LibGuides: Business: Market & Advertising Research

Marketing and Advertising Databases

Mintel This link opens in a new window
Detailed market research reports on a wide range of UK market sectors. Also includes information on demographics and trend drivers.
Market research resource including several series of reports: Market Intelligence, Leisure Intelligence, Retail Intelligence, Financial Intelligence, Library specials and Industrial reports. There is also a database specialising in marketing news.

Mintel Help Guide: Interactive Databook

Statista This link opens in a new window
Statista is a global business data platform. The resource includes insights and facts across 600 industries and 50+ countries. Use it for market, company and country research topics.
Nielsen Portfolio – Creative Club UK This link opens in a new window
An advertising archive containing over 4.5 million adverts across all types of media. Search by company, brand or sector, or for specific platforms such as TV, press, direct mail, outdoor, internet, online video, cinema or radio.
WARC This link opens in a new window
World Advertising Research Centre's Advertising and Knowledge Database is a collection of case studies and articles on advertising, marketing and media activity. It includes trend analysis, research reports and strategic marketing guidance.

If you are looking for a specific journal title on WARC, please use the Advanced Search options to locate it. You can then select Research Papers to view a list of the journals available through WARC.

WARC User Guide

WGSN This link opens in a new window
Forecasting and trend analysis for style, fashion and design; includes fashion image library and online space for personal creative development.
Insight provides market intelligence and analysis of trends in consumer attitudes, marketing, retail experience and innovation.
Lifestyle & Interiors provides insight, updates and forecasts into interior design, inspiration, and retail intelligence in the lifestyle, hospitality and interiors industries.
You have been given access to the content of WGSN for your own personal, non-commercial and information purpose only. You must not share or distribute such content across social media and any other external platforms.
It is important that you understand that your access and logins are limited to you as an authorised user of De Montfort University and any breach in the use of their content may result in prosecution, damage claims and loss of access to everyone else in the institution.
ABI/INFORM Collection This link opens in a new window
A key database for global business and economics topics, including thousands of full-text journals, company news, country / industry reports and trend reporting.
Business Source This link opens in a new window
EBSCO' Business Source is a key database for business topics, providing access to the full text of nearly 8,350 scholarly business journals and other sources, with coverage including virtually all subject areas related to business and economics.
Also includes country economic reports from a range of authoritative sources.

External sources of market research

British Library industry guides
Free industry guides from the British Library's Business & IP Centre from advertising to travel and tourism.
YouGov Profiles
YouGov Profiles provides information on different audience profiles and demographics powered by the data collected from YouGov users. The 'Lite' version is free to use once you've signed up for an account.

What is market research?

Market research is the process where information is gathered to analyse a market. It will usually consider target audiences, the size of the market, top competitors and consumer behaviour.

Market research will typically contain:

Market size/shares
Market drivers and segmentation
Consumer behaviour and attitudes
Key competitors

Small businesses will conduct their own market research but third party companies such as Mintel produce reports that can be purchased. Students and staff at De Montfort University have access to Mintel reports and other market research sources.

Advertising

What Can Advertisements Tell You About a Company
Advertising Websites

Advertising can tell you much about how a company sees itself, what its ethos is. For example, compare these two adverts for banks. One of them sees themselves as a local bank, the other a global bank. Can you tell which one has an international outlook?

Any advertisements should be viewed in the context of other information and should never be used as a sole determinant of a company. A they indicate a company's view of itself, we must also get independent analysis to build a balanced profile of the company.

Advertising Association
The Advertising Association represents agencies, brands and media promoting the role, rights and responsibilities of advertising and its impact on individuals, the economy and society. There is also links to Credos their advertising think-tank with downloadable reports on issues related to advertising.
Advertising Standards Authority
The Advertising Standards Authority is the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes. The latest investigations, adjudications and research are downloadable from the site.

Business: Market & Advertising Research

Marketing and Advertising Databases

External sources of market research

What is market research?

Advertising

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