1. what is consumer research?

Consumer research (Consumer Research) refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer behavior, attitudes, needs, preferences, satisfaction and other information to help companies formulate or improve product and service strategies and decisions. Consumer research can help businesses:

-Understand the size, structure, trends and competition of the market;

-Identify the characteristics and needs of target markets and target consumers;

-Evaluate the quality, performance, price, availability, reliability, etc. of products and services;

-Test the effectiveness of the concept, design, packaging, advertising, promotion and other elements of products and services;

-Monitor sales, market share, brand awareness, brand image, customer loyalty and other indicators of products and services;

-Collect consumer feedback, suggestions, complaints, opinions, etc. to improve the quality and satisfaction of products and services;

-Anticipate changes in consumer behavior, needs, preferences, and satisfaction to adapt to changes in the market.

Types and Methods of 2. Consumer Research

Consumer research can be divided into different types and methods according to the purpose, scope, depth and method of the research. Common types and methods of consumer research are:

-Basic research (Exploratory Research): refers to preliminary, open and qualitative research conducted to identify problems, understand phenomena and generate assumptions. Basic research methods include literature review, in-depth interviews, focus groups, case studies and so on.

-Descriptive research (Descriptive Research): refers to systematic, structured and quantitative research conducted to describe the characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, etc. of the market or consumers. The methods of descriptive research include questionnaire, observation, experiment and so on.

-Causal research (Causal Research): refers to a rigorous, controlled, quantitative study conducted to determine the causal relationship between variables. The methods of causal research include experimental methods, regression analysis, and causal models.

Steps to 3. Consumer Research

The general steps of consumer research include:

-Determine the research purpose and problem: clarify the problem to be solved or the purpose to be achieved, and the question to be answered or the hypothesis to be verified;

-Design the research plan: select the appropriate research type, methods, samples, data sources, data collection tools and data analysis techniques;

-Data collection: According to the research plan, implement data collection tools, such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, etc., to obtain raw data;

-Analysis of data: according to the research program, the use of data analysis techniques, such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, multivariate analysis, content analysis, processing, collation, induction, interpretation of data;

-Report writing: according to the research purpose and problem, the preparation of research reports, including research background, research purpose, research methods, research results, research.Conclusionresearch recommendations, research limitations, etc;

-Propose recommendations: based on research reports, make concrete, feasible and well-founded recommendations for the optimization of products and services.

Case Analysis of 4. Consumer Research

Shangpu Consulting Company (Shangpu Consulting) is a professional market research and management consulting company, providing consumer research services to customers from all walks of life, helping customers optimize products and services, and enhance market competitiveness. The following is a case study of consumer research provided by Shangpu Consulting for some customers:

1. Provide consumer satisfaction research for an e-commerce platform

-Objective: To understand consumer satisfaction with e-commerce platform, including website design, product quality, price, logistics, after-sales and other aspects, as well as the factors affecting consumer satisfaction, and to provide recommendations for the platform to enhance user experience and loyalty.

-Research method: Using questionnaire survey method, the questionnaire was distributed to the registered users of the platform through the network and telephone, and the user's basic information, frequency of use, purchase behavior, satisfaction score, improvement suggestions and other data were collected.

-Findings: A total of 1000 valid questionnaires were collected, and data analysis showed that:

The overall satisfaction of users with the platform is 3.8 points (out of 5 points), of which the most satisfied is the quality of goods (4.1 points) and the least satisfied is the after-sales service (3.2 points);

User satisfaction has a significant positive correlation with variables such as frequency of use, amount of purchase, type of purchase, and source of purchase, I .e., the higher the satisfaction, the stronger the propensity to use and purchase;

The main factors affecting customer satisfaction are: the accuracy of commodity description, the quality and brand of goods, the price and discount of goods, the speed and cost of logistics, after-sales response and processing, etc;

Users' suggestions for improving the platform mainly include: increasing the types and choices of goods, providing more discounts and activities, improving the efficiency and quality of logistics, improving after-sales processes and specifications, and enhancing user interaction and participation.

-Research recommendations: Based on the results of the research, the following recommendations are made for the platform:

Strengthen the management and supervision of commodities, ensure the authenticity and accuracy of commodity descriptions, improve the quality and brand of commodities, and provide more price and discount advantages;

Optimize the service and system of logistics, accelerate the speed and timeliness of logistics, reduce the cost and loss of logistics, and improve the quality and safety of logistics;

Improve after-sales service and mechanism, improve after-sales response and processing speed, standardize after-sales processes and standards, and increase after-sales protection and compensation;

Enhance user interaction and participation, build user communities and platforms, encourage user comments and sharing, motivate user points and rewards, and cultivate user loyalty and trust.

2. Provide consumer demand research for an automobile manufacturer

-Research purpose: to understand the consumer demand for automobiles, including the type, function, performance, safety, environmental protection, design, price and other aspects of automobiles, as well as the factors affecting consumer demand, and to provide suggestions for manufacturers to develop and promote new products.

-Research method: Using in-depth interview method, semi-structured interviews are conducted with potential or existing users of the car through face-to-face or telephone, and data on the user's basic information, willingness to buy a car, purchase conditions, purchase preferences, purchase motivation, etc.

-Findings: A total of 50 valid interviews were conducted, and data analysis showed that:

The user's demand for cars is mainly divided into functional requirements, performance requirements, safety requirements, environmental protection requirements, personality requirements and value requirements. Among them, functional requirements and performance requirements are the most basic, safety requirements and environmental protection requirements are the most important, and personality Requirements and value requirements are the most advanced;

The needs of users are significantly different from their age, gender, income, education, occupation, family, region and other variables. For example, young, male, high-income, highly educated, white-collar, single and urban users are more inclined to choose cars with good performance, novel design and high price, the middle-aged, female, low-income, low-education, blue-collar, married, and rural users are more inclined to choose cars with full functions, high safety, and low prices;

The main factors that affect the needs of users are: personal psychological, physiological, social, cultural and other factors, such as personal interests, hobbies, personality, values, level of needs, social status, social roles, social reference, cultural background, etc;

Users' suggestions for manufacturers mainly include: develop and promote more new energy vehicles, smart cars, customized cars, shared cars, etc., to meet users' diversified, personalized, environmentally friendly, and intelligent needs.

-Research recommendations: Based on the results of the research, the following recommendations are made for manufacturers:

Analyze and divide the market and user segments, develop and promote different products and strategies according to the characteristics and needs of different user groups;

Pay attention to and meet the basic needs and important needs of users, such as function, performance, safety, environmental protection, etc., while creating and stimulating the advanced needs and potential needs of users, such as personality, value, etc;

Investigate and understand the internal and external influencing factors of users, such as psychology, physiology, society, culture, etc., to adapt and guide the changes of users' needs;

Utilize and develop new technologies, new models, new channels, new services, etc., such as new energy, intelligence, customization, sharing, etc., to innovate and optimize products and services.

3. Provide consumer preference research for a restaurant chain brand.

-Objective: To understand consumer preferences for restaurant chain brands, including the type of food, taste, quality, health, service, environment, price, etc., as well as the factors that affect consumer preferences, and to provide recommendations for brands to enhance market share and brand image.

-Research method: Using the focus group method, by inviting 8 to 10 catering target users or existing users to participate in a group discussion for about an hour, collecting users' basic information, consumption behavior, consumption motivation, consumption evaluation, consumption suggestions and other data.

-Findings: A total of 5 effective focus group discussions were conducted, and data analysis showed:

User preferences for restaurant chain brands are mainly divided into type preferences, taste preferences, quality preferences, hygiene preferences, service preferences, environmental preferences and price preferences, of which type preferences and taste preferences are the most central, quality preferences and hygiene preferences are the most basic, service preferences and environmental preferences are the most additional, and price preferences are the most flexible;

There are significant differences between users' preferences and their age, gender, income, education, occupation, family, region and other variables. For example, young, female, high-income, high-education, white-collar, single and urban users are more inclined to choose restaurant chain brands with novel type, light taste, high quality, good hygiene, excellent service, elegant environment and moderate price, while middle-aged and old, male, low-income, low-education, blue-collar, married and rural users are more inclined to choose restaurant chain brands with traditional type, heavy taste, stable quality, acceptable hygiene, fast service, simple environment and low price;

The main factors that affect user preferences are: personal psychological, physiological, social, cultural and other factors, such as personal interests, hobbies, personality, values, level of needs, social status, social role, social reference, cultural background, etc;

The user's suggestions for the brand mainly include: providing more choices of types and tastes, ensuring the quality and hygiene of catering, improving the level and attitude of service, improving the comfort and beauty of the environment, and formulating reasonable prices and discounts.

-Research recommendations: Based on the results of the research, the following recommendations are made for brands:

Analyze and segment the market and users, offer and promote different products and strategies according to the characteristics and preferences of different user groups;

Focus on and meet the user's core preferences and basic preferences, such as type, taste, quality, hygiene, etc., while creating and stimulating the user's additional preferences and potential preferences, such as service, environment, price, etc;

Investigate and understand the user's internal and external influencing factors, such as psychological, physiological, social, cultural, etc., to adapt and guide the user's preference changes;

Use and develop new technologies, new models, new channels, new services, etc., such as online ordering, self-service ordering, take-out delivery, membership system, points exchange, etc., to innovate and optimize products and services.

Conclusion

Consumer research is an effective method of market research and management consulting, which can help enterprises to understand and meet the needs, preferences and satisfaction of consumers, so as to optimize products and services and enhance market competitiveness. This paper introduces the basic concepts, types, methods and steps of consumer research, and analyzes the advantages and challenges of consumer research, as well as how to use the results of consumer research to optimize products and services. I hope this article can be helpful to the understanding and practice of consumer research.