One of our BUS 345 sections (hi, D100!) will be doing some primary market research focused on meal kits this term.
The students have a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to choosing the research questions they want to explore, so it would be difficult to suggest specific resources and search strategies for them. Instead, I thought I'd try a different approach:
I'll highlight just a few of the possible research questions to give you a sense of the range of research that goes into marketing (section A below). I'll aim to highlight the amount of lateral/creative thinking that a market researcher has to do, but my list won't be anywhere near as detailed as that of a real marketer.
Then I'll list the guides and blog posts that cover the sorts of resources I'd normally use to answer such questions (sectionB).
Finally, I'll return to the target product and talk about research resources that are specifically about meal kits (section C).
ur IBISWorld database received a much needed refresh earlier this year.
The content hasn't really changed -- it's still a great collection of over 2100 regularly updated industry reports -- but browsing & searching to find those reports is now a smoother, more efficient process. If you haven't used IBISWorld lately, explore and let me know what you think!
I was just scanning the usage stats for our IBISWorld database -- a key source for overviews of industries in Canada, the USA, and China.
During the month of August, likely the slowest period of the year for research and instruction here at SFU, our researchers downloaded almost 1100 IBISWorld reports.
If past patterns hold true, a further 10,000+ IBISWorld reports will be downloaded and used in SFU assignments this semester.
As the article states, "Britain has not used coal to generate electricity for two weeks - the longest period since the 1880s." The move toward alternative energy sources is gathering momentum in the UK and having measureable impacts. [...]
Since I am an opportunist at heart, this is a chance for me to highlight the many alternative energy industry overviews available in our databases...
scanning a usage report on our IBISWorld database and was struck by how the most downloaded industry reports over the last two months closely mirror major news events.
There's an old saying that "twice is a coincidence, but three times is a trend." In the last half hour I've spotted three new cannabis/marijuana business related resources in our collection, tipping us over into trend territory.
Such a trend toward information on the business aspect of marijuana isn't really a surprise: with legalization just around the corner, businesses have been scrambling for months (if not years) to line up a good starting position. The people who produce the reports, data, and ebooks needed to support new businesses have also been scrambling to fill this new niche.
If you are among those who are looking into this new market (academically or entrepreneurially), check out these new resources available through the SFU Library:
I'm sure you've been following the news about the NAFTA discussions, right?
As with most negotiations, these early stages are full of drama and posturing, so it can be hard to avoid getting emotional about the whole thing. This may be a librarian thing, but when I'm stressed, I seek out more information. Here's a quick run through a few resources that might help... <Read on for more!>
Very few things exist completely independent of the rest of the world, including businesses.
To properly understand a business or its industry, you must also understand the water in which it swims: the key economic, demographic, and consumer behaviour indicators that can determine the success or failure of all its plans.
Start with the following new modules in our super-popular IBISWorld database:
