U of G College of Business and Economics (CBE) is set to launch the Marketing Analytics Centre, a research centre focused entirely on marketing analytics and consumer-driven big data. It will serve as a think-tank for industry and academics.
Directed by marketing and consumer studies Prof. Tanya Mark, it is the first research centre in Canada to use business analytics to explore consumer behaviour in the food and health industries.
Mark said translating large amounts of data into tangible business plans is crucial for marketers.
“Future business success will be dependent on how marketers leverage their customer’s digital footprint,” Mark said. “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 act as a hub for the department’s graduates students, assisting them to develop new skills and find jobs, as well as giving them access to proprietary industry-level data for their doctoral thesis and research projects
“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.
The centre will officially launch during the Harnessing Analytics Symposium in March.