Preface

About this book

This book is a companion resource for MKT 4320: Marketing Analytics at Bowling Green State University.

Its purpose is to help you use R effectively for applied marketing analytics, not to provide a comprehensive or theoretical treatment of the R language. The focus is on learning how to run analyses, interpret results, and apply methods to real marketing problems.

This book is intentionally practical and course-driven. Chapters are designed to support lab assignments, projects, and examples used throughout the semester.

What this book is (and is not)

This book is:

  • A guided introduction to R and RStudio for marketing analytics
  • A reference for the types of analyses used in MKT 4320
  • A practical companion to lab assignments and course projects

This book is not:

  • A complete R programming textbook
  • A reference for every possible R function or package
  • A substitute for reading lab instructions carefully

You are not expected to memorize R syntax. You are expected to run code, modify examples, interpret output, and explain results.

The MKT4320BGSU package

Many examples in this book rely on the MKT4320BGSU R package.

This package contains:

  • Custom functions used in the course
  • Datasets for labs and demonstrations
  • Tools designed specifically for teaching marketing analytics

Because the package is actively maintained, this book may be updated over time to reflect changes in functions, workflows, or best practices.

How to use this book

Most weeks, you will use this book alongside a lab assignment. A typical workflow looks like this:

  1. Read the relevant sections of the book
  2. Open the corresponding lab file
  3. Run the example code
  4. Modify the code to answer lab questions
  5. Interpret results and write conclusions

Code examples are meant to be run. Errors are normal and are part of the learning process.

A note on updates

This book is a living document. Content may be revised, expanded, or clarified as the course progresses or as the supporting R package evolves.

When updates occur, they are intended to improve clarity, consistency, or alignment with course objectives.

Acknowledgments

Portions of this material are adapted from a variety of sources, including R documentation, textbooks, online tutorials, and teaching materials developed over time. Where appropriate, sources are noted within individual chapters.

What’s next

The first chapter covers Setup, including how to install and configure R, RStudio, and the required packages for the course.

From there, the book moves into core R fundamentals and then into the specific analytical methods used in marketing analytics.