Limitations of the 1. Questionnaire

Questionnaire survey is a commonly used consumer research method, it through the design of a series of questions, to a large number of consumers to collect data, and then statistical analysis, to draw some representative and universalConclusion. The advantages of questionnaire survey are simple operation, low cost, fast speed and wide range. It is suitable for obtaining some basic, quantitative and surface information, such as consumer demographic characteristics, purchasing behavior, satisfaction evaluation and so on.

However, the questionnaire also has some limitations, mainly the following points:

-Difficult to get in-depth information. Questionnaires usually only reflect the explicit needs of consumers, but cannot reveal the potential needs of consumers, psychological motivation, values and other deep-seated information, which is often more instructive for product development and innovation.

-subject to consumer subjectivity. Questionnaires rely on consumers' self-reports, and consumers' answers may be affected by their own cognitive bias, emotional state, social expectations and other factors, resulting in distortion or inaccuracy of the data. For example, consumers may lie or avoid sensitive or private questions, or may be implied or induced by the design of the questionnaire to make untrue answers.

-Lack of situational sense. Questionnaires are usually conducted in an environment that is divorced from the actual consumption scenario, and consumer behavior and attitudes are often affected by situational factors, such as time, place, atmosphere, and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, the data obtained from the questionnaire may not fully reflect the thoughts and behaviors of consumers in the real consumption situation.

Advantages of 2. focus group discussions

Focus group discussion is a qualitative consumer research method. It invites 6 to 12 consumers with certain common characteristics or interests, in a relaxed atmosphere, guided by a trained moderator, to discuss freely on a certain topic, so as to collect consumers' opinions and feelings. The advantages of focus group discussions are:

-Can get in-depth information. Focus group discussions allow consumers to fully express their thoughts and feelings, reveal their potential needs, psychological motivations, values and other in-depth information, and provide inspiration and direction for product development and innovation.

-Can reduce the impact of consumer subjectivity. Focus group discussions can stimulate consumers' thinking and memory through interaction and communication between consumers, and promote consumers' self-reflection and criticism, thereby reducing the influence of consumers' cognitive bias, emotional state, social expectations and other factors. Improve the authenticity and accuracy of data.

-Can increase the sense of context. Focus group discussion can simulate or reproduce the real consumption scene of consumers, so that consumers can discuss in a close to the actual environment, so as to increase the consumer's sense of context and improve the credibility and validity of the data.

Advantages of 3. in-depth interviews

In-depth interview is a qualitative consumer research method. It uses a one-to-one approach, with a trained interviewer, based on a flexible interview outline, to conduct an in-depth dialogue with consumers on a certain topic. In order to collect consumer opinions and feelings. The advantages of in-depth interviews are:

-Access to in-depth information. In-depth interviews can allow consumers to describe their consumption experiences and feelings in detail, reveal consumers' potential needs, psychological motives, values and other in-depth information, and provide reference and basis for product development and innovation.

-Can reduce the impact of consumer subjectivity. In-depth interviews can stimulate consumers' thinking and memory through interviewers' skills and strategies, such as listening, encouragement, guidance, exploration, challenges, etc., and promote consumers' self-reflection and criticism, thereby reducing consumers' cognitive biases, The influence of emotional state, social expectations and other factors improves the authenticity and accuracy of data.

-Can increase the sense of context. In-depth interviews can simulate or reproduce the real consumption scenario of consumers through the interviewer's questions and responses, allowing consumers to have a conversation in an environment close to reality, thereby increasing the consumer's sense of context and improving the credibility of the data And effectiveness.

Advantages of 4. observation

Observation is a qualitative consumer research method that collects consumer opinions and feelings by directly or indirectly observing consumer behavior and reactions in a scenario. The advantages of the observation method are:

-Access to in-depth information. Observation method can reveal consumers' potential needs, psychological motivation, values and other deep-seated information by observing consumers' non-verbal behaviors, such as expressions, movements, and eyes, and provide clues and breakthroughs for product development and innovation.

-Can reduce the impact of consumer subjectivity. The observation method can reduce the influence of consumer's cognitive bias, emotional state, social expectations and other factors by directly observing the real behavior and reaction of consumers without relying on the self-report of consumers, so as to improve the authenticity and accuracy of the data.

-Can increase the sense of context. The observation method can increase the consumer's sense of context and improve the credibility and validity of the data by observing in the consumer's natural environment without interfering or changing the consumer's behavior and reaction.

Case Analysis of 5. Shangpu Consulting Company

Shangpu Consulting Company is a professional market research and consulting company. It provides customized market solutions for customers in various industries, helping customers understand market trends, consumer needs, competitive advantages, etc., so as to improve customers' market performance and brand value. Shangpu consulting company has rich experience and professional team in consumer research. It not only uses traditional questionnaire survey methods, but also uses efficient consumer research methods such as focus group discussion, in-depth interview and observation method to provide customers with more in-depth, more comprehensive and more accurate consumer insight. Here are some examples of Champu Consulting's service clients that show the specific applications and benefits of these methods.

-Case 1: A well-known car brand wants to develop a new electric car to meet the needs and preferences of young consumers. Champ Consulting conducted a series of consumer research for the brand, including:

Focus group discussion: Champ Consulting invited some young car consumers to divide into several groups. In a comfortable conference room, guided by a host, they discussed topics related to electric vehicles, such as electric vehicles The advantages and disadvantages, purchase motivation, use experience, expected functions, etc. Through the focus group discussion, Shangpu Consulting found some common views and needs of young consumers on electric vehicles, such as environmental awareness, energy saving effect, intelligence, safety performance, appearance design, etc.

In-depth interviews: Shangpu Consulting selected some consumers who showed high interest and participation in focus group discussions, and conducted one-on-one in-depth interviews with them, and conducted more in-depth discussions on topics related to electric vehicles. Such as the purchase process of electric vehicles, usage scenarios, satisfaction evaluation, improvement opinions, etc. Through in-depth interviews, Shangpu Consulting learned some personalized thoughts and feelings of young consumers on electric vehicles, such as the brand image, social identity, personality expression, and emotional sustenance of electric vehicles.

Observation method: Shangpu Consulting Company arranged some young car consumers to test drive some existing electric cars on the market. At the same time, an observer observed the consumer's behavior and reaction, such as driving style, operating habits, expression changes, language comments, etc. Through observation, Shangpu Consulting found some hidden needs and problems of young consumers for electric vehicles, such as the battery life of electric vehicles, charging convenience, noise control, driving pleasure and so on.

Through these efficient consumer research methods, Shangpu Consulting has provided a detailed consumer insight report for the car brand, including young consumers' overall attitude towards electric vehicles, key needs, important functions, priority attributes, potential obstacles, etc., providing strong support and guidance for the brand's new product development and market positioning.

-Case 2: A new beauty brand wants to enter the Chinese market to attract young Chinese female consumers. Champ Consulting conducted a series of consumer research for the brand, including:

Focus group discussion: Champ Consulting invited some young female beauty consumers to divide into several groups. In a warm coffee shop, guided by a host, they discussed the related topics of beauty products, such as the use purpose, selection criteria, purchase channels, usage habits, favorite brands, etc. Through the focus group discussion, Shangpu Consulting found some common views and needs of Chinese young female consumers on beauty products, such as the functionality, safety, naturalness, diversity and innovation of beauty products.

In-depth interviews: Shangpu Consulting selected some consumers who showed high interest and participation in the focus group discussion, and conducted one-on-one in-depth interviews with them, and conducted more in-depth discussions on related topics of beauty products., Such as the use psychology, use effect, use experience, use suggestions, etc. Through in-depth interviews, Shangpu Consulting learned about some personalized thoughts and feelings of Chinese young female consumers on beauty products, such as personal style, emotional regulation, self-confidence enhancement, and social interaction of beauty products.

Observation method: Shangpu Consulting Company arranged some young female beauty consumers to try out some beauty products of the brand. At the same time, an observer observed the behavior and reaction of consumers through the camera or hidden location, such as mode of use, frequency of use, duration of use, occasion of use, changes after use, etc. Through observation, Shangpu Consulting found some hidden needs and problems of Chinese young female consumers for beauty products, such as the durability, hiding power, adaptability, comfort and difficulty of makeup removal.

Through these efficient consumer research methods, Shangpu Consulting provided a detailed consumer insight report for the beauty brand, including the overall attitude, key needs, important functions, priority attributes, potential obstacles, etc. of Chinese young female consumers towards beauty products, providing strong support and guidance for the brand's market entry and marketing.

6.Conclusion

Consumer research is an important part of market research, which can help enterprises to understand the needs, cognition, attitude, motivation, behavior, etc. of consumers, so as to formulate effective market strategies. The traditional consumer research method is mainly questionnaire survey, but this method has some limitations, such as difficult to obtain deep-seated information, affected by consumer subjectivity, lack of situational sense and so on. Therefore, this paper introduces three efficient consumer research methods, namely, focus group discussion, in-depth interview and observation. These methods can explore the real thoughts and behaviors of consumers from different angles and levels, and improve the quality and effect of research. This paper also shows the specific application and advantages of these methods in combination with some cases of serving customers of Shangpu Consulting Company. The purpose of this paper is to provide some reference and enlightenment for the practice and development of consumer research.