Definition and significance of 1. consumer research

Consumer research refers to the process of collecting, recording and analyzing consumer-related information through a systematic, purposeful and planned way in order to provide a basis for marketing decisions. The main purpose of consumer research is to understand consumers' needs, preferences, satisfaction, loyalty, purchase motivation, purchase behavior, purchasing power, lifestyle, etc., as well as various factors that affect consumer behavior, such as society, culture, psychology, and individuals. Wait.

Consumer research is of great significance to the marketing of enterprises, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Consumer research can help companies identify and segment target markets, determine the size, structure, characteristics and potential of the target market, and thus select appropriate market positioning and market segmentation strategies.

Consumer research can help companies understand the needs and preferences of the target market, design and develop products and services that meet consumer expectations, and improve the quality and competitiveness of products and services.

Consumer research can help companies formulate reasonable pricing strategies, determine the best price for products and services based on consumers' purchasing power and value perception, and maximize profits.

Consumer research can help companies develop effective promotional strategies, choose appropriate promotional tools and channels based on consumers' purchasing motivations and purchasing behaviors, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of promotions.

Consumer research can help companies formulate reasonable distribution strategies, choose appropriate distribution channels and methods according to consumers' buying habits and preferences, and improve distribution coverage and satisfaction.

Consumer research can help companies evaluate and improve marketing performance by collecting and analyzing consumer feedback and suggestions, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of marketing, identifying marketing problems and deficiencies, and proposing marketing improvement measures and recommendations.

Principles and Techniques of 2. Consumer Research

Consumer research is a complex, systematic and scientific work, which needs to follow certain principles and skills to ensure the quality and effect of research. According to the general process of consumer research, this paper introduces the principles and techniques of consumer research, as follows:

1. Determine the purpose of the research

Determining the purpose of the survey is the first and most important step in consumer research, which determines the direction and scope of the survey, as well as the methods and tools of the survey. The principles and techniques for determining the purpose of the survey are as follows:

The purpose of research should be clear, specific and feasible, and avoid vague, general and unrealistic purposes.

The purpose of the research should be consistent with the goals and strategies of the marketing, and avoid conflicting or unrelated purposes with the goals and strategies of the marketing.

The purpose of the research should be based on marketing issues and needs to determine, to avoid untargeted or repeated research purposes.

The purpose of the research should be determined according to the resources and conditions of the research, so as to avoid exceeding the purpose of the resources and conditions of the research.

For example, Shangpu Consulting once conducted a consumer survey for an automobile manufacturer. The purpose of the survey was to understand consumers' cognition, attitude and willingness towards a newly launched electric vehicle, as well as the factors that affect consumers' purchase of electric vehicles, so as to provide automobile manufacturers with suggestions for product improvement and marketing. The purpose of this research is clear, specific and feasible, consistent with the objectives and strategies of marketing, determined according to the problems and needs of marketing, and determined according to the resources and conditions of the research.

2. Select the research method

The choice of research method is the second step of consumer research, which determines the way and form of research, as well as the efficiency and effect of research. The principles and techniques for selecting research methods are as follows:

The research method should be selected according to the purpose of the research, avoiding methods that do not match or are not suitable for the purpose of the research.

The research method should be selected according to the characteristics and behavior of the research object, and avoid methods that are not suitable or unwilling to the research object.

The research method should be selected according to the resources and conditions of the research, and avoid methods that exceed the resources and conditions of the research.

Research methods should be selected based on the reliability and validity of the research to avoid methods that affect the quality and effectiveness of the research.

Consumer research methods are generally divided into two categories: quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research refers to the research methods of measuring and analyzing the number, proportion and distribution of consumers through mathematical and statistical methods, such as questionnaires, experiments and observations. Qualitative research refers to research methods that describe and explain consumers' motivations, attitudes, and feelings through non-mathematical and non-statistical methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and case studies. Quantitative research and qualitative research have their own advantages and disadvantages. In general, it is necessary to combine quantitative research and qualitative research to obtain more comprehensive and in-depth consumer information.

For example, Champ Consulting once conducted a consumer survey for a clothing brand. The method of the survey was to combine quantitative research and qualitative research. First of all, Shangpu Consulting collected quantitative data such as consumers' cognition, attitude, satisfaction and loyalty to clothing brands through questionnaire survey. Then, Shangpu Consulting deeply understood the qualitative information such as consumers' purchase motivation, feelings and suggestions for clothing brands through focus groups. Through this method, Champ Consulting not only gets the number and proportion of consumers, but also gets the motivation and feelings of consumers, thus providing more comprehensive and in-depth consumer analysis and suggestions for clothing brands.

3. Design the questionnaire

The design of the survey questionnaire is the third step of the consumer survey, which determines the content and form of the survey, as well as the validity and reliability of the survey. The principles and techniques for designing the questionnaire are as follows:

The research questionnaire should be designed according to the purpose of the research and avoid questions that are irrelevant or irrelevant to the purpose of the research.

The survey questionnaire should be designed according to the characteristics and behavior of the research object to avoid problems that are not suitable or understood by the research object.

The survey questionnaire should be designed according to the requirements of the survey method to avoid problems that do not match or adapt to the survey method.

The survey questionnaire should be designed according to the reliability and validity of the survey to avoid problems that affect the quality and effectiveness of the survey.

The design of the survey questionnaire generally includes the following aspects: the structure of the survey questionnaire, the length of the survey questionnaire, the type of the survey questionnaire, the content of the survey questionnaire, the format of the survey questionnaire, the test of the survey questionnaire, etc. Specific design techniques are as follows:

The structure of the questionnaire should be clear, reasonable and orderly, generally including the introduction,TextAnd the end of three parts. The introduction should introduce the purpose, significance, scope, method and confidentiality of the research in order to increase the participation and trust of the research object.TextThe part should divide the question into several parts or categories according to the logical order and importance, so as to facilitate the response of the research object and the analysis of the researcher. The end part should thank the participation and cooperation of the research object, in order to increase the satisfaction and loyalty of the research object.

The length of the questionnaire should be moderate, concise, and efficient, usually no more than 15 minutes or 10 pages. The length of the survey questionnaire will affect the response rate and quality of the respondents, and a long survey questionnaire will lead to boredom, fatigue, loss of interest, etc., thus affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of the survey. Therefore, the survey questionnaire should minimize unnecessary questions and only retain questions related to the purpose of the survey. At the same time, the survey questionnaire should use simple, clear, and easy-to-understand language as much as possible, and avoid complex, vague, and ambiguous language to improve The readability and comprehensibility of the survey questionnaire.

The type of survey questionnaire should be selected according to the purpose and method of the survey, and is generally divided into open-ended questions and closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions are questions that do not give alternative answers, and respondents are free to express their views and feelings, such as "What are your suggestions for our products?" closed questions are questions that give alternative answers, and respondents can only choose one or more of the alternative answers, such as "How satisfied are you with our products? (very satisfied, satisfied, fair, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied)". Open questions and closed questions have their own advantages and disadvantages. In general, open questions can obtain more rich and in-depth information, but they are difficult to quantify and analyze, and are suitable for qualitative research. Closed questions can obtain more concise and unified information, but it is difficult to reflect the real ideas of the research objects, and are suitable for quantitative research. Therefore, the survey questionnaire should be based on the purpose and method of research, reasonable selection and collocation of open and closed questions, in order to achieve the best research results.

The content of the survey questionnaire should be consistent with the purpose and scope of the survey and avoid content that is irrelevant or irrelevant to the survey. The content of the survey questionnaire generally includes the following aspects: basic consumer information, consumer needs and preferences, consumer buying behavior, consumer satisfaction and loyalty, consumer feedback and suggestions, etc. The specific content should be determined according to the purpose and object of the research. At the same time, the following points should be noted:

The content of the survey questionnaire should be objective, neutral, and fair, and avoid using tendentious, guiding, and suggestive content, such as "Do you think our product is the best?"

The content of the survey questionnaire should be specific, clear and clear, and avoid using vague, vague and ambiguous content, such as "what do you think of our products?"

The content of the survey questionnaire should be simple, direct and easy to understand, and avoid the use of complex, lengthy and difficult content, such as "what do you think our products compare with competitors' products in terms of function, performance, quality, design, price, etc. Advantages and disadvantages?"

The content of the survey questionnaire should be orderly, logical and coherent, and avoid using disordered, chaotic and broken content, such as "How much is your satisfaction with our products? Do you have any suggestions for our products? What is your perception of our products?"

The format of the survey questionnaire should be beautiful, clean and standardized to improve the readability and operability of the survey questionnaire. The format of the survey questionnaire generally includes the following aspects: the title of the survey questionnaire, the number of the survey questionnaire, the page number of the survey questionnaire, the font of the survey questionnaire, the color of the survey questionnaire, the spacing of the survey questionnaire, the alignment of the survey questionnaire, the punctuation of the survey questionnaire, the notes of the survey questionnaire, etc. Specific formatting techniques are as follows:

The title of the survey questionnaire should be prominent, eye-catching and concise. Generally, large font, bold and centered are used, such as "Shangpu Consultation: Consumer Survey Questionnaire".

The number of the survey questionnaire should be unique, orderly and standardized, generally using numbers or letters, such as "questionnaire number: SP-2024-01".

The page numbers of the questionnaire should be clear, complete and uniform, generally using numbers or Roman numerals, such as "Page 1/Total 10".

The font of the questionnaire should be easy to read, beautiful and coordinated. Generally, common, standard and moderate fonts are used, such as "Song style, bold style, Times New Roman, etc".

The color of the questionnaire should be simple, bright and harmonious, generally use black or dark colors, and avoid using too many or too bright colors, such as "red, yellow, green, etc".

The spacing of the survey questionnaire should be appropriate, comfortable and neat. Generally, single or 1.5 times the line spacing is used, and too large or too small line spacing is avoided, such as "2 or 0.5 times the line spacing".

The alignment of the questionnaire should be balanced, symmetrical, and consistent, generally using left or center alignment, and avoiding right or mixed alignment, such as "right or left alignment".

The punctuation of the questionnaire should be correct, standardized and unified. Generally, Chinese or English punctuation should be used, and mixed or wrong punctuation should be avoided, such as ",.? !:;" or ",.? !:;".

The notes of the survey questionnaire should be clear, useful and concise. Generally, brackets or footnotes are used to avoid too many or too long notes, such as "(Note: Please tick the appropriate options)" or ": Shangpu Consulting is a professional market research and consulting company, established in 2020, serving customers in all walks of life and providing high-quality consumer research and market analysis services.".

The survey questionnaire should be fully, carefully and timely tested to test and improve the design of the survey questionnaire. The test of the survey questionnaire generally includes the following aspects: the readability of the survey questionnaire, the understandability of the survey questionnaire, the answerable of the survey questionnaire, the analysiability of the survey questionnaire, the reliability of the survey questionnaire, and the validity of the survey questionnaire. Specific testing techniques are as follows:

The readability of the questionnaire refers to whether the text, charts and formats of the questionnaire are clear, easy to read and beautiful. The way to test readability is to ask some people to read the questionnaire to see if there are any unclear, difficult to read, and unsightly, such as too small fonts, too dark colors, too narrow spacing, etc., and then make corresponding modifications and optimization.

The comprehensibility of the survey questionnaire refers to whether the questions, options, instructions, etc. of the survey questionnaire are clear, clear and unambiguous. The way to test intelligibility is to ask some people to answer the survey questionnaire to see if there are any ambiguities, ambiguities, such as too complex questions, too vague options, too brief instructions, etc., and then modify and optimize accordingly.

The answerability of the survey questionnaire refers to whether the questions, options, instructions, etc. of the survey questionnaire are appropriate, reasonable and orderly. The way to test answerable is to ask some people to answer the survey questionnaire to see if there is any inappropriate, unreasonable, or disordered place, such as the question does not match the survey object, the option does not correspond to the question, the order of the question is illogical, etc., and then make corresponding modifications and optimizations.

The analyzability of the survey questionnaire refers to whether the questions, options, instructions, etc. of the survey questionnaire are quantifiable, comparable, and classifiable. The way to test the analyzability is to analyze the survey questionnaires answered by some people to see if there are any places that cannot be quantified, compared or classified, such as the answers to questions that cannot be represented by numbers or categories, the answers to options that cannot be displayed by statistics or charts, and the answers to questions that cannot be classified or clustered, etc., and then make corresponding modifications and optimizations.

The reliability of the survey questionnaire refers to whether the questions, options, instructions, etc. of the survey questionnaire are stable, consistent and accurate. The method of testing reliability is to repeatedly answer the survey questionnaire to the same person or the same group of people at different times or under different conditions to see if there is any instability, inconsistency, and inaccuracy, such as the answer to the question over time or conditions Change, the answer to the question is inconsistent with the answer to other questions, the answer to the question is inconsistent with the actual situation, etc., and then make corresponding modifications and optimizations.

The validity of the survey questionnaire refers to whether the questions, options, instructions, etc. of the survey questionnaire are relevant, valid and meaningful. The method of testing effectiveness is to analyze the survey questionnaires answered by some people to see if there are any irrelevant, invalid and meaningless places, such as the answers to the questions have nothing to do with the purpose of the survey, the answers to the questions are invalid with the results of the survey, and the answers to the questions are meaningless with the significance of the survey, and then make corresponding modifications and optimizations.

3. collection and analysis of data

Collecting and analyzing data is the fourth step in consumer research, which determines the results and value of the research, as well as the credibility and availability of the research. The principles and techniques for collecting and analyzing data are as follows:

The collection of data should be comprehensive, accurate and timely, avoiding omissions, errors and outdated data. The collection of data generally includes the following aspects: determining the source of the data, selecting the sample of the data, determining the method of data collection, implementing the data collection plan, and inspecting the quality of data collection. Specific collection techniques are as follows:

The sources of data should be diverse, reliable and valid, and generally include both internal and external data. Internal data refers to consumer-related data owned or mastered by the enterprise itself, such as sales data, inventory data, customer data, etc. External data refers to consumer-related data obtained by enterprises from external channels or institutions, such as industry data, competitive data, social data, etc. The source of the data should be selected according to the purpose and scope of the survey. At the same time, attention should be paid to the reliability and validity of the data, and the use of outdated, erroneous, and incomplete data should be avoided.

The sample of data should be representative, random, and adequate, and a sampling method is generally used to select a portion of the population as the object of investigation. The sample of data should be determined according to the purpose and object of the research. At the same time, attention should be paid to the representativeness and randomness of the data, and the use of biased and selective samples should be avoided, such as selecting only satisfied or dissatisfied consumers, only urban or rural consumers, etc. The sample of data should also pay attention to the adequacy of the data, avoid using too few or too many samples, such as too few samples, which will affect the credibility and stability of the data, such as too many samples, which will increase the cost and time of data collection and analysis.

The method of data collection should be suitable, convenient and efficient, generally including face-to-face, telephone, mail, network, etc. The method of data collection should be selected according to the purpose and method of the survey. At the same time, attention should be paid to the suitability and convenience of the data, and the use of unsuitable or inconvenient methods should be avoided, such as surveys that require in-depth understanding of consumers' motives and feelings. It is not suitable to use email or the Internet, and it is not suitable to use face-to-face or telephone methods for surveys that require rapid collection of large amounts of data. Data collection methods should also pay attention to the efficiency of data, avoid the use of inefficient or time-consuming methods, such as for the data to be collected is relatively simple or standard research, you can use automated or digital methods, such as online questionnaires, scan code filling, etc., to improve the speed and accuracy of data collection.

The data collection plan should be clear, specific and feasible, generally including the time, place, personnel, tools and processes of data collection. The data collection plan should be formulated according to the purpose and conditions of the research. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and specificity of the data, and the use of vague, general, and unrealistic plans should be avoided, such as "collect data as soon as possible", "collect data in various places" "," who collects data "and so on. The data collection plan should also pay attention to the feasibility of the data and avoid plans that use resources and conditions beyond the research, such as "collecting 1000 copies of data in one day", "collecting data in remote areas", "collecting data by inexperienced people", etc.

The quality of data collection should be strict, meticulous and timely, generally including data verification, cleaning, sorting, etc. The quality of data collection should be tested and improved according to the purpose and requirements of the survey. At the same time, attention should be paid to the strictness and meticulousness of the data to avoid sloppy, rough and flawed quality, such as "no check on the integrity of the data", "no deletion of duplicate or invalid items of the data", "no data storage in accordance with the standardized format", etc. The quality of data collection should also pay attention to the timeliness of data, to avoid the use of delayed, expired, invalid quality, such as "not timely check the accuracy of the data", "not timely cleaning of data errors or abnormal items", "not timely sorting of data classification or analysis" and so on.

The analysis of data should be in-depth, comprehensive and valuable, avoiding superficial, one-sided and meaningless analysis. The analysis of data generally includes the following aspects: determining the purpose of the analysis of the data, selecting the analysis method of the data, executing the analysis plan of the data, presenting the analysis results of the data, etc. Specific analysis techniques are as follows:

The purpose of data analysis should be clear, specific and feasible, avoiding vague, general and unrealistic purposes. The purpose of data analysis should be determined according to the purpose and results of the survey. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and specificity of the data, and the use of unclear and unspecific purposes such as "understanding the situation of consumers" and "analyzing consumer data" should be avoided. The purpose of data analysis should also pay attention to the feasibility of the data and avoid using purposes beyond the content and scope of the data, such as "predicting the future behavior of consumers", "comparing cross-border differences of consumers" and other infeasible and unsuitable purposes.

Data analysis methods should be appropriate, effective, scientific, to avoid inappropriate, ineffective, non-scientific methods. The analysis method of data should be selected according to the type and characteristics of the data. At the same time, attention should be paid to the suitability and validity of the data, and the use of unsuitable or invalid methods should be avoided. For example, for quantitative data, qualitative analysis methods are not suitable, such as interviews, Focus groups, case analysis, etc., for qualitative data, quantitative analysis methods are not suitable, such as statistics, experiments, observation, etc. The analysis method of data should also pay attention to the scientific nature of the data and avoid the use of non-scientific or wrong methods, such as not following the basic principles and steps of data analysis, not using appropriate data analysis tools and software, and not using reasonable data analysis assumptions and models.

The data analysis plan should be clear, reasonable, and orderly, avoiding chaotic, unreasonable, and disorderly plans. The data analysis plan should be formulated according to the purpose and method of data analysis. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and rationality of the data, and the use of unclear or unreasonable plans, such as "analyzing data at will" and "analyzing data according to one's own ideas", etc. Data analysis plans should also pay attention to the orderliness of the data and avoid the use of chaotic or disordered plans, such as "not analyzing data in logical order and importance" and "not analyzing data according to parts or categories of data.

The results of the data analysis should be concise, clear and meaningful, avoiding lengthy, vague and meaningless results. The analysis results of the data should be presented according to the purpose and requirements of the data analysis. At the same time, attention should be paid to the conciseness and clarity of the data, and lengthy or vague results should be avoided, such as "the results of the data are described with a large number of words or numbers", "the results of the data are presented with unclear or incomprehensible language or charts" and other lengthy and vague results. The analysis results of the data should also pay attention to the meaningfulness of the data and avoid the use of meaningless or useless results, such as "no answer to the purpose or question of the research", "no explanation or meaning of the data", "no suggestion or application of the data" and other meaningless and useless results.

4. presentation and application of findings

Presenting and applying research results is the fifth step and the ultimate goal of consumer research. It determines the value and impact of the research, as well as the continuity and improvement of the research. The principles and techniques for presenting and applying the findings are as follows:

The presentation of research results should be intuitive, interesting and persuasive, avoiding boring, boring and weak presentation. The presentation of research results generally includes the following aspects: determining the audience of research results, selecting the form of research results, making reports of research results, and presenting presentations of research results. Specific presentation techniques are as follows:

The audience for research results should be clear, appropriate and important, and generally include both internal and external audiences. The internal audience refers to the personnel related to consumer research within the enterprise, such as marketing department, product development department, customer service department, etc. External audiences are people outside the enterprise who are related to consumer research, such as customers, partners, media, and the public. The audience of the research results should be determined according to the purpose and significance of the research. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and appropriateness of the research results, and the use of unclear or inappropriate audiences, such as "everyone", "anyone", etc. Clear and inappropriate audience. The audience of the research results should also pay attention to the importance of the research results and avoid using unimportant or irrelevant audiences, such as "people with no decision-making power or influence", "people with no interests or needs" and other unimportant and irrelevant audiences.

The forms of research results should be diverse, innovative and suitable, generally including text, charts, video, audio and other forms. The form of the research results should be selected according to the content and characteristics of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the diversity and innovation of the research results, and the use of single or obsolete forms should be avoided, such as "only use text or numbers" and "only use Single and obsolete forms such as common or traditional forms. The form of the research results should also pay attention to the suitability of the research results and avoid the use of unsuitable or mismatched forms, such as "for quantitative data, use video or audio form", "for qualitative data, use chart or digital form", etc.

The report of the research results should be complete, standardized and professional, generally including the title, summary, catalog, body, conclusion, suggestion, appendix and other parts. The report of the research results should be made according to the content and requirements of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the completeness and standardization of the research results, and the use of missing or irregular reports, such as "reports without titles or summaries" and "reports without catalogues or conclusions" should be avoided."," no number or format report "and other missing or irregular reports. The report of research results should also pay attention to the professionalism of the research results and avoid the use of unprofessional or erroneous reports, such as "reports without references or comments", "reports without data or analysis", "reports without logic or structure", etc. Unprofessional or erroneous reports.

Presentations of findings should be lively, interesting, and impactful, and generally include oral presentations, slides, videos, and audio. The presentation of the research results should be presented according to the audience and occasion of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the vividness and interestingness of the research results, and boring or boring presentations should be avoided, such as "presentations using only words or numbers" and "presentations using only common or traditional presentations. The presentation of the research results should also pay attention to the impact of the research results and avoid the use of weak or useless presentations, such as "not highlighting or emphasizing the focus or highlights of the research results", "not providing or guiding the actions or changes of the research results" and other weak or useless presentations.

The application of research results should be timely, effective and continuous, and avoid delayed, ineffective and intermittent application. The application of research results generally includes the following aspects: determining the objectives of the research results, making plans for the research results, implementing actions for the research results, and evaluating the effectiveness of the research results. Specific application skills are as follows:

The objectives of the research results should be clear, specific and feasible, and avoid vague, general and unrealistic objectives. The objectives of the research results should be determined according to the content and significance of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and specificity of the research results, and the use of "improving consumer satisfaction" and "increasing market share" should be avoided. Specific goals. The goal of the research results should also pay attention to the feasibility of the research results, and avoid using goals that exceed the content and scope of the research results, such as "defeating all competitors" and "occupying all markets" that are not feasible and unsuitable.

The planning of research results should be clear, reasonable and orderly, and avoid chaotic, unreasonable and disorderly planning. The plan of the research results should be formulated according to the objectives and conditions of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the clarity and rationality of the research results, and the use of unclear or unreasonable plans, such as "applying the research results at will" and "applying the research results according to one's own ideas" and other unclear and unreasonable plans. The planning of research results should also pay attention to the orderliness of research results and avoid the use of chaotic or disorderly plans, such as "not applying research results according to time or priority" and "not applying research results according to departments or functions.

Action on findings should be timely, effective, and continuous, avoiding delayed, ineffective, and intermittent actions. The action of the research results should be carried out according to the plan and conditions of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the timeliness and effectiveness of the research results, and the use of delayed or invalid actions, such as "no timely implementation of the plan of the research results", "no effective implementation of the plan of the research results" and other delayed or invalid actions. Action on research results should also pay attention to the continuity of research results and avoid the use of intermittent or discontinued actions, such as "no plan to implement research results on an ongoing basis" and "no plan to implement research results.

The effect of research results should be objective, quantitative, evaluation, to avoid subjective, difficult to quantify, not to evaluate the effect. The effect of the research results should be evaluated according to the objectives and standards of the research results. At the same time, attention should be paid to the objectivity and quantification of the research results, and subjective or difficult to quantify effects should be avoided, such as "feeling that consumer satisfaction has increased", "I feel that the market share has increased" and other subjective or difficult to quantify effects. The effect of the research results should also pay attention to the evaluation of the research results, avoid the use of non-evaluation or non-feedback effect, such as "no evaluation of the effect of the research results", "no feedback on the effect of the research results" and other non-evaluation or non-feedback effect.