How do Marketers Collect Data? 

As discussed in prior articles, marketers make decisions based upon data. Data might common in two forms: primary data (data that we collect) and secondary data (data that is available without having to be collected by us).

So, how do we collect important data?  There are a lot of different methods that we can use we can use,. The most commonly recognized methods are discussed below. 

Surveys 

As long as we can get our customers or other people to take a survey, surveys can generate really meaningful data.

Focus groups 

These are just guided discussions with groups of people who can hopefully help us to understand how people think about us as a brand or our product. For more information, see our article, What are Focus Groups?

Interviews 

In an interview we talk to individuals at length - about their perceptions of us or our product.

Scanner panels 

Scanner panels are groups of consumers who've agreed to track their own behavior. In other words they keep track of everything that they buy by using sort of like a loyalty card that keeps track. For more information, see our article, What are Scanner Data?

Web tracking 

To really understand our consumers we might need to follow their behavior online. This generally uses cookies, or encrypted web tags, that record the websites that a person visits. For more information, see our article, What is Web Tracking?

Ethnography 

Ethnography involves seeing people behave and live in their natural environment. So, we have to sort of join them in that environment to see how they how they live and how they operate. For more information, see our article, What is Ethnography?

Experiments 

If we want to solve more complicated questions or or get data about certain situations we might have to create experiments. In other words, we might have to conduct experimental research where we test different ideas about how things work or how people will respond to certain things. For more information, visit our article, What is Experimental Research?

Related Topics

• Marketing Research Overview
• Quantitative and Qualitative Research
• Primary Research
• Secondary Research
• Determining the Right Marketing Strategy
• What is a Marketing Information System?
• What are Decision Support Systems?
• What are Marketing Models?
• What is a Marketing Dashboard?
• What Kinds of Data can we Use?
• Methods of Collecting Data
• What are Focus Groups?
• What is Group Think?
• What are Scanner Data?
• What is Web Tracking?
• What is Ethnography?
• What is Experimental` Research?
• What is Use of Statistics
• What Distorts the Results of Marketing Research?
• Challenges of International Market Research?