The marketing research industry in the UK is facing unprecedented competitive pressures. Many commentators argue that these pressures are forcing a polarisation of the industry with a sector that strictly focus upon competences in gathering and analysing data, and one that focuses upon adding value to data by creating strategic marketing intelligence. In response to these developments, the University of Southampton has developed an MSc in Marketing Analytics (which received 152 applicants in its first year and selected 21 students for its first cohort). This paper will set out the University of Southampton’s perspective of Marketing Analytics and how it aims to integrate research skills, software training and management expertise. It will argue that Marketing Analytics goes beyond pure quantitative measures of marketing performance to incorporate qualitative marketing research and competitor intelligence. In the teaching of Qualitative Marketing Research and Data Analysis, XSight, the qualitative data analysis software from QSR will be used for the first time (at Southampton or indeed any University in Europe). The paper will reflect upon the experience of using this software with a very diverse set of international students that are predominantly numerate. Will the outcome mean ‘back to the  drawing board’ in defining the nature and scope of Marketing Analytics?