category

Reading industry and market research reports are an efficient way to understand business activities, operating conditions, and the competitive environment. 

Note that secondary market research may not be available on your precise category.  You may need to glean what you can from reports on broader or narrower categories.  If you can't find reports on eye care, reports on OTC pharmaceuticals or personal care may be useful.

Trade and professional associations are another good way to learn about developments in a particular category.  Some limit access to members, but almost all provide publically facing analysis about the advocacy work they do.  Industry reports often list important associations.  You can also find them by doing a google search for the keywords + association site:.org. 

Business news databases should be searched for current developments.

The health and medical literature should also be consulted to understand eye conditions and eye health products.

  Mintel Insights & Analytics  Limitations on Use
Offers product and industry market research reports covering U.S. and international marketplaces. Each report combines data and analysis of the competitive landscape, supply chain, market-share size and trends, and consumer profiles. Analytics advance search monitors new product activity in consumer packaged goods markets worldwide.

  Euromonitor (Passport)

  IBISWorld
Provides access to U.S. and global industry market research reports.

  Statista
Compilation of statistics.

  MEDLINE (Web of Science, Clarivate)
Search the Medline portion of PubMed. Citations export easily to EndNote.

  National Eye Institute

customer analysis

Market research reports published on categories or customer groups are a great place to begin the customer analysis.  Census data and commercial surveys are also information rich.

  Catalyst MRI Simmons
Provides access to the results of a National Consumer Study (most recent studies embargoed) encompassing demographics, lifestyle statements, and consumer behaviors. Supports the creation of custom cross tabulations or quick reports.

  Explore Census Data

  Data-Planet (Sage)

  ESRI Business Analyst Online  Tutorial  Access Instructions
Provides geographic analysis tools. Includes demographic, consumer spending, and business data.
Access courtesy of the Department of Geography & the Environment.

  Statista Global Consumer Survey Guide
Offers step by step instructions for querying the Global Consumer Survey.

competitor Analysis

Competitors will be identified via market research and company profiles.  Company databases listed below can be used to screen for companies similar to Johnson & Johnson.  Scanning shelves to find brands and their companies competing with Visine may also be effective.  Minte's Product Analysis search provides information on new entrants.  

MarketLine and D&B Hoovers often include SWOT analysis of companies.  Customize your SWOT analysis by gathering information about competing brands by reviewing their web sites, social media, SEC filings where available and from the business news.

  MarketLine Company Profiles (EBSCO)

  D&B Hoovers

  Euromonitor (Passport)

  Mergent Online  Limitations on Use

  NetAdvantage (Standard & Poor's Capital IQ)

  Morningstar Investing Center

marketing plan

Use the databases listed below to find best practices and cases to support your plan.

  WARC
Offers information on global advertising and marketing trends including case studies, articles, reports, opinion pieces, and expenditure data. Formerly known as World Advertising Research Center.

  Falvey Book Search
Search for practice oriented marketing ebooks.

  Advertising Insights (Kantar Media)  Tutorial
Creates custom reports on advertising expenditures across media channels including TV, magazines, newspapers, radio, outdoor and internet displays on the level of industries, categories, brands, products, and advertisers going back to 2017. Formerly known as Ad$pender.

  eMarketer
Offers data and reports related to digital marketing. Topics include advertising spending, digital marketing, social media, media usage, e-commerce, email marketing, and device usage. Coverage is global.

  Catalyst MRI Simmons
Find out which media your target customer frequents in order to better reach them.

Business news

  ABI/INFORM Collection (ProQuest)

  Business Source Premier (EBSCO)

  Factiva (Dow Jones)
Trail ends 9/30/2021