Definition and significance of 1. consumer research

Consumer research refers to the use of various market research techniques and methods on the basis of the study of the basic characteristics of the market environment (politics, law, society, culture, technology), demographic characteristics, lifestyle, economic level and other basic characteristics. The study of realizing one's own wishes and needs through the stages of cognition, attitude, motivation, choice, decision-making, purchase and use. Consumer research is an important part of market research, which aims to understand the characteristics, needs, cognition, motivation, behavior and mental model of consumers, and provide data and insight for product development, brand management, market segmentation, marketing strategy, etc.

The significance of consumer research is that it can help companies:

Identify and classify target markets, target consumers, and develop effective marketing strategies;

Understand consumer needs and preferences, develop and improve products and services, improve product competitiveness and satisfaction;

Understand consumer awareness and attitudes, establish and maintain brand image, enhance brand awareness and loyalty;

Understand consumer motivations and behaviors, design and execute marketing campaigns to promote consumer buying and dissemination;

Understand the consumer's mental model, master the consumer's decision-making process, and influence the consumer's choice and evaluation.

Form and content of 2. consumer research

The form and content of consumer research depends on the purpose, object, method and tool of the research. Different research types and topics have different advantages and disadvantages and applicable scenarios. This paper compares and analyzes the common types and themes of consumer research from the qualitative and quantitative dimensions.

1. Qualitative research

Qualitative research refers to the collection and analysis of non-numerical data such as consumers' words, behaviors, and emotions through unstructured or semi-structured methods to reveal consumers' deep-seated motivations, attitudes, feelings, and thoughts. The main features of qualitative research are:

Data source: The data source of qualitative research is mainly consumer's self-report, observation, interview, discussion, etc., and the data form is mainly text, image, sound, video, etc;

Data volume: The amount of data in qualitative research is relatively small, and generally does not pursue the representativeness and universality of the sample, but focuses on the diversity and typicality of the sample;

Data analysis: The data analysis of qualitative research mainly depends on the subjective judgment and understanding of the researcher, using induction, classification, interpretation, comparison and other methods, there is no fixed analysis model and statistical tools;

Findings: The findings of qualitative research are primarily descriptive and explanatory and cannot be used for inference and prediction, but rather for discovery and exploration, providing in-depth insights and recommendations.

Common types and themes of qualitative research are:

Consumer interviews: Consumer interviews refer to in-depth communication with consumers through one-to-one methods to understand consumer needs, cognition, attitudes, motivations, behaviors, etc., as well as various factors that affect consumers. The main advantages of consumer interviews are that they can obtain rich and detailed information, can flexibly adjust questions and directions, can establish good interaction and trust, and can explore the subconscious and psychological aspects of consumers. The main disadvantages of consumer interviews are time-consuming and costly, small sample size, difficult data analysis, and low reliability and consistency of results. The main topics of consumer interviews are:

Demand analysis: to understand the level of consumer demand for products or services, demand intensity, demand differences, demand potential, etc;

Cognitive analysis: to understand consumers' knowledge, understanding, evaluation, beliefs, attitudes, etc. of products or services;

Motivation analysis: to understand the purpose, reasons, motivation, incentives, etc. of consumers to purchase or use products or services;

Behavioral analysis: understanding the process, frequency, manner, scenario, and results of consumers purchasing or using products or services;

Mental analysis: to understand consumers' psychological feelings, emotional reactions, values, lifestyles, etc. towards products or services.

Focus group: Focus group refers to the organization of 6-12 consumers, in a relaxed and free atmosphere, a moderator to guide and stimulate the discussion between consumers to collect and analyze consumers' opinions, opinions, feelings, etc. The main advantages of focus groups are that they can obtain diverse and dynamic information, can use the interaction and influence between consumers, can stimulate consumers' thinking and creativity, and can discover consumers' new ideas and new problems. The main disadvantages of focus groups are that they are affected by consumer personality, atmosphere, host, etc., the quality and consistency of data are low, the analysis and induction of data are difficult, and the representativeness and universality of the results are low. The main themes of the focus groups are:

Product testing: to understand consumer feedback and evaluation of product appearance, function, performance, quality, price, etc;

Service testing: to understand the feedback and evaluation of consumers on the process, quality, effect and satisfaction of the service;

Brand testing: to understand consumers' feedback and evaluation of brand awareness, impression, attitude, loyalty, etc;

Advertising testing: to understand the consumer's attention to advertising, understanding, memory, emotion, behavior and other feedback and evaluation;

Concept testing: Understand consumer feedback and evaluation of the concept, name, logo, packaging, etc. of a new product or service.

Consumer diary: Consumer diary refers to allowing consumers to record their experiences, feelings, thoughts, etc. of purchasing or using products or services within a certain period of time, so as to collect and analyze consumer behavior and psychological data. The main advantages of consumer diaries are that they can obtain real and continuous information, can reduce consumers' recall bias and social expectations, can observe consumers' changes and trends, and can discover consumers' hidden and potential needs. The main disadvantages of consumer diaries are that they require a high degree of cooperation and participation of consumers, the integrity and quality of data are difficult to guarantee, the collection and analysis of data is complex and time-consuming, and the comparability and promotion of results are low. The main themes of consumer diaries are:

Purchase diary: understand the purchase behavior of consumers, including the time, place, frequency, quantity, amount, brand, channel, etc;

Use diary: understand the consumer's use behavior, including the time, place, frequency, mode, scene, effect, problem, etc;

Feeling diary: to understand the changes of consumers' feelings, including the content, intensity, cause, influence and result of the feelings;

Idea diary: Understand the consumer's idea generation, including the content, source, purpose, idea, suggestion, etc.

Consumer observation: Consumer observation refers to the systematic recording and analysis of consumer behavior, expression, action, etc. through direct or indirect means to understand the actual situation and potential needs of consumers. The main advantage of consumer observation is that objective and intuitive information can be obtained, consumer falsehood and misleading can be avoided, consumer non-verbal and irrational behavior can be found, and consumer psychological and emotional impact can be revealed. The main disadvantage of consumer observation is that it is affected by the subjectivity of consumers and observers, the interpretation and understanding of data is difficult, and the credibility and validity of the results are low. The main themes of consumer observation are:

Behavioral observation: to understand the specific behavior of consumers when purchasing or using products or services, including the sequence, frequency, duration, mode, result, etc. of the behavior;

Expression observation: to understand the facial expressions of consumers when purchasing or using products or services, including the type, intensity, change and meaning of expressions;

Action observation: to understand the physical movements of consumers when purchasing or using products or services, including the type, frequency, direction, purpose, effect, etc. of the movements;

Environmental observation: to understand the environmental factors when consumers buy or use products or services, including the type, characteristics, layout, atmosphere, influence, etc. of the environment.

2. Quantitative research

Quantitative research refers to the collection and analysis of numerical data such as the number, proportion and frequency of consumers in a structured or standardized way to measure and evaluate the characteristics, needs, cognition, motivation and behavior of consumers. The main features of quantitative research are:

Data sources: The data sources of quantitative research are mainly consumer questionnaires, tests, experiments, etc., and the data are mainly in the form of numbers, percentages, grades, etc;

Data volume: The amount of data in quantitative research is relatively large, and the representativeness and universality of the sample are generally pursued, rather than the diversity and typicality of the sample;

Data analysis: The data analysis of quantitative research mainly relies on objective statistics and calculations, using methods such as description, inference, prediction, etc., with fixed analytical models and statistical tools;

Findings: The findings of quantitative research are primarily quantitative and evaluative and can be used for inference and prediction rather than for discovery and exploration, providing breadth of data and evidence.

Common types and topics of quantitative research are:

Consumer questionnaire: Consumer questionnaire refers to the design of a series of questions to collect data from consumers about their characteristics, needs, cognition, motivation, behavior, etc., in order to measure and evaluate various variables of consumers. The main advantage of the consumer questionnaire is that a large amount of standard data can be obtained, the data can be easily sorted and analyzed, reliable and consistent results can be obtained, and comparison and promotion can be carried out. The main disadvantage of the consumer questionnaire is that it is affected by the design of the question, the honesty of the consumer, the recovery rate, etc., the quality and validity of the data are difficult to guarantee, the depth and detail of the data are less, and the interpretation and application of the results are more difficult. The main themes of the consumer questionnaire are:

Feature analysis: to understand the basic characteristics of consumers, including age, gender, education, income, occupation, family, etc;

Demand analysis: to understand the degree of consumer demand for products or services, demand types, demand differences, demand potential, etc;

Cognitive analysis: to understand consumers' knowledge, understanding, evaluation, beliefs, attitudes, etc. of products or services;

Motivation analysis: to understand the purpose, reasons, motivation, incentives, etc. of consumers to purchase or use products or services;

Behavioral analysis: understanding the process, frequency, manner, scenario, and results of consumers purchasing or using products or services;

Mental analysis: to understand consumers' psychological feelings, emotional reactions, values, lifestyles, etc. towards products or services.

Consumer testing: Consumer testing refers to the collection of data from consumers about their perceptions, satisfaction, preferences, etc., by allowing consumers to actually use or experience products or services to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of products or services. The main advantage of consumer testing is that it can obtain real and effective data, can directly reflect the advantages and disadvantages and problems of products or services, can improve consumer participation and trust, and can provide suggestions and directions for improvement.

Observation: to understand the consumer's perception, evaluation, preference, etc. of the product or service;

Satisfaction test: to understand the consumer's satisfaction with the product or service, loyalty, willingness to recommend, etc;

Preference testing: understanding consumers' choices, rankings, comparisons, etc. of different products or services;

Performance testing: understanding the impact, change, result, etc. of a product or service on consumers.

Consumer experiment: consumer experiment refers to the design of one or more experimental conditions, to provide consumers with different products or services, or to show consumers different information or stimuli, in order to collect and analyze consumer reactions, behavior, results and other data, in order to test and verify consumer assumptions and theories. The main advantages of consumer experiments are that accurate and controllable data can be obtained, consumer causality can be directly proved or denied, consumer reliability and validity can be improved, and prediction and reasoning can be carried out. The main disadvantages of consumer experiments are that they are influenced by experimental design, experimental operation, experimental effects, etc., the external validity and universality of data are low, and the analysis and interpretation of data are more complex and professional. The main themes of the consumer experiment are:

Factor experiments: to understand the influence and effect of different factors (such as price, brand, packaging, etc.) on consumer reactions, behaviors, results, etc;

Situational experiments: to understand the influence and effect of different situations (such as time, place, atmosphere, etc.) on consumers' reactions, behaviors, results, etc;

Information experiment: to understand the influence and effect of different information (such as advertisement, word-of-mouth, label, etc.) on consumers' reaction, behavior and result;

Stimulus experiment: to understand the effects and effects of different stimuli (such as music, color, taste, etc.) on consumers' reactions, behaviors, results, etc.

The Case of 3. Consumer Research

Shangpu Consulting Company is a professional market research and consulting company, providing consumer research services for customers in all walks of life, helping customers understand consumer needs and behaviors, and enhancing their market competitiveness and marketing effects. Here are some of the success stories from Champ Consulting that demonstrate the practical application and value of consumer research.

Case 1: Consumer demand analysis for a fast-food company.

Research purposes: to understand the consumer demand level, demand intensity, demand difference, demand potential, etc., to provide the basis for the product development and market strategy of the fast consumer products company;

Research methods: using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, first conduct consumer interviews and focus groups, in-depth understanding of consumer demand motivation, demand types, demand barriers, etc., and then conduct consumer questionnaires to quantify the degree of consumer demand, demand satisfaction, demand potential, etc;

Research results: It is found that consumers' demand for fast-consumer goods is mainly divided into functional demand, quality demand, emotional demand and social demand. Different consumer groups have different demand levels and demand intensity. Consumers' demand satisfaction for fast-consumer goods is low, and there is a large demand potential;

Research suggestions: it is suggested that FMCT companies should develop and launch different products and services according to the different needs of consumers, improve the functionality, quality, emotion and sociality of products, increase the satisfaction and loyalty of consumers' needs, and tap the demand potential and market potential of consumers.

Case 2: Consumer perception analysis for a car company

Research purpose: to understand consumers' brand awareness, brand impression, brand attitude and brand loyalty of automobile companies, so as to provide basis for brand management and brand marketing of automobile companies;

Research methods: a quantitative-based method is used to conduct consumer questionnaires to measure consumers' brand awareness, brand image, brand preference, brand recommend, etc., and at the same time conduct consumer tests to assess consumers' product performance, product satisfaction, product loyalty, etc. to automobile companies;

Research results: It is found that consumers have a high brand awareness of automobile companies, brand awareness and brand image have reached a high level, brand attitude and brand loyalty are relatively stable, but brand preference and brand recommend are low, and there is a large room for improvement;

Research suggestions: it is suggested that automobile companies should continue to consolidate and enhance brand awareness, increase brand differentiation and personalization, improve brand attractiveness and influence, strengthen brand communication and interaction, increase brand affinity and trust, and promote brand preference and recommend.

Case 3: Consumer behavior analysis for an e-commerce platform

Research purpose: to understand the shopping behavior of consumers on the e-commerce platform, including the process, frequency, mode, scene and result of shopping, so as to provide the basis for the operation and optimization of the e-commerce platform;

Research methods: Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, first conduct consumer diaries and consumer observations, record and observe consumers' shopping behavior on the e-commerce platform, and then conduct consumer questionnaires to quantitatively analyze the characteristics of consumers' shopping behavior, influencing factors, satisfaction, etc;

Survey results: It is found that consumers' shopping behavior on e-commerce platform is mainly divided into four stages: information search, product comparison, purchase decision and purchase evaluation. Different consumer groups have different shopping behavior patterns, and consumers' shopping behavior is affected by many factors, such as product characteristics, platform characteristics, personal characteristics, environmental characteristics, etc. Consumers are highly satisfied with the shopping behavior of e-commerce platform, but there are still some problems and deficiencies;

Research suggestion: it is suggested that the e-commerce platform should provide different products and services according to the different shopping behavior patterns of consumers, meet the different needs and preferences of consumers, optimize the function and design of the e-commerce platform, improve the usability and credibility of the e-commerce platform, and increase the efficiency and effect of consumers' shopping behavior.

Summary of 4. Consumer Research

Consumer research is an important part of market research, which aims to understand the characteristics, needs, cognition, motivation, behavior and mental model of consumers, and provide data and insight for product development, brand management, market segmentation, marketing strategy, etc. The form and content of consumer research depends on the purpose, object, method and tool of the research. Different research types and topics have different advantages and disadvantages and applicable scenarios. This paper compares and analyzes the common types and themes of consumer research from the qualitative and quantitative dimensions, with a view to providing reference and guidance for the design and implementation of consumer research. This paper also combines some successful cases of Shangpu Consulting Company to show the practical application and value of consumer research.