Concepts, types and characteristics of 1. consumer demand

Consumer demand refers to the psychological or physical needs or desires that consumers hope to meet when buying or using a product or service. Consumer demand is the driving force and goal of consumer behavior, which affects consumer choice, decision-making and evaluation. Consumer demand can be divided into the following types:

Functional requirements: refers to consumers' needs for the basic functions or performance of a product or service, such as the speed, safety and durability of the car, the calling, surfing and photographing functions of the mobile phone, etc.

Emotional needs: refers to the emotional or psychological satisfaction of consumers for products or services, for example, the beauty, comfort and fashion of clothing, the joy, ease and emotion of music, etc.

Social needs: refers to consumers' needs for social status, identity or sense of belonging that can be reflected in products or services, such as luxury, honor and taste of famous brands, interaction, sharing and attention of social media, etc.

Personalized needs: refers to consumers' needs for personal characteristics, values or styles that can be reflected in products or services, for example, customized uniqueness, individuality and creativity, DIY autonomy, innovation and fun.

Consumer demand has the following characteristics:

Diversity: Different consumers may have different needs for the same product or service, or have the same needs for different products or services, depending on the consumer's personal characteristics, environmental factors and psychological state.

Dynamics: The same consumer may have different needs at different times, places and situations, or change with the consumer's experience, knowledge and attitude, depending on the consumer's life stage, consumption scenario and consumption purpose.

Potential: Consumers may not be clear or willing to express their needs, or there are some needs that consumers have not yet realized or have not been met, depending on the consumer's cognitive level, information access and communication ability.

Hierarchy: the needs of consumers can be divided into five levels according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, from low to high, they are physiological needs, security needs, social needs, respect needs and self-realization needs. Consumers will pursue higher-level needs only after meeting lower-level needs.

Methods and techniques of 2. consumer research

Consumer research is the process of understanding consumer needs by collecting and analyzing consumer-related data and information. Consumer research methods can be divided into two categories:

Quantitative research: refers to the method of collecting and analyzing the number, proportion, frequency, difference and other data of consumers through the design and implementation of representative questionnaires, for example, the measurement and evaluation of market share, satisfaction, loyalty, preference and other indicators.

Qualitative research: refers to the design and implementation of in-depth interviews, observations, experiments, etc., to collect and analyze consumer motivation, attitudes, feelings, experiences and other information methods, for example, consumer needs, pain points, insights, stories, etc. discovery and understanding.

The skills of consumer research can be summarized as follows:

Clear purpose: Before conducting consumer research, it is necessary to clarify the purpose and objectives of the research, that is, to understand what needs consumers have, why they should understand these needs, and how to use these needs to guide marketing activities.

Selection method: According to the purpose and objectives of the research, choose the appropriate research method, that is, according to the type, scale and quality of the data and information to be collected, choose quantitative or qualitative, or a combination of both research methods.

Design tools: According to the research method, design effective research tools, that is, according to the questionnaire, interview, observation, experiment, etc. to be used, design a reasonable structure, content, format and process to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of the research.

Implementation of research: according to the research tools, the implementation of effective research, that is, according to the samples, channels, time and place to be used, the implementation of appropriate strategies, techniques and precautions to ensure the smooth and complete research.

Analysis results: according to the results of the investigation, effective analysis should be carried out, that is, according to the results to be obtained.Conclusion, recommendations and action plans, using appropriate methods, techniques and tools to ensure that the analysis is accurate and useful.

Application and value of 3. consumer research

The application and value of consumer research can be reflected in the following aspects:

Product development: Through consumer research, we can understand consumers' needs and expectations for product functions, performance, appearance, price, etc., so as to help enterprises design and develop products that better meet consumer needs, or improve and optimize existing products.

Service innovation: Through consumer research, we can understand consumers' needs and expectations for service quality, efficiency, convenience, experience, etc., so as to help companies provide and improve services that are more in line with consumer needs, or develop and launch new services. Models and forms.

Market positioning: through consumer research, we can understand the characteristics, behaviors, preferences, needs, etc. of consumers, so as to help enterprises identify and divide the target market, and formulate and implement the corresponding market strategy and marketing mix.

Brand building: through consumer research, we can understand consumers' cognition, attitude, emotion and loyalty to the brand, so as to help enterprises establish and enhance brand awareness, reputation, image and value.

Competitive analysis: Through consumer research, we can understand consumers' evaluation, selection and feedback on competitors, so as to help enterprises analyze and compare their own and competitors' strengths and weaknesses, as well as to find and seize competitive opportunities and advantages.

In order to better demonstrate the application and value of consumer research, the following will be combined with the specific case of consumer research services provided by Shangpu Consulting to its clients for a simple analysis.

Case 1: Shangpu Consulting provided consumer research services for an international fast food chain brand, aiming to understand consumer needs and preferences in the Chinese market, as well as the brand's competitiveness and development potential in the Chinese market. Shangpu Consulting Company adopted a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, through online and offline questionnaires, interviews, observations, etc., collected a large amount of data and information, conducted in-depth analysis and interpretation, and obtained the following main.Conclusionand recommendations:

The brand has high popularity and reputation in the Chinese market, but it lags behind its competitors in the share and growth rate of the fast food market, mainly due to the lack of differentiation and innovation of its products and services, as well as the frequency and effectiveness of its marketing activities.

The demand and preference of fast food consumers in the Chinese market have the following characteristics: first, they pay attention to the health and nutrition of fast food; second, they like the diversity and novelty of fast food; third, they attach importance to the convenience and experience of fast food; fourth, they are influenced and guided by social media and network platforms.

In order to improve the brand's competitiveness and development potential in the Chinese market, Shangpu Consulting Company recommends that the brand take the following measures: First, develop and launch products that are more in line with the tastes and health needs of Chinese consumers, and second, strengthen and innovate products. And the differentiation and personalization of services, and the third is to use online and offline channels and platforms to improve the convenience and experience of services, the fourth is to increase and optimize the investment and effect of marketing activities, especially the use of social media and online platforms to improve brand exposure and reputation.

Case 2: Shangpu Consulting Company provides consumer research services for a domestic e-commerce platform, aiming to understand consumers' use behavior, satisfaction and loyalty to the platform, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the platform, as well as the direction and method of improvement and promotion. Shangpu Consulting Company adopted a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, through online and offline questionnaires, interviews, observations, etc., collected a large amount of data and information, conducted in-depth analysis and interpretation, and obtained the following main.Conclusionand recommendations:

The platform has a high share and growth rate in the e-commerce market, but it needs to be improved in terms of consumer satisfaction and loyalty. The main reasons are the shortcomings of its platform's function, performance, security and stability, and its platform There is room for improvement in service quality, efficiency and convenience.

Consumers' behavior and satisfaction with the platform have the following characteristics: first, consumers mainly access the platform through mobile devices; second, consumers mainly use the platform during holidays and promotional activities; third, consumers are more satisfied with the product type, price and quality of the platform; fourth, consumers are dissatisfied with the payment, logistics and after-sales service of the platform.

In order to improve the satisfaction and loyalty of consumers, Shangpu Consulting Company suggests that the platform should take the following measures: first, optimize and upgrade the function, performance, safety and stability of the platform; second, improve and ensure the service quality, efficiency and convenience of the platform; third, increase and enrich the differentiation and innovation of the products and services of the platform; fourth, strengthen and innovate the marketing activities and user relationship management of the platform, in particular, the use of user data and analysis to improve the personalization and precision of the platform.