SECONDARY DATA SOURCES

SECONDARY DATA SOURCES

1. They are a key source of information in international market research because of their easy availability, low cost and usefulness in providing background information regarding a specific country or industry.

2. They are valuable in assessing opportunities in countries with which management is unfamiliar and in product markets at an early stage of market development.

3. Secondary data are useful where a two-step approach to international marketing research is adopted.

4. Can be used to identify areas of potential concern that merit in-depth investigation based on primary research.

5. Locating the Appropriate Information

   • Accessing Secondary Data Sources
     • Secondary data sources are available in a variety of different formats, ranging from print and CD- ROM to various Internet-based sources and web sites.
   • Alternative Data Formats
     • The printed forms: more accessible to the population, expensive to produce and distribute and uncomfortable to store.
     • CD-ROMs: provide a compact medium for storing large amounts of data
     • Internet-based formats: Can be updated on an ongoing basis as new information is obtained or entered into the database.
   • Global Data Locators
     • Given the need to keep information up to date and the rapidity with which information sources are changing, these are mostly available through web sites.
     • A data locator provides an index to information relating to a specific topic

6. Information Sources

   • Are discussed that are useful in examining markets in different countries, and in making decisions relating to market entry and expansion strategies.
   • These range from sources that provide general economic, social and demographic data for most countries in the world,
   • Sources vary in coverage, accuracy, the format in which they are available and the frequency with which they are updated.
   • Macroeconomic Data
     • Ranging widely in the number of countries or regions covered and the format in which they are available.
     • The databases include social, economic, demographic, business and industrial statistics.
     • The sources covered here are merely intended to illustrate the principal sources available, rather than to provide exhaustive coverage.
   • Commercial Data Sources
     • These vary in terms of the scope of the information – that is, macroeconomic compared with industry specific
   • Data Accuracy and Equivalence
     • Macroeconomic and industry data vary considerably in their accuracy and equivalence.
     • Accuracy of data also varies from one country to another.
     • Measurement units are not necessarily equivalent from country to country.
     • Adjustment of national income statistics for purchasing power equivalence results in signific- ant adjustments of apparent relative wealth, especially for emerging economies.

7. Information Requirements

   • In making decisions about the mode of operation in a given country and the specific marketing strategy to employ, more specific sources of information will be required in addition to the general sources discussed earlier
     • Political, Financial and Legal Data
       • La administración se ocupa de examinar los riesgos asociados con el funcionamiento en un entorno nacional o de país específico.
       • Collect political, financial and legal data in order to assess the risks involved in marketing in various countries.
     • Marketing Data
       • Information on the main characteristics of a country's business environment and market, such as demographic, economic, geographic, technological and socio-cultural characteristics.
       • They help give an indication of market potential, long-term growth and market size.
     • Infrastructure Data
       • Includes physical transportation structure, retail distribution network and the communication, as well as the availability and cost of certain basic resources such as electricity, work skills, management and capital.
       • It affects the costs, difficulties of doing business in a country, and feasibility of adopting a certain type of marketing program or entry strategy.
     • Resource Requirements
       • Consists of data that are needed to assess the costs of operating in a specific country environment.
       • The factors that will be important include energy costs, wage rates, availability of labor skills, capital resources and technology.
     • Product Market Data
       • El tipo de datos requerido varía según el tipo de producto.
       • Data relating to specific product markets should be collected.
       • Industrial products: To have data of production consumption, on the market share, as well as information related to the final user industries.
       • Consumer products: collect product usage data or product market data, as well as information regarding complementary or substitute products and the competitive structure of the market.
     • Consumer Products
       • Where the product or specific product variant is not currently marketed in a given country, surrogate indicators may be required to assess potential demand.
       • In cases where a product is already marketed in other countries, information relating to current product usage or consumption patterns is useful to assess current levels of market saturation and future development potential.
       • Availability of product market data for consumer markets varies.

8. Reference: Craig S. and Douglas S. (2014). International Marketing Research. Estados Unidos: Wiley.