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Selected Resources
Marketing 321
Spring Semester, 2007


If you need further help, contact Brian Simboli, x5003. Please do some preliminary searching on your topic before setting up a meeting.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Tips for locating companies to which to market a product (compiled by Brian Simboli; see contact info above for help)

This section describes ways to identify industries and companies to which to market a product.

First, create an excel spreadsheet with these columns:

A.  target industries

B.  current customers

C. NAICS codes

D. SIC codes

E.  prospective customers (companies and other types of organizations)

Your goal is to build up A through D, then use the info in A through D to build up column "E". Ways to do this:

1. Company promotional material

Look over the company's promotional material, including website, and understand their product line. What industries does the promotional material mention as using their products? Put these in A. Does the promo material mention current customers? Put them in B. See if the company will give you a list of current customers and also put them in B.

2. Journal Indexes

Run searches over the product category in the journal indexes.  Locate relevant industries that can use the product and jot them down in column A. Along the way you may find references to specific businesses or organizations that you can add to column E.

Tips for using journal indexes:

3. Further steps

How can you further build up column E (which is your goal)?

Method 1

For each industry in column A, find "NAICS" or "SIC" codes that correspond to it. (Read up on NAICS codes here. For some information about SIC codes, and how they compare to NAICS codes, see here.)

To find NAICS and SIC codes for the industries you listed in column A, go to Lexis/Nexis Academic. Click on the business link on the far left, then (on the resulting screen) the directories link at the very bottom. Drag down the source menu to find the NAICS-SIC Directory. Put in a term describing the industry and run a search to find the relevant NAICS and SIC codes. Put the codes in the relevant columns B or C.

You can also follow these instructions for finding relevant NAICS codes or use this interface or this interface to find SIC codes.

Having finalized your list of NAICS and SIC codes (columns B and C), you can now use them to build up column E:

Another thing you can do is start with specific companies you found.  Go to Research Insight.  Click on the Research Assistant (upper left) button. Use the company look-up feature to find the target company and paste the name. Close the screen to return to original screen. Then click SIC or NAICS to find other companies.  Put those companies in column E.

Method 2

Rummage through the electronic resources in the resource list below.  Some of these have their own way of categorizing industries. You can search over these categories to generate lists of companies.  For example:

See the resources area below for other resources to consult.

Finding non-business organizations to which to market a product

Here are a few places to check to develop a list of non-business target organizations for marketing. You can use these to populate further

column C.

Resource List (compiled by the business librarian)

Books


There are two resources that will assist in locating items in the Lehigh University libraries and in other libraries. They are:

  1. ASA, The Library's Online Catalog. This lists all the items in the library and their location. This resource is available via the Network Server and the Web.
  2. WorldCat. This is a catalog that lists over 51 million items including books, journals, audio-visual, CD-ROMs and software. These resources may be obtained via Lehigh's Interlibrary Loan.

Remember: Use ASA to locate books, journals, A-V materials, and CD-ROMs. Generally, journal articles are not indexed in ASA. In WorldCat, there are now full text articles available on this database on a LIMITED basis.

Industry Information


These resources can be used to locate information on industries. They are:

  1. Associations Unlimited. This is also available in print and its title is Encyclopedia of Associations. Its call number is 061.3/G152e/FM-1-R-REF.
  2. Investext. Has information on industries from over 500 Wall Street and international stock brokerage firms.
  3. Journal indexes list articles on industries. See the Journal Index section for a listing of indexes.
  4. Standard and Poor's Industry Surveys. 338/S781I/FM-1-Ref (On Reserve). Analyzes specific industries on quarterly basis. Trends, financial information, and industry data are available. Earlier volumes are available in the stacks from1976-2004.
  5. Standard and Poor's Net Advantage. This includes a variety of information. It includes industry, stock, mutual funds, and company. It has the Industry Surveys.
  6. Value Line. 332.6/V215/FM-1-Ref (On Reserve). Includes quantitative and qualitative information for industry and company. It rates the companies' stock as a buy, sell or hold. Back issues are available on fiche from 1980 at Fairchild Library.
Industry Ratios
  1. Almanac of Business and Financial Ratios. 338.973/T864/FM-1-Ref. This is annual publication with earlier editions in the stacks.
  2. Factiva. By using the Company/Markets' Company Section, you can select more reports including financial ratios.
  3. RMA Annual Statement Studies. 338/R642/FM-1-Ref. This is an annual (that is on reserve) with earlier editions in the stacks.
  4. Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios. 338.5/I42/FM-1-Ref. Latest edition is on reserve with earlier editions in the stacks. Produced by Dun and Bradstreet.

General Statistical Resources


The listed resources will give statistics on industries, general economy and population that are produced by the Federal Government. Many of the same statistics are available on the Web (See the listings under the Web section for the URLs of Federal Government Statistical Sites.) These are:

  1. Business Statistics of the United States. 338.09/B976a/FM-1-Ref. This is a biennial publication with the cumulation of statistical data for series appearing the Survey of current business from 1947 to year prior to publication.
  2. Demographics USA (ZIP ed.). 658.8/D383/FM-1-Ref. This provides statistics on population (including age and sex), effective buying income, employment by industry and retail sales. This is by Zip code.
  3. Lexis Nexis Statistical. This is an index of statistics that were previously published in the print indexes that are listed above. Also this is compilation of statistics from a variety of sources some of which are available in print and/or on the fiche at Fairchild Library. NOTE: Web version does not have all of the statistics that are available in print.
  4. Sales & Marketing Management. Back issues are on microfilm and current issues are in print and shelved in Fairchild Library. This publication has special issues on various topics, i.e., buying power and media markets. Good source for the population and buying power of the states and their counties. Its URL is http://asa.lib.lehigh.edu/cgi-bin/pubid?Pub=28583.
  5. Statistical Abstract of the United States. 317.2/U58s/FM-1-RRef. Latest edition is in Ready Reference with earlier editions in the stacks.
  6. STAT-USA. This is a compendium of government statistical information on the Web. It is available through the Article Abstracts and Databases on the Virtual Library. It gives information on general economic conditions in the United States, i.e., Consumer Price Index and Leading Economic Indicators. This compendium contains on the National Trade Data Bank. This gives information on foreign trade statistics of the U.S., trade opportunities and information on a foreign country's rules and regulations.
  7. Survey of Current Business. C59.11/1. This is received monthly and is shelved at Fairchild Library.
  8. World Almanac. 317.3/W927/FM-1-R-Ref. Quick source of information that will give the answer and/or provides information on where to find the answer.

Company and Stock Information


These resources can be use for information about the company's profitability, information on its charitable foundation's name and address, etc. They are:

  1. The advertising red books. Advertiser, geographic. 659.112/S7852/FM-1-Ref URL for the web version of #1 and #2 is http://www.redbooks.com/. This web site will provide general information concerning the industry while the books provide more in depth information on the industry. Advertising
  2. The advertising red books. Agencies. 659.112 S78/FM-1-Ref. See #1 for more information.
  3. Company Web Pages. They have quantitative and qualitative information on the given company.

  4. Corporate Affiliations (FM Library reserve area 338 D598a) . Can find companies that fall under the NAICS or SIC codes (has indexes for both).

  5. Factiva. The Company/Markets' Company Section has the information from annual reports, etc.

  6. Investext. This has quantitative and qualitative information on companies.
  7. Journal indexes list articles on companies. See the database section for a listing of indexes.
  8. Lexis Nexis Academic. This database has sections entitled Industry & Market News and Company Financial Information.
  9. Mergents' Manuals…(Formerly Moody's). 332.6/M817/FM-1-Ref. Financial data on companies including income statements balance sheets and company history. 6 parts: Bank and Finance, Industrials, Municipals and Government, Over the Counter, Public Utilities and Transportation. Earlier editions located in the stacks.
  10. SEC Edgar Database. See World Wide Web for description.
  11. ThomasNet.
  12. Value Line. See Industry Information section for description.

Journal Indexes and Other Resources


Locating articles with quantitative and qualitative information on companies and industries may be found using these indexes. Also, the articles may have information on companies, local governments, and local organizations. URL is http://databases.lib.lehigh.edu/finder/. They are:

  1. ABI-Inform Dateline. Indexes resources with local and regional business news coverage of companies, business. and the economy.
  2. ABI-Inform Global. Indexes over 1400 journals in management and business. Coverage is from 1987 for most journals. About 45% of the articles are available in full text.
  3. ABI-Inform Trade & Industry. Indexes resources with a trade or industry focus.
  4. Academic Index, Expanded(a.k.a. Infotrac). Covers over 1400 journal going back to 1980. Some articles are available in full text.
  5. Applied Science and Technology Abstracts. Covers articles in the engineering, technology and business fields.
  6. Econlit. A good index for the research journals that cover company and industry information from a business and economic perspective.
  7. Engineering Index (a.k.a. Compendex). The index provides access to journal articles, trade journals and conference proceedings. Its B2B coverage is good.
  8. Factiva. It has over 8000 publications with some back to the early 1980's. (This is the replacement for Dow Jones Interactive.)
  9. Faulkner Advisory for IT Studies. Covers the information technology area with reports, evaluations and general information.
  10. Lexis Nexis Academic. Provides full text of journals, newspapers, and wire services relating to business information. It also has full text legal materials such court decisions, legislation and regulations.
  11. Metadex. This has a sub file called the Materials Business File. This indexes the business aspects of the materials area.
  12. PsycInfo. A good source for journal articles on consumer and marketing behavior.
  13. Research Library. Covers the popular journal literature with some articles available in full text.
  14. Sociological Abstracts. This covers research in demographics, social psychology and community development.

Electronic Journals


Another source of full text journal articles is the electronic journal (a.k.a. e-journal). We have access to many e-journal collections through a variety of sources. To access them, click on this URL: http://www.lehigh.edu/library/ejournals/ . The following sources have economic, finance and management journals that will help with your research. They are:

  1. Emerald Library. This resource is heavily weighted in the management area. It is a good source for supply chain management information.
  2. JStor. This is a good source for locating articles concerning B2B marketing . (NOTE: this has a two to five year delay in mounting the articles.
  3. Wiley Interscience. This has a number of economic and management journals that can be useful in locating material on your topic.

World Wide Web


Using a search engine, i.e., Alta Vista, Infoseek, etc., you will find information that may be useful. There are (but not limited to) government, associations, companies and individuals that have home pages. They provide facts, figures, and reports that may be important to your research. When searching on the Web, be sure to use a number of search engines. There are multi-search engines that search other search engines. These will make searching the Web more efficient. Dogpile.com is an example of these multi-search engines. It will search Alta Vista, Google, etc., to locate needed resources. An example would be a search for company home pages listing information on the company and/or product. Remember: anyone can put up a web page with information. Is the information on the web page reliable?

Statistical Resources on the Web are:

  1. Company Web Pages. They have quantitative and qualitative information on the given company.
  2. Salary.com. This site provides information on salary and benefits for job titles. Its URL is http://www.salary.com/.
  3. SEC Edgar Database. This resource has the required filings from publicly traded companies. Its URL is http://www.sec.gov/.

These sites have statistics on the economy that are produced by the Federal Government. They are:

  1. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Its URL is http://www.bea.gov/.
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its URL is http://www.bls.gov/.
  3. Federal Statistics site. Its URL is http://www.fedstats.gov/.
  4. Securities and Exchange Commission. Its URL is http://www.sec.gov/.
  5. U.S. Census Bureau. Its URL is http://www.census.gov/.

Government Resources


The Federal Government and Pennsylvania publish a variety of statistics that can help with your projects. Listed below are resources that may have useful statistics. NOTE: There are more resources listed in the WWW Section. The Federal Government publishes the items, numbered 1-10, and Pennsylvania publishes the ones, numbered 11-17. They are:

  1. Area Trends in Employment and Unemployment. 331.112/U581a/FM-2-DOC-R. Excellent source for employment figures.
  2. County Business Patterns. C 3.204/4: 995-96/FM-2-DOC-R. Available on CD-ROM and in print. Gives business and employment information by county and business category. It is also available on the web.
  3. A good resource for projections on labor is the Economic and Employment Projections. . One table that could be very useful is Employment by occupation, 2000 and projected 2012.
  4. GPO Monthly Catalog (U.S. government publications). Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Documents (print version).
  5. National Compensation Survey. (Also known as Area wage surveys). L2.121/38: /FM-2-DOC. Surveys the local salary and wage base for various occupations. Available on the web and in print.
  6. Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dept. of Labor. It gives information on local employment and wage scales on a national, state and metropolitan area. A good source for wage cost estimates.
  7. REIS (computer file): Regional Economic Information System. C59.24:969-98/CD. Contains valuable information on local area. Remember: Information may be dated.
  8. SPI: State Personal Income, 1929-1997. C59.25:929-97. Available on CD-ROM.
  9. Small Business Administration. Its URL is http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov/.
  10. U.S. Business Advisor. This is a business information resource from the Small Business Administration.
  11. Local Government Financial Statistics. PCA 1.138/4:1997. Provides financial information on local governments including taxation, indebtedness, and expenditures. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
  12. Pennsylvania Abstract. 317.48/P415a/FM-1-Ref. A compendium of statistics concerning Pennsylvania. Includes population, economic, and social statistics.
  13. PA State Data Center. The 2000 Census info is available at this URL. It is http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/pasdc/census_2000/index.html.
  14. Pennsylvania's home page. Its URL is http://www.state.pa.us/.
  15. (Pennsylvania) Employment & Wages by County and Industry, 1997. PL67.20/8/6/:269. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
  16. PLF Pennsylvania Labor Force. PL 194.17/3: This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.
  17. Wages and Income. PL67.17/4/6/P415. Provides information on earnings, per capita, and CPI information. This item is located in the state area of the Government Documents section, Fairchild Martindale Library. Available only in print.

The Library has created a web page for government information including Federal, state, local and international materials. It is called Government Information at Lehigh University Library. Its URL is: http://www.Lehigh.EDU/library/govdocs/. This is an excellent starting point for locating statistical and other relevant material for research on a topic.

Local resources for Information


There are a variety of resources that can information as you do the research for the client. These include (but not limited to):

  1. Alumni Directories and Associations.
  2. Bus Companies, e.g., Local Tour Companies.
  3. Chambers of Commerce, e.g., Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
  4. County and local governments: Lehigh County, Northampton County, City of Bethlehem (Its URL is http://www.bethlehem-pa.gov/.)
  5. Financial Resources. A resource to locate funding in the Lehigh Valley. Its URL is http://www.lehighvalleyfinancing.org.
  6. Lehigh Valley Business Network. This is a local web site providing professional, customized web presence for small businesses. Its URL is http://www.lvbiznet.com/.
  7. Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is a private, non-profit corporation created in 1995 by the Lehigh Valley Partnership (LVP), a consortium of regional business owners and executives with county and municipal government leaders as ex officio members.
  8. Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (Formerly the Joint Planning Commission).
  9. LVIP, Inc., (Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc.).
  10. Local Arts Organizations.
  11. Local maps (detailed) of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area. Google Maps and Mapquest are two examples.
  12. Local Newspapers. Morning Call and Express Times cover the local area. They generally have a two week archive available for free but after the two week window, you must pay for any article. The Morning Call is available thru America's Newspapers.
  13. Local public libraries: Allentown Public Library, Bethlehem Area Public Library (Its URL is http://www.bapl.org), Easton Area Public Library.
  14. Local statistics: Web and print. Its URL is http://www.lehighvalley.org/demo.html for demographic and economic info. This is from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. Also the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission has local statistics.
  15. Pennsylvania's home page: http://www.state.pa.us/
  16. Private Industry Council:It is part of a a statewide group called PaPartners which assists in local workforce development. Its URL is http://www.papartners.org/ .
  17. Redevelopment (or Economic) Authorities of states, counties, cities, boroughs, etc.: Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).
  18. RegionOnline. Lehigh Valley Web site URL is http://www.lehighvalleyNOW.com/rol/default.asp .
  19. Small business development centers of the state, counties and cities: Lehigh University's Small Business Development Center (URL is http://www.lehigh.edu/sbdc ).
  20. Team Pennsylvania CareerLink. URL is http://www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us/onestop/teampa.asp . This now includes the Private Industry Council. For more information, you can contact them at this phone number, (610) 437-5627.
  21. Tourism Bureaus: Bethlehem Tourism Authority (Its URL is http://www.bethlehem.info/ ). Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc. (Its URL is http://www.lehighvalleypa.org/ .)

Patent Information


The handout, entitled Patents, will provide information on patents. This includes the where's and how's to do patents. Its URL is http://www.lehigh.edu/library/guides/patent.html. Created on 3/15/07 by W. Fincke, Business Librarian
Office: Rm. 343, Rauch Business Center.
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:00-4:30.
Phone: 83052
Email: wjf0@lehigh.edu
URL is http://www.lehigh.edu/library/guides/guides.html.





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