MKT 802 - Advanced Market Planning

This page will help you find secondary research for the Positioning and Competitor Analysis section of your Marketing Audit and the Positioning and Situation Analysis section of the Marketing Plan.

Below, you'll find:

• Information on how to use library databases to identify competitors
• Tips for finding more information on competitors
• Recommendations for databases to help you with company research

Photo by Lucas K on Unsplash

Databases like Nexis Uni creates company lists that could help you identify competitors.

To create a company list in Nexis Uni:

1. Go to Nexis Uni
2. Click Find a Company
3. Click Create a Company List
4. Set relevant criteria for your list - choose your company's NAICS code (browse by NAICS code lookup if you are unsure), narrow down the geographic information
5. Click Create
6. Customize and download the results

A Google search can also be a good way of identifying competitors. Try searching the product or service your company offers followed by the region you are focusing on. For example, you could search: concussion treatment services ontario.

To learn more about the target customers, positioning, product, price, promotion, and distribution of the competing companies, use the tips in the Company Background section of this guide and the databases recommended below. These sources provide additional information often contain information that can't be found on the company's website or social media.

The following databases will help you find information on publicly traded companies, including their history, management, financials, and more. Read the descriptions below each database to learn more. See the Company Research guide for more recommendations.

Private companies are not required to disclose financial data and business strategies in the way that public companies are required to. This can make finding data on private companies difficult. There are a few databases that may provide some information.