Final answer:
Marketing analytics assess current campaign performance by gathering information and analyzing it, often requiring surveys, observational data, and research to inform an analytical report. Such reports focus on specific analysis aspects and are supported by evidence from reliable sources.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marketing analytics enables a company to determine how their marketing initiatives are performing right now by answering questions such as "How are the current initiatives performing?" This involves the process of gathering information from current campaigns and analyzing it to understand the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Marketing managers might use various methods to collect data, including surveys of customer demographics, like the ages of electronics chain store customers, or observational data, such as a librarian tallying book checkouts by adults and children.
Surveys are a common technique for gathering information. For instance, surveying with a sample of randomly selected customers can yield insights about the consumer base for further analysis. Similarly, monitoring library checkouts by different age groups or conducting a poll after a political debate can provide valuable data for decision-making.
To write an analytical report, one must thoroughly research to support their findings. This research could include looking into existing information sources or conducting original research such as surveys or interviews. The analysis in such a report will focus on specific aspects like comparing, contrasting, or identifying causes and effects, rather than simply cataloging historical performance or listing competitors.