By virtue of their characteristics, primary and secondary marketing data fulfill different functions in research and planning.
Depending on the research objectives and available resources, the company may opt for one or
another type of research. In some cases, research with secondary data is sufficient to answer the
questions, without the need to invest in primary data. In other cases, only primary data can meet the
research objectives.
But the ideal is to reconcile primary and secondary data to build a broad vision of the market and the
brand’s audiences.
Generally speaking, secondary data is used to form hypotheses . This is called exploratory research:
you look at comprehensive market data, identify trends, and formulate hypotheses.
For example, based on secondary data, you can hypothesize that the fashion market is placing more
emphasis on sustainability and less on fast fashion . But is this reflected in the specific behavior of the brand’s consumers?
This is where primary data research comes into play: to test hypotheses . To do this, you directly question your brand’s audiences to find out if that hypothesis is valid and can support your company’s marketing decisions.
Reconciling primary and secondary data therefore means following a research path that allows you to identify patterns and trends and confirm them with your audiences.
In this way, the data provides a comprehensive view for marketing research, which underlies planning with greater precision.
How to collect such data in marketing research?
The first step in conducting finland phone number list research is collecting data . This is the stage in which researchers go into the field, that is, they apply research instruments to access data, whether primary or secondary.
In marketing research, there are several methods and instruments for collecting data to access the most diverse sources. It is possible to reconcile all of these to obtain a more complete answer to the research questions.
But first, it is important to have a well-structured plan for the research, which defines what the data should answer and how the data will contribute to marketing objectives . This broader view of the research process is necessary to make the best choice of data types, research methods, and collection instruments.
Now, let’s look at the main methods and sources for collecting primary and secondary data, as well as several suggestions for tools you can use.
How to collect primary data?
In marketing 3 steps to optimize your partners marketing budget in 2024 research, primary data collection can focus on different brand audiences (consumers, customers, suppliers, employees, competitors, among others).
According to the objectives of the research, the intention is to find out what these people think, how they behave or what their pains and needs are. To do this, it is possible and advisable to use quantitative or qualitative data.
You can use a variety of methods, ranging from traditional interviews to data collection using advanced tools. Let’s look at some options:
These primary research methods are already well known and used in academic work and in marketing research.
They are often conducted in person, but it is now quite common to conduct interviews and focus groups via video calls, as well as sending online questionnaires (with Google Forms or Typeform , for example).
Even when the objective is to observe groups of users connected to platforms and social networks, ethnography and participant observation can be carried out over the Internet. Ethnography, in this case, is called netnography.
In addition to these more traditional methods, it is also possible to collect primary data using tools and software, such as:
- Web analytics: tools that collect data from website users through cookies, such as Google Analytics , Google Trends , SEMrush , Moz , among others.
- Heatmaps and screen recordings: Tools that record user behavior on websites like Hotjar .
- Social analytics: Tools that collect data from social media users, such as Hootsuite Analytics and Instagram Insights .
- Mention tracking: tools that record brand mentions on the web and social media such as Scup and Buzzmonitor .
How to collect secondary data?
In market research, secondary afb directory data is collected through literature or desk research. In practice, this means that you can refer to books, documents, reports, studies and papers to access the data. Therefore, it is essential that you consult secondary sources that have a reputation in the market, as this will help you base the research considering valid and reliable data.
Here are some tips on sources you can use to collect secondary data for marketing research:
- Newspapers, magazines and news portals: Forbes , Harvard Business Review .
- Advertising companies and agencies: WGSN , We Are Social , Socialbakers , McKinsey , Facebook IQ , LinkedIn Business , Think With Google , Global Web Index .
- Research institutes: Nielsen , eMarketer , Future Today Institute , Accenture .
- Professional associations: IAB , AAAA , AMAPRO , ProSoMex , AIB Marketing .
- Government data and publications: Data .
- Academic papers and scientific articles: SciELO , Google Scholar , Academia.edu .
A good example of a secondary data study widely used in marketing is the State of Marketing report , conducted by HubSpot. The study provides data on the evolution of marketing , providing relevant information about trends in strategies and professional profiles.
Another very interesting study for the marketing area is the Global Marketing Trends Report prepared by Deloitte . The latest report verifies the significant increase in data production , as well as the growth in the use of mobile devices, among other very relevant data.
In short, you now have several tips and inspirations for finding market data to support your marketing strategies. Try to reconcile primary and secondary marketing data to get a complete picture of market trends and your audiences’ behaviors.