4 Consumer Reports Every Market Researcher Should Read

If you don't understand the digital consumption behavior of your target audience, how can you make smart decisions around marketing to your user base? Get the data you need to make better decisions by reading consumer digital consumption reports. These four reports top our list of must-reads for every market researcher:

Nielsen total audience reports (Q1 2016)

If you aren't reading the Nielsen media reports, you should be. The company may be best known for their television reports, but Nielsen studies consumer consumption behavior around music, radio, gaming, internet usage, streaming media, and more.

In their Total Audience Reports (Q1 2016 being the most recent), Nielsen provides both comprehensive data on media use and detailed analysis of select trends.

The company tracks users in more than 100 countries. If your market researchers need to dig deep into user trends in a particular region or gain a perspective on how to best market products globally, Nielsen Reports makes it easy to get the facts you need to plan for success.

Digital and Media Predictions 2016, Millward Brown

Multinational marketing firm Millward Brown explores digital media consumption and trends through a context-based lens. Their Digital & Media Predictions 2016 report showcases consumer use patterns and ways that marketers can find connections across marketing channels. If staff in key sales and marketing departments need resources for unpacking the customer journey as it relates to marketing, this report offers valuable insight.

Deloitte’s 2015 Global Mobile Consumer Survey: US edition

The most recent edition of Deloitte's consumer digital consumption report is also the firm's most comprehensive. If your marketers need data to convince key stakeholders to invest more in mobile advertising, or your business creates connected devices for the Internet of Things, this consumer survey digs deep into your areas of interest. Of particular interest are the year-over-year trend analyses and the breakdown of behavior by six age groups.

In this report, Deloitte surveyed 50,000 consumers ages 18–74 in 31 countries on their mobile shopping habits. Its scope makes it a must-read for global businesses.

Pew Internet Activities Reports

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to studying Americans’ patterns of behavior. Pew excels at making connections among datasets. Their collection of Internet Activities reports connects patterns of Internet usage to larger societal trends of interest to brands.

Notable Pew Internet Activities Reports include the sharing, collaborative and on-demand economies, and patterns of news media consumption in the digital age.

By adding these Pew reports to the list of must-reads, marketers can get contextually rich data to inform their marketing efforts.

Make it a habit to read the latest version of these reports upon their release. You’ll learn what's new with the consumers your brand targets, be able to modify marketing plans accordingly and stay one step ahead of your brand’s competitors.