludes with practical data and information. Conduct thorough research to make sure you can go a long way to providing comprehensive research about your topic. Enumerate a list of credible sources to support your hypothesis and arguments.

For Conceptualized Ideas, Google Marketing Research Topics

When you start browsing for “marketing topics for research,” you will get a whole list of Scholarly Ideas Based On Such Topics. Scrolling Through Those Lists Would Be The Best Approach For you. There are hundreds of possible themes for your paper, and you’ll undoubtedly find at least a handful that intrigues you.

Narrow Down Your Topic’s Approach

When you have compiled a few marketing topics, your next step will be narrowing them down. See if the following research topics consist of enough credible sources or not. For successful research, it is essential to choose a topic that will create an impact in your prescribed field. So select a research field that has never been invested in before or at least something in which you can show a whole new perspective.

Select the Topic

Topics that have been well examined will give you many references for blackening your arguments. To make your contribution to the discipline, look for research elements that have yet to be thoroughly investigated.

150+ Research Topics in Marketing

We understand finding marketing topics for research can be a tough job to handle. After all, marketing is such a vast field that sometimes deciding what topic you want to work on can be challenging. In such cases, we have enumerated a list of marketing topics to help you frame an excellent research paper.

We have classified these topics into different sections, which can help you choose according to your field of interest. Explore these lists of hot marketing research topics to ensure you select a topic that piques your interest.

Marketing Research Topics Related to Consumer Behavior

Marketing goods and services for personal consumption refers to consumer marketing. Or at least this is the first thing that pops up in our minds. Similarly, consumer behavior refers to studying consumers’ behavioral changes or individuals associated with a purchase.

The following topics are intended to be diverse, fascinating, and captivating for your marketing research. Have a look at them and select whatever suits you the best.

An integrative framework for cross-sectional consumer behavioral
Self-concept in consumer behavior
The significance and measurement of attachment in consumer behavior
Luxury goods and sustainability issues
Impact of brand equity and consumer behavior
The cultural influence of luxury consumption behavior among Italian consumers
The evolving behaviors of luxury consumption
Coca-Cola customer purchasing behavior: analysis and prediction
Consumer responsiveness towards environmental claims for clothing brands
A conceptual framework prestige- seeking consumer behavior
Symbolism and marketing performance: a theoretical approach
Assessment and evaluation of successful and failed instances of luxury marketing techniques
A symbolic interactions perspective on the function of products as social stimulants
Convergence and divergence in consumer behavior
Understanding the consequences of global retailing
Dimensions of consumer expertise: mapping a consumption constellation
The influence of sustainability declarations on customer ecological perception and performance expectancy: A detailed work on H&m
A symbolic interactionism perspective on the empirical models of consumer behaviors
Sensory marketing strategies and power in advertising
The impact of word of mouth and electronic word of mouth on consumer purchase intension

Influential Marketing Topics Regarding the Digital Market

In this digital age, digital marketing is undoubtedly becoming the most crucial aspect of the marketing world. If you are interested in digital marketing, the following juicy digital marketing research topics might guide you in the right direction.

Understanding the critical aspects of opportunities and challenges of digital marketing
Opportunities and challenges of marketing research in the 21st century
Assess digital marketing trends over the last 20 years and the future research directions.
A critical review of the effectiveness of internet marketing initiatives
A theoretical analysis of digital marketing techniques adopted by startups
Accessing the metrics of digital marketing strategies, transformation, trends, and realities
Study on digital marketing technique
What inspires college students to use Pinterest? A model with consequences for academics and marketers
Mapping the international qualitative marketing research
Investigating the transition from word-of-mouth marketing to electronic word-of-mouth and its consequences on customer behavior.
The significance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in marketing strategy
Conceptualizing influencer marketing as a modern phenomenon in reputation management
Analyzing the impact of search engine optimization on web accessibility
Addressing marketers’ over-reliance on digital content to boost revenues
Digital marketing strategy implementation: examining the digital marketing infrastructure
Ethical issues concerned with fundamentals of marketing research: a detailed study
Content marketing: the fundamental tool for design, advertising, and marketing: a systematic literature review
The influence of content writing in marketing communication: anatomy of digital marketing infrastructure

Distribution Marketing Topics for Research

Every firm, either new or established, requires a well-defined distribution channel for distributing its products or goods to customers. Have a look at these top-notch topics for your marketing assignment writing :

The distribution mechanism in SMEs and large-scale corporations
The impact of strategic and tactical causes marketing on brand loyalty among customers
Best strategies for incorporating new items into the lifestyles of the targeted clients
A comparative analysis of the distribution systems of SMEs and multinational corporations
Marketing 4.0: How technological advancements are transforming marketing organizations
Distributional channels: understanding and managing the structure of distribution channels
Brand manipulation techniques employed by marketers: learning organizational strategies
Understanding the sustainability of distributional marketing: an overview
Marketing mix modeling of Facebook
The distributional and promotional approach of winemakers
Identifying distributional changes in the Interactive Digital Media Ecosystem
Analyzing the best distribution techniques for new offshore marketing organizations.
Market segmentation: issues and perspectives
Rediscovering industrial market segmentation
The challenges of marketing logistics: Product distribution, Price, and Promotion
Contemporary commercial marketing strategies and concepts.

Social Media Marketing Research Topic Suggestions

In this digital era, more than one-fourth of the population is connected to some social media platform. Here are some suggestions for marketing research questions or topics regarding social marketing.

Social media marketing communication: efficiency and usage
Incorporating social responsibility and marketing strategy: a critical overview
The Most Notable Successes in the history of Social Media Marketing
Starbucks marketing analysis: a process that guarantees growth
Measuring the visual turn in social media campaigns
Social media influence on purchasing decisions: a case study on e-commerce sites
The effect of social media marketing on brand loyalty
The impact of Instagram content marketing on advancements in reach and engagements

Sports Marketing Research Topics

Sports marketing is a substantial source of revenue, which is why research in this field is essential for different researchers. Here are some sport marketing ideas for you to examine.

Sports marketing: The strategic perspective behind marketing communication
Mapping the role of sports marketing in attracting individuals
How intelligent chatbots’ outstanding content might help sports teams boost fan loyalty
Opportunities in sports marketing that are emerging and how to leverage on them
The psychology of sports marketing: a critical analysis
A handbook on sports marketing and social media
Examining the motives and restrictions of Twitter users in the context of social media and sports marketing.
Using social media to investigate the determinants of consumer reaction to sport marketing
Sports marketing and social media: a review on the motivation and constraints of Twitter users

Topic Ideas for Content Marketing

With the constant evolution in digital marketing, there has also been a significant boost in content marketing. In recent years, many students have used content marketing as their MBA dissertation topics . Let’s have a look at some excellent content marketing topics:

Essential content marketing strategies for SMEs
Understanding a theoretical approach to content marketing for engaging more organic traffic
Content marketing in SMEs: significance of entrepreneurial sensemaking
Content marketing as a fundamental tool of digital marketing: an overview of digital strategies for marketing
New opportunities for engaging strong brands on online platforms
Canvas’s design school content marketing strategies: exploring strategies
Identifying the dynamics of the same content across borders
Content marketing strategies for breaking through the clutter and winning more organic traffic
The rise of storytelling as an essential element of content marketing strategy

Marketing Topics for Research on Print Media

Print media is the most traditional and fundamental alternative for public communication. You can use print media research topics as your marketing project topics or dissertation topics. Let’s have a look at the following print marketing research topics that can be valuable for you:

Policies and attitudes in print media: mapping a consumption constellation
Effectiveness of print media industry in this evolving age: an analysis into the implications
Analyzing print media advertising in the era of social media
Is the global print media sector expected to expand or decline in 2021? An examination of the ramifications
The influence of print media on millennials and GenY: a comprehensive overview
Print media and digital media: a comparative analysis
Print-media advertising and selling smartness in a knowledge economy: understanding the economics of print media
Understanding the language of pictures in print media advertising: a historical preview

Relationship Marketing Project Topics

Relationship marketing is a Client Relationship Management (CRM) approach that focuses on customer retention, satisfaction, and lifetime value. Here is a list of some unique relationship marketing project topics for you:

Importance of customer relationship management: a thorough examination
Loyalty points as the unrivaled monarch of relationship marketing for retailers: a comprehensive synopsis
Conversion of print media into digital media: taking the Indian market as an example
Understanding the social media presence for effective relationship management
A strategic framework for customer relationship management
Relationship marketing management: a study on issues and challenges of the US market
Adopting customer relationship management: from strategy to implementation
Storytelling in content management: Using content marketing to create customer connections effectively
Relationship marketing in the post-pandemic era: expectations and realities
Understanding emotions in relationship marketing: looking backward towards the future
Customer gratitude in relationship marketing: a survey of the existing relationship marketing
The evolution of relationship marketing

Also Check Our Research Paper Help Services

Non-Profit Marketing Research Topic Ideas

Non-profit marketing is continuously increasing day by day. In the last few years, various researchers have chosen non-profit marketing research areas as their research topics. Let’s have a look at some of the excellent research topics regarding NPOs:

Why are non-profits easier to promote on social media: The significance of warmth and brand representation
Non-profit marketing strategies: an exploratory study
Marketing in the non-profit organizations
Internet presence for NPOs in the current digital era
Social event marketing via internet platforms welcomes a new age for non-profit organizations.
Inspiring young people through dynamic and engaging call-to-actions – analyzing the contemporary non-profit strategies
In-person and virtual events: A two-pronged strategy for engagement in a fast-paced environment
The applications of marketing for non-profit organizations
Rethinking the framework for marketing strategies for NPOs from a global perspective
Methodology for assessing the relational dimension of a relationship marketing strategy: A research work of non-profit organizations

Strategic Marketing Questions and Topics for Research

If you are someone with a strategist’s attitude, then chances are that you’ll find these strategic marketing research topics intriguing.

Considerable factors behind a poorly executed market research
Strategic marketing management: an overview
An exploratory investigation of black Friday deals
Inconsistency in service value or communication of products: a social exchange perspective
Strategic marketing insights for creating a competitive advantage
Contemporary strategic marketing for non-profit organizations
Understanding strategic marketing planning for radically new products: an international perspective
The international marketing strategy of Starbucks: a case study
The theory, practices, and research agendas of strategic marketing planning
Determinants and benefits of global product marketing
Relationship between marketing research and marketing strategy: understanding the ins and out of strategic marketing
Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Understanding digital strategies of organizations

Read Also – 150+ Business Research Topics

Marketing Research Topics Regarding Advertising

Still not able to select your marketing topics? Hang up! We’re sure this list of exciting marketing research topics will help you.

The negative and positive impacts of advertising on the youth: a research overview
Understanding the relationship between advertising and the application of humor
The effect of advertising on the recession period
Understanding the influence of advertising on consumer behavior
Impact of brand advertising on political campaigns
An ethical examination of advertising deception
Addressing false and misleading advertising: an empirical investigation
A comparative analysis of the dove campaign promoting natural beauty with other misleading advertisements
Unethical practices of advertising: a case study of some selective products
Understanding the advertising law of The united states

International Marketing Research Paper Topics

Marketing is the global stage where most entrepreneurs get to connect. If you are considering choosing international marketing as your research area, then the following international marketing research topics are a win-win for you!

International market entry: a case study on Tim Horton’s
Social media as a game changer for global marketing: an overview
Global market entry strategies: understanding the internalization approach
Marketing athlete’s events across international borders: a comprehensive approach
Environmental determinants of international market entry strategies
Understanding the international market segmentation: issues and perspectives
Financial market development: International evidence
Liberalization of capital controls and expansion of the stock market
Entrepreneurial businesses’ effectuation and global markets expansion
The social networks of international entrepreneur firms

Pandemic-Related Marketing Research Paper Topics

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the rule book of several entrepreneurs. It questioned the established norms of the current human relationship and brand development. So much has recently changed that there’s no turning back to the old routine. Here are some new pandemic-related marketing topics for research:

The influence of covid-19 on marketing and its philosophy
How online marketing assisted companies during the epidemic
Pandemic marketing story: Mapping a retailing constellation
Long-term vs. short terms marketing approach by businesses: a comprehensive overview
Internet marketing during the pandemic: new trends and policies
The globalization of the international economy in the post-pandemic decade
Post-pandemic recovery strategies for organizations: stimulating lifestyle entrepreneurship
A systematic review of the marketing strategies during and after the pandemic
The influence of covid-19 on changing the marketing world

Summing Up!!

Hopefully, these topics in marketing will inspire you to create some exciting research areas. Our sole purpose behind aggregating these marketing topics was to provide students with a clear perspective on marketing research that is relevant in this existing world. In other words, we intended to publish the most recent marketing research issues that would benefit readers and researchers.

If you’re still unsure about your research field, we recommend you consult your adviser or a paper help service provider. Your professor and an online expert can help you make the best decision. So, don’t hesitate to use their expertise and guidance.

By Alex Brown

I'm an ambitious, seasoned, and versatile author. I am experienced in proposing, outlining, and writing engaging assignments. Developing contagious academic work is always my top priority. I have a keen eye for detail and diligence in producing exceptional academic writing work. I work hard daily to help students with their assignments and projects. Experimenting with creative writing styles while maintaining a solid and informative voice is what I enjoy the most.

Mapping research in marketing: trends, influential papers and agenda for future research

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC

ISSN : 2444-9695

Article publication date: 5 December 2023

Issue publication date: 7 March 2024

This study aims to map the conceptual structure and evolution of the recent scientific literature published in marketing journals to identify the areas of interest and potential future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The 100 most influential marketing academic papers published between 2018 and 2022 were identified and scrutinized through a bibliometric analysis.

The findings further upheld the critical role of emerging technologies such as Blockchain in marketing and identified artificial intelligence and live streaming as emerging trends, reinforcing the importance of data-driven marketing in the discipline.

Research limitations/implications

The data collection included only the 100 most cited documents between 2018 and 2022, and data were limited only to Scopus database and restrained to the Scopus-indexed marketing journals. Moreover, documents were selected based on the number of citations. Nevertheless, the data set may still provide significant insight into the marketing field.

Practical implications

Influential authors, papers and journals identified in this study will facilitate future literature searches and scientific dissemination in the field. This study makes an essential contribution to the marketing literature by identifying hot topics and suggesting future research themes. Also, the important role of emerging technologies and the shift of marketing toward a more data-driven approach will have significant practical implications for marketers.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study offering a general overview of the leading trends and researchers in marketing state-of-the-art research.

Bibliometric analysis
Citation analysis
Research publications
Science mapping
Análisis bibliométrico
Análisis de citas
Publicaciones de investigación
Mapeo científico
市场营销; 文献计量分析; 引文分析; 研究出版物; 科学绘图。

Ramos, R. , Rita, P. and Vong, C. (2024), "Mapping research in marketing: trends, influential papers and agenda for future research", Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC , Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 187-206. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-10-2022-0221

Emerald Publishing Limited

Published in Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

Marketing is vital to all businesses’ survival, long-term growth, development and success ( Czinkota et al. , 2021 ). Generally, the domain of marketing encompasses (1) the identification of marketing opportunities, (2) the creation of competitive advantages, (3) the effective utilization of resources, (4) the communication and delivery of products or services to customers, (5) the creation of value to customers and (6) the satisfaction of customers’ needs profitably ( Simkin, 2000 ).

The evaluation of academic marketing literature has progressively become relevant in recent years ( Das et al. , 2022 ; Hair and Sarstedt, 2021 ). The increasing number of academic publications in marketing varies in different contributions, which made it difficult for scholars to track new trends and find influential manuscripts to advance the body of knowledge. The primary objective of a research publication is to be known and influence others’ work. Nevertheless, the created knowledge is fragmented, and the emergence of new marketing topics is continuously changing the research map of marketing. Moreover, marketing is an applied discipline in that marketing research not only aims to generate scientific knowledge but also to provide insights and knowledge that can be practically used to inform marketing decisions ( Jedidi et al. , 2021 ). In addition, technological advancement has rapidly affected marketing practices and management ( Amado et al. , 2018 ). To address this challenge, this paper aims to map the conceptual structure and the evolution of knowledge to uncover the existing topics, trending areas of interest and future directions.

Despite considerable research efforts in the marketing field, little has been done to review prior research works systematically. Moreover, recent review articles have mainly focused on specific marketing domains or are limited to particular contexts, such as customer experience ( Chauhan et al. , 2022 ), marketing communication ( Domenico et al. , 2021 ), customer engagement ( Chen et al. , 2021 ), consumer behavior ( Oliveira et al. , 2022 ), advertising ( Jebarajakirthy et al. , 2021 ) and product or brand positioning ( Saqib, 2021 ), while context-specific reviews include marketing in emerging markets ( Paul et al. , 2016 ), sustainable marketing ( Lunde, 2018 ), business-to-business marketing ( Pandey et al. , 2020 ), luxury brand marketing ( Arrigo, 2018 ) and tourism marketing ( Han and Bai, 2022 ). The lack of a holistic review of marketing research created a gap in the existing research. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a big picture of the most recent marketing literature. The most recent review work in the same vein was conducted by Morgan et al. (2019) , who evaluated 257 marketing strategy articles published in the six most influential marketing journals during 1999–2017. Nevertheless, given its focus on marketing strategy and limited research sources, it does not provide a comprehensive framework that covers all aspects of the marketing field. To complement the work by Morgan et al. (2019) , this paper conducts a review with a more recent timeframe that focuses on recent trends, patterns and development in the field. The inclusiveness of journals will also enable identifying areas of interest beyond marketing strategy.

What is the knowledge structure of the state-of-the-art most influential academic research in marketing?

What are the current research trends?

What are possible pathways for future research in marketing?

The present work will facilitate the understanding and advancement of theories and knowledge in the field. Also, this paper provides valuable insights into the field’s most relevant and pressing issues and informs where future research efforts should be focused. This will, in turn, improve the practical relevance and usefulness of future research and ensure that research efforts are targeted toward topics that will yield impactful results. Moreover, it offers up-to-date information for marketing researchers.

2. Methodology

This study focuses on characterizing the most influential academic marketing articles published between 2018 and 2022 and discussing the marketing state of the art.

2.1 Search strategy

A search string was applied in the Scopus database to find the most relevant articles for this research ( Ramos et al. , 2019 ). The Scopus database was chosen for the literature review as it is generally considered one of the largest repositories with the most relevant indexed publications and one of the most universally acknowledged bibliographic databases ( Kumar et al. , 2020 ). It is recognized as the most well-organized and of the highest credibility and quality standards, with the most significant global impact and more comprehensive cover ( Muñoz-Leiva et al. , 2015 ; Rojas-Lamorena et al. , 2022 ) and is consistent with previous bibliometric reviews applied in the marketing research setting ( Kumar et al. , 2021 ; Paul and Bhukya, 2021 ). In addition, it follows Donthu et al. (2021) ’s recommendation to select only one database to minimize human errors during analysis. All marketing journals (212) indexed in Scopus were included in the current study. The journal selection takes a rather inclusive approach instead of the sole inclusion of marketing-specific journals, as marketing is a diverse and evolving field not strictly tied to a single-subject field ( Baumgartner and Pieters, 2003 ) but often intersects with other disciplines. For instance, given the rapid advancement of technology and its influence on marketing practices, topics such as information systems or big data are growing in importance and relevance to the marketing literature ( Amado et al. , 2018 ). Accordingly, journals such as the International Journal of Information Management have also contributed significantly to marketing recently ( Veloutsou and Ruiz Mafe, 2020 ). The search was conducted on June 9, 2023.

2.2 Selection process and final data set

The search was conducted in the Scopus database and limited to 2018 to 2022 to obtain state-of-the-art articles. Five years is a reasonable timeframe to capture a discipline’s essence and to conduct a bibliometric analysis ( Borgohain et al. , 2022 ). The collection of articles over five years reflects varied, robust, broad, inclusive and unrelated marketing research interests in the marketing field ( Bettenhausen, 1991 ). The focus on the most recent works permits uncovering the most recent trends without the influence of older topics. Only articles were selected as they represent the most advanced and up-to-date knowledge and are recognized for their academic value ( Rojas-Lamorena et al. , 2022 ). In total, 44,767 articles were collected. To select the most recent influential marketing articles, the top 100 most cited articles were selected. The citation metric acknowledges the impact of the articles ( Donthu et al. , 2021 ) and reflects the impact of scholarly work in subsequent research ( Purkayastha et al. , 2019 ).

In addition, it is recognized as one of the most relevant metrics of academic research ( Dowling, 2014 ). Although assessing the influence of an article based on citation analysis represents a significant limitation because articles may be cited for multiple reasons, citation analysis is considered an objective approach that exhibits less systematic biases for research impact evaluation ( Baumgartner and Pieters, 2003 ). Previous works have used citation metrics for bibliometric analysis. For instance, Law et al. (2009) analyzed the most influential articles published in Tourism journals using citation counts, whereas Brito et al. (2018) identified the areas of interest in football research and listed the articles based on citation frequency. From each article, the following variables were retrieved: authors’ names and keywords, document title, year, source title and citation count. The information was extracted in CSV file format.

2.3 Final data set

The final data set includes 100 articles from 28 journals. The authors’ names were reviewed for normalization purposes as they have different nomenclatures in different articles (e.g. Dwivedi YK vs Dwivedi Y) so that the software understands them as the same.

2.4 Data analysis

The CSV file with the final data set was input for the bibliometric analysis. Data were analyzed using the mapping analysis R-tool bibliometrix ( Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017 ). This package allows different types of analysis, offering an overview of the research field. A bibliometric analysis permits to analyzing the bibliographic material quantitatively, providing an objective and reliable analysis ( Broadus, 1987 ; Sepulcri et al. , 2020 ) and summarizing the existing literature and identifying emerging topics of research ( Hota et al. , 2020 ). The authors’ names and keywords, year of publication, source title and the number of citations were collected from each article. A performance analysis was performed to acknowledge the field’s citation structure, most relevant sources, authors and articles. Then, science mapping analysis through a co-occurrence analysis was performed. The co-occurrence analysis aims to overcome the descriptive nature of the bibliometric analysis, uncovering gaps and research trends ( Palmatier et al. , 2018 ; Quezado et al. , 2022 ). The gaps and research trends led to a future research agenda.

3. Results and discussion

3.1 total citations by year.

As indicated in Table 1 , the 100 articles were cited 41,888 times, an average of 418.88 citations per article. The most contributing years were 2019 and 2020, with 33 published articles yearly. The year with the highest number of citations was 2019, with 14,621 citations, corresponding to 34.90% of the total citations. This record is strongly linked to the work of Snyder (2019) , with 1,872 citations that characterized different types of literature reviews and suggested guidelines on conducting and evaluating business research literature reviews. Due to the increasing number of publications, it is challenging to keep current with state-of-the-art research ( Briner and Denyer, 2012 ). Reviewing the existing research is fundamental for understanding marketing research inconsistencies, gathering and synthesizing previous research and serving as guidance for researchers and practitioners. In addition, literature reviews contribute to identifying potential gaps, suggesting novel research lines and allowing a balanced growth of a research field ( Hulland and Houston, 2020 ).

The year with the highest mean total citations per article and year was 2021 (527.5 and 175.83, respectively). This result is highly associated with Donthu et al. (2021) ’s work, with 1,221 citations, that explained how to develop a bibliometric analysis.

The main difference between a literature review and bibliometric analysis is the focus and the methodological approach. A literature review aims to critically analyze and synthesize existing knowledge under a research topic ( Snyder, 2019 ). In turn, a bibliometric analysis is a specific approach within the field of scientometrics that uses quantitative and statistical methods to analyze the scientific production and articles’ characteristics published in a specific research domain ( Aria and Cuccurullo, 2017 ).

3.2 Most influential articles

Seminal articles in marketing assume an essential role in its development ( Berry and Parasuraman, 1993 ). The number of citations was used to define and measure the impact of the most influential articles. The most cited document (total citation = 1,872) was Snyder’s (2019) work on conducting an overview and suggesting guidelines for conducting a literature review ( Table 2 ). The normalized citation compares an article’s performance to the data set’s average performance ( Bornmann and Marx, 2015 ; Rita and Ramos, 2022 ). Snyder (2019) ’s work has the highest normalized citation index (4.13), revealing its outstanding performance compared with the remaining articles from the data set.

Among the top 10 most cited articles, three are related to PLS-SEM. The partial least squares – structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is relevant for marketing as it allows to examine of complex relationships between latent variables and manifest variables, permitting a flexible and less restrictive analysis in terms of statistical assumptions than other modeling techniques, such as confirmatory factor analysis and principal component analysis ( Hair et al. , 2020 ). By using PLS-SEM, marketing researchers can explore complex relationships among variables, test research hypotheses, identify the relative importance of different influencers and assess the validity and reliability of the measured variables ( Sarstedt et al. , 2019 ). It is frequently used in research involving the modeling of theoretical constructs, such as customer satisfaction ( Ramos et al. , 2022 ), brand image ( Kunkel et al. , 2020 ) or perceived quality ( Ariffin et al. , 2021 ) research.

Surprisingly, there are no articles from 2018 in the top 10 most cited articles. However, there are two articles published in 2021. One of the papers published in 2021 is the work of Verhoef et al. (2021) , which explores digital transformation and innovation in business models and suggests a research agenda for future studies. Digital transformation and innovation are highly relevant for marketing as it provokes consumer behavior change ( Lemos et al. , 2022 ). In addition, it allows companies to adapt to consumer behavior changes, seize the opportunities for segmentation and personalization, improve communication and engagement and increase operational efficiency ( Muneeb et al. , 2023 ; Zhang et al. , 2022 ).

3.3 Source impact

Table 3 depicts the top 10 most impactful sources of the 100 most influential marketing articles. The intellectual convergence is exhibited based on common sources and referencing patterns ( Donthu et al. , 2021 ), and identifying journals may facilitate future literature search and scientific dissemination.

Among the 28 journals, the International Journal of Information Management (IJIM) contributed the most papers (26 papers), followed by the Journal of Business Research (JBR) (22 papers) and the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (JRCS) (6 papers). These journals are all First Quartile journals based on SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator, with an impact factor of 4.906, 2.895 and 2.543, respectively. The IJIM focuses on contemporary issues in information management ( Elsevier, 2023a ). Information management field of research plays a fundamental role in marketing, providing data and insights that guide marketing strategies, improve segmentation and customization, leverage automation marketing, data-driven decision-making and the performance evaluation of marketing initiatives ( Dwivedi et al. , 2020 ). The JBR aims to publish recent business research dealing with the spectrum of actual business practical settings among different business activities ( Elsevier, 2023b ), while the JRCS focuses on consumer behavior and policy and managerial decisions ( Elsevier, 2023c ). The findings indicate the contribution and importance of IJIM to the marketing field, recognizing the relevance of information management. Surprisingly, leading marketing journals listed in the Financial Times 50 ( Ormans, 2016 ), such as the Journal of Consumer Research , Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Journal of Marketing , only produced a small number of relevant articles in our data set. This result suggests that their papers may not be as impactful or influential as those published in other outlets. Nevertheless, the quality of the articles published in these outlets reflects the most original and well-executed research, as they have high submission rates. However, their rate of acceptance is very low.

Among the top 10 most productive journals, JBR is the one with the highest number of citations. This result confirms Table 2 ’s results as it lists six articles that were published in this journal ( Donthu et al. , 2021 ; Hair et al. , 2020 ; Sheth, 2020 ; Sigala, 2020 ; Snyder, 2019 ; Verhoef et al. , 2021 ).

3.4 Contributing authors

Key authors are essential to the field’s structure and growth ( Berry and Parasuraman, 1993 ) and positively influence the most impactful articles ( Rojas-Lamorena et al. , 2022 ). Thus, it is imperative to identify them and acknowledge their impact. Between 2018 and 2022, 100 documents were written by 312 different authors.

Table 4 characterizes the top 10 most productive authors among the most influential marketing research articles over the past five years. The authors’ indices were calculated, including h -index, g -index and m -index. The Hirsh index ( h -index) is the proposal to quantify productivity and the journal’s impact considering the number of papers and citations per publication ( Hirsch, 2005 ). The g -index aims to measure the performance of the journals ( Egghe, 2006 ), considering the citation evolution of the most cited papers over time. Furthermore, the m -index, also called the m -quotient, considers the h -index and the time since the first publication ( n ); hence, m -index = h -index/ n ( Halbach, 2011 ).

Professor Dwivedi YK is the most prolific, with seven published articles indicating more than one paper yearly. Although he is placed second as the most cited author (3,361), he has the highest h - (7), g - (7) and m -index (1.17). Professor Dwivedi’s research focuses on digital innovation and technology consumer adoption and the use of information systems and information technology for operation management and supply chain, focusing on emergent markets. Digital innovation and understanding technology consumer adoption allow companies to engage with consumers efficiently and personally ( Alalwan et al. , 2023 ). In addition, information systems and information technology applied in operation management and supply chain permit a higher efficiency and visibility in commercial activities, aiding companies to optimize processes, reduce costs and improve customer care ( Tasnim et al. , 2023 ). Professor Dwivedi is a Professor at the School of Management, Swansea University, UK ( Swansea, 2023 ). The second most productive author is Hair JF, and Hughes DL, with five articles each. Professor Hair JF is the most cited author in the list of the most productive authors. This record is highly associated with the work “Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis” ( Hair et al. , 2020 ), with 1,103 citations. Multiple papers gather authors from the list. For instance, the article “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy” ( Dwivedi et al. , 2021 ) was co-authored by Professors Dwivedi YK and Hughes DL. This paper has 637 citations and addresses the transformative power that artificial intelligence (AI) may have for the automation and replacement of human tasks, highlighting opportunities, challenges and impacts. AI plays a fundamental role in marketing, permitting advanced personalization, task automation, advanced data analysis, campaign optimization and improved customer experience, leading to personalized experiences and better marketing results ( Duan et al. , 2019 ; Dwivedi et al. , 2021 ).

Fractionalized frequency displays the multiauthored articles. This analysis is relevant to understand how researchers interact with each other ( Rojas-Lamorena et al. , 2022 ). A credit is attributed to each author, depending on the number of co-authors. If a paper has two authors, each receives a half-point. If a paper has three authors, each receives a third of a point, and so on ( Cuccurullo et al. , 2016 ). Professor Hughes DL has the lowest score (0.57) on the five most productive authors list, suggesting a strong relationship with colleagues through co-authorship based on shared interests.

3.5 Co-occurrence analysis

Figure 1 presents the authors’ keywords co-occurrence analysis and reflects the relationship between the keywords and the data set ( Wang et al. , 2012 ). Co-occurrence analysis aims to establish relationships and map the conceptual structure of the most influential marketing academic articles and reveal current research trends ( Eduardsen and Marinova, 2020 ). The thicker the lies among each cluster, the stronger the connection between the keywords. The size of each edge indicates the occurrence frequency. Thematic map displays the top 50 keywords and a minimum of 5 clusters. The thematic map shows six clusters, of which two are with the largest nodes, including AI (brown) and Covid-19 (blue). However, clusters with smaller nodes are bibliometric analysis (red), social media (purple), blockchain (green) and customer engagement (orange).

The brown cluster suggests a topic under AI technology. The cluster’s keywords highlight an interconnection and application of AI, machine learning and cognitive computing in the marketing research field. Deep learning, natural language processing and machine learning make part of a broader spectrum of AI ( Verma et al. , 2021 ). Cognitive computing refers to the capacity of computer systems to mimic human capacity to process information, learn and make decisions ( Duan et al. , 2019 ). These technologies handle big data efficiently, predict consumer behavior and support decision-making in actionable insights, transforming marketing strategies ( Blanco-Moreno et al. , 2023 ; Dwivedi et al. , 2021 ).

The blue cluster reflects the pandemic that affected the globe between 2020 and 2023 ( United Nations, 2023 ). This cluster reveals a close relationship between the Covid-19 pandemic and consumer behavior ( Sheth, 2020 ). The interest in understanding the attitudes and consumers’ decision-making is highly relevant for future pandemics ( Pereira et al. , 2023 ). In addition, the pandemic brought social and industry challenges that deserve academic attention ( Dwivedi et al. , 2020 ; Muneeb et al. , 2023 ). This cluster also addresses overconsumption driven by impulsive behavior promoted by the pandemic ( Islam et al. , 2021 ; Marikyan et al. , 2023 ). This cluster suggests insights on how companies can adequately develop marketing strategies to face the pandemic challenges and effectively respond to health crises.

The red cluster reveals a direct connection between bibliometric analysis and scientific assessment. The bibliometric analysis is applied to reveal research patterns and knowledge structure and access the scientific production impact ( Ramos and Rita, 2023 ). The use of bibliographic coupling, co-occurrence analysis and the Scopus database supplies the data set for the identification of relationships and patterns within the literature ( Donthu et al. , 2021 ), summarizing the existing literature and identifying emerging topics of research ( Hota et al. , 2020 ).

The purple cluster highlights the terms social media and marketing. The keyword social media highlights the role of platforms, such as Instagram or TikTok, for advertising ( Alalwan, 2018 ), understanding the role of influencers ( Lou and Yuan, 2019 ), and for co-creation in brand communities ( Kamboj et al. , 2018 ), influencer marketing. Social media platforms are fundamental for any communication strategy as they connect with the audience, create engagement and awareness and promote products and services ( Lou and Yuan, 2019 ). The strategic use of social media in marketing is fundamental for companies to establish an effective presence and build long-lasting relationships.

The orange cluster suggests a relationship between live streaming and customer engagement ( Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020 ). This interconnection suggests that live streaming can be an effective channel for developing social commerce, influencing purchase intentions ( Sun et al. , 2019 ). Real-time and direct interaction with customers promote greater involvement and improve customer experience.

The green cluster suggests a focus on applying blockchain technology in information systems. Blockchain is a decentralized and immutable technology for transaction registers studied in the supply chain context ( Min, 2019 ). It has a significant potential to transform data management ( Lemos et al. , 2022 ).

4. Conclusions and future research agenda

This study represents a map of the conceptual structure and evolution of the state-of-the-art scientific literature published in marketing journals to identify the areas of interest and potential future research directions. This review aimed to (1) acknowledge the structure of the state-of-the-art most influential academic marketing research, (2) identify current research trends and (3) suggest future research prospects.

4.1 RQ1: knowledge structure

Regarding RQ1, the most cited article among the top 100 between 2018 and 2022 was the work of Snyder (2019) , with 1,872 citations, followed by the work of Donthu et al. (2021) , with 1,221. The years 2019 and 2020 were those that most contributed to the top 100 most cited, with 33 articles each. Accordingly, these years had the most citations, 14,621 and 13,692, respectively. The IJIM was the source with the highest number of articles published from our data set ( n = 26). However, the JBR, with 22 published articles, was the journal with the highest citations ( n = 12,265). Every journal from the top 10 prolific sources is ranked in Scopus (SJR) as Q1. Professor Dwivedi YK was the most prolific author, with seven articles published, followed by Professors Hair JF and Hughes DL, with five articles each. Although placed second on the most productive authors list, the most cited author was Professor Hair JF, with 3,615 articles.

4.2 RQ2: current research trends

As for RQ2, this bibliometric analysis allowed us to identify current research trends through the co-occurrence analysis. Since a comprehensive future research agenda stimulates researchers to continue their research efforts ( Hulland and Houston, 2020 ), we suggest marketing future research questions to gain a deeper knowledge of current research trends ( Table 5 ).

Although AI has existed for over six decades ( Duan et al. , 2019 ), the development of supercomputers that analyze big data led to the exponential use of this technology. Its application in marketing varies and includes trend and prediction analysis, chatbots and marketing automation. However, particularly for data analysis, multiple research questions are yet to be answered ( Dwivedi et al. , 2021 ). Grounded on the AI (brown) cluster, it would be interesting to uncover different uses of AI to improve big data analysis.

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted global habits ( Sheth, 2020 ). New habits emerged, changing the industry landscape in multiple dimensions, such as consumer, leisure and work behavior. Although multiple studies were published regarding the topic, much is yet to be uncovered. The effects of this pandemic are yet to be fully acknowledged, demanding future studies to comprehend the permanent changes in society ( Islam et al. , 2021 ). In addition, uncovering the best-implemented industry marketing strategies can be helpful, as it is inevitable that new pandemics occur in the future ( Pereira et al. , 2023 ).

Bibliometric analyses map and summarize existent research, extending the global understanding of a research topic and increasing the quality and success of scholarly work ( Donthu et al. , 2021 ). However, the analysis is mainly descriptive ( Ramos and Rita, 2023 ). Combining bibliometric analysis with other methods may enhance the results, leading to an advancement in using such an approach.

Social media is broadly used for marketing-related activities. Through social media platforms, it is possible to build brand image, generate leads for the company’s website, analyze and monitor data, or be an influencer marketer ( Alalwan, 2018 ; Lou and Yuan, 2019 ). Nevertheless, the implementation of gamification techniques ( Bhutani and Behl, 2023 ; Wanick and Stallwood, 2023 ), privacy concerns ( Saura et al. , 2023 ) and collective decision-making ( Dambanemuya et al. , 2023 ) are issues that deserve the attention of researchers.

Livestreaming captured the attention of digital retailing marketers in recent years and significantly changed social interaction. However, different types of live streaming exist, such as webinars, game streaming, corporate streaming, vlogs or personalized content, and can be used in different industries ( Zhang et al. , 2023 ). Investigating the influence of live streaming on consumer engagement may enhance understanding of its relevance for the industry and improve marketing effectiveness ( Wongkitrungrueng and Assarut, 2020 ).

Blockchain technology allows tracing and enhances transaction transparency, creating authenticity certificates to prevent fraud or loyalty programs to build customers’ loyalty and trust ( Lemos et al. , 2022 ). Despite several studies being conducted to understand the impact of this technology on marketing ( Marthews and Tucker, 2023 ; Tan and Salo, 2023 ), there is much to be learned and questions unanswered.

4.3 RQ3: future research agenda

Based on the comprehensive bibliometric analysis findings, potential directions for future research are presented ( Table 6 ). Topics surrounding data-driven marketing are particularly relevant ( Zhang et al. , 2022 ) due to the data abundance and technological advances, and they have the potential to be further developed. For instance, issues arising from adopting AI to uncover hidden patterns in big data or integrating data from different sectors or industries to understand consumer behavior are yet to be understood. In addition, environmental sustainability is highly relevant due to the increasing customers’ awareness of the topic and its influence on developing marketing strategies ( Jung et al. , 2020 ). However, multiple questions are yet to be answered. In particular, the influence of gamification techniques to promote positive, environmentally sustainable consumer behavior and how emerging technologies influence the customers’ perception of sustainable products. Mass personalization allows consumers to customize product features ( Qin and Lu, 2021 ). This topic is highly relevant to the industry and underexplored in marketing. For instance, how can mass personalization be efficiently implemented in highly productive industries? Or how can emerging technologies improve mass personalization programs? Finally, the wearable technologies market is exponentially growing and is increasingly essential to consumer behavior ( Ferreira et al. , 2021 ).

5. Conclusions and limitations

Through the bibliometric analysis of the 100 most influential marketing papers published between 2018 and 2022, this review presents potential directions for knowledge advancement and comprehensive information to facilitate future literature search ( Boell and Cecez-Kecmanovic, 2014 ) by identifying the current research focus, conceptual structure and trends in the marketing field. In addition, this review contributes to practice by identifying the most influential articles for the marketing scientific community interested in gaining scientific insights. Meanwhile, the important role of emerging technologies and the shift of marketing toward a more data-driven approach will have significant practical implications for marketers.

This work has limitations that need to be stated. First, data were limited to Scopus database and restrained to indexed marketing journals. However, it is essential to note that all scientific databases have limitations. Second, to select the most influential marketing documents, the only criterion was on a commonly used metric – the number of citations. Although citation metrics are commonly used, they may incorrectly demonstrate the quality of the work. There are multiple reasons for a work to be cited ( Vogel and Güttel, 2012 ), such as a journal’s prestige or factors related to the methods ( Hota et al. , 2020 ). The Mathew effect phenomenon also exists in science ( García-Lillo et al. , 2017 ). Third, articles take time to be cited. This means that the most recent articles from our data set may have fewer citations, but it does not mean that their quality is poorer. Fourth, to select the most influential marketing articles, every journal under the subject area “Business, Management and Accounting” and category “Marketing” were selected. However, there are journals listed in other subject areas and categories. Nevertheless, the data set may still provide significant insight into the marketing field.

Thematic map based on the authors’ keywords co-occurrence

Acknowledgements

Paulo Rita’s work was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), under the project – UIDB/04152/2020 – Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS.

Since submission of this article, the following authors have updated their affiliations: Ricardo Ramos is at Technology and Management School of Oliveira do Hospital, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Oliveira do Hospital, Portugal; ISTAR, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal; Centre Bio R&D Unit, Association BLC3 – Tecnology and Innovation Campus, Oliveira do Hospital, Portugal; Paulo Rita is at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal; and Celeste Vong is at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.

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Lack of marketing plan
Lack of personal branding, brand image, and professional reputation
Thinking the company or business can survive without marketing

Marketing Blog Topics

Facebook advertising: pros and cons
10 benefits of inbound marketing
The most frustrating problems faced in inbound marketing
How to generate subscribers for your blog faster than ever!
10 benefits of content marketing lead magnets
Five video content marketing myths you must discard
30 social media campaign ideas from big brands

Controversial Marketing Topics

Does google give preferential treatment to big brands?
Does social media affect SEO ranking?
Are grey SEO techniques safe?
Are YouTube videos more engaging than TV ads?
Are building e-mail lists still one of the best ways to sell?
Will immersion marketing through VR technology to be accepted?

Sport Marketing Research Topics

Sports marketing continues to remain a significant source of revenue. Hence, research in this area will continue to stay relevant. Here are some sport marketing topics you could consider working on.

How the extraordinary content offered by intelligent chatbots can help sports teams strengthen fan loyalty
Emerging opportunities in sports marketing and how to capitalize on them
How to effectively capitalize on the wearables market
Should more women and children get into sports?
Should seniors be allowed to participate in some games?

Marketing Presentation Topics

Mastering in-house SEO
The path to gaining and building customers trust
Brand awareness versus ROI
Effectively personalizing customer communications
The best SEO strategies that increase site traffic

International Marketing Topics

Marketing connects the global world, and this is why it is essential to marketing development. Here are some international marketing topics to consider!

The effect of globalization on consumer behavior
How do international brands compare to local brands?
Do international brands always have advantages over a local brand?
Creating brand awareness by utilizing global event marketing
How to market products on an international level

Marketing Plan Topics

The importance of a marketing plan to the success of a business or product launch
Building a tactical marketing plan
How is a marketing strategy different from a marketing plan?
Indispensable parts in writing a marketing plan

Ethical Issues In Marketing

Targeted Ads based on browser history
Immersion marketing through virtual reality
The exploitation of impulsive buying
Click baiting into sponsored posts

Affiliate Marketing Topics

How to find profitable niches in affiliate marketing
How to get readers interested in what you market
How to build a personal website: the ultimate guide

Congratulations! We hope you have been able to guide you in choosing your desired topic in marketing successfully. Alo, you can check out our business topics. We wish you the best in your research!

Market Research: A How-To Guide and Template

Discover the different types of market research, how to conduct your own market research, and use a free template to help you along the way.

MARKET RESEARCH KIT

5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

Updated: 02/21/24

Published: 02/21/24

Today's consumers have a lot of power. As a business, you must have a deep understanding of who your buyers are and what influences their purchase decisions.

Enter: Market Research.

Whether you're new to market research or not, I created this guide to help you conduct a thorough study of your market, target audience, competition, and more. Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

What is market research?

Primary vs. secondary research, types of market research, how to do market research, market research report template, market research examples.

Market research is the process of gathering information about your target market and customers to verify the success of a new product, help your team iterate on an existing product, or understand brand perception to ensure your team is effectively communicating your company's value effectively.

Market research can answer various questions about the state of an industry. But if you ask me, it's hardly a crystal ball that marketers can rely on for insights on their customers.

Market researchers investigate several areas of the market, and it can take weeks or even months to paint an accurate picture of the business landscape.

However, researching just one of those areas can make you more intuitive to who your buyers are and how to deliver value that no other business is offering them right now.

How? Consider these two things:

Your competitors also have experienced individuals in the industry and a customer base. It‘s very possible that your immediate resources are, in many ways, equal to those of your competition’s immediate resources. Seeking a larger sample size for answers can provide a better edge.
Your customers don't represent the attitudes of an entire market. They represent the attitudes of the part of the market that is already drawn to your brand.

The market research services market is growing rapidly, which signifies a strong interest in market research as we enter 2024. The market is expected to grow from roughly $75 billion in 2021 to $90.79 billion in 2025 .

Free Market Research Kit

SWOT Analysis Template
Survey Template
Focus Group Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Why do market research?

Market research allows you to meet your buyer where they are.

As our world becomes louder and demands more of our attention, this proves invaluable.

By understanding your buyer's problems, pain points, and desired solutions, you can aptly craft your product or service to naturally appeal to them.

Market research also provides insight into the following:

Where your target audience and current customers conduct their product or service research
Which of your competitors your target audience looks to for information, options, or purchases
What's trending in your industry and in the eyes of your buyer
Who makes up your market and what their challenges are
What influences purchases and conversions among your target audience
Consumer attitudes about a particular topic, pain, product, or brand
Whether there‘s demand for the business initiatives you’re investing in
Unaddressed or underserved customer needs that can be flipped into selling opportunity
Attitudes about pricing for a particular product or service

Ultimately, market research allows you to get information from a larger sample size of your target audience, eliminating bias and assumptions so that you can get to the heart of consumer attitudes.

As a result, you can make better business decisions.

To give you an idea of how extensive market research can get , consider that it can either be qualitative or quantitative in nature — depending on the studies you conduct and what you're trying to learn about your industry.

Qualitative research is concerned with public opinion, and explores how the market feels about the products currently available in that market.

Quantitative research is concerned with data, and looks for relevant trends in the information that's gathered from public records.

That said, there are two main types of market research that your business can conduct to collect actionable information on your products: primary research and secondary research.

Primary Research

Primary research is the pursuit of first-hand information about your market and the customers within your market.

It's useful when segmenting your market and establishing your buyer personas.

Primary market research tends to fall into one of two buckets:

Exploratory Primary Research: This kind of primary market research normally takes place as a first step — before any specific research has been performed — and may involve open-ended interviews or surveys with small numbers of people.
Specific Primary Research: This type of research often follows exploratory research. In specific research, you take a smaller or more precise segment of your audience and ask questions aimed at solving a suspected problem.

Secondary Research

Secondary research is all the data and public records you have at your disposal to draw conclusions from (e.g. trend reports, market statistics, industry content, and sales data you already have on your business).

Secondary research is particularly useful for analyzing your competitors . The main buckets your secondary market research will fall into include:

Public Sources: These sources are your first and most-accessible layer of material when conducting secondary market research. They're often free to find and review — like government statistics (e.g., from the U.S. Census Bureau ).
Commercial Sources: These sources often come in the form of pay-to-access market reports, consisting of industry insight compiled by a research agency like Pew , Gartner , or Forrester .
Internal Sources: This is the market data your organization already has like average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and other historical data that can help you draw conclusions on buyer needs.
Focus Groups
Product/ Service Use Research
Observation-Based Research
Buyer Persona Research
Market Segmentation Research
Pricing Research
Competitive Analysis Research
Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research
Brand Awareness Research
Campaign Research

1. Interviews

Interviews allow for face-to-face discussions so you can allow for a natural flow of conversation. Your interviewees can answer questions about themselves to help you design your buyer personas and shape your entire marketing strategy.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups provide you with a handful of carefully-selected people that can test out your product and provide feedback. This type of market research can give you ideas for product differentiation.

3. Product/Service Use Research

Product or service use research offers insight into how and why your audience uses your product or service. This type of market research also gives you an idea of the product or service's usability for your target audience.

4. Observation-Based Research

Observation-based research allows you to sit back and watch the ways in which your target audience members go about using your product or service, what works well in terms of UX , and which aspects of it could be improved.

5. Buyer Persona Research

Buyer persona research gives you a realistic look at who makes up your target audience, what their challenges are, why they want your product or service, and what they need from your business or brand.

6. Market Segmentation Research

Market segmentation research allows you to categorize your target audience into different groups (or segments) based on specific and defining characteristics. This way, you can determine effective ways to meet their needs.

7. Pricing Research

Pricing research helps you define your pricing strategy . It gives you an idea of what similar products or services in your market sell for and what your target audience is willing to pay.

8. Competitive Analysis

Competitive analyses give you a deep understanding of the competition in your market and industry. You can learn about what's doing well in your industry and how you can separate yourself from the competition .

9. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research

Customer satisfaction and loyalty research gives you a look into how you can get current customers to return for more business and what will motivate them to do so (e.g., loyalty programs , rewards, remarkable customer service).

10. Brand Awareness Research

Brand awareness research tells you what your target audience knows about and recognizes from your brand. It tells you about the associations people make when they think about your business.

11. Campaign Research

Campaign research entails looking into your past campaigns and analyzing their success among your target audience and current customers. The goal is to use these learnings to inform future campaigns.

Define your buyer persona.
Identify a persona group to engage.
Prepare research questions for your market research participants.
List your primary competitors.
Summarize your findings.

1. Define your buyer persona.

You have to understand who your customers are and how customers in your industry make buying decisions.

This is where your buyer personas come in handy. Buyer personas — sometimes referred to as marketing personas — are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers.

Use a free tool to create a buyer persona that your entire company can use to market, sell, and serve better.

Don't forget to share this post!

25 Tools & Resources for Conducting Market Research

What is a Competitive Analysis — and How Do You Conduct One?

SWOT Analysis: How To Do One [With Template & Examples]

TAM SAM SOM: What Do They Mean & How Do You Calculate Them?

How to Run a Competitor Analysis [Free Guide]

5 Challenges Marketers Face in Understanding Audiences [New Data + Market Researcher Tips]

Causal Research: The Complete Guide

Total Addressable Market (TAM): What It Is & How You Can Calculate It

What Is Market Share & How Do You Calculate It?

3 Ways Data Privacy Changes Benefit Marketers [New Data]

Free Guide & Templates to Help Your Market Research

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Market research is a cornerstone of all successful, strategic businesses. It can also be daunting for entrepreneurs looking to launch a startup or start a side hustle . What is market research, anyway? And how do you…do it?

We’ll walk you through absolutely everything you need to know about the market research process so that by the end of this guide, you’ll be an expert in market research too. And what’s more important: you’ll have actionable steps you can take to start collecting your own market research.

What Is Market Research?

Market research is the organized process of gathering information about your target customers and market. Market research can help you better understand customer behavior and competitor strengths and weaknesses, as well as provide insight for the best strategies in launching new businesses and products. There are different ways to approach market research, including primary and secondary research and qualitative and quantitative research. The strongest approaches will include a combination of all four.

“Virtually every business can benefit from conducting some market research,” says Niles Koenigsberg of Real FiG Advertising + Marketing . “Market research can help you piece together your [business’s] strengths and weaknesses, along with your prospective opportunities, so that you can understand where your unique differentiators may lie.” Well-honed market research will help your brand stand out from the competition and help you see what you need to do to lead the market. It can also do so much more.

The Purposes of Market Research

Why do market research? It can help you…

Pinpoint your target market, create buyer personas, and develop a more holistic understanding of your customer base and market.
Understand current market conditions to evaluate risks and anticipate how your product or service will perform.
Validate a concept prior to launch.
Identify gaps in the market that your competitors have created or overlooked.
Solve problems that have been left unresolved by the existing product/brand offerings.
Identify opportunities and solutions for new products or services.
Develop killer marketing strategies .

What Are the Benefits of Market Research?

Strong market research can help your business in many ways. It can…

Strengthen your market position.
Help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Help you identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.
Minimize risk.
Center your customers’ experience from the get-go.
Help you create a dynamic strategy based on market conditions and customer needs/demands.

What Are the Basic Methods of Market Research?

The basic methods of market research include surveys, personal interviews, customer observation, and the review of secondary research. In addition to these basic methods, a forward-thinking market research approach incorporates data from the digital landscape like social media analysis, SEO research, gathering feedback via forums, and more. Throughout this guide, we will cover each of the methods commonly used in market research to give you a comprehensive overview.

Primary vs. Secondary Market Research

Primary and secondary are the two main types of market research you can do. The latter relies on research conducted by others. Primary research, on the other hand, refers to the fact-finding efforts you conduct on your own.

This approach is limited, however. It’s likely that the research objectives of these secondary data points differ from your own, and it can be difficult to confirm the veracity of their findings.

Primary Market Research

Primary research is more labor intensive, but it generally yields data that is exponentially more actionable. It can be conducted through interviews, surveys, online research, and your own data collection. Every new business should engage in primary market research prior to launch. It will help you validate that your idea has traction, and it will give you the information you need to help minimize financial risk.

You can hire an agency to conduct this research on your behalf. This brings the benefit of expertise, as you’ll likely work with a market research analyst. The downside is that hiring an agency can be expensive—too expensive for many burgeoning entrepreneurs. That brings us to the second approach. You can also do the market research yourself, which substantially reduces the financial burden of starting a new business .

Secondary Market Research

Secondary research includes resources like government databases and industry-specific data and publications. It can be beneficial to start your market research with secondary sources because it’s widely available and often free-to-access. This information will help you gain a broad overview of the market conditions for your new business.

Identify Your Goals and Your Audience

Before you begin conducting interviews or sending out surveys, you need to set your market research goals. At the end of your market research process, you want to have a clear idea of who your target market is—including demographic information like age, gender, and where they live—but you also want to start with a rough idea of who your audience might be and what you’re trying to achieve with market research.

You can pinpoint your objectives by asking yourself a series of guiding questions:

What are you hoping to discover through your research?
Who are you hoping to serve better because of your findings?
What do you think your market is?
Who are your competitors?
Are you testing the reception of a new product category or do you want to see if your product or service solves the problem left by a current gap in the market?
Are you just…testing the waters to get a sense of how people would react to a new brand?

Once you’ve narrowed down the “what” of your market research goals, you’re ready to move onto how you can best achieve them. Think of it like algebra. Many math problems start with “solve for x.” Once you know what you’re looking for, you can get to work trying to find it. It’s a heck of a lot easier to solve a problem when you know you’re looking for “x” than if you were to say “I’m gonna throw some numbers out there and see if I find a variable.”

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How to Do Market Research

This guide outlines every component of a comprehensive market research effort. Take into consideration the goals you have established for your market research, as they will influence which of these elements you’ll want to include in your market research strategy.

Secondary Data

Secondary data allows you to utilize pre-existing data to garner a sense of market conditions and opportunities. You can rely on published market studies, white papers, and public competitive information to start your market research journey.

Secondary data, while useful, is limited and cannot substitute your own primary data. It’s best used for quantitative data that can provide background to your more specific inquiries.

Find Your Customers Online

Once you’ve identified your target market, you can use online gathering spaces and forums to gain insights and give yourself a competitive advantage. Rebecca McCusker of The Creative Content Shop recommends internet recon as a vital tool for gaining a sense of customer needs and sentiment. “Read their posts and comments on forums, YouTube video comments, Facebook group [comments], and even Amazon/Goodreads book comments to get in their heads and see what people are saying.”

If you’re interested in engaging with your target demographic online, there are some general rules you should follow. First, secure the consent of any group moderators to ensure that you are acting within the group guidelines. Failure to do so could result in your eviction from the group.

Not all comments have the same research value. “Focus on the comments and posts with the most comments and highest engagement,” says McCusker. These high-engagement posts can give you a sense of what is already connecting and gaining traction within the group.

Social media can also be a great avenue for finding interview subjects. “LinkedIn is very useful if your [target customer] has a very specific job or works in a very specific industry or sector. It’s amazing the amount of people that will be willing to help,” explains Miguel González, a marketing executive at Dealers League . “My advice here is BE BRAVE, go to LinkedIn, or even to people you know and ask them, do quick interviews and ask real people that belong to that market and segment and get your buyer persona information first hand.”

Market research interviews can provide direct feedback on your brand, product, or service and give you a better understanding of consumer pain points and interests.

When organizing your market research interviews, you want to pay special attention to the sample group you’re selecting, as it will directly impact the information you receive. According to Tanya Zhang, the co-founder of Nimble Made , you want to first determine whether you want to choose a representative sample—for example, interviewing people who match each of the buyer persona/customer profiles you’ve developed—or a random sample.

“A sampling of your usual persona styles, for example, can validate details that you’ve already established about your product, while a random sampling may [help you] discover a new way people may use your product,” Zhang says.

Market Surveys

Market surveys solicit customer inclinations regarding your potential product or service through a series of open-ended questions. This direct outreach to your target audience can provide information on your customers’ preferences, attitudes, buying potential, and more.

Every expert we asked voiced unanimous support for market surveys as a powerful tool for market research. With the advent of various survey tools with accessible pricing—or free use—it’s never been easier to assemble, disseminate, and gather market surveys. While it should also be noted that surveys shouldn’t replace customer interviews , they can be used to supplement customer interviews to give you feedback from a broader audience.

Who to Include in Market Surveys

Current customers
Past customers
Your existing audience (such as social media/newsletter audiences)

Example Questions to Include in Market Surveys

While the exact questions will vary for each business, here are some common, helpful questions that you may want to consider for your market survey. Demographic Questions: the questions that help you understand, demographically, who your target customers are:

“What is your age?”
“Where do you live?”
“What is your gender identity?”
“What is your household income?”
“What is your household size?”
“What do you do for a living?”
“What is your highest level of education?”

Product-Based Questions: Whether you’re seeking feedback for an existing brand or an entirely new one, these questions will help you get a sense of how people feel about your business, product, or service:

“How well does/would our product/service meet your needs?”
“How does our product/service compare to similar products/services that you use?”
“How long have you been a customer?” or “What is the likelihood that you would be a customer of our brand?

Personal/Informative Questions: the deeper questions that help you understand how your audience thinks and what they care about.

“What are your biggest challenges?”
“What’s most important to you?”
“What do you do for fun (hobbies, interests, activities)?”
“Where do you seek new information when researching a new product?”
“How do you like to make purchases?”
“What is your preferred method for interacting with a brand?”

Survey Tools

Online survey tools make it easy to distribute surveys and collect responses. The best part is that there are many free tools available. If you’re making your own online survey, you may want to consider SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms, or Zoho Survey.

Competitive Analysis

A competitive analysis is a breakdown of how your business stacks up against the competition. There are many different ways to conduct this analysis. One of the most popular methods is a SWOT analysis, which stands for “strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.” This type of analysis is helpful because it gives you a more robust understanding of why a customer might choose a competitor over your business. Seeing how you stack up against the competition can give you the direction you need to carve out your place as a market leader.

Social Media Analysis

Social media has fundamentally changed the market research landscape, making it easier than ever to engage with a wide swath of consumers. Follow your current or potential competitors on social media to see what they’re posting and how their audience is engaging with it. Social media can also give you a lower cost opportunity for testing different messaging and brand positioning.

SEO Analysis and Opportunities

SEO analysis can help you identify the digital competition for getting the word out about your brand, product, or service. You won’t want to overlook this valuable information. Search listening tools offer a novel approach to understanding the market and generating the content strategy that will drive business. Tools like Google Trends and Awario can streamline this process.

Ready to Kick Your Business Into High Gear?

Now that you’ve completed the guide to market research you know you’re ready to put on your researcher hat to give your business the best start. Still not sure how actually… launch the thing? Our free mini-course can run you through the essentials for starting your side hustle .

About Mary Kate Miller

Mary Kate Miller writes about small business, real estate, and finance. In addition to writing for Foundr, her work has been published by The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Bustle, and more. She lives in Chicago.

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How to Do Market Research: The Complete Guide

Learn how to do market research with this step-by-step guide, complete with templates, tools and real-world examples.

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What are your customers’ needs? How does your product compare to the competition? What are the emerging trends and opportunities in your industry? If these questions keep you up at night, it’s time to conduct market research.

Market research plays a pivotal role in your ability to stay competitive and relevant, helping you anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and industry dynamics. It involves gathering these insights using a wide range of techniques, from surveys and interviews to data analysis and observational studies.

In this guide, we’ll explore why market research is crucial, the various types of market research, the methods used in data collection, and how to effectively conduct market research to drive informed decision-making and success.

What is market research?

Market research is the systematic process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a specific market or industry. The purpose of market research is to offer valuable insight into the preferences and behaviors of your target audience, and anticipate shifts in market trends and the competitive landscape. This information helps you make data-driven decisions, develop effective strategies for your business, and maximize your chances of long-term growth.

Business intelligence insight graphic with hand showing a lightbulb with $ sign in it

Why is market research important?

By understanding the significance of market research, you can make sure you’re asking the right questions and using the process to your advantage. Some of the benefits of market research include:

Informed decision-making: Market research provides you with the data and insights you need to make smart decisions for your business. It helps you identify opportunities, assess risks and tailor your strategies to meet the demands of the market. Without market research, decisions are often based on assumptions or guesswork, leading to costly mistakes.
Customer-centric approach: A cornerstone of market research involves developing a deep understanding of customer needs and preferences. This gives you valuable insights into your target audience, helping you develop products, services and marketing campaigns that resonate with your customers.
Competitive advantage: By conducting market research, you’ll gain a competitive edge. You’ll be able to identify gaps in the market, analyze competitor strengths and weaknesses, and position your business strategically. This enables you to create unique value propositions, differentiate yourself from competitors, and seize opportunities that others may overlook.
Risk mitigation: Market research helps you anticipate market shifts and potential challenges. By identifying threats early, you can proactively adjust their strategies to mitigate risks and respond effectively to changing circumstances. This proactive approach is particularly valuable in volatile industries.
Resource optimization: Conducting market research allows organizations to allocate their time, money and resources more efficiently. It ensures that investments are made in areas with the highest potential return on investment, reducing wasted resources and improving overall business performance.
Adaptation to market trends: Markets evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements, cultural shifts and changing consumer attitudes. Market research ensures that you stay ahead of these trends and adapt your offerings accordingly so you can avoid becoming obsolete.

As you can see, market research empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, cater to customer needs, outperform competitors, mitigate risks, optimize resources and stay agile in a dynamic marketplace. These benefits make it a huge industry; the global market research services market is expected to grow from $76.37 billion in 2021 to $108.57 billion in 2026 . Now, let’s dig into the different types of market research that can help you achieve these benefits.

Types of market research

Qualitative research
Quantitative research
Exploratory research
Descriptive research
Causal research
Cross-sectional research
Longitudinal research

Despite its advantages, 23% of organizations don’t have a clear market research strategy. Part of developing a strategy involves choosing the right type of market research for your business goals. The most commonly used approaches include:

1. Qualitative research

Qualitative research focuses on understanding the underlying motivations, attitudes and perceptions of individuals or groups. It is typically conducted through techniques like in-depth interviews, focus groups and content analysis — methods we’ll discuss further in the sections below. Qualitative research provides rich, nuanced insights that can inform product development, marketing strategies and brand positioning.

2. Quantitative research

Quantitative research, in contrast to qualitative research, involves the collection and analysis of numerical data, often through surveys, experiments and structured questionnaires. This approach allows for statistical analysis and the measurement of trends, making it suitable for large-scale market studies and hypothesis testing. While it’s worthwhile using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research, most businesses prioritize the latter because it is scientific, measurable and easily replicated across different experiments.

3. Exploratory research

Whether you’re conducting qualitative or quantitative research or a mix of both, exploratory research is often the first step. Its primary goal is to help you understand a market or problem so you can gain insights and identify potential issues or opportunities. This type of market research is less structured and is typically conducted through open-ended interviews, focus groups or secondary data analysis. Exploratory research is valuable when entering new markets or exploring new product ideas.

4. Descriptive research

As its name implies, descriptive research seeks to describe a market, population or phenomenon in detail. It involves collecting and summarizing data to answer questions about audience demographics and behaviors, market size, and current trends. Surveys, observational studies and content analysis are common methods used in descriptive research.

5. Causal research

Causal research aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables. It investigates whether changes in one variable result in changes in another. Experimental designs, A/B testing and regression analysis are common causal research methods. This sheds light on how specific marketing strategies or product changes impact consumer behavior.

6. Cross-sectional research

Cross-sectional market research involves collecting data from a sample of the population at a single point in time. It is used to analyze differences, relationships or trends among various groups within a population. Cross-sectional studies are helpful for market segmentation, identifying target audiences and assessing market trends at a specific moment.

7. Longitudinal research

Longitudinal research, in contrast to cross-sectional research, collects data from the same subjects over an extended period. This allows for the analysis of trends, changes and developments over time. Longitudinal studies are useful for tracking long-term developments in consumer preferences, brand loyalty and market dynamics.

Each type of market research has its strengths and weaknesses, and the method you choose depends on your specific research goals and the depth of understanding you’re aiming to achieve. In the following sections, we’ll delve into primary and secondary research approaches and specific research methods.

Primary vs. secondary market research

Market research of all types can be broadly categorized into two main approaches: primary research and secondary research. By understanding the differences between these approaches, you can better determine the most appropriate research method for your specific goals.

Primary market research

Primary research involves the collection of original data straight from the source. Typically, this involves communicating directly with your target audience — through surveys, interviews, focus groups and more — to gather information. Here are some key attributes of primary market research:

Customized data: Primary research provides data that is tailored to your research needs. You design a custom research study and gather information specific to your goals.
Up-to-date insights: Because primary research involves communicating with customers, the data you collect reflects the most current market conditions and consumer behaviors.
Time-consuming and resource-intensive: Despite its advantages, primary research can be labor-intensive and costly, especially when dealing with large sample sizes or complex study designs. Whether you hire a market research consultant, agency or use an in-house team, primary research studies consume a large amount of resources and time.

Secondary market research

Secondary research, on the other hand, involves analyzing data that has already been compiled by third-party sources, such as online research tools, databases, news sites, industry reports and academic studies.

Here are the main characteristics of secondary market research:

Cost-effective: Secondary research is generally more cost-effective than primary research since it doesn’t require building a research plan from scratch. You and your team can look at databases, websites and publications on an ongoing basis, without needing to design a custom experiment or hire a consultant.
Leverages multiple sources: Data tools and software extract data from multiple places across the web, and then consolidate that information within a single platform. This means you’ll get a greater amount of data and a wider scope from secondary research.
Quick to access: You can access a wide range of information rapidly — often in seconds — if you’re using online research tools and databases. Because of this, you can act on insights sooner, rather than taking the time to develop an experiment.

So, when should you use primary vs. secondary research? In practice, many market research projects incorporate both primary and secondary research to take advantage of the strengths of each approach.

One rule of thumb is to focus on secondary research to obtain background information, market trends or industry benchmarks. It is especially valuable for conducting preliminary research, competitor analysis, or when time and budget constraints are tight. Then, if you still have knowledge gaps or need to answer specific questions unique to your business model, use primary research to create a custom experiment.

Market research methods

Surveys and questionnaires
Focus groups
Observational research
Online research tools
Experiments
Content analysis
Ethnographic research

How do primary and secondary research approaches translate into specific research methods? Let’s take a look at the different ways you can gather data:

1. Surveys and questionnaires

Surveys and questionnaires are popular methods for collecting structured data from a large number of respondents. They involve a set of predetermined questions that participants answer. Surveys can be conducted through various channels, including online tools, telephone interviews and in-person or online questionnaires. They are useful for gathering quantitative data and assessing customer demographics, opinions, preferences and needs. On average, customer surveys have a 33% response rate , so keep that in mind as you consider your sample size.

2. Interviews

Interviews are in-depth conversations with individuals or groups to gather qualitative insights. They can be structured (with predefined questions) or unstructured (with open-ended discussions). Interviews are valuable for exploring complex topics, uncovering motivations and obtaining detailed feedback.

3. Focus groups

The most common primary research methods are in-depth webcam interviews and focus groups. Focus groups are a small gathering of participants who discuss a specific topic or product under the guidance of a moderator. These discussions are valuable for primary market research because they reveal insights into consumer attitudes, perceptions and emotions. Focus groups are especially useful for idea generation, concept testing and understanding group dynamics within your target audience.

4. Observational research

Observational research involves observing and recording participant behavior in a natural setting. This method is particularly valuable when studying consumer behavior in physical spaces, such as retail stores or public places. In some types of observational research, participants are aware you’re watching them; in other cases, you discreetly watch consumers without their knowledge, as they use your product. Either way, observational research provides firsthand insights into how people interact with products or environments.

5. Online research tools

You and your team can do your own secondary market research using online tools. These tools include data prospecting platforms and databases, as well as online surveys, social media listening, web analytics and sentiment analysis platforms. They help you gather data from online sources, monitor industry trends, track competitors, understand consumer preferences and keep tabs on online behavior. We’ll talk more about choosing the right market research tools in the sections that follow.

6. Experiments

Market research experiments are controlled tests of variables to determine causal relationships. While experiments are often associated with scientific research, they are also used in market research to assess the impact of specific marketing strategies, product features, or pricing and packaging changes.

7. Content analysis

Content analysis involves the systematic examination of textual, visual or audio content to identify patterns, themes and trends. It’s commonly applied to customer reviews, social media posts and other forms of online content to analyze consumer opinions and sentiments.

8. Ethnographic research

Ethnographic research immerses researchers into the daily lives of consumers to understand their behavior and culture. This method is particularly valuable when studying niche markets or exploring the cultural context of consumer choices.

How to do market research

Set clear objectives
Identify your target audience
Choose your research methods
Use the right market research tools
Collect data
Analyze data
Interpret your findings
Identify opportunities and challenges
Make informed business decisions
Monitor and adapt

Now that you have gained insights into the various market research methods at your disposal, let’s delve into the practical aspects of how to conduct market research effectively. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview, from defining objectives to monitoring market shifts.

1. Set clear objectives

When you set clear and specific goals, you’re essentially creating a compass to guide your research questions and methodology. Start by precisely defining what you want to achieve. Are you launching a new product and want to understand its viability in the market? Are you evaluating customer satisfaction with a product redesign?

Start by creating SMART goals — objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Not only will this clarify your research focus from the outset, but it will also help you track progress and benchmark your success throughout the process.

You should also consult with key stakeholders and team members to ensure alignment on your research objectives before diving into data collecting. This will help you gain diverse perspectives and insights that will shape your research approach.

2. Identify your target audience

Next, you’ll need to pinpoint your target audience to determine who should be included in your research. Begin by creating detailed buyer personas or stakeholder profiles. Consider demographic factors like age, gender, income and location, but also delve into psychographics, such as interests, values and pain points.

The more specific your target audience, the more accurate and actionable your research will be. Additionally, segment your audience if your research objectives involve studying different groups, such as current customers and potential leads.

If you already have existing customers, you can also hold conversations with them to better understand your target market. From there, you can refine your buyer personas and tailor your research methods accordingly.

3. Choose your research methods

Selecting the right research methods is crucial for gathering high-quality data. Start by considering the nature of your research objectives. If you’re exploring consumer preferences, surveys and interviews can provide valuable insights. For in-depth understanding, focus groups or observational research might be suitable. Consider using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a well-rounded perspective.

You’ll also need to consider your budget. Think about what you can realistically achieve using the time and resources available to you. If you have a fairly generous budget, you may want to try a mix of primary and secondary research approaches. If you’re doing market research for a startup , on the other hand, chances are your budget is somewhat limited. If that’s the case, try addressing your goals with secondary research tools before investing time and effort in a primary research study.

4. Use the right market research tools

Whether you’re conducting primary or secondary research, you’ll need to choose the right tools. These can help you do anything from sending surveys to customers to monitoring trends and analyzing data. Here are some examples of popular market research tools:

Market research software: Crunchbase is a platform that provides best-in-class company data, making it valuable for market research on growing companies and industries. You can use Crunchbase to access trusted, first-party funding data, revenue data, news and firmographics, enabling you to monitor industry trends and understand customer needs.

Survey and questionnaire tools: SurveyMonkey is a widely used online survey platform that allows you to create, distribute and analyze surveys. Google Forms is a free tool that lets you create surveys and collect responses through Google Drive.
Data analysis software: Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are useful for conducting statistical analyses. SPSS is a powerful statistical analysis software used for data processing, analysis and reporting.
Social listening tools: Brandwatch is a social listening and analytics platform that helps you monitor social media conversations, track sentiment and analyze trends. Mention is a media monitoring tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, competitors and keywords across various online sources.
Data visualization platforms: Tableau is a data visualization tool that helps you create interactive and shareable dashboards and reports. Power BI by Microsoft is a business analytics tool for creating interactive visualizations and reports.

5. Collect data

There’s an infinite amount of data you could be collecting using these tools, so you’ll need to be intentional about going after the data that aligns with your research goals. Implement your chosen research methods, whether it’s distributing surveys, conducting interviews or pulling from secondary research platforms. Pay close attention to data quality and accuracy, and stick to a standardized process to streamline data capture and reduce errors.

6. Analyze data

Once data is collected, you’ll need to analyze it systematically. Use statistical software or analysis tools to identify patterns, trends and correlations. For qualitative data, employ thematic analysis to extract common themes and insights. Visualize your findings with charts, graphs and tables to make complex data more understandable.

If you’re not proficient in data analysis, consider outsourcing or collaborating with a data analyst who can assist in processing and interpreting your data accurately.

7. Interpret your findings

Interpreting your market research findings involves understanding what the data means in the context of your objectives. Are there significant trends that uncover the answers to your initial research questions? Consider the implications of your findings on your business strategy. It’s essential to move beyond raw data and extract actionable insights that inform decision-making.

Hold a cross-functional meeting or workshop with relevant team members to collectively interpret the findings. Different perspectives can lead to more comprehensive insights and innovative solutions.

8. Identify opportunities and challenges

Use your research findings to identify potential growth opportunities and challenges within your market. What segments of your audience are underserved or overlooked? Are there emerging trends you can capitalize on? Conversely, what obstacles or competitors could hinder your progress?

Lay out this information in a clear and organized way by conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Jot down notes for each of these areas to provide a structured overview of gaps and hurdles in the market.

9. Make informed business decisions

Market research is only valuable if it leads to informed decisions for your company. Based on your insights, devise actionable strategies and initiatives that align with your research objectives. Whether it’s refining your product, targeting new customer segments or adjusting pricing, ensure your decisions are rooted in the data.

At this point, it’s also crucial to keep your team aligned and accountable. Create an action plan that outlines specific steps, responsibilities and timelines for implementing the recommendations derived from your research.

10. Monitor and adapt

Market research isn’t a one-time activity; it’s an ongoing process. Continuously monitor market conditions, customer behaviors and industry trends. Set up mechanisms to collect real-time data and feedback. As you gather new information, be prepared to adapt your strategies and tactics accordingly. Regularly revisiting your research ensures your business remains agile and reflects changing market dynamics and consumer preferences.

Online market research sources

As you go through the steps above, you’ll want to turn to trusted, reputable sources to gather your data. Here’s a list to get you started:

Crunchbase: As mentioned above, Crunchbase is an online platform with an extensive dataset, allowing you to access in-depth insights on market trends, consumer behavior and competitive analysis. You can also customize your search options to tailor your research to specific industries, geographic regions or customer personas.

Product Image Advanced Search CRMConnected

Academic databases: Academic databases, such as ProQuest and JSTOR , are treasure troves of scholarly research papers, studies and academic journals. They offer in-depth analyses of various subjects, including market trends, consumer preferences and industry-specific insights. Researchers can access a wealth of peer-reviewed publications to gain a deeper understanding of their research topics.
Government and NGO databases: Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other institutions frequently maintain databases containing valuable economic, demographic and industry-related data. These sources offer credible statistics and reports on a wide range of topics, making them essential for market researchers. Examples include the U.S. Census Bureau , the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Pew Research Center .
Industry reports: Industry reports and market studies are comprehensive documents prepared by research firms, industry associations and consulting companies. They provide in-depth insights into specific markets, including market size, trends, competitive analysis and consumer behavior. You can find this information by looking at relevant industry association databases; examples include the American Marketing Association and the National Retail Federation .
Social media and online communities: Social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter (X) , forums such as Reddit and Quora , and review platforms such as G2 can provide real-time insights into consumer sentiment, opinions and trends.

Market research examples

At this point, you have market research tools and data sources — but how do you act on the data you gather? Let’s go over some real-world examples that illustrate the practical application of market research across various industries. These examples showcase how market research can lead to smart decision-making and successful business decisions.

Example 1: Apple’s iPhone launch

Apple ’s iconic iPhone launch in 2007 serves as a prime example of market research driving product innovation in tech. Before the iPhone’s release, Apple conducted extensive market research to understand consumer preferences, pain points and unmet needs in the mobile phone industry. This research led to the development of a touchscreen smartphone with a user-friendly interface, addressing consumer demands for a more intuitive and versatile device. The result was a revolutionary product that disrupted the market and redefined the smartphone industry.

Example 2: McDonald’s global expansion

McDonald’s successful global expansion strategy demonstrates the importance of market research when expanding into new territories. Before entering a new market, McDonald’s conducts thorough research to understand local tastes, preferences and cultural nuances. This research informs menu customization, marketing strategies and store design. For instance, in India, McDonald’s offers a menu tailored to local preferences, including vegetarian options. This market-specific approach has enabled McDonald’s to adapt and thrive in diverse global markets.

Example 3: Organic and sustainable farming

The shift toward organic and sustainable farming practices in the food industry is driven by market research that indicates increased consumer demand for healthier and environmentally friendly food options. As a result, food producers and retailers invest in sustainable sourcing and organic product lines — such as with these sustainable seafood startups — to align with this shift in consumer values.

The bottom line? Market research has multiple use cases and is a critical practice for any industry. Whether it’s launching groundbreaking products, entering new markets or responding to changing consumer preferences, you can use market research to shape successful strategies and outcomes.

Market research templates

You finally have a strong understanding of how to do market research and apply it in the real world. Before we wrap up, here are some market research templates that you can use as a starting point for your projects:

Smartsheet competitive analysis templates : These spreadsheets can serve as a framework for gathering information about the competitive landscape and obtaining valuable lessons to apply to your business strategy.
SurveyMonkey product survey template : Customize the questions on this survey based on what you want to learn from your target customers.
HubSpot templates : HubSpot offers a wide range of free templates you can use for market research, business planning and more.
SCORE templates : SCORE is a nonprofit organization that provides templates for business plans, market analysis and financial projections.
SBA.gov : The U.S. Small Business Administration offers templates for every aspect of your business, including market research, and is particularly valuable for new startups.

Strengthen your business with market research

When conducted effectively, market research is like a guiding star. Equipped with the right tools and techniques, you can uncover valuable insights, stay competitive, foster innovation and navigate the complexities of your industry.

Throughout this guide, we’ve discussed the definition of market research, different research methods, and how to conduct it effectively. We’ve also explored various types of market research and shared practical insights and templates for getting started.

Now, it’s time to start the research process. Trust in data, listen to the market and make informed decisions that guide your company toward lasting success.

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6.3 Steps in a Successful Marketing Research Plan

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

1 Identify and describe the steps in a marketing research plan.
2 Discuss the different types of data research.
3 Explain how data is analyzed.
4 Discuss the importance of effective research reports.

Define the Problem

There are seven steps to a successful marketing research project (see Figure 6.3 ). Each step will be explained as we investigate how a marketing research project is conducted.

The first step, defining the problem, is often a realization that more information is needed in order to make a data-driven decision. Problem definition is the realization that there is an issue that needs to be addressed. An entrepreneur may be interested in opening a small business but must first define the problem that is to be investigated. A marketing research problem in this example is to discover the needs of the community and also to identify a potentially successful business venture.

Many times, researchers define a research question or objectives in this first step. Objectives of this research study could include: identify a new business that would be successful in the community in question, determine the size and composition of a target market for the business venture, and collect any relevant primary and secondary data that would support such a venture. At this point, the definition of the problem may be “Why are cat owners not buying our new cat toy subscription service?”

Additionally, during this first step we would want to investigate our target population for research. This is similar to a target market, as it is the group that comprises the population of interest for the study. In order to have a successful research outcome, the researcher should start with an understanding of the problem in the current situational environment.

Develop the Research Plan

Step two is to develop the research plan. What type of research is necessary to meet the established objectives of the first step? How will this data be collected? Additionally, what is the time frame of the research and budget to consider? If you must have information in the next week, a different plan would be implemented than in a situation where several months were allowed. These are issues that a researcher should address in order to meet the needs identified.

Research is often classified as coming from one of two types of data: primary and secondary. Primary data is unique information that is collected by the specific researcher with the current project in mind. This type of research doesn’t currently exist until it is pulled together for the project. Examples of primary data collection include survey, observation, experiment, or focus group data that is gathered for the current project.

Secondary data is any research that was completed for another purpose but can be used to help inform the research process. Secondary data comes in many forms and includes census data, journal articles, previously collected survey or focus group data of related topics, and compiled company data. Secondary data may be internal, such as the company’s sales records for a previous quarter, or external, such as an industry report of all related product sales. Syndicated data , a type of external secondary data, is available through subscription services and is utilized by many marketers. As you can see in Table 6.1 , primary and secondary data features are often opposite—the positive aspects of primary data are the negative side of secondary data.

There are four research types that can be used: exploratory, descriptive, experimental, and ethnographic research designs (see Figure 6.4 ). Each type has specific formats of data that can be collected. Qualitative research can be shared through words, descriptions, and open-ended comments. Qualitative data gives context but cannot be reduced to a statistic. Qualitative data examples are categorical and include case studies, diary accounts, interviews, focus groups, and open-ended surveys. By comparison, quantitative data is data that can be reduced to number of responses. The number of responses to each answer on a multiple-choice question is quantitative data. Quantitative data is numerical and includes things like age, income, group size, and height.

Exploratory research is usually used when additional general information in desired about a topic. When in the initial steps of a new project, understanding the landscape is essential, so exploratory research helps the researcher to learn more about the general nature of the industry. Exploratory research can be collected through focus groups, interviews, and review of secondary data. When examining an exploratory research design, the best use is when your company hopes to collect data that is generally qualitative in nature. 7

For instance, if a company is considering a new service for registered users but is not quite sure how well the new service will be received or wants to gain clarity of exactly how customers may use a future service, the company can host a focus group. Focus groups and interviews will be examined later in the chapter. The insights collected during the focus group can assist the company when designing the service, help to inform promotional campaign options, and verify that the service is going to be a viable option for the company.

Descriptive research design takes a bigger step into collection of data through primary research complemented by secondary data. Descriptive research helps explain the market situation and define an “opinion, attitude, or behavior” of a group of consumers, employees, or other interested groups. 8 The most common method of deploying a descriptive research design is through the use of a survey. Several types of surveys will be defined later in this chapter. Descriptive data is quantitative in nature, meaning the data can be distilled into a statistic, such as in a table or chart.

Again, descriptive data is helpful in explaining the current situation. In the opening example of LEGO , the company wanted to describe the situation regarding children’s use of its product. In order to gather a large group of opinions, a survey was created. The data that was collected through this survey allowed the company to measure the existing perceptions of parents so that alterations could be made to future plans for the company.

Experimental research , also known as causal research , helps to define a cause-and-effect relationship between two or more factors. This type of research goes beyond a correlation to determine which feature caused the reaction. Researchers generally use some type of experimental design to determine a causal relationship. An example is A/B testing, a situation where one group of research participants, group A, is exposed to one treatment and then compared to the group B participants, who experience a different situation. An example might be showing two different television commercials to a panel of consumers and then measuring the difference in perception of the product. Another example would be to have two separate packaging options available in different markets. This research would answer the question “Does one design sell better than the other?” Comparing that to the sales in each market would be part of a causal research study. 9

The final method of collecting data is through an ethnographic design. Ethnographic research is conducted in the field by watching people interact in their natural environment. For marketing research, ethnographic designs help to identify how a product is used, what actions are included in a selection, or how the consumer interacts with the product. 10

Examples of ethnographic research would be to observe how a consumer uses a particular product, such as baking soda. Although many people buy baking soda, its uses are vast. So are they using it as a refrigerator deodorizer, a toothpaste, to polish a belt buckle, or to use in baking a cake?

Select the Data Collection Method

Data collection is the systematic gathering of information that addresses the identified problem. What is the best method to do that? Picking the right method of collecting data requires that the researcher understand the target population and the design picked in the previous step. There is no perfect method; each method has both advantages and disadvantages, so it’s essential that the researcher understand the target population of the research and the research objectives in order to pick the best option.

Sometimes the data desired is best collected by watching the actions of consumers. For instance, how many cars pass a specific billboard in a day? What website led a potential customer to the company’s website? When are consumers most likely to use the snack vending machines at work? What time of day has the highest traffic on a social media post? What is the most streamed television program this week? Observational research is the collecting of data based on actions taken by those observed. Many data observations do not require the researched individuals to participate in the data collection effort to be highly valuable. Some observation requires an individual to watch and record the activities of the target population through personal observations .

Unobtrusive observation happens when those being observed aren’t aware that they are being watched. An example of an unobtrusive observation would be to watch how shoppers interact with a new stuffed animal display by using a one-way mirror. Marketers can identify which products were handled more often while also determining which were ignored.

Other methods can use technology to collect the data instead. Instances of mechanical observation include the use of vehicle recorders, which count the number of vehicles that pass a specific location. Computers can also assess the number of shoppers who enter a store, the most popular entry point for train station commuters, or the peak time for cars to park in a parking garage.

When you want to get a more in-depth response from research participants, one method is to complete a one-on-one interview . One-on-one interviews allow the researcher to ask specific questions that match the respondent’s unique perspective as well as follow-up questions that piggyback on responses already completed. An interview allows the researcher to have a deeper understanding of the needs of the respondent, which is another strength of this type of data collection. The downside of personal interviews it that a discussion can be very time-consuming and results in only one respondent’s answers. Therefore, in order to get a large sample of respondents, the interview method may not be the most efficient method.

Taking the benefits of an interview and applying them to a small group of people is the design of a focus group . A focus group is a small number of people, usually 8 to 12, who meet the sample requirements. These individuals together are asked a series of questions where they are encouraged to build upon each other’s responses, either by agreeing or disagreeing with the other group members. Focus groups are similar to interviews in that they allow the researcher, through a moderator, to get more detailed information from a small group of potential customers (see Figure 6.5 ).

Link to Learning

Focus groups.

Focus groups are a common method for gathering insights into consumer thinking and habits. Companies will use this information to develop or shift their initiatives. The best way to understand a focus group is to watch a few examples or explanations. TED-Ed has this video that explains how focus groups work.

You might be asking when it is best to use a focus group or a survey. Learn the differences, the pros and cons of each, and the specific types of questions you ask in both situations in this article .

Preparing for a focus group is critical to success. It requires knowing the material and questions while also managing the group of people. Watch this video to learn more about how to prepare for a focus group and the types of things to be aware of.

One of the benefits of a focus group over individual interviews is that synergy can be generated when a participant builds on another’s ideas. Additionally, for the same amount of time, a researcher can hear from multiple respondents instead of just one. 11 Of course, as with every method of data collection, there are downsides to a focus group as well. Focus groups have the potential to be overwhelmed by one or two aggressive personalities, and the format can discourage more reserved individuals from speaking up. Finally, like interviews, the responses in a focus group are qualitative in nature and are difficult to distill into an easy statistic or two.

Combining a variety of questions on one instrument is called a survey or questionnaire . Collecting primary data is commonly done through surveys due to their versatility. A survey allows the researcher to ask the same set of questions of a large group of respondents. Response rates of surveys are calculated by dividing the number of surveys completed by the total number attempted. Surveys are flexible and can collect a variety of quantitative and qualitative data. Questions can include simplified yes or no questions, select all that apply, questions that are on a scale, or a variety of open-ended types of questions. There are four types of surveys (see Table 6.2 ) we will cover, each with strengths and weaknesses defined.

Let’s start off with mailed surveys —surveys that are sent to potential respondents through a mail service. Mailed surveys used to be more commonly used due to the ability to reach every household. In some instances, a mailed survey is still the best way to collect data. For example, every 10 years the United States conducts a census of its population (see Figure 6.6 ). The first step in that data collection is to send every household a survey through the US Postal Service (USPS). The benefit is that respondents can complete and return the survey at their convenience. The downside of mailed surveys are expense and timeliness of responses. A mailed survey requires postage, both when it is sent to the recipient and when it is returned. That, along with the cost of printing, paper, and both sending and return envelopes, adds up quickly. Additionally, physically mailing surveys takes time. One method of reducing cost is to send with bulk-rate postage, but that slows down the delivery of the survey. Also, because of the convenience to the respondent, completed surveys may be returned several weeks after being sent. Finally, some mailed survey data must be manually entered into the analysis software, which can cause delays or issues due to entry errors.

Phone surveys are completed during a phone conversation with the respondent. Although the traditional phone survey requires a data collector to talk with the participant, current technology allows for computer-assisted voice surveys or surveys to be completed by asking the respondent to push a specific button for each potential answer. Phone surveys are time intensive but allow the respondent to ask questions and the surveyor to request additional information or clarification on a question if warranted. Phone surveys require the respondent to complete the survey simultaneously with the collector, which is a limitation as there are restrictions for when phone calls are allowed. According to Telephone Consumer Protection Act , approved by Congress in 1991, no calls can be made prior to 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. in the recipient’s time zone. 12 Many restrictions are outlined in this original legislation and have been added to since due to ever-changing technology.

In-person surveys are when the respondent and data collector are physically in the same location. In-person surveys allow the respondent to share specific information, ask questions of the surveyor, and follow up on previous answers. Surveys collected through this method can take place in a variety of ways: through door-to-door collection, in a public location, or at a person’s workplace. Although in-person surveys are time intensive and require more labor to collect data than some other methods, in some cases it’s the best way to collect the required data. In-person surveys conducted through a door-to-door method is the follow-up used for the census if respondents do not complete the mailed survey. One of the downsides of in-person surveys is the reluctance of potential respondents to stop their current activity and answer questions. Furthermore, people may not feel comfortable sharing private or personal information during a face-to-face conversation.

Electronic surveys are sent or collected through digital means and is an opportunity that can be added to any of the above methods as well as some new delivery options. Surveys can be sent through email, and respondents can either reply to the email or open a hyperlink to an online survey (see Figure 6.7 ). Additionally, a letter can be mailed that asks members of the survey sample to log in to a website rather than to return a mailed response. Many marketers now use links, QR codes, or electronic devices to easily connect to a survey. Digitally collected data has the benefit of being less time intensive and is often a more economical way to gather and input responses than more manual methods. A survey that could take months to collect through the mail can be completed within a week through digital means.

Design the Sample

Although you might want to include every possible person who matches your target market in your research, it’s often not a feasible option, nor is it of value. If you did decide to include everyone, you would be completing a census of the population. Getting everyone to participate would be time-consuming and highly expensive, so instead marketers use a sample , whereby a portion of the whole is included in the research. It’s similar to the samples you might receive at the grocery store or ice cream shop; it isn’t a full serving, but it does give you a good taste of what the whole would be like.

So how do you know who should be included in the sample? Researchers identify parameters for their studies, called sample frames . A sample frame for one study may be college students who live on campus; for another study, it may be retired people in Dallas, Texas, or small-business owners who have fewer than 10 employees. The individual entities within the sampling frame would be considered a sampling unit . A sampling unit is each individual respondent that would be considered as matching the sample frame established by the research. If a researcher wants businesses to participate in a study, then businesses would be the sampling unit in that case.

The number of sampling units included in the research is the sample size . Many calculations can be conducted to indicate what the correct size of the sample should be. Issues to consider are the size of the population, the confidence level that the data represents the entire population, the ease of accessing the units in the frame, and the budget allocated for the research.

There are two main categories of samples: probability and nonprobability (see Figure 6.8 ). Probability samples are those in which every member of the sample has an identified likelihood of being selected. Several probability sample methods can be utilized. One probability sampling technique is called a simple random sample , where not only does every person have an identified likelihood of being selected to be in the sample, but every person also has an equal chance of exclusion. An example of a simple random sample would be to put the names of all members of a group into a hat and simply draw out a specific number to be included. You could say a raffle would be a good example of a simple random sample.

Another probability sample type is a stratified random sample , where the population is divided into groups by category and then a random sample of each category is selected to participate. For instance, if you were conducting a study of college students from your school and wanted to make sure you had all grade levels included, you might take the names of all students and split them into different groups by grade level—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. Then, from those categories, you would draw names out of each of the pools, or strata.

A nonprobability sample is a situation in which each potential member of the sample has an unknown likelihood of being selected in the sample. Research findings that are from a nonprobability sample cannot be applied beyond the sample. Several examples of nonprobability sampling are available to researchers and include two that we will look at more closely: convenience sampling and judgment sampling.

The first nonprobability sampling technique is a convenience sample . Just like it sounds, a convenience sample is when the researcher finds a group through a nonscientific method by picking potential research participants in a convenient manner. An example might be to ask other students in a class you are taking to complete a survey that you are doing for a class assignment or passing out surveys at a basketball game or theater performance.

A judgment sample is a type of nonprobability sample that allows the researcher to determine if they believe the individual meets the criteria set for the sample frame to complete the research. For instance, you may be interested in researching mothers, so you sit outside a toy store and ask an individual who is carrying a baby to participate.

Collect the Data

Now that all the plans have been established, the instrument has been created, and the group of participants has been identified, it is time to start collecting data. As explained earlier in this chapter, data collection is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources that will satisfy the research objectives defined in step one. Data collection can be as simple as sending out an email with a survey link enclosed or as complex as an experiment with hundreds of consumers. The method of collection directly influences the length of this process. Conducting personal interviews or completing an experiment, as previously mentioned, can add weeks or months to the research process, whereas sending out an electronic survey may allow a researcher to collect the necessary data in a few days. 13

Analyze and Interpret the Data

Once the data has been collected, the process of analyzing it may begin. Data analysis is the distillation of the information into a more understandable and actionable format. The analysis itself can take many forms, from the use of basic statistics to a more comprehensive data visualization process. First, let’s discuss some basic statistics that can be used to represent data.

The first is the mean of quantitative data. A mean is often defined as the arithmetic average of values. The formula is:

A common use of the mean calculation is with exam scores. Say, for example, you have earned the following scores on your marketing exams: 72, 85, 68, and 77. To find the mean, you would add up the four scores for a total of 302. Then, in order to generate a mean, that number needs to be divided by the number of exam scores included, which is 4. The mean would be 302 divided by 4, for a mean test score of 75.5. Understanding the mean can help to determine, with one number, the weight of a particular value.

Another commonly used statistic is median. The median is often referred to as the middle number. To generate a median, all the numeric answers are placed in order, and the middle number is the median. Median is a common statistic when identifying the income level of a specific geographic region. 14 For instance, the median household income for Albuquerque, New Mexico, between 2015 and 2019 was $52,911. 15 In this case, there are just as many people with an income above the amount as there are below.

Mode is another statistic that is used to represent data of all types, as it can be used with quantitative or qualitative data and represents the most frequent answer. Eye color, hair color, and vehicle color can all be presented with a mode statistic. Additionally, some researchers expand on the concept of mode and present the frequency of all responses, not just identifying the most common response. Data such as this can easily be presented in a frequency graph, 16 such as the one in Figure 6.9 .

Additionally, researchers use other analyses to represent the data rather than to present the entirety of each response. For example, maybe the relationship between two values is important to understand. In this case, the researcher may share the data as a cross tabulation (see Figure 6.10 ). Below is the same data as above regarding social media use cross tabulated with gender—as you can see, the data is more descriptive when you can distinguish between the gender identifiers and how much time is spent per day on social media.

Not all data can be presented in a graphical format due to the nature of the information. Sometimes with qualitative methods of data collection, the responses cannot be distilled into a simple statistic or graph. In that case, the use of quotations, otherwise known as verbatims , can be used. These are direct statements presented by the respondents. Often you will see a verbatim statement when reading a movie or book review. The critic’s statements are used in part or in whole to represent their feelings about the newly released item.

Infographics

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. For this reason, research results are often shown in a graphical format in which data can be taken in quickly, called an infographic .

Check out this infographic on what components make for a good infographic. As you can see, a good infographic needs four components: data, design, a story, and the ability to share it with others. Without all four pieces, it is not as valuable a resource as it could be. The ultimate infographic is represented as the intersection of all four.

Infographics are particularly advantageous online. Refer to this infographic on why they are beneficial to use online .

Prepare the Research Report

The marketing research process concludes by sharing the generated data and makes recommendations for future actions. What starts as simple data must be interpreted into an analysis. All information gathered should be conveyed in order to make decisions for future marketing actions. One item that is often part of the final step is to discuss areas that may have been missed with the current project or any area of further study identified while completing it. Without the final step of the marketing research project, the first six steps are without value. It is only after the information is shared, through a formal presentation or report, that those recommendations can be implemented and improvements made. The first six steps are used to generate information, while the last is to initiate action. During this last step is also when an evaluation of the process is conducted. If this research were to be completed again, how would we do it differently? Did the right questions get answered with the survey questions posed to the respondents? Follow-up on some of these key questions can lead to additional research, a different study, or further analysis of data collected.

Methods of Quantifying Marketing Research

One of the ways of sharing information gained through marketing research is to quantify the research . Quantifying the research means to take a variety of data and compile into a quantity that is more easily understood. This is a simple process if you want to know how many people attended a basketball game, but if you want to quantify the number of students who made a positive comment on a questionnaire, it can be a little more complicated. Researchers have a variety of methods to collect and then share these different scores. Below are some of the most common types used in business.

Is a customer aware of a product, brand, or company? What is meant by awareness? Awareness in the context of marketing research is when a consumer is familiar with the product, brand, or company. It does not assume that the consumer has tried the product or has purchased it. Consumers are just aware. That is a measure that many businesses find valuable. There are several ways to measure awareness. For instance, the first type of awareness is unaided awareness . This type of awareness is when no prompts for a product, brand, or company are given. If you were collecting information on fast-food restaurants, you might ask a respondent to list all the fast-food restaurants that serve a chicken sandwich. Aided awareness would be providing a list of products, brands, or companies and the respondent selects from the list. For instance, if you give a respondent a list of fast-food restaurants and ask them to mark all the locations with a chicken sandwich, you are collecting data through an aided method. Collecting these answers helps a company determine how the business location compares to those of its competitors. 17

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

Have you ever been asked to complete a survey at the end of a purchase? Many businesses complete research on buying, returning, or other customer service processes. A customer satisfaction score , also known as CSAT, is a measure of how satisfied customers are with the product, brand, or service. A CSAT score is usually on a scale of 0 to 100 percent. 18 But what constitutes a “good” CSAT score? Although what is identified as good can vary by industry, normally anything in the range from 75 to 85 would be considered good. Of course, a number higher than 85 would be considered exceptional. 19

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Effort Score (CES)

Other metrics often used are a customer acquisition cost (CAC) and customer effort score (CES). How much does it cost a company to gain customers? That’s the purpose of calculating the customer acquisition cost. To calculate the customer acquisition cost , a company would need to total all expenses that were accrued to gain new customers. This would include any advertising, public relations, social media postings, etc. When a total cost is determined, it is divided by the number of new customers gained through this campaign.

The final score to discuss is the customer effort score , also known as a CES. The CES is a “survey used to measure the ease of service experience with an organization.” 20 Companies that are easy to work with have a better CES than a company that is notorious for being difficult. An example would be to ask a consumer about the ease of making a purchase online by incorporating a one-question survey after a purchase is confirmed. If a number of responses come back negative or slightly negative, the company will realize that it needs to investigate and develop a more user-friendly process.

Knowledge Check

It’s time to check your knowledge on the concepts presented in this section. Refer to the Answer Key at the end of the book for feedback.

Defining the problem
Developing the research plan
Selecting a data collection method
Designing the sample
you are able to send it to all households in an area
it is inexpensive
responses are automatically loaded into the software
the data comes in quickly
Primary data
Secondary data
Secondary and primary data
Professional data
It shows how respondents answered two variables in relation to each other and can help determine patterns by different groups of respondents.
By presenting the data in the form of a picture, the information is easier for the reader to understand.
It is an easy way to see how often one answer is selected by the respondents.
This analysis can used to present interview or focus group data.

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Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/1-unit-introduction

Authors: Dr. Maria Gomez Albrecht, Dr. Mark Green, Linda Hoffman
Publisher/website: OpenStax
Book title: Principles of Marketing
Publication date: Jan 25, 2023
Location: Houston, Texas
Book URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/1-unit-introduction
Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/principles-marketing/pages/6-3-steps-in-a-successful-marketing-research-plan

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How to do market research in 4 steps: a lean approach to marketing research

From pinpointing your target audience and assessing your competitive advantage, to ongoing product development and customer satisfaction efforts, market research is a practice your business can only benefit from.

Learn how to conduct quick and effective market research using a lean approach in this article full of strategies and practical examples.

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A comprehensive (and successful) business strategy is not complete without some form of market research—you can’t make informed and profitable business decisions without truly understanding your customer base and the current market trends that drive your business.

In this article, you’ll learn how to conduct quick, effective market research using an approach called 'lean market research'. It’s easier than you might think, and it can be done at any stage in a product’s lifecycle.

How to conduct lean market research in 4 steps

What is market research, why is market research so valuable, advantages of lean market research, 4 common market research methods, 5 common market research questions, market research faqs.

We’ll jump right into our 4-step approach to lean market research. To show you how it’s done in the real world, each step includes a practical example from Smallpdf , a Swiss company that used lean market research to reduce their tool’s error rate by 75% and boost their Net Promoter Score® (NPS) by 1%.

Research your market the lean way...

From on-page surveys to user interviews, Hotjar has the tools to help you scope out your market and get to know your customers—without breaking the bank.

The following four steps and practical examples will give you a solid market research plan for understanding who your users are and what they want from a company like yours.

1. Create simple user personas

A user persona is a semi-fictional character based on psychographic and demographic data from people who use websites and products similar to your own. Start by defining broad user categories, then elaborate on them later to further segment your customer base and determine your ideal customer profile .

How to get the data: use on-page or emailed surveys and interviews to understand your users and what drives them to your business.

How to do it right: whatever survey or interview questions you ask, they should answer the following questions about the customer:

Who are they?

What is their main goal?

What is their main barrier to achieving this goal?

Pitfalls to avoid:

Don’t ask too many questions! Keep it to five or less, otherwise you’ll inundate them and they’ll stop answering thoughtfully.

Don’t worry too much about typical demographic questions like age or background. Instead, focus on the role these people play (as it relates to your product) and their goals.

How Smallpdf did it: Smallpdf ran an on-page survey for a couple of weeks and received 1,000 replies. They learned that many of their users were administrative assistants, students, and teachers.

#One of the five survey questions Smallpdf asked their users

Next, they used the survey results to create simple user personas like this one for admins:

Who are they? Administrative Assistants.

What is their main goal? Creating Word documents from a scanned, hard-copy document or a PDF where the source file was lost.

What is their main barrier to achieving it? Converting a scanned PDF doc to a Word file.

💡Pro tip: Smallpdf used Hotjar Surveys to run their user persona survey. Our survey tool helped them avoid the pitfalls of guesswork and find out who their users really are, in their own words.

You can design a survey and start running it in minutes with our easy-to-use drag and drop builder. Customize your survey to fit your needs, from a sleek one-question pop-up survey to a fully branded questionnaire sent via email.

We've also created 40+ free survey templates that you can start collecting data with, including a user persona survey like the one Smallpdf used.

2. Conduct observational research

Observational research involves taking notes while watching someone use your product (or a similar product).

Overt vs. covert observation

Overt observation involves asking customers if they’ll let you watch them use your product. This method is often used for user testing and it provides a great opportunity for collecting live product or customer feedback .

Covert observation means studying users ‘in the wild’ without them knowing. This method works well if you sell a type of product that people use regularly, and it offers the purest observational data because people often behave differently when they know they’re being watched.

Tips to do it right:

Record an entry in your field notes, along with a timestamp, each time an action or event occurs.

Make note of the users' workflow, capturing the ‘what,’ ‘why,’ and ‘for whom’ of each action.

#Sample of field notes taken by Smallpdf

Don’t record identifiable video or audio data without consent. If recording people using your product is helpful for achieving your research goal, make sure all participants are informed and agree to the terms.

Don’t forget to explain why you’d like to observe them (for overt observation). People are more likely to cooperate if you tell them you want to improve the product.

💡Pro tip: while conducting field research out in the wild can wield rewarding results, you can also conduct observational research remotely. Hotjar Recordings is a tool that lets you capture anonymized user sessions of real people interacting with your website.

Observe how customers navigate your pages and products to gain an inside look into their user behavior . This method is great for conducting exploratory research with the purpose of identifying more specific issues to investigate further, like pain points along the customer journey and opportunities for optimizing conversion .

With Hotjar Recordings you can observe real people using your site without capturing their sensitive information

How Smallpdf did it: here’s how Smallpdf observed two different user personas both covertly and overtly.

Observing students (covert): Kristina Wagner, Principle Product Manager at Smallpdf, went to cafes and libraries at two local universities and waited until she saw students doing PDF-related activities. Then she watched and took notes from a distance. One thing that struck her was the difference between how students self-reported their activities vs. how they behaved (i.e, the self-reporting bias). Students, she found, spent hours talking, listening to music, or simply staring at a blank screen rather than working. When she did find students who were working, she recorded the task they were performing and the software they were using (if she recognized it).

Observing administrative assistants (overt): Kristina sent emails to admins explaining that she’d like to observe them at work, and she asked those who agreed to try to batch their PDF work for her observation day. While watching admins work, she learned that they frequently needed to scan documents into PDF-format and then convert those PDFs into Word docs. By observing the challenges admins faced, Smallpdf knew which products to target for improvement.

“Data is really good for discovery and validation, but there is a bit in the middle where you have to go and find the human.”

3. Conduct individual interviews

Interviews are one-on-one conversations with members of your target market. They allow you to dig deep and explore their concerns, which can lead to all sorts of revelations.

Listen more, talk less. Be curious.

Act like a journalist, not a salesperson. Rather than trying to talk your company up, ask people about their lives, their needs, their frustrations, and how a product like yours could help.

Ask "why?" so you can dig deeper. Get into the specifics and learn about their past behavior.

Record the conversation. Focus on the conversation and avoid relying solely on notes by recording the interview. There are plenty of services that will transcribe recorded conversations for a good price (including Hotjar!).

Avoid asking leading questions , which reveal bias on your part and pushes respondents to answer in a certain direction (e.g. “Have you taken advantage of the amazing new features we just released?).

Don't ask loaded questions , which sneak in an assumption which, if untrue, would make it impossible to answer honestly. For example, we can’t ask you, “What did you find most useful about this article?” without asking whether you found the article useful in the first place.

Be cautious when asking opinions about the future (or predictions of future behavior). Studies suggest that people aren’t very good at predicting their future behavior. This is due to several cognitive biases, from the misguided exceptionalism bias (we’re good at guessing what others will do, but we somehow think we’re different), to the optimism bias (which makes us see things with rose-colored glasses), to the ‘illusion of control’ (which makes us forget the role of randomness in future events).

How Smallpdf did it: Kristina explored her teacher user persona by speaking with university professors at a local graduate school. She learned that the school was mostly paperless and rarely used PDFs, so for the sake of time, she moved on to the admins.

A bit of a letdown? Sure. But this story highlights an important lesson: sometimes you follow a lead and come up short, so you have to make adjustments on the fly. Lean market research is about getting solid, actionable insights quickly so you can tweak things and see what works.

💡Pro tip: to save even more time, conduct remote interviews using an online user research service like Hotjar Engage , which automates the entire interview process, from recruitment and scheduling to hosting and recording.

You can interview your own customers or connect with people from our diverse pool of 200,000+ participants from 130+ countries and 25 industries. And no need to fret about taking meticulous notes—Engage will automatically transcribe the interview for you.

4. Analyze the data (without drowning in it)

The following techniques will help you wrap your head around the market data you collect without losing yourself in it. Remember, the point of lean market research is to find quick, actionable insights.

A flow model is a diagram that tracks the flow of information within a system. By creating a simple visual representation of how users interact with your product and each other, you can better assess their needs.

#Example of a flow model designed by Smallpdf

You’ll notice that admins are at the center of Smallpdf’s flow model, which represents the flow of PDF-related documents throughout a school. This flow model shows the challenges that admins face as they work to satisfy their own internal and external customers.

Affinity diagram

An affinity diagram is a way of sorting large amounts of data into groups to better understand the big picture. For example, if you ask your users about their profession, you’ll notice some general themes start to form, even though the individual responses differ. Depending on your needs, you could group them by profession, or more generally by industry.

We wrote a guide about how to analyze open-ended questions to help you sort through and categorize large volumes of response data. You can also do this by hand by clipping up survey responses or interview notes and grouping them (which is what Kristina does).

“For an interview, you will have somewhere between 30 and 60 notes, and those notes are usually direct phrases. And when you literally cut them up into separate pieces of paper and group them, they should make sense by themselves.”

Pro tip: if you’re conducting an online survey with Hotjar, keep your team in the loop by sharing survey responses automatically via our Slack and Microsoft Team integrations. Reading answers as they come in lets you digest the data in pieces and can help prepare you for identifying common themes when it comes time for analysis.

Hotjar lets you easily share survey responses with your team

Customer journey map

A customer journey map is a diagram that shows the way a typical prospect becomes a paying customer. It outlines their first interaction with your brand and every step in the sales cycle, from awareness to repurchase (and hopefully advocacy).

The above customer journey map , created by our team at Hotjar, shows many ways a customer might engage with our tool. Your map will be based on your own data and business model.

📚 Read more: if you’re new to customer journey maps, we wrote this step-by-step guide to creating your first customer journey map in 2 and 1/2 days with free templates you can download and start using immediately.

Next steps: from research to results

So, how do you turn market research insights into tangible business results? Let’s look at the actions Smallpdf took after conducting their lean market research: first they implemented changes, then measured the impact.

#Smallpdf used lean market research to dig below the surface, understand their clients, and build a better product and user experience

Implement changes

Based on what Smallpdf learned about the challenges that one key user segment (admins) face when trying to convert PDFs into Word files, they improved their ‘PDF to Word’ conversion tool.

We won’t go into the details here because it involves a lot of technical jargon, but they made the entire process simpler and more straightforward for users. Plus, they made it so that their system recognized when you drop a PDF file into their ‘Word to PDF’ converter instead of the ‘PDF to Word’ converter, so users wouldn’t have to redo the task when they made that mistake.

In other words: simple market segmentation for admins showed a business need that had to be accounted for, and customers are happier overall after Smallpdf implemented an informed change to their product.

Measure results

According to the Lean UX model, product and UX changes aren’t retained unless they achieve results.

Smallpdf’s changes produced:

A 75% reduction in error rate for the ‘PDF to Word’ converter

A 1% increase in NPS

Greater confidence in the team’s marketing efforts

"With all the changes said and done, we've cut our original error rate in four, which is huge. We increased our NPS by +1%, which isn't huge, but it means that of the users who received a file, they were still slightly happier than before, even if they didn't notice that anything special happened at all.”

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Market research (or marketing research) is any set of techniques used to gather information and better understand a company’s target market. This might include primary research on brand awareness and customer satisfaction or secondary market research on market size and competitive analysis. Businesses use this information to design better products, improve user experience, and craft a marketing strategy that attracts quality leads and improves conversion rates.

David Darmanin, one of Hotjar’s founders, launched two startups before Hotjar took off—but both companies crashed and burned. Each time, he and his team spent months trying to design an amazing new product and user experience, but they failed because they didn’t have a clear understanding of what the market demanded.

With Hotjar, they did things differently . Long story short, they conducted market research in the early stages to figure out what consumers really wanted, and the team made (and continues to make) constant improvements based on market and user research.

Without market research, it’s impossible to understand your users. Sure, you might have a general idea of who they are and what they need, but you have to dig deep if you want to win their loyalty.

Here’s why research matters:

Obsessing over your users is the only way to win. If you don’t care deeply about them, you’ll lose potential customers to someone who does.

Analytics gives you the ‘what’, while research gives you the ‘why’. Big data, user analytics , and dashboards can tell you what people do at scale, but only research can tell you what they’re thinking and why they do what they do. For example, analytics can tell you that customers leave when they reach your pricing page, but only research can explain why.

Research beats assumptions, trends, and so-called best practices. Have you ever watched your colleagues rally behind a terrible decision? Bad ideas are often the result of guesswork, emotional reasoning, death by best practices , and defaulting to the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion (HiPPO). By listening to your users and focusing on their customer experience , you’re less likely to get pulled in the wrong direction.

Research keeps you from planning in a vacuum. Your team might be amazing, but you and your colleagues simply can’t experience your product the way your customers do. Customers might use your product in a way that surprises you, and product features that seem obvious to you might confuse them. Over-planning and refusing to test your assumptions is a waste of time, money, and effort because you’ll likely need to make changes once your untested business plan gets put into practice.

Lean User Experience (UX) design is a model for continuous improvement that relies on quick, efficient research to understand customer needs and test new product features.

Lean market research can help you become more...

Efficient: it gets you closer to your customers, faster.

Cost-effective: no need to hire an expensive marketing firm to get things started.

Competitive: quick, powerful insights can place your products on the cutting edge.

As a small business or sole proprietor, conducting lean market research is an attractive option when investing in a full-blown research project might seem out of scope or budget.

There are lots of different ways you could conduct market research and collect customer data, but you don’t have to limit yourself to just one research method. Four common types of market research techniques include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and customer observation.

Which method you use may vary based on your business type: ecommerce business owners have different goals from SaaS businesses, so it’s typically prudent to mix and match these methods based on your particular goals and what you need to know.

1. Surveys: the most commonly used

Surveys are a form of qualitative research that ask respondents a short series of open- or closed-ended questions, which can be delivered as an on-screen questionnaire or via email. When we asked 2,000 Customer Experience (CX) professionals about their company’s approach to research , surveys proved to be the most commonly used market research technique.

What makes online surveys so popular?

They’re easy and inexpensive to conduct, and you can do a lot of data collection quickly. Plus, the data is pretty straightforward to analyze, even when you have to analyze open-ended questions whose answers might initially appear difficult to categorize.

We've built a number of survey templates ready and waiting for you. Grab a template and share with your customers in just a few clicks.

💡 Pro tip: you can also get started with Hotjar AI for Surveys to create a survey in mere seconds . Just enter your market research goal and watch as the AI generates a survey and populates it with relevant questions.

Once you’re ready for data analysis, the AI will prepare an automated research report that succinctly summarizes key findings, quotes, and suggested next steps.

An example research report generated by Hotjar AI for Surveys

2. Interviews: the most insightful

Interviews are one-on-one conversations with members of your target market. Nothing beats a face-to-face interview for diving deep (and reading non-verbal cues), but if an in-person meeting isn’t possible, video conferencing is a solid second choice.

Regardless of how you conduct it, any type of in-depth interview will produce big benefits in understanding your target customers.

What makes interviews so insightful?

By speaking directly with an ideal customer, you’ll gain greater empathy for their experience , and you can follow insightful threads that can produce plenty of 'Aha!' moments.

3. Focus groups: the most unreliable

Focus groups bring together a carefully selected group of people who fit a company’s target market. A trained moderator leads a conversation surrounding the product, user experience, or marketing message to gain deeper insights.

What makes focus groups so unreliable?

If you’re new to market research, we wouldn’t recommend starting with focus groups. Doing it right is expensive , and if you cut corners, your research could fall victim to all kinds of errors. Dominance bias (when a forceful participant influences the group) and moderator style bias (when different moderator personalities bring about different results in the same study) are two of the many ways your focus group data could get skewed.

4. Observation: the most powerful

During a customer observation session, someone from the company takes notes while they watch an ideal user engage with their product (or a similar product from a competitor).

What makes observation so clever and powerful?

‘Fly-on-the-wall’ observation is a great alternative to focus groups. It’s not only less expensive, but you’ll see people interact with your product in a natural setting without influencing each other. The only downside is that you can’t get inside their heads, so observation still isn't a recommended replacement for customer surveys and interviews.

The following questions will help you get to know your users on a deeper level when you interview them. They’re general questions, of course, so don’t be afraid to make them your own.

1. Who are you and what do you do?

How you ask this question, and what you want to know, will vary depending on your business model (e.g. business-to-business marketing is usually more focused on someone’s profession than business-to-consumer marketing).

It’s a great question to start with, and it’ll help you understand what’s relevant about your user demographics (age, race, gender, profession, education, etc.), but it’s not the be-all-end-all of market research. The more specific questions come later.

2. What does your day look like?

This question helps you understand your users’ day-to-day life and the challenges they face. It will help you gain empathy for them, and you may stumble across something relevant to their buying habits.

3. Do you ever purchase [product/service type]?

This is a ‘yes or no’ question. A ‘yes’ will lead you to the next question.

4. What problem were you trying to solve or what goal were you trying to achieve?

This question strikes to the core of what someone’s trying to accomplish and why they might be willing to pay for your solution.

5. Take me back to the day when you first decided you needed to solve this kind of problem or achieve this goal.

This is the golden question, and it comes from Adele Revella, Founder and CEO of Buyer Persona Institute . It helps you get in the heads of your users and figure out what they were thinking the day they decided to spend money to solve a problem.

If you take your time with this question, digging deeper where it makes sense, you should be able to answer all the relevant information you need to understand their perspective.

“The only scripted question I want you to ask them is this one: take me back to the day when you first decided that you needed to solve this kind of problem or achieve this kind of a goal. Not to buy my product, that’s not the day. We want to go back to the day that when you thought it was urgent and compelling to go spend money to solve a particular problem or achieve a goal. Just tell me what happened.”

— Adele Revella , Founder/CEO at Buyer Persona Institute

Bonus question: is there anything else you’d like to tell me?

This question isn’t just a nice way to wrap it up—it might just give participants the opportunity they need to tell you something you really need to know.

That’s why Sarah Doody, author of UX Notebook , adds it to the end of her written surveys.

“I always have a last question, which is just open-ended: “Is there anything else you would like to tell me?” And sometimes, that’s where you get four paragraphs of amazing content that you would never have gotten if it was just a Net Promoter Score [survey] or something like that.”

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?

Qualitative research asks questions that can’t be reduced to a number, such as, “What is your job title?” or “What did you like most about your customer service experience?”

Quantitative research asks questions that can be answered with a numeric value, such as, “What is your annual salary?” or “How was your customer service experience on a scale of 1-5?”

→ Read more about the differences between qualitative and quantitative user research .

How do I do my own market research?

You can do your own quick and effective market research by

Surveying your customers

Building user personas

Studying your users through interviews and observation

Wrapping your head around your data with tools like flow models, affinity diagrams, and customer journey maps

What is the difference between market research and user research?

Market research takes a broad look at potential customers—what problems they’re trying to solve, their buying experience, and overall demand. User research, on the other hand, is more narrowly focused on the use (and usability ) of specific products.

What are the main criticisms of market research?

Many marketing professionals are critical of market research because it can be expensive and time-consuming. It’s often easier to convince your CEO or CMO to let you do lean market research rather than something more extensive because you can do it yourself. It also gives you quick answers so you can stay ahead of the competition.

Do I need a market research firm to get reliable data?

Absolutely not! In fact, we recommend that you start small and do it yourself in the beginning. By following a lean market research strategy, you can uncover some solid insights about your clients. Then you can make changes, test them out, and see whether the results are positive. This is an excellent strategy for making quick changes and remaining competitive.

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6 traits of top marketing leaders (and how to cultivate them in yourself)

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Americans’ Changing Relationship With Local News

As news consumption habits become more digital, U.S. adults continue to see value in local outlets

Table of contents.

1. Attention to local news
2. Local news topics
Americans’ changing local news providers
How people feel about their local news media’s performance
Most Americans think local journalists are in touch with their communities
Interactions with local journalists
5. Americans’ views on the financial health of local news
Acknowledgments
The American Trends Panel survey methodology

Reporters question a defense attorney at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston on March 26, 2024. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Pew-Knight Initiative supports new research on how Americans absorb civic information, form beliefs and identities, and engage in their communities.

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. Knight Foundation is a social investor committed to supporting informed and engaged communities. Learn more >

Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand the local news habits and attitudes of U.S. adults. It is a follow-up to a similar study conducted in 2018 .

The survey of 5,146 U.S. adults was conducted from Jan. 22 to 28, 2024. Everyone who completed the survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Refer to the topline for the questions used for this survey , along with responses, and to the methodology for more details.

This is a Pew Research Center report from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program funded jointly by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Find related reports online at https://www.pewresearch.org/pew-knight/ .

The local news landscape in America is going through profound changes as both news consumers and producers continue to adapt to a more digital news environment. We recently asked U.S. adults about the ways they access local news, as well as their attitudes toward local journalism, finding that:

A bar chart showing Americans increasingly prefer digital pathways to local news

A growing share of Americans prefer to get local news online, while fewer are getting news on TV or in print. And newspapers are no longer primarily consumed as a print product – the majority of readers of local daily newspapers now access them digitally.
The share of U.S. adults who say they are paying close attention to local news has dropped since our last major survey of attitudes toward local news in 2018, mirroring declining attention to national news.
Americans still see value in local news and local journalists. A large majority say local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community. Most people also say local journalists are in touch with their communities and that their local news media perform well at several aspects of their jobs, such as reporting the news accurately.
At the same time, a relatively small share of Americans (15%) say they have paid for local news in the last year. And many seem unaware of the major financial challenges facing local news: A 63% majority (albeit a smaller majority than in 2018) say they think their local news outlets are doing very or somewhat well financially.
Majorities of both major parties say local media in their area are doing their jobs well. While Republicans and GOP-leaning independents are slightly less positive than Democrats and Democratic leaners in their opinions of local media, views of local news don’t have the same stark political divides that exist within Americans’ opinions about national media .
Most Americans say local journalists should remain neutral on issues in their community, but a substantial minority say local journalists should take a more active role. About three-in-ten say local journalists should advocate for change in their communities, a view that’s especially common among Democrats and younger adults.

These are some of the key findings from a new Pew Research Center survey of about 5,000 U.S. adults conducted in January 2024. This is the first in a series of Pew Research Center reports on local news from the Pew-Knight Initiative, a research program funded jointly by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Americans largely hold positive views of local news organizations

At a time when many local news outlets are struggling and Americans’ trust in the news media has waned, the vast majority of U.S. adults (85%) say local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community. This includes 44% who say local journalism is extremely or very important to their community

About seven-in-ten U.S. adults (69%) say that local journalists in their area are mostly in touch with their community, up from 63% who said this in 2018. And most Americans also say their local news organizations are doing well at four key roles:

A bar chart showing most Americans say local media are doing well at different aspects of reporting

Reporting news accurately (71%)
Covering the most important stories (68%)
Being transparent (63%)
Keeping an eye on local political leaders (61%).

These are relatively positive views compared with how Americans see news organizations more broadly. For instance, a 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that fewer than half of U.S. adults say that news organizations in general do a very or somewhat good job of covering the most important stories, reporting the news accurately and serving as a watchdog over elected leaders.

A bar chart showing majorities of both political parties believe their local news media do various aspects of their jobs well

What’s more, views toward local news are not as politically polarized as Americans’ opinions about the news media overall. While Republicans and GOP-leaning independents are not quite as positive as Democrats and Democratic leaners in some of their assessments of local journalists, most Republicans still say the local media in their area are doing their jobs well.

For example, roughly three-quarters of Democrats (78%) say their local media do well at reporting news accurately, compared with about two-thirds of Republicans (66%).

By comparison, the 2022 survey found that 51% of Democrats and just 17% of Republicans say that news organizations in general do a very or somewhat good job of reporting the news accurately.

Jump to more information on views toward local news organizations.

A bar chart showing declines in attention to both local and national news

Fewer Americans are closely following local news – and other types of news

Despite these positive views toward local news organizations, there are signs that Americans are engaging less with local journalism than they used to.

The share of Americans who say they follow local news very closely has fallen by 15 percentage points since 2016 (from 37% to 22%). Most U.S. adults still say they follow local news at least somewhat closely (66%), but this figure also has dropped in recent years.

A line chart showing Americans’ preferred path to local news is moving online

This trend is not unique to local news – Americans’ attention to national and international news also has declined.

The local news landscape is becoming more digital

The ways in which Americans access local news are changing, reflecting an increasingly digital landscape – and matching patterns in overall news consumption habits .

Preferred pathways to local news

Fewer people now say they prefer to get local news through a television set (32%, down from 41% who said the same in 2018).
Americans are now more likely to say they prefer to get local news online, either through news websites (26%) or social media (23%). Both of these numbers have increased in recent years.
Smaller shares prefer getting their local news from a print newspaper or on the radio (9% each).

Specific sources for local news

The types of sources (e.g., outlets or organizations) Americans are turning to are changing as well:

A bar chart showing more Americans get local news from online forums than daily newspapers

While local television stations are still the most common source of local news beyond friends, family and neighbors, the share who often or sometimes get news there has declined from 70% to 64% in recent years.
Online forums, such as Facebook groups or the Nextdoor app, have become a more common destination for local news: 52% of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get local news from these types of forums, up 14 percentage points from 2018. This is on par with the percentage who get local news at least sometimes from local radio stations.
Meanwhile, a third of Americans say they at least sometimes get local news from a daily newspaper, regardless of whether it is accessed via print, online or through a social media website – down 10 points from 2018. The share of Americans who get local news from newspapers is now roughly on par with the share who get local news from local government agencies (35%) or local newsletters or Listservs (31%).

Not only are fewer Americans getting local news from newspapers, but local daily newspapers are now more likely to be accessed online than in print.

A bar chart showing local newspapers are no longer accessed primarily through print

31% of those who get news from daily newspapers do so via print, while far more (66%) do so digitally, whether through websites, apps, emails or social media posts that include content from the paper.
In 2018, just over half of those who got news from local daily newspapers (54%) did so from print, and 43% did so via a website, app, email or social media site.

There is a similar move toward digital access for local TV stations, though local TV news is still mostly consumed through a TV set.

In 2024, 62% of those getting news from local TV stations do so through a television, compared with 37% who do so through one of the digital pathways.
An even bigger majority of local TV news consumers (76%) got that news through a TV set in 2018.

Jump to more information on how people access local news.

The financial state of local news

The turmoil for the local news industry in recent years has come with major financial challenges. Circulation and advertising revenue for newspapers have seen sharp declines in the last decade, according to our analysis of industry data , and other researchers have documented that thousands of newspapers have stopped publishing in the last two decades. There also is evidence of audience decline for local TV news stations, although advertising revenue on local TV has been more stable.

A bar chart showing the share who think their local news is doing well financially has fallen since 2018 but is still a majority

When asked about the financial state of the news outlets in their community, a majority of Americans (63%) say they think their local news outlets are doing very or somewhat well, with a third saying that they’re not doing too well or not doing well at all. This is a slightly more pessimistic view than in 2018, when 71% said their local outlets were doing well, though it is still a relatively positive assessment of the financial state of the industry.

Just 15% of Americans say they have paid or given money to any local news source in the past year – a number that has not changed much since 2018. The survey also asked Americans who did not pay for news in the past year the main reason why not. The most common explanation is that people don’t pay because they can find plenty of free local news, although young adults are more inclined to say they just aren’t interested enough in local news to pay for it.

Jump to more information on how people view the financial state of local news.

Other key findings in this report

A bar chart showing weather, crime, traffic and government are all commonly followed local news topics

Americans get local news about a wide variety of topics. Two-thirds or more of U.S. adults at least sometimes get news about local weather, crime, government and politics, and traffic and transportation, while smaller shares (but still at least half) say they get local news about arts and culture, the economy, schools, and sports.

Relatively few Americans are highly satisfied with the coverage they see of many topics. The survey also asked respondents who at least sometimes get each type of local news how satisfied they are with the news they get. With the exception of weather, fewer than half say they are extremely or very satisfied with the quality of the news they get about each topic. For example, about a quarter of those who consume news about their local economy (26%) say they are extremely or very satisfied with this news. Read more about different local news topics in Chapter 2.

A bar chart showing younger adults are more likely to say that local journalists should advocate for change in the community

When asked whether local journalists should remain neutral on community issues or advocate for change in the community, a majority of Americans (69%) say journalists should remain neutral, reflecting more traditional journalistic norms. However, 29% say that local journalists should be advocating for change in their communities. Younger adults are the most likely to favor advocacy by journalists: 39% of those ages 18 to 29 say that local journalists should push for change, as do 34% of those 30 to 49. Read more about Americans’ views of the role of local journalists in Chapter 4.

Americans who feel a strong sense of connection to their community are more likely to engage with local news, say that local news outlets are important to the community, and rate local media more highly overall. For example, 66% of those who say they are very attached to their community say local news outlets are extremely or very important to the well-being of their local community, compared with 46% of those who are somewhat attached and 31% of those who are not very or not at all attached to their community.

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A Model for Expanding Your Business into Foreign Markets

Joshua Conrad Jackson

Four strategies leaders should adopt when taking their brand abroad.

It used to be thought that globalization would flatten out cultural differences among countries and regions of the world, making it easier than ever for companies to move into foreign markets. According to a new study by the author and a colleague, however, cultural differences are greater today than they were 40 years ago, which explains why some major corporations have failed in their recent efforts to establish a foothold in new countries. Companies need to adapt, the author argues, and to that end in this article he presents a general model for global leadership in the face of cultural divergence.

Walmart in the 1990s seemed on pace to become a global giant. After rapid growth in the U.S. domestic market throughout the 1980s, the company opened its first international store in Mexico City in 1991, followed by Canada in 1994. By 1998 it had expanded to Germany and South Korea, betting that its “always the low price” approach to business would be enough to outcompete foreign vendors.

Joshua Conrad Jackson is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

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