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, demographic characteristics, lifestyle, economic level, etc., to achieve their own aspirations and needs of consumer groups through cognition, attitude, motivation, choice, decision-making, purchase, use and other stages. Consumer research is an important part of market research, which can provide the following values for enterprises:

Understand consumer needs and preferences, identify market opportunities and potential, and develop market strategies such as market segmentation, product positioning, brand management, pricing strategies, and new product development;

Understand the purchase motivation and behavior of consumers, evaluate the effect of marketing activities, optimize advertising, promotional activities, channel construction, sales forecast and other marketing;

Understand consumer satisfaction and loyalty, improve the quality of products and services, enhance consumer trust and reputation, and build long-term customer relationships.

However, the process and results of consumer research are not static, they will be affected by a variety of factors, such as consumer characteristics, market changes, research methods, techniques, tools and so on. Therefore, evaluating and reflecting on the process and results of consumer research is a necessary step to improve the quality and effectiveness of research. This paper analyzes the evaluation criteria and methods of consumer research from the four aspects of the purpose, content, method and result of consumer research, and shows the process and significance of the evaluation and reflection of consumer research in the light of the actual case of Shangpu Consulting Company.

Purpose of consumer research

The purpose of consumer research refers to the main problems and objectives of the research, which determines the direction and scope of the research, and is also the benchmark for evaluating the results of the research. The purpose of consumer research should have the following characteristics:

Clarity: the purpose should clearly express the problems and objectives of the research, and avoid vague and vague expressions;

Feasible: the purpose should be in line with the actual market situation and research resources, to avoid too ideal and unrealistic setting;

Useful: the purpose should be able to provide valuable information and advice for the decision-making and action of the enterprise, avoiding irrelevant and ineffective content;

Limited: The purpose should be within a certain time and space, avoiding too extensive and unfulfilled requirements.

The purpose of evaluating consumer research is to check whether the purpose has the above characteristics and whether the purpose is consistent with the strategy and needs of the enterprise. Evaluation methods can include the following:

Communicate with relevant stakeholders to understand their expectations and needs, as well as their views and suggestions for the purpose of the research;

Cooperate with professional market research institutions or consultants, draw on their experience and knowledge, and evaluate and feedback on research purposes;

Compare with the market research of peers or competitors, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of their research purposes, as well as the impact and enlightenment on the market;

Compare with historical or existing market data and information to verify the rationality and validity of the research purpose, as well as the ability to interpret and predict the market.

The purpose of reflecting on consumer research is mainly to revise and improve the purpose of the research according to the results of the evaluation, so as to improve the pertinence and practicability of the research. Methods of reflection can include the following:

adjust the problems and objectives of the research and study to make them more clear, feasible, useful, and limited;

Increase or decrease the research questions and objectives to make them more adaptable to market changes and the needs of enterprises;

Redefine or refine the research issues and objectives to make them more specific, clear and operational;

Optimize or change the presentation of research questions and objectives to make them clearer, more concise and easier to understand.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example. The company is a professional market research and consulting organization, providing professional market research and strategic advice to customers in various industries. The company conducted a consumer survey in 2023 to understand consumer demand, attitudes and behaviors towards new smart home products, and to provide customers with analysis and recommendations on market opportunities and potential. The purpose of the company's consumer research is as follows:

Understand consumers' awareness and understanding of new smart home products, as well as their interest and demand for such products;

Understand consumers' purchase motivation and behavior for new smart home products, as well as the factors and channels that affect their purchase decisions;

Understand consumers' use and satisfaction with new smart home products, as well as evaluations and suggestions for such products;

Understand the future expectations and wishes of consumers for new smart home products, as well as their needs and preferences for such products.

The company evaluated and reflected on the purpose of its consumer research and found that its purpose had the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages: the purpose clearly expresses the research problems and objectives;

Disadvantages: The purpose is too broad and ideal, without considering market changes and research resources;

As a result, the company has rethought and revised the purpose of its consumer research to make it more feasible, useful and limited, as follows:

Understand consumers' awareness and understanding of new smart home products, as well as their interest and demand for such products, especially the changes and impacts during the epidemic;

Understand consumers' purchase motivations and behaviors for new smart home products, as well as the factors and channels that affect their purchase decisions, especially the differences and advantages between online and offline;

Understand consumers' use and satisfaction with new smart home products, as well as their evaluations and suggestions for such products, especially their concerns and expectations in terms of functionality, safety, privacy, and compatibility;

Understand consumers' future expectations and wishes for new smart home products, as well as their needs and preferences for such products, especially innovations and improvements in intelligence, personalization, and humanization.

Content of consumer research

The content of consumer research refers to the characteristics of the consumers involved in the research, the market situation, the attributes of the product, etc., which determines the depth and breadth of the research, and is also the basis for evaluating the research method. The content of consumer research should have the following characteristics:

Comprehensive: the content should cover all aspects of consumers, such as demand, motivation, behavior, attitude, satisfaction, loyalty, etc., as well as all aspects of the market, such as environment, competition, opportunity, potential, etc., as well as all aspects of the product, such as function, quality, price, brand, etc;

Relevance: The content should reflect the interrelationship and influence between consumers, markets and products, such as how consumer demand affects market opportunities, how market competition affects product positioning, and how product brands affect consumer loyalty;

Important: The content should highlight the core issues and key factors of consumers, markets and products, such as consumer pain points and needs, market trends and changes, product strengths and weaknesses, etc;

Quantifiable: The content should be able to be measured and described with data and indicators, such as the number and proportion of consumers, the size and share of the market, the sales volume and profit of the product, etc.

Evaluating the content of consumer research is mainly to check whether the content has the above characteristics and whether the content matches the purpose of the research. Evaluation methods can include the following:

Compare with relevant literature and data to analyze whether the content of consumer research is comprehensive, relevant, important and quantifiable, and whether there are omissions or redundant content;

Cooperate with professional market research institutions or consultants, learn from their experience and knowledge, and evaluate and feedback on the content of consumer research;

Compare with the market research of peers or competitors, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of their consumer research content, as well as the impact and enlightenment on the market;

Compare with historical or existing market data and information to verify the rationality and validity of the content of consumer research, as well as the ability to interpret and predict the market.

Reflecting on the content of consumer research is mainly to supplement and delete the content of consumer research according to the results of evaluation, so as to improve the comprehensiveness and importance of the research. Methods of reflection can include the following:

Increase or decrease the content of consumer research to make it more comprehensive, relevant, important and quantifiable;

Reorganize or classify the content of consumer research to make it more clear, logical and systematic;

Optimize or change the presentation of the content of consumer research to make it more accurate, concise and understandable;

Add or modify the data and indicators of the content of consumer research to make it more objective, credible and convincing.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example. When the company conducted consumer research, it involved the following:

Consumer characteristics, such as age, gender, income, education, occupation, family, etc;

Consumer demand, such as interest, demand and expectation for new smart home products;

Consumer motivation, such as the purchase motivation of new smart home products, influencing factors, decision-making process, etc;

Consumer behavior, such as the purchase behavior, use behavior, and repeat purchase behavior of new smart home products;

The attitude of consumers, such as cognition, perception, evaluation, satisfaction and loyalty of new smart home products;

Market environment, such as politics, economy, society, technology, law, ecology, etc;

Market conditions, such as market size, share, growth, structure, distribution, segmentation, etc;

Market competition, such as the number, scale, strategy, advantages, disadvantages, dynamics of competitors;

Market opportunities, such as market potential, gaps, trends, innovations, changes, etc;

Product attributes, such as product function, quality, price, brand, design, packaging, etc;

Product advantages, such as product innovation, difference, value, effect, experience, etc;

Product disadvantages, such as product defects, risks, obstacles, challenges, problems, etc.

The company evaluated and reflected on the content of its consumer research and found that its content had the following advantages and disadvantages:

Pros: The content comprehensively covers all aspects of consumers, markets and products, as well as their interrelationships and influences.

Cons: The content does not highlight the core issues and key factors of consumers, markets and products, as well as the changes and impacts during the outbreak.

As a result, the company has rethought and revised the content of its consumer research to make it more important and quantifiable, as follows:

Consumer characteristics, such as age, gender, income, education, occupation, family, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as home office, online education, health management, etc;

Consumer needs, such as interest, demand, and expectations for new smart home products, as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as security, comfort, and convenience;

Consumer motivations, such as the purchase motivation, influencing factors, decision-making process, etc. for new smart home products, as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as energy conservation, environmental protection, intelligence, etc;

Consumer behavior, such as purchase behavior, use behavior, and repeat purchase behavior for new smart home products, as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as online purchases, remote control, and multi-device linkages;

Consumer attitudes, such as awareness, perception, evaluation, satisfaction, and loyalty to new smart home products, as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as trust, security, privacy, and compatibility;

The market environment, such as political, economic, social, technological, legal, ecological, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as policy, demand, consumption, innovation, regulation, protection, etc;

Market conditions, such as market size, share, growth, structure, distribution, segmentation, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as expansion, competition, activation, diversification, fragmentation, refinement, etc;

Competition in the market, such as the number, size, strategy, strengths, weaknesses, dynamics, etc. of competitors, as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as increases, differences, cooperation, prominence, weakening, adjustment, etc;

Market opportunities, such as market potential, gaps, trends, innovations, changes, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as releasing, filling, accelerating, leading, promoting, etc;

Product attributes, such as product function, quality, price, brand, design, packaging, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as enhancement, enhancement, reduction, shaping, optimization, improvement, etc;

Product advantages, such as product innovation, differentiation, value, effect, experience, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as breakthroughs, distinctions, increases, enhancements, improvements, etc;

Product disadvantages, such as product defects, risks, obstacles, challenges, problems, etc., as well as changes and impacts during the epidemic, such as exposure, exacerbation, increase, increase, emergence, etc.

Methods of consumer research

The method of consumer research refers to the techniques and tools used in the research, such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, etc., which determine the reliability and validity of the research and are the basis for evaluating the results of the research. The method of consumer research should have the following characteristics:

Suitable: The method should be suitable for the purpose and content of consumer research, and can effectively collect and analyze the required data and information;

Science: The method should conform to the basic principles and norms of market research, and can ensure the objectivity and accuracy of data and information;

Flexibility: The methodology should be able to adapt and improve in response to market changes and research to improve the timeliness and adaptability of data and information;

Synthesis: The approach should be able to combine different technologies and tools, complement and validate to improve the integrity and credibility of data and information.

The method of evaluating consumer research is mainly to check whether the method has the above characteristics and whether the method matches the purpose and content of the research. Evaluation methods can include the following:

Compare with the relevant literature and data, analyze whether the method of consumer research is suitable, scientific, flexible and comprehensive, and whether there are insufficient or surplus methods;

Cooperate with professional market research institutions or consultants, draw on their experience and knowledge, and evaluate and feedback on consumer research methods;

Compare with the market research of peers or competitors, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of their consumer research methods, as well as the impact and enlightenment on the market;

Compare with historical or existing market data and information to verify the rationality and effectiveness of consumer research methods, as well as the ability to interpret and predict the market.

The method of reflecting on consumer research is mainly to select and optimize the method of consumer research according to the results of evaluation, so as to improve the reliability and effectiveness of the research. Methods of reflection can include the following:

Select or exclude consumer research methods to make them more suitable, scientific, flexible and comprehensive;

Adjusting or improving consumer research methods to make them more responsive to market changes and research conditions;

Combine or validate consumer research methods to make them more complementary and credible;

Add or modify consumer research methods to make them more innovative and effective.

In the case of Shangpu Consulting, the company used the following methods in conducting consumer research:

Questionnaire surveys, through online and offline methods, distribute standardized questionnaires to target consumers to collect data and information on their needs, motivations, behaviors, and attitudes towards new smart home products;

In-depth interviews, through telephone and video, conduct semi-structured interviews with some consumers to understand their cognition, perception, evaluation, satisfaction, loyalty and other data and information about new smart home products;

Focus groups, through online and offline methods, invite some consumers to participate in guided group discussions to discuss their future expectations and wishes for new smart home products, as well as data and information about their needs and preferences for such products;

Experimental testing, through laboratory and on-site methods, allows some consumers to experience the functions and effects of new smart home products, observe and record their use and feedback data and information.

The company evaluated and reflected on its approach to consumer research and found that it had the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages: The method comprehensively combines different technologies and tools, complements and verifies them to improve the integrity and credibility of data and information

Cons: The methodology does not adequately consider the impact during the epidemic, such as consumer engagement, accessibility, security, etc.

As a result, the company has rethought and optimized its approach to consumer research to make it more adaptable to the epidemic, as follows:

Questionnaire surveys, through online methods, distribute standardized questionnaires to target consumers to collect data and information on their needs, motivations, behaviors, attitudes, etc. for new smart home products, and at the same time add some epidemic-related questions, such as consumers' interest, needs, expectations and impacts on new smart home products during the epidemic;

In-depth interviews, through telephone and video, conduct semi-structured interviews with some consumers to understand their cognition, perception, evaluation, satisfaction, loyalty and other data and information about new smart home products, and add some problems related to the epidemic, such as consumers' concern and expectation for trust, safety, privacy and compatibility of new smart home products during the epidemic;

Focus groups, through online methods, invite some consumers to participate in guided group discussions to discuss their future expectations and wishes for new smart home products, as well as data and information on their needs and preferences for such products, and add some Epidemic-related issues, such as consumers' purchase motivation and influencing factors for energy saving, environmental protection, and intelligence of new smart home products during the epidemic;

Experimental testing, through on-site methods, allows some consumers to experience the functions and effects of new smart home products, observe and record their use and feedback data and information, and at the same time add some problems related to the epidemic, such as consumers during the epidemic Changes and impacts on the use and satisfaction of new smart home products.

Results of consumer research

The results of consumer research refer to the data and information obtained from the research, as well as the analysis and interpretation of it. It determines the value and significance of the research and is also the basis for evaluating the research results. The results of consumer research should have the following characteristics:

Complete: The results should contain all the purposes and contents of the consumer research, as well as all the methods and processes carried out on it, and all the analysis and interpretation carried out on it;

Accuracy: the results should reflect the real situation of consumer research, as well as its scientific calculation and reasoning, as well as its objective evaluation and judgment;

Useful: The results should be able to provide valuable information and suggestions for the decision-making and action of the enterprise, as well as effective support and guidance;

Interesting: The results should attract the attention and interest of the stakeholders of the consumer research, as well as an interesting presentation and dissemination of them.

Evaluating the results of consumer research is mainly to check whether the results have the above characteristics and whether the results match the purpose and content of the research. Evaluation methods can include the following:

Compare with relevant literature and data to analyze whether the results of consumer research are complete, accurate, useful and interesting, and whether there are differences or consistent results;

Cooperate with professional market research institutions or consultants, learn from their experience and knowledge, and evaluate and feedback on the results of consumer research;

Compare with the market research of peers or competitors, analyze the advantages and disadvantages of their consumer research results, as well as the impact and enlightenment on the market;

Compare with historical or existing market data and information to verify the rationality and validity of the results of consumer research, as well as the ability to interpret and predict the market.

Reflecting on the results of consumer research, mainly based on the results of the evaluation, the results of consumer research are summarized and displayed to improve the value and significance of the research. Methods of reflection can include the following:

Summarize the results of consumer research, refine the main findings of consumer research andConclusion, as well as important implications and recommendations for businesses;

Presentation of the results of consumer research in a clear, concise and interesting presentation and dissemination to the stakeholders of consumer research in an appropriate form and manner, such as reports, presentations, charts, videos, etc;

Apply the results of consumer research and provide useful information and suggestions for corporate decisions and actions based on the results of consumer research, such as market segmentation, product positioning, brand management, pricing strategies, new product development, market promotion, etc;

Follow up the results of consumer research, monitor and evaluate the effects of corporate decisions and actions based on the results of consumer research, and improve and optimize the process and methods of consumer research.

Take Shangpu Consulting as an example. After conducting consumer research, the company obtained the following results:

Consumers' awareness and understanding of new smart home products is low, but their interest and demand for such products is high, especially during the epidemic, when consumers are more concerned about their needs for safety, comfort and convenience;

Consumers' purchase motivation and behavior for new smart home products are affected by many factors, such as product function, quality, price, brand, design, packaging, etc., as well as market environment, competition, opportunities, etc., especially during the epidemic, consumers are more inclined to online purchase, remote control, multi-device linkage and other aspects of behavior;

Consumers are more satisfied with the use and satisfaction of new smart home products, but they also have more evaluations and suggestions for such products, especially in terms of function, safety, privacy, compatibility and other aspects. Consumers hope that the products can be improved in more intelligent, personalized and humanized aspects;

Consumers have strong expectations and wishes for the future of new smart home products, but they also have more needs and preferences for such products, especially for innovations and improvements in intelligence, personalization, and humanization. Consumers hope that products Can be more in line with their needs and preferences.

The company reflected on and presented the results of its consumer research, which was summarized and presented as follows:

Key findings of consumer research andConclusion: New smart home products are a market with potential and opportunities. Consumers have high interest and demand for such products, but they also have high expectations and requirements. Especially during the epidemic, consumers' needs and behaviors have undergone some changes and impacts, which require timely adjustment and response of products and markets;

Important enlightenment and suggestions of consumer research: in order to seize the market opportunities and potential of new smart home products, enterprises should provide more intelligent, personalized and humanized products and services according to the needs and preferences of consumers, formulate reasonable strategies such as price, brand and promotion according to the market environment and competition, and timely adjust and respond to the changes and needs of consumers according to the impact of the epidemic;

Display and dissemination of consumer research: In order to make a clear, concise and interesting display and dissemination to the stakeholders of consumer research, the following forms and methods can be adopted:

Report: in the form of text and charts, a detailed description of the purpose, content, methods, results, findings,Conclusion, inspiration and suggestions, etc., as well as the evaluation and reflection of the process and methods of consumer research, as a formal and authoritative record and proof of consumer research;

Presentation: In the form of slides and videos, briefly summarize the purpose, content, methods, results, findings,Conclusion, enlightenment and suggestions, etc., as well as the evaluation and reflection of the process and methods of consumer research, etc., as a concise and vivid introduction and explanation of consumer research;

Chart: Visually shows the results, findings, and data of consumer research in the form of graphs and data,Conclusion, enlightenment and suggestions, etc., as well as the evaluation and reflection of the process and methods of consumer research, etc., as a clear and interesting presentation and communication of consumer research;

Video: In the form of images and sounds, it vividly shows the process and methods of consumer research, as well as consumer needs, motivations, behaviors, attitudes, etc., as the true and perceptual embodiment and infection of consumer research.