Download Finding Information on Brands

Finding Information on Brands
Useful online research guides
Advertising, Marketing, & Market Research
http://caxton.emich.edu/guide/guide.php?id=194
Business, Scholarly Research
http://caxton.emich.edu/guide/guide.php?id=189
Company Research
http://caxton.emich.edu/guide/guide.php?id=165
Who’s brand is it?
Sometimes the brand and company name are the same (like Nike) and sometimes you may not know which
company produces the brand. Here is one way to look for this information:
Database: Business and Company Research Center
1. Choose “Advanced Search”
2. Choose Content Area: Company Profiles/Products
3. Type brand name in first box and in the box to the right choose “Product/Brand Name”
If the brand name word is very common, you may need to use the next set of boxes to limit the search by
“Product/Brand Type”.
Example: Arrow in Product/Brand Name AND
shirts in Product/Brand Type
Sources of Brand Information
Market Research Reports
The Mintel database has detailed reports on many consumer products. These will be especially useful for
information on the target customers. The first time you use Mintel, you will have to set up a profile with your
my.emich email and agree to a policy that Mintel can only be used for school work. Each time you use Mintel,
you will have to login to this profile (in addition to the initial my.emich login if you are off campus).
Company Web site, Annual Report, and 10-K
Look at the company web site for information, but don’t limit yourself to only the web site! You can usually
locate the company’s Annual Report to Shareholders on the web site, and the management discussion in the
report may include discussion of brand strategy. The annual report is often behind a link for “investors.” A few
companies may link to a 10-K from their web site, but often you need to go to the SEC’s EDGAR site to find a
10-K form - http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. 10-K’s often include hard-to-find details, such as info on supply
chains. (Tip: Ctrl+F can be useful to find where the brand is mentioned in the 10-K.)
Reference books and e-books on brands
You may be able to find very helpful background information on a brand in certain reference books. The online
subject guide for Advertising, Marketing, & Market Research has a section on Brands & Marketing Campaigns,
which lists these reference books. Several of these are available as e-books you can access online with a
my.emich login. Some are available only in paper at the EMU Library--it may be worth the trip as this
information can be difficult to find. The Books24x7 e-book system includes many marketing books, so it may
also be worthwhile to try a keyword search of your brand in Books24x7 (link from Library databases or guides).
Articles on Brands
You will have to look for much of the information in articles. For some brands, this may be your only possible
source. ABI/INFORM may be the best database to start with. Other useful article databases include Factiva,
Google Scholar, Business & Company Research Center, General Business File, and Westlaw. You can find
links and tips on using these databases in the online guide, Business, Scholarly Research in.
These subject terms in ABI/INFORM could be useful when searching for articles:
Brands
Advertising Campaigns
Market Strategy
Market Research
Brand Image
Brand Equity
Co-branding
Consumer Behavior
Consumer Attitudes
Customer Satisfaction
Customer Relations
Customer Relationship Management
Target Markets
Sales Promotions
Market Positioning
Television Advertising
Online Advertising
Market Segments
Polls & Surveys
Market Entry
Repositioning
Social Responsibility
Media Planning
Product Introduction
Product Lines
Packaging
Market Potential
Brand loyalty
Value Chain
Supply Chains
Vendor Supplier Relations
Partnering
Distribution Channel
Social Responsibility Information
One place to find social responsibility information on a brand may be a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report
found on the company’s web site or in article databases. The Company Research guide also has a section on Social
Responsibility Information, which lists some free web sites with info on companies’ social responsibility. To avoid bias,
you should look for sources beyond CSR reports and press releases from the company. For an outside perspective, try
researching your brand on the Responsible Shopper site and/or look for articles in ABI/INFORM.
In some cases, you may be able to find CSR info on the company overall, but not on the specific brand. In other cases,
you may not be able to find CSR info on the company, but you may be able to find out about CSR issues related to that
type of product (clothing, cars, coffee, etc.)
These subject terms in ABI/INFORM could be useful when searching for social responsibility topics:
Business Ethics
Corporate Responsibility
Social Responsibility
Sustainable Development
Environmental Protection
Philanthropy
Scandals
Fraud
Whistleblowing
Options for getting advice from a librarian:
Kate Pittsley, EMU Business Librarian
100-F Halle Library
487-0020 dial 1 then ext. 2133
kate.pittsley@emich.edu
Halle Library Reference Desk
487-0020 dial 1 then ext. 2100
Mon – Thurs 9am – 9pm, Fri 10am – 5pm
Sat 10am – 5pm, Sun 1pm – 9pm
Office hours at the COB
COB Room 407 (near Acct/Fin Dept.)
Mondays 3:45 - 6:30
Tuesdays 3:45 - 6:30
734-487- 6820 (only during office hrs)
Academic Project Center – Halle Library 116
Drop in coaching on research & writing
11-5 Mon – Thurs
Instant Message or Email Reference
http://www.emich.edu/library/help/ask.php
KP 1/2010