(last updated September 2019)
Below is my (continually evolving) list of recommended UConn library resources for marketing/commercialization projects. Click here for the full list of business resources provided by the library. Note access to these resources require a valid UConn NetID, and their use is generally restricted to purposes related to your academic role(s). See the specific terms of use for each resource.
In the summary chart below I provide major business sectors covered by the research (LIFE = Life Sciences and Healthcare; TECH = Technology, B2B = Business to Business Markets, B2C = Consumer Markets), and my advice on its analysis value in the following three areas:
- (CI) Customer Insights: Research to support hypotheses about customer needs, preferences and decision-making behaviors; trends in customer behavior and demographics. Better resources are those that include high-quality primary research.
- (ME) Market Environment & Competitive Analysis: Research to support analysis of business models, industry trends, market structures and competition. Many use the US Census NAICS codes for industry classifications.
- (MS) Market Sizes & Shares: Research to support estimates of Total Available Market and market shares. Remember that these are DATA POINTS only; as Steve Blank says “if market analysts could really forecast the future they would own hedge funds”.
Details about each resource follow the summary here (use landscape mode on mobile devices):
| Syndicated Research | LIFE | TECH | B2B | B2C | CI | ME | MS |
| BCC Research | √ | √ | √ | √√√ | √ | ||
| Gartner Group | √ | √ | √ | √√ | √ | ||
| Passport GMID | √ | √ | √ | √√ | √√ | √ | |
| Mintel: Reports ; NPD ; GMN | √ | √√ | √√ | √√ | |||
| Data Aggregation | LIFE | TECH | B2B | B2C | CI | ME | MS |
| IBIS World | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | |
| Statista | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | |
| BizMiner | √ | √ | √ | √√ | |||
| Value Line | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | ||
| Privco | √ | √ | √ | √ | √√ | ||
| Sports Market Analytics | √ | √ | √ | ||||
| Content Aggregation | LIFE | TECH | B2B | B2C | CI | ME | MS |
| Business Source Complete | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √√ | √ |
| Factiva | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √√ | √ |
*value depends on publisher, see details below
Syndicated Research Resources
Research companies develop “syndicated research” on topics in their speciality in order to sell them to a range of clients. This contrasts with custom research that is developed for and available to only to the client for which is was contracted. Syndicated business research generally involves primary research by the research company, such as consumer surveys, or interviews with industry players. UConn offers a range of syndicated research sources covering a variety of industries of interest to people at UConn.
BCC Research
Syndicated Research: Great resource for quickly getting insight into potential global markets for scientific and technological innovations, and one of the few with a deep focus on B2B markets. More useful for market analysis than for customer insights, focus on technology functionality as key driver of customer needs.
Gartner
Syndicated Research: “The world’s leading IT research and advisory company” is located right here in Connecticut. They provide detailed coverage of corporate IT trends and are well known for predictions on market sizes and life cycles. If you are targeting B2B IT professionals, Gartner provides buying guides and resources targeted to them that can provide some insight into their potential needs and preferences. Finding the interesting nuggets can be frustrating, many full reports are not part of the UConn license, and analysis is embedded within content lists that include short articles, opinion and promotional pieces.
Passport Global Market Information Database (GMID)
Syndicated Research: The academic product from Euromonitor Passport is a good source of high level information on global consumer markets and market sizes, and very valuable for consumer insights based on their proprietary survey research of consumers. They also have an interesting 2013 psychographic segmentation based on the results of a global consumer survey (found under the “consumers” tab). Like Gartner, their research reports are embedded with other published content: to get started quickly, limit your analysis to “Global Reports” in the Analysis Finder filter.
Mintel
Very well known and regarded in consumer markets. UConn subscribes to three different Mintel research products:
- Mintel: Mintel Reports Syndicated research. Well regarded and authoritative in consumer markets, particularly consumer packaged goods, with great insight into trends and customer insights
- Mintel: Mintel Global NPD: Data aggregation of new consumer packaged goods products launched globally
- Mintel: Mintel Market Sizes: Data aggregation of market sizes and shares for existing consumer packaged goods markets
Data Aggregation Resources
As described by their name, these resources aggregate business data available from public and private sources in unique and useful ways. In addition to the ones shown here that are more useful for marketing projects, UConn subscribes to many other services that aggregate financial data.
IBIS World
Data Aggregation + Analysis: Despite their name, IBISWorld data is only for the US, where they provide very useful industry-level summary information on industry sizes, trends, products, competitive environment and key companies. They supplement aggregate data with their analysis, giving a great starting point to analyzing your market environment. UConn subscribes to both their NAICS based industry analysis, and also their newer and quite interesting specialized industry reports that provide estimates for very small industry segments. These can be particularly valuable when trying to get a sense of B2B customers in small segments.
Statista
Data Aggregation: Looking for that perfect chart to understand (and illustrate) something about your market? This German data provider may likely have it. They aggregate statistical data from a variety of public and private sources and present them as charts and infographics. This includes nice information on consumer demographics, shopping habits and preferences sourced from some major consumer survey research companies like Ipsos and Simmons.
BizMiner
Data Aggregation: Aggregate demographic and financials data on US businesses organizations, drawn from IRS filings, US Census data, BLS data on employment and others. Key strength is its granularity: data can be segmented in detail by firm size, industry and geography down to zip code level detail. This makes it useful for estimating the number of B2B customers in particular market segment. Available financial data also can be used for starting point estimates for expected potential revenues, cost structures and margins, particularly in small business environments and industries where few publicly-traded companies. Also unique data on retail sales/square foot.
Value Line
Data Aggregation: One of several financial research aggregators available from the UConn library, Value Line provides up-to-date research on individual publicly-traded companies for professional investors. The also offer useful industry overviews. My personal favorite of the financial research aggregators is actually ThomsonOne Banker, which has better access to analyst reports, but its awkward access restrictions (requires Internet Explorer) make it hard to recommend. Others include S&P NetAdvantage and Mergent Online
Privco
Data Aggregation: Financial information on individual, privately-held companies. Also has interesting data on private capital funding that can provide insight into startup companies being funded in an industry, as well as targets of private M&A and private equity firms.
Sports Market Analytics
Data Aggregation: Information on fan markets, sporting goods markets and sports participation
Published Content Aggregation
Specialized search engines without the ads and firewalls. These are two of the many content aggregation services available from the UConn Library.
Business Source Complete
Content Aggregation, including some Syndicated Research Aggregation: Comprehensive content from business and academic publishers, plus aggregation of some useful syndicated research resources, including industry analyses and SWOT analyses for many companies. One of the best places to find info published in specialized trade journals you don’t yet know about. Breadth is both its strength and its weakness: it takes some time to become efficient in finding information, and can easily become a time sink. Note links to Wall Street Journal full text don’t seem to work, search the WSJ separately using your UConn subscription.
Factiva
Content Aggregation: From Dow Jones, an alternative to Business Source Complete, with a broad list of sources. Did you find a trade publication source on the internet that you really want to read but it’s behind a paywall? You are likely to find it here.