Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Marketing Research Analyst Job Overview

Marketing research analysts are responsible for compiling people’s opinions towards their organization, and the products and services they offer. Their main task is to determine:
  • Who will buy the products of their company
  • What customers like and dislike the most about the products and/or services they offer
  • Future sales basis the past sales
  • How effective the marketing and distribution channels of their organization are
  • What consumers prefer
  • The latest industry trends
  • What strategies, methodologies and tools are adopted by the competitors to promote their products
  • The stated and unstated needs of their customers and identify the scope for a new product
Most companies rely on the information that is processed from the data collected from the surveys and questionnaires that collect customer feedback and assess customer preferences. Marketing research analysts also design these questionnaires and devise appropriate methods and procedures for attaining the right information. They then analyze the data and help companies understand what customers are looking to buy and how they make their buying decisions. They also make recommendations to the management which help the latter in responding to the customer expectations in the appropriate manner.

Prerequisites for Becoming a Marketing Research Analyst in Canada

Basic Competencies


At the entry level, a postgraduate certification is necessary for becoming a market research analyst. This is the minimum requirement for being able to work in this field. A program in marketing research analytics helps students learn different research methodologies and obtain skills necessary to conduct effective surveys and statistical analysis which further help in identifying the latest industry trends and consumer behaviors.


Additional Skills


Aspiring marketing research analysts are also required to possess an in-depth understanding of interactive marketing fundamentals and computer applications. With this, they are expected to be detail-oriented to ensure precise data analysis. They may also require working for long hours in order to collect, record, sort, refine, structure and study data. Therefore, they must possess qualities like persistence and patience. Furthermore, they must possess hands-on experience in data collection and analysis before seeking employment with an organization.


Marketing Research Course


A one-year graduation certification marketing research course at Centennial College equips students with all the required competencies. It is an intensive program consisting of lectures and labs where students gain theoretical understanding and gain exposure to SAS Enterprise Guide and SAS Enterprise Miner respectively. The program covers a wide range of subjects, including marketing, marketing analysis and planning, statistics for marketing research, case analysis and marketing metrics, database mining and analytics, fundamentals of interactive marketing, research and analytics and fundamentals of project management.

The college also offers excellent employment prospects for research and analytical marketing professionals. They can find employment as web marketing analysts, marketing research analysts, loyalty program analysts, direct response analysts, online marketing analysts, sales data analysts, etc.


In order to apply for this course, candidates can send their applications along with all the required supporting, including a three-year college diploma or university degree certificate and a proof of English proficiency. Candidates with partial post-secondary education (minimum two years) are also eligible to apply for this program. However, they need to generate a proof of work experience relevant to this program. All the applicants may require taking college’s numeracy skills assessment.

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