1. Introduction

Commercial vehicles refer to vehicles mainly used to transport goods or passengers, including light, medium and heavy trucks, buses, pickup trucks, special purpose vehicles, etc. The commercial automobile industry is an important pillar industry of the national economy, and its development level and trend directly affect the country's economic growth, social stability and environmental protection. The commercial vehicle industry is also a highly competitive market, facing the changes of domestic and foreign market demand, the challenge of technological innovation, the adjustment of policies and regulations, the constraints of environmental resources and other factors. Therefore, conducting market research on the commercial vehicle industry and analyzing its market demand, competition pattern, development potential and existing problems is of great significance for formulating reasonable industry policies, guiding business decisions, and promoting industry transformation and upgrading and high-quality development.

Market research refers to the activities of collecting, collating, analyzing and interpreting market-related information through scientific methods in order to provide a basis for market decision-making. The purpose of market research is to understand the current situation and trends of the market, identify market opportunities and problems, assess market potential and risks, formulate market goals and strategies, monitor and evaluate market effects and feedback. The object of market research can be the whole or part of the market, such as industry, product, consumer, competitor, channel, price, promotion, etc. The methods of market research can be divided into qualitative and quantitative categories, qualitative methods mainly rely on observation, interviews, discussions, etc., quantitative methods mainly rely on questionnaires, experiments, statistics and so on. The steps of market research generally include determining the purpose of the survey, designing the survey plan, selecting the survey sample, collecting and processing data, analyzing and interpreting the results, and writing and publishing reports.

Shangpu Consulting Company is a well-known independent third-party research and investment and financing consulting agency in China, dedicated to providing professional solutions for corporate strategic decision-making. Since 2008, Shangpu Consulting Company has been involved in market research business. In the past 14 years, it has experienced and witnessed the rapid development of China's market research industry. It has provided professional market research and related consulting services to more than 5000 customers, and its service customers cover multiple industries. In the field, it has become the most influential domestic leading brand in market research in China, and has won the "China Market Research Customer Satisfaction Best Brand Award", it has the "the People's Republic of China Foreign-related Investigation License" issued by the National Bureau of Statistics of China ".

Taking Shangpu Consulting Company as an example, this paper introduces the methods and steps of market research in the commercial vehicle industry, including determining the purpose of the survey, designing the survey plan, selecting the survey sample, collecting and processing data, analyzing and interpreting the results, writing and publishing reports, etc. This paper also combines the market research case provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a commercial vehicle enterprise, showing the specific content and process of the investigation, as well as the main findings and suggestions of the investigation.

Methods and procedures for market research in the 2. commercial vehicle industry

1. Determine the purpose of the investigation

The purpose of market research refers to the main task and expected effect of market research, is the starting point and destination of market research, is the basis for designing the survey plan, and is the standard for evaluating the results of the survey. There are several ways to determine the purpose of the survey:

Communicate with the client to understand their needs and expectations, clarify the background, scope, focus and difficulties of the investigation, and formulate the objectives and issues of the investigation.

Refer to relevant literature, such as industry reports, policy documents, academic papers, etc., analyze the development status and trends of the industry, identify opportunities and problems in the industry, and put forward the hypotheses and problems of the investigation.

Drawing on similar or similar market research cases, with reference to the purpose, methodology, content andConclusionLearn from its experience and lessons, and put forward the purpose and problems of the investigation.

Taking the market research provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a commercial vehicle company as an example, the company mainly produces and sells medium and heavy trucks. In recent years, its market share in the domestic market has declined, and it is facing fierce competition and transformation pressure. I hope to understand the development status and trends of the domestic and foreign commercial vehicle industry through market research, analyze its own advantages and disadvantages, and formulate reasonable development strategies and marketing strategies. After communicating with the client, referring to relevant literature and drawing on similar or similar market research cases, Shangpu Consulting Company has determined the purpose of market research as follows:

Analyze the market scale, structure, demand, supply, competition, policy, technology and other aspects of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, evaluate the development potential and risks of the industry, and predict the development trend and prospects of the industry.

Analyze the market scale, structure, demand, supply, competition, policy, technology and other aspects of the medium and heavy truck market segment in which the client is located, evaluate the development potential and risks of the market segment, and predict the development trend and prospects of the market segment.

Analyze the client's products, prices, channels, promotions, brands, services, etc., evaluate the client's market share, competitiveness, profitability, customer satisfaction and other indicators, identify the client's strengths and weaknesses, and discover the client's opportunities and problems.

Analyze the product, price, channel, promotion, brand, service and other aspects of the client's main competitors, evaluate the market share, competitiveness, profitability, customer satisfaction and other indicators of the competitors, compare the differences and advantages and disadvantages between the client and the competitors, find out the competitive advantages and disadvantages of the client, and put forward the competitive strategies and countermeasures of the client.

Based on the above analysis, provide the client with development strategies and marketing strategies for the commercial vehicle industry and medium and heavy truck market segments, including market positioning, target market, product strategy, price strategy, channel strategy, promotion strategy, brand strategy, Service strategy, etc., as well as corresponding implementation plans and evaluation methods.

2. Design the survey plan

The plan of market research refers to the specific implementation plan of market research, is the guidance document of market research, and is an important guarantee to ensure the quality and efficiency of market research. There are several ways to design a survey plan:

According to the purpose of the survey, determine the object, content, methods, tools, time, personnel, budget and other elements of the survey, prepare the outline of the survey plan, and clarify the process and steps of the survey.

Refer to relevant standards and norms, such as market research industry standards, national standards, international standards, etc., follow the principles and rules of market research, ensure the scientificity and legitimacy of the survey, and improve the credibility and effectiveness of the survey.

Learn from similar or similar market research programs, refer to the object, content, methods, tools, time, personnel, budget and other elements of its survey, learn from its advantages and experience, avoid its shortcomings and errors, improve the details of the survey program, improve the feasibility and practicality of the survey.

Taking the market survey provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a commercial vehicle enterprise as an example, according to the purpose of the survey, referring to the relevant standards and norms, and drawing on similar or similar market survey programs, Shangpu Consulting Company designed the market survey program as follows:

Survey objects: relevant institutions and personnel of commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, including government departments, industry associations, research institutions, media institutions, manufacturers, dealers, end users, etc.

Contents of the survey: information on the market size, structure, demand, supply, competition, policy, technology and other aspects of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, as well as information on the products, prices, channels, promotions, brands, services and other aspects of the client and its main competitors.

Methods of investigation: A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including literature analysis, expert interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, field visits, data statistics, etc.

Survey tools: According to different survey methods, design and produce corresponding survey tools, including bibliography, interview outline, focus group guide, questionnaire, inspection list, data sheet, etc.

Time of investigation: The overall time of market investigation is 3 months, which is divided into the following stages:

The first stage: literature analysis, collecting and sorting out the relevant literature of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, including industry reports, policy documents, academic papers, etc., analyzing the development status and trends of the industry, and providing the basis and reference for subsequent investigations. The time is 1 month.

The second stage: expert interviews and focus groups, inviting relevant experts and people from the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, including government officials, industry leaders, researchers, media professionals, corporate executives, etc., to conduct in-depth interviews and discussions to understand the industry Opportunities and problems, evaluate the potential and risks of the industry, and predict the development trend and prospects of the industry for half a month.

The third stage: questionnaire survey and on-the-spot investigation. According to the survey results of the first two stages, design and make questionnaire forms, send and collect questionnaires to relevant institutions and personnel of commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, including production enterprises, dealers and end users, collect and sort out data, and analyze the information of market scale, structure, demand, supply and competition. At the same time, according to the feedback from the questionnaire survey, select some typical manufacturers, distributors, end users, etc., to conduct field visits to observe and understand their products, prices, channels, promotions, brands, services, etc., for 1 month.

The fourth stage: data statistics and analysis, statistics and analysis of the data collected and collated in the first three stages, using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, factor analysis, cluster analysis and other methods, analysis of domestic and foreign commercial vehicle industry market scale, structure, demand, supply, competition, policy, technology and other aspects of the situation, as well as the products, prices, channels, promotions, brands and services of the client and its main competitors, evaluate the market share, competitiveness, profitability, customer satisfaction and other indicators of the client, identify the advantages and disadvantages of the client, and find the opportunities and problems of the client for half a month.

Investigators: The professional team of Shangpu Consulting Company is responsible for the market research personnel, including project managers, project assistants, data analysts, investigators, etc., with a total of 10 people. Among them, the project manager is responsible for the planning, organization, coordination, supervision and evaluation of the entire project, the project assistant is responsible for the daily management and support of the project, and the data analyst is responsible for the collection, sorting, analysis and interpretation of data, the investigator is responsible for the implementation of investigation activities such as literature analysis, expert interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, and field visits.

Budget of the survey: The overall budget of the market survey is 500000 yuan, which is divided into the following parts:

Personnel fees: including the salaries, bonuses, subsidies, etc. of project managers, project assistants, data analysts, investigators, etc., totaling 200000 yuan in accordance with market conditions and company regulations.

Travel expenses: including transportation, accommodation, catering and other expenses required for expert interviews, focus groups, field visits and other investigation activities, in accordance with the relevant regulations of the state and the company, the total amount is 150000 yuan.

Material cost: including the purchase, production, printing, mailing and other expenses of literature, questionnaire, data sheet and other survey tools, according to the actual occurrence, the total is 50000 yuan.

Other fees: including telephone charges, network charges, office supplies, consulting fees, taxes and other expenses related to market research, according to the actual occurrence, the total is 100000 yuan.

3. Select the survey sample

The sample of market survey refers to a part of the objects extracted from the overall survey according to certain rules and methods, which is the basic unit of market survey, the data source of market survey, and the key factor to ensure the representativeness and accuracy of market survey results. There are several ways to select the survey sample:

According to the purpose, content, methods, tools, time, budget and other elements of the survey, determine the overall scope and characteristics of the survey, such as region, industry, scale, type, etc., as well as the number and quality of the sample of the survey, such as sample size, sampling error, confidence level, etc.

Refer to relevant standards and norms, such as market research industry standards, national standards, international standards, etc., follow the principles and rules of market research, ensure the randomness and representativeness of the sample, and improve the credibility and effectiveness of the sample.

Learn from similar or similar market research cases, refer to the overall scope and characteristics of its survey, as well as the quantity and quality of the sample surveyed, learn from its advantages and experience, avoid its shortcomings and errors, improve the sample selection method and process, and improve the feasibility and practicality of the sample.

Taking the market survey provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a commercial vehicle enterprise as an example, according to the survey plan, referring to relevant standards and norms, and drawing on similar or similar market survey cases, Shangpu Consulting Company selected the following survey samples:

Sample of literature analysis: from the relevant literature of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, according to the time, source, subject and other conditions, 100 documents, including industry reports, policy documents, academic papers, etc., were analyzed and sorted out to provide the basis and reference for the follow-up investigation.

Sample of expert interviews: From relevant experts and people in the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, 20 experts, including government officials, industry leaders, researchers, media professionals, corporate executives, etc., were selected according to their positions, qualifications, and fields., To conduct in-depth interviews and discussions to understand the opportunities and problems of the industry, evaluate the potential and risks of the industry, and predict the development trend and prospects of the industry.

Samples of focus groups: 4 focus groups are selected from relevant institutions and personnel of commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad according to conditions such as region, industry, scale and type. Each focus group is composed of 6 to 10 members, including manufacturers, distributors, end users, etc., to conduct centralized discussions and exchanges, understand market demand and satisfaction, and evaluate market potential and risks, predict market trends and prospects.

Sample of questionnaire survey: 1000 questionnaires were selected from relevant institutions and personnel in the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad according to the conditions of region, industry, scale, type, etc., including production enterprises, dealers, end users, etc., through mail, telephone, Internet, etc., send and collect and collect questionnaires, collect and sort out data, and analyze market scale, structure, demand, supply, competition and other information.

Sample of field investigation: from the feedback of questionnaire survey, 20 typical production enterprises, distributors and end users were selected according to the conditions of region, industry, scale and type to conduct field investigation to observe and understand the situation of their products, prices, channels, promotion, brand and service.

4. Collecting and processing data

The data of market research refers to the market-related information obtained from the sample of the survey in accordance with certain rules and methods, which is the basic material of market research, the data basis of market research results, and an important factor to ensure the authenticity and integrity of market research results. There are several ways to collect and process data:

According to the purpose, content, methods, tools, time, personnel, budget and other elements of the survey, determine the type, source, form, quality and other elements of the data, develop plans and methods for data collection and processing, and clarify the processes and steps for data collection and processing.

Refer to relevant standards and specifications, such as market research industry standards, national standards, international standards, etc., follow the principles and rules of market research, ensure the validity and reliability of data, and improve the authenticity and integrity of data.

Learn from similar or similar market research cases, refer to the type, source, form, quality and other elements of its data, learn from its advantages and experience, avoid its shortcomings and errors, improve the details and skills of data collection and processing, and improve the availability and value of data.

Taking the market survey provided by Shangpu Consulting Company for a commercial vehicle enterprise as an example, according to the survey plan, referring to relevant standards and norms, and drawing on similar or similar market survey cases, Shangpu Consulting Company collected and processed the data as follows:

The data of literature analysis: from the samples of literature analysis, according to the time, source, theme and other conditions, the data related to the development status and trend of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad are extracted, including the market scale, structure, demand, supply, competition, policy, technology and other aspects of the industry, as well as data on products, prices, channels, promotions, brands, services, etc. of the client and its main competitors, collating the data into bibliographic and literatureAbstractTo provide the basis and reference for the follow-up investigation.

Expert interview data: from the sample of expert interviews, according to the position, qualification, field and other conditions, the data related to the opportunities and problems, potential and risks, development trends and prospects of the commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad are recorded, including experts' opinions, judgments, suggestions, etc., and the data are compiled into interview outlines and interview records to provide reference and support for subsequent investigations.

Data of focus group: from the sample of focus group, according to the conditions of region, industry, scale and type, the data related to the demand and satisfaction, potential and risk, development trend and prospect of commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad are recorded, including the opinions, feelings and needs of group members, and the data are organized into focus group guidelines and focus group records to provide reference and support for subsequent investigations.

Data of questionnaire survey: from the sample of questionnaire survey, according to the conditions of region, industry, scale and type, the data of market scale, structure, demand, supply and competition with domestic and foreign commercial vehicle industry were collected, including the recovery rate, effective rate, frequency distribution, mean value, standard deviation, correlation coefficient, etc., and the data were compiled into questionnaire and data table to provide data and basis for subsequent investigation.

Data of field investigation: from the samples of field investigation, according to the conditions of region, industry, scale and type, we observed and understood the data of products, prices, channels, promotions, brands, services and other aspects of commercial vehicle industry at home and abroad, including product characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, price level, strategy, change, channel type, quantity, distribution, promotion method, effect, cost, brand awareness, image, loyalty, service content, quality, satisfaction, etc. The data are compiled into inspection lists and inspection reports to provide data and basis for subsequent investigations.