Company Research for Marketing
Doing company research provides information on corporate entities and organizations directly from the source and from the industry or market that they do business within. You will need to know whether your company is a public or private company to successfully do research.
Private companies are companies that are owned by private investors. They do not need to meet the Securities and Exchange Commission filing requirements for public companies. Examples of private companies include Staples, Cargill, and Trader Joe's.
Public companies are companies that have issue securities through an initial public offering or IPO. The company stock is traded on at least one stock exchange or in the over-the-counter market. Examples of public companies include Netflix, Chevron, and Nike.
Company research may also include:
- Company profiles with basic contact information
- Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) or North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code
- Stock exchange abbreviations and official names
- Competitors and industry standing
- Annual sales and revenue statistics
- Expected growth and trends
- Products and services
- Company size
- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analyses
Adapted from LMU Research Strategies for Company Information Tutorial and ELAC Business Guide.
Company Profiles
- Business Source EliteTo search company profiles:
1. Open the database. If off campus, enter your GCC username and password.
2. In the top navigation menu, select "Company Profiles".
3. Search company by name.
4. Next to company name, select "Marketline Report" PDF link to view profile. - Hoover's Company Records
This link opens in a new window
To search company profiles:
1. Open the database. If off campus, enter your GCC username and password.
2. Enter company name in the search box.
3. Select company from list of results.
4. View PDF of company profile. - ABI/INFORM CollectionTo search for SWOT analyses and company profiles:
1. Open the database. If off campus, enter your GCC username and password.
2. Enter the company name in the search box OR input the NAICS code.
3. Select "Reports" in the Source Type checkbox filters.
4. Select "Search".
Company Websites & Ad Agencies
Companies, especially public companies, use their websites to provide information on branding activities and marketing strategies.
Review these sections of a company website to get a sense of current marketing strategies and branding:
- Brands
- Social or Social Media
- Media Center
- Newsroom
- Culture or Environment
You can also use Wikipedia to determine whether the company is public or private and more recent events or news about them. For example, Netflix's Wikipedia page shares more about their expansion into the international market and gaming with links to their new products.
Ads, Commercials, Agencies and Campaigns for Companies
- AdforumOver 200,000 advertisements are available on the Adforum site goin back to 1999.
- ClipLandSome TV Commercials; search by company name or brand.
- Adverbox Worldwidecontains ads and commercials for brands since 2004. Search by company name.
- AgencyCompileListing of Ad agencies. Search by company name for cases or by strategy type (social strategy, editorial, influence, etc.)
- AdAgeBlog posts with latest ads and commercials. Look at "Watch the newest commercials" and search site by company name.