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How a market research analyst / marketing specialist can use AI, task by task

O*NET 13-1161.00: Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsMedian pay $78,760/year (BLS, May 2025)13 tasksJob Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Research conditions in local, regional, national, or online markets. Gather information to determine potential sales of a product or service, or plan a marketing or advertising campaign. May gather information on competitors, prices, sales, and methods of marketing and distribution. May employ search marketing tactics, analyze web metrics, and develop recommendations to increase search engine ranking and visibility to target markets.

Your job title Type your own title and every prompt on this page updates to match. Also called: Business Development Specialist, Communications Consultant, Communications Specialist, Content Strategist, Market Analyst, Market Research Analyst, Market Research Consultant, Market Research Specialist, Market Researcher, Marketing Research Coordinator.

Where AI fits in this job

AI-ready 52%AI-assist 43%Stays human 5%

Share of the job's tasks, weighted by how important and how frequent each task is (O*NET ratings). 6 AI-ready, 6 AI-assist and 1 human-led tasks out of 13. This measures where AI can help, not whether the job will disappear.

Information & paperwork

Thinking & planning

People & communication

Leading & teaching

Hands-on & physical

Shape of the job: importance of each kind of work activity (O*NET, 1 to 5).

🗓 Start here on Monday

The most frequent, most important tasks where AI can help right away.

Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.Crunch the numbers · Weekly
Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.Explain it clearly · Monthly
Seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.Crunch the numbers · Monthly

💪 Lean into these

Core tasks that stay human. These skills get more valuable as the routine work gets automated.

Direct trained survey interviewers.Lead people · A few times a year

Skills to build & where you could move ↓

AI can draft these 6

AI produces a usable first pass. You review it, fix it and own it.

Collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.

Weekly

AI finds trends and writes the spreadsheet formulas.

📊 Real AI use (Anthropic Economic Index, Apr 2026 to May 2026): AI completed the task directly in 42% of those conversations; the rest were back-and-forth with the person.

Show prompt & steps

Paste a spreadsheet or table and ask AI to find trends, outliers and totals, or to write the formula you need. It's like having an analyst on call.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to collect and analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs, and buying habits to identify potential markets and factors affecting product demand.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Data: [sales, demographics]
Goal: [buying, product decisions]

Find trends and recommendations. Show your working step by step and give spreadsheet formulas so I can reproduce the numbers.

10-minute exercise: Consumer trend analysis

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you collect and analyze data on customer demographics (this week). Leave out names and identifying details.

Step 2Fill in [Data] and [Goal] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Recompute the most important number yourself before you trust the rest.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 3.9/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Analyze consumer trends..

Prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.

Monthly

AI turns complex material into plain-language handouts.

📊 Real AI use (Anthropic Economic Index, Apr 2026 to May 2026): AI completed the task directly in 61% of those conversations; the rest were back-and-forth with the person.

Show prompt & steps

AI is great at turning complicated material into plain-language guides, handouts, FAQs and how-tos for a specific audience. You check it's accurate.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to prepare reports of findings, illustrating data graphically and translating complex findings into written text.

Context: The work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Report: [evaluation, complaint investigation]
Findings: [paste notes]

Draft the report with summary, findings and recommendations. Use plain language, one everyday analogy, and the questions people are most likely to ask with short answers.

10-minute exercise: Research or investigation report

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you prepare reports of findings.

Step 2Fill in [Report] and [Findings] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Check every answer is right for your workplace before you share it.

Rules, prices and policies change. Make sure AI is working from your current official version.

Importance 4.1/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Prepare research reports..

Conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.

Monthly

AI finds trends and writes the spreadsheet formulas.

Show prompt & steps

Paste a spreadsheet or table and ask AI to find trends, outliers and totals, or to write the formula you need. It's like having an analyst on call.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to conduct research on consumer opinions and marketing strategies, collaborating with marketing professionals, statisticians, pollsters, and other professionals.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Data: [sales, demographics]
Goal: [buying, product decisions]

Find trends and recommendations. Show your working step by step and give spreadsheet formulas so I can reproduce the numbers.

10-minute exercise: Consumer trend analysis

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you conduct research on consumer opinions.

Step 2Fill in [Data] and [Goal] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Recompute the most important number yourself before you trust the rest.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 3.9/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Analyze consumer trends..

Monitor industry statistics and follow trends in trade literature.

Monthly

AI finds trends and writes the spreadsheet formulas.

Show prompt & steps

Paste a spreadsheet or table and ask AI to find trends, outliers and totals, or to write the formula you need. It's like having an analyst on call.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to monitor industry statistics and follow trends in trade literature.

Context: We use IBM SPSS Statistics and Tableau; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Industry: [describe]
Sources: [paste statistics or headlines]

Summarize trends and implications. Show your working step by step and give spreadsheet formulas so I can reproduce the numbers.

10-minute exercise: Industry trends summary

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you monitor industry statistics.

Step 2Fill in [Industry] and [Sources] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Recompute the most important number yourself before you trust the rest.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 3.5/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Analyze industry trends.. Also involves: Monitor business indicators..

Forecast and track marketing and sales trends, analyzing collected data.

Monthly

AI finds trends and writes the spreadsheet formulas.

📊 Real AI use (Anthropic Economic Index, Apr 2026 to May 2026): AI completed the task directly in 42% of those conversations; the rest were back-and-forth with the person.

Show prompt & steps

Paste a spreadsheet or table and ask AI to find trends, outliers and totals, or to write the formula you need. It's like having an analyst on call.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to forecast and track marketing and sales trends, analyzing collected data.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Market: [describe]
Data: [sales, competitors, prices]

Analyze trends and opportunities. Show your working step by step and give spreadsheet formulas so I can reproduce the numbers.

10-minute exercise: Market analysis

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you forecast and track marketing and sales trends.

Step 2Fill in [Market] and [Data] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Recompute the most important number yourself before you trust the rest.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 3.1/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Analyze market conditions or trends..

Develop and implement procedures for identifying advertising needs.

A few times a year

AI drafts the plan, schedule or checklist for you to adjust.

Show prompt & steps

Describe the goal, the people and the constraints, and AI drafts the plan, schedule or checklist. You adjust it to what you know about real life on the ground.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to develop and implement procedures for identifying advertising needs.

Context: We use Microsoft Project and SAP software; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Goal: [more donors, regulatory approval, market share]
Situation: [audience, competitors, constraints, budget]

Draft 3 strategy options with tactics, costs, risks and measures of success, then recommend one. Lay it out as a table with steps, owner, timing and what could go wrong, then list the decisions I still need to make.

10-minute exercise: Draft a strategy

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you develop and implement procedures for identifying advertising needs.

Step 2Fill in [Goal] and [Situation] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Pressure-test the recommended option with one colleague before adopting it.

AI doesn't know your people, your site or your history. Treat its plan as a starting point to react to.

Importance 2.9/5 · O*NET work activity: Develop business or market strategies..

AI can help you prep these 6

AI speeds up the prep, drafting or thinking. The core of the task is still yours.

Seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.

Monthly

AI does the arithmetic and suggests what to look at; the conclusions are yours.

Show prompt & steps

AI can do the arithmetic, build the spreadsheet formula and suggest what to look at. Deciding what the numbers mean for your situation is still you.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to seek and provide information to help companies determine their position in the marketplace.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
What I track: [projects, KPIs, deadlines]
Updates I have: [paste status notes or numbers]

Make a status table: item, target, actual, on track or not, and next action. Flag the 3 items most at risk and the questions to ask their owners.

10-minute exercise: Collect performance updates

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you seek and provide information to help companies determine their position.

Step 2List your measures in [What I track] and paste [Updates I have].

Step 3Send the at-risk questions to the owners and update the table when they reply.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 4.1/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Gather organizational performance information..

Gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution.

Monthly

AI does the arithmetic and suggests what to look at; the conclusions are yours.

📊 Real AI use (Anthropic Economic Index, Apr 2026 to May 2026): AI completed the task directly in 43% of those conversations; the rest were back-and-forth with the person.

Show prompt & steps

AI can do the arithmetic, build the spreadsheet formula and suggest what to look at. Deciding what the numbers mean for your situation is still you.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
What I track: [projects, KPIs, deadlines]
Updates I have: [paste status notes or numbers]

Make a status table: item, target, actual, on track or not, and next action. Flag the 3 items most at risk and the questions to ask their owners.

10-minute exercise: Collect performance updates

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you gather data on competitors and analyze their prices.

Step 2List your measures in [What I track] and paste [Updates I have].

Step 3Send the at-risk questions to the owners and update the table when they reply. Recompute every total yourself.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Double-check every number. AI can make arithmetic and rounding mistakes.

Importance 3.6/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Gather organizational performance information.. Also involves: Analyze market conditions or trends..

Devise and evaluate methods and procedures for collecting data, such as surveys, opinion polls, or questionnaires, or arrange to obtain existing data.

Monthly

AI drafts the structure and wording; the specifics and sign-off are yours.

Show prompt & steps

AI can draft the structure and standard wording. The specifics, the judgment calls and the sign-off are yours.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to devise and evaluate methods and procedures for collecting data, such as surveys, opinion polls, or questionnaires, or arrange to obtain existing data.

Context: We use Microsoft SharePoint and Adobe Acrobat.
Method needed: [tendering, satisfaction monitoring]
Context: [organization]

Draft the method with steps, tools and measures. Use plain language and headings where they help, and mark anything you had to guess with [CHECK].

10-minute exercise: Management method

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you devise and evaluate methods and procedures.

Step 2Fill in [Method needed] and [Context] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Check every fact, name and number against your source before it goes anywhere.

AI will happily make up numbers, names and dates. Every fact in the draft needs checking against your source.

Importance 3.9/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Establish business management methods..

Measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction.

A few times a year

AI gets you up to speed; confirm findings with records or people.

Show prompt & steps

AI can get you up to speed fast and suggest where to look, but you need to confirm findings against real sources, records or people.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction.

Context: We use SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Purpose: [what we want to learn]
Who we'll ask: [group, size]

Draft 10 neutral survey questions with answer scales, explain how to avoid bias, and suggest how to analyze the results.

10-minute exercise: Design an internal survey

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you measure and assess customer and employee satisfaction. Leave out names and identifying details.

Step 2Fill in [Purpose] and [Who we'll ask] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Pilot the questions with two colleagues and fix anything confusing.

AI can invent sources and citations. Open every link and confirm it says what the AI claims.

Importance 3.6/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Conduct surveys in organizations..

Measure the effectiveness of marketing, advertising, and communications programs and strategies.

A few times a year

AI does the arithmetic and suggests what to look at; the conclusions are yours.

Show prompt & steps

AI can do the arithmetic, build the spreadsheet formula and suggest what to look at. Deciding what the numbers mean for your situation is still you.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to measure the effectiveness of marketing, advertising, and communications programs and strategies.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Strategy: [communications plan, campaign, proposal]
Metrics: [paste reach, engagement, costs, outcomes]

Measure results against goals, identify what drove them, and recommend keep/change/stop for each tactic. Show your working step by step and give spreadsheet formulas so I can reproduce the numbers.

10-minute exercise: Strategy results check

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you measure the effectiveness of marketing.

Step 2Fill in [Strategy] and [Metrics] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Verify the top driver it names against the raw numbers.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Importance 3.4/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Measure effectiveness of business strategies or practices..

Attend staff conferences to provide management with information and proposals concerning the promotion, distribution, design, and pricing of company products or services.

A few times a year

AI drafts clear messages and talking points.

Show prompt & steps

AI can draft updates, emails and talking points so your message is clear and complete. Relationships and real-time calls are yours.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to attend staff conferences to provide management with information and proposals concerning the promotion, distribution, design, and pricing of company products or services.

Context: We use Zoom.
Topic: [budget, policy, purchases]
My view: [describe]

Draft talking points and data to bring. Keep it under 150 words with a clear ask, plus a 2-sentence version for chat.

10-minute exercise: Discuss with management

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you attend staff conferences.

Step 2Fill in [Topic] and [My view] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Edit it until it sounds like you, then send it yourself.

Never let AI send messages for you. Read every word, because tone mistakes cost trust.

Importance 3.5/5 · O*NET work activity: Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers..

These stay human 1

They need your hands, your presence or your accountable judgment. Lean into them: they get more valuable as routine work is automated.

📏 Measured in this job (O*NET work context): Contact with others: contact with others most of the time · Impact of decisions: important results · Face-to-face discussions: once a week or more but not every day

Direct trained survey interviewers.

A few times a year

Leading people runs on trust. AI can prep the paperwork around it.

Show prep prompt & steps

Where AI still helps: AI can prep the paperwork around leading: meeting agendas, feedback drafts, rotas, briefings and difficult-conversation rehearsals.

Prep prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to direct trained survey interviewers.

Context: The work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
Team: [describe]
Issue or goal: [performance, change, priority]

Help me prepare: the key message in 2 sentences, what good looks like, how people might react and how I'll respond, and one thing I'll check next week.

10-minute exercise: Supervising employees

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you direct trained survey interviewers.

Step 2Fill in [Team] and [Issue or goal] with the real details, then run the prompt.

Step 3Follow through on what you said you'd check.

Importance 3.4/5 · core task · O*NET work activity: Supervise employees..

Get the full prompt pack for Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Every task, prompt and 10-minute exercise on this page in one PDF, formatted to print or keep on your desktop. Free.

Your next moves

Skills to build

From O*NET's ratings of how important each skill is in this job, matched to which part of the work it supports.

Stays human Deepen these

They power the human-led work, which is the part of the job AI can't take over.

Active Learningimportance 3.8/5
Used in: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Used in: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Persuasionimportance 3.1/5
Used in: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Used in: Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

With AI Use these to work with AI

When AI does the first draft, these are the skills you use to brief it and check what comes back.

Critical Thinkingimportance 4.0/5
Used in: Analyzing Data or Information
Reading Comprehensionimportance 4.0/5
Used in: Analyzing Data or Information
Active Listeningimportance 4.0/5
Used in: Getting Information
Writingimportance 4.0/5
Used in: Documenting/Recording Information

Where you could move

Related jobs from O*NET with the closest skill profile, favouring ones where more of the work stays human. No step down in preparation.

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Skills to build: Mathematics
Insurance Underwriters36% human-led · Same preparation · $81,370/yr · usually bachelor's degree
Your skills already line up
Personal Financial Advisors18% human-led · Same preparation · $105,070/yr · usually bachelor's degree
Skills to build: Service Orientation, Mathematics, Social Perceptiveness
Public Relations Managers33% human-led · Same preparation · $146,910/yr
Skills to build: Social Perceptiveness, Persuasion, Coordination

New tasks appearing in this job

O*NET has started tracking 1 new or updated task here: 0 AI-ready, 1 AI-assist, 0 stays human. They have no worker ratings yet, so they aren't counted in the bar above.

Gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, market share, and method of marketing and distribution.

New in O*NET

AI does the arithmetic and suggests what to look at; the conclusions are yours.

Show prompt & steps

AI can do the arithmetic, build the spreadsheet formula and suggest what to look at. Deciding what the numbers mean for your situation is still you.

Ready-to-use prompt

I work as a market research analyst / marketing specialist. Part of my job is to gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, market share, and method of marketing and distribution.

Context: We use Tableau and SAS; the work draws on sales and marketing, administration and management and customer and personal service.
What I track: [projects, KPIs, deadlines]
Updates I have: [paste status notes or numbers]

Make a status table: item, target, actual, on track or not, and next action. Flag the 3 items most at risk and the questions to ask their owners.

10-minute exercise: Collect performance updates

Step 1Pick a real example: the next time you gather data on competitors and analyze their prices.

Step 2List your measures in [What I track] and paste [Updates I have].

Step 3Send the at-risk questions to the owners and update the table when they reply. Recompute every total yourself.

AI makes arithmetic mistakes. Recompute anything that matters with a spreadsheet formula.

Double-check every number. AI can make arithmetic and rounding mistakes.

Updated O*NET task (08/2026), replacing: “Gather data on competitors and analyze their prices, sales, and method of marketing and distribution.”. O*NET work activity: Gather organizational performance information.. Also involves: Analyze market conditions or trends..

Getting into this job

O*NET has not surveyed education and training for this occupation yet.

Software in this job

In-demand tools from O*NET. Many now have AI built in, so check what yours can do before adding a new tool.

Adobe AcrobatAdobe After EffectsAdobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopAmazon RedshiftApache HadoopApache HiveApple macOSAsanaCanva