Enterprise research is a market research method that aims to understand the relevant information of benchmarking enterprises, such as product characteristics, service quality, price strategy, market share, customer satisfaction, brand image, marketing channels, innovation ability, etc. The purpose of enterprise research is to develop effective marketing strategies and differentiation advantages to enhance their market competitiveness.

The importance of corporate research is self-evident. In a market economy, companies must not only understand their products and customers, but also understand their benchmark companies. Only by fully understanding the situation of benchmarking enterprises can we find out their own advantages and disadvantages, maximize their strengths and avoid weaknesses, seize opportunities, avoid risks, formulate reasonable goals and strategies, and improve market share and profit margins. Enterprise research also helps enterprises to find new trends and new needs in the market, promote innovation and improvement of enterprises, and enhance their core competitiveness.

The main methods of enterprise research are as follows:

Documentation: access to basic information and data on benchmarking companies by consulting publicly available literature, such as industry reports, news reports, official websites, annual reports, prospectors, etc;

Observation method: through direct or indirect observation of benchmarking enterprise products, services, channels, marketing activities, etc., to understand its characteristics and performance;

Research method: through research or questionnaire survey with relevant personnel of benchmarking enterprises, such as employees, customers, suppliers, partners, etc., to obtain their internal situation and external evaluation;

Trial method: to evaluate the quality and performance of the products or services of benchmarking enterprises by themselves or by entrusting third-party organizations to try or test them;

Simulation: By constructing a model or scenario of a benchmarking enterprise, simulating its possible behavior and reactions, and predicting its future trends and impacts.

There are many examples of enterprise research, here are a few typical examples:

Take Coca-Cola as an example. Coca-Cola's benchmark companies not only have similar products such as Pepsi, but also all the water that can be drunk into consumers' stomachs, such as mineral water, juice, tea, coffee, etc. Through continuous corporate research, Coca-Cola understands the market demand, consumer preferences, price sensitivity, channel distribution, brand image, etc. of various beverages, and has formulated different market segmentation and product positioning strategies, such as launching low-sugar, sugar-free, zero A series of products such as degree and fiber meet the needs and tastes of different consumers, and increase market share and brand loyalty.

Take Xiaomi as an example. Xiaomi's benchmark companies include Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Glory, oppo, vivo, etc., covering the high-end, mid-end and low-end smartphone markets. Through enterprise research, Xiaomi has learned about the product performance, function, design, price, sales volume, word-of-mouth and innovation ability of various brands, and formulated the core competitive strategy of "cost-effectiveness" and "Internet thinking". That is, through efficient supply chain management and low-cost marketing, to provide high-performance and low-price products, at the same time, through social media, online channels, fan management and other ways, create a strong brand influence and user stickiness.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example. Shangpu Consulting is a well-known independent third-party research and investment and financing consulting institution in China, dedicated to providing professional solutions for corporate strategic decision-making. The benchmark companies of Shangpu Consulting include Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, McKinsey, Boston Consulting and other internationally renowned consulting companies, as well as domestic well-known consulting companies such as Analysys, iResearch, Sadie, and Zhongyikang. Through enterprise research, Shangpu Consulting has learned about the service scope, professional fields, customer groups, charging standards, service quality, brand reputation, etc. of various consulting companies, and formulated "data-driven, intelligent, real-time, multi-dimensional, and personalized" Benchmarking enterprise analysis services, that is, through big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technical means, provide customers with comprehensive, accurate, timely and continuous benchmarking enterprise analysis reports to help customers grasp market opportunities, respond to market challenges and enhance market competitiveness.

There are also many challenges in enterprise research, mainly the following:

Difficulty in obtaining data: the information of benchmarking enterprises is often confidential and not easy to obtain from open channels. It needs to be collected and verified in various ways, which is time-consuming and labor-consuming;

The difficulty of data analysis: the information of benchmarking enterprises is often complex and needs to be analyzed from multiple angles and dimensions, and professional methods and tools need to be used to extract valuable conclusions and suggestions;

Difficulty in the application of data: the information of benchmarking enterprises is often changing, needs to be constantly updated and tracked, needs to translate the analysis results into practical actions and strategies, needs to communicate and coordinate with customers, and provide effective support and services.

The cutting-edge trends in business research are the following:

Data-driven: Enterprise research increasingly relies on the collection, processing, analysis and display of big data, using a variety of data sources and data tools to improve the quality and efficiency of data, and provide insight and value of data;

Intelligent: Enterprise research is increasingly using artificial intelligence technology and applications, such as ML, natural language processing, image recognition, speech recognition, etc., to improve the intelligence and flexibility of data, and provide data prediction and recommendation;

Real-time: Enterprise research is paying more and more attention to the timeliness and dynamics of data, using cloud computing, Internet of Things, blockchain and other technologies to provide real-time update and synchronization of data, and provide data monitoring and alarm;

Multi-dimensional: Enterprise research is increasingly considering the diversity and complexity of data, using multi-source data, multimedia data, multi-level data, etc., to provide comprehensive and in-depth data, to provide data comparison and correlation;

Personalization: Enterprise research increasingly meets the customization and differentiation of data, using user portraits, user behavior, user feedback, etc., to provide data personality and adaptation, and to provide data optimization and improvement.

Shangpu Consulting Company is a consulting company specializing in enterprise research. It has many years of industry experience and professional team to provide customers with a full range of benchmarking enterprise analysis services, including:

Identification of benchmarking enterprises: through market research and expert research, determine the main benchmarking enterprises and potential benchmarking enterprises of customers, and establish benchmarking enterprise database and files;

Benchmarking enterprise evaluation: through the literature method, observation method, research method, trial method, simulation method, etc., collect and analyze the information and data of benchmarking enterprises, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of benchmarking enterprises, and formulate the evaluation report of benchmarking enterprises;

Benchmarking enterprise monitoring: through data-driven, intelligent, real-time, multi-dimensional, personalized and other technical means, continuously track and update the dynamics and changes of benchmarking enterprises, monitor the behavior and reaction of benchmarking enterprises, and formulate benchmarking enterprise monitoring reports;

Benchmarking enterprise strategy: according to the results of benchmarking enterprise evaluation and monitoring, combined with the objectives and needs of customers, formulate targeted benchmarking enterprise coping strategies and suggestions, and provide benchmarking enterprise strategy reports.