Hello, tom136-ga!
I have figured out a few strategies that should work to help you
contact the marketing directors for UK companies that may be
interested in buying market research. I have divided them into two
methods - "Do-It-Yourself" and "Pay-for-Names."
Do-It-Yourself:
==============
Trade Partners UK
http://www.tradeuk.com/
******************************
Trade Partners is a free database that will allow you to:
"Search from over 60,000 UK businesses by name, product or service.
Links to 34,000 websites and 50,000 e-mail addresses."
On the front page, I did a trial search under "Televisions."
The search page came up with 538 firms which came under the television
category.(You can arrange the companies alphabetically by clicking the
option at the bottom of the page)
Every company name is printed in bold lettering. Clicking on the name
will give you specifics about the company, including address, contact
information, company description, number of employees (in some cases),
etc.
Most companies also have a web address. By going to the company
website, you can occasionally find a contact for the marketing
department, or a specific name associated with marketing. If not, you
can at least get a phone number or e-mail address to find out who you
need to contact for market research.
AURA - Association of Users of Research Agencies
http://www.esomar.nl/assocs/112648.html
************************************************
"Membership is open to organisations that buy market research services
on their own behalf. Each member organisation is represented by a
nominated individual, normally the most senior employee responsible
for buying market research, who must be a member of the Market
Research Society or of ESOMAR."
I don't know if you can get a list of members from this organization,
or somehow contact a member who might have access to such a list.
However, it would be the ultimate goldmine if your could find the
member names!!!!
Scotbis UK Company Information
http://www.scotbis.com/search/ukcompanyinfo.htm#comp
****************************************************
"The collection of information on UK companies ranges from basic
contact details contained in company and trade directories to more
in-depth background details and full financial reports."
There are various ways to use this library resource, and you will have
to investigate the site or contact them to see if you can get an
up-to-date list of market research heads.
For example:
EMMA Electronic resource:
"A CD-ROM providing basic company details on over 800,000 UK
registered companies. Details given include name, address, telephone
number, company type, activity, main directors, sales and employee
bands.
Publisher: Bureau Van Dijk
(I don't know if main directors includes directors of market research)
Pay-for-Names:
==============
Market Scan - UK Megabase
http://www.marketscan.co.uk/default.asp?p=UKMegabase
******************************************************
Market Scan offers several business databases that provide different
degrees of information.
Megabase Business Database
"In-depth details on over 2 million actively trading UK businesses. A
high quality database, uniquely indexed and with additional researched
data for enhanced selection capability. It includes Senior Decision
Makers (all where available).
Our standard selection criteria include - type of business (by SIC
code or unique Marketscan classification), geographic location
(region, county, town, postal code, radius from a given point),
employee size, financial data, specified contact names and job
functions."
The above database mentions "specified contact names and job
functions." This may be the best way to find out the market research
heads and their specific contact details.
You will need to contact them concerning cost.
Corporation of London
Business Information Focus
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/leisure_heritage/libraries_archives_museums_galleries/city_london_libraries/info_focus.htm
*******************************
"Business Information Focus is the research service of the City
Business Library, one of the leading public business information
collections in the UK. We save you time by providing the answers you
need, using the extensive resources of the City Business Library and
our knowledge of online databases. Your request will be researched by
experienced business information specialists. We provide a tailor-made
service at a competitive price."
I e-mailed them to inquire about supplying a contact list of market
research heads for UK companies. Their reply follows:
"Thank you for your enquiry.
"We do not have a directory/database which lists the heads of market
research
for UK companies. We can provide a list of heads of marketing for UK
companies at 12p per company, plus a handling charge of £30.00. As
there
are thousands of companies in the UK would you be able to limit the
number
of companies by turnover, number of employees, etc?"
Regards
Helen Armstrong
Assistant Librarian
Business Information Focus
1 Brewers' Hall Garden
London EC2V 5BX
Tel. 020 7600 1461
Fax. 020 7600 1185
e-mail: focus@corpoflondon.gov.uk
I hope this information proves useful. If you need additional
clarification or the links do not work, please don't hesitate to ask
for further help!
umiat-ga
Google Search Strategy
+UK AND businesses AND database
UK AND market research associations
UK +Business +Databases
UK AND market research AND directors |
Clarification of Answer by
umiat-ga
on
12 Feb 2003 08:12 PST
Hello again, macaonghus-ga,
Your original question used was phrased, using as an example, "Joe
Bloggs, Head of Market Research..."
That is the direction I used in my research. Therefore, I still refer
you to the Market Scan and City of London databases.
As quoted by City of London:
** "We can provide a list of heads of marketing for UK companies at
12p per company, plus a handling charge of £30.00." **
As there are thousands of companies in the UK would you be able to
limit the
number of companies by turnover, number of employees, etc?"
Market Scan also mentions that they will break down company employees
by
** specific job functions.**
Therefore, you could also request they they break down the names to
"Head of Market Research," as per you original request.
I wish I could help you further. However, I don't know how you can
target individual companies that buy market research without an
information broker divulging their subscription list, which is
unlikely. I think the market research heads are the best bet.
The only other method I can think of, which is laborious, is to go to
a market research supplier like Bitpipe. Look at the types of research
papers they supply, and then "guess" at companies that might by that
information by using the Trade Partners Database. Then, you will still
be back to the same process of finding the individual within the
company who is responsible for buying the market research reports.
That would most likely be the Head of Market Research, or another
individual within the company. Smaller companies that buy research may
not even have an employee with such a job title. It may just be the
head of the company. (Especially if it is a company with a sole
proprietor.)
When you say that Trade UK is only good for suppliers, I am a bit
confused. Businesses that supply products also buy market research. In
other words, a construction company listed on Trade UK, which builds
entire subdivisions or commercial buildings, might also be a buyer of
market research pertaining to demographics, home buyers preferences,
etc.
Yes, there are definitely companies in the UK that are listed in the
Trade UK database that do not buy market research (like your company)
but there are thousands of companies in the database that do. Most
companies that buy market research are also suppliers of a product,
since they buy the research reports to better position themselves
within the market.
Therefore, I believe I have answered your original question, as
asked, to the best of my ability. Other than prying the names of
market research buyers out of a company that sells reports, which is
unlikely, I have pointed you to "for a fee" databases that can point
you to the individual most likely to buy such reports for a company. I
imagine you will also be supplied with e-mail addresses if you request
them.
I wish I could say there was an easier, more direct means of finding
particular company names. But unless you can find a good friend inside
a company that sells market research reports, I believe you will have
to take a longer route!!!
umiat
|
