Development Status of 1. Feed Industry

Feed is a general term for the food provided for artificial breeding animals. Its main function is to provide the nutrition and energy needed for the growth of animals, and to meet the needs of growth, development and immunity of animals. Feed can be divided into premixed feed, concentrated feed and full-price compound feed according to its ingredients. According to the raw materials can be divided into silage, roughage, mineral feed, vitamin feed and so on. According to the breeding of animals can be divided into pig feed, poultry feed, aquatic feed, ruminant feed and so on.

Feed industry is an important support of animal husbandry, and its development level directly affects the quality and supply of animal products. With the rapid development of China's economy and society and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, consumers' demand for animal products is becoming more and more diversified and personalized, and there are higher requirements for the safety, nutrition, health and green of animal products. This requires the feed industry to continuously innovate and optimize to adapt to market changes, improve the quality and efficiency of feed, and meet the needs of consumers.

根据中国饲料工业协会的数据，2023年，我国饲料产量达到30223万吨，同比增长3%，占全球饲料产量的19.5%，位居世界第一。

我国饲料行业经过多年的发展，已经形成了较为完善的产业链和规模化的生产基地，拥有一批具有国际竞争力的饲料企业，如新希望集团、海大集团、通威股份等。同时，我国饲料行业也面临着一些挑战和问题，如原料依赖进口、产品结构单一、技术创新不足、环境污染严重等。

In order to cope with market changes and industry challenges, the feed industry needs to strengthen consumer research, understand consumer needs, preferences, behavior, satisfaction, etc., assess market opportunities and risks, formulate effective marketing strategies, and enhance the added value and competitiveness of feed.

Purpose of 2. Consumer Research

Consumer research refers to the process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting consumer-related information to help feed companies understand consumer needs, preferences, behavior, satisfaction, etc., assess market opportunities and risks, and formulate effective marketing strategies.

The purpose of consumer research mainly has the following aspects:

Understand consumer needs and preferences. Consumer demand and preferences are important factors affecting the sales and market share of feed products. Through consumer research, feed companies can understand consumers' needs and preferences for the function, quality, price, packaging, and service of feed products, as well as consumers' purchase motivation, purchase process, purchase frequency, purchase channels, etc., so as to provide a basis for the development, improvement, pricing, distribution, and promotion of feed products.

Assess market opportunities and risks. Market opportunity refers to the favorable market conditions that feed enterprises can take advantage of, such as the growth of consumer demand, the lack of competitors, policy support, etc. Market risk refers to the adverse market conditions that feed enterprises may face, such as the decline of consumer demand, the entry of competitors, policy restrictions, etc. Through consumer research, feed companies can discover and grasp market opportunities in a timely manner, avoid and respond to market risks, and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of market forecasts and decisions.

Develop effective marketing strategies. Marketing strategy refers to a series of marketing activities and measures taken by feed enterprises to achieve their marketing objectives, including product strategy, price strategy, distribution strategy, promotion strategy and so on. Through consumer research, feed enterprises can formulate marketing strategies in line with the market and consumers according to the needs and preferences of consumers, as well as market opportunities and risks, so as to enhance the market share and brand awareness of feed products. enhance the competitiveness and profitability of feed enterprises.

Methods of 3. Consumer Research

The methods of consumer research are divided into two main categories: quantitative research and qualitative research. Quantitative research refers to the collection and analysis of quantitative data of consumers to reflect consumer needs, preferences, behavior, satisfaction and other research methods, such as questionnaires, experimental methods, observation methods and so on. Qualitative research refers to the collection and analysis of non-quantitative data of consumers to reveal consumers' psychology, motivation, attitude, feelings and other research methods, such as interview method, focus group method, project method and so on.

Quantitative and qualitative research have their own advantages and limitations and generally need to be used in combination to complement and validate. The advantage of quantitative research is that it can obtain a large amount of objective data to reflect the overall characteristics and laws of consumers, and is suitable for describing and explaining the current situation and trends of consumers. The limitation of quantitative research is that it can not deeply understand the internal psychology and motivation of consumers, nor can it discover the novel and potential needs of consumers. The advantage of qualitative research is that it can obtain rich subjective data to reveal the deep psychology and motivation of consumers, and is suitable for exploring and discovering consumers' problems and opportunities. The limitation of qualitative research is that it cannot obtain a large amount of representative data to reflect the overall characteristics and patterns of consumers, nor can it verify and quantify consumer needs and preferences.

Steps to 4. Consumer Research

The steps of consumer research generally include the following:

Identify research objectives. The research target refers to the information and results that feed enterprises hope to get through consumer research, which is the starting point and destination of consumer research. To determine the research objectives, it is necessary to clarify the marketing problems and needs of feed enterprises, as well as the feasibility and necessity of consumer research.

Design research plan. The research plan refers to the specific research plan and method formulated by the feed enterprise to achieve the research goal, which is the guidance and guarantee of consumer research. The design of the research plan needs to select the appropriate research method, determine the research object, sample, content, time, place, personnel, budget, etc.

Collect research data. Research data refers to the information and materials related to the research objectives obtained by feed enterprises from the research objects through research methods, which is the basis and basis of consumer research. The collection of research data requires the use of effective data sources, data tools and data technologies to ensure the quality and quantity of data in accordance with the requirements of the research program.

Analysis of research data. Research data analysis refers to the use of statistics, mathematics, psychology and other methods, the collection of research data to sort out, summarize, compare, explain and evaluate, in order to draw valuable research conclusions and recommendations, is the core and focus of consumer research. The analysis of research data requires the selection of appropriate data analysis methods, the use of effective data analysis software and data analysis techniques to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of data analysis.

Write research reports. The research report refers to the feed enterprises to present the results and suggestions of the research data analysis to the relevant decision makers and stakeholders in written form, so that they can understand and use the results of consumer research, which is the summary and transmission of consumer research. Writing a research report needs to follow a certain format and specifications, including the title, summary, catalog, text, appendix, etc., highlighting the focus and highlights of the research report, and improving the readability and credibility of the research report.

The Case of 5. Consumer Research

Shangpu Consulting Company is a company specializing in industry research and consulting services. It has many years of experience and knowledge in the feed industry and provides consulting services in consumer research, market analysis, marketing strategy, brand building and other aspects for feed enterprises. The following are some cases of consumer research by Champu Consulting in the feed industry:

A feed company wants to develop a new type of efficient pig feed to improve the growth rate and meat quality of pigs, while reducing the cost of feed and environmental pollution. Shangpu Consulting conducted consumer research for the company. Through questionnaires and interviews, it collected pig farmers, pig farmers, slaughterhouses, meat processors, meat sellers, meat consumers, etc. The needs and preferences of different roles, as well as the perceptions and attitudes towards new feeds. Through data analysis, Shangpu Consulting found the market opportunities and risks of new feed, and provided the company with suggestions on product positioning, product characteristics, product prices, product packaging, product promotion, etc., to help the company successfully Develop and launch a new type of feed, and obtain good market feedback and economic benefits.

A feed company wants to expand its share in the aquatic feed market in order to improve its brand awareness and competitiveness. Shangpu Consulting conducted consumer research for the company. Through observation and experimental methods, it collected the behaviors and reactions of different roles such as aquaculture farmers, aquatic processing plant owners, aquatic product sellers, and aquatic consumers, as well as the use and satisfaction of the company's aquatic feed. Through data analysis, Shangpu Consulting found the advantages and disadvantages of the company's aquatic feed, and provided the company with suggestions on the improvement, pricing, distribution, and promotion of aquatic feed, helping the company effectively increase its aquatic feed Market share and brand awareness.

Conclusion

Feed industry is an important support of animal husbandry, and its development level directly affects the quality and supply of animal products. As consumer demand for livestock products is increasingly diversified and personalized, the feed industry also needs to continue to innovate and optimize to adapt to market changes. Consumer research is an important means for the feed industry to understand consumer needs, assess market opportunities, and formulate marketing strategies. This paper analyzes the development status of the feed industry, the purpose, methods and steps of consumer research, and shows the application and value of consumer research in the feed industry in the light of the actual case of Shangpu Consulting Company. I hope this paper can help and inspire the development of feed industry.