1. clear research objectives

The first step in consumer research is to clarify the goal of the research, that is, what questions to answer, why to answer this question, and how to answer this question. Research objectives should have the following characteristics:

Clarity: The research objectives should clearly express the theme, scope and content of the research, and avoid vague, general and vague expressions.

Quantifiable: Research objectives should have specific indicators and standards that can be measured and evaluated with data and facts.

Achievable: The research objectives should be in line with the actual conditions and resources, not too idealistic or unrealistic.

Meaningful: The research objectives should be consistent with the strategic objectives and market environment of the enterprise, and can bring value to the decision-making and development of the enterprise.

The benefits of clear research objectives are:

Improve research efficiency: clear research objectives can help researchers to design research programs, choose appropriate research methods, collect relevant data, and avoid useless information and duplication of work.

Improve the quality of research: clear research objectives can help researchers analyze and interpret data in a well-founded way, and put forward strongConclusionand advice to avoid subjective biases and misunderstandings.

Improve the value of research: clear research objectives can help researchers purposefully apply and disseminate research results, provide useful reference and support for enterprise decision-making and development, and avoid waste of resources and opportunities.

2. selection of appropriate research methods

The second step in consumer research is to choose the appropriate research method, that is, how to collect and analyze data to achieve the research goal. Research methods can be divided into qualitative and quantitative two categories, according to different research purposes and content, you can choose one or more methods to combine and match. Here are some common research methods:

Qualitative methods: Qualitative methods are mainly used to explore consumers' deep-seated needs, motivations, attitudes and feelings, as well as consumers' cognition and evaluation of products, brands, advertisements, etc. Qualitative methods are flexible, open, intuitive and in-depth, but they also have the shortcomings of subjective, difficult to quantify and difficult to promote. Commonly used qualitative methods are:

In-depth interview: through one-to-one face-to-face or telephone, open-ended questions are asked to guide consumers to express their thoughts and feelings freely, so as to obtain the inner psychology and emotion of consumers.

Focus group: by inviting 6-10 consumers with similar characteristics to form a group, in a relaxed atmosphere, a moderator will guide the group members to discuss a certain topic, so as to obtain the group opinions and interactive feedback of consumers.

Projection technology: by allowing consumers to explain, associate or imagine some vague, metaphorical or symbolic stimuli (such as pictures, words, stories, etc.), so as to obtain the consumer's subconscious and psychological motivation.

Observation: By directly or indirectly observing the behavior and reaction of consumers in the natural environment, so as to obtain the real and objective information of consumers.

Experimental method: Obtain consumer causality and preference differences by observing or measuring consumer responses to other variables (e. g., willingness to buy, satisfaction, etc.) while controlling or simulating certain variables (e. g., price, packaging, advertising, etc.).

Quantitative methods: Quantitative methods are used to describe and measure the number and distribution of consumers, as well as the relationship between consumers and between consumers and products, brands, advertisements, etc. The characteristics of quantitative methods are objective, accurate, quantifiable and generalizable, but they also have the shortcomings of stereotyped, single and lack of depth. The commonly used quantitative methods are:

Questionnaire: By designing a series of standardized questions, a questionnaire is distributed or sent to a certain number and type of consumers to collect their answers to a certain topic or question. Questionnaires can be conducted by mail, telephone, Internet, etc.

Cluster analysis: Through the statistics and classification of certain characteristics or behaviors of consumers, consumers are divided into several relatively balanced and relatively independent groups, so as to carry out market segmentation and target market determination.

Regression analysis: Analyze and predict consumer behavior and reactions by establishing a mathematical model between one variable (e. g., purchase volume, satisfaction, etc.) and other variables (e. g., price, advertising, service, etc.).

Factor analysis: Through data simplification and dimensionality reduction of multiple variables (e. g., needs, attitudes, preferences, etc.) of consumers, several factors that can represent the main characteristics of consumers are extracted to describe and explain consumer characteristics.

Correlation analysis: By calculating the correlation coefficient between two or more variables of the consumer, the correlation degree and direction between the variables of the consumer is measured, so as to analyze the correlation between the variables of the consumer.

Analysis of variance: By comparing the average of a variable (e. g., purchase volume, satisfaction, etc.) under different groups of consumers or under different conditions, the differences between the variables of consumers are tested to see if there are significant differences between the variables of consumers.

Correspondence analysis: Analyze the distribution and comparison between consumer variables by making a cross-tableting two or more categorical variables (e. g., gender, age, region, etc.) and graphically displaying the relationship between consumer variables.

The benefits of choosing the right research method are:

Adapt to research needs: Choosing the right research method can meet the different needs of research by using different data collection and analysis methods according to the different research objectives.

Optimizing research results: Choosing the right research method can improve the effectiveness and accuracy of research by using different data types and characteristics according to the different research contents.

Enrich research content: Choosing the right research method can increase the depth and breadth of research according to different research topics, combined with different data sources and angles.

3. turn findings into action

The third step of consumer research is to translate the research results into action, that is, how to use and disseminate the research data and information to achieve the research goals. The process of translating findings into action involves the following steps:

Writing research reports: Research reports are the main way to present research results to internal or external decision makers and stakeholders. It should include the following parts:

Research background: Introduce the purpose, scope, object and method of the research, as well as the importance and significance of the research.

Research results: display the data and information of the research, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the research, which can be assisted by charts, graphs, cases, etc.

ResearchConclusion: Summarize the main findings and implications of the survey, as well as the limitations and shortcomings of the survey, which can be highlighted by means of induction, generalization and comparison.

Research recommendations: specific recommendations and measures for research, as well as follow-up plans and arrangements for research, can be evaluated and selected using priority, feasibility, cost-effectiveness, etc.

Develop a research strategy: A research strategy is a specific plan for applying research results to the decision-making and development of an enterprise, and it should include the following elements:

Objectives: Clarify the objectives of the research strategy, that is, what effects to achieve, such as increasing sales, increasing market share, and enhancing brand image.

Strategy: Determine the strategy of the research strategy, that is, what methods to use, such as improving products, adjusting prices, optimizing channels, innovative advertising, etc.

Action: The action of developing a research strategy, I .e. what tasks to perform, such as developing new features, launching promotions, expanding into new markets, launching new media, etc.

Evaluation: The evaluation of the design research strategy, that is, monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of the research strategy, such as setting indicators, collecting feedback, analyzing data, adjusting programs, etc.

Communicating research results: Communicating research results is an effective way to share research results with internal or external partners and target customers. It should pay attention to the following aspects:

Target audience: Analyze the audience of the survey results to understand their characteristics, needs, expectations and concerns, as well as their attitudes and reactions to the survey results.

Content: Select the content of the research results, determine the core information and main points to be conveyed, as well as the advantages and values to be highlighted.

Form: Determine the form of the research results, choose the appropriate media and channels, such as reports, presentations, articles, videos, etc., and the appropriate language and style, such as formal, casual, professional, cordial, etc.

Feedback: collect feedback on the results of the survey, obtain the opinions and suggestions of the audience, as well as their recognition and satisfaction with the results of the survey.

The benefits of translating findings into action are:

Achieving research goals: Translating research results into action can make the research data and information not only stay on paper, but really play a role to achieve the expected goals of the research.

Enhance the value of research: Transforming research results into action can make the data and information of research not only descriptive and explanatory, but also instructive and constructive, increasing the practical value of research.

Enhance research impact: Transforming research results into action can make research data and information not only affect the internal decision-making and development of enterprises, but also affect external partners and target customers, and expand the social impact of research.

Conclusion

Consumer research is an important market research activity, which can help enterprises to understand the needs, cognition, attitude and behavior of consumers, so as to formulate effective market strategies. This paper puts forward three key points from the three aspects of the purpose, method and application of consumer research, namely: clear research objectives, choose the appropriate research methods, and turn the research results into action. By following these three key points, consumer research can more effectively enhance the value of data and provide strong support for the decision-making and development of enterprises.