Consumer research refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer-related information to help companies solve consumer problems and grasp consumer opportunities. The purpose of consumer research is to provide valuable information to support the market decision-making of enterprises. The significance of consumer research is that it can help companies:

Understanding consumer needs, preferences, motivations, behaviors, and satisfaction;

Evaluate the market performance, market share and market positioning of the product or service;

Identify consumer problems and opportunities, and propose improvement directions and innovations for products or services;

Enhance consumer trust and loyalty, improve consumer satisfaction and recommend;

Increase consumer participation and interaction, improve consumer reputation and influence.

However, consumer research also faces some challenges, such as the validity, reliability, representativeness and sensitivity of data, as well as the diversity, complexity and variability of consumers. These challenges require companies to choose appropriate research methods, design reasonable research programs, adopt effective data collection and analysis techniques, and provide targeted research reports and recommendations when conducting consumer research.

Shangpu Consulting is a professional market research company with many years of consumer research experience and rich consumer research cases. When conducting consumer research, Champ Consulting generally follows the following methods and steps:

Clear research objectives and objectives: through communication with customers, understand the needs and expectations of customers, and formulate clear, clear and feasible research objectives and objectives;

Design research plan: according to the research purpose and objectives, select the appropriate research methods, such as qualitative research or quantitative research, or a combination of both, design samples, questionnaires, interview guides and other research tools, determine the research budget and timetable;

Data collection and collation: according to the research plan, various data collection techniques, such as interviews, questionnaires, observations, experiments, etc., are used to collect relevant first-hand or second-hand data, and the data are cleaned, coded and entered;

Data analysis and interpretation: using various data analysis techniques, such as descriptive analysis, inferential analysis, causal analysis, cluster analysis, correlation analysis, etc., to analyze and interpret the data and discover the information and laws behind the data;

Provide reports and recommendations: According to the results of data analysis and interpretation, write detailed, accurate and convincing research reports, provide targeted product or service improvement direction and innovation points, and provide support for customer decision-making.

Champ Consulting will also encounter some problems and difficulties when conducting consumer research, such:

Validity of data: how to ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of data and avoid distortion, deviation and omission of data;

Data reliability: how to ensure the consistency, stability and repeatability of the data, and avoid the randomness, volatility and difference of the data;

The representativeness of the data: how to ensure the universality, typicality and relevance of the data and avoid the limitation, particularity and irrelevance of the data;

Sensitivity of data: how to ensure the confidentiality, security and legality of data to avoid data leakage, abuse and illegal.

In order to solve these problems and difficulties, the Champ Advisory will take the following measures and methods:

Validity of data: by formulating strict data collection standards and processes, selecting appropriate data sources and channels, and using effective data verification and verification techniques to ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of data;

Data reliability: through the use of scientific data collection methods and tools, select a reasonable data collection time and place, the use of reliable data storage and backup technology to ensure data consistency, stability and repeatability;

Data representativeness: by designing a reasonable scope and scale of data collection, selecting data samples and indicators that meet the research goals and objectives, and using effective data sampling and weighting techniques to ensure the universality, typicality and relevance of the data;

Sensitivity of data: by complying with relevant data collection laws and regulations, choosing legal data collection methods and forms, and using secure data encryption and transmission technologies to ensure the confidentiality, security and legality of data.

The following are three examples of consumer research provided by Champ Consulting for its clients, demonstrating the value and challenges of consumer research.

Case 1: Consumer research of a well-known automobile brand

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, Champ Consulting designed two data collection tools, questionnaires and focus groups, to investigate the brand's existing and potential customers. The sample size of the questionnaire was 1000 people, and the participants in the focus group were 20 people, divided into four groups, each group was guided by a researcher of Champ Consulting. The data were collected in December 2023 in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Champ Consulting analyzed and interpreted the data collected and made the following key findings:

The consumers of this brand are mainly men with middle and high income, high education and high position, aged between 35 and 55. They have higher requirements for the quality, performance, safety and comfort of the car, and also pay attention to the appearance, design and brand image of the car;

Consumers of the brand are very satisfied with the brand's cars, believing that the brand's cars meet their needs and preferences, can improve their social status and personal image, and they have a high degree of loyalty and recommend to the brand;

Consumers of the brand are also very satisfied with the service of the brand. They think that the after-sales service, maintenance service and repair service of the brand are professional, timely and considerate. They have high trust and satisfaction with the brand;

The potential customers of the brand are mainly men with middle and high income, high education and high position, aged between 25 and 45 years old. They have higher requirements for the quality, performance, safety and comfort of the car, and also pay attention to the appearance, design and brand image of the car;

The potential customers of the brand have certain cognition and interest in the brand's cars, and think that the brand's cars have certain attractiveness and advantages, but they have some concerns and questions about the price, fuel consumption, environmental protection and other aspects of the brand's cars. Their purchase intention and choice intention of the brand are not too high.

Based on these findings, Champ Consulting provides the following recommendations for the brand:

The brand should continue to maintain its high-end, luxurious and classic brand image, strengthen its brand differentiation and advantages, and enhance its brand awareness and reputation;

The brand should continue to pay attention to the needs and satisfaction of its existing customers, maintain a high level of product and service quality, and enhance the loyalty and recommend of its existing customers;

The brand should actively explore the market of its potential customers, pass on the value and concept of its brand through various channels and methods, eliminate the concerns and doubts of its potential customers, and improve the purchase intention and choice intention of its potential customers;

The brand should appropriately adjust the price strategy of its products and services, consider the consumption power and consumption psychology of its target market, formulate a reasonable price range and price elasticity, and increase the cost performance and competitiveness of its products and services.

Case 2: Consumer Survey of a Famous Cosmetic Brand

The brand is a cosmetics brand with nearly a hundred years of history, known for its natural, healthy and efficient image. The brand commissioned Shangpu Consulting to conduct a consumer survey of its target market to understand its consumer needs, preferences, motivations, behaviors and satisfaction, as well as its brand's market performance, market share and market positioning.

Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, Champ Consulting designed two data collection tools, questionnaires and in-depth interviews, to investigate the brand's existing and potential customers. The sample size of the questionnaire was 1500 and the participants in the in-depth interviews were 30, divided into six groups, each led by a researcher from Champ Consulting. The data were collected in January 2024 in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Champ Consulting analyzed and interpreted the data collected and made the following key findings:

The consumers of this brand are mainly women with middle and high income, high education and high position, aged between 25 and 45 years old. They have higher requirements for the quality, effect, safety and naturalness of cosmetics, and also pay attention to the packaging, design and brand image of cosmetics;

Consumers of the brand are very satisfied with the brand's cosmetics, believing that the brand's cosmetics meet their needs and preferences, can improve their skin condition and enhance their confidence and charm, and they have a high degree of loyalty and recommend to the brand;

Consumers of the brand are also very satisfied with the service of the brand. They think that the after-sales service, consulting service and experience service of the brand are professional, timely and intimate, and they have high trust and satisfaction with the brand;

The potential customers of the brand are mainly women with high income, high education and high position, aged between 20 and 40 years old. They have higher requirements for the quality, effect, safety and naturalness of cosmetics, and also pay attention to the packaging, design and brand image of cosmetics;

The potential customers of the brand have certain cognition and interest in the cosmetics of the brand, and think that the cosmetics of the brand have certain attraction and advantages, but they have some concerns and questions about the price, composition and adaptability of the cosmetics of the brand. Their purchase intention and choice intention of the brand are not too high.

Based on these findings, Champ Consulting provides the following recommendations for the brand:

The brand should continue to maintain its natural, healthy and efficient brand image, strengthen its brand differentiation and advantages, and enhance its brand awareness and reputation;

The brand should continue to focus on the needs and satisfaction of its existing customers, maintain a high level of product and service quality, and enhance the loyalty and recommend of its existing customers.

Champ Consulting offers the following recommendations for the brand:

The brand should continue to maintain its natural, healthy and efficient brand image, strengthen its brand differentiation and advantages, and enhance its brand awareness and reputation;

The brand should continue to pay attention to the needs and satisfaction of its existing customers, maintain a high level of product and service quality, and enhance the loyalty and recommend of its existing customers;

The brand should actively explore the market of its potential customers, pass on the value and concept of its brand through various channels and methods, eliminate the concerns and doubts of its potential customers, and improve the purchase intention and choice intention of its potential customers;

The brand should appropriately adjust the price strategy of its products and services, consider the consumption power and consumption psychology of its target market, formulate a reasonable price range and price elasticity, and increase the cost performance and competitiveness of its products and services.

Case 3: Consumer Research of a Famous Catering Brand

The brand is a catering brand with a history of nearly 20 years, known for its fast, delicious and affordable image. The brand commissioned Shangpu Consulting to conduct a consumer survey of its target market to understand its consumer needs, preferences, motivations, behaviors and satisfaction, as well as its brand's market performance, market share and market positioning.

Using quantitative research methods, Champu Consulting designed two data collection tools, a questionnaire and an online survey, to survey the brand's existing and potential customers. The sample size of the questionnaire is 2000 people, and the online survey participants are 500 people. The data collection time is January 2024, and the locations are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Champ Consulting analyzed and interpreted the data collected and made the following key findings:

The consumers of this brand are mainly men and women with low and middle income, middle and low education, middle and low position, aged between 15 and 35 years old. They have certain requirements for the quality, taste, hygiene and service of catering, and also pay attention to the speed, convenience and price of catering;

Consumers of the brand are satisfied with the brand's catering, believing that the brand's catering meets their needs and preferences, can satisfy their hunger and taste, and they have a high degree of loyalty and recommend to the brand;

Consumers of the brand are also satisfied with the service of the brand, believing that the service of ordering, distribution, return and exchange of the brand is relatively fast, convenient and flexible, and they have high trust and satisfaction with the brand;

The potential customers of the brand are mainly men and women with low and middle income, low and middle education, middle and low positions, aged between 15 and 35 years old. They have certain requirements for the quality, taste, hygiene and service of catering, and also pay attention to the speed, convenience and price of catering;

The potential customers of the brand have certain cognition and interest in the brand's catering, and think that the brand's catering has certain attraction and advantages, but they have some concerns and doubts about the variety, innovation and health of the brand's catering, and their willingness to buy and choose the brand is not too high.

Based on these findings, Champ Consulting provides the following recommendations for the brand:

The brand should continue to maintain its fast, delicious and affordable brand image, strengthen its brand differentiation and advantages, and enhance its brand awareness and reputation;

The brand should continue to pay attention to the needs and satisfaction of its existing customers, maintain a high level of product and service quality, and enhance the loyalty and recommend of its existing customers;

The brand should actively explore the market of its potential customers, pass on the value and concept of its brand through various channels and methods, eliminate the concerns and doubts of its potential customers, and improve the purchase intention and choice intention of its potential customers;

The brand should appropriately adjust the innovation strategy of its products and services, consider the consumption trend and consumption psychology of its target market, increase the variety and innovation of its products and services, and improve the health and competitiveness of its products and services.