< Marketers tend to seek secondary data before expending
   energy to finance studies—unless the information does
   not exist or depends on a specific set of circumstances
   Generally, primary data is more expensive and time
   consuming to collect..

< The Internet is a great source of secondary data.
   Take care to ensure that the data you use pertains to
   your organization (validity). Generally, secondary data
   is more readily available and less expensive.

Note: When you google info for your project, note that
the first few pages of "hits" take you to organizations
that want to sell you their research data. Scroll down.

For your project, rely on established secondary sources
on the Internet. Can't find any? Interview a store manager.

These are the 3 terms you'll hear most often in marketing meetings when discussing marketing research studies.

< If you can't go out and repeat the study and get the
   same basic results, be careful how much faith you place
   in the numbers.

< What you go after is what you get: Too often, managers
   will "massage" data to mean something other than what
   they mean.

< Listen for "I feel...think...." "It could...might, ought to..."
   Without a number following such statements, it's pure
   opinion. Hence our favorite question:
   "What's that based on?"

In your project, all statements must be followed
with a reference or source. Save the bias for an opinion
at the end of each question.

North American Industrial Classification System is a set
of codes set up by the U.S. Census that define all businesses in North America based on what they do.

Use NAICS codes to research your organization.
Go to http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html
Input the type/kind/type of business to find your organization's code.

Can't find it? Email Steve; share the key words you tried.

You'll want to include this in your project; share a listing of the codes you found. Use them find data (see next slide).

Here's an example. Silestone is the leading supplier of
natural quartz countertops/flooring surfaces.

To get started, I started by seeking companies involved
with quartz, then expanded to find the following:

B. Possible competitors in my given geographic market

C-D: Possible clients in the building industry, and
wholesalers/channel members who customize and do installation work (to expand the dealer network)

Expand your thinking to the utilities involved in your product
or service. Knowing about and utilizing NAICS codes is a real asset you can profit from in your job.

Tip: A great start is to google "(NAICS code) products"
and click on the Industry Statistics Sampler link.