How To Write a Marketing Research Report

Reporting the results of marketing research is an essential step in formulating a marketing strategy. Comprehensive and insightful marketing research will only be wasted if the final report is inadequate, or worse, erroneous. The reader requires definite findings that are backed up by numbers and facts in order to make a decision that will affect the product. A well-written marketing research report not only translates the data obtained, but also provides a recommendation based on the results.

Here are the steps to writing a marketing research report.

* Start with a summary of the research findings. Use definite terms when describing the results and lean towards action words to grab the reader's attention. A lot of research will revolve around dry facts that can turn off many decision makers who have to go through a lot of reports every day. Structure the first paragraph with the idea that this alone should guide the executives in forming a strategy.
* Proceed with the questions that led to the research. This background statement will remind readers of the research's original purpose and set them in the proper frame of mind.
* Expound on the results. Use as many pages as necessary to explain the results of the research in detail. On the other hand, eliminate unnecessary information that may divert attention to the original objective of the research. You may include key diagrams within these pages, but reserve the bulk of the tables and charts at the end of the report.
* Provide a recommendation. Tie in the results with the company's objectives to create a series of actions designed to act on the research. Use your understanding of the research when coming up with a recommendation. Back up your proposal with historical data from similar events as well as your understanding of the company’s objectives and current resources.
* Give alternatives to the recommendation you made. You should provide other responses to the research result, in case the reader disagrees with your recommendation. You may need to think out of the box for the alternatives, which may include maintaining the status quo or doing the opposite of the main recommendation. Provide advantages and disadvantages for each response to allow comparisons to each other.
* Add the necessary diagrams, tables and charts at the end. This should give readers a visual idea to the data generated by the research. Provide the reference label for these diagrams on the relevant text in the report. Finally, make sure to include the essential information from reference materials that you have used in your report.
* Prepare your report in conjunction for a possible presentation. Design the master copy of your research report such that it includes notations and links to allow you to create a slide presentation out of it with ease. Take note that such presentations are heavy on the diagrams, images and key phrases that take secondary place in your text report. You may use the comments feature of your word processor to leave notes to yourself that will not appear in the main report, allowing you to refresh your memory when you revisit the report anytime in the future.


Marketing research reports need not be remarkable by themselves. By providing both instant and comprehensive insights from given research, decision-makers can use them to support their own ideas for a marketing strategy.