Comprehensive Marketing Data & Research Methods for Customer Insights

Big data

Large and complex sets of information that can reveal patterns and trends.

Customer insights

Deep understandings of customer needs and behaviors that guide marketing.

Marketing information ecosystem (MIE)

The system of people, technology, and processes that manage marketing data.

Competitive marketing intelligence

Information about competitors collected to make better marketing decisions.

Internal databases

Collections of customer and company data kept inside a business.

Behavioral targeting

Tracking customer behaviors to send them personalized ads or offers.

Causal research

Research that tests cause-and-effect relationships.

Customer insight community

A group of customers who share feedback and ideas with a company.

Descriptive research

Research that describes things like customer attitudes, preferences, or demographics.

Digital text analysis

Studying online posts, reviews, or comments to learn about customer opinions.

Ethnographic research

Studying people in their natural environment to understand their behaviors.

Experimental research

Research that changes variables to test how they affect outcomes.

Exploratory research

Research done to gather background information or discover new ideas.

Focus groups

Small groups of people discussing products or ideas led by a moderator.

Interviews

One-on-one conversations to get detailed customer opinions.

Marketing research

Collecting and analyzing data to guide marketing decisions.

Observational research

Watching how people act to learn about their behaviors.

Online focus groups

Virtual discussions with groups of people to get opinions and feedback.

Online marketing survey research

Using online surveys to collect customer data.

Primary data

Information collected directly for a specific research purpose.

Sample

A small group chosen to represent a larger population in research.

Secondary data

Information that already exists and was collected for another purpose.

Survey and questionnaire research

Asking people structured questions to gather data.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Technology that can analyze data and make decisions like humans.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

Systems that manage a company's interactions with customers.

Marketing analytics

The use of data and tools to measure and improve marketing performance.