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[Note: students may have to discover what corporation owns which products before any product research can be undertaken. Consult Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations and Trade Names Directory: Companies & Their Brands, 1992, in BA/SS Davis Library. Large companies have divisions and subsidiaries with different names. Tracking "who owns what" is easier with this reference volume.]

1. HISTORY OF THE PRODUCT AND COMPANY

Comprehensive product histories are difficult for even the best researcher to find. Corporate histories are somewhat easier to locate. Once this information is located, it may be brief, incomplete and/or out-of-date. Large public corporations are easier to find information on than smaller private ones. Here are some sources:

1. Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, 1992.
   Check with the information officer of the companies you are researching. Names, addresses and phone numbers are in Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations. These officers typically offer public information packets promoting their products, services and companies. [BA/SS in Davis]

2. Hoover's Handbook: Profiles of over 500 Major Corporations, 1992.
   Brief historical abstracts of selected corporations. [BA/SS in Davis Library]

3. Moody's Industrial Reports, 1992.
   Very brief synopsis of many, if not most, major corporations' histories. Offers additional data as well. [BA/SS in Davis Library]

4. UNC Online Data Newwork
   Search by subject for name of company:
   ? fi su CNN (enter)

5. International Directory of Company Histories (4 vols.) [BA/SS in Davis Library]
   (Note: 5th volume is expected soon.)

6. Wall Street Journal Index: Corporate and General Indexes. [Humanities Reference in Davis Library]
   Look for corporate, product or service references in WSJ Indexes. Note date of corporate founding; then project dates for decennial, silver and golden anniversaries. Typically newspapers carry feature stories marking these corporate events. Headlines, dates and page numbers are listed in these indexes. This information will lead you to the WSJ microfilm on 2nd floor of Davis Library.

7. New York Times Index, Washington Post Index and the Atlanta Journal- Constitution Index. [Humanities Reference in Davis Library]
   These papers carry considerable business, financial and marketing information. Search for subject terms as you would in the WSJ Indexes. You can read the articles on microfilm.

8. Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private & Public Companies. [BA/SS in Davis Library]
   

2. ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCT CATEGORY

Most of the information on product formulas, substances and ingredients is considered to be trade secrets. This kind of information is carefully guarded and not shared with the public or competitors. You can check product labels for some information, but not everything is listed. You can search the following sources (by corporate, product or subject terms) to see if any articles have been written on the product, its reputed or disputed quality control, or any lawsuits brought against the company because of product liability or related information:

1. Business Periodicals Index [BA/SS in Davis Library]
2. Wall Street Journal Index, NYT Index, Washington Post Index [printed indexes in Reference Department in Davis Library]
3. CD-ROM products [BA/SS in Davis Library] e.g.,
   • ABI Inform
   • Wall Street Journal
   • The New York Times
   • News & Observer on CD-ROM (only at Undergraduate Library)
4. Online databases such as Dialog's PR Newswire, Trade & Industry Index, PTS Marketing & Advertising Reference Service, PTS Annual Reports Abstracts, PTS New Product Announcements/Plus, and PTS Prompt. [JoMC Library only; sign up for online searches scheduled for Tuesday & Thursday afternoons 2:30-5:30.]
5. Business Periodicals Index [BA/SS in Davis Library]

Search for articles written in newspapers, trade magazines and professional journals:

1. CD-ROM products [in Davis Library]
   • ABI Inform
   • Wall Street Journal
   • News & Observer on CD-ROM (Undergraduate Library)
2. Online databases [JoMC Library]
   • Dialog
   • Nexis/Lexis
     Sample searches: Name of product or company AND target audience
3. Demographics
   • Simmons Media & Markets, 1989. [JoMC Library]
   • MediaMark Research, 1991. [JoMC Library]
   • American Demographics. [JoMC Library]
   • Donnelley's Demographics. [BA/SS in Davis Library]
   • Editor & Publisher's Market Guide, 1992 [JoMC Library]
   • Marketing Statistics (Computer Information Services in Davis)

Search for this information in:

1. CD-ROM products [BA/SS in Davis Library]
   • ABI Inform
   • Wall Street Journal
2. Online databases [JoMC Library]
   • Dialog
   • Nexis/Lexis
     Sample searches:
     Name of product or company AND market share
     Name of product or company w/10 competition or competitor
3. Market Share Reporter, 1993. [BA/SS reference desk in Davis Library]
4. Wall Street Journal Index [Humanities reference in Davis Library]
5. Manufacturing USA, 1994. [BA/SS reference desk in Davis Library]
6. Dun's Business Rankings, 1993. [BA/SS in Davis Library]
7. Value Line Investment Survey, 1993. [BA/SS reference desk in Davis]
8. Corporate & Industry Research Reports. [BA/SS microfiche cabinets in Davis]
9. U.S. Industrial Outlook, 1994 [BA/SS in Davis Library]
10. Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys, 1993-4 [BA/SS in Davis Library]

5. ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISING AND STRATEGY

Examine some product advertisement portfolios shelved in Advertising Section of JoMC Library. [Bookshelf 30 in JoMC Library]. Other sources include:

1. CD-ROM products [BA/SS in Davis Library]
   • ABI Inform
   • Wall Street Journal
2. Online databases [JoMC Library]
   • Dialog
   • Nexis/Lexis
     Sample searches: Name of product or comapny w/10 market plan or strategy
3. LNA AD $ Summary [Note: 1992 volumes are on order and should arrive soon in BA/SS Davis Library; look for them on bookcase 22]
4. LNA Multi-Media Report Service (Class/Brand YTD $ serial)
5. LNA Company Brand $.

6. TRENDS IN THE MARKETPLACE

Search for this information using the same sources listed above but with slightly different strategies. For example, a sample search might be:
Name of company or product w/20 industry trends OR market trends

Examine U.S. Census data reports for population, economic and new product trends. Search U.S. Industrial Outlook and Standard & Poor's Industry Survey's for trend information and data.

Consult government statistical reports for trends of all types. [BA/SS in Davis Library] Keep up-to-date with current trade publications such as:

AD Age
Adweek: Media Marketing Week
American Demographics
Business, N.C.
Business Week
Communication Arts
Consumer Reports
Journal of Advertising
Journal of Advertising Research
Journal of Consumer Research
Newspaper Marketing
Potentials in Marketing

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This page was created by Barbara P. Semonche and Brian Raitz. It was last updated on August 17, 1995. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact Barbara here.