example of marketing research report

  • Let’s create

example of marketing research report

Item added to your cart

example of marketing research report

  • Content Strategy
  • Marketing & Career
  • Copywriting & Design

example of marketing research report

10 examples of great marketing research reports from 2022

Find inspiration for your next marketing survey report. See how industry-leading brands design, develop, + promote proprietary data reports.

' src=

By Katherine Boyarsky • Dec 28, 2022

example of marketing research report

B2B SaaS brands, and any other business that has a vested interest in helping their customers succeed, need the latest benchmark data to do so. And according to Google’s Helpful Content Update guidelines , “people-first content” should be created for a specific intended audience, and include the latest information. 

Today, brands are taking proprietary research, data analysis, and industry trends report creation into their own hands. Why? It gives them the ability to tailor the research to help their audience, and creates a steady flow of traffic, which improves brand awareness.  

Looking for content marketing support for your brand? We can help. Let’s Talk

The even more recent Google Helpful Content Update on the E-A-T content marketing strategy adds an extra “E” for experience, making it the E-E-A-T strategy now. That means that people who have firsthand experience with the topic they’re writing about will be prioritized. This is where I explain that I am the CMO of a creative content marketing agency ( CXD Studio ) that helps create or reports like the annual HubSpot State of Marketing Trends report, among others. Our team has been doing the content strategy, copywriting, data analysis, design, data visualization, and promotion for marketing research reports for almost a decade, and our reports have reached millions of readers. 

Here are the basics on how to produce an industry trends report campaign and inspirational reports from 2022. 

Reminder — creating any sized research report takes significant time, effort, expertise, and resources. Don’t try to take it on yourself, and plan enough time for each phase in the production process. There will be delays — build those into your timelines. 

Who creates marketing industry trends reports? 

Marketing research reports typically fall under the responsibility of the content marketing team within the marketing department. However, they might be owned by demand generation, sales enablement, a research/analytics team, or outsourced to a specialized agency or freelancer. Here’s who typically leads and executes marketing research campaigns:

  • Market research companies
  • Creative agencies
  • Advertising agencies
  • Freelancers
  • In-house content teams

Types of marketing research reports brands can create

  • Industry trends reports
  • Benchmark reports
  • Brand awareness surveys
  • Analyses of product data
  • Executive/decision-maker surveys
  • User experience reports

10 examples of great industry trends reports from B2B brands from 2022

Use these marketing research report examples to spark your creativity from outline, to promotion, to format.

  • HubSpot’s State of Marketing Trends Report
  • Owl Labs’ State of Remote Work Report
  • ConvertKit’s State of the Creator Economy Report
  • DoorDash’s Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report
  • TINT’s State of User-Generated Content 2022 Report
  • Spotify’s Culture Next Report
  • HubSpot’s Building Winning Regional Marketing Teams Report
  • Semrush’s State of Content Marketing Report
  • Chicory’s Annual Recipe Usage Report
  • Lightcast’s Workers Wanted Worldwide Report

How do you create an industry trends research report? 

Let’s break down the marketing research report process.

Phase 1: Background research, marketing strategy, and survey design

Identify your target audience, the goals of the report, and your survey questions. Try to ask a minimum of 10-20 questions, and don’t ask too many or you’ll fatigue your respondents. If you’ll be pulling product data, map out the questions that you want to answer from the data. 

Phase 2: Survey administration and data collection

Use a platform like Pollfish or Survey Monkey Audience to collect responses from a certain demographic, or collect data from your own audience using a basic survey tool. Alternatively, some companies choose to pull product data to learn about their audience.

Phase 3: Data analysis and key themes

Examine the data using pivot tables or more advanced statistical modeling programs. Look for statistically significant themes and patterns, and analyze them in the context of the past few years. 

Phase 4: Report outline and copywriting

Include key themes as chapters, and plan for calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout where it makes sense to include them. Pull out actionable tips for your audience so they can make the most out of the data. Use your brand’s copywriting guidelines to match the right tone for the audience.

Phase 5: Data visualization and report design

Design the charts, statistics, and data visualizations using your brand identity, and create shareable images for social media. Design the report as a web page or downloadable PDF using brand fonts, colors, imagery, iconography, and overall style.

Phase 6: Promotion and distribution

Plan for a launch blog post with key findings, emails to your audience, social media posts, paid advertising, and individual posts from your team, employees, or influencers. If you work with a PR team or individual freelancer, get them involved early, and have them share the key findings when they’re finalized. Source quotes from experts on the early side, too.

Phase 7: Campaign analysis

Analyze the performance of the campaign after the first week, month, and then a year or two out. Large-scale campaigns like annual or bi-annual reports can have a long tail, so measure influenced contacts, net new contacts, and influenced revenue after a bit of time.

Marketing survey promotion ideas

  • Share interesting stats and data points using data visualizations on social media, using both organic posts and paid ads. Try static and animated ads and compare the results.
  • Create a compelling landing page with key insights from the report and a preview of what’s inside.
  • Incorporate leadership insights from partners or thought leaders with similar audiences, then ask them to promote the report when it comes out.
  • Partner with similar brands and pool your resources, then promote to all of your audiences.

Need help creating an industry trends report, from start to finish? Let’s chat.

We’ve got a small but experienced team that handles project management, survey design and data acquisition, data analysis, copywriting, content strategy, data visualization, design, and promotional assets. And we work quickly, as a seamless extension of your team. Let’s talk through your marketing research report creation needs . 

Content creation by marketing experts - let's talk

More from our blog

Two women on a marketing team using AI tools on a laptop

Exploring AI in content marketing + how tech brands are using AI tools

AI tools are all the rage. But how are marketing teams at leading B2B SaaS companies actually using them? Let’s explore.

How to stop worrying about metrics

How to stop worrying about metrics

When you understand the bigger picture of marketing and business strategy, it makes everything less stressful. Here’s a quick rundown.

example of marketing research report

WORK WITH US

Scale content marketing with campaigns that convert.

example of marketing research report

We use cookies

This website uses cookies to provide better user experience and user's session management. By continuing visiting this website you consent the use of these cookies.

ChartExpo Survey

example of marketing research report

Charts that Speak: Market Research Report Examples Explored

A Market Research Report Example serves as a pivotal tool for businesses aiming to understand market dynamics and make informed decisions.

market research report example

A fast-growing fashion retailer, XYZ Inc., desires to enter the US market. They are curious whether the US market will accept their product line. They opt to compile a market research report to find out.

They use surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other data sources to compile the report’s qualitative and quantitative data. The report is then analyzed to get an understanding of the US market.

XYZ Inc. determines after evaluating the data that the US market is ready for its product line. This information enables them to join the US market successfully.

A market research report is a crucial resource for your business. You can tweak your strategies for greater success from the insights it offers.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what a market research report is and why it’s important. We will also use a market research report example to learn how to present it.

Table of Contents:

What is a market research report, how to collect market research data, types of market research reports with examples, top 3 market research report examples.

  • Presenting Market Research Results
  • Importance of Marketing Research Report

A market research report documents the results of a market research project. It contains useful data and analysis about a given market. You can use it in guiding strategic marketing and new product development.

You can also use market research reports for a variety of purposes, such as determining needs and preferences as well as spotting market opportunities.

Typically, Market Research Report Examples encompass details such as:

  • Target audience characteristics.
  • Market size.
  • Market potential.
  • Competition analysis.

A crucial step in creating a market research report is data collection. Surveys, focus groups, interviews, and observational studies are some of the methods you can use.

When collecting market research information, it is advisable to utilize data from a representative sample of the target market. The accuracy of insights into the market is greatly enhanced through the use of this representative sampling, making Market Research Report Examples more valuable.

Here are some common types of market research reports:

1. Topline Market Research Report

Market Research Report Examples streamline the processes of data analysis and research interpretation, providing businesses with a simplified understanding. Topline market research reports provide a comprehensive summary of the research findings. They present the crucial insights and data points from the study.

This report contains market size, demographic details, consumer habits, and competitor analysis.

It simplifies the data analysis and research interpretation processes for businesses.

Business decisions, such as product development and marketing strategy, rely on the insights provided by these reports.

In addition, they help with communication with investors and other stakeholders.

2. Full Market Research Report

A full market research report investigates the current market landscape, trends, and opportunities. Furthermore, it highlights promising future developments and key growth areas.

It also offers information on major participants in the sector.

The report might also include information about government regulations and distribution methods.

Ultimately, a full market research report provides a thorough market analysis. Therefore it is a valuable resource for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge.

3. Product Detail Market Research Report

This is an exhaustive analysis of a product or service’s potential in the market. Features, benefits, target audience, competitors, and pricing are all spelled out here.

This report helps with understanding the market’s state and the possibilities for expansion. In addition, it shows how your business can differentiate itself from rivals.

You can also use it to measure the success of a product and adjust where necessary.

Presenting marketing research data can be a daunting task. Luckily, ChartExpo exists to aid in the creation of appealing and understandable data visualizations.

You can communicate marketing research findings effectively with charts and graphs. They simplify the presentation of complex data.

Here are a few examples of Market Research reports you can use to present your marketing results.

Market Research Report Example # 1: Customer Feedback Report

Customer Feedback Report is one of the best examples of Market Research Report. You can easily create this report using a CSAT Score Bar Chart.

A CSAT Score Bar Chart is a special graph plotting the CSAT scores against the number of records. It works well for presenting market research data. Viewers can digest crucial information like customer satisfaction rates in a snap.

The chart has two axes, one displaying the CSAT score for each metric. The other axis shows the corresponding number of customers or respondents.

CSAT Score Bar Chart enables you to compare customer feedback on various metrics. For instance, you can compare feedback on delivery and feedback on customer service. Finding out where you’re succeeding and where you’re falling short of customers’ expectations is a huge benefit.

Here is a marketing research example visualized in a CSAT Score Bar Chart.

csat score bar in market research report example

Market Research Report Example # 2: Customer Satisfaction Report

Customer Satisfaction Report is one of the best examples of Market Research Report. You can easily create this report using a Customer Satisfaction Chart.

The Customer Satisfaction Chart is one of the most valuable marketing tools. It presents market research data in an understandable format. Therefore, it is helpful when developing an effective marketing strategy.

The Customer Satisfaction Chart is a versatile tool for presenting market research data. For instance, a Box And Whisker report can visually display how various products or services compare in client satisfaction. This allows you to identify trends and find the most sought-after products or services by consumers.

You can also use it to monitor satisfaction levels over time. This can reveal any shifts in how satisfied customers are with your business.

The graphic also allows you to assess how satisfied certain groups of customers are. As a result, it helps identify the most important subsets of customers to focus on in your marketing.

Below is a market research report example presented in a Customer Satisfaction Chart.

customer satisfaction chart in market research report example

Market Research Report Example # 3: Product Analysis Report

Product Analysis Report is one of the best examples of Market Research Report. You can easily create this report using a Likert Scale Chart.

The Likert Scale Chart is an effective tool for presenting market research data. Researchers use it to study how people think and act. It displays how strongly respondents agree or disagree with a statement or question.

Options lie on a scale ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The scale aids in eliminating ambiguity in the responses and easing interpretation.

In addition to its simplicity, the Likert Scale Chart is also easy to read. Furthermore, you can alter it to meet the specific requirements of the study. For instance, you can alter the number of points to allow for more nuanced responses. Or else you can change the labels to match the survey’s language.

Enjoy the visualization below of a marketing research report example in a Likert Scale Chart.

likert scale chart in market research report example

Presenting Market Research Report with Example

Using ChartExpo, you can effectively display your marketing research data. You can quickly create stunning charts and graphs. Therefore, you can communicate your data with ease to your audience.

It has a variety of visualizations you can create to make your data outstanding and interesting.

You can modify the charts in ChartExpo to meet your specific needs in several ways. With its intuitive design controls, you can customize your data presentation to convey the right message.

How to Install ChartExpo in Excel?

  • Open your Excel application.
  • Open the worksheet and click on the “ Insert ” menu.
  • You’ll see the “ My Apps ”.
  • In office Add-ins window, click on “ Store ” and search for ChartExpo on my Apps Store.
  • Click on “ Add ” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

ChartExpo charts and graphs are available both in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Please use the following CTA’s to install the tool of your choice and create beautiful visualizations in a few clicks in your favorite tool.

example of marketing research report

Market Research Report Example with Data:

Let’s use the marketing report example below to learn how to create one in Excel.

Suppose you need feedback from your customers to improve your products. You create a questionnaire with a scale of 1 to 5 and conduct a survey.

  • 1 = Strongly Disagree
  • 2 = Disagree
  • 3 = Neutral
  • 5 = Strongly Agree

Let’s say you get the data tabulated below.

Product is reliable 1 162
Product is reliable 2 178
Product is reliable 3 411
Product is reliable 4 887
Product is reliable 5 906
Product is easy to use 1 50
Product is easy to use 2 138
Product is easy to use 3 186
Product is easy to use 4 176
Product is easy to use 5 500
Product delivery was fast 1 330
Product delivery was fast 2 160
Product delivery was fast 3 200
Product delivery was fast 4 238
Product delivery was fast 5 286
  • To get started with ChartExpo, install ChartExpo in Excel .
  • Now Click on My Apps from the INSERT menu.

insert chartexpo in excel

  • Choose ChartExpo from My Apps , then click Insert.

open chartexpo in excel

  • Once ChartExpo is loaded. Click on “ Likert Scale Chart ” from the list of charts.

search likert scale chart in excel

  • Click “ Create Chart From Selection ” button after selecting the data from the sheet, as shown.

create market research report example in excel

  • The Likert Scale Chart will look like as follows.

edit market research report example in excel

  • If you want to have the title of chart, click on Edit Chart , as shown in the above image.
  • To change the title of the chart, click on the pencil icon that is available very next to Chart Header .
  • It will open the properties dialog. Under the Text section, you can add a heading in Line 1 and enable the Show Give the appropriate title of your chart and click on Apply button.
  • For saving changes click on Save Changes . This will persist the changes.

save market research report example in excel

  • The final chart will look as follows.

market research report example in excel

  • 71% of respondents were content with the product’s reliability, while 13% expressed dissatisfaction.
  • 59% said they found the product easy to use, and 22% had difficulty.
  • 66% were satisfied with the speed of delivery, while 16% disagreed.
  • Altogether, 65% of respondents said they were pleased with the product.

example of marketing research report

Why Do You Need Market Research Reports?

Market Research Reports play a crucial role in strategic decision-making and business planning. Here are various reasons that underscore their importance:

Gain Insights into the Industry

You can get comprehensive insights into the market, including its trends and challenges. This is essential for a business that wants to maximize its potential. You can use this data to study your rivals’ strategies and find market gaps. Consequently, you learn how your goods and services might better serve your clients’ demands.

A Holistic View of the Market

A marketing research report will give you a comprehensive understanding of the market. This covers its present situation, difficulties, and opportunities.

Understanding your current and potential customers’ motives, actions, and preferences will help you improve your services.

Decision-Making

Marketing research reports inform wise and data-driven marketing decisions. This boosts your chances of succeeding. You can also use it to determine the best marketing strategies to use.

Enhancing Credibility and Reputation

This report will give you the information you need to build a credible brand image. It will allow you to highlight your strengths, distinctive selling propositions, and appealing qualities.

Consequently, you can develop a brand identity that resonates with your target market.

Strategic Planning

You can gain knowledge about the future of your sector via a marketing research report. You can use this information to inform your judgments and stay abreast of the times. It can also aid in your preparation for potential challenges and developments in the market.

What is a market research report?

A market research report presents an in-depth examination of a selected market. It highlights the state of the market, opportunities, trends, or challenges currently available. It also sheds light on customers’ likes and dislikes and how they might change.

What’s included in a market research report?

Typically, it has an in-depth analysis of the target market. It dissects market segmentation, price strategy, and promotional approaches. Also, it includes elements that help you make informed decisions on your offerings and promotional strategies.

How can I use market research reports in decision-making?

It contains detailed assessments of the state of the market and its prospects. Market research reports are a valuable resource due to their wealth of information. You can identify opportunities and make better strategy and management decisions from their insights.

How can Excel help in the analysis of market research data?

Excel is capable of quickly analyzing massive volumes of data. This enables for in-depth analysis of trends and patterns. It offers a variety of functions and visual representations for examining this data.

Can you provide a sample Market Research Report example for a specific industry?

This question seeks to obtain a practical illustration, allowing users to understand how a market research report is structured and presented in a real-world context.

How can a Market Research Report example benefit my business decision-making process?

This question delves into the practical advantages of utilizing market research report examples, emphasizing the impact on informed decision-making and strategic planning within a business context.

Market Research Report Examples offer a comprehensive overview of the entire industry, enabling businesses to make well-informed marketing and strategic decisions. Conducting market research is an essential part of any business. It helps cultivate a stronger reputation and boosts brand loyalty among its customers.

You can get a bird’s-eye view of the entire industry with a market research report. You can use this information to make informed marketing and business choices. As a result, it aids in enhancing credibility.

You can get the advantage you need over the competition with the help of market research reports. You can use the data to fine-tune your campaigns and zero in on expansion opportunities.

But how do you create a marketing research report?

You use Excel and ChartExpo to create appealing visualizations for your market research data. As we have shown with the marketing report example above.

You can create an insightful report and present it to your stakeholders in a few clicks

How much did you enjoy this article?

ExcelAd2

Related articles

Time Series Analysis: What is it, Types and Best Practices

What is Time Series Data? Discover its importance in analyzing trends. Explore types, & best practices for using this data in fields like finance, and healthcare.

How to Create a Report in Excel: A Complete Guide

Learn how to create a report in Excel and elevate your analysis capabilities. This guide will walk you through the process of turning data into actionable insights.

CRM Template for Excel: A Complete Walkthrough

Learn how to design a CRM template for Excel that simplifies management and drives growth. This guide offers tips, best practices, & a complete walkthrough.

How to Combine Two Charts in Excel for Clear Insights?

Combining charts in Excel simplifies your analysis. Learn how to combine two charts in Excel to present clearer, more compelling insights in your presentations.

How to Add Data Label to Excel Chart? A Quick Guide

Discover how to add a data label to Excel chart to improve data interpretation & support better analysis. Elevate your Excel skills with our easy-to-follow steps.

How to Do Market Research: The Complete Guide

Learn how to do market research with this step-by-step guide, complete with templates, tools and real-world examples.

Access best-in-class company data

Get trusted first-party funding data, revenue data and firmographics

Market research is the systematic process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting information about a specific market or industry.

What are your customers’ needs? How does your product compare to the competition? What are the emerging trends and opportunities in your industry? If these questions keep you up at night, it’s time to conduct market research.

Market research plays a pivotal role in your ability to stay competitive and relevant, helping you anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and industry dynamics. It involves gathering these insights using a wide range of techniques, from surveys and interviews to data analysis and observational studies.

In this guide, we’ll explore why market research is crucial, the various types of market research, the methods used in data collection, and how to effectively conduct market research to drive informed decision-making and success.

What is market research?

The purpose of market research is to offer valuable insight into the preferences and behaviors of your target audience, and anticipate shifts in market trends and the competitive landscape. This information helps you make data-driven decisions, develop effective strategies for your business, and maximize your chances of long-term growth.

Business intelligence insight graphic with hand showing a lightbulb with $ sign in it

Why is market research important? 

By understanding the significance of market research, you can make sure you’re asking the right questions and using the process to your advantage. Some of the benefits of market research include:

  • Informed decision-making: Market research provides you with the data and insights you need to make smart decisions for your business. It helps you identify opportunities, assess risks and tailor your strategies to meet the demands of the market. Without market research, decisions are often based on assumptions or guesswork, leading to costly mistakes.
  • Customer-centric approach: A cornerstone of market research involves developing a deep understanding of customer needs and preferences. This gives you valuable insights into your target audience, helping you develop products, services and marketing campaigns that resonate with your customers.
  • Competitive advantage: By conducting market research, you’ll gain a competitive edge. You’ll be able to identify gaps in the market, analyze competitor strengths and weaknesses, and position your business strategically. This enables you to create unique value propositions, differentiate yourself from competitors, and seize opportunities that others may overlook.
  • Risk mitigation: Market research helps you anticipate market shifts and potential challenges. By identifying threats early, you can proactively adjust their strategies to mitigate risks and respond effectively to changing circumstances. This proactive approach is particularly valuable in volatile industries.
  • Resource optimization: Conducting market research allows organizations to allocate their time, money and resources more efficiently. It ensures that investments are made in areas with the highest potential return on investment, reducing wasted resources and improving overall business performance.
  • Adaptation to market trends: Markets evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements, cultural shifts and changing consumer attitudes. Market research ensures that you stay ahead of these trends and adapt your offerings accordingly so you can avoid becoming obsolete. 

As you can see, market research empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions, cater to customer needs, outperform competitors, mitigate risks, optimize resources and stay agile in a dynamic marketplace. These benefits make it a huge industry; the global market research services market is expected to grow from $76.37 billion in 2021 to $108.57 billion in 2026 . Now, let’s dig into the different types of market research that can help you achieve these benefits.

Types of market research 

  • Qualitative research
  • Quantitative research
  • Exploratory research
  • Descriptive research
  • Causal research
  • Cross-sectional research
  • Longitudinal research

Despite its advantages, 23% of organizations don’t have a clear market research strategy. Part of developing a strategy involves choosing the right type of market research for your business goals. The most commonly used approaches include:

1. Qualitative research

Qualitative research focuses on understanding the underlying motivations, attitudes and perceptions of individuals or groups. It is typically conducted through techniques like in-depth interviews, focus groups and content analysis — methods we’ll discuss further in the sections below. Qualitative research provides rich, nuanced insights that can inform product development, marketing strategies and brand positioning.

2. Quantitative research

Quantitative research, in contrast to qualitative research, involves the collection and analysis of numerical data, often through surveys, experiments and structured questionnaires. This approach allows for statistical analysis and the measurement of trends, making it suitable for large-scale market studies and hypothesis testing. While it’s worthwhile using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research, most businesses prioritize the latter because it is scientific, measurable and easily replicated across different experiments.

3. Exploratory research

Whether you’re conducting qualitative or quantitative research or a mix of both, exploratory research is often the first step. Its primary goal is to help you understand a market or problem so you can gain insights and identify potential issues or opportunities. This type of market research is less structured and is typically conducted through open-ended interviews, focus groups or secondary data analysis. Exploratory research is valuable when entering new markets or exploring new product ideas.

4. Descriptive research

As its name implies, descriptive research seeks to describe a market, population or phenomenon in detail. It involves collecting and summarizing data to answer questions about audience demographics and behaviors, market size, and current trends. Surveys, observational studies and content analysis are common methods used in descriptive research. 

5. Causal research

Causal research aims to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables. It investigates whether changes in one variable result in changes in another. Experimental designs, A/B testing and regression analysis are common causal research methods. This sheds light on how specific marketing strategies or product changes impact consumer behavior.

6. Cross-sectional research

Cross-sectional market research involves collecting data from a sample of the population at a single point in time. It is used to analyze differences, relationships or trends among various groups within a population. Cross-sectional studies are helpful for market segmentation, identifying target audiences and assessing market trends at a specific moment.

7. Longitudinal research

Longitudinal research, in contrast to cross-sectional research, collects data from the same subjects over an extended period. This allows for the analysis of trends, changes and developments over time. Longitudinal studies are useful for tracking long-term developments in consumer preferences, brand loyalty and market dynamics.

Each type of market research has its strengths and weaknesses, and the method you choose depends on your specific research goals and the depth of understanding you’re aiming to achieve. In the following sections, we’ll delve into primary and secondary research approaches and specific research methods.

Primary vs. secondary market research

Market research of all types can be broadly categorized into two main approaches: primary research and secondary research. By understanding the differences between these approaches, you can better determine the most appropriate research method for your specific goals.

Primary market research 

Primary research involves the collection of original data straight from the source. Typically, this involves communicating directly with your target audience — through surveys, interviews, focus groups and more — to gather information. Here are some key attributes of primary market research:

  • Customized data: Primary research provides data that is tailored to your research needs. You design a custom research study and gather information specific to your goals.
  • Up-to-date insights: Because primary research involves communicating with customers, the data you collect reflects the most current market conditions and consumer behaviors.
  • Time-consuming and resource-intensive: Despite its advantages, primary research can be labor-intensive and costly, especially when dealing with large sample sizes or complex study designs. Whether you hire a market research consultant, agency or use an in-house team, primary research studies consume a large amount of resources and time.

Secondary market research 

Secondary research, on the other hand, involves analyzing data that has already been compiled by third-party sources, such as online research tools, databases, news sites, industry reports and academic studies.

Build your project graphic

Here are the main characteristics of secondary market research:

  • Cost-effective: Secondary research is generally more cost-effective than primary research since it doesn’t require building a research plan from scratch. You and your team can look at databases, websites and publications on an ongoing basis, without needing to design a custom experiment or hire a consultant. 
  • Leverages multiple sources: Data tools and software extract data from multiple places across the web, and then consolidate that information within a single platform. This means you’ll get a greater amount of data and a wider scope from secondary research.
  • Quick to access: You can access a wide range of information rapidly — often in seconds — if you’re using online research tools and databases. Because of this, you can act on insights sooner, rather than taking the time to develop an experiment. 

So, when should you use primary vs. secondary research? In practice, many market research projects incorporate both primary and secondary research to take advantage of the strengths of each approach.

One rule of thumb is to focus on secondary research to obtain background information, market trends or industry benchmarks. It is especially valuable for conducting preliminary research, competitor analysis, or when time and budget constraints are tight. Then, if you still have knowledge gaps or need to answer specific questions unique to your business model, use primary research to create a custom experiment. 

Market research methods

  • Surveys and questionnaires
  • Focus groups
  • Observational research
  • Online research tools
  • Experiments
  • Content analysis
  • Ethnographic research

How do primary and secondary research approaches translate into specific research methods? Let’s take a look at the different ways you can gather data: 

1. Surveys and questionnaires

Surveys and questionnaires are popular methods for collecting structured data from a large number of respondents. They involve a set of predetermined questions that participants answer. Surveys can be conducted through various channels, including online tools, telephone interviews and in-person or online questionnaires. They are useful for gathering quantitative data and assessing customer demographics, opinions, preferences and needs. On average, customer surveys have a 33% response rate , so keep that in mind as you consider your sample size.

2. Interviews

Interviews are in-depth conversations with individuals or groups to gather qualitative insights. They can be structured (with predefined questions) or unstructured (with open-ended discussions). Interviews are valuable for exploring complex topics, uncovering motivations and obtaining detailed feedback. 

3. Focus groups

The most common primary research methods are in-depth webcam interviews and focus groups. Focus groups are a small gathering of participants who discuss a specific topic or product under the guidance of a moderator. These discussions are valuable for primary market research because they reveal insights into consumer attitudes, perceptions and emotions. Focus groups are especially useful for idea generation, concept testing and understanding group dynamics within your target audience.

4. Observational research

Observational research involves observing and recording participant behavior in a natural setting. This method is particularly valuable when studying consumer behavior in physical spaces, such as retail stores or public places. In some types of observational research, participants are aware you’re watching them; in other cases, you discreetly watch consumers without their knowledge, as they use your product. Either way, observational research provides firsthand insights into how people interact with products or environments.

5. Online research tools

You and your team can do your own secondary market research using online tools. These tools include data prospecting platforms and databases, as well as online surveys, social media listening, web analytics and sentiment analysis platforms. They help you gather data from online sources, monitor industry trends, track competitors, understand consumer preferences and keep tabs on online behavior. We’ll talk more about choosing the right market research tools in the sections that follow.

6. Experiments

Market research experiments are controlled tests of variables to determine causal relationships. While experiments are often associated with scientific research, they are also used in market research to assess the impact of specific marketing strategies, product features, or pricing and packaging changes.

7. Content analysis

Content analysis involves the systematic examination of textual, visual or audio content to identify patterns, themes and trends. It’s commonly applied to customer reviews, social media posts and other forms of online content to analyze consumer opinions and sentiments.

8. Ethnographic research

Ethnographic research immerses researchers into the daily lives of consumers to understand their behavior and culture. This method is particularly valuable when studying niche markets or exploring the cultural context of consumer choices.

How to do market research

  • Set clear objectives
  • Identify your target audience
  • Choose your research methods
  • Use the right market research tools
  • Collect data
  • Analyze data 
  • Interpret your findings
  • Identify opportunities and challenges
  • Make informed business decisions
  • Monitor and adapt

Now that you have gained insights into the various market research methods at your disposal, let’s delve into the practical aspects of how to conduct market research effectively. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview, from defining objectives to monitoring market shifts.

1. Set clear objectives

When you set clear and specific goals, you’re essentially creating a compass to guide your research questions and methodology. Start by precisely defining what you want to achieve. Are you launching a new product and want to understand its viability in the market? Are you evaluating customer satisfaction with a product redesign? 

Start by creating SMART goals — objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Not only will this clarify your research focus from the outset, but it will also help you track progress and benchmark your success throughout the process. 

You should also consult with key stakeholders and team members to ensure alignment on your research objectives before diving into data collecting. This will help you gain diverse perspectives and insights that will shape your research approach.

2. Identify your target audience

Next, you’ll need to pinpoint your target audience to determine who should be included in your research. Begin by creating detailed buyer personas or stakeholder profiles. Consider demographic factors like age, gender, income and location, but also delve into psychographics, such as interests, values and pain points.

The more specific your target audience, the more accurate and actionable your research will be. Additionally, segment your audience if your research objectives involve studying different groups, such as current customers and potential leads.

If you already have existing customers, you can also hold conversations with them to better understand your target market. From there, you can refine your buyer personas and tailor your research methods accordingly.

3. Choose your research methods

Selecting the right research methods is crucial for gathering high-quality data. Start by considering the nature of your research objectives. If you’re exploring consumer preferences, surveys and interviews can provide valuable insights. For in-depth understanding, focus groups or observational research might be suitable. Consider using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a well-rounded perspective. 

You’ll also need to consider your budget. Think about what you can realistically achieve using the time and resources available to you. If you have a fairly generous budget, you may want to try a mix of primary and secondary research approaches. If you’re doing market research for a startup , on the other hand, chances are your budget is somewhat limited. If that’s the case, try addressing your goals with secondary research tools before investing time and effort in a primary research study. 

4. Use the right market research tools

Whether you’re conducting primary or secondary research, you’ll need to choose the right tools. These can help you do anything from sending surveys to customers to monitoring trends and analyzing data. Here are some examples of popular market research tools:

  • Market research software: Crunchbase is a platform that provides best-in-class company data, making it valuable for market research on growing companies and industries. You can use Crunchbase to access trusted, first-party funding data, revenue data, news and firmographics, enabling you to monitor industry trends and understand customer needs.

Market Research Graphic Crunchbase

  • Survey and questionnaire tools: SurveyMonkey is a widely used online survey platform that allows you to create, distribute and analyze surveys. Google Forms is a free tool that lets you create surveys and collect responses through Google Drive.
  • Data analysis software: Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are useful for conducting statistical analyses. SPSS is a powerful statistical analysis software used for data processing, analysis and reporting.
  • Social listening tools: Brandwatch is a social listening and analytics platform that helps you monitor social media conversations, track sentiment and analyze trends. Mention is a media monitoring tool that allows you to track mentions of your brand, competitors and keywords across various online sources.
  • Data visualization platforms: Tableau is a data visualization tool that helps you create interactive and shareable dashboards and reports. Power BI by Microsoft is a business analytics tool for creating interactive visualizations and reports.

5. Collect data

There’s an infinite amount of data you could be collecting using these tools, so you’ll need to be intentional about going after the data that aligns with your research goals. Implement your chosen research methods, whether it’s distributing surveys, conducting interviews or pulling from secondary research platforms. Pay close attention to data quality and accuracy, and stick to a standardized process to streamline data capture and reduce errors. 

6. Analyze data

Once data is collected, you’ll need to analyze it systematically. Use statistical software or analysis tools to identify patterns, trends and correlations. For qualitative data, employ thematic analysis to extract common themes and insights. Visualize your findings with charts, graphs and tables to make complex data more understandable.

If you’re not proficient in data analysis, consider outsourcing or collaborating with a data analyst who can assist in processing and interpreting your data accurately.

Enrich your database graphic

7. Interpret your findings

Interpreting your market research findings involves understanding what the data means in the context of your objectives. Are there significant trends that uncover the answers to your initial research questions? Consider the implications of your findings on your business strategy. It’s essential to move beyond raw data and extract actionable insights that inform decision-making.

Hold a cross-functional meeting or workshop with relevant team members to collectively interpret the findings. Different perspectives can lead to more comprehensive insights and innovative solutions.

8. Identify opportunities and challenges

Use your research findings to identify potential growth opportunities and challenges within your market. What segments of your audience are underserved or overlooked? Are there emerging trends you can capitalize on? Conversely, what obstacles or competitors could hinder your progress?

Lay out this information in a clear and organized way by conducting a SWOT analysis, which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Jot down notes for each of these areas to provide a structured overview of gaps and hurdles in the market.

9. Make informed business decisions

Market research is only valuable if it leads to informed decisions for your company. Based on your insights, devise actionable strategies and initiatives that align with your research objectives. Whether it’s refining your product, targeting new customer segments or adjusting pricing, ensure your decisions are rooted in the data.

At this point, it’s also crucial to keep your team aligned and accountable. Create an action plan that outlines specific steps, responsibilities and timelines for implementing the recommendations derived from your research. 

10. Monitor and adapt

Market research isn’t a one-time activity; it’s an ongoing process. Continuously monitor market conditions, customer behaviors and industry trends. Set up mechanisms to collect real-time data and feedback. As you gather new information, be prepared to adapt your strategies and tactics accordingly. Regularly revisiting your research ensures your business remains agile and reflects changing market dynamics and consumer preferences.

Online market research sources

As you go through the steps above, you’ll want to turn to trusted, reputable sources to gather your data. Here’s a list to get you started:

  • Crunchbase: As mentioned above, Crunchbase is an online platform with an extensive dataset, allowing you to access in-depth insights on market trends, consumer behavior and competitive analysis. You can also customize your search options to tailor your research to specific industries, geographic regions or customer personas.

Product Image Advanced Search CRMConnected

  • Academic databases: Academic databases, such as ProQuest and JSTOR , are treasure troves of scholarly research papers, studies and academic journals. They offer in-depth analyses of various subjects, including market trends, consumer preferences and industry-specific insights. Researchers can access a wealth of peer-reviewed publications to gain a deeper understanding of their research topics.
  • Government and NGO databases: Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and other institutions frequently maintain databases containing valuable economic, demographic and industry-related data. These sources offer credible statistics and reports on a wide range of topics, making them essential for market researchers. Examples include the U.S. Census Bureau , the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Pew Research Center .
  • Industry reports: Industry reports and market studies are comprehensive documents prepared by research firms, industry associations and consulting companies. They provide in-depth insights into specific markets, including market size, trends, competitive analysis and consumer behavior. You can find this information by looking at relevant industry association databases; examples include the American Marketing Association and the National Retail Federation .
  • Social media and online communities: Social media platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter (X) , forums such as Reddit and Quora , and review platforms such as G2 can provide real-time insights into consumer sentiment, opinions and trends. 

Market research examples

At this point, you have market research tools and data sources — but how do you act on the data you gather? Let’s go over some real-world examples that illustrate the practical application of market research across various industries. These examples showcase how market research can lead to smart decision-making and successful business decisions.

Example 1: Apple’s iPhone launch

Apple ’s iconic iPhone launch in 2007 serves as a prime example of market research driving product innovation in tech. Before the iPhone’s release, Apple conducted extensive market research to understand consumer preferences, pain points and unmet needs in the mobile phone industry. This research led to the development of a touchscreen smartphone with a user-friendly interface, addressing consumer demands for a more intuitive and versatile device. The result was a revolutionary product that disrupted the market and redefined the smartphone industry.

Example 2: McDonald’s global expansion

McDonald’s successful global expansion strategy demonstrates the importance of market research when expanding into new territories. Before entering a new market, McDonald’s conducts thorough research to understand local tastes, preferences and cultural nuances. This research informs menu customization, marketing strategies and store design. For instance, in India, McDonald’s offers a menu tailored to local preferences, including vegetarian options. This market-specific approach has enabled McDonald’s to adapt and thrive in diverse global markets.

Example 3: Organic and sustainable farming

The shift toward organic and sustainable farming practices in the food industry is driven by market research that indicates increased consumer demand for healthier and environmentally friendly food options. As a result, food producers and retailers invest in sustainable sourcing and organic product lines — such as with these sustainable seafood startups — to align with this shift in consumer values. 

The bottom line? Market research has multiple use cases and is a critical practice for any industry. Whether it’s launching groundbreaking products, entering new markets or responding to changing consumer preferences, you can use market research to shape successful strategies and outcomes.

Market research templates

You finally have a strong understanding of how to do market research and apply it in the real world. Before we wrap up, here are some market research templates that you can use as a starting point for your projects:

  • Smartsheet competitive analysis templates : These spreadsheets can serve as a framework for gathering information about the competitive landscape and obtaining valuable lessons to apply to your business strategy.
  • SurveyMonkey product survey template : Customize the questions on this survey based on what you want to learn from your target customers.
  • HubSpot templates : HubSpot offers a wide range of free templates you can use for market research, business planning and more.
  • SCORE templates : SCORE is a nonprofit organization that provides templates for business plans, market analysis and financial projections.
  • SBA.gov : The U.S. Small Business Administration offers templates for every aspect of your business, including market research, and is particularly valuable for new startups. 

Strengthen your business with market research

When conducted effectively, market research is like a guiding star. Equipped with the right tools and techniques, you can uncover valuable insights, stay competitive, foster innovation and navigate the complexities of your industry.

Throughout this guide, we’ve discussed the definition of market research, different research methods, and how to conduct it effectively. We’ve also explored various types of market research and shared practical insights and templates for getting started. 

Now, it’s time to start the research process. Trust in data, listen to the market and make informed decisions that guide your company toward lasting success.

Related Articles

example of marketing research report

  • Entrepreneurs
  • 15 min read

What Is Competitive Analysis and How to Do It Effectively

Rebecca Strehlow, Copywriter at Crunchbase

example of marketing research report

17 Best Sales Intelligence Tools for 2024

example of marketing research report

  • Market research
  • 10 min read

How to Do Market Research for a Startup: Tips for Success

Jaclyn Robinson, Senior Manager of Content Marketing at Crunchbase

Search less. Close more.

Grow your revenue with Crunchbase, the all-in-one prospecting solution. Start your free trial.

example of marketing research report

Osum

Get instant access to detailed competitive research, SWOT analysis, buyer personas, growth opportunities and more for any product or business at the push of a button, so that you can focus more on strategy and execution.

Table of contents, a comprehensive sample market research report.

  • 7 May, 2024

sample market research report

Importance of Market Research

Market research plays a vital role in the success of businesses, providing valuable insights that drive decision-making and strategy. It serves as a foundation for understanding consumer preferences, identifying market trends, and gaining a competitive advantage over other companies in the industry. Let’s explore the specific roles that market research plays in product development and establishing a competitive edge.

Role in Product Development

Market research is a critical component in the research and development phase of introducing new products or services. It helps companies determine the viability and potential success of their offerings by gathering opinions and feedback from consumers. By conducting market research, companies can define their target market, understand consumer needs and preferences, and identify opportunities for innovation.

Market research reports reveal characteristics of ideal customers, buying habits, product value, and top competitors, providing insights into the development of profitable new products or services. This information allows companies to tailor their offerings to meet consumer demands and expectations. By incorporating market research findings into the product development process, businesses can increase the likelihood of creating products that resonate with consumers and achieve market success.

Competitive Advantage

Understanding the market landscape and gaining a competitive edge are crucial for businesses to thrive. Market research helps companies maintain a competitive advantage by providing in-depth knowledge about their target market, customers, and competitors. By analyzing market research reports, businesses can gain insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and buying patterns.

Market research reports assist in identifying emerging trends, market gaps, and unmet consumer needs. Armed with this information, companies can position their products or services effectively, differentiate themselves from competitors, and develop marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience.

Market research also helps businesses monitor their competitors’ activities, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities for growth. By keeping a pulse on the market and consumer sentiment, companies can adapt their strategies, refine their offerings, and stay ahead of the competition.

By leveraging the insights gained from market research, businesses can make informed decisions, develop tailored products or services, and align their strategies with consumer needs. Market research reports serve as a crucial tool for assimilating information about target markets and prospective customers, enabling businesses to navigate the ever-evolving market landscape successfully.

To get a better understanding of what a market research report looks like, you can refer to an example market research report or explore a market research report template that can guide you in creating your own comprehensive report.

Types of Market Research

When conducting market research, there are two main types to consider: primary research and secondary research. Each type offers unique advantages and insights, allowing businesses to gather valuable information for informed decision-making.

Primary Research

Primary research involves collecting data directly from the source, such as through surveys, interviews, or observations. This type of research is tailored to specific research objectives and provides firsthand information ( Investopedia ).

Primary research methods include:

  • Surveys: Conducting surveys allows businesses to gather information from a targeted group of individuals. This can be done through online questionnaires, phone interviews, or in-person interactions.
  • Interviews: Interviews involve direct conversations with individuals or groups to gather insights, opinions, and feedback. They can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or through video calls.
  • Focus Groups: Focus groups bring together a small group of individuals to discuss and provide feedback on a specific product, service, or topic. A skilled moderator guides the discussion to gather valuable insights.
  • Observations: Observational research involves observing and documenting consumer behavior in real-time. This can be done through in-person observations or by utilizing technology to track online behavior.

Primary research is more time-consuming and expensive compared to secondary research, but it offers more specific and targeted insights. It allows businesses to gather data that is directly relevant to their research objectives, enabling them to make well-informed decisions.

Secondary Research

On the other hand, secondary research involves using existing data and sources to gather information ( Investopedia ). It includes analyzing data from government reports, industry publications, market studies, and other sources. Secondary research is quicker and less costly compared to primary research, but the data may not be as tailored to the research objectives ( Investopedia ).

Examples of secondary research sources include:

  • Government Reports: Government agencies often collect and publish data on various topics that can be relevant to market research. This can include demographic data, economic indicators, and industry-specific reports.
  • Industry Publications: Industry-specific magazines, journals, and reports provide valuable insights into market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor analysis.
  • Market Studies: Market research firms and organizations conduct studies and publish reports on specific industries, markets, or consumer segments. These reports can provide a wealth of information for businesses.
  • Online Databases: Online databases provide access to a wide range of information, including articles, research papers, and statistical data. These sources can be useful for gathering secondary research data.

By utilizing a combination of primary and secondary research methods, businesses can obtain a comprehensive understanding of their target market, consumer preferences, and industry trends. Primary research offers specific insights tailored to the research objectives, while secondary research provides a broader context and existing data to support decision-making.

For a practical example of a market research report, check out our market research report example . Additionally, if you’re looking for a template to help structure your market research report, our market research report template can serve as a useful resource.

Conducting Market Research

When it comes to conducting market research, there are various methods and techniques that can be employed to gather valuable insights. By utilizing these methods, companies can obtain a deeper understanding of their target market, consumer preferences, and industry trends. This section will explore the different methods of research and the benefits and insights they provide.

Methods of Research

Market research can be conducted through a range of methods, each offering its own advantages and limitations. Some common methods include:

Face-to-face interviews: This method involves directly engaging with individuals to gather information. It allows for in-depth discussions and the ability to observe non-verbal cues, providing rich qualitative data.

Focus groups: Focus groups bring together a small group of individuals to discuss specific topics or products. This method encourages group interaction and enables researchers to delve into participants’ opinions and attitudes.

Phone research: Conducting research via phone allows researchers to reach a wider audience. It is a cost-effective method that provides quick insights, but it may have limitations in terms of response rates and the inability to observe non-verbal cues.

Surveys: Surveys are an efficient way to collect data from a large number of participants. They can be conducted online, through email, or even in person, depending on the target audience. Surveys provide quantitative data that can be analyzed statistically.

Online research: With the advent of the internet, online research has become increasingly popular. It allows for quick and cost-effective data collection through various methods such as online surveys, social media listening, and data mining.

By employing a combination of these methods, researchers can gather a comprehensive set of data that caters to both qualitative and quantitative aspects. It is important to choose the most suitable method based on the research objectives, target audience, and available resources.

Benefits and Insights

Market research offers numerous benefits and provides valuable insights for businesses. Some key benefits include:

Understanding consumer preferences: Market research helps companies gain a deep understanding of consumer needs, preferences, and behaviors. This knowledge allows businesses to tailor their products and services to better meet customer expectations and increase customer satisfaction.

Product development: By conducting market research, companies can identify gaps in the market and develop new products or improve existing ones. Research provides insights into what features, functionalities, or improvements customers are looking for in a product or service.

Competitive advantage: Market research enables businesses to stay ahead of the competition by identifying market trends, monitoring competitor strategies, and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors. This information helps companies develop effective marketing strategies and differentiate themselves in the market.

Market sizing and forecasting: Through market research, companies can estimate the size of their target market and forecast future demand. This information is crucial for strategic planning, resource allocation, and assessing the potential profitability of a new product or service.

Identifying opportunities and risks: Market research helps businesses identify market opportunities and potential risks. By analyzing market trends, consumer behavior, and industry dynamics, companies can make informed decisions about market entry, expansion, or diversification.

Market research reports play a vital role in consolidating the findings from various research methods and presenting them in a structured format. These reports provide a comprehensive overview of the research conducted, including the purpose, methodology, data analysis, and key insights. By utilizing research data effectively and incorporating the insights gained, businesses can make informed decisions, drive growth, and stay ahead in the competitive marketplace.

For a sample market research report and insights on how to structure your own report, refer to our market research report example and market research report template .

Market Research Reports

Market research reports play a crucial role in providing valuable insights for businesses to make informed decisions. These reports reveal characteristics of ideal customers, buying habits, product value, and top competitors, allowing companies to understand their target markets better and spot business opportunities ( Growfusely ).

Purpose and Contents

The primary purpose of a market research report is to assimilate and present information about target markets and prospective customers. These reports help businesses observe patterns hidden in User Generated Content (UGC) on social media, analyze market trends, and identify competitive edges ( Growfusely ). They serve as a crucial tool for making calculated business decisions and formulating effective marketing strategies.

A comprehensive market research report typically includes the following contents:

Executive Summary : This section provides an overview of the research, highlighting key findings and insights.

Introduction : The introduction sets the stage by explaining the purpose and objectives of the research.

Methodology : This section outlines the research methods employed, including data collection techniques and sample size.

Market Overview : A market overview presents an analysis of the target market, including market size, growth rate, and trends.

Competitive Analysis : This section delves into the competitive landscape, identifying key competitors, their strengths, weaknesses, and market share.

Customer Analysis : Customer analysis focuses on understanding the target audience, their preferences, needs, and buying behaviors.

Product Analysis : Product analysis assesses the alignment of existing products or services with consumer needs and identifies opportunities for improvement or innovation.

Findings and Insights : Findings and insights derived from the research are presented in a structured manner, providing actionable recommendations for business strategies.

Utilizing Research Data

The data collected during market research holds immense value for businesses. It is essential to effectively utilize this data to derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions. Data analysis and interpretation have become increasingly important in the digital age due to the exponential growth in available data ( datapine ).

Interpreting market research data involves analyzing complex data sets to identify trends, patterns, and relationships that can inform strategic business decisions. By identifying these insights, companies can tailor their products or services to meet customer needs, identify competitive advantages, and optimize their business strategies.

Data-driven decision-making has proven to be highly beneficial. Companies that implement data-driven processes are, on average, 5% more productive and 6% more profitable ( datapine ). Data interpretation helps in anticipating market trends, understanding customer behavior, and achieving cost efficiency in business operations.

To make the most of research data, businesses should ensure data quality by collecting accurate and reliable information. It is important to use up-to-date data and employ appropriate data collection methods ( Growfusely ). By leveraging the insights gained from market research reports, companies can make well-informed decisions and stay ahead in the competitive landscape.

In conclusion, market research reports serve as invaluable tools for businesses, providing essential information about target markets, customers, and competitors. By utilizing the insights derived from these reports, companies can make data-driven decisions, tailor their products or services, and gain a competitive edge in their industry.

Challenges in Market Research

As valuable as market research is, it comes with its own set of challenges that can impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the insights obtained. Two common challenges faced in market research are data accuracy and adequacy and the need for technology and investments.

Data Accuracy and Adequacy

One of the fundamental challenges in market research is ensuring the accuracy and adequacy of the data collected. Outdated information or a lack of respondents can lead to incomplete or unreliable data, which can significantly impact the decision-making process. Poor data quality can result in misguided strategies and ineffective outcomes.

To address this challenge, market researchers must prioritize data quality and take steps to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data they collect. This can involve implementing automated data quality solutions to identify and rectify inconsistencies or errors in the data. According to a market research report, 31% of respondents identified an automated data quality solution as the most helpful innovation for addressing their business challenges in 2022 ( Qualtrics ).

Additionally, organizations should establish repeatable and robust data gathering and collection processes. This includes using analytics tools effectively, avoiding siloed processes, and fostering collaboration across teams. By having a unified platform and encouraging regular meetings or sessions, businesses can ensure that market research is integrated into the decision-making process and facilitate a culture of data-driven decision-making.

Technology and Investments

Technology plays a crucial role in market research, providing researchers with tools and platforms to collect and analyze data effectively. However, keeping up with the rapidly evolving technological landscape can be a challenge. Market researchers are increasingly investing in specialized market research technology to navigate the post-COVID-19 world. In fact, 67% of respondents reported increasing their investments in market research technology, with 77% considering these technologies critical to their organization’s success ( Qualtrics ).

Investing in technology allows market researchers to leverage automation, streamline processes, and access real-time data. It enables efficient data collection, analysis, and reporting, leading to quicker and more accurate insights. By adopting modern technology platforms, market research agencies and departments can differentiate themselves in a competitive market and deliver high-quality services to their clients.

However, investments in technology should be accompanied by careful financial management. Market research professionals should focus on optimizing costs and increasing efficiency. By automating manual and operational tasks, such as data processing, researchers can allocate more time to higher-value activities like research design and delivering actionable insights. This shift can lead to better financial management and the utilization of modern technology to drive success.

In conclusion, market research faces challenges related to data accuracy and adequacy as well as the need for technology and investments. Overcoming these challenges requires a focus on data quality, leveraging automation and technology, and efficiently managing financial resources. By addressing these challenges head-on, market researchers can enhance the reliability and impact of their research, helping businesses make informed decisions and drive growth.

Data Collection in Market Research

To ensure the accuracy and reliability of market research, data collection plays a crucial role. Collecting high-quality data is essential for obtaining meaningful insights and making informed decisions. In this section, we will explore the importance of data quality and the different types of data collection methods used in market research.

Importance of Data Quality

Data quality is of utmost importance in market research. Dependable data is necessary for statistical analysis and for brands to make well-supported decisions. High-quality data provides a solid foundation for drawing accurate conclusions and shaping effective strategies ( Kadence ).

To ensure data quality, researchers must focus on the following aspects:

Relevance : The collected data should align with the research objectives and address the research questions. Irrelevant data can lead to misleading or inconclusive results.

Accuracy : Data accuracy refers to the correctness and precision of the collected information. It is crucial to minimize errors and biases during data collection to maintain the integrity of the research.

Sufficiency : Sufficient data quantity is essential for generating meaningful insights and drawing reliable conclusions. Insufficient data can limit the depth of analysis and compromise the validity of the research findings.

By prioritizing data quality throughout the research process, marketers can ensure that their decisions are well-informed and supported by robust data.

Types of Data Collection

Market researchers employ various methods to collect data, including both primary and secondary data collection techniques.

Primary Data : Primary data is collected directly for the purpose of the research study at hand. This includes methods such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, and experiments. Primary data collection allows researchers to gather specific and tailored information relevant to their research objectives.

Secondary Data : Secondary data refers to existing data that has been collected and compiled by other researchers or organizations. It includes sources such as government reports, business analyses, polls, surveys, and NGO work. Secondary data collection is cost-effective and time-efficient, providing researchers with a broad range of data to analyze and compare.

Both primary and secondary data collection methods have their own strengths and limitations. Primary data collection enables researchers to gather firsthand information, but it can be time-consuming and expensive. On the other hand, secondary data collection offers a wealth of existing data, but it may not always precisely align with the research objectives.

In addition to these broad categories, data collection methods can be further classified into qualitative and quantitative research:

Qualitative Research : Qualitative research involves collecting non-numerical data, such as interview transcripts, video recordings, and survey responses. Methods like focus groups, interviews, and ethnography allow researchers to gain in-depth insights and understand the underlying motivations and perspectives of individuals or groups.

Quantitative Research : Quantitative research focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis. It involves methods such as closed-ended survey questions, mobile surveys, and Likert scales. Quantitative research enables researchers to make broader generalizations and predictions based on statistical analysis, providing a more comprehensive understanding of larger populations.

By employing a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, market researchers can gather rich and comprehensive data to support their analysis and decision-making processes.

Data collection is a critical step in the market research process, as it establishes the foundation for meaningful insights and actionable recommendations. By prioritizing data quality and utilizing appropriate data collection methods, marketing and sales teams can gain valuable insights to drive their business strategies forward.

Perform Deep Market Research In Seconds

Automate your competitor analysis and get market insights in moments

example of marketing research report

Create Your Account To Continue!

Automate your competitor analysis and get deep market insights in moments, stay ahead of your competition. discover new ways to unlock 10x growth., just copy and paste any url to instantly access detailed industry insights, swot analysis, buyer personas, sales prospect profiles, growth opportunities, and more for any product or business..

example of marketing research report

header-logo

What is a Marketing Research Report and How to Write It

blog-author

In essence, a market research report is a document that reveals the characteristics of your ideal customers, their buying habits, the value your product or service can bring to them, and the list of your top competitors.

The marketing research report paints a picture of what kinds of new products or services may be the most profitable in today’s highly competitive landscape. For products or services already available, a marketing research report can provide detailed insights as to whether they are meeting their consumers’ needs and expectations. It helps understand the reasons why consumers buy a particular product by studying consumer behavior, including how economic, cultural, societal, and personal factors influence that behavior.

Furthermore, the purpose of writing a marketing research report is to make calculated decisions about business ideas – whether they’re worth pursuing or not. This requires one primary skill which is observing the pattern which is hidden in the User Generated Content (UGC) written in different tones and perspectives on the social web.

Simply put, writing a market research report is a vital part of planning business activities and serves as a neat way to assimilate all the information about your target market and prospective customers.

Now, there are two key varieties of marketing research report formats – primary and secondary.

Primary vs. Secondary Market Research

Let’s take a look at the main recipes of how to make a market research report in detail:

Primary Research

This method of marketing research involves gathering firsthand information about your market and prospective clients. You study your customers directly by conducting:

  • Interviews (either by telephone or face-to-face)
  • Surveys and polls (online or by email)
  • Questionnaires (online or by email)
  • Focus groups discussions with a sample of potential customers and getting their direct feedback

Some crucial questions that you need to ask your prospective customers in your primary research are:

  • What are the factors that motivate you to purchase this product or service?
  • What do you like or dislike about this type of product or service already available on the market?
  • Are there any areas you’d like to suggest for improvement?
  • What according to you is the appropriate price for this product or service?

Primary research also involves analyzing competitors’ strategies, so you can find gaps and weaknesses that you can turn into your strengths.

Secondary Research

The second method of writing a marketing research report is all about analyzing the data that has already been published and using the available information on the web. That is, secondary research is done from reliable reports and statistics found on the websites of other organizations or authority blogs in your industry.

Sources can be:

  • Public: This includes all the free sources like social media and forums, Google Trends, YouGov, and government sources such as the United States Census Bureau.
  • Commercial: This includes industry insights compiled by research agencies like Pew, Gartner, Forrester, and so on. Typically, these are paid.
  • Internal: This is the historical market data your organization already has in-house, such as the Net Promoter Score, customer churn rate, and so on.

Secondary data can help you identify competitors, establish benchmarks, and determine target customer segments or demographics – people who live a certain lifestyle, their income and buying patterns, age group, location, etc.

Market Research Reports Advantages and Disadvantages

Before we discuss how to write a marketing research report, let’s quickly take a look at market research report benefits and also some of the limitations in marketing research reports.

Advantages of Market Research Report

Here are the top reasons why you should invest in creating a market research report.

1. Gives a Better Understanding of Your Customers

The answers to questions like who will buy your product, what are the customers’ pain points, what motivates their buying behavior, and so on will be effectively answered with a market research report. Essentially, it will help you map out the full profile of your ideal customer and consequently, allow you to create tailored products and marketing campaigns.

2. Helps Spot Business Opportunities

As already mentioned, market research will give you insights about your competitors’ strategies, so you can find gaps in their offerings that you can turn into your product’s strengths. You may also find other business opportunities such as potential partnerships with brands that sell complementary products, or an opportunity to better upsell or cross-sell your products. For example, a keyword research report from a SaaS SEO agency provides an opportunity to acquire organic search ranking by creating in-depth, high-converting, and funnel-oriented content.

3. Minimizes Risks

Starting or running a business is synonymous with risk. In fact, nearly half of all small businesses with employees don’t survive for more than five years. Conducting proper market research frequently will allow you to stay on top of trends, and not waste your efforts and resources in things that would likely be fruitless.

For instance, before you launch a new product, conducting market research gives you a much better idea of the demand for your product. Or if an existing product is seeing a big drop in sales, market research helps you determine the root cause of the issue.

4. Facilitates Data-Driven Decision Making

When it comes to business decisions – data over guesswork, always. So, based on your market research results, you can make more informed decisions regarding the pricing, distribution channels, and marketing budget of your products.

Disadvantages of Market Research Report

As with anything, there are a couple of downsides to conducting marketing research as well.

1. Could Be an Expensive Activity

Conducting a comprehensive, in-depth research is usually a costly activity in terms of both time and money. To research the right audience with the right questions requires you to invest a lot of time. If you wish to use data by commercial market research agencies or get help from one such agency in conducting primary research, be prepared to spend a substantial amount.

2. Insights Gathered Could Be Inadequate or Even Inaccurate

Another problem often faced in marketing research is a lack of respondents. While you can figure out who is your target audience, getting them to fill out surveys and questionnaires can indeed be challenging. Plus, you’re using data you collected for drawing conclusions, which may be unreliable.

For example, by the time you act on the data you collected, it may have become outdated. This translates into poor decision making and the whole process may become counterproductive.

How to Prepare Market Research Report

Now, here are some concrete steps and guidelines for writing a marketing research report.

Step 1: Cluster the Data

First off, compile all the relevant data you’ve accumulated from your primary and/or secondary research efforts. Survey results, interview answers, statistics from third-party sources – bring it all together and then analyze the information to sketch out the profile of your target market.

Step 2: Prepare an Outline

Next, create a skeleton of the report so that you understand what information will go where. An outline with sections and subsections will help you structure your marketing research report properly. A typical report includes an introduction, background and methodology, executive summary, results, and a conclusion with links to all references.

With an outline in front of you, start by writing the front matter of your report – an introduction that provides a brief overview of your business and the reason you conducted the market research. Include a summary of the market research process and the results you have analyzed. For instance, you might have been gauging the feasibility of a new product, so summarize that your market research report is for a new product launch.

Step 3: Mention the Research Methods

An important next step is to clearly mention the methods used to conduct the research. That is, if you conducted polls, specify the number of polls, the percentage of responses, the types of people or businesses targeted, and the questions included in the poll. Tag all the resources for demographic information, such as census data.

Step 4: Include Visuals With Narrative Explanation

Visuals such as charts and graphs are an important part of any research paper. They make sure that the findings are easy to comprehend.

So, create tables, graphs, and/or charts illustrating the results of the research. Accompany it with a narrative explanation of the visual data. Highlight the inferences you made based on this data.

Step 5: Conclude the Report With Recommendations

Finally, conclude your report with a section that lists actionable recommendations based on the research results to facilitate decision making. For example, all the numbers may point to the conclusion that your customers desire a particular feature that no other product on the market is currently offering. In this case, it is clear that it’s a good idea to invest your resources in providing that feature and gain a competitive edge.

At the very end of the report, include reference links to all the sources and an appendix for supplementary materials and further reading.

Marketing Research Report Templates

Before you go, check out some templates and samples you can use to better understand the marketing research report structure, and maybe even use them to kickstart your report instead of preparing one from scratch.

  • Market Research Report for New Product Launch
  • Market Research Report for Restaurant (competitor analysis)
  • Social Media Market Research Report

Writing a marketing research report is a tried-and-true way to gain a solid understanding of your target audience and competitors while enabling you to make more informed decisions and minimize investment risks. Sure, it may take considerable time, effort, and even money to conduct thorough research and prepare a report, but when done well, the ROI of it all is well worth it.

blog-author

Shahid Abbasi is a senior technical SEO and content marketing lead at Growfusely, a SaaS content marketing agency specializing in content and data-driven SEO.

Ready for SaaS tronomical organic growth?

Let's find out if we're the SaaS content marketing company you’re looking for.

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

  • Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

  • Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

  • Google Tag Manager
  • Infographics
  • Daily Infographics
  • Popular Templates
  • Accessibility
  • Graphic Design
  • Graphs and Charts
  • Data Visualization
  • Human Resources
  • Beginner Guides

Blog Marketing 15+ Marketing Report Examples with Templates

15+ Marketing Report Examples with Templates

Written by: Jennifer Gaskin Dec 12, 2023

Marketing Report Examples with Templates

If you’re a modern marketer, you probably live and die by your company’s KPIs, and you can probably talk in detail from memory about your monthly traffic. But communicating that information to others isn’t always so easy, which is why your team needs a stable of marketing report templates.

Learn more about what a marketing report template is, why you need one and why you’re missing the boat if you’re not including engaging visuals in your marketing reports. And when inspiration strikes, use Venngage’s report maker and marketing report templates to create a professional, informative marketing report for your company or agency.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a marketing report, what is the content of a marketing report, marketing report examples for informed decisions, what is the use of a marketing report, how do i write a marketing report, what makes a good marketing report.

A marketing report is a document that analyzes the performance of your marketing strategy or the success of marketing campaigns, and/or makes recommendations regarding potential future campaigns.

A marketing report presents an analysis of all the data gathered from a particular marketing strategy or campaign, measured against a predetermined set of goals and key performance indicators (KPI). From there, you can understand what works and what doesn’t, and learn about ways you can improve future marketing efforts.

It can be a one-pager like this one, which focuses on a company’s website traffic across different devices:

example of marketing research report

But it can also contain multiple pages, like this marketing report that analyzes the performance of marketing efforts in Q3 as well as next steps for Q4:

example of marketing research report

As we’ll explore later, there are many types of marketing reports, but most often, these reports include marketing metrics like traffic and engagement rates.

Like many other types of reports companies generate, the content of a marketing report typically extends to facts and data.

In this case, though, the facts and data are most often related to the marketing efforts a company is undertaking. They differ from, say, financial reports, which will typically focus on metrics like sales, expenditures and revenue.

And just as a financial report can be used to gauge the fiscal health of a company, a marketing report can be used to better understand the state of a firm’s marketing efforts and how they’re measured against KPIs, like in the example below:

example of marketing research report

The most common types of content in a marketing report include:

  • Projected outcomes
  • Campaign results
  • Impressions
  • User analysis
  • Recommendations

Of course, depending on the type of the report (which we’ll talk about in a second), the content can vary. Here’s an example of a quarterly marketing report that focuses on product sales and strategy:

example of marketing research report

Marketing reports have a wide range of uses, from keeping tabs on campaigns in nearly real-time to making recommendations about budget and strategy to better understanding users. The best use of a marketing report for your company will depend on what you’re hoping to get out of it.

Here are some good questions to ask before deciding what type of marketing report to use:

  • What marketing data do we collect?
  • How often do we collect it?
  • Who makes our marketing decisions?
  • What types of information will inform them best?
  • How much time do we have to review reports?

Generally, you can divide marketing reports into two broad types: data-driven and text-driven.

While both types should, of course, have both data and text, the difference is that in data-driven marketing reports, the numbers are the star. Conversely, with text-driven marketing reports, the purpose is analysis or recommendations.

Let’s look a bit closer at the differences:

Data-driven marketing reports

Digital marketing report.

In our internet age, digital marketing accounts for the lion’s share of the average company’s marketing spending. In fact, in 2021, one report found that digital marketing comprised 58 percent of marketing budgets — and it’s expected to grow by another 15 percent in 2022.

This template, based on our analysis of Hubspot data , is an excellent entry point for how your company can better visualize all types of information for your digital marketing report.

example of marketing research report

We partnered with HubSpot to create this report, containing up-to-date data on marketing trends and insights you all need to know for 2022. Want to see the full report? Download it for free here .

Social media marketing report

For most companies, social media is one of their most important ways to reach consumers. Social media reports can cover broad areas or specific campaign results — or they can do both.

This social media marketing report presents the performance of three different social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for a marketing campaign called “Make Someone Smile”:

example of marketing research report

If you want some more inspiration, here’s another social media report template for the same campaign. This particular one focuses on the planning phase of the campaign, as it talks about the objectives, the target audience, as well as the actual strategy:

example of marketing research report

You can certainly use both templates to plan and report on the performance of your social media marketing campaigns!

Monthly marketing report

Marketing isn’t a one-time, set-it-and-forget-it prospect, so having several templates on hand that can help your company track metrics in close to real-time is important.

Consider using a monthly marketing report template like this one, which is ideal for companies that need to get better insight into their user base.

example of marketing research report

Email marketing report

Email continues to be a critical channel for marketers, and email marketing reports are a necessity for modern teams. Given the plethora of metrics related to email marketing , it’s even more important for these types of marketing reports to be straightforward and simple to understand. Lots of email marketing tools like  HubSpot  or Mailchimp will come with built in marketing reports included in their platform.

example of marketing research report

Weekly marketing report

While this template was created for a sales team, it’s perfectly applicable on the marketing side of operations as well. Using this type of template for your marketing team is an excellent way to make sure your colleagues (and executives) take note of important metrics as they occur.

example of marketing research report

SEO marketing report

Search engine optimization is one of the services most commonly offered by marketing agencies, teams and departments, so being able to chart things like organic traffic and engagement with charts like those in this report is crucial.

example of marketing research report

Did you know we did a survey about the role of visuals in content marketing? Check out the results of the survey here.

Marketing KPIs report

As they say in sports, stats don’t lie, and marketing teams often live and die by KPIs. Use a template like this to visualize how your campaigns are going on various channels and how well you are engaging with users.

Social Media Monthly Marketing Report

Marketing statistics

In addition to keeping tabs on how successful your company is in marketing itself on a weekly or monthly basis, the concept of marketing itself can be the subject of a marketing report, such as in this example, which shares a series of marketing statistics.

example of marketing research report

Text-driven marketing reports

Marketing research report.

When your marketing report doesn’t need to focus on rapidly changing metrics, consider a template like this one that will allow you to dig into the WHY of your numbers, telling data-driven stories that can help your company’s decision-makers chart the best course for the company.

example of marketing research report

Learn more about using data to tell a story about your brand .

Marketing analytics report

Marketing analytics reports can be in-depth, as the previous example, or they can be short and sweet, sharing a few key metrics but focusing largely on taking the reader through the information with well-placed analysis.

example of marketing research report

Marketing strategies report

Whether you’re a consultant or an internal worker, marketing strategies reports can help you explain why you think a certain strategy or tactic is best. Use this template to sell your services or sell your higher-ups on a bigger budget or emergence into a new channel.

example of marketing research report

Marketing agency report

Marketing agency reports can also help your company establish its thought leadership in your space. Take a page from this template and forecast trends in your field or make a policy recommendation by creating a whitepaper.

example of marketing research report

Team marketing report

Use this project status template as a team marketing report to keep your department on track. Particularly if your marketing team is remote, ensuring everyone is working toward the same goal on the correct pace is critical. If you’re launching a new campaign, a template like this can help everyone visualize what’s to come.

example of marketing research report

Some marketing reports will be almost entirely data, meaning you won’t have to write much at all. Others can be very heavy on text, including analysis and recommendations.

A good rule of thumb, though, even if your marketing report does rely heavily on data is to make sure that each chart or table is clearly explained with a small header, usually above the chart. Here’s an example of how that looks:

example of marketing research report

Depending on its purpose, you could also provide more analysis or key takeaways within the body of your marketing report:

Mobile App Market Segment Report - Overview Analysis

The easiest way would be to choose the type of marketing reports you want to create, pick a template of that type and edit using the existing content! If you want to make your marketing report reflect your brand, you can add your brand colors and logos using Autobrand:

And apply all branding elements to the report using My Brand Kit :

Regardless of whether it’s data-driven or text-driven, a good marketing report should tell you something you didn’t already know. In the context of a company or marketing team, that means providing insight about your marketing campaigns.

For example, if you’re creating a marketing report for your colleagues, they may already know that a certain social media channel is your most successful, so simply reporting those numbers may not do much good. A truly useful marketing report will help them make mental connections. That could mean showing that the previously mentioned channel has had a certain number of weeks of growth or decline, or some other useful insight.

Wisely using visuals can help in this effort. That’s because the human brain processes things like charts and graphs more quickly and more effectively than text.

This marketing report about user demographics, for example, can give readers information in the blink of an eye that they would need to read paragraphs of content to understand.

example of marketing research report

And even if they understood it intellectually, visualizing data can make information more memorable, and in the context of a fast-paced marketing department, making information sticky is critical. Related: 20 Professional Report Cover Page Examples & Templates [100% Customizable]

In summary: Marketing reports can tell you where your company sits in the minds of consumers — and where you need to go.

There’s no shortage of marketing data generated by the average company over the course of a day. In fact, in the time it’s taken you to read this post, your KPIs have probably changed a little bit. Harness the power of data visualization and analysis to enable better decision-making in your company.

You can easily create a marketing report using Venngage’s easy-to-edit templates . It’s free to get started.

Discover popular designs

example of marketing research report

Infographic maker

example of marketing research report

Brochure maker

example of marketing research report

White paper online

example of marketing research report

Newsletter creator

example of marketing research report

Flyer maker

example of marketing research report

Timeline maker

example of marketing research report

Letterhead maker

example of marketing research report

Mind map maker

example of marketing research report

Ebook maker

Market Research: A How-To Guide and Template

Discover the different types of market research, how to conduct your own market research, and use a free template to help you along the way.

mkt-research-cover

MARKET RESEARCH KIT

5 Research and Planning Templates + a Free Guide on How to Use Them in Your Market Research

buyers-journey-guide_3

Published: 02/21/24

Today's consumers have a lot of power. As a business, you must have a deep understanding of who your buyers are and what influences their purchase decisions.

Enter: Market Research.

→ Download Now: Market Research Templates [Free Kit]

Whether you're new to market research or not, I created this guide to help you conduct a thorough study of your market, target audience, competition, and more. Let’s dive in.

Table of Contents

What is market research?

Primary vs. secondary research, types of market research, how to do market research, market research report template, market research examples.

Market research is the process of gathering information about your target market and customers to verify the success of a new product, help your team iterate on an existing product, or understand brand perception to ensure your team is effectively communicating your company's value effectively.

Market research can answer various questions about the state of an industry. But if you ask me, it's hardly a crystal ball that marketers can rely on for insights on their customers.

Market researchers investigate several areas of the market, and it can take weeks or even months to paint an accurate picture of the business landscape.

However, researching just one of those areas can make you more intuitive to who your buyers are and how to deliver value that no other business is offering them right now.

How? Consider these two things:

  • Your competitors also have experienced individuals in the industry and a customer base. It‘s very possible that your immediate resources are, in many ways, equal to those of your competition’s immediate resources. Seeking a larger sample size for answers can provide a better edge.
  • Your customers don't represent the attitudes of an entire market. They represent the attitudes of the part of the market that is already drawn to your brand.

The market research services market is growing rapidly, which signifies a strong interest in market research as we enter 2024. The market is expected to grow from roughly $75 billion in 2021 to $90.79 billion in 2025 .

example of marketing research report

Free Market Research Kit

  • SWOT Analysis Template
  • Survey Template
  • Focus Group Template

Download Free

All fields are required.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Why do market research?

Market research allows you to meet your buyer where they are.

As our world becomes louder and demands more of our attention, this proves invaluable.

By understanding your buyer's problems, pain points, and desired solutions, you can aptly craft your product or service to naturally appeal to them.

Market research also provides insight into the following:

  • Where your target audience and current customers conduct their product or service research
  • Which of your competitors your target audience looks to for information, options, or purchases
  • What's trending in your industry and in the eyes of your buyer
  • Who makes up your market and what their challenges are
  • What influences purchases and conversions among your target audience
  • Consumer attitudes about a particular topic, pain, product, or brand
  • Whether there‘s demand for the business initiatives you’re investing in
  • Unaddressed or underserved customer needs that can be flipped into selling opportunity
  • Attitudes about pricing for a particular product or service

Ultimately, market research allows you to get information from a larger sample size of your target audience, eliminating bias and assumptions so that you can get to the heart of consumer attitudes.

As a result, you can make better business decisions.

To give you an idea of how extensive market research can get , consider that it can either be qualitative or quantitative in nature — depending on the studies you conduct and what you're trying to learn about your industry.

Qualitative research is concerned with public opinion, and explores how the market feels about the products currently available in that market.

Quantitative research is concerned with data, and looks for relevant trends in the information that's gathered from public records.

That said, there are two main types of market research that your business can conduct to collect actionable information on your products: primary research and secondary research.

Primary Research

Primary research is the pursuit of first-hand information about your market and the customers within your market.

It's useful when segmenting your market and establishing your buyer personas.

Primary market research tends to fall into one of two buckets:

  • Exploratory Primary Research: This kind of primary market research normally takes place as a first step — before any specific research has been performed — and may involve open-ended interviews or surveys with small numbers of people.
  • Specific Primary Research: This type of research often follows exploratory research. In specific research, you take a smaller or more precise segment of your audience and ask questions aimed at solving a suspected problem.

Secondary Research

Secondary research is all the data and public records you have at your disposal to draw conclusions from (e.g. trend reports, market statistics, industry content, and sales data you already have on your business).

Secondary research is particularly useful for analyzing your competitors . The main buckets your secondary market research will fall into include:

  • Public Sources: These sources are your first and most-accessible layer of material when conducting secondary market research. They're often free to find and review — like government statistics (e.g., from the U.S. Census Bureau ).
  • Commercial Sources: These sources often come in the form of pay-to-access market reports, consisting of industry insight compiled by a research agency like Pew , Gartner , or Forrester .
  • Internal Sources: This is the market data your organization already has like average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and other historical data that can help you draw conclusions on buyer needs.
  • Focus Groups
  • Product/ Service Use Research
  • Observation-Based Research
  • Buyer Persona Research
  • Market Segmentation Research
  • Pricing Research
  • Competitive Analysis Research
  • Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research
  • Brand Awareness Research
  • Campaign Research

1. Interviews

Interviews allow for face-to-face discussions so you can allow for a natural flow of conversation. Your interviewees can answer questions about themselves to help you design your buyer personas and shape your entire marketing strategy.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups provide you with a handful of carefully-selected people that can test out your product and provide feedback. This type of market research can give you ideas for product differentiation.

3. Product/Service Use Research

Product or service use research offers insight into how and why your audience uses your product or service. This type of market research also gives you an idea of the product or service's usability for your target audience.

4. Observation-Based Research

Observation-based research allows you to sit back and watch the ways in which your target audience members go about using your product or service, what works well in terms of UX , and which aspects of it could be improved.

5. Buyer Persona Research

Buyer persona research gives you a realistic look at who makes up your target audience, what their challenges are, why they want your product or service, and what they need from your business or brand.

6. Market Segmentation Research

Market segmentation research allows you to categorize your target audience into different groups (or segments) based on specific and defining characteristics. This way, you can determine effective ways to meet their needs.

7. Pricing Research

Pricing research helps you define your pricing strategy . It gives you an idea of what similar products or services in your market sell for and what your target audience is willing to pay.

8. Competitive Analysis

Competitive analyses give you a deep understanding of the competition in your market and industry. You can learn about what's doing well in your industry and how you can separate yourself from the competition .

9. Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research

Customer satisfaction and loyalty research gives you a look into how you can get current customers to return for more business and what will motivate them to do so (e.g., loyalty programs , rewards, remarkable customer service).

10. Brand Awareness Research

Brand awareness research tells you what your target audience knows about and recognizes from your brand. It tells you about the associations people make when they think about your business.

11. Campaign Research

Campaign research entails looking into your past campaigns and analyzing their success among your target audience and current customers. The goal is to use these learnings to inform future campaigns.

  • Define your buyer persona.
  • Identify a persona group to engage.
  • Prepare research questions for your market research participants.
  • List your primary competitors.
  • Summarize your findings.

1. Define your buyer persona.

You have to understand who your customers are and how customers in your industry make buying decisions.

This is where your buyer personas come in handy. Buyer personas — sometimes referred to as marketing personas — are fictional, generalized representations of your ideal customers.

Use a free tool to create a buyer persona that your entire company can use to market, sell, and serve better.

example of marketing research report

9 Best Marketing Research Methods to Know Your Buyer Better [+ Examples]

SWOT Analysis: How To Do One [With Template & Examples]

SWOT Analysis: How To Do One [With Template & Examples]

28 Tools & Resources for Conducting Market Research

28 Tools & Resources for Conducting Market Research

What is a Competitive Analysis — and How Do You Conduct One?

What is a Competitive Analysis — and How Do You Conduct One?

TAM, SAM & SOM: What Do They Mean & How Do You Calculate Them?

TAM, SAM & SOM: What Do They Mean & How Do You Calculate Them?

How to Run a Competitor Analysis [Free Guide]

How to Run a Competitor Analysis [Free Guide]

5 Challenges Marketers Face in Understanding Audiences [New Data + Market Researcher Tips]

5 Challenges Marketers Face in Understanding Audiences [New Data + Market Researcher Tips]

Causal Research: The Complete Guide

Causal Research: The Complete Guide

Total Addressable Market (TAM): What It Is & How You Can Calculate It

Total Addressable Market (TAM): What It Is & How You Can Calculate It

What Is Market Share & How Do You Calculate It?

What Is Market Share & How Do You Calculate It?

Free Guide & Templates to Help Your Market Research

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

The Ultimate Guide to Market Research [+Free Templates]

A comprehensive guide on Market Research with tools, examples of brands winning with research, and templates for surveys, focus groups + presentation template.

Rakefet Yacoby From

Rakefet is the CMO at Mayple. She manages all things marketing and leads our community of experts through live events, workshops, and expert interviews. MBA, 1 dog + 2 cats, and has an extensive collection of Chinese teas.

Learn about our

Natalie Stenge

Natalie is a content writer and manager who is passionate about using her craft to empower others. She thrives on team dynamic, great coffee, and excellent content. One of these days, she might even get to her own content ideas.

Updated February 26, 2024.

The Ultimate Guide to Market Research [+Free Templates] main image

Before you do anything in business you have to have a good grasp of the market. What’s the market like? Who are your competitors? And what are the pain points and challenges of your ideal customer? And how can you solve them? Once you have the answers to those questions then you are ready to move forward with a marketing plan and/or hire a digital marketing agency to execute it.

In this guide we break down what market research is, the different types of market research, and provide you with some of the best templates, tools, and examples, to help you execute it on your own.

Excited to learn?

Let’s dive in.

What is market research?

Market research is the process of gathering information about your target market and customers to determine the success of your product or service, make changes to your existing product, or understand the perception of your brand in the market.

“Research is formalized curiosity, it is poking and prying with a purpose.” - Zora Neale Hurston

We hear the phrase "product-market fit" all the time and that just means that a product solves a customer's need in the market. And it's very hard to get there without proper market research. Now, I know what you're going to say. Why not get actionable insights from your existing customers? Why not do some customer research?

The problem with customer research is two-fold:

  • You have a very limited amount of data as your current customers don't represent the entire market.
  • Customer research can introduce a lot of bias into the process.

So the real way to solve these issues is by going broader and conducting some market research.

Why do market research?

There are many benefits of doing market research for your company. Here are a few of them:

  • Understand how much demand exists in the market, the market size
  • Discover who your competitors are and where they are falling short.
  • Better understand the needs of your target customers and the problems and pain points your product solves.
  • Learn what your potential customers feel about your brand.
  • Identify potential partners and new markets and opportunities.
  • Determine which product features you should develop next.
  • Find out what your ideal customer is thinking and feeling.
  • Use these findings to improve your brand strategy and marketing campaigns.

“The goal is to transform data into information, and information into insight.” - Carly Fiorina

Market research allows you to make better business decisions at every stage of your business and helps you launch better products and services for your customers.

Primary vs secondary research

There are two main types of market research - primary and secondary research.

primary-vs-secondary-research

Primary research

Primary market research is when researchers collect information directly, instead of relying on outside sources of information. It could be done through interviews, online surveys, or focus groups and the advantage here is that the company owns that information. The disadvantage of using primary sources of information is that it's usually more expensive and time-consuming than secondary market research.

Secondary research

Secondary market research involves using existing data that is summarized and collected by third parties. Secondary sources could be commercial sources or public sources like libraries, other websites, blogs , government agencies, and existing surveys. It's data that's more readily available and it's usually much cheaper than conducting primary research.

Qualitative vs quantitative research

Qualitative research is about gathering qualitative data like the market sentiment about the products currently available on the market (read: words and meanings). Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics. It's data that is numbers-based, countable, and measurable.

Types of market research

1. competitive analysis.

Every business needs to know its own strengths and weaknesses and how they compare with its largest competitors in the market. It helps brands identify gaps in the market, develop new products and services, uncover market trends, improve brand positioning , and increase their market share. A SWOT analysis is a good framework to use for this type of research.

SWOT-analysis

2. Consumer insights

It's also equally important to know what consumers are thinking, what the most common problems are and what products they are purchasing. Consumer research can be done through social listening which involves tracking consumer conversations on social media. It could also include analyzing audiences of brands , online communities, and influencers, and analyzing trends in the market.

3. Brand awareness research

Brand awareness is a super important metric for understanding how well your target audience knows your brand. It's used to assess brand performance and the marketing effectiveness of a brand. It tells you about the associations consumers make when they think of your brand and what they believe you're all about.

brand-awareness-stats

4. Customer satisfaction research

 Customer satisfaction and loyalty are two really important levers for any business and you don't have to conduct in-depth interviews to get that information. There is a wide range of automated methods to get that kind of data including customer surveys such as NPS surveys, customer effort score (CES) surveys, and regularly asking your customers about their experience with your brand.

5. Customer segmentation research

 Customer segmentation research involves figuring out what buckets consumers fall into based on common characteristics such as - demographics, interests, purchasing behavior, and more. Market segmentation is super helpful for advertising campaigns, product launches, and customer journey mapping.

buyer-persona

6. Interviews

Customer interviews are one of the most effective market research methods out there. It's a great way for business owners to get first-party data from their customers and get insights into how they are doing in real time.

7. Focus groups

Focus groups are a great way to get data on a specific demographic. It's one of the most well-known data collection methods and it involves taking a sample size of people and asking them some open-ended questions. It's a great way to get actionable insights from your target market.

8. Pricing research

 Pricing strategy has a huge influence on business growth and it's critical for any business to know how they compare with the leading brands in their niche. It can help you understand what your target customer is willing to pay for your product and at what price you should be selling it.

To start, get automated software to track your competitors' pricing . Then, summarize your research into a report and group the results based on product attributes and other factors. You can use quadrants to make it easier to read visually.

9. Campaign research

It's also important for a brand to research its past marketing campaigns to determine the results and analyze their success. It takes a lot of experimentation to nail the various aspects of a campaign and it's crucial for business leaders to continuously analyze and iterate.

10. Product/service use research

Product or user research gives you an idea of why and how an audience uses a product and gives you data about specific features. Studies show that usability testing is ranked among the most useful ways to discover user insights (8.7 out of 10), above digital analytics and user surveys. So it's a very effective way to measure the usability of a product.

Now that you know the different types of market research let's go through a step-by-step process of setting up your study.

How to conduct a market research study

Looking for your next business idea? Want to check which niche markets are going to be best for it? if it's going to Here's a pretty simple process for conducting

1. Define your buyer persona

The first step in market research is to understand who your buyers are. For that, you need a buyer persona (sometimes called a marketing persona) which is a fictional generalized description of your target customer. You could (and should) have several buyer personas to work with.

buyer-persona-template

Key characteristics to include in your buyer personas are:

  • Job title(s)
  • Family size
  • Major challenges

Now that you've got your customer personas it's time to decide who to work with for your research.

2. Identify the right people to engage with

It's critical that you pick the right group of people to research. This could make or break your market research study. It's important to pick a representative sample that most closely resembles your target customer. That way you'll be able to identify their actual characteristics, challenges, pain points, and buying behavior.

Here are a few strategies that will help you pick the right people:

  • Select people who have recently interacted with you
  • Pull a list of participants who made a recent purchase
  • Call for participants on social media
  • Leverage your own network
  • Gather a mix of participants
  • Offer an incentive (gift card, product access, content upgrades)

3. Pick your data collection method(s)

Here's a quick breakdown of all the different ways you could collect data for your market research study.

Surveys are by far the fastest method of gathering data. You could launch them on your site or send them in an email and automate the whole process. Regular surveys can also help brands improve their customer service so they help kill two birds with one stone.

market-research-survey-template

Interviews take a little longer and require a detailed set of interview questions. Never go into an interview without a clear idea of what you're going to be asking. It's also a little more difficult to schedule time and to get your potential or current customers on the phone or on Zoom.

Focus group

Focus groups are controlled interviews with groups of people led by facilitators. Participants in focus groups are selected based on a set of predetermined criteria such as location, age, social status, income, and more.

focus-group-template

Online tracking

Online tracking is done through digital analytics tools like HotJar or Google Analytics. Tracking user behavior on your site gets you an accurate analysis of who your demographic is and what are the types of products or content that they engage with.

The problem here is that you never get to find out the 'why' - the reason behind their behavior - and that's why you need to combine digital analytics with other data collection methods like surveys and usability/product testing.

Marketing analysis

Another great way to collect data is to analyze your marketing campaigns which gives you a great idea of who clicked on your ads, how often, and which device they used. It's a more focused way of using tracking to zero in on a specific marketing campaign.

Social media monitoring

We've talked about this one before. Social monitoring or listening is when you track online conversations on social media platforms. You can use a simple social listening tool to get all the data you need by searching for specific keywords, hashtags, or topics.

social-media-monitoring-tool

Subscription and registration data

Another great way to collect data is to look at your existing audience. That might include your email list, rewards program, or existing customers. Depending on the size of your list, it could give you some broad insights into the type of customers/users you have and what they are most interested in.

Monitoring in-store traffic

Conduct a customer observation session to monitor your actual customers and how they behave in your store (physically or online). Observation is a market research technique where highly-trained market researchers observe how people or consumers interact with products/services in a natural setting.

4. Prepare your research questions

Write down your research questions before you conduct the research. Make sure you cover all the topics that you are trying to gain clarity on and include open-ended questions. The type of questions you use will vary depending on your data collection approach from the last step.

If you're doing a survey or an in-person interview then here are some of the best questions to ask.

The awareness stage

  • How did you know that something in this product category could help you?
  • Think back to the time you first realized you needed [product category]. What was your challenge?
  • How familiar were you with different options on the market?

The consideration stage

  • Where did you go to find out the information?
  • What was the first thing you did to research potential solutions?
  • Did you search on Google? What specifically did you search for? Which keywords did you use?
  • Which vendor sites did you visit?
  • What did you find helpful? What turned you off?

The decision stage

  • Which criteria did you use to compare different vendors?
  • What vendors made it to the shortlist and what were the pros/cons of each?
  • Who else was involved in the final decision?
  • Allow time for further questions on their end.
  • Don't forget to thank them for their time and confirm their email/address to receive the incentive you offered

If you noticed, the progression of these questions follows the stages of the buyer's journey which helps you to gain actionable insights into the entire customer experience.

5. List your primary competitors

There are two kinds of competitors - industry competitors and content competitors. Industry competitors compete with you on the actual product or service they sell. Content competitors compete with you in terms of the content they publish - whether that's on specific keywords or they rank higher on topics that you want to be ranked for.

It's important to write a list of all of your competitors and compare their strengths, weaknesses, competitive advantages, and the type of content they publish.

There are different ways to find your competitors. You can look on sites like G2 Crowd and check their industry quadrants.

digital-analytics-quadrant-G2-Crowd

You could also download a market report from Forrester or Gartner . And you could also search on social media or market research tools like SimilarWeb .

6. Summarize your findings

Now that you've done your research it's time to summarize your findings. Look for common themes in your research and try to present them in the simplest way possible. Use your favorite presentation software to document it and add it to your company database.

Here's a quick research outline you could use:

Background - your goals and why you conducted this study

Participants - who you've talked to. Break down the type of personas and/or customers you've spoken with.

Executive summary - what was the most interesting stuff you've learned? What do you plan to do about it?

Customer journey map - map out the specific motivations and behavioral insights you've gained from each stage of the customer journey (awareness, consideration, and decision).

Action plan - describe what action steps you're going to take to address the issues you've uncovered in your research and how you are going to promote your product/service to your target audience more effectively.

Market research template

Not sure where to begin? Need some templates to help you get started? We got them for you.

1. Market survey template

First and foremost, you need a template to run your market survey. In this template, you will find all the types of questions you should be asking - demographic, product, pricing, and brand questions. They can be used for market surveys, individual interviews, and focus groups.

We also present a variety of question formats for you to use:

  • true/false questions
  • multiple choice questions
  • open response questions

2. SWOT analysis template

A strength, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is one of the best ways to do competitor research. It's a really simple analysis. There are four squares and you write down all four of these attributes for each of your competitors.

3. Focus group template

Not sure how to conduct focus groups? Here is a comprehensive template that will help you to take better notes and record your findings during the focus group meeting.

4. Marketing strategy template

The plan of action from your market research should become a vital part of your marketing strategy. We've actually created a marketing strategy template that you could download and use to update your marketing personas, your SWOT analysis, and your marketing channel strategies.

Market research examples

Here are some examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly in market research. Some brands thrive on research and some ignore it completely. Take a look.

McDonald's

McDonald’s sells its food in 97 countries around the world. Their secret? They do a lot of market research before they launch anything. The company uses four key questions in their research process:

  • Which products are performing well?
  • What prices are most affordable to customers?
  • What are consumers reading and watching?
  • What content do they consume?
  • Which restaurants are most attended, and why?

They also extensively use customer feedback to improve their products. They even put some products up for a vote to see which ones are most loved by their customers.

mcdonalds-ad-last-chance

The iconic coffee brand is valued at almost $30 billion and has over 30,000 coffee shops around the world and part of that success comes from their obsession with customer service. They launched a brilliant idea called “My Starbucks Idea” to try and make the customer feel a part of the journey.

It was an open innovation platform where customers could post their idea for a new coffee drink or food item and if it was good a company representative would actually reach out to them. It had a leaderboard and every year the company would develop some of these ideas.

In 2012, Starbucks launched 73 coffee products from ideas they received from customers. Cake pops and pumpkin spice lattes were born out of this platform, all thanks to market research. Can you imagine a world without pumpkin spice lattes?

my-starbucks-idea-infographic

For all its innovation Facebook had an epic market research failure. In 2013, Facebook partnered with HTC to launch a smartphone called First. It had Facebook’s interface on its home screen and that was a really jarring change for most people. Instead of taking you to a home screen with your favorite apps, Facebook really took center stage.

To be fair, you could turn it off and get a regular Android home window but that would be missing the entire reason you bought the phone in the first place. So it was a complete mismatch to consumers’ wants and the phone flopped.

Turns out, that nobody wanted to see Facebook when they first opened their phone 😅.

example of marketing research report

Bloom & Wild

Bloom & Wild is a UK flower delivery brand that was looking for their next campaign. They did some research and found out that people think red roses are cliche and prefer to buy something else as a gift on Valentine’s Day. So the brand chose not to sell roses for Valentine’s Day 2021 and made it into a “No Roses Campaign”.

The results - they saw a 51% increase in press coverage year after year.

bloom-and-wild-no-roses-campaign

Top tools used for market research

Here are some of the top market research and digital analytics tools you should try out for your next research project.

Answer the Public

Answer the public is a free market research tool that helps marketers figure out what questions people ask online. It's really easy to use. You put in a keyword or topic and it spits out a whole variety of questions and subtopics.

example of marketing research report

Spyfu is a search engine analytics platform that gives you data on where your competitors get their traffic from. It provides info on the kind of both organic traffic and PPC channels down to the specific keywords people used to find each site. It's a great tool to use to map the competitive landscape.

SpyFu

Think with Google

This is an online publication from Google's team where they publish consumer insights from real-time data and their own insights. It uses Google Analytics but presents it to you as a library of information. You can find industry data on a whole array of businesses from educational institutions to counseling services.

example of marketing research report

Want to do the most extensive market research possible? Use SimilarWeb. It's a competitive analysis and data tool that provides you with literally everything you need.

It has data on:

  • Digital marketing data - SEO, traffic, advertising
  • Economic trends - economic indicators like annual growth rate, audience, benchmarking
  • eCommerce, investing, and even sales data

similarweb

BuzzSumo is a great tool to use to get actionable insights from social media and content marketing. It aggregates data from various social media channels and shows you the type of content that users engage with and share on their pages.

buzzsumo

Typeform is a survey tool that can help you make surveys and fun interactive forms. It's a great tool to use to make your forms more engaging for your audience. The tool has a bunch of easy templates and a ton of integrations to help you visualize that data and share it with your team.

typeform

Latana is a brand research tool that helps you understand consumer perception of your brand over time. It helps you answer some key questions about the type of values your customers have, and the type of audiences your competitors are targeting and helps you to focus your campaigns on the right audience for your business.

Latana-brand-tracking

Statista is one of the most popular consumer data platforms around. It has a wealth of information about consumer markets, business conditions, and industry trends around the world. It's easier to use than most business publications because it aggregates all the data you need in one place. The downside is that it's a little pricy but perfect for teams that have the budget for it.

statista

Dimensions.ai

Dimensions is a search engine for academic publications. It is a great resource if you're looking for deeper insights into things like psychology, micro and macroeconomics, and business trends. A lot of the articles are free to view just make sure you select the " All OA " option which stands for Open Access research.

Dimensions-ai

Otter is an AI-powered transcription software for interviews and meetings. It sits in the background and transcribes your meeting for you and then provides you with a digitized conversation that can be stored, search for specific keywords, and analyzed. It's a great tool to use for doing interviews.

otter-ai

Yelp is a search engine for reviews of local businesses. It's one of the best sources of opinions about a whole variety of products and services. It's a great place to get ideas about the kind of interview questions you want to ask, to find out the pain points of your ideal customer, and to find deeper insights into your target audience.

yelp

You have to conduct your market research regularly if you want to see significant results. Try the different methods that we’ve outlined, see what works for you, and remember to keep your team’s focus on the customer. The more knowledgeable they are of your target customer’s needs and wants the better your targeting and marketing strategy will be.

Related Articles

[Interview] Chase Dimond on Email Marketing Best Practices for Ecommerce

Rakefet Yacoby From

[Interview] Chase Dimond on Email Marketing Best Practices for Ecommerce

19 Best Ecommerce Courses You Should Try in {year}

Daniel Madrid Spitz

19 Best Ecommerce Courses You Should Try in 2024

15 Digital Marketing Service Red Flags Businesses should know About

Omer Farkash

15 Digital Marketing Service Red Flags Businesses should know About

Marketing Strategy: What It Is, How to Create the Best One for {year}

Marketing Strategy: What It Is, How to Create the Best One for 2024

How to Hire the Perfect Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Agency

Jacob Elbaum

How to Hire the Perfect Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Agency

Learn How to Write a Market Research Report: 10 Steps to Follow for Success

Dec, 2023 - by CMI

Learn How to Write a Market Research Report: 10 Steps to Follow for Success

A market research report is an integral part of the coursework for many business programs. It explores the understanding of subjective views of customers towards a product or service. Still, many students struggle to create market reports that effectively address the business question. So, how do you avoid the deer-in-the-headlights reaction when presenting a market research report?  

In most cases, marketers fail to create impactful research reports because they don’t know the actionable steps to follow. 10 main steps occur in a typical market research study and reporting process, from problem identification to acting on the result. Read on to get all the information you need to write a top-notch market research report.

What Is a Market Research Report?

A market research report is a document prepared to evaluate the feasibility of a new product or service to potential customers. Companies do market research reports to paint a picture of what products, services, or actions may be the most profitable to pursue. Actionable information is obtained through market research prepared in a formal report that reveals the characteristics of customers, the value of a product or service, buying habits, and a list of top competitors.

Writing a market research report helps businesses make calculated decisions about what ideas to pursue or not. It focuses on studying consumer behavior that influences spending decisions, including cultural, economic, societal, and personal factors. As a result, businesses can assimilate critical information and tips about prospective customers and target markets.

10 Steps to Write a Market Research Report That Accurately Highlights Market Opportunities

Identify the problem and objectives.

In market research, there’s a famous saying that a problem half defined is a problem half solved. So defining the potential problem, causes, or opportunities in the market is a great place to start your marketing research papers. The information will help you narrow down the parameters of the study, such as the business objective and research objectives. Whether you want to test a hypothesis about consumer opinion or how consumers will react to a new pricing model, they all require identifying a solid objective.  

Develop your research strategy

This is a crucial step in preparing a market research report because it will define the quality of data collection and the reliability of results. Choose between primary research or secondary research methods. Also, you will need to decide whether you will utilize quantitative or qualitative research methods. The most effective research strategy depends on your sample size and profile as well as the desired outcomes based on the objectives.

Use the help of writing services

In case you feel inefficient in handling crucial market research writing steps, such as defining the problem, identifying research objectives, or developing a research strategy, get the help you need from a professional. Reputable academic paper writing services, such as CustomWritings, have plenty of certified academic writers with extensive knowledge and experience in custom research paper writing of any complexity. You can get one written from scratch by an expert in a stipulated time to make your work easier.

Prepare an outline and set a deadline

If you can write a market research report yourself, develop an outline with sections and subsections you will cover in your paper. A typical market research report includes the following sections:

  • Introduction
  • Methodology

Market research reports also come with a fixed due date. So, allocate time for completing each section to ensure you finish the task before the deadline.

Specify the sample

Before you can start collecting data, you need to specify who will participate in the study. Start by defining your population correctly and defining a sampling frame from which you will draw the sample. For example, you can use a customer list, directory, or membership roster to get a good sample. Large samples produce more reliable results, but the more data you have, the costlier and more time-consuming your research will be. Use statistics to define an optimal sample size.

Gather data and information

Next, conduct fieldwork to collect relevant data. If you’re conducting quantitative research, use text, emails, websites, and social media to reach respondents. For qualitative research, primary data collection typically involves interviews or ethnographic research through video surveys. Find ways to record and organize responses from each source. You can complement each type of research with secondary data that relates to your topic.

Technology has made data analysis a breeze for researchers. Students can use programs such as Excel, STATA, and SPSS to organize, clean, analyze, and interpret basic results of their market research. The type of analysis you’ll adopt will depend on your hypothesis. Some good marketing analyses that you can conduct include:

  • Market segmentation analysis
  • Conjoint analysis
  • Price sensitivity analysis
  • TURF analysis

Present findings in a written report

It’s time to put your study together in a well-written market research analysis report that you will present to an audience of decision-makers. The goal is to make your findings come alive so that the audience understands your objectives and insights uncovered in the research. While data analysis could be complex, the final report should only point to the concrete actions and results. Ensure your college research report includes a title page, table of contents, executive summary, methodology, findings, and recommendations. In some cases, you can accompany your report with a slide presentation, charts, case summaries, and graphs.  

Cross-check

When you’re done with your market research report, take time to read through all the details to see if you’ve missed anything, have made mistakes, or if it has a good flow. Your first draft is never your final product. University students can get editing help from professional editing services, or online editing tools, or just ask a friend to double-check the report. Edit the report as many times as you want to make it clear and concise.

Act on your findings

Local and international businesses prepare market research reports for many reasons. Maybe they want to enter a new market or launch a new product. With a research report in hand, it’s time to act on the findings and the recommendations. This could involve commissioning the production of a product, setting up a social media framework, or taking actions to monitor customer loyalty. Still, stay alert to changes in trends that might require new research to be launched in the future.

Wrapping Up

When a busy business executive or professor grabs your market research report, they want to see something that will give them an idea of the research design, the results, and the big picture that addresses company goals. Follow the guide provided in this article to prepare a clear and actionable market research report.

RECENT POSTS

What Is A High-Quality Mobile App? Five Features t...

CNC Precision Machining: The Art and Science...

Can Metal Detectors Detect Gold? All You Need To K...

How to Choose the Right RAM for Your Apple Pro Lap...

Optimizing Your Vacation Rental Listing for Maximu...

Biotechnology

Clinical Diagnostic

Medical Devices

Healthcare IT

Medical Imaging

Pharmaceutical

Chemicals and Materials

Advanced Materials

Agrochemicals

Bulk Chemicals

Green Chemicals

Polymers and Resins

Specialty and Fine Chemicals

Cosmetic Ingredients

Food Ingredients

ICT, Automation, Semiconductor...

Aerospace and Defense

Automotive and Transportation

Consumer Electronics

Construction Engineering

Industrial Automation and Machinery

Semiconductors

Smart Technologies

Information and Communication Technology

Consumer Goods

Food and Beverages

Reliability and Reputation

ESOMAR

6 Real Market Research Report Examples To Inspire You

example of marketing research report

  • ViB Editorial Team
  • May 14, 2024

Table of Contents

If you’re looking for market research report examples, you’re in the right place. Even in B2B tech, it’s no secret market research is a key component to businesses seeking long-term viability and brand success. From better understanding consumer segments to creating powerful research-backed content, and even developing future-proof product roadmaps, market research is the cornerstone of strategic decision-making.

In fact, 89% of marketers surveyed by Hubspot reported that leveraging the market research they performed had a positive quantitative impact on their business.

But, creating a piece of valuable research for your tech company can feel… a little hard to imagine.

What are the best market research topics for my B2B tech industry? What is the larger story to tell to subtly reinforce my company’s positioning?

What questions should I ask? Who should I ask? What about… how long should a research report be? How do I present my findings?  You probably have a million questions. And I’d love to answer them all by showing you some of the best market research report examples that we’ve gathered along the way.

B2B organizations must have a solid awareness of their industry space and the current market trends to stay relevant in an ever-competitive digital landscape.

Market research report examples to get inspo from

As a leading market research vendor in the B2B tech space, we’ve helped a ton of B2B tech marketers like you with:

  • Full-service third-party market research projects
  • Respondent recruiting, data collection, and data analysis
  • Creation of market research reports in each client’s brand
  • Generating demand using research-backed content

Sounds similar to your goals?

Whether you’re here for some inspo, or want to evaluate our work, let’s dig into some market research report examples we could all learn a thing or two from.👇

1 - Snyk: Infrastructure as code security

Snyk is a developer security platform that enables application and cloud developers to secure their whole application.

They recently conducted the Infrastructure as Code Security Insights report to provide insights on the state of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) deployment and the challenges faced by developers in securing their code, infrastructure configuration, and containers. 

Cover page of Snyk - market research report example

The goal of the report? To help organizations understand the benefits of automated security testing for IaC definitions, the roadblocks to the widespread use of IaC, and how organizations differ in their approaches to using IaC. 

With that, we helped Snyk form a story around IaC and recruited hundreds of IT professionals across industries and company sizes. 

That gave us a clear, comprehensive understanding of the need for organizations to prioritize IaC security and implement best practices to ensure the reliability and security of their infrastructure. 

Some findings that helped position them as a valuable player in their industry include👇

  • 63% of companies are just beginning to explore IaC technology, while only 7% have implemented IaC to the best of current industry capabilities.
  • 71% of companies would prefer to standardize on a common toolset/workflow across all IaC configuration types and formats.
  • A lack of standardized workflow and practices was the leading reason respondents chose to remediate a security issue manually.
  • 61% of respondents pointed to speed-related issues as a reason for remediating a security issue manually.

💡 Tip: Incorporate your branding

What I also love about Snyk’s report is its strong branding, alongside objective results obtained through an independent survey through our team at ViB. 

That’s major because typically, most marketing teams have one or the other. 

  • Strong branding through a survey conducted in-house that’s potentially perceived as biased
  • Or an independent survey conducted by an external research vendor, but without any individual branding because of limitations in ownership and usage.

Inner pages of Snyk - market research report

If you ask me, having the best of both worlds helps Snyk reinforce its brand leadership and credibility at the same time. Win-win!

🚀 See how Snyk designed their branded report here.

Moving on, let’s take a look at some other great market research report examples.

2 - Illumio: Security segmentation report

Illumio is a cybersecurity company that specializes in providing solutions for micro-segmentation and security.

The first platform for breach containment, Illumio recently published a report, The State of Security Segmentation, which dives into the ways organizations can protect against the lateral movement that leads to breaches.

Cover page of Illumio - market research report example

The goal of the report? To get a better understanding of how companies segment today and what difficulties they face.

Likewise, with the help of ViB Research , Illumio surveyed over 300+ IT professionals in their specialized cybersecurity industry. They were then able to highlight the critical role of segmentation in enhancing network security, and the shift away from traditional firewalls in favor of more agile and cost-effective solutions. 

Some of the biggest takeaways for tech professionals from Illumio’s report are:

  • More than half of the respondents do not have and are not planning segmentation in the next six months.
  • Two-thirds of respondents think the firewall is an over-the-hill gold digger when it comes to segmentation.
  • Today’s IT norm is hybrid: on-prem data centers and multiple clouds.
  • Security incidents are inevitable.

💡Tip: Repurpose your report into derivative content

In this market research report example , what Illumio did brilliantly was repurposing.

Illumio repurposed a single market report into a range of thought leadership content and used it across demand generation channels.

“Once the survey was launched, it took about 4-6 weeks when we had the results in our hands, where we were able to just run with it and build Illumio's first State of Security Segmentation report, and enough snackable content to repurpose in social, email, content syndication , and other demand generation channels. I definitely highly recommend this service.” Jaye Liang, Senior Marketing Manager at Illumio

For example, using insights from the report they created with ViB, Illumio developed the whitepaper — Decoupling Security from the Network: The Evolution of Segmentation .

The lesson here: while a single research report feels like a big investment, it can function as a launch pad for repurposing value-added content that’s easily shareable across all segments of your target audience.

Get an exclusive look into the State of Segmentation Report and a copy of Illumio’s topical whitepaper, Decoupling Security from the Network: The Evolution of Segmentation, which builds on their market research report.

🚀 Download their sample report and whitepaper today.

example of marketing research report

Best Pay Per Lead Generation Companies For B2B Tech

example of marketing research report

From Top to Bottom: B2B Lead Generation Services for Each Stage of the Marketing Funnel

example of marketing research report

What is B2B Demand Generation? + 5 Strategies for SaaS and Tech

3 - split: feature management and experimentation.

Split is “a feature delivery platform that pairs speed and reliability of feature flags with data to measure the impact of every feature.” 

This year, Split conducted its Feature Management & Experimentation Impact Report which examined the challenges and areas for improvement in these practices, as well as the adoption and impact of feature releases on business and user experience.

Cover page of Split - market research report example

This report was based on a survey of over 300 software professionals who came from a variety of backgrounds (engineering, development, product management, etc.). 

Some highlights from the survey are below 👇

  • 92% of respondents either agree or completely agree that software feature management is critical to developing and releasing successful digital experiences.
  • 50% feel that easily pinpointing unexpected issues during a feature rollout is an important priority.
  • 60% felt that their top area for improvement involved software feature release quality and reliability.
  • 14% have implemented a feature experiment platform; 39% are investigating, 29% plan to implement.

Organizations that roll out software features on demand often show lower levels of involvement in feature management and experimentation compared to their more deliberate counterparts.

The data does show strong moves toward adopting feature management and experimentation . It’s clear that the industry is moving in this direction, and now is the right time to take action if you want to stay competitive with digital industry leaders.

💡 Tip: Actively promote your research report

Similar to how Illumio created a range of repurposed content, Split is taking an active step toward promoting its market research report. 

Spot this feature of the research report live on Split’s home page for example.

Split home page with market research report

By commissioning ViB to do their research, Split was able to use and promote the content on any channel without any need for further licensing fees or permissions .

Often, research vendors have a pretty strict list of recirculation restrictions, or an additional price tag of a few grand just to reuse and reshare the published materials.

🚀 Check out Split’s report here.

4 - Siemplify: Remote security operations

Siemplify recently acquired by Google, is an intuitive workbench that enables security teams to both manage risk and reduce the cost of addressing threats.

Launched in early 2021, Siemplify conducted a Remote Security Operations study that looked at how COVID-19 and the need to work from home affected the ability of SecOps professionals to do their security work.

Cover page of Siemplify - market research report example

The report delves into key findings on the threat impact, people impact, and the path forward.

It was based on a survey of hundreds of IT professionals in leadership positions. Respondents also worked at organizations with over 1,000 employees on average. 

Let’s take a look at some of their most notable findings👇

  • 51% of respondents said investigating suspicious activities became more difficult due to balancing security and corporate demand.
  • 47% of respondents said collaboration and communication suffered naturally, making everyday tasks more challenging.
  •  Roughly one-third of respondents reported seeing an increase in network intrusions, malware, ransomware, and vulnerabilities.

Incidents of phishing have increased for 57% of respondents, topping the list.

💡 Tip: Be the first to capture an emerging trend

With Siemplify, the key takeaway was their smart choice of topic.

This report was conducted immediately after the lockdown and released shortly after. 

Inner pages of Siemplify - market research report

Within a year of the onset of the pandemic, they leveraged an ongoing and developing issue, tailored it to their industry. They were able to launch original data about a hot topic , standing out against the content their competitors were pushing.

And then by working with ViB, they were able to push for a specific story (some vendors will only commission research for a predetermined list of topics that they’ve set). 

Within weeks , we collaboratively produced a completed report, allowing the company to quickly respond to an emerging trend.

👉 See how Siemplify angled their report here

Now, let’s move on to the rest of our B2B market research report examples .

5 - Softchoice: Cloud Enabled AI

Softchoice is a software-focused IT solutions provider that equips organizations to be efficient, agile, and innovative. 

example of marketing research report

The Cloud Enabled AI report explores the potential of AI and ML (machine learning) in the cloud, revealing opportunities and barriers to their implementation. 

Some of the most impactful takeaways are 👇

  • Despite understanding that analytics, AI, and ML will have a transformative impact on industries in the coming five years, many organizations are falling behind in integrating them.
  • 46% of respondents believe that a multi-cloud approach is very important, with 14% considering it extremely important.
  • The most common barriers to leveraging the full benefits of analytics, AI, and ML are a lack of in-house expertise (38%) and difficulty implementing AI and ML solutions (22%).

💡 Tip: How to recruit targeted respondent from niche industries

This report was based on a survey of over 200 IT professionals across 18 different industries.

What was great about Softchoice’s report example is their specificity in targeting.

Together with ViB’s help in respondent recruiting, Softchoice was able to connect with IT professionals in:

  • Business intelligence
  • Data analytics
  • Product development
  • Cloud architecture and operations

Inner page of Softchoice - market research report

Their ability to reach these specific profiles? The ViB Community , a network of millions of precisely segmented IT professionals. 

By reaching out to our expansive community, ViB is able to find hundreds of targeted respondents to be the backbone of each client’s research, even if it’s a niche topic.

🚀 See how Softchoice explores the the impact AI and ML on the cloud . Let’s now proceed to the last of our market research report examples. 

6 - Palo Alto Networks: SOAR

Palo Alto Networks is a multi-national cybersecurity company aimed at offering next-gen firewall solutions.

Their SOAR (security orchestration, automation, and response) report examined incident response and the use of SOAR technology.

Cover page of Palo Alto - market research report example

This report focused on the challenges, tools used, and desired capabilities of security professionals whose incident response functions were mostly in-house. 

Some of their most notable findings👇

  • SOAR tools are becoming increasingly popular across the incident response lifecycle, with a healthy and growing percentage of common tools used for every lifecycle stage.
  • Respondents desired a common platform for cross-team investigation and automated remote execution of actions across security tools.
  • Over 80% of respondents either performed incident response in-house or augmented an in-house team with consultants. 
  • Respondents identified an ‘evidence board’ and ‘attack reconstruction’ as abilities they needed but currently lacked. 

Conducted by ViB, the survey methodology incorporated extensive quality control systems at three levels: targeting, in-survey behavior, and post-survey analysis. Over 500 respondents participated across security job functions and industries.

What’s even better, was Palo Alto’s ability to leverage their report to generate demand and improve sales pipeline .

💡 Tip: Use your research for lead generation

The client first built a full library of over 10 content assets, all stemming from the market research report, through a range of lead generation campaigns and industry events, the team was then able to attract new prospects and boost conversions

For example, Palo Alto presented their findings in C-level events, along with multiple media interviews.

The best part was their results . 

Content campaigns built on the ViB research and the resulting materials generated a whopping $3M in pipeline and led to $2M closed/won revenue for the company — all attributed to this report and the corresponding assets created.

🔎 See more about the report here , or read their story here .

example of marketing research report

Best B2B Market Research Tools for Marketing Research Functions

example of marketing research report

B2B Market Research Services vs. In-House Research: How to Decide?

example of marketing research report

How to Conduct Market Research Without Breaking The Bank

What can we take away from these market research report examples.

Now, each of these reports used real-time consumer feedback, giving the company a slew of notable takeaways and data that could easily be repurposed across channels. 

The differentiating factor? 

Each worked with a B2B market research company that had the tools, resources, and expertise to effectively and comprehensively perform the research needed to get the information desired.

I’m talking about ViB Research , the custom B2B market research service powering these 6 incredible market research report examples we just saw.

See how Robert and others easily build libraries of differentiated content from a single research report .

Discover everything you need to know about ViB Research, including how it works and its success stories through our comprehensive video walkthrough.

There’s no denying the sheer magnitude of information available in each of these reports– and this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

With the use of consumer data and resources to repurpose value-add content , your business and bottom line will make worries about strategic decision-making and business growth a thing of the past.

Getting started with ViB Research

Whether you’re looking to generate competitive intelligence reports, thought leadership strategy, or consumer behavior reports, ViB has the resources, expertise, and proven track record to accelerate your pipeline and drive business growth.

Want more info about how our research process works? Download our ViB Research datasheet , or chat with a team member today!

Interested in market research for your business?

example of marketing research report

B2B Virtual Event Solutions in the Tech Industry

example of marketing research report

Webinar Promotion Services for B2B Marketers in Tech

example of marketing research report

Benefits of Leveraging a Webinar Marketing Agency

example of marketing research report

Need better B2B tech marketing results? Reach out (or rant) to us for appointments, emails, content syndication, market research, and webinars.

Original research, tips, and discounts to help you win.

Thumbnail - Why Buyers Bail

Get exclusive invites and original research

Deal Intent

How It Works

Discover how our differentiators get you results

Learn about our values and how we give back

Amplify your message to new accounts

Appointments

Secure high-value prospect meetings

Syndication

Actively promote your content

Plan an end-to-end webinar

Get analyst-level insights from millions of buyers

Deal Discovery

Uncover prospects considering a solution like yours

Discover how our differentiators get us results

Plans and Pricing

ViB Tech

  • Privacy Overview
  • Strictly Necessary Cookies
  • 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

17+ SAMPLE Market Research Report in PDF | MS Word | Google Docs | Apple Pages

Market research report | ms word | google docs | apple pages, 17+ sample market research report , what is a market research report, benefits of market research report, basic methods of market research, how to create a market research report, what is the format of a report, what exactly is primary research, and how do i begin, what is the difference between primary and secondary data.

Market Research Report Template

Market Research Report Template

Market Research Report Template

Market Research Report of Traditional Medicine Conference

Global Market Research Report

Global Market Research Report

Market Research Final Report

Market Research Final Report

Market Research Survey Report

Market Research Survey Report

Basic Market Research Report

Basic Market Research Report

Sample Innovation Market Research Report

Sample Innovation Market Research Report

Market Research Report and Analysis

Market Research Report and Analysis

Market Research Report in PDF

Market Research Report in PDF

Application Services Market Research Report

Application Services Market Research Report

Industry Market Research Report

Industry Market Research Report

Standard Market Research Report

Standard Market Research Report

Market Research Report Format

Market Research Report Format

Marketplace Research Report

Marketplace Research Report

Market Research Progress Report

Market Research Progress Report

Market Research Report in DOC

Market Research Report in DOC

Marketing Annual Research Activity Report

Marketing Annual Research Activity Report

  • One-on-one interviews-   These are conducted in high-traffic areas such as shopping malls during in-person surveys. They allow you to hand out product samples, packaging, or advertising to consumers and get rapid feedback. In-person surveys can provide response rates of over 90%, but they are expensive. An in-person survey might cost up to $100 per interview due to the time and work needed.
  • Telephone surveys-   This is cheaper than in-person surveys, but they are more costly than surveys sent by mail. However, consumers’ aversion to constant telemarketing and persuading consumers to engage in phone polls has become more challenging. Response rates to telephone surveys are typically in the 50 %to 60 % range.
  • Mail surveys-   This is a low-cost technique to reach a large number of people. They’re a lot less expensive than in-person or phone surveys, but they only get 3 to 15% of people to respond. Mail surveys, despite their low return, are still a cost-effective option for small enterprises.

Share This Post on Your Network

You may also like these articles, medical report.

medical report

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the essentials of creating an effective Medical Report. Whether you are a healthcare professional or need to understand how to document medical…

Training Report

training report

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of creating an effective Training Report. Whether you are new to this process or looking to enhance your existing…

browse by categories

  • Questionnaire
  • Description
  • Reconciliation
  • Certificate
  • Spreadsheet

Information

  • privacy policy
  • Terms & Conditions

17 Marketing Report Examples with Free Dashboards Templates

Author's avatar

Table of contents

Peter Caputa

To see what Databox can do for you, including how it helps you track and visualize your performance data in real-time, check out our home page. Click here .

On average, companies with fewer than 49 employees have three staff members on their marketing team .

Organizations with more than 5,000 employees typically have a 45-strong marketing team.

What do they both have in common? Both small and large marketing teams need to package and communicate performance on a regular basis to:

  • Stakeholders
  • CEOs or Founders
  • Direct reports
  • and more…

According to Databox’s state of business reporting , almost half of the companies report on their marketing performance at least once a week, which makes marketing one of the most frequently reported operations. This abundance of reports can be overwhelming. So, how do you create a marketing report that people actually want to read?

marketing_overview_hubspot_ga_dashboard_databox

We asked 19 marketers from a range of industries to share how they format their reports–some sharing screenshots of what their reports actually look like. This guide shares their answers.

* Editor’s note : Want a better way to create marketing reports your team wants to look at? Instead of fiddling around with Excel formulas and formatting, browse our range of dashboards . They’re all totally customizable for you to add your most important KPIs in one place:

example of marketing research report

1. Social Media Overview

The Capitol Tech Solutions team says their social media reports are formatted differently than our SEO reports, as Kevin Olson explains: “The first page of the report is an overview.”

“The overview breaks down performance by ad, ad group, key demographics, key events, and locations (if we are geo-targeting several different specific locations).”

“The pages following that one change based on what the client wants to see in the report.”

2. Business Efficiency by Segment

Hexe Data ‘s Krzysztof Surowiecki says: “I share with my clients the report showing business efficiency broke down into key segments. Individual segments resulting from the type of business, but also the general ones like source/medium, age, etc.”

“What also may be interesting is to show trends in long-term reports and projected future trends. The thought behind this is that the client has a history rating, and prediction allows them to make decisions today in the context of the development of their business.”

3. SEO and AdWords Conversions

Brendan Tully says: “At the start of 2019, [ The Search Engine Shop ] changed all our SEO and Adwords PPC reports to report conversions (calls, form inquiries and $$ through checkout) first and really make them the focus of the report.”

example of marketing research report

“At the same time, we moved many from monthly to weekly reporting. The focus on rankings and traffic is short-sighted for most businesses because what they actually want is conversions.”

“By focussing on conversions first we move the conversion from fairly meaningless “why don’t I rank higher for” so a much more commercially focussed conversion about leads, inquiries, sales and cost of acquisition,” Tully continues.

“Reporting weekly gives us a short enough time scale so we can adapt as necessary while also eliminating the day to day variance that’s typical with search traffic.”

In fact, Tully’s team isn’t using the standard timeline for reporting.

Over half of the companies we surveyed said they report on marketing performance monthly:

example of marketing research report

…Yet 64% of marketing teams say their bosses, clients, and stakeholders are more supportive when they receive performance reports on a weekly basis:

example of marketing research report

Similarly, Colby Hager’s team at Capstone Homebuyers adds: “One of the most important reports I share with my team is the conversion percentage related to search terms for pay per click (PPC) marketing.”

“This helps us understand which search terms tend to convert at a higher rate so we can properly allocate our budget on the right search phrases. It also informs us of any content updates needed on our website to reflect language being used in search terms that leads to higher rates of conversion.”

4. Google Ads Report

“One marketing report example that I share with my team and the client is the Google Ads report because we utilize Google Ads heavily,” says ClearPivot ‘s Karoline Kujawa.

“You can pull up this report in Google Ads itself or an integrated marketing system; for example HubSpot or Databox. That is what we use.”

“HubSpot integrates with Google Ads to pull a nice, detailed report that also indicates the recent form conversions from each campaign. That is the best part about HubSpot reporting that regular Google Ads can’t account for.”

Kujawa adds: “My clients tend to really like this report a lot because it allows us to analyze which campaign is driving the most sales qualified leads. It also allows us to determine ROI feedback.”

Bryan Ng of Bryan Digital also creates reports for Google Ads campaigns because “knowing when the Google Ads are being clicked gives my outdoor sales team a better idea of when to visit customers.”

“Knowing what devices are being used to click is equally important too. For example, if a click is from a computer, I can safely derive that this person is at his office.”

example of marketing research report

5. Ahrefs Dashboards

Ahrefs is an SEO tool used by thousands of marketers.

Maik Klijn says the team at VPN-Check use Ahrefs’ main dashboard because it “is a perfect way to find out what your rankings are in Google and what marketing [tasks] you must do to get a good blog content.”

example of marketing research report

Related : Here’s How to Use Ahrefs for SEO (According to 97 Marketers)

6. Weekly Lead Generation Report

“Every Friday at 5:00 pm we post a marketing report that shows the number of leads generated that week,” writes Jeremy Cross of Team Building Boston .

“This report is meant to show our marketing and sales team members where we are at, without taking a lot of time or analysis. If the number is higher than average or expected then we investigate why and see if we can make further improvements.”

Cross continues: “We have a similar process for lower than expected weeks for leads. The report itself is automatically generated by Zapier and posted to Slack, so it doesn’t require any additional time or effort to prepare.” Use this  marketing automation dashboard  to gain valuable insights about the number of leads generated from your marketing campaigns.

7. Custom Dimensions for Content Effectivenes

Jon Blumenfeld says that Nexthink “has a very large number of resources on our website.”

“These resources are categorized in our CMS in a variety of ways such as lifecycle stage, job role, etc. but one of the most important facets is the type.”

“We desired to know if there were certain types of content that were performing better than others at the top of the funnel, and to do this we set up a custom dimension in Google Analytics to track the types of content we have on the website.”

example of marketing research report

“On top of this, we implemented a custom metric to measure form fills across the website and used this custom metric in conjunction with the built-in page views metric to create a calculated metric for conversion rate,” Blumenfeld adds.

“We discovered very quickly that certain resources had a much higher volume of form fills as well as a much higher conversion rate.”

PRO TIP: How Well Are Your Marketing KPIs Performing?

Like most marketers and marketing managers, you want to know how well your efforts are translating into results each month. How much traffic and new contact conversions do you get? How many new contacts do you get from organic sessions? How are your email campaigns performing? How well are your landing pages converting? You might have to scramble to put all of this together in a single report, but now you can have it all at your fingertips in a single Databox dashboard.

Our Marketing Overview Dashboard includes data from Google Analytics 4 and HubSpot Marketing with key performance metrics like:

  • Sessions . The number of sessions can tell you how many times people are returning to your website. Obviously, the higher the better.
  • New Contacts from Sessions . How well is your campaign driving new contacts and customers?
  • Marketing Performance KPIs . Tracking the number of MQLs, SQLs, New Contacts and similar will help you identify how your marketing efforts contribute to sales.
  • Email Performance . Measure the success of your email campaigns from HubSpot. Keep an eye on your most important email marketing metrics such as number of sent emails, number of opened emails, open rate, email click-through rate, and more.
  • Blog Posts and Landing Pages . How many people have viewed your blog recently? How well are your landing pages performing?

Now you can benefit from the experience of our Google Analytics and HubSpot Marketing experts, who have put together a plug-and-play Databox template that contains all the essential metrics for monitoring your leads. It’s simple to implement and start using as a standalone dashboard or in marketing reports, and best of all, it’s free!

marketing_overview_hubspot_ga_dashboard_preview

You can easily set it up in just a few clicks – no coding required.

To set up the dashboard, follow these 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Get the template 

Step 2: Connect your HubSpot and Google Analytics 4 accounts with Databox. 

Step 3: Watch your dashboard populate in seconds.

8. Pillar and Cluster Content Performance

William Avila says that “every month, [ Rizen Inbound ] take time to show our clients how well their content is performing – paying particular attention to topic clusters.”

“We take pride in building comprehensive guides for audiences to enjoy, and showing clients how their content is working together to grow their brand is so important. Content efforts should build leads and build higher customer conversion rates. Share that good news!”

example of marketing research report

Related : The Topic Cluster Content Strategy Explained by Visiting a Casino

9. Organic Search Positions

According to Avinash Chandra, BrandLoom “always shares a report on organic search position with our client and this format is easy to understand and it summarizes very well all the relevant statistics related to the search result.”

Here’s what that looks like:

example of marketing research report

10. Case Study-Style Report

Marketing reports don’t have to be in the standard chart format we typically see.

“One example of a marketing report that we share with our clients is our results in the form of case studies,” Amy Hernandez of electrIQ marketing says.

“We find it most effective to put all our gathered information from a past project into a concise study that highlights that campaign’s goal, our approach and the results that came from our work.”

example of marketing research report

11. Marketing Funnel Report

Ilia Markov reports that ChartMogul “organize the report around our marketing funnel — readers, (email) subscribers, free trials, paying customers.”

“At each, we have a metric (and a way to measure that — either through GA or our product) and include that in the report that gets shared on our Slack channel each month.”

Related : Want More Signups? Track & Optimize Your Sales Funnel Like This Instead

12. Daily and Weekly Goal Performance

“While simple in nature, we send this report to a client on a daily basis,” writes MashMetrics ‘ Thomas Bosilevac.

example of marketing research report

Bosilevac continues: “Viewing yesterday, this week, and last week lets us see if our growth (or not!) is due to seasonality, part of a longer trend, or simply because we nailed a campaign! We can also view the conversion and total trend through the last year.)

13. ROI Calculations

It’s crucial to make sure that your marketing strategies generate more revenue than the budget you spend on them.

Our data shows that almost a third of marketers pull data from between six and 10 different sources to create their reports:

example of marketing research report

However, Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions has a unique approach to calculating return on investment: “When analyzing marketing campaigns, businesses often don’t include all costs associated with a sale.”

“In particular, internal costs both for marketing and different sales pipeline stages are neglected. This tool determines the total marketing cost per lead and total cost per sale in such a way that different campaigns can be compared and decisions made about their effectiveness.”

example of marketing research report

Databox Dashboards

14. overall social media metrics.

According to Dylan Zsigray, “nearly all of [ Kiwi Creative ‘s] clients use social media and track applicable data from each platform.”

“Within Databox, we create comprehensive Databoards for each platform so that clients can get relevant stats each month.”

“However, knowing that many executive leaders wish to have over-arching data for social media strategy, we also create an aggregate Databoard, where we add calculated metrics for similar stats from each platform.”

“For example, to track total engagements we add together likes, comments, shares, retweets, favorites, etc. from the respective platform. For those who wish to have high-level information to share, our aggregate Databoard provides this.”

example of marketing research report

15. Social Media Performance Report

“After testing a number of different analytics packages, we chose a marketing dashboard software like Databox because it is the only tool that allows us to combine data from Instagram with data from Google Analytics in one super easy-to-use and beautiful looking design that we can automatically send every week to our client and account team,” writes Steve Yanor of Sky Alphabet Social Media .

“Clients want to see the reports and they want to see progress, but they may be interested in only two or three KPIs among the hundreds that we actually track in our marketing dashboard .”

“In the example here, we’re showing monthly progress (last 30 days) of website impressions driven by an Instagram campaign, and we display a range of metrics about Instagram and how it impacts website visits.”

example of marketing research report

Yanor continues: “With this particular client, they were not using Instagram before so we wanted to highlight what a huge impact it was having on their web traffic and that Instagram generates offline search.”

“We do not know the exact reason for this but we suspect that people who do not want to leave Instagram at the moment, may return later and use a search to find what they saw during the campaign.”

“In this particular example, we were running a multi-image carousel showing before and after shots of various renovations concentrated in a geographic area. We were changing up the creative every week so that we would be hitting our targets with different visuals.”

“In the bottom left corner we like to track the top posts by engagement so that we are always focused on creating winning Instagram posts,” Yanor adds.

16. Video Marketing Success Reports

Nextiny also use Databox to create reports: “We include the typical metrics to make sure things are moving in the right direction, these include: video plays, play rate, engagement, CTR, etc,” says Gabriel Marguglio.

We also include “Total hours Watched” from website video views (Wistia) and Youtube video views. Total hours watched is a very important metric when thinking about brand affinity. Brand affinity grows with the amount of time that people spend engaging with your brand.”

Marguglio adds: “Another metric we like to include is the comparison between closing rates from leads to customers that haven’t watched video to the ones that made video part of their journey. This last metric shows the overall impact of video.”

example of marketing research report

17. Organic SEO Report Example

“One marketing report we share with clients on a monthly basis is our organic SEO report,” says SyncShow ‘s Cassie Simoniello.

“This report is a Databox widget that we built to showcase organic metrics from Google Analytics, SEMrush and Google Search Console.”

“Metrics we track within the organic report include organic sessions, top keywords by position, site audit score, domain rating and top organic landing pages by sessions.”

Simonello adds: “This widget gives us helpful insights into how our SEO efforts are playing out month-by-month. This report also touches on the most important aspects of SEO include on-site, off-site and technical.”

example of marketing research report

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, these marketing report examples prove that there’s more to reporting than confusing Excel formulas.

Whether you’re using a dashboard reporting tool or creating your own reports from scratch, make sure your reports don’t flop by including your most important marketing metrics.

Here are some round-up posts to help you determine those, by channel:

  • 22 content marketing metrics
  • 14 website engagement KPIs
  • 20+ email marketing metrics
  • 10 influencer marketing KPIs
  • 24 social media metrics
  • Databox Benchmarks
  • Future Value Calculator
  • ROI Calculator
  • Return On Ads Calculator
  • Percentage Growth Rate Calculator
  • Report Automation
  • Client Reporting
  • What is a KPI?
  • Google Sheets KPIs
  • Sales Analysis Report
  • Shopify Reports
  • Data Analysis Report
  • Google Sheets Dashboard
  • Best Dashboard Examples
  • Analysing Data
  • Marketing Agency KPIs
  • Automate Agency Google Ads Report
  • Marketing Research Report
  • Social Media Dashboard Examples
  • Ecom Dashboard Examples

Performance Benchmarks

Does Your Performance Stack Up?

Are you maximizing your business potential? Stop guessing and start comparing with companies like yours.

Pete Caputa speaking

A Message From Our CEO

At Databox, we’re obsessed with helping companies more easily monitor, analyze, and report their results. Whether it’s the resources we put into building and maintaining integrations with 100+ popular marketing tools, enabling customizability of charts, dashboards, and reports, or building functionality to make analysis, benchmarking, and forecasting easier, we’re constantly trying to find ways to help our customers save time and deliver better results.

Do you want an All-in-One Analytics Platform?

Hey, we’re Databox. Our mission is to help businesses save time and grow faster. Click here to see our platform in action. 

Share on Twitter

Elise Dopson is a freelance B2B writer for SaaS and marketing companies. With a focus on data-driven ideas that truly provide value, she helps brands to get noticed online--and drive targeted website visitors that transform into raving fans.

X profile page

Get practical strategies that drive consistent growth

The State of Content Marketing and SEO [Data from 140+ Companies]

Author's avatar

When and Why Should SMEs Upgrade Their Email Service Provider (ESP)?

Author's avatar

Organic vs. Paid Marketing: Which Works Better and Why? [Based on Research with 130 Companies]

Build your first dashboard in 5 minutes or less.

Latest from our blog

  • The State of Content Marketing and SEO [Data from 140+ Companies] August 15, 2024
  • How Does Website Age Impact Performance? Insights from 145+ Companies August 8, 2024
  • Metrics & KPIs
  • vs. Tableau
  • vs. Looker Studio
  • vs. Klipfolio
  • vs. Power BI
  • vs. Whatagraph
  • vs. AgencyAnalytics
  • Product & Engineering
  • Inside Databox
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Talent Resources
  • We're Hiring!
  • Help Center
  • API Documentation

Top Inspiring workplaces 2024 winner

A Guide on How to Create a Market Research Report

Tome

A market research report provides valuable insights into consumer behaviors, market trends, competitive analysis, and the overall health of specific industries.

This document serves as a roadmap for businesses to strategize effectively, identify new opportunities, and mitigate risks.

In this article, we will walk you through the essential components of a market research report, the steps to create one, and best practices to ensure that your findings are actionable and accurate.

What is a Market Research Report?

A market research report is a comprehensive document that gathers data about market conditions, customer preferences, competition, and other factors affecting an industry or business. It synthesizes primary and secondary research to present an analysis that helps companies make strategic decisions. The report covers various aspects, from demographic data and consumer surveys to industry trends and competitive dynamics.

Types of Market Research Reports

Market research reports can vary based on the objectives and the scope of the study. Here are some common types:

  • Consumer Analysis Reports: Focus on customer demographics, preferences, and behavior to tailor products and marketing strategies.
  • Competitive Analysis Reports: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of competitors within the market, offering insights into competitive advantages and potential opportunities.
  • Industry Analysis Reports: Provide a broad overview of the industry, including trends, size, and growth forecasts.
  • Product Testing Reports: Gather feedback from users about a new or existing product to inform product development and improvement.
  • Brand Loyalty Reports: Analyze customer loyalty and satisfaction to help develop strategies to enhance customer retention.

What Does a Market Research Report Include?

A well-rounded market research report generally contains the following elements:

  • Executive Summary: A concise overview of key findings and recommendations, allowing readers to quickly understand the report's essence.
  • Introduction: Contextualizes the research, including objectives and questions that the report aims to address.
  • Methodology: Describes the research methods used to collect data, whether through surveys, interviews, focus groups, or secondary data sources.
  • Market Analysis: Detailed analysis of the market, including size, trends, growth patterns, and environmental factors.
  • Competitive Landscape: Assessment of key players in the industry, their market share, strategies, and products.
  • Customer Insights: Analysis of customer demographics, buying behaviors, preferences, and needs.
  • Conclusions and Recommendations: Summarize the insights derived from the research and suggest actionable strategies based on the findings.

How to Create a Market Research Report in 5 Steps

Creating an effective market research report involves a structured approach:

  • Define the Purpose: Clearly articulate what you want to achieve with the report. This will guide your research focus and methodology.
  • Gather Information: Use both primary and secondary research to collect comprehensive data. Primary research could include surveys and interviews, while secondary research may involve reviewing existing studies, industry reports, and competitive data.
  • Analyze Data: Interpret the data to identify patterns, insights, and correlations. Use statistical tools and software for accurate analysis.
  • Draft the Report: Organize the findings in a structured format. Start with the executive summary, followed by the introduction, methodology, detailed findings, and conclusions.
  • Review and Revise: Ensure the report is clear, accurate, and free from bias. It may be helpful to have peers or stakeholders review the document before finalizing it.

Best Practices for Creating a Market Research Report

To enhance the effectiveness of your market research report, consider these best practices:

  • Stay Objective: Maintain impartiality to ensure the report is unbiased and reliable.
  • Use Visuals: Incorporate charts, graphs, and infographics to make data easier to understand and more engaging.
  • Keep It Concise: Be clear and concise, avoiding overly complex language or excessive detail that may distract from the key insights.
  • Segment the Data: Provide segmented analysis to offer more detailed insights into different customer groups or market segments.
  • Update Regularly: Market conditions change rapidly, so it’s important to update your reports periodically to keep them relevant.

Create a Market Research Report Using Tome

Presenting your market research effectively is key to influencing strategic decisions.

With Tome, you can effortlessly craft detailed, insightful presentations that communicate complex data in an understandable and engaging manner.

Start leveraging Tome today to enhance the impact of your market research reports and drive meaningful action.

Deepai: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

In this article, we will share the main uses of Deepai, its pricing, reviews, and some alternatives to it.

Runway AI: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

In this article, we will share the main uses of Runway AI, its pricing, reviews, and some alternatives to it.

Flirtify: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

Flirtify is an AI-powered tool designed to generate pickup lines based on user-provided information about a person they're interested in.

Moemate: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

In this article, we will share the main uses of Moemate, its pricing, reviews, and some alternatives to it.

Visla: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

In this article, we will share the main uses of Visla, its pricing, reviews, and some alternatives to it.

Jenni.Ai: Pricing, Reviews, and Alternatives

In this article, we will share the main uses of Jenni.Ai, its pricing, reviews, and some alternatives to it.

Examples

Management Notice

Report generator.

example of marketing research report

Many corporations use market research to see if their products and services are relevant and interesting to the masses. This helps them figure out the changes in market trends, consumer likes and dislikes, and other various aspects. The results of marketing research are needed for a business owner to decide what the next product marketing plan is. If you want to study the outcome of conducted marketing research, you need a marketing research report. This displays the methods used, the subjects of the research, and the final output. Here are 10+ marketing research reports templates you can use for your research.

10+ Marketing Research Report Templates

Marketing research is a method used to gather information about the market, your product, and how they would affect each other. To help you with this research, here are sample marketing research templates you can use.

1. Sample Marketing Report

Sample Marketing Report

  • Google Docs

Size: A4 & US Letter Sizes

If you are planning on building a startup, you have to be sure that your proposed products and services are favorable to your target market. In business, you can’t just produce something without seeing if it would sell. You need to study how well it would hit the market and who your prospective clients would be. You need to conduct marketing research, study the results, then start your business strategic plan . To help you with this process, here is a  Sample Marketing Report Template  you can use. You can report your research results in a hassle-free way using this editable template.

2. Market Research Report

Market Research Report

Before you can launch a service or product, you need to analyze its favorability. That’s why you conduct marketing research. You need to make sure that the results of your research are understandable and organized. How can you make the right business proposals if you can’t make sense of the data presented? That is why you need this Market Research Report Template . It has premade content so you can be sure that arrange the data perfectly. From the process to results, you can place all the details in this customizable template.

3. Market Analysis Report

Market Analysis Report

If you are a market analyst, don’t you want the end product of your surveys and observations to look neat and presentable? You want a document you can confidently show your bosses. If you want to make sure your research business report is well-made, you should give this market analysis report template a try. This template is easy to use and easy to edit so you can fit your specifications with its quality content. You can even edit in graphics and charts of your results in this template. Our skilled team makes it so you can be sure it’s high-quality. Download this template now! 

4. Operative Report Template

Operative Report

Your prospect market is like a sick patient; you need to understand its conditions before you can start operation. Before you can offer your products and services, you need to figure out what the market needs. After the whole data gathering process is done and dealt with, the next step is to document your variables, methods, and results for further analysis. To help you put everything together, you can use this operative report template. You can use this for your qualitative research; just edit the given labels and add in the data, and you have your technical report !

5. Marketing Research Summary Report Template

Summary Report

After your marketing research, the next task is to summarize everything. You need to have your process, results, and other key elements reported in one document. This helps analysts and business owners come up with a decision for the company. Maybe your results can lead to new market strategy business plans and other corporate choices.  To keep things together, you can use this Marketing Research Summary Report Template . This customizable template can fit any of your quantitative summaries. It just needs a little editing, and you have what you need. Download this high-quality template now!

6. Research Report Cover Page Template

Research Report Cover Page

Size: A4 & US Sizes

When submitting your reports, you need to make sure that it gets your reviewers’ attention. You need to wow them from the very start. Before they read your introduction, they should take some time to look at your cover page. It may not seem like such an important part of the document, but it promises your reviewers that you are about to give them quality content. For your research cover page, you can use IResearch Report Cover Page Template. You can personalize this report template to fit your research. And the best thing? Thi template is free to download! 

7. Market Research Project Report Template

Project Report

  • Illustrator
  • Editable PDF

Projects and researches need a lot of time and effort. They have to be properly conducted to make sure you get usable results. That is why the way the results are displayed is also important. The many hours you spent conducting your marketing research would be put to waste if the presented results are unclear. To make sure that the final output of your research is understandable, you can use this Market Research Project Report Template . You can customize this template so that it fits your research project proposal and report perfectly. It’s easy to use, ready to print, and free to download.

8. Marketing Research Daily Work Report Template

Daily Work Report

When conducting research, you need to make sure you are constantly gathering data. You have to make sure that there is progress in your research every single day. Stagnant research won’t get you anywhere. You need a research progress chart to record, study, and analyze your data daily to come up with valid results. To help you gather data for your research, you can use the Marketing Research Daily Work Report Template shown above.  This template is 100% customizable, so you can make sure it fits your needs. Ready to print in commercial and personal printers. Try it out now!

9. Marketing Research Project Weekly Status Report Template

Project Weekly Status Report

If your research does not need to be checked on daily, you still need to make sure that it gets constant follow up. Checking the status of your research keeps you updated if some other variables, like business trends and competition, come into play. If you plan to survey the weekly status of your research, you should have a standardized progress report for checking your project. What you need is the  Marketing Research Project Weekly Status Report Template  embedded above. You don’t have to worry about the contents of this template, you have to edit in the necessary details, and it’s ready for use.

10. Marketing Research Scope of Work Report Template

Scope of Work Report

For any project, the task and obligations have to be designated. Assigning who does what is part of any organizational flow . Work goals also have to be set so that the desired results can be achieved. In research, there also has to be task designations. No one can do the whole research on their own in a given timeframe. What you need is the Marketing Research Scope of Work Report Template . This template organizes the task assignment in a research team and allows you to sets goals for the whole team. It’s easy to edit and free to download!

11. Market Research Summary Report

Market Research Summary Report

Size: 1.3 MB

Are you unsure what market research is ? Do you need a guide to help you format your work? Your market research report has to be complete. Any missing part can render your results false and invalid. You need to make sure that you place key elements of your research concisely. From the cover to the conclusion, your final report has to be well-made and well-thought-of. If you need a sample for your report, the  Market Research Summary Report  (shown above) might be what you need. Pattern your research report using this as your guide.

Twitter

Text prompt

  • Instructive
  • Professional

Generate a report on the impact of technology in the classroom on student learning outcomes

Prepare a report analyzing the trends in student participation in sports and arts programs over the last five years at your school.

example of marketing research report

  • Free Resources

example of marketing research report

14 Market Research Examples

Curiosity.

At the heart of every successful marketing campaign is a curious marketer who learned how to better serve a customer.

In this industry, we scratch that curiosity itch with market research.

To help give you ideas to learn about your customer, in this article we bring you examples from Consumer Reports, Intel, Visa USA, Hallmark, Levi Strauss, John Deere, LeapFrog, Spiceworks Ziff Davis and more.

14 Market Research Examples

This article was originally published in the MarketingSherpa email newsletter .

Example #1: National bank’s A/B testing

You can learn what customers want by conducting experiments on real-life customer decisions using A/B testing. When you ensure your tests do not have any validity threats, the information you garner can offer very reliable insights into customer behavior.

Here’s an example from Flint McGlaughlin, CEO of MarketingSherpa and MECLABS Institute, and the creator of its  online marketing course .

A national bank was working with MECLABS to discover how to increase the number of sign-ups for new checking accounts.

Customers who were interested in checking accounts could click on an “Open in Minutes” link on the bank’s homepage.

Creative Sample #1: Anonymized bank homepage

Creative Sample #1: Anonymized bank homepage

After clicking on the homepage link, visitors were taken to a four-question checking account selector tool.

Creative Sample #2: Original checking account landing page — account recommendation selector tool

Creative Sample #2: Original checking account landing page — account recommendation selector tool

After filling out the selector tool, visitors were taken to a results page that included a suggested package (“Best Choice”) along with a secondary option (“Second Choice”). The results page had several calls to action (CTAs). Website visitors were able to select an account and begin pre-registration (“Open Now”) or find out more information about the account (“Learn More”), go back and change their answers (“Go back and change answers”), or manually browse other checking options (“Other Checking Options”).

Creative Sample #3: Original checking account landing page — account recommendation selector tool results page

Creative Sample #3: Original checking account landing page — account recommendation selector tool results page

After going through the experience, the MECLABS team hypothesized that the selector tool wasn’t really delivering on the expectation the customer had after clicking on the “Open in Minutes” CTA. They created two treatments (new versions) and tested them against the control experience.

In the first treatment, the checking selector tool was removed, and instead, customers were directly presented with three account options in tabs from which customers could select.

Creative Sample #4: Checking account landing page Treatment #1

Creative Sample #4: Checking account landing page Treatment #1

The second treatment’s landing page focused on a single product and had only one CTA. The call-to-action was similar to the CTA customers clicked on the homepage to get to this page — “Open Now.”

Creative Sample #5: Checking account landing page Treatment #2

Creative Sample #5: Checking account landing page Treatment #2

Both treatments increased account applications compared to the control landing page experience, with Treatment #2 generating 65% more applicants at a 98% level of confidence.

Creative Sample #6: Results of bank experiment that used A/B testing

Creative Sample #6: Results of bank experiment that used A/B testing

You’ll note the Level of Confidence in the results. With any research tactic or tool you use to learn about customers, you have to consider whether the information you’re getting really represents most customers, or if you’re just seeing outliers or random chance.

With a high Level of Confidence like this, it is more likely the results actually represent a true difference between the control and treatment landing pages and that the results aren’t just a random event.

The other factor to consider is — testing in and of itself will not produce results. You have to use testing as research to actually learn about the customer and then make changes to better serve the customer.

In the video How to Discover Exactly What the Customer Wants to See on the Next Click: 3 critical skills every marketer must master , McGlaughlin discussed this national bank experiment and explained how to use prioritization, identification and deduction to discover what your customers want.

This example was originally published in Marketing Research: 5 examples of discovering what customers want .

Example #2: Consumer Reports’ market intelligence research from third-party sources

The first example covers A/B testing. But keep in mind, ill-informed A/B testing isn’t market research, it’s just hoping for insights from random guesses.

In other words, A/B testing in a vacuum does not provide valuable information about customers. What you are testing is crucial, and then A/B testing is a means to help better understand whether insights you have about the customer are either validated or refuted by actual customer behavior. So it’s important to start with some research into potential customers and competitors to inform your A/B tests.

For example, when MECLABS and MarketingExperiments (sister publisher to MarketingSherpa) worked with Consumer Reports on a public, crowdsourced A/B test, we provided a market intelligence report to our audience to help inform their test suggestions.

Every successful marketing test should confirm or deny an assumption about the customer. You need enough knowledge about the customer to create marketing messages you think will be effective.

For this public experiment to help marketers improve their split testing abilities, we had a real customer to work with — donors to Consumer Reports.

To help our audience better understand the customer, the MECLABS Marketing Intelligence team created the 26-page ConsumerReports Market Intelligence Research document (which you can see for yourself at that link).

This example was originally published in Calling All Writers and Marketers: Write the most effective copy for this Consumer Reports email and win a MarketingSherpa Summit package and Consumer Reports Value Proposition Test: What you can learn from a 29% drop in clickthrough .

Example #3: Virtual event company’s conversation

What if you don’t have the budget for A/B testing? Or any of the other tactics in this article?

Well, if you’re like most people you likely have some relationships with other human beings. A significant other, friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, customers, a nemesis (“Newman!”). While conducting market research by talking to these people has several validity threats, it at least helps you get out of your own head and identify some of your blind spots.

WebBabyShower.com’s lead magnet is a PDF download of a baby shower thank you card ‘swipe file’ plus some extras. “Women want to print it out and have it where they are writing cards, not have a laptop open constantly,” said Kurt Perschke, owner, WebBabyShower.com.

That is not a throwaway quote from Perschke. That is a brilliant insight, so I want to make sure we don’t overlook it. By better understanding customer behavior, you can better serve customers and increase results.

However, you are not your customer. So you must bridge the gap between you and them.

Often you hear marketers or business leaders review an ad or discuss a marketing campaign and say, “Well, I would never read that entire ad” or “I would not be interested in that promotion.” To which I say … who cares? Who cares what you would do? If you are not in the ideal customer set, sorry to dent your ego, but you really don’t matter. Only the customer does.

Perschke is one step ahead of many marketers and business leaders because he readily understands this. “Owning a business whose customers are 95% women has been a great education for me,” he said.

So I had to ask him, how did he get this insight into his customers’ behavior? Frankly, it didn’t take complex market research. He was just aware of this disconnect he had with the customer, and he was alert for ways to bridge the gap. “To be honest, I first saw that with my wife. Then we asked a few customers, and they confirmed it’s what they did also. Writing notes by hand is viewed as a ‘non-digital’ activity and reading from a laptop kinda spoils the mood apparently,” he said.

Back to WebBabyShower. “We've seen a [more than] 100% increase in email signups using this method, which was both inexpensive and evergreen,” Perschke said.

This example was originally published in Digital Marketing: Six specific examples of incentives that worked .

Example #4: Spiceworks Ziff Davis’ research-informed content marketing

Marketing research isn’t just to inform products and advertising messages. Market research can also give your brand a leg up in another highly competitive space – content marketing.

Don’t just jump in and create content expecting it to be successful just because it’s “free.” Conducting research beforehand can help you understand what your potential audience already receives and where they might need help but are currently being served.

When Spiceworks Ziff Davis (SWZD) published its annual State of IT report, it invested months in conducting primary market research, analyzing year-over-year trends, and finally producing the actual report.

“Before getting into the nuts and bolts of writing an asset, look at market shifts and gaps that complement your business and marketing objectives. Then, you can begin to plan, research, write, review and finalize an asset,” said Priscilla Meisel, Content Marketing Director, SWZD.

This example was originally published in Marketing Writing: 3 simple tips that can help any marketer improve results (even if you’re not a copywriter) .

Example #5: Business travel company’s guerilla research

There are many established, expensive tactics you can use to better understand customers.

But if you don’t have the budget for those tactics, and don’t know any potential customers, you might want to brainstorm creative ways you can get valuable information from the right customer target set.

Here’s an example from a former client of Mitch McCasland, Founding Partner and Director, Brand Inquiry Partners. The company sold a product related to frequent business flyers and was interested in finding out information on people who travel for a living. They needed consumer feedback right away.

“I suggested that they go out to the airport with a bunch of 20-dollar bills and wait outside a gate for passengers to come off their flight,” McCasland said. When people came off the flight, they were politely asked if they would answer a few questions in exchange for the incentive (the $20). By targeting the first people off the flight they had a high likelihood of reaching the first-class passengers.

This example was originally published in Guerrilla Market Research Expert Mitch McCasland Tells How You Can Conduct Quick (and Cheap) Research .

Example #6: Intel’s market research database

When conducting market research, it is crucial to organize your data in a way that allows you to easily and quickly report on it. This is especially important for qualitative studies where you are trying to do more than just quantify the data, but need to manage it so it is easier to analyze.

Anne McClard, Senior Researcher, Doxus worked with Shauna Pettit-Brown of Intel on a research project to understand the needs of mobile application developers throughout the world.

Intel needed to be able to analyze the data from several different angles, including segment and geography, a daunting task complicated by the number of interviews, interviewers, and world languages.

“The interviews were about an hour long, and pretty substantial,” McClard says. So, she needed to build a database to organize the transcripts in a way that made sense.

Different types of data are useful for different departments within a company; once your database is organized you can sort it by various threads.

The Intel study had three different internal sponsors. "When it came to doing the analysis, we ended up creating multiple versions of the presentation targeted to individual audiences," Pettit-Brown says.

The organized database enabled her to go back into the data set to answer questions specific to the interests of the three different groups.

This example was originally published in 4 Steps to Building a Qualitative Market Research Database That Works Better .

Example #7: National security survey’s priming

When conducting market research surveys, the way you word your questions can affect customers’ response. Even the way you word previous questions can put customers in a certain mindset that will skew their answers.

For example, when people were asked if they thought the U.S. government should spend money on an anti-missile shield, the results appeared fairly conclusive. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed thought the country should and only six percent were unsure, according to Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls .

But when pollsters added the option, "...or are you unsure?" the level of uncertainty leaped from six percent to 33 percent. When they asked whether respondents would be upset if the government took the opposite course of action from their selection, 59 percent either didn’t have an opinion or didn’t mind if the government did something differently.

This is an example of how the way you word questions can change a survey’s results. You want survey answers to reflect customer’s actual sentiments that are as free of your company’s previously held biases as possible.

This example was originally published in Are Surveys Misleading? 7 Questions for Better Market Research .

Example #8: Visa USA’s approach to getting an accurate answer

As mentioned in the previous example, the way you ask customers questions can skew their responses with your own biases.

However, the way you ask questions to potential customers can also illuminate your understanding of them. Which is why companies field surveys to begin with.

“One thing you learn over time is how to structure questions so you have a greater likelihood of getting an accurate answer. For example, when we want to find out if people are paying off their bills, we'll ask them to think about the card they use most often. We then ask what the balance was on their last bill after they paid it,” said Michael Marx, VP Research Services, Visa USA.

This example was originally published in Tips from Visa USA's Market Research Expert Michael Marx .

Example #9: Hallmark’s private members-only community

Online communities are a way to interact with and learn from customers. Hallmark created a private members-only community called Idea Exchange (an idea you could replicate with a Facebook or LinkedIn Group).

The community helped the greeting cards company learn the customer’s language.

“Communities…let consumers describe issues in their own terms,” explained Tom Brailsford, Manager of Advancing Capabilities, Hallmark Cards. “Lots of times companies use jargon internally.”

At Hallmark they used to talk internally about “channels” of distribution. But consumers talk about stores, not channels. It is much clearer to ask consumers about the stores they shop in than what channels they shop.

For example, Brailsford clarified, “We say we want to nurture, inspire, and lift one’s spirits. We use those terms, and the communities have defined those terms for us. So we have learned how those things play out in their lives. It gives us a much richer vocabulary to talk about these things.”

This example was originally published in Third Year Results from Hallmark's Online Market Research Experiment .

Example #10: L'Oréal’s social media listening

If you don’t want the long-term responsibility that comes with creating an online community, you can use social media listening to understand how customers talking about your products and industry in their own language.

In 2019, L'Oréal felt the need to upgrade one of its top makeup products – L'Oréal Paris Alliance Perfect foundation. Both the formula and the product communication were outdated – multiple ingredients had emerged on the market along with competitive products made from those ingredients.

These new ingredients and products were overwhelming consumers. After implementing new formulas, the competitor brands would advertise their ingredients as the best on the market, providing almost magical results.

So the team at L'Oréal decided to research their consumers’ expectations instead of simply crafting a new formula on their own. The idea was to understand not only which active ingredients are credible among the audience, but also which particular words they use while speaking about foundations in general.

The marketing team decided to combine two research methods: social media listening and traditional questionnaires.

“For the most part, we conduct social media listening research when we need to find out what our customers say about our brand/product/topic and which words they use to do it. We do conduct traditional research as well and ask questions directly. These surveys are different because we provide a variety of readymade answers that respondents choose from. Thus, we limit them in terms of statements and their wording,” says Marina Tarandiuk, marketing research specialist, L'Oréal Ukraine.

“The key value of social media listening (SML) for us is the opportunity to collect people’s opinions that are as ‘natural’ as possible. When someone leaves a review online, they are in a comfortable environment, they use their ‘own’ language to express themselves, there is no interviewer standing next to them and potentially causing shame for their answer. The analytics of ‘natural’ and honest opinions of our customers enables us to implement the results in our communication and use the same language as them,” Tarandiuk said.

The team worked with a social media listening tool vendor to identify the most popular, in-demand ingredients discussed online and detect the most commonly used words and phrases to create a “consumer glossary.”

Questionnaires had to confirm all the hypotheses and insights found while monitoring social media. This part was performed in-house with the dedicated team. They created custom questionnaires aiming to narrow down all the data to a maximum of three variants that could become the base for the whole product line.

“One of our recent studies had a goal to find out which words our clients used to describe positive and negative qualities of [the] foundation. Due to a change in [the] product’s formula, we also decided to change its communication. Based on the opinions of our customers, we can consolidate the existing positive ideas that our clients have about the product,” Tarandiuk said.

To find the related mentions, the team monitored not only the products made by L'Oréal but also the overall category. “The search query contained both brand names and general words like foundation, texture, smell, skin, pores, etc. The problem was that this approach ended up collecting thousands of mentions, not all of which were relevant to the topic,” said Elena Teselko, content marketing manager, YouScan (L'Oréal’s social media listening tool).

So the team used artificial intelligence-based tagging that divided mentions according to the category, features, or product type.

This approach helped the team discover that customers valued such foundation features as not clogging pores, a light texture, and not spreading. Meanwhile, the most discussed and appreciated cosmetics component was hyaluronic acid.

These exact phrases, found with the help of social media monitoring, were later used for marketing communication.

Creative Sample #7: Marketing communicating for personal care company with messaging based on discoveries from market research

Creative Sample #7: Marketing communicating for personal care company with messaging based on discoveries from market research

“Doing research and detecting audience’s interests BEFORE starting a campaign is an approach that dramatically lowers any risks and increases chances that the campaign would be appreciated by customers,” Teselko said.

This example was originally published in B2C Branding: 3 quick case studies of enhancing the brand with a better customer experience .

Example #11: Levi’s ethnographic research

In a focus group or survey, you are asking customers to explain something they may not even truly understand. Could be why they bought a product. Or what they think of your competitor.

Ethnographic research is a type of anthropology in which you go into customers’ homes or places of business and observe their actual behavior, behavior they may not understand well enough to explain to you.

While cost prohibitive to many brands, and simply unfeasible for others, it can elicit new insights into your customers.

Michael Perman, Senior Director Cultural Insights, Levi Strauss & Co. uses both quantitative and qualitative research on a broad spectrum, but when it comes to gathering consumer insight, he focuses on in-depth ethnographic research provided by partners who specialize in getting deep into the “nooks and crannies of consumer life in America and around the world.” For example, his team spends time in consumers’ homes and in their closets. They shop with consumers, looking for the reality of a consumer’s life and identifying themes that will enable designers and merchandisers to better understand and anticipate consumer needs.

Perman then puts together multi-sensory presentations that illustrate the findings of research. For example, “we might recreate a teenager’s bedroom and show what a teenage girl might have on her dresser.”

This example was originally published in How to Get Your Company to Pay Attention to Market Research Results: Tips from Levi Strauss .

Example #12: eBags’ ethnographic research

Ethnographic research isn’t confined to a physical goods brand like Levi’s. Digital brands can engage in this form of anthropology as well.

While usability testing in a lab is useful, it does miss some of the real-world environmental factors that play a part in the success of a website. Usability testing alone didn’t create a clear enough picture for Gregory Casey, User Experience Designer and Architect, eBags.

“After we had designed our mobile and tablet experience, I wanted to run some contextual user research, which basically meant seeing how people used it in the wild, seeing how people are using it in their homes. So that’s exactly what I did,” Gregory said.

He found consumers willing to open their home to him and be tested in their normal environment. This meant factors like the television, phone calls and other family members played a part in how they experienced the eBags mobile site.

“During these interview sessions, a lot of times we were interrupted by, say, a child coming over and the mother having to do something for the kid … The experience isn’t sovereign. It’s not something where they just sit down, work through a particular user flow and complete their interaction,” Gregory said.

By watching users work through the site as they would in their everyday life, Gregory got to see what parts of the site they actually use.

This example was originally published in Mobile Marketing: 4 takeaways on how to improve your mobile shopping experience beyond just responsive design .

Example #13: John Deere’s shift from product-centric market research to consumer-centric research

One of the major benefits of market research is to overcome company blind spots. However, if you start with your blind spots – i.e., a product focus – you will blunt the effectiveness of your market research.

In the past, “they’d say, Here’s the product, find out how people feel about it,” explained David van Nostrand, Manager, John Deere's Global Market Research. “A lot of companies do that.” Instead, they should be saying, “Let's start with the customers: what do they want, what do they need?”

The solution? A new in-house program called “Category Experts” brings the product-group employees over as full team members working on specific research projects with van Nostrand’s team.

These staffers handle items that don’t require a research background: scheduling, meetings, logistics, communication and vendor management. The actual task they handle is less important than the fact that they serve as human cross-pollinators, bringing consumer-centric sensibility back to their product- focused groups.

For example, if van Nostrand’s team is doing research about a vehicle, they bring in staffers from the Vehicles product groups. “The information about vehicle consumers needs to be out there in the vehicle marketing groups, not locked in here in the heads of the researchers.”

This example was originally published in How John Deere Increased Mass Consumer Market Share by Revamping its Market Research Tactics .

Example #14: LeapFrog’s market research involvement throughout product development (not just at the beginning and the end)

Market research is sometimes thought of as a practice that can either inform the development of a product, or research consumer attitudes about developed products. But what about the middle?

Once the creative people begin working on product designs, the LeapFrog research department stays involved.

They have a lab onsite where they bring moms and kids from the San Francisco Bay area to test preliminary versions of the products. “We do a lot of hands-on, informal qualitative work with kids,” said Craig Spitzer, VP Marketing Research, LeapFrog. “Can they do what they need to do to work the product? Do they go from step A to B to C, or do they go from A to C to B?”

When designing the LeapPad Learning System, for example, the prototype went through the lab “a dozen times or so,” he says.

A key challenge for the research department is keeping and building the list of thousands of families who have agreed to be on call for testing. “We've done everything from recruiting on the Internet to putting out fliers in local schools, working through employees whose kids are in schools, and milking every connection we have,” Spitzer says.

Kids who test products at the lab are compensated with a free, existing product rather than a promise of the getting the product they're testing when it is released in the future.

This example was originally published in How LeapFrog Uses Marketing Research to Launch New Products .

Related resources

The Marketer’s Blind Spot: 3 ways to overcome the marketer’s greatest obstacle to effective messaging

Get Your Free Test Discovery Tool to Help Log all the Results and Discoveries from Your Company’s Marketing Tests

Marketing Research: 5 examples of discovering what customers want

Online Marketing Tests: How do you know you’re really learning anything?

Improve Your Marketing

example of marketing research report

Join our thousands of weekly case study readers.

Enter your email below to receive MarketingSherpa news, updates, and promotions:

Note: Already a subscriber? Want to add a subscription? Click Here to Manage Subscriptions

Get Better Business Results With a Skillfully Applied Customer-first Marketing Strategy

example of marketing research report

The customer-first approach of MarketingSherpa’s agency services can help you build the most effective strategy to serve customers and improve results, and then implement it across every customer touchpoint.

example of marketing research report

Get headlines, value prop, competitive analysis, and more.

Marketer Vs Machine

example of marketing research report

Marketer Vs Machine: We need to train the marketer to train the machine.

Free Marketing Course

example of marketing research report

Become a Marketer-Philosopher: Create and optimize high-converting webpages (with this free online marketing course)

Project and Ideas Pitch Template

example of marketing research report

A free template to help you win approval for your proposed projects and campaigns

Six Quick CTA checklists

example of marketing research report

These CTA checklists are specifically designed for your team — something practical to hold up against your CTAs to help the time-pressed marketer quickly consider the customer psychology of your “asks” and how you can improve them.

Infographic: How to Create a Model of Your Customer’s Mind

example of marketing research report

You need a repeatable methodology focused on building your organization’s customer wisdom throughout your campaigns and websites. This infographic can get you started.

Infographic: 21 Psychological Elements that Power Effective Web Design

example of marketing research report

To build an effective page from scratch, you need to begin with the psychology of your customer. This infographic can get you started.

Receive the latest case studies and data on email, lead gen, and social media along with MarketingSherpa updates and promotions.

  • Your Email Account
  • Customer Service Q&A
  • Search Library
  • Content Directory:

Questions? Contact Customer Service at [email protected]

© 2000-2024 MarketingSherpa LLC, ISSN 1559-5137 Editorial HQ: MarketingSherpa LLC, PO Box 50032, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240

The views and opinions expressed in the articles of this website are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect in any way the views of MarketingSherpa, its affiliates, or its employees.

Research

9 Highly Successful Market Research Examples

9 Highly Successful Market Research Examples

Free Website Traffic Checker

Discover your competitors' strengths and leverage them to achieve your own success

In the battle of instinct vs insight, there’s  clear evidence that data-driven decision-making pays off. 

A  McKinsey study into the impact of market research found that organizations using data to make decisions are more likely to be profitable, and can more effectively retain and acquire customers vs those who fail to use this approach.

I’ve curated nine of the best market research examples to help you find innovative ways to fuel growth , adapt, and impact change when and where it’s most needed. This post guides you through the problems faced along with the processes and tools used so you can replicate actions and outcomes in your business.

market research quote

Market Research Example #1 – Understand the competitive landscape

In any business of any size, having in-depth insights into competitors’ audiences, campaigns, keywords, ( and more ) allows you to shape or refine your own plans for success. You can cut through the noise, see what’s working, and uncover opportunities for growth.

Wonderbly market research example

Since 2013, Wonderbly’s business has grown exponentially and now sells personalized books to over six million customers worldwide. In order to validate its go-to-market strategy, it needed granular insights into competitors and market trends.

Here’s how it played out.

1. Competitive insights

Challenge: Low visibility into a key competitor’s activity

Action: By analyzing competitor audience demographics that showed both gender and age distribution of its rival’s audience, Wonderbly saw its competition was better at attracting a younger audience.

Impact: Through the development of a new audience profile and key changes to future campaign strategies, it was able to grow the business and attract new customers.

Website demographics

This snapshot shows competitors’ website demographics side-by-side. While it was attracting a larger female audience of 62% vs. 56%, they saw their rivals were better at appealing to a male audience, with a respective split of 43% vs. 37%. In age distribution, its share in the 18-24 bracket was just 12% vs. 19%. Showing a clear opportunity to do more to reach that younger audience.

2. Keyword seasonality

Challenge: Lack of data to enter new markets

Action: Using seasonal trends keywords that showed where competitors were winning traffic from paid ad channels, Wonderbly discovered an emerging category (weddings and anniversaries) that was not addressed with its own offering.

Impact: By demonstrating competitors’ success and subsequent consumer interest, a new product line was developed. It went on to achieve a 69% revenue increase in books purchased by a more mature audience.

Keyword seasonality

Keyword seasonality screenshot shows traffic leaders for specific keyword sets, their seasonality, traffic share , volume, and CPC data. This shows where competitors are using paid ads to win traffic share.

3. Audience data

Challenge: Limited view of audience browsing behavior

Action: By looking into audience data that showed which sites its visitors were cross-browsing, Wonderbly was able to determine audience loyalty vs. that of its rivals.

Impact: The information was used to forge new content-focused partnerships in the UK, US, and Canada with several organizations and drove more traffic to its own site as a result.

Audience overlap

Audience overlap screenshot shows which sites its customers are browsing, how loyal they are, and presented new information about a referral partnership.

See the full story behind Wonderly’s success here.

69% Revenue increase in books bought for grown-ups by tapping into new audiences in 2021

Market Research Example #2 – Market Intelligence

Most business leaders and marketers have a solid understanding of their market. But if you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to reach deep inside a market, and often. Dynamic market intel enables you to do this and achieve sustainable growth by spotting emerging opportunities as they happen.

Redarbour market research example

Red Arbor is the third-largest job board website in the world. Market Intelligence is an integral part of its business; with granular data across multiple markets, it knows the how and why behind individual brands’ performance.

Challenge: Difficult to see what’s happening across websites, apps, and digital entities in relevant markets.

Action: By using competitive and market intelligence tools, Red Arbor could see market movements and shifts in rival traffic share in all relevant markets as they occurred.

Impact: Key data can be constantly monitored to provide intel around emerging competitors and enables Red Arbor brands to quickly close the gap on respective market leaders. Based on these insights, it helps brands become the ultimate competitor and retain their positions as market leaders.

Read the full article about Red Arbur’s successful market research example here.

Red Arbur's successful market research example

Market Research Example #3 – Entering new markets

Diversification is key to survival. For both product and service-based businesses, entering a new market can, without question, yield huge rewards. But before investing time and effort, the crucial work of fleshing out the opportunity in its entirety is key.

Airbnb market research example

Airbnb is a household name, and a huge part of its success has been breaking into new markets. Each market has unique factors, risks, and opportunities. When this global powerhouse wanted to enter the Israeli market, it needed to get a clear handle on both local and international leaders, along with emerging players; all of whom had deployed aggressive marketing efforts.

Let’s look at how it went on to achieve success in a bustling new market.

Challenge: Analyze a new, highly competitive market and get clear insights into its rivals’ traffic sources to enable them to build an effective marketing strategy.

Action: Airbnb already knew who the leaders and most active local competitors were, but to enter with confidence, it wanted to see its respective rivals’ growth strategies. Using detailed website analytics , it was able to see its top competitors were all focussed on four core marketing activities.

  • Building partnerships with niche sites
  • AdWords, display, and search campaigns
  • Local social network ads via organic and paid campaigns
  • Running local digital news publisher’s ads

Top industry players

The snapshot shows at a glance who the top industry players are, with booking.com attracting 1.4 million unique visitors in the period with a yearly change of 57% vs. Airbnb’s unique visitors of 249k and a traffic increase of 42%. Two key players are losing traffic, with a 42%+ reduction in traffic share. It also identifies five emerging players in the market with significant growth of over 3000%.

Airbnb chose to focus its resources on social marketing, display and search ads, and partnerships. Its findings revealed specific keywords, social sites, and referrals that enabled it to enter a new market in a position of strength.

Impact: It entered a new market with a 360-degree view of what marketing channels and tactics to use.

Stop Guessing, Start Analyzing

Get actionable insights for market research here

Market Research Example #4 – Business benchmarking & competitive landscaping

Benchmarking in business is a great way to see how well you’re doing. But it’s so much more than just this – it lets you discover, understand, improve, grow, and set goals. If there’s one crucial thing I want you to know about successful market research examples, it’s the importance of doing benchmarking­ – often and well.

Croud market research example

Croud is a global digital marketing partner to some of the world’s greatest brands. It develops and iterates marketing strategies on a daily basis..

Want to find out how it consistently shapes successful growth strategies? Read on.

Challenge: Brand and category-level traffic analysis across different markets are limited.

Action: Using detailed site-level traffic data and competitor app engagement metrics , Cloud could quickly understand what sites people visit, traffic share, growth of a sector over time, and how a client’s own growth compares with its rivals.

Impact: The impact of market research intelligence on Croud’s business is multifaceted. It can serve clients’ fresh data insights that shape marketing channels and revenue opportunities. This, in turn, builds trust, loyalty, and revenue:

  • A global lingerie client was able to fine-tune localized marketing strategies and adjust media mixes to reflect category benchmarks. Ad copy was ‘tweaked,’ and new audiences were uncovered.
  • A video-on-demand client was alerted to emerging players entering the market, as well as what tactics were being used to obtain traffic.
  • A homecare retail client has been able to see the successful ad channels of its clients and adjust the marketing mix accordingly.

Read the full market research success story from Croud here.

Market research success story from Croud

Market Research Example #5 – New product development

When organizations develop plans for a new product or service, it requires insight, investment, and often a little intuition. Dynamic market intel can help you reveal shifts in consumer trends or behaviors before your rivals.

Staysure market research example

As a business in the travel sector, the pandemic hit Staysure harder than most – in fact the travel sector experienced losses of around 70% year on year. Market demands became an anomaly, and many rivals were forced to close their doors. To survive one of the toughest periods a business could ever face, Staysure needed to pivot, adapt, and go in a new direction.

Here’s how it turned things around.

Challenge: Survive the global pandemic and pivot its digital marketing strategy to meet the demand for new products in a shifting industry.

Action: Using Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence, Staysure analyzed competitors’ marketing tactics in real-time. This continuous monitoring enabled it to know when post-lockdown recoveries were occurring in real-time and allowed it to spot emerging trends , one of which was identified as an opportunity to bring a new product to market to address a shift in consumer demand.

Impact: Armed with this intel, it was able to develop a new insurance product that protected consumers against cancellations, medical expenses, and repatriation.

See more about how Staysure identified a new product opportunity for its business during one of the most challenging of times.

Staysure identified a new product opportunity for its business

Market Research Example #6 – Shape stronger strategies

Making key business decisions about the future is tough at the best of times. Add in a global pandemic, the possible end of globalization as we know it, and who knows what other variables – business leaders have never (likely) known a time like it. Creating future-proof strategies is a must for any organization, and with the current climate, it’s harder than ever. A data-informed approach is the only logical route to take at any time, but none more so than now.

eToro market research example

eToro is a market-leading social investing platform with a presence in over 100 countries and more than 27 million registered users. Each region operates within a different set of regulations and caters to unique market demands. To support eToro’s international expansion, the most up-to-date and accurate intel is needed to spearhead successful customer acquisition efforts across the globe.

Challenge: Finding reliable, competitive intelligence across international markets in a timely fashion

Action: The dedicated media buying at eToro used Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence to monitor competitor campaigns and evaluate potential media outlets, partnerships, and ad networks. Using deeper insights into website traffic, trends, and competitors’ campaigns, it could evaluate trends periodically, at both a regional and national level, to discover new traffic sources, evaluate and optimize existing media partnerships, and conduct keyword research each month.

Impact: The improved access to granular data insights has helped eToro negotiate with its publishers. As a result of being able to clearly see ad placement and creative campaign performance, it has improved ROI and increased its ability to out-trade rivals and gain market share .

Read more about how the team at eToro used digital insights to save time and make smarter decisions.

eToro used digital insights to save time

Market Research Example #7 – Identify the target audience

Every successful market research example I’ve ever seen starts and ends with the customer. Buyer personas shape product, price, and placement – and the development of these personas are relevant to all organizations. Being able to clearly identify a target audience in any market is crucial. Market dynamics mean a target audience is susceptible to change, so even established businesses need to keep watch.

Simplr market research example

Simplr is a customer support solution for growing brands, delivering staffing solutions via remote specialists and AI. As with any service-based business, being able to find and attract the right audience is crucial for growth and sustainability. It used market research to find and qualify high-caliber prospects and secure a more effective sales process.

Challenge: Targeting the right customers at the right time

Action: Simplr was able to get a detailed view of which new brands were growing the fastest by using digital performance data. This gave its sales team the ability to identify, qualify and prioritize potential companies based on solution fit and increasing need. Using a range of reports that show monthly traffic changes and traffic spikes in a custom sector, it saw high-growth sites with an expanding customer base and with this, an increased need for support services like Simplr.

Impact: Market sizing is now more dynamic and well-informed than ever before. Sales efficiency has increased, lead quality has improved, and sales performance is more effective as outreach is done in a more timely manner. Now, Simplr can identify and reach out to prospects during peak growth periods, and it’s seeing better conversions as a result.

Read more about how Simplr used successful market research to close more deals and improve pipeline efficiency here.

how Simplr used successful market research

Market Research Example #8 – Find out what marketing channels deliver ROI

In good times and bad, it’s important to optmize marketing spend to ensure you invest time, efforts, and money in channels that deliver. A great example of market research in action is to apply research efforts and take the time to know which channels work, and where rival’s are winning and losing in your space.

Anything is Possible (AIP)  is a data-driven, communications strategy, media planning & buying company that covers all digital and offline media. Needless to say, it’s a business that depends on reliable, insightful, timely data to impact its clients and their goals.

Challenge: During COVID, a key client (the Institute of Cancer Research) faced declining donations. To survive, it needed to find new ways to find and convert audiences to donate.

Action: AIP utilized Similarweb’s Digital Research Intelligence to do a basic competitive analysis on key rivals of its client. This identified which channels were optimal, and where the most referrals on rival sites were originating from. It shows that premium publisher sites, such as The Guardian were sending significant traffic to competitor sites. With this information, it was able to develop a paid-ads campaign that displayed advertising on targetted guardian.com pages.

Quote from Anything is Possible

Impact: The campaign was a huge success, exceeding previous campaign conversion rates by 817%. Read more about how AIP used Similarweb to understand the right marketing channels to use.

Market Research Example #9 – Trendspotting to find growth opportunities

During the pandemic, many companies in the hospitality sector were forced to close their doors. It was a case of fight or flight, and there were clear winners and losers. Having the ability to spot industry trends and adapt fast was key to the survival of many firms. In this market research example, we explore how one consulting firm was able to help its customers pivot and thrive during turbulent times.

Wiideman Consulting Group provides multi-location brands with SEO research, audits, and strategy services.

Challenge: During the pandemic, food chains had to pivot from offering dining-in services to takeout and delivery services. With IHOP and Applebee’s as key clients of its firm, it needed to develop robust strategies quickly to help its clients survive. With consumers performing non-banded searches to find food delivery and take-out services, these traditional dine-in venues have no visibility online and were at risk of not being found by people looking to order alternative dining solutions while dine-in restaurants were closed.

  Action: Using Similarweb, it identified the right keyword opportunities, industry trends, and delivery service provider insights. This enabled it to develop a strategy that focused on increasing visibility in the locations where the business could provide takeaway and delivery services. With this data, it was able to help reposition brands within the search engine results pages and optimize content to generate leads and sales.

Doing this market research enabled it to make three key changes.

  • Optimize the Google My Business profile to emphasize new service options for lunch, evening, and family meals.
  • Design and deploy optimized content with new delivery and takeout subpages for each location.
  • Addition of the ‘start order’ button as a floating call-to-action across all localized pages.

Impact: Driven by Similarweb insights, these tactics delivered favorable results for both of its clients in the hospitality sector.

  • Organic traffic for both brands improved by 63% & 37%
  • Revenues increased by 167% & 70% yoy

Market research example Wiiderman consulting

Ultimately, this market research enabled its clients to adapt to a changing market, and thrive when many others were forced to cease trading.

You can view the full write-up here to hear more about this success story.

Market research isn’t a one-and-done activity – rather, it’s a highly-habitual process and a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. Due to fast-changing market dynamics, business leaders and strategists need market insights on the fly to respond and react to shifts in consumer behavior while staying focused on growth.

I’ve shared with you nine market research examples demonstrating how companies around the globe have successfully used market analysis to strategize, adapt, and grow. Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence impacted each of these examples, helping take the guesswork out of market research; so you can confidently make informed strategic decisions to grow your business.

author-photo

by Liz March

Digital Research Specialist

Liz March has 15 years of experience in content creation. She enjoys the outdoors, F1, and reading, and is pursuing a BSc in Environmental Science.

Related Posts

Unlocking Consumer Behavior: What Makes Your Customers Tick?

Unlocking Consumer Behavior: What Makes Your Customers Tick?

Customer Segmentation: Expert Tips on Understanding Your Audience

Customer Segmentation: Expert Tips on Understanding Your Audience

Market Demand 101: How to Gauge Demand for Your Products

Market Demand 101: How to Gauge Demand for Your Products

Data Quality and Its Importance: Examples, Benefits, and Best Practices

Data Quality and Its Importance: Examples, Benefits, and Best Practices

What Is Data Visualization? Your Complete Guide

What Is Data Visualization? Your Complete Guide

What is Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), and Why Do You Need It?

What is Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), and Why Do You Need It?

Wondering what similarweb can do for your business.

Give it a try or talk to our insights team — don’t worry, it’s free!

example of marketing research report

  • Design for Business
  • Most Recent
  • Presentations
  • Infographics
  • Data Visualizations
  • Forms and Surveys
  • Video & Animation
  • Case Studies
  • Digital Marketing
  • Design Inspiration
  • Visual Thinking
  • Product Updates
  • Visme Webinars
  • Artificial Intelligence

Marketing Reports 101: How to Create One + Templates

Marketing Reports 101: How to Create One + Templates

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

Marketing Reports 101: How to Create One + Templates

You certainly can't rely on guesswork or gut feeling to answer these questions or make informed decisions. This is where marketing reports come into play.

Marketing reports provide the data you need to monitor activities, assess performance and make smarter decisions that bring better results. According to Think with Google , marketers who leverage tools to analyze, measure and report their marketing programs are 39% more likely to perform better.

If you are sold on creating high-quality marketing reports that captivate your audience, we've got you covered.

In this article, we'll teach you everything you need to know about marketing reports, how to create them and marketing report templates you can use straight away.

Table of Contents

What is a marketing report, the benefits of marketing reporting.

  • How to Create a Marketing Report

Marketing Report Best Practices

Marketing report templates, level up your marketing reports with visme.

What is a marketing report

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

Embed this infographic on your site:

A marketing report is a collection of data from different sources to evaluate the progress and performance of your marketing efforts and inform future marketing decisions. Businesses of all sizes create marketing reports to glean valuable into their:

  • Overall marketing strategy
  • Marketing goals
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Marketing activities like research, promotions, content, ads, email, social media and more
  • Expected outcomes and actual results

Not all marketing reports are created equal. The scope of your marketing reports can vary depending on the data you want to track and the number of marketing channels. The common types of marketing reports include:

  • General marketing reports
  • Social media marketing reports
  • SEO marketing reports
  • PPC marketing reports
  • Email marketing reports

When used effectively, marketing reporting puts you on top of your marketing activities and metrics across all marketing channels. At a glance, you'll get a bird's eye view of which marketing campaigns and channels are delivering the best results.

You're probably wondering why you should create reports, especially when key stakeholders aren't compelling you to present them. Or why add another challenging task to your itinerary when you've got customers and other business activities to attend to.

Here are the major perks of creating a detailed marketing report.

Visualize Customer Purchase Journey

There's no better way to understand the customer journey than by using a marketing report. From your marketing report, you can quickly identify:

  • Critical touch points
  • Lead magnets or contents that are driving the most impact
  • Where your prospects are on their journey
  • Prospects who are willing to spend and when they plan to make a purchase
  • What steps you should take to speed up the sales process and much more
  • How to optimize your sales and marketing funnel to convert better

Measure and Analyze Marketing Efforts

After investing a significant amount of time and money in marketing, how do you know if your efforts are worthwhile? This is precisely where marketing reports come in.

Whether you're looking to generate leads, turn prospects into customers or increase revenue, your marketing reports will show you whether or not your campaigns are achieving the desired results. You'll quickly figure out which strategies will help you maximize return on investment and get more bang for your marketing buck.

Every marketer and data analyst understands that the struggle with reporting is real. But Visme makes writing a report super-easy regardless of your skill level. It doesn't matter what type of data you want to capture. Visme has thousands of compelling report templates , stock images, visual aids and design elements to make your reports pack a punch.

Make Informed Business Decisions

In today's hyper-competitive business environment, you can't rely on wild guesses and gut feelings to make important marketing decisions. If you want to call the right shots or get your decisions spot on, you need rich and quality data.

We're not just talking about gathering a bunch of isolated numbers for the sake of it. Relevant and actionable data shows how your marketing campaigns have fared and impacted your bottom line.

Moreover, be sure this data is digestible and deeply connected to your business outcomes. A detailed marketing report like the one below gives you all of your granular and enriching marketing data in one place.

example of marketing research report

Keeps Everyone on the Same Page

Misalignments between sales and marketing teams are a struggle for most businesses. It stifles business growth and costs companies more than $1 trillion yearly .

For this alignment to happen, data needs to flow across departments. And marketing reports are often the missing piece of the puzzle. They provide the data that sales and marketing teams need to:

  • Optimize marketing content to increase emotional appeal and close more sales
  • Achieve their sales and marketing goals
  • Nurture leads through each stage of the sales funnel
  • Increase conversions and drive revenue over the top

How To Create a Marketing Report

Now you know why you need a marketing report. The next big question is how do you create a comprehensive and useful marketing report?

We'll go over how to create marketing reports to help you make better decisions and benefit your audience.

1. Outline the Purpose of Your Marketing Report

Without a clear-cut purpose, your marketing report is just a bunch of isolated numbers without meaning. Before gathering data and creating a report, ask yourself these questions.

  • What is the purpose of this report?
  • What message do we want to share and how do we convey it?
  • What are we looking to learn from this report?

Are you looking to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns? Do you want to justify marketing expenses or study marketing trends over a period of time?

Let's face it; you can't possibly fit every single piece of data into your marketing report. Answering these questions will help you focus on data that shape your marketing strategy, inform your decisions and help you perform better.

2. Know Your Audience

With a ton of marketing activities going on, you probably have a heap of data that's getting bigger by the hour.

All of this information may be relevant to you. But you want to ask yourself, is it relevant to the management team or people in other departments?

For example, the VP of marketing may be interested in which marketing campaigns bring in more leads, conversions and positive ROI. In contrast, the chief financial officer will want to see how marketing expense translates to sales and impacts the bottom line.

Before writing your marketing report, find out your target audience and what they want to know. This viewpoint will help you decide what data to provide. Plus, your marketing report must reflect the needs of your target audience.

Be sure to make your reports contain valuable information that's easy to understand. Your audience should be able to view the report and have clear direction on the next steps rather than scratching their heads in confusion.

3. Gather Your Data

Once you're clear on your target audience, the next important step is to gather, filter and analyze your data.

As your business grows, keeping tabs on granular data and tracking performance can be daunting. It's always helpful to keep an updated document of relevant documents and spreadsheets showing key metrics.

Using analytics tools like Google Analytics , Mixpanel , Hotjar , SEMRush and more to capture key marketing data can make your job a lot easier. You can also use change data capture (CDC) to track changes in your data warehouse, which will help you see the impact that new features have on the way people interact with your website.

Depending on your reporting process, you can do a daily, monthly or weekly dump and then use the data to build your report.

While gathering your data, you may be tempted to report everything, which isn't a good idea. Remember, your audience is typically only interested in the most critical metrics. Please resist the urge to drown them in a sea of meaningful information and lengthy reports.

Start by defining the period you want to focus on. Is it a weekly , monthly , quarterly or annual report ?

If you want a clear picture of your marketing performance over a period, it's better to draw comparisons between two different periods—current vs. previous. Also, be sure the metrics align with the goals you shared earlier.

4. Write Your Report

You've got reliable data to build your sales report at this stage. Now it's time to craft your report in a digestible, understandable and actionable format.

First, you want to choose a report writing format that captures the critical information and keeps your audience engaged. The next step is to identify what you should include in your report.

Let's look at your marketing report structure and what you should include in your report.

Marketing Report Structure

Marketing Report Structure

Marketing report structures aren't one size fits all. They may vary based on the purpose and content of your report, but the most common sections include the following:

Title or Cover Page

This page should be concise and clearly state what your report is analyzing. The cover page should include:

  • Report title
  • Reporting period and the date it was written

Executive Summary

This section usually comes last. It should summarize the key points of the entire report, highlight successes and failures and discuss future plans.

Introduction

In this section, you want to talk about what your report is about, who it's addressed to, what they'll find it and why they should care.

The body is usually the longest section of your report. Here you'll plug in all the marketing data you collected earlier. Again, make sure to use bullet points and visualizations to enhance readability and visual appeal.

Summarize your marketing report with key takeaways and a clear call to action. Remember to make recommendations and highlight the next steps.

What To Include in Your Report

A well-written marketing report should detail key areas and the performance of your marketing activities. While the level of details may vary based on your strategy or how complex your operations are, you should aim to capture the following critical information.

Overview of your marketing strategy

Here you should discuss your marketing goals, target audience and what channels you're using to reach your prospects. It should also highlight the specific action you're taking to execute your strategy.

Campaigns/Areas of Focus

This section should take a deep dive into your recent marketing efforts, including:

  • Projects or campaigns you've run
  • Pending, completed and upcoming task

You should aim to capture your win, losses, lessons learned and plans for the next phase.

Metrics and Analytics

This section should capture critical figures that show progress, performance and marketing effectiveness. It should reflect how well your campaigns are edging towards your set goals and key performance indicators.

5. Visualize Your Data

Data-heavy reports can be exhausting, especially when you're slamming your audience with large walls of text and numbers. To keep your audience engaged, visualize your marketing reports with eye-catching charts , graphs , infographics , images, videos and other visual aids .

Using visual aids will make it easier for your audience to digest your report and retain important information. You can create data visualizations such as graphs, charts and maps with the help of Visme's graph maker .

Watch the video below to learn how to create beautiful charts and graphs that make your marketing report effective.

example of marketing research report

Read this article to learn more about creating charts and other visual aids. Watch the video below to discover how to use data visualization for reporting and business intelligence.

example of marketing research report

6. Pay Attention to Design

Your marketing report design doesn't have to be dull and uninteresting. Instead, use these design tips to make your report engaging and attractive.

  • Enrich and add personality to your marketing reports with images, videos and GIFs
  • Use a consistent color scheme and color contrast for your report
  • Customize your report using brand elements like colors, logos, fonts and layout
  • Make your marketing report more engaging by incorporating animation and interactivity
  • To make your report cleaner and easier to read, use headers or page transitions to divide it into sections
  • Add notes, callouts and comments to bring context to critical metrics and KPIs

Fortunately, you don't need to be a professional graphic designer to create stunning and interactive marketing report designs that impress your audience. All you need is intuitive software like Visme packed with tons of design tools and templates that make your report shine.

7. Leverage Ready-to-Use Marketing Report Templates

Whether you're a novice or seasoned marketer, report templates are a great starting point. These preset templates help you choose the right data and show you where and how to place them.

Beyond saving you time and effort, they ensure your content and design elements are consistent. In the end, you're sure to have a beautiful and organized marketing report.

Visme offers thousands of fully customizable and user-friendly marketing report templates, layouts and features to suit your specific needs. All you need to do is pick a professionally-designed template and customize it to your taste. And boom, your marketing report is ready to go.

Even if you have little or no design experience, you can fast-track your next marketing report with our stunning, easy-to-use template below.

example of marketing research report

Writing a useful report requires planning, thoughtful consideration and follow-up. Let's go over some best practices to keep in mind when reporting on your marketing and sales efforts.

1. Schedule Your Reports

If you want to get timely reports for decision-making and ensure that teams are aligned, you need to schedule your reports to run periodically.

One way to ensure you're getting reports at the right time is to set a reminder to compile a report or set it to run automatically. Scheduling your report ahead of time leaves you with enough time to clean your data and reduces the risk of human error.

2. Put Your Most Valuable Data First

Whether you're creating reports to share with your team or top management, you certainly want your audience to read till the end.

Nobody wants to read an entire report only to get the key points on the last page. Make sure to place the most useful information early on. Right off the bat, your content should:

  • Educate your audience,
  • Highlight compelling figures and interesting insights
  • Draw readers' attention to urgent and critical issues
  • Provide information for decision-making

Use bullet points, callout quotes and sidebars to effectively grab the reader's attention while breaking up unappealing blocks of text. If you need to capture numbers, you can embed sheets into your documents .

3. Tell a Story

Lumping your reports with endless numbers and charts without context gives limited insight into what your report is all about. Instead, you want to walk your audience through the story behind the report, giving them the information and context they need at every level. This might also call for some interactive marketing techniques as well.

In a nutshell, your story should add more meaning to your data or answer critical questions like:

  • What's responsible for the metrics, patterns or trends in your marketing data?
  • What marketing tactics are you implementing that would cause the numbers to skyrocket or decline?

While telling your story, keep it succinct and add personality to make it enjoyable to read. Watch the video below to get more tips on telling compelling stories with data.

example of marketing research report

4. Gather Feedback From Your Audience

After you've presented your marketing reports and engaged your audience, remember to ask for feedback. You can ask for feedback via email or provide a short survey form for them to fill out.

Getting feedback from those using your marketing reports will help you determine whether it's useful or captures everything they need to know and what you can do to improve your marketing report in the future.

Are you ready to create attractive marketing reports that add value to your business? Look no further; you've hit the jackpot.

Here's a selection of professionally designed templates crafted to provide value and actionable insight into your marketing performance.

Template #1: Weekly Marketing Report

If you want to capture your marketing team's performance every week, this template is set up to make your work easier.

This template features a rich blend of bright colors with strong visual contrast. It also uses design elements that draw attention to KPIs and metrics like web analytics, campaigns and social media engagement.

example of marketing research report

Template #2: Monthly Marketing Report

A monthly marketing report template like this one is a perfect way to show your audience what your marketing team has been up to in the past month.

The template has a simplistic cover design and layout that accommodates key marketing performance highlights, metrics, line graphs and timelines that make your report shine.

You can add compelling images, videos and animations to make your report engaging and interactive. Customize this template with your logo, color and fonts to match your brand identity.

example of marketing research report

Template #3: Social Media Marketing Report

Assigning tasks to teams and tracking the progress of each task can be daunting, especially when you're dealing with multiple social media channels. But a single-paged report template like this example simplifies the process for your marketing team and brings everyone on the same page.

It has a rich blue and white color combination and a clean, spaced-out design. At a glance, you can capture a wealth of data, instant feedback and comments.

Simply plug in your marketing data, change the font, typography and color to match your brand and you're ready to go.

Social Media Marketing Weekly Report

Template #4: Content Marketing Report

Do you want to share your content marketing plans and see if your efforts are paying off? Then, using this simple, clear and concise weekly report template is your best bet.

You can share your content ideas, competitor analysis and keyword search results. Then, fill in the placeholders with your data and descriptive content and make your data more visually appealing by using color-coded vector icons , shapes, charts and more.

Content Marketing Weekly Report

Template #5: Quarterly Email Analytics Report

Keeping track of quarterly email analytics lets you know how your subscribers engage with your emails. With a template like this one, you can track metrics that directly link to your business goals and put your email marketing strategy and performance into perspective.

Visme gives you the creative freedom to make this template your own. Unleash your creativity and level up your email analytics report by incorporating Visme's graphic vector icons and shapes.

Explore our extensive collection of colorful, isometric, flat and outline graphics to find your perfect match and make your report stand out.

example of marketing research report

Template #6: Promotional Sales Report

This template is a perfect fit for sharing insights into your promotion campaign efforts, results and expected outcomes.

The cover page features a stunning image of the store and a powerful theme that leaves an impression on your readers.

This template moves further away from traditional neutral and corporate blue. However, the bright and bold yellow color scheme is catchy enough to draw readers into the content and show your brand's personality. The report template has four key sections and uses more text and numbers to get the message across.

example of marketing research report

Template #7: Social Media Analytics Report

This multi-page template has a sophisticated design, modern layout and dynamic elements that grab the audience's attention. It's designed to provide a high-level overview of your overall social media performance.

The template breaks down your report into four sections and beams more light on metrics such as social media reach, interaction and customer gain across multiple social media platforms.

Feel free to tweak colors, gradients, fonts to reflect your brand identity. You can also use charts, images, illustrations, characters, gestures and visualizations to bring your report to life.

example of marketing research report

Template #8: Promotional Campaign Report

This promotional campaign report template is perfect for businesses of all sizes. You can use it to share updates, progress and results of advertisements and other marketing activities.

The template has an appealing design layout and artistic theme with stylized content blocks, colorful borders, background photos and vector icons, all sourced from Visme's rich design and asset library. The colorful line graph makes the financial data compelling and memorable.

Feel free to cut, copy, paste and adjust anything you like until it fits your unique needs.

example of marketing research report

Template #9: Retail Weekly Promotional Campaign Report

If you want to ignite new interest in your company's ongoing promotional campaign, this stylish and attractive report template fits the bill.

The template uses a mix of stunning visualizations, color schemes and a uniquely crafted layout to make your information stand out. You can easily customize the template, present information in a compelling way and create an engaging experience for your audience.

example of marketing research report

Template #10: Annual Marketing Report Template

What overarching theme would you use to highlight marketing performance in the past year? Our final pick is an annual marketing report template that's sure to leave an impression on your audience.

The template caters to any business regardless of size, niche and scope. Likewise, it covers everything key stakeholders need to know, including your marketing efforts, strategy, achievements and plans for the coming years. Make your report stand out with a variety of stylish fonts, high-quality images and stock photos and visual aids from Visme.

This trendy and modern template features a rich combination of two vibrant color schemes: purple and blue. Each of the following pages features colors from the original palette to maintain a consistent appearance.

example of marketing research report

Marketing reports indicate where your marketing efforts are successful and need to be optimized to yield better results. However, marketing data is enormous and marketing reporting is an ongoing business process. That's why you need a tool like Visme's report maker that makes it super easy for you to create and share marketing reports in seconds.

Visme provides an incredible array of templates, high-quality images, design and data visualization tools to make your report impactful. With the dynamic field feature , you can ensure your reports are always accurate.

Once done, you can share your marketing report online using a link, embed it on your website, or download it for offline use in multiple formats, like PDF and HTML5. You can track how people are engaging with your report from your analytics tab .

Congratulations and happy reporting!

Put together compelling marketing reports in minutes without prior design skills

example of marketing research report

Trusted by leading brands

Capterra

Recommended content for you:

Real-Life Event Sponsorship Examples & How to Win Sponsors header thumbnail

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

example of marketing research report

About the Author

Unenabasi is a content expert with many years of experience in digital marketing, business development, and strategy. He loves to help brands tell stories that drive engagement, growth, and competitive advantage. He’s adept at creating compelling content on lifestyle, marketing, business, e-commerce, and technology. When he’s not taking the content world by storm, Unenabasi enjoys playing or watching soccer.

example of marketing research report

REVENUE DRIVEN FOR OUR CLIENTS

  • Client Login
  • 888-601-5359

Showing 1 - 10 out of 832 for:

How To Write a Content Marketing Report and Evaluate Your Campaign

  • Content Marketing How To Write a Content Marketing Report and Evaluate Your Campaign

How To Write a Content Marketing Report and Evaluate Your Campaign

Calendar Icon

  • Abbey is a digital marketer, copywriter, and lead editor. She has worked on over 200 client campaigns and WebFX, and she specializes in marketing strategy analysis and industry-specific digital marketing plans. Outside of writing and editing, you’ll likely find her taking pictures of her cat, making a new playlist, or tending to her houseplants.

If you have a content marketing strategy , tracking your progress is crucial for making it as effective as possible. And, when it comes to tracking your strategy, a content marketing report is one of the best ways to make sure you’re on track or meeting your goals.

So, how do you write a content marketing report? Great question!

This page will break down how to write a content marketing report. We’ve even got a free content marketing report template to help you with yours.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What to include in a content marketing report

How to write a content marketing report.

  • Our content marketing report template

Read on to learn more!

preview of content report template

“ * ” indicates required fields

Enter your email to access the full template

The first step to writing a content marketing report is knowing what to include. Your report should have the following parts to give a complete picture of your content marketing campaign:

  • The timeline of the report: You should specify when the data in your report was collected to give a complete picture. For example, if you’re pulling figures from content published last quarter, be sure to specify that.
  • Your key performance metrics: Some performance metrics you can look at include page views, backlinks , keyword rankings , page position in the results, and more. If you already measure certain metrics, be sure to include them.
  • Areas for improvement: While you evaluate your report, take time to look at what metrics are lower and where you can improve. Include this as part of your report to show where your team should look next.
  • Any key events or takeaways: If you have any key events, like publishing dates, product launches, or anything else that might affect your content strategy, include them. And be sure to mention any overall takeaways from the report outright.

Remember that this report is custom-made for your business’s campaign, so it might not be the same for everyone. However, these general guidelines will help you build your report and ensure that you include all the important details.

Now that you know what to include in your content marketing report, let’s look at a few steps to help you get started.

  • Outline your content strategy and key metrics
  • Gather your data
  • Compile your data into visuals
  • Add content examples
  • Offer next steps
  • Collect feedback on your report

Learn more below!

1. Outline your goals and key metrics

The first thing to establish is what you want to learn or show with your content report. This step will determine how you set up your report and what you need to gather to write it.

Some examples of goals include:

  • Understand customer behavior
  • Improve your content
  • Tighten up your audience targeting
  • Find and fix problem areas in your campaign

Once you outline your goals, you can choose the ideal metrics to track. The metrics you choose should reflect what you want to see out of your report. For example, if you want to track customer behavior, you can look at traffic, engagement, and conversions.

2. Gather your data

Now that you know what you want to show through your report, you can pull the data you need from your marketing channels and tools.

You should be tracking your content marketing data through different content management systems (CMS) or data trackers. Google Analytics is popular for many companies, and it makes it easy to export your data or view it as a graph for your report.

You can collect the metrics that speak to the goals you established before.

3. Compile your data into visuals

Next, you can work on turning those figures into appealing visuals. Graphs, charts, and tables are all easy ways to show your campaign’s success at first glance. They also make it easy to simplify complex information, especially for those who don’t know every aspect of your campaign.

You want a healthy mix of text and visuals that show and tell the data you’ve collected. Be sure to explain the content within the graphs to avoid any confusion or questions.

4. Add content examples

If you have specific content examples that stand out in your data, include them.

For example, if you have a particular post that did well or a series of emails that converted multiple leads, include snippets or summaries. These real-life examples can impact future content approaches and influence reports.

5. Offer next steps

Analyze the information in the report to determine your content marketing team’s next steps. With the data you’ve collected, you should look for ways to improve your results and change your campaign if necessary.

Be sure to list any suggestions in their own section as a call for what to do next.

6. Collect feedback on your report

After you present or send out your report, make sure you ask for feedback on your findings. You can ask for feedback through the following questions:

  • Did you find it easy to connect with the material?
  • How would you rate the visuals throughout the report?
  • Was the report engaging?

Consider the feedback you get and implement it in your next report. Whether you’re sharing your results with clients, department heads, or your team, having extra eyes on your work can help you improve it and get more out of your approach.

Bonus: Our content marketing report template

We’ve created a downloadable content marketing report template to help you organize your first report. Check it out below!

Still have questions about content marketing reports? Check out our FAQ below!

What is a content marketing report?

A content marketing report showcases key performance metrics for content marketing strategies and shows results in a clear, structured format.

When do you need a content marketing report?

If you have an established content marketing strategy, you should be compiling reports every so often. Creating a content report is key for measuring your performance, sharing your progress with company leaders, and building team awareness about your approach.

You can also use reports to find areas for improvement. The changes you make will appear in the next report you write!

How often should you make content marketing reports?

Content marketing reports should be assembled regularly to evaluate and share the results of your campaign. For example, you might write monthly or quarterly reports to evaluate your standings and make changes for the future.

You don’t want to report too frequently, as you must give your content marketing techniques time to be effective. Every quarter is a good benchmark, and you can adjust if needed.

A world-class digital marketing agency with thousands of reviews applauding our transparency.

Image

Evaluate your content marketing approach with WebFX

Content marketing reports are nothing without revenue-driving content. That’s where WebFX comes in!

Our content marketing services are here to give you branded content that converts. We handle the research, writing, and publishing, while you enjoy more leads and conversions coming to your business.

You can also access ContentAnalyticsFX, our performance tracker on the content we create for your business. As part of MarketingCloudFX (MCFX), you can use ContentAnalyticsFX to track your content performance and simplify reporting.

Consider us your comprehensive content tool — you get content created for you, and MCFX will track your content performance to provide insight on traffic, top-performing content types, and more.

Ready to learn more? Contact us online today!

WebFX Round Logo

WebFX is a full-service marketing agency with 1,100+ client reviews and a 4.9-star rating on Clutch! Find out how our expert team and revenue-accelerating tech can drive results for you! Learn more

Try our free Marketing Calculator

Craft a tailored online marketing strategy! Utilize our free Internet marketing calculator for a custom plan based on your location, reach, timeframe, and budget.

Marketing Budget Calculator

Table of Contents

  • Enter Your Email to Access the Full Template
  • What to Include in a Content Marketing Report
  • How to Write a Content Marketing Report
  • Bonus: Our Content Marketing Report Template
  • Evaluate Your Content Marketing Approach with WebFX

Share this article

Facebook Round Icon

Looking for More?

Get expert ideas, industry updates, case studies, and more straight to your inbox to help you level up and get ahead.

" * " indicates required fields

What to read next

8 Superstar Sustainable Marketing Examples To Get You To the Greener Side

Related Resources

Marketing tips for niche industries.

IMAGES

  1. Research Report

    example of marketing research report

  2. Marketing Research Proposal Examples : 4. Quantitative Research

    example of marketing research report

  3. FREE 10+ Market Research Plan Samples & Templates in MS Word

    example of marketing research report

  4. Marketing Research Report

    example of marketing research report

  5. Marketing Research Report Format

    example of marketing research report

  6. 5+ Professional Marketing Report Templates for Word & Excel

    example of marketing research report

COMMENTS

  1. 10 examples of great marketing research reports from 2022

    10 examples of great industry trends reports from B2B brands from 2022. Use these marketing research report examples to spark your creativity from outline, to promotion, to format. HubSpot's State of Marketing Trends Report. Owl Labs' State of Remote Work Report. ConvertKit's State of the Creator Economy Report.

  2. What is a Marketing Research Report and How to Write It?

    The market research methodology section includes details on the type of research, sample size, any limitations of the studies, research design, sample selection, data collection procedures, and statistical analyses used. ... Market research reports are all about presenting your data in an easy-to-understand way and making calculated decisions ...

  3. Charts that Speak: Market Research Report Examples Explored

    Market Research Report Examples offer a comprehensive overview of the entire industry, enabling businesses to make well-informed marketing and strategic decisions. Conducting market research is an essential part of any business. It helps cultivate a stronger reputation and boosts brand loyalty among its customers.

  4. Market Research Report Examples that Inspire Success

    Benefits of Market Research Reports. Market research reports offer a multitude of benefits that contribute to the success and growth of businesses. Some key benefits include: Minimizing Business Risk: Market research provides a deeper understanding of the market, customers, and competitors, helping businesses minimize risk.

  5. Marketing Reporting Examples: How to Build and Analyze Marketing Reports

    These free monthly marketing templates make your monthly reporting faster and easier. 4. Put your most valuable data first. Long marketing reports are acceptable as long as all the data you include is valuable and helpful for whatever decision you or your team need to make.

  6. Market Research Report

    A sample market research report is written to present the marketing mix model potential in deriving a consensus ranking for benchmarking on selected retail stores in Malaysia. Taking into consideration, before writing one, read a sample like this first. 9. Market Research Project Report

  7. How to Do Market Research

    These examples showcase how market research can lead to smart decision-making and successful business decisions. Example 1: Apple's iPhone launch. Apple's iconic iPhone launch in 2007 serves as a prime example of market research driving product innovation in tech. Before the iPhone's release, Apple conducted extensive market research to ...

  8. A Comprehensive Sample Market Research Report

    A comprehensive market research report typically includes the following contents: Executive Summary: This section provides an overview of the research, highlighting key findings and insights. Introduction: The introduction sets the stage by explaining the purpose and objectives of the research.

  9. What is a Marketing Research Report and How to Write It

    The marketing research report paints a picture of what kinds of new products or services may be the most profitable in today's highly competitive landscape. ... or an opportunity to better upsell or cross-sell your products. For example, a keyword research report from a SaaS SEO agency provides an opportunity to acquire organic search ranking ...

  10. 15+ Marketing Report Examples with Templates

    In our internet age, digital marketing accounts for the lion's share of the average company's marketing spending. In fact, in 2021, one report found that digital marketing comprised 58 percent of marketing budgets — and it's expected to grow by another 15 percent in 2022.

  11. Market Research: A How-To Guide and Template

    Download HubSpot's free, editable market research report template here. 1. Five Forces Analysis Template. Use Porter's Five Forces Model to understand an industry by analyzing five different criteria and how high the power, threat, or rivalry in each area is — here are the five criteria: Competitive rivalry.

  12. The Ultimate Guide to Market Research [+Free Templates]

    Interviews. Customer interviews are one of the most effective market research methods out there. It's a great way for business owners to get first-party data from their customers and get insights into how they are doing in real time. 7. Focus groups. Focus groups are a great way to get data on a specific demographic.

  13. Learn How to Write a Market Research Report: 10 Steps to Follow for Success

    A market research report is a document prepared to evaluate the feasibility of a new product or service to potential customers. Companies do market research reports to paint a picture of what products, services, or actions may be the most profitable to pursue. ... For example, you can use a customer list, directory, or membership roster to get ...

  14. 6 Real Market Research Report Examples To Inspire You

    If you're looking for market research report examples, you're in the right place. Even in B2B tech, it's no secret market research is a key component to businesses seeking long-term viability and brand success. From better understanding consumer segments to creating powerful research-backed content, and even developing future-proof product roadmaps, market research is the cornerstone of ...

  15. 17+ SAMPLE Market Research Report in PDF

    Find out what a market research report is, why it is important, and how to create one. Download 17+ sample market research reports in various formats and learn about the basic methods and benefits of market research.

  16. 17 Marketing Report Examples with Free Dashboards Templates

    5. Ahrefs Dashboards. Ahrefs is an SEO tool used by thousands of marketers. Maik Klijn says the team at VPN-Check use Ahrefs' main dashboard because it "is a perfect way to find out what your rankings are in Google and what marketing [tasks] you must do to get a good blog content.".

  17. A Guide on How to Create a Market Research Report

    How to Create a Market Research Report in 5 Steps. Creating an effective market research report involves a structured approach: Define the Purpose: Clearly articulate what you want to achieve with the report. This will guide your research focus and methodology. Gather Information: Use both primary and secondary research to collect comprehensive ...

  18. Marketing Research Report

    10+ Marketing Research Report Templates. Marketing research is a method used to gather information about the market, your product, and how they would affect each other. To help you with this research, here are sample marketing research templates you can use. 1. Sample Marketing Report.

  19. 14 Market Research Examples

    Curiosity. At the heart of every successful marketing campaign is a curious marketer who learned how to better serve a customer. In this industry, we scratch that curiosity itch with market research. To help give you ideas to learn about your customer, in this article we bring you examples from Consumer Reports, Intel, Visa USA, Hallmark, Levi Strauss, John Deere, LeapFrog, Spiceworks Ziff ...

  20. Examples Of Successful Market Research

    Market Research Example #2 - Market Intelligence. Most business leaders and marketers have a solid understanding of their market. But if you want to stay ahead of the game, you need to reach deep inside a market, and often. Dynamic market intel enables you to do this and achieve sustainable growth by spotting emerging opportunities as they ...

  21. 12 Marketing Report Templates You Can Use Right Now

    2. Quarterly Email Analytics Report. Track your email marketing data with a quarterly report. Include an overview of goals and projections, plus add a conclusion with a review of the most notable data. Color code your charts to match the content and update it automatically with our Google Sheets integration.

  22. What is Market Research? Definition, Types, Process, Examples and Best

    A market research report is typically prepared, which includes an executive summary, methodology, findings, insights, and recommendations. The report should effectively communicate the research results to stakeholders and provide actionable recommendations based on the insights. Examples of Market Research. Here are some examples of market ...

  23. Marketing Reports 101: How to Create One + Templates

    5. Visualize Your Data. Data-heavy reports can be exhausting, especially when you're slamming your audience with large walls of text and numbers. To keep your audience engaged, visualize your marketing reports with eye-catching charts, graphs, infographics, images, videos and other visual aids.

  24. How To Write a Content Marketing Report (+ Free Template)

    For example, if you're pulling figures from content published last quarter, be sure to specify that. ... A content marketing report showcases key performance metrics for content marketing strategies and shows results in a clear, structured format. ... We handle the research, writing, and publishing, while you enjoy more leads and conversions ...