Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Market Research

Introduction to Market Research Video

Note: The Libraries updated our website over the summer of 2025 so the site looks different now, though the functionality should be similar. I will be updating these videos over the Fall 2025 semester. Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions!

Market Research

BCC Research
This market research tool is particularly powerful for STEM markets; biomedical, chemical, industrial... You can keyword search. Reports are very detailed including a market and technology background, market breakdowns by product, application and region, patent analysis, competitive landscape analysis and major company profiles.
Mintel Reports [Selected Articles in Full Text]
Analyzes the driving forces, market share, competitors, and customer profiles that shape a consumer market's size and characteristics. Unique report offerings include customer motivators (why customers visit types of stores or buy particular products), customer attitudes towards products, changes in consumption patterns and more. We also have access to their Global New Products Database which covers product releases including marketing claims, ingredients, packaging information and more.

MediaRadar
MediaRadar is an advertising intelligence platform that lets you drill down to advertising spend data by advertiser, or even down to the product or brand level. So it can answer questions related to who is spending money, where (TV? which program? online? magazines?), to sell what products?

Passport GMID
Covering more than 200 countries, this database allows you to do research into particular industries, economies, consumer segments or companies. The industries covered are broad but unique (like 'luxury goods') and generally reports are going to focus on the state of an industry either globally or within a particular country. But this means you can find very unique reports on things like luxury goods in India, for instance. Worth seeing what they have.
eMarketer PRO
This database is particularly focused on providing information relevant to emarketing efforts, but it includes a wide variety of topical, industry, country and forecast publications. Broad but potentially unique industry reports, good global coverage and forecasts regarding consumer technology, advertising, ecommerce and various media issues.

Export.gov Country Commercial Guides *
Market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs for over 125 countries prepared by trade and industry experts at U.S. embassies worldwide. This is an excellent resource for beginning to asses the market conditions in a country of interest.

Sports Market Analytics [Selected Articles in Full Text]
This resource is predominantly useful for entrepreneurs interested in entering a sports industry, or interested in marketing to sports fans. Fan markets are broken down in great detail and include things like fantasy sports as well as standard professional associations/leagues. Includes market reports for 35 countries, export and import statistics, and newsletter pages dealing with financing issues, licensing, fashion, women's and youth sports, sponsorship, sports broadcasting, ratings and research reports.

Country Background

Especially if you're thinking of working in foreign markets, it is essential you have some background understanding of the country (or countries) in which you're hoping to do business.

CountryWatch
The CountryReviews tab will take you to broad country overviews. Select the country of interest. Reports will cover country overview and breaking news; political, economic, investment, social and environmental overview sections; and key data points and economic forecasts.
OECD iLibrary
Organisation for Economic Co-opeation and Development's Online Library of Books, Periodicals and Statistics. If the nation you're interested in is an OECD member country there may be reports in here of interest. Generally there will be reports on economics, policies and agricultural issues.

CultureGrams (CM)
Intended for wide use, these country reports are very basic background information but include information on the land and climate, the people (languages, religions, general attitudes), customs and courtesies, lifestyle norms, society (including the state of transportation and communication infrastructures) and more. Great for a less business-specific background on a country and its peoples.