This guide is an introduction to sources for industry, customer, competitor, and market research information. The focus is on resources that help students prepare a plan related to the introduction or extension of a product or service. It highlights some of the key research tools available but it is not intended as a comprehensive list of sources. The sources listed below are available in print at the Bronfman Business Library, S237, Schulich School of Business or electronically via York University Libraries Web site or the Internet.

Q. What do you need to know to launch a new product or service.

• The idea – if you are having problems thinking of a product, sometimes just reading through trade or advertising journals might spark an idea, e.g. Advertising Age,  Journal of Consumer Research or databases such as Brandchannel
• Competitors – are there companies who provide a similar service or manufacture a similar product?
• Industry analysis – environmental scan of the industry related to your product
• Consumers and customer demographics – might there be a demand for the product and who is your target market?
• Marketing and business plans – some examples of typical marketing and business plans.

This guide has the following sections:

• General Library Information
• Competitors
• Industry Resources
• Consumers and Customer Demographics
• Marketing Plan websites
• Business Article Databases
• Citing Sources

Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

General Library Information:

Library Homepage and Catalogue / Remote Access

Material in the York Libraries catalogue: To find books and other materials by Title Keyword or Author Keyword, select those options from the drop-down menu next to the Search Box on the library homepage ( www.library.yorku.ca). To find books and other materials by subject, select Subject Keyword from the drop-down menu. Try terms such as: consumer behavior, new products, customer relations, and consumers’ preferences in the general keyword field.

Here is an example of the kinds of books available:

Competitors

 There are a number of databases that help you identify companies in the same or a closely related industry.  It is much easier to find information on public companies because they are required to publicly file documents.  However you can find information on private companies by using the following databases that provide links to company websites.  Visiting company websites can give you valuable insights into products, advertising, etc.

Public Companies

Financial Post Advisor: Provides information on Canadian public companies. Use Industry Reports to find competitors.

Mergent Online: Provides company information and annual reports for Canadian, foreign, and US companies. Also includes industry reports covering current environment, sector performance, market trends, outlook, etc. for 20 industries.

Datamonitor 360: Includes Industry, Country, and Company sections, market profiles, company profiles, company SWOT analysis, more than 50 country profiles, over 150 industry rankings

Private Companies

Hoovers: Use the “Build a List” function and limit by location and industry to find companies that produce similar products or over similar services.  If you need help, please consult a business librarian in person, by phone, by email or by IM Chat.  Also contains information on public companies but not as detailed as the databases listed under Public Companies section.

Canadian Company Capabilities: Industry Canada’s database contains private companies and a few public companies.  Search by keyword or NAICS (North American Industry Code System).

Profile Canada: Contains basic information on Canadian private companies.  Search by SIC codes. Access to this database is via Financial Post Advisor. Click on Additional Databases in the left navbar.

Industry Research Resources

IBISWorld: Includes US and global industry reports and a business environment database. Many of the industry reports are for smaller industries not included in Mergent, Datamonitor 360 etc.

Plunkett Research: Provides U.S. industry information including a report on Advertising, Branding and Marketing.

The databases listed in the Competitors section under Public Companies also contain industry information.

 Consumer Research and Demographic Resources

Global Market Information Database [GMID] :  Provides business intelligence on companies, countries, industries, and consumers. Includes demographic, economic and marketing statistics for 205 countries: historic and forecast consumer lifestyle statistics; analysis of consumer lifestyles in 71 countries; market size for more than 300 consumer products; 4500 market research reports; company market shares, brand shares; and profiles and rankings of 3000 leading consumer goods companies.

Market Share Reporter: This print publication gives market share and may be searched by company name or product.  Available Bronfman Business Library Reference room – call number HF 5410 M33

Canadian Demographics: This Financial Post print publication gives detailed demographic information, retail sales data, household expenditures etc, by regions, provinces and municipalities. In addition there are PSYTE categories included that define the municipality by psychographic characteristics. Available Bronfman Business Library Reference room – call number HF 5349 C2 F5

 World Advertising Research Center [WARC]: Includes Topics & Trends, Forecasts & Data and Case Studies on many companies and products.

Marketing & Business Plans

This webpage provides links to marketing plan guides and information.

Canada Business Network’s Conducting Marketing Research page : provides links to information on market research and statistics in Canada.

U.S. Small Business Administration

KnowThis.com

Royal Bank of Canada

Business Article Databases

Searching for articles on your topic often provides useful information and insights into product development and/or consumer research.  Use keywords such as product design, product development of a word that describes your product combined with the word innovation.  Similarly you can use consumer behavior or customers in combination with the product keyword.

The following are databases which allow you to search thousands of trade, popular, news and scholars periodicals.

ProQuest Business : This link allows you to access the 6 preselected ProQuest business databases. The 6 databases are ABI/Inform Global, ABI/Inform Trade and Industry, CBCA Business, CBCA Current Events, ProQuest Asian Business and Reference, ProQuest European Business. These databases contain citations and abstracts for business and management publications, many of which are available in full-text or full-image.

Business Source Premier: Similar to ProQuest Business, this link allows you to access thousands of full-text periodical articles.

Factiva: Includes nearly 9,000 sources, mostly newspapers and news wires from 118 countries in 22 languages,   Provides information on companies and markets.

Lexis-Nexis Academic Provides full-text access to a broad range of legal, business and news publications. Includes market & industry and company & financial information.

Citing Sources including Academic Integrity

Once you have selected relevant business books, articles, web sites or other items for your research, one important final step involves compiling an accurate list of references or citations to incorporate within your marketing plan assignment. There is a section under Starting Your Research entitled Citation and Writing Guides that provides links to resources that will help you to cite your sources.

You will find examples of MLA citations to business resources that we have in the Bronfman Business Library by using the How to Cite Business Sources in MLA. There is also a guide to citing business sources using APA style from McGill University that includes many of the resources that are available to York University students, faculty and staff.

For citing unusual resources such as blogs, personal emails, multimedia etc., see net.Tutor Quick Guide:Citing Net Resources.

An online tutorial on Academic Integrity is also available on the York Libraries web site. This explores the issues of plagiarism and related matters. York’s policy and procedures on academic honesty are outlined. The tutorial also offers the opportunity for you to do a self-test allowing you to assess your own understanding of issues relating to academic integrity.

Created by Elizabeth Watson, BBL, February 2012