Subject Guides: Advertising: Consumer Research

Consumer Research

Pew Research Center
An independent think tank with polling and research on demographic, social, and tech trends. For Generations assignments, start in the Age & Generations section.

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Mintel This link opens in a new window
Reports on consumer markets and trends. Segmentation, branding, positioning, and psychographics.

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Step-by-step instructions.

Benefits of creating a Mintel Profile:

Download charts, graphs, and data.*
Sign up for e-mail alerts about content updates.

Search Tips:

Start with keyword searching.
Filter for Content types. Pro tip: "Reports" are especially helpful.
Filter by Category, Region, Trend Drivers, etc.
Mintel Help

* Be sure to cite Mintel when downloading content. Need citation help? Check out the APA section on Electronic Sources at Purdue Owl. Look for tips on citing Data Sets and Graphic Data. Search for these tips using Ctrl+F or Command+F.

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Statista This link opens in a new window
An aggregator of statistics on almost any topic.

Search Tips:

Start with keyword searching.
Use filters in right navigation panel. Pro tip: Reports & Topics (under "Content types") have most in-depth content.

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Simmons Insight This link opens in a new window
Detailed consumer survey data. Where else can you cross-tabulate age, media consumption, political viewpoints, and the frequency of Snickers bar consumption?
May NOT be used for commercial use, consulting, or outside research projects.

Simmons Catalyst

Tutorial (YouTube)

Learn more about Simmons data:

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Euromonitor International Passport This link opens in a new window
Provides key business intelligence on consumers, lifestyles, countries, markets and companies. Start by exploring the Consumers section, then Households, Lifestyles, or Population.
For research or private study for academic purposes only. Only students, faculty, and staff may access.
eMarketer This link opens in a new window
Internet and mobile: advertising, media, and consumer behavior.

Experience the American Generations: Which Generation Are You?
Explore cultural and technological influences across generations. From Encyclopaedia Britannica.
MapMaker: Generations
Explore population distribution of generations in the United States. From National Geographic. [Click "National Geographic MapMaker (New): Generations" in the Learning Materials section.]

Generation Alpha

The Next Generation
Today's children will be an unprecedented global force--are they ready? The Next Generation maps out the world of possibilities ahead for today's young people (Gen Alpha & Gen Z), and reveals the skills and habits they'll need to take full advantage of their unique futures. (Published: 2017)

Generation Z

Fight
(Print Book) From John Della Volpe, the director of polling at the Harvard Institute of Politics, Fight is an exploration of Gen Z, the issues that matter most to them, and how they will shape the future. (Published: 2022)
Gen Z, Explained
Born since the mid-1990s, members of Generation Z comprise the first generation never to know the world without the internet, and the most diverse generation yet. (Published: 2021)
Generation Z and the Transformation of American Adolescence: How Gen Z's Formative Experiences Shape its Politics, Priorities, and Future
(Published: 2023)
MORE eBooks about Gen Z at the BYU Library
Browse more library holdings about Gen Z.

Millennials (also: Generation Y)

Contemporary Consumption, Consumers and Marketing: Cases from Generations Y and Z
Examines current consumer and marketing cases while posing questions that complement and challenge established marketing theory. (Published: 2020)
Media, Myth, and Millennials: Critical Perspectives on Race and Culture
Offers critical and cultural insight on the commodification of millennial audiences and the acts of resistance that emerge from millennial media producers and consumers. (Published: 2019)
Millennials and Media Ecology
Explores whether millennials are properly understood as a group, particularly by the institutions and agencies that target them, and whether they are demonstrating the ability to set out a path for themselves and take charge of their own life and future. (Published: 2019)
MORE eBooks about Millennials at the BYU Library
Look for more books about the characteristics and impact of Millennials.

Generation X

Generation X and the Rise of the Entertainment Subject
Argues that Gen X is the first generation to be dominated by entertainment subjectivity: a social and psychological feedback loop is created as entertainment caters to adolescent consumers while the consumer, in turn, is shaped by the entertainment they internalize. (Published 2021)
MORE eBooks about Gen X at the BYU Library
Find more resources about Gen Xers.

Baby Boomers

Generation Gap
The Baby Boomers are the largest and most powerful generation in American history--and they aren't going away any time soon. This work examines the historical trends that made the Baby Boomers so consequential and traces the emergence of age-based political and cultural divisions. (Published: 2022)
The New Neighborhood Senior Center
ISBN: 9780813562964
As baby boomers age, cities, municipalities, and governments at every level must grapple with the allocation of resources and funding for maintaining the quality of life, health, and standard of living for an aging population. (Published: 2014)
MORE eBooks about Baby Boomers at the BYU Library

Silent Generation

The Lucky Few
Born during the Great Depression and World War Two (1929-1945) an entire generation has slipped between the cracks of history. These Lucky Few became the first American generation smaller than the one before them.(Published: 2008)

Demographics and Spending

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Census Business Builder
An app that uses Census and other government data to help businesses explore demographics and spending patterns.
Population Reference Bureau Instant summaries of the demographic characteristics of the U.S. population.

Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Social Explorer is an online research tool designed to provide quick and easy access to current and historical census data and demographic information. The easy-to-use web interface lets users create maps and reports to better illustrate, analyze and understand demography and social change.
Statistical Abstract of the U.S. (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Statistical Abstracts of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.
U.S. Census Bureau Data This link opens in a new window
US Census Bureau's website fact finder section. This free web site has Census data from the Decennial Census Summary Files, American Community Survey Summary Tables, and Economic Census. American FactFinder can create custom tabulations from micro data files, compute simple statistics, and create a thematic map for a specific geographic place.