10 places to get free data & insight 💡

When it comes to creating compelling insight, we are often limited by the information we have access to.

You want to create a great story for your brand, but you just don’t have the data!

We’re here to tell you that there are plenty of places to get free information, which can help you bring your story to life.

Whether your insights budget is getting squeezed or you don’t have much to begin with, here are 10 places you should visit to create insight on a budget.

1. Kantar WorldPanel  kantar.com/uki/inspiration

If you work in UK Grocery, you never want to miss Kantar’s four-weekly Grocery Market Share Update.

Each update shares the latest headlines on shopper behaviour and retailer performance from their WorldPanel service.

You can delve deeper into retailer total store performance using the Grocery Market Share tool.

It’s so useful to talk to retailers about their performance in the category with the context of their total store performance, so using this tool is a no-brainer.

2. Mintel  mintel.com/insights/downloads

Like many of the sites we are recommending, Mintel keeps a lot of stuff behind a paywall. They also share lots of useful reports, articles and webinars for free.

I never miss their annual reports on Global Consumer Trends, Food & Drink, or Beauty and Personal Care. The insights in these reports are invaluable for providing macro context in trends presentations and sell-in decks.

3. GfK gfk.com/press

We’ve all had to get used to significant global events impacting the landscape in recent years.

Life changing moments, that have affected how Brits are feeling and spending.

Throughout this time, GfK’s Consumer Confidence tracker has been an invaluable tool to measure the confidence of people across the UK.

After an all-time low of -49 in September 2022, we've seen regained confidence, up to -13 in July 2024. This suggests that people may be more willing to spend money than in previous years, but our confidence isn't back up to pre-Covid levels (-7 in Feb 2020).

4. The Grocer thegrocer.co.uk

The Grocer is the UK’s leading publication covering the food and drink retail sector.

They offer a mix of industry news, retailer insights, and category-specific reports.

Without a subscription you’re limited to how many articles you can access, but the paid version is an affordable option that provides excellent value.

The Grocer’s category reports are particularly useful for understanding competitor activities and market dynamics.

5. IGD igd.com

IGD is a registered charity focused on advancing research and education in the food and consumer goods industry.

While much of their content is available through a paid subscription, they also share free articles that include snapshots and summaries of some of their most useful reports.

These resources include insights on market trends, shopper behaviour, and best-in-class in-store execution.

A great example is this article which shares some key headlines from their latest Food to Go report.

6. Nielsen IQ nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/

The well-known market research provider shares a wealth of free resources, including articles, reports, and webinars. These materials offer valuable snapshots of key trends and market dynamics.

An example is their overview of own label vs branded products, but there is a lot more where that came from.

7. Google Trends trends.google.com

Google Trends is a web-based tool to compare how often certain topics are being searched on Google. It’s a worldwide dataset, but you can filter it by country and gain insights into regional differences.

Since discovering Google Trends, I’ve experimented with various ways to use it. Not only has it been useful for showing the growing popularity of brands or ingredients over time, but it's also been fun to see how often certain celebrities are googled in line with TV appearances or news events.

For example, looking at the interest over time of 'electrolytes', you can see an increase in searches and peaks at the start of the summer.

8. Ipsos ipsos.com/en-uk

Ipsos is a global market research company known for its comprehensive surveys and studies that provide deep insights into consumer opinions, behaviour, and market trends.

They have loads of free resources on their website that cover a wide range of topics. From public opinion on politics and social issues to consumer confidence and purchasing trends.

For example, Ipsos regularly publishes their report ‘‘What Worries the World’, which gives an indication of how people’s priorities are changing over time.

9. Chat to people from different walks of life (anywhere, any time)

If you work in FMCG, there’s a good chance you’re in London or the South-East of England. You’re likely mixing with people of a similar income level and lifestyle to yourself, so when you ask people you know for feedback on your latest product idea, you’re not always getting the full picture.

Talking to people outside your immediate social circle is a great way to get out of that bubble. Write down the questions you’d love to know the answer to and ask the people who can answer them. Think outside the box about where you can find the right people, and definitely step outside of London!

10. If all else fails – Just Google It!

Sometimes you’re looking for that perfect stat to include in a presentation, but you don’t know where to look. It might seem like an obvious solution; however, you can be pleasantly surprised by what is available in the public domain. Google is always a good starting point.

Not everything you read online is true, so be conscious of the source and don’t forget to include this wherever you use the information for future reference.

As you can see, there’s a plethora of information available to you at no cost! If you don’t know where to start, make a list of the questions you’d like answered and see where these tools fit in.

Anything we’ve missed? We’d love to hear about the free tools and information you’ve been using to create great insight.

Download our free cheat sheet below for more resources to help you build macro insight.

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August 2024