Last Updated: November 3, 2020

When companies release a new product, people are bound to be talking about it. If that product is controversial, amazing, or newsworthy in any way, the media will grab on to it and report on its positive – and negative – aspects.

Media research analysts examine just what people are saying about a product or service, measuring the buzz and reporting back to other marketing experts with their findings. This helps marketing professionals to create new advertising and media outreach campaigns based on research-backed data they know they can trust.

What do they do?

Location and Opportunity

According to Indeed.com, several locations in most in need of media research analysts, including:

  • New York, NY
  • Washington, DC
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Boston, MA

Media research analysts use research tools to measure how much publicity a new product or service is getting. They collect and evaluate information based on blog postings, news reports, television ratings, radio reports, or any other form of media consumed on a daily basis by potential customers.

This allows the analyst to determine how frequently a product is mentioned, and whether or not that product is displayed positively or not. Then, the analyst crafts reports that inform marketing managers about the best ways to approach media publicity, such as creating additional press releases or buying more advertising space.

As they build their media reports, media research analysts work with a variety of other marketing professionals, including:

Qualifications

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  1. Grand Canyon University (GCU)

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Most media research analysts have gained years of experience crunching through media numbers and making sense of television ratings or media buzz levels. Usually, these individuals have worked for several years in media analyzation positions before focusing heavily on research.

Before entering the field, media research analysts earn bachelor’s degrees in statistics or marketing. Some companies prefer research analysts to earn master’s degrees, which gives them additional skills in research analysis.

Become a Media Research Analyst

Media research analysts typically earn between $30,000 and $45,000 a year, with excellent opportunity for career advancement. After several years working as a research analysts, many go on to become media coordinators or directors.

As companies continue to evaluate the media impact of their products, they’ll demand more media research analysts.

If you’re interested in learning more about researching the effects of media on sales, contact schools offering degrees in marketing.