Basic concepts of 1. consumer research

Consumer research (Consumer Research) refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer-related data and information to understand consumer characteristics, needs, preferences, behavior and satisfaction, so as to provide a basis for marketing decisions. Consumer research is the core part of marketing, it can help enterprises:

Identify and segment target markets and target consumers

Design and develop consumer-friendly products and services

Develop and implement effective pricing, promotion and distribution strategies

Evaluate and improve marketing effectiveness and efficiency

Anticipate and respond to market changes and competition

Consumer research is aimed at consumers, I .e. those individuals or organizations that purchase or use products and services. Consumers can be divided into final consumers (Final Consumer) and intermediate consumers (Intermediate Consumer). End consumers are individuals or families who purchase or use products and services to meet their own needs and desires, such as mobile phones, clothing, food, etc. An intermediate consumer is an organization that purchases or uses products and services for the production or sale of other products and services, such as the purchase of raw materials, equipment, office supplies, etc.

The content of consumer research is consumer-related data and information, mainly including:

Characteristics of consumers, such as age, gender, income, education, occupation, region, culture, lifestyle, etc.

Consumer needs, that is, the motivation and purpose of consumers to purchase or use products and services, such as function, quality, price, convenience, safety, aesthetics, emotion, society, self-realization, etc.

Consumer preferences, I .e. consumer preferences and choices for different products and services, such as brands, styles, colors, tastes, packaging, services, etc.

Consumer behavior, that is, the actual behavior of consumers in the process of purchasing or using products and services, such as purchase frequency, purchase volume, purchase channel, purchase timing, purchase scenario, purchase method, use method, use effect, use feedback, etc.

Consumer satisfaction, that is, consumers' evaluation and feelings about the results of purchasing or using products and services, such as satisfaction, dissatisfaction, loyalty, complaint, recommend, conversion, etc.

Consumer research methods are techniques and tools for collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer-related data and information, including:

The data source of consumer research, that is, the channels and methods for obtaining consumer-related data and information, such as internal data, external data, first-hand data, second-hand data, etc.

The data type of consumer research, I .e. the form and characteristics of consumer-related data and information, such as qualitative data, quantitative data, subjective data, objective data, descriptive data, causal data, etc.

The data collection method of consumer research, that is, the technology and tools to obtain the data type of consumer research from the data source of consumer research, such as observation, experiment, investigation, interview, focus group, case analysis, literature analysis, content analysis, network analysis, etc.

Data analysis methods for consumer research, I .e. techniques and tools for processing and summarizing the types of data collected for consumer research, such as statistical analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis, discrimination analysis, regression analysis, correlation analysis, covariance analysis, variance analysis, hypothesis testing, structural equation modeling, etc.

The data interpretation method of consumer research, that is, the technology and tools for interpreting and inferring the data types of consumer research obtained by the analysis, such as logical reasoning, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, analogy reasoning, hypothesis reasoning, heuristic reasoning, system dynamics, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, risk analysis, etc.

The steps of consumer research are the process of conducting consumer research according to a certain logic and sequence, which generally includes the following five steps:

The first step is to determine the purpose of consumer research, I .e. to clarify the background, questions, objectives and scope of consumer research, for example to understand consumer needs and preferences in a certain market in order to develop new products or improve existing products.

The second step is to design a consumer research plan, that is, according to the purpose of consumer research, choose the appropriate consumer research method, formulate a detailed consumer research plan and budget, such as choosing to use the survey method and experimental method, formulate the questionnaire and experimental design, determine the sample size and sampling method, arrange the time and personnel for data collection and analysis, and estimate the cost and benefit of consumer research.

The third step is to implement the consumer research plan, that is, according to the consumer research plan, actually collect and analyze the data of consumer research, for example, send questionnaires and experiments to the target consumers by telephone, email, network, face-to-face, collect consumers' answers and reactions, and use statistical software and analysis models to clean, sort out, describe, infer and test the collected data.

The fourth step is to report the results of consumer research, that is, according to the purpose of consumer research, summarize, summarize and display the results of consumer research data analysis in the form of text, charts, tables, etc., such as writing consumer research reports, including the purpose, plan, process, results,Conclusionand recommendations, using bar charts, pie charts, scatter charts, line charts, etc., to show indicators and relationships such as consumer characteristics, needs, preferences, behavior, and satisfaction.

The fifth step is to apply the results of consumer research, that is, according to the report of consumer research, the consumer research.Conclusionand recommendations that translate into marketing decisions and actions, such as developing new products or improving existing products based on consumer needs and preferences, formulating pricing, promotion and distribution strategies based on consumer behavior and satisfaction, and evaluating and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing based on consumer feedback and evaluation.

Practical Cases of 2. Consumer Research

In order to better understand and master the practical methods of consumer research, we take Shangpu Consulting as an example to introduce some actual projects and processes of consumer research. Shangpu Consulting Company is a professional marketing consulting company, providing consumer research, market analysis, market strategy, brand management and other services for customers in all walks of life. Here are some examples of consumer research by Champ Consulting:

Case 1: Research on consumer needs and preferences for a fast-food company.

A FMCI company is a company that produces and sells personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel, and hair conditioner. It wants to understand the needs and preferences of consumers in the Chinese market for its products in order to develop new products or improve existing products. The company commissioned the Shangpu consulting company to conduct consumer research, Shangpu consulting company according to the following steps:

The first step is to determine the purpose of consumer research, that is, to understand the needs and preferences of consumers in the Chinese market for personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel, and hair conditioner, including functions, quality, price, packaging, fragrance, ingredients, etc.

The second step, the design of consumer research program, that is, the choice of the use of survey and interview methods, the development of questionnaires and interview guidelines, to determine the sample of 1000 urban consumers, the use of stratified random sampling method, the arrangement of data collection and analysis of the time for one month, estimated the cost of consumer research is 100000 yuan.

The third step, the implementation of consumer research program, that is, through the network and telephone, to the target consumers to send questionnaires and interviews, collect consumer answers and opinions, the use of SPSS software and factor analysis, cluster analysis, discrimination analysis, etc., to clean, organize, describe, infer and test the collected data.

The fourth step is to report the results of consumer research, that is, to prepare a report on consumer research, including the purpose, program, process, results,Conclusionand recommendations, using bar charts, pie charts, scatter charts, line charts, etc., to show indicators and relationships of consumer needs and preferences, such:

There are four main aspects of consumer demand for personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel and conditioner, which are cleaning, moisturizing, repairing and protecting. Among them, cleaning and moisturizing are the basic needs, and repairing and protecting are the value-added needs.

There are four main aspects of consumer preferences for personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel and conditioner, namely quality, price, packaging and fragrance, of which quality and price are the core preferences and packaging and fragrance are additional preferences.

Consumers' demand and preference for personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel and hair conditioner can be divided into four types, which are high-end type, economical type, fashionable type and natural type. Among them, high-end consumers pay attention to repair and protection function, prefer high quality and high price products, economical consumers pay attention to cleaning and moisturizing function, prefer low quality and low price products, fashionable consumers pay attention to packaging and fragrance, and prefer novel and personalized products, natural consumers pay attention to ingredients and safety, and prefer natural and healthy products

Consumers' needs and preferences for personal care products such as shampoo, shower gel, and hair conditioner have a certain relationship with their characteristics, such as age, gender, income, education, etc. Among them, young, female, high-income, and high-education consumers are more Tend to high-end and fashionable, while old, male, low-income, and low-education consumers prefer economical and natural

The fifth step is to apply the results of consumer research, that is, according to the report of consumer research, to provide the following suggestions for fast consumer goods companies:

According to consumer needs and preferences, develop or improve personal care products such as shampoos, body washes, conditioners, etc., such as adding repair and protection functions, improving quality and safety, improving packaging and fragrance, reducing costs and prices, etc.

According to the type of consumers, formulate different market strategies, such as for high-end consumers, adopt high-end positioning and high-price strategy, emphasize the function and quality of products, use professional and authoritative marketing communication, use high-end distribution channels, for economic consumers, adopt low-end positioning and low-price strategy, emphasize the cost performance and practicality of products, use simple and direct marketing communication, and use mass distribution channels, for fashion consumers, adopt fashion positioning and mid-price strategies, emphasize the novelty and individuality of products, use creative and perceptual marketing communication, use distribution channels of network and social media, for natural consumers, adopt natural positioning and mid-price strategies, emphasize the naturalness and health of products, use sincere and trusting marketing communication, and use green and organic distribution channels

According to the characteristics of consumers, divide the target market and target consumers, for example, for young, female, high-income, high-education consumers, focus on the development and promotion of high-end and fashionable products, for the elderly, men, low-income, low-education consumers, focus on the development and promotion of economic and natural products

Case 2: Research on consumer behavior and satisfaction for an e-commerce platform

An e-commerce platform is a company that provides online shopping, group buying, order sharing, seckill, coupons and other services. It wants to understand the behavior and satisfaction of consumers in the Chinese market on its platform, so as to formulate and implement effective market strategies. The company commissioned Shangpu Consulting to conduct consumer research, and Shangpu Consulting followed the following steps:

The first step is to determine the purpose of consumer research, that is, to understand the behavior and satisfaction of consumers in the Chinese market on e-commerce platforms, including purchase frequency, purchase volume, purchase channels, purchase timing, purchase scenarios, purchase methods, usage, Use effect, use feedback, etc.

The second step, the design of consumer research program, that is, the choice of the use of observation and experimental methods, the development of observation indicators and experimental design, to determine the sample of 10000 registered users, the use of stratified random sampling method, the arrangement of data collection and analysis of three months, estimated the cost of consumer research is 300000 yuan.

The third step, the implementation of consumer research program, that is, through the network and mobile phones, to the target users to send observation requests and experiments, collect user behavior and reactions, using Python software and regression analysis, correlation analysis, covariance analysis, etc., to clean, organize, describe, infer and test the collected data.

The fourth step is to report the results of consumer research, that is, to prepare a report on consumer research, including the purpose, program, process, results,Conclusionand recommendations, using bar charts, pie charts, scatter charts, line charts, etc., to show the user's behavior and satisfaction metrics and relationships, such:

There are four main aspects of users' behavior towards e-commerce platforms, namely, purchase, group purchase, order spelling and seconds killing. Among them, purchase is the most common behavior, group purchase and order spelling are newer behaviors, and seconds killing is less

There are four main aspects of user satisfaction with the e-commerce platform, namely product, price, service and experience. Among them, product and price are the most important satisfaction, and service and experience are the secondary satisfaction

There is a certain relationship between users' behavior and satisfaction on e-commerce platforms, for example, purchase behavior is positively correlated with product satisfaction, group purchase behavior is positively correlated with price satisfaction, order-sharing behavior is positively correlated with service satisfaction, and spike behavior is positively correlated with experience satisfaction.

Users' behavior and satisfaction with e-commerce platforms have a certain relationship with their characteristics, such as age, gender, income, education, etc. Among them, young, female, high-income, and high-education users are more likely to buy new things, such as group buying, single selling, and second killing. And stimulating behavior, while elderly, male, low-income, and low-education users are more likely to buy and other traditional and stable behaviors

The fifth step is to apply the results of consumer research, that is, according to the report of consumer research, to provide the following suggestions for the e-commerce platform:

According to the user's behavior, optimize or innovate the services of the e-commerce platform, such as increasing the convenience and security of purchase, improving the discount and participation of group purchase and order sharing, increasing the number and frequency of second kill, and enriching the types and quality of products

Improve or maintain the competitiveness of the e-commerce platform based on user satisfaction, such as reducing product costs and prices, improving service speed and quality, improving experience design and functionality, and increasing user loyalty and recommend.

According to the type of users, develop different market strategies, such as for young, female, high-income, high-education users, focusing on the promotion of new and exciting services such as group buying, single and second kill, for the elderly, male, low-income, low-education users, focusing on the promotion of traditional and stable services such as purchase.