Consumers are the food and clothing parents of enterprises, and understanding the needs, preferences, behavior and psychology of consumers is the premise and basis for enterprises to formulate effective market strategies. Consumer research is a series of research activities to achieve this goal. This article will introduce the concept, type and process of consumer research, and take Shangpu Consulting Company as an example to show the company's professional services and successful cases in consumer research.

The concept of consumer research

Consumer research, also known as consumer market research, refers to the study of the basic characteristics of the market environment (politics, law, society, culture, technology), demographic characteristics, lifestyle, economic level, etc., and the use of various market research techniques And methods, research on the realization of their own wishes and needs of consumer groups through the stages of cognition, attitude, motivation, choice, decision-making, purchase, and use. Consumer research is one of the most basic and major components of consumer goods market research, which is most widely used in the field of market research, including the study of basic consumer characteristics, the study of consumer behavior and the study of consumer motivation.

The purpose of consumer research is to provide theory, data and suggestions for product development, market segmentation, product positioning, brand management, pricing strategy, new product development, channel construction, advertising, promotional activities, sales forecasting, etc. Through consumer research, enterprises can accurately measure the market scale, structure, potential, trend, competition status, opportunities and risks, as well as consumers' needs, preferences, satisfaction, loyalty, mental models, purchase motivation, purchase behavior, usage habits, media habits, feedback opinions, etc., so as to formulate products and services in line with the market and consumers, and improve market share and profit margin, enhance brand influence and competitiveness.

Types of Consumer Research

The types of consumer research are mainly qualitative research and quantitative research, which complement each other and have their own advantages and limitations.

Qualitative research refers to the research method of in-depth exploration and understanding of consumers' views, feelings, attitudes, motivations, behaviors, etc. through unstructured or semi-structured methods. The main techniques of qualitative research are focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, projection techniques, observation methods, and experimental methods. The advantages of qualitative research are the ability to discover consumers' potential needs, deep motivations, psychological activities and behavioral patterns, to generate new ideas and assumptions, to provide a wealth of details and cases, and to flexibly adapt to different situations and objects. The limitation of qualitative research is that the sample size is small, it is difficult to represent the whole, the subjective influence of the respondents and researchers is large, it is difficult to quantify and statistics, and it is difficult to verify and promote.

Quantitative research refers to the research method of measuring and analyzing the number, proportion, distribution, relationship and difference of consumers in a structured way. The main techniques of quantitative research are questionnaire survey, experimental design, mathematical statistics, multivariate analysis and so on. The advantages of quantitative research are the ability to provide objective, accurate, and reliable data, the ability to validate and test hypotheses and theories, the ability to make inferences and predictions, and the ability to apply to large samples and overall research. The limitation of quantitative research is that it is difficult to reveal the internal psychology and motivation of consumers, to find new problems and phenomena, to adapt to the complex and changeable market environment, and to consider the differences and diversity of individuals and groups.

In general, qualitative and quantitative research are complementary rather than substitutes for each other. In actual consumer research, it is usually necessary to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods based on the purpose, content, stage, resources and other factors of the research in order to achieve the best results. For example, in the early stage of product development, qualitative research can be used to discover consumer needs and preferences, and generate product concepts and designs; in the middle stage of product development, quantitative research can be used to test the feasibility and acceptability of products, and optimize The function and form of the product; in the later stage of product development, the market potential and competitiveness of the product can be evaluated through quantitative research, and the pricing and promotion strategies of the product can be formulated.

The process of consumer research

The process of consumer research generally includes the following steps:

Determine the purpose and problem of the research: clarify what the goal of the research is, what problems you want to solve, and what information you need to obtain.

Research design research plan and tools: according to the research purpose and problem, select the appropriate research type, method, technology and tools, design research content, form, steps, time, budget, etc. This step is the core of consumer research and determines the quality and efficiency of the research.

Data collection: According to the research plan and tools, a representative sample is taken from the target consumer group, and effective data is obtained through questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, etc. This step is the basis for consumer research and requires attention to the accuracy, reliability and completeness of the data.

Analysis results: According to the type and characteristics of the data, the appropriate statistical methods and analysis models are used to organize, summarize, classify, compare, correlate and interpret the data, and obtain meaningful results and results.Conclusion. This step is key to consumer research and requires attention to the reasonableness, validity and interpretation of the results.

Report writing: Based on the analysis results andConclusion, as well as research objectives and questions, write a clear, concise, complete and persuasive report, including background, purpose, methods, results,Conclusion, recommendations, etc., with diagrams, appendices and other auxiliary materials. This step is the result of consumer research and requires attention to the structure, language, format and presentation of the report.

Consumer research services and cases from Champu Consulting

Shangpu Consulting Company is a company specializing in market research and consulting services. It has rich industry experience and professional team to provide high-quality consumer research services to customers in all walks of life. The consumer research service of Shangpu Consulting Company covers consumer demand analysis, consumer satisfaction research, consumer loyalty research, consumer mental model research, consumer behavior analysis, consumer segmentation and positioning, consumer value evaluation, etc. It can provide customers with comprehensive, in-depth and accurate consumer insights and strategic suggestions.

The consumer research service of Shangpu Consulting Company has successful cases in many industries and fields. The following are some typical cases:

A consumer demand analysis for an internationally renowned cosmetics brand was carried out, and through qualitative and quantitative methods, the needs, preferences, motivations, choices, and uses of Chinese female consumers for cosmetics were explored, and consumer pain points and opportunities were found, which provided valuable references for brand product development and marketing strategies.

A consumer satisfaction survey was conducted for a leading domestic e-commerce platform. Through questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews, the overall satisfaction of consumers with the platform and their satisfaction in various dimensions were evaluated, including products, prices, services, and logistics., Payment, after-sales, etc., analyzed the key factors and improvement measures that affect consumer satisfaction, and provided strong support for the platform's user experience and user retention.

A consumer loyalty survey was conducted for an emerging shared bicycle company. Through experimental design and mathematical statistics, the components of consumer loyalty and loyalty to the company were measured, including cognition, attitude, behavior, and recommend. The driving force and resistance that affect consumer loyalty are analyzed, which provides powerful guidance for brand building and market expansion of enterprises.

The consumer mental model research was carried out for a well-known domestic food brand, and through the method of projection technology and multivariate analysis, the psychological activities of consumers on brand cognition, emotion, association and attitude were revealed, and the mental map of consumers was constructed, which provided a strong basis for brand positioning and dissemination.

This paper analyzes the consumer behavior of an internationally famous automobile brand, and studies the behavior of information search, evaluation, decision-making, purchase and use of consumers in the process of buying cars by observation and correlation analysis, and analyzes the internal and external factors that affect consumer behavior, which provides powerful help for brand sales and service.

For a leading domestic educational institutions for consumer segmentation and positioning, through cluster analysis and discriminant analysis methods, according to consumer demand, preferences, characteristics, behavior and other aspects of the data, the consumer is divided into different market segments, for each market segment to design the appropriate products and services, for the organization's market strategy provides a strong support.

A consumer value assessment was carried out for an internationally renowned beverage brand, and through experimental design and regression analysis, consumers' perception of brand value and value preference were measured, and the key attributes and levels affecting consumer value were analyzed, which provided a strong basis for brand pricing and promotion.