WMU Research Guides: MKTG 4860: Marketing Strategy: Home

AI Resources

Link to ChatGPT Thread from Class Presentation 9/22/25

Example Prompts:

Summarize this article in 150 words and explain how its data or examples can help market an apple orchard or pumpkin-patch agritourism business in West Michigan. Rank it for relevance out of 10.

Identify the audience this source focuses on (age, income, travel habits). Explain how those details could help attract visitors to a West Michigan apple orchard or pumpkin patch.

List three marketing ideas or tactics mentioned or implied in this source with page numbers and explain how each could apply to Gull Meadow Farms’ fall agritourism activities.

MRI Simmons

MRI Simmons
Provides summary tables of key audience and product usage data from a national sample of nearly 50,000+ adults. It offers demographic, lifestyle, product usage, and media data.
This subscription is limited to seventy-five simultaneous users. Please log out when finished.

MRI Video Tutorial, MRI, 2023 (49 Minutes)

Additional Databases

ABI/INFORM Collection (now ProQuest One Business)
Full-text newspapers, trade journals, magazines, and scholarly articles—ideal for agritourism marketing, consumer trends, and local news.

Why use it for Gull Meadow Farms:
1) Find case studies on apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and U-pick marketing.
2) Track fall-season visitor trends and regional tourism data.

Quick search tips:
1) Use Advanced Search with phrases like: "agritourism" AND "marketing strategy"; "apple orchard" OR "cider mill"; "pumpkin patch" AND Michigan
2) Limit to Trade Journals, Magazines, or Last 5 years for fresh, practical examples.
3) Combine with Subjects → Marketing or Tourism to narrow results.

Example hits: Héroux Agritourism Marketing Strategies, Rise of a Fall Phenomenon, Pumpkin Patches and Corn Maze Fun.

Data.Census.gov
Use data.census.gov to find free, authoritative U.S. Census Bureau data on population, households, income, and commuting patterns. It’s the central access point for the American Community Survey (ACS), Decennial Census, and Economic Census.

Why it’s useful for the Gull Meadow Farms project:
1) Customer market sizing: Determine how many households, families with children, or retirees live within a 40- to 50-mile drive of Richland, Michigan.
2) Income and spending power: View median household income and discretionary income ranges to estimate ability to pay for agritourism experiences.
3) Visitor travel patterns: Identify nearby counties with high car-commuting or seasonal population shifts—helpful for weekend traffic estimates.

How to search for this assignment:
1) Start at https://data.census.gov
2) Click Advanced Search.
3) Choose Geography → County → select multiple counties (e.g., Kalamazoo, Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Van Buren, St. Joseph, Branch, Eaton) to capture a 40-50 mile radius of Gull Meadow Farms.
4) Select Topics → Population and Housing, Income & Poverty, Commuting or Families & Living Arrangements.
5) Filter by Program → American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for the most current small-area data.
6) Build Tables
7) Use the “Map” button for quick drive-time visuals, or “Download” to integrate with spreadsheets and charts for your market analysis.

Google Scholar
Free search engine for scholarly articles, theses, and conference papers across disciplines.

Why use it for Gull Meadow Farms:
1) Find peer-reviewed research on agritourism marketing, consumer behavior, and rural tourism economics.
2) Access full text through WMU Libraries’ “Find It” links.

Quick search tips:
1) Go to Google Scholar.
2) Try single-word or short-phrase keywords: agritourism, orchard, pumpkin, event travel, U-pick, Michigan.
3) Use the left-hand Since Year filter (e.g., 2019) for current studies.
4) Click "Cited by" to trace newer research or find related articles.

To enable links from the "Find it@WMU" from off-campus computers, follow these instructions or watch a video tutorial : 1. Go to Google Scholar. 2. Click on the "options" wheel in the top right corner. 3. Select "Library Links" from menu on the left side. 4. In the "Library Links" search box, type "Western Michigan University Libraries". 5. Click the checkbox next to "Western Michigan University Libraries (ArticleLinker)". 6. Click the "Save". 8. A link to "ArticleLinker" should now appear next to those citations that are available electronically from the Libraries.
Mintel US Reports
Authoritative market research reports and consumer surveys for U.S. travel, leisure, and food—ideal for fall agritourism.

Why use it for Gull Meadow Farms:
1) Size and segment demand for apple orchards, pumpkin patches, U-pick, and other seasonal travel.
2) Explore consumer motivations, budgets, and marketing channels.

Quick search tips:
1) Go to Mintel.
2) Search with single-word keywords: tourism, orchard, pumpkin, travel, event, family, leisure.
3) Select a report.
4) Inside any report, click the Databook icon to open the full survey dataset.
5) Segment results instantly by age, income, region, presence of children, or other demographics to create precise target profiles.
Statista
Search for user-friendly statistical tables and infographics on more than 80,000 topics drawn from over 22,500 sources, covering market and consumer data and many more areas of interest. Sources of information include market researchers, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases.

For best results please use Chrome for this database.

Market Research Tutorials for SPuRS or Class Credit

Instructions for Personal and Interpersonal Knowledge – SPuRS Advanced

Introduction to Secondary Marketing Resources at WMU
Learn how to use IBISWorld, Mintel, and Statista to research U.S. industry trends, consumer behavior, and local market data.
Introduction to International Secondary Market Research at WMU
Learn how to find international market and consumer data using two of our most powerful tools: 1) Statista, for country-specific statistics and global consumer preferences and 2) Global Data Explorer, for international industry reports.

Citing Business Sources (Articles, Annual Reports, Mintel, IBIS, etc.)

APA 7th ed. Citation for Business Sources
This comprehensive guide offers example citations for a wide range of specialized business resources—including analyst reports, company and industry profiles, market research, datasets, and trade publications—formatted according to APA 7th edition. Created by a team of business librarians, it addresses citation challenges specific to proprietary databases like IBISWorld, Mintel, Statista, and WRDS, among others. Whether you're citing a SWOT analysis from Global Data Explorer, a cross-tab from MRI Simmons, or a 10-K from EDGAR, this guide helps you cite it clearly and correctly. A go-to resource for business students, faculty, and researchers navigating complex citation scenarios.

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