Georgia DECA Advertising Practice Test

The example of Ben reading a trade magazine illustrates the concept of obtaining secondary data in marketing research. Secondary data refers to information that has already been collected and published by others, which can be utilized to support research objectives. Trade magazines are excellent sources of industry insights, trends, competitive analysis, and other valuable information that can help marketers understand the market without needing to gather that data firsthand.

In contrast, conducting an original survey represents primary data collection, where the researcher is directly gathering data for their specific purpose. Analyzing customer feedback also involves primary data since it includes information sourced from customers directly about their experience or opinions. Observing competitor advertising is a form of primary research, focusing on current market practices by gathering real-time data from the competitors. Hence, reading a trade magazine stands out as a clear case of leveraging existing, published information, fitting the criteria of secondary data acquisition.