Marketing Research and Insight Glossary

Definitions, common uses and explanations of 1,500+ key market research terms and phrases.

What is a Listed Sample?

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Listed Sample Definition

A sample which contains only directory-listed telephone households.

A listed sample in marketing research is a sample of potential respondents drawn from an existing, precompiled list, such as customer databases, membership rosters, subscriber lists or purchased contact lists from reputable sources.

What are key characteristics of listed sample in marketing research?             

  • Derived from existing, identifiable lists of individuals or organizations.
  • May include detailed demographic or behavioral information.
  • Often targeted to a specific audience or segment.
  • Can be proprietary (internal database) or acquired from third-party vendors.
  • May require updating to ensure accuracy and relevance.
  • Enables precise targeting for research objectives.

Why is listed sample important in market research?     

Listed samples are important because they provide a targeted, efficient way to reach the desired population, improving response rates, reducing screening time and ensuring relevance to the research objectives.

Who relies on listed sample in marketing research?      

Market researchers, survey firms, direct marketers, political pollsters, brand managers and customer insights teams rely on listed samples for targeted outreach and data collection.

How do market researchers use listed sample?

Market researchers use listed samples to recruit respondents who meet specific criteria, conduct surveys with relevant audiences and perform targeted studies. They also validate and clean these lists to improve accuracy, reduce bias and ensure that research findings are representative of the intended population.