This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone but it bears reminding. Never blindly trust market data regardless of whom it comes from. I remember all the years of reading business plans and seeing market data referenced. So and so market is so large and so forth. Such and such is booming right now. Useful at times but usually bullshit. At best, it was skewed only slightly but most likely totally off. Relevant to you is the fact that the provider of the data doesn't give a shit about your performance. It is there for the publisher's benefit. The only person who can truly source market information is you yourself. Search out the reports but always do a gut check. If it sounds too good, it probably is. Conversely, if it sounds really bad, it usually isn't.
The reason the topic of this blog post comes to mind is because I recently read a market report by a company where I have inside info. I know exactly why this market information appeared as such and why the specific timing. It has nothing to do with the actual market. There is a back story to why this company is presenting this information at the moment and a ton of people are reading it. Most importantly, it is completely in their own interest and has nothing to do with providing information. You could actually argue that it is disinformation. It fits their strategy and is a self-fulfilling prophecy if people follow their guidance.
We all inherently know not to blindly trust information. The internet has made this even worse and I am shocked at how often people follow guidance simply because they read it on the internet. This is the case regarding not just market information but basically any information online. Think twice what getting this stuff wrong can do to your business.
In a best case scenario you have the time and resources to do your own research. If not, consult multiple sources and never depend on just one. Even if resources and time are limited, do some research nevertheless. You may be worse off simply reading one report verses completely skipping any research. You can always dig around easily to paint your own picture. Further, it's pretty easy nowadays to find people who understand markets. Call them and ask them what their opinion is. Again, speak to more than one person. A couple conversations really don't take that much time and it's indirectly an opportunity to network on the side.