Enterprise research is a kind of market research method, which aims to understand the products, services, positioning, advantages, disadvantages, strategies and other information of benchmarking enterprises, so as to formulate effective marketing strategies and differentiation advantages. The importance of enterprise research is self-evident, whether in market entry, market expansion, market maintenance, market exit and other different stages, it is necessary to fully understand and analyze the benchmark enterprises in order to grasp market opportunities, avoid market risks and improve market competitiveness.

However, as the market environment changes, corporate research is also facing new trends and challenges. In this article, we will analyze the trend of enterprise research from the following four aspects, and the impact on the methods and strategies of enterprise research.

Expanding the scope of benchmarking enterprises

The scope of benchmarking enterprises refers to other enterprises or organizations that compete with enterprises in the same market. Traditional enterprise research tends to focus only on direct benchmarking enterprises, that is, enterprises that provide the same or similar products or services. However, with the diversification, segmentation, globalization and digitization of the market, the scope of benchmarking enterprises continues to expand, including not only direct benchmarking enterprises, but also the following types of benchmarking enterprises:

Potential benchmarking companies: companies or organizations that are likely to enter the market, such as emerging startups, multinational giants, government agencies, etc. Potential benchmarking enterprises may bring new technologies, new models and new resources to the market, thus changing the pattern and rules of the market.

Substitute benchmarking enterprises: refers to enterprises or organizations that provide different products or services that meet the same or similar needs, such as different product forms, different service methods, different consumption scenarios, etc. Substitute benchmarking companies may bring new value propositions, new consumption habits, and new consumer groups to the market, thereby affecting market demand and preferences.

Cross-border benchmarking enterprises: enterprises or organizations that enter the market from different industries or fields, such as cross-border platform companies, cross-border social organizations, cross-border individuals, etc. Cross-border benchmarking companies may bring new perspectives, new ideas, and new cooperation to the market, thereby creating market diversity and prosperity.

Indirect benchmarking enterprises: other institutions that provide some or related services, such as accounting firms, law firms, investment banks, securities firms, rating agencies, research institutions, etc., which may form a competitive or cooperative relationship with Shangpu Consulting in certain fields or projects.

Potential benchmarking enterprises: other institutions that have not yet entered the market but have the ability and willingness to enter the market, such as technology companies, media companies, educational institutions, government agencies, etc., may provide similar or alternative services to Shangpu Consulting through technological innovation, platform integration, content output, policy support, etc.

Substitute benchmarking companies: other products or services that can meet the same or similar needs of customers, such as independent research, internal consulting, network resources, open courses, etc., they may influence the customer's demand and choice of Shangpu consulting services through price advantages, convenience, reliability and other factors.

Supplementary Benchmarking Enterprises: Other products or services that can enhance or enhance the customer's demand or value for Shangpu Consulting's services, such as data analysis, software development, project management, training and education, etc., which may affect the customer's satisfaction and loyalty to Shangpu Consulting's services through cooperation or competition.

Shangpu Consulting needs to formulate corresponding coping strategies according to the characteristics and influence of different types of benchmarking enterprises, as follows:

Type characteristics affect coping strategies

Other consulting agencies that provide the same or similar services to direct benchmarking enterprises have the greatest impact on market share, profit margin, brand image, etc. Resist strategies: maintain or enhance their competitive advantage and market position by improving service quality, reducing service costs, increasing service innovation, and strengthening service differentiation.

Indirect benchmarking enterprises provide part or other institutions of related services have a greater impact on the competition or cooperation in certain fields or projects Cooperation strategy: through the establishment of strategic alliances, joint ventures and cooperation, distribution agents, etc., to achieve the sharing of resources and complementary advantages, expand the scope of services and market coverage.

Potential benchmarking enterprises have not yet entered the market, but other institutions that have the ability and willingness to enter the market have a greater impact on the potential threats or opportunities in the market. avoidance strategies: reduce the entry motivation and ability of potential benchmarking enterprises by raising the market access threshold, building customer loyalty, maintaining government relations, etc.

Other products or services that can meet the same or similar needs of customers have a greater impact on customer needs and choices. Transcendence strategy: by providing higher added value, better experience, stronger protection, etc., to enhance customers' preference and dependence on their own services.

Other products or services that can enhance or improve customers' demand or value for their own services have a greater impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Cooperation strategy: by integrating or recommending products or services of the supplement benchmarking enterprise, improve customers' demand or value for their own services and increase customers' satisfaction and loyalty.

Increased information on benchmarking companies

With the development of technologies such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, the information of benchmarking companies has become richer and more transparent, and can be obtained through multiple channels and platforms. For example, enterprises can learn about the product characteristics, service quality, price strategy, market share, customer satisfaction, brand image, marketing channels, innovation ability, etc. of benchmarking enterprises through their official websites, social media, e-commerce platforms, third-party data platforms, professional media, etc. Therefore, enterprises need to improve the ability to collect and analyze information of benchmarking enterprises, and use various tools and methods to extract valuable information and insights.

In order to cope with the increase of benchmarking enterprise information, enterprises can take the following measures:

Establish a systematic benchmarking enterprise information base, including basic information, historical information, current information, future information, etc., as well as related data, documents, reports, etc., to be updated and maintained regularly.

Use various tools and methods, such as web crawler, text mining, sentiment analysis, data visualization, ML, etc., to collect, clean, organize, analyze, and present benchmarking enterprise information to extract valuable information and insights.

Establish an effective benchmarking enterprise information sharing and application mechanism, and deliver benchmarking enterprise information and insights to relevant decision makers and executives in a timely manner to provide support and guidance for the formulation and implementation of marketing strategies.

In the case of Champ Consulting, for example, it can obtain and analyze benchmarking enterprise information in the following ways:

The web crawler regularly captures the official website, social media, and e-commerce platforms of benchmarking enterprises to obtain product introductions, service cases, customer evaluations, price information, and activity information of benchmarking enterprises.

通过文本挖掘，对标杆企业的文本信息进行分词、词性标注、KeywordsExtraction, theme model, sentiment analysis, etc., to extract the product characteristics, service quality, customer satisfaction, brand image, market positioning, etc.

Through data visualization, the data information of benchmarking enterprises is displayed in charts, maps, dashboards, etc., showing the market share, price strategy, marketing channels, innovation ability, etc. of benchmarking enterprises.

通过机器学习，对标杆企业的信息进行聚类、分类、回归、关联、预测等，发现标杆企业的规律、模式、趋势、影响因素等。

Through the benchmarking enterprise information database, the benchmarking enterprise information and insight storage, management, update, retrieval, sharing, etc., for the relevant decision makers and executives to provide benchmarking enterprise information query and application services.

The behavior of benchmarking enterprises becomes faster

With the intensification of market competition and changes in customer needs, the behavior of benchmarking companies has become more rapid and flexible, and they can quickly adjust their products, services, positioning, advantages, disadvantages, and strategies to adapt to market changes and seize market opportunities. For example, benchmarking companies can improve the quality and performance of their products through rapid iteration, customization, differentiation, and diversification to meet the personalized and diversified needs of customers. Therefore, companies need to strengthen the monitoring and forecasting capabilities of benchmarking companies, discover the changes and impacts of benchmarking companies in a timely manner, and make corresponding responses and adjustments.

为了应对标杆企业的行为变快，企业可以采取以下措施：

Establish an agile benchmarking enterprise behavior monitoring system, using a variety of signals and indicators, such as sales, evaluation, feedback, complaints, media reports, patent applications, etc., real-time monitoring of benchmarking enterprise behavior changes and trends.

Establish a scientific benchmarking enterprise behavior prediction model, using various methods and techniques, such as trend analysis, scenario analysis, simulation analysis, ML, etc., to predict the behavioral intentions and results of benchmarking enterprises, as well as their own impact and threats.

建立一个灵活的标杆企业行为应对机制，根据标杆企业的行为变化和预测，制定和执行相应的应对策略和行动，如跟随、领先、反制、规避等，以及相应的评估和反馈。

以尚普咨询公司为例，其可以通过以下方式监测、预测和应对标杆企业的行为变化：

通过销量、评价、反馈、投诉等数据，监测标杆企业的产品和服务的质量、性能、价格、满意度等变化，以及客户的需求和偏好的变化。

通过媒体报道、专利申请、招聘信息等数据，监测标杆企业的创新、投资、扩张等动向，以及市场的机会和风险的变化。

通过趋势分析、情景分析、模拟分析等方法，预测标杆企业的未来的产品和服务的特点、优势、劣势、策略等，以及对自身的影响和威胁。

Through strategies such as following, leading, countermeasures, and evasion, we can respond to changes in the behavior of benchmarking companies, such as improving the quality, performance, price, and satisfaction of their own products and services, or developing new products and services, or adjusting their own positioning, Strengths, weaknesses, strategies, etc., or looking for new markets or partners.

Increased cooperation of benchmarking enterprises

With the complexity and synergy of the market, benchmarking companies are no longer just a purely competitive relationship, but may have a cooperative relationship to achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages. For example, benchmarking companies can achieve product expansion, market expansion, technology exchange, and cost reduction through alliances, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, distribution, and agency. Therefore, enterprises need to recognize the possibility and potential of the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises, as well as the threats and opportunities of the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises to themselves, and how to use the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises or participate in the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises.

In order to cope with the increase in the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises, enterprises can take the following measures:

Establish a comprehensive benchmarking enterprise cooperation intelligence system to collect and analyze the cooperation information of benchmarking enterprises, such as the purpose, form, scope, content, effect, etc. of cooperation, as well as the impact and evaluation of cooperation.

Establish an in-depth benchmarking enterprise cooperation analysis model, using various methods and techniques, such as SWOT analysis, five-force analysis, value chain analysis, game theory, etc., to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of benchmarking enterprise cooperation, threats and opportunities, synergy and conflict, benefits and risks, as well as their own impact and challenges.

Establish a flexible benchmarking enterprise cooperation response mechanism, according to the analysis of benchmarking enterprise cooperation, formulate and implement corresponding coping strategies and actions, such as joining, withdrawing, hindering, promoting, imitating, innovating, etc., as well as corresponding evaluation and feedback.

In the case of Shangpu Consulting, it can collect, analyze and respond to the cooperation of benchmarking enterprises in the following ways:

Through the benchmarking enterprise's official website, social media, media reports, industry reports, etc., collect and analyze the cooperation information of benchmarking enterprises, such as the purpose, form, scope, content, effect, etc., as well as the impact and evaluation of cooperation.

Through SWOT analysis, five-force analysis, value chain analysis, game theory and other methods, analyze the strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities, synergies and conflicts, benefits and risks of benchmarking enterprises, as well as their own impact and challenges.

通过加入、退出、阻碍、促进、模仿、创新等策略，应对标杆企业的合作情况，如加入标杆企业的合作，以获取更多的资源和市场，或退出标杆企业的合作，以保持自身的独立和差异，或阻碍标杆企业的合作，以削弱标杆企业的优势和影响，或促进标杆企业的合作，以实现更大的协同和共赢，或模仿标杆企业的合作，以学习标杆企业的经验和技术，或创新标杆企业的合作，以提供更有价值和更有竞争力的服务。

Conclusion

企业研究是一种重要的市场研究方法，可以帮助企业了解标杆企业的信息和行为，制定有效的营销策略和差异化优势。随着市场环境的变化和技术的发展，企业研究也面临着新的趋势和挑战，如标杆企业的范围扩大、信息增多、行为变快、合作增多等。企业需要及时关注和应对这些变化，提高企业研究的能力和水平，以保持或提升自身的竞争优势和市场地位。