The University of Guelph’s College of Business and Economics set to launch the university’s first research centre focused solely on marketing analytics and consumer-driven “big data.”

Housed in the college’s Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies, the newly launched Marketing Analytics Centre [1]will act as a “think-tank” for industry and academics to collaborate on leading-edge consumer-based research.

This will be the only “big data” research centre in Canada to use business analytics tools to explore consumer behaviour in the food and health-related industries – a key strength of the department's faculty. 

The need to translate the large amounts of data points into tangible business plans is crucial for marketers, says centre director and associate professor, Tanya Mark [2]. “Future business success will be dependent on how marketers leverage their customer’s digital footprint. Our centre will give industry and policy-makers the insights and expertise to stay relevant and competitive in this hyper-competitive digital age.”

The centre will also serve as a hub for the departments MSc and PhD students to develop new skills, and aid in the placements of recent graduates to find jobs. Graduates students will have access to proprietary industry-level data for their doctoral thesis and research projects.

Faculty within the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies [3] have expertise in consumer behaviour, decision-making, the impact of marketing activities, estimating return on marketing investments, and how to deliver valuable and actionable consumer insights.  

“We hope this centre will encourage university-industry research collaborations to develop innovative tools to support decision making in business, provide insights on consumer behaviour and well-being to policymakers and industry leaders, and train students and professionals for cutting edge jobs in analytics,” said marketing department chair, Tirtha Dhar [4].

The centre will officially launch during an event in March, which will bring together academics and industry from across GTA and beyond. Sponsored by Labatt Brewing Company, the Harnessing Analytics Symposium will explore how marketers can create effective campaigns and new product offerings for their customers by leveraging data and analytics. The symposium will include a keynote address from Todd Allen, VP Marketing, Labatt Brewing Company and an industry focused panel with representatives from Edelman, Modelez, Facebook and Labatt.

Customized corporate workshops and problem-solving sessions will also be available through the centre.

For more information on the Marketing Analytics Centre, contact Tanya Mark, PhD  [5]