Basic concepts and principles of 1. market research

Definition of Market Research

Market research refers to the activities of providing information support for decision-making by collecting, collating, analyzing and interpreting relevant data in order to understand the current situation and development trend of a particular market or a particular problem. Market research can be divided into two categories: basic market research and applied market research. Basic market research refers to the systematic, comprehensive and long-term research activities carried out in order to explore the laws and principles of the market, the purpose of which is to accumulate and update market knowledge and improve the ability of market analysis. Applied market research refers to targeted, limited, and short-term research activities conducted to solve a specific market problem or to meet a specific decision-making need, the purpose of which is to provide feasible solutions or recommendations.

Purpose of Market Research

The purpose of market research is to help customers (including enterprises, governments, social organizations, etc.) better understand the market environment they face or are involved in, including consumers, competitors, distributors, suppliers, regulations and policies. Through market research, customers can obtain the following benefits:

Improve decision-making efficiency and effectiveness. By obtaining reliable, accurate, timely and complete information, customers can avoid blindness and bias, reduce uncertainty and risk, and enhance decision-making basis and confidence.

Optimize product or service design and development. By understanding consumer needs, preferences, satisfaction, loyalty, etc., customers can develop appropriate product or service strategies based on the characteristics of the target market and market segments to improve product or service quality and competitiveness.

Improve the effectiveness of marketing activities. By analyzing consumer buying behavior, buying motivation, buying process, etc., customers can develop an effective marketing mix (including products, prices, promotions, channels, etc.) to achieve marketing goals.

Enhance innovation capacity and competitive advantage. By keeping track of industry dynamics, competitive dynamics, and technology trends, customers can identify and seize new opportunities in a timely manner to create and maintain differentiation and leadership.

Market Research Process and Methods

The process of market research generally includes the following steps:

Identify the objectives of the investigation. That is, to clarify the theme, scope, content and requirements of the investigation, so as to make it feasible, necessary, important and clear.

Design the survey plan. That is, select the appropriate survey methods, sample design, data sources, data collection tools, data analysis techniques, etc., to make it scientific, effective, economical and operational.

Implementation of data collection. That is, according to the survey plan, appropriate methods (such as questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, etc.) are used to obtain the required data from different channels (such as first-hand data, second-hand data, etc.) to make it authentic, complete, Timeliness and comparability.

data processing and analysis. That is, the use of statistical methods (such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, multivariate statistics, etc.), the collected data cleaning, sorting, coding, classification, summary, calculation and other operations, to obtain meaningful results, so that it is objective, accurate, systematic and interpretable.

Write a survey report. That is, based on the results of the data analysis, combined with the objectives and background of the survey, the use of standardized format and language, including summary, text, conclusions and recommendations and other parts of the report, so that it has integrity, logic, clarity and readability.

Market research methods can be divided into quantitative and qualitative surveys. Quantitative survey refers to the measurement and analysis of a large number of samples in a quantitative way to draw representative and universal conclusions. The characteristics of quantitative survey are objective, accurate and verifiable, but there are also shortcomings such as ignoring deep-seated factors, lack of flexibility and innovation. The commonly used methods of quantitative investigation include questionnaire survey, experimental method, mathematical statistics and so on. Qualitative investigation refers to the in-depth and detailed observation and understanding of a small number of samples in a non-quantitative way to draw meaningful and meaningful conclusions. Qualitative survey is characterized by subjective, flexible and innovative, but there are also shortcomings such as lack of objective basis, difficult to promote and verify. The commonly used methods of qualitative investigation include interview method, focus group method, case analysis method and so on.

Service Quality Evaluation of 2. Market Research Companies

The connotation of service quality

Service quality refers to the gap between the service provided by the service provider to the service recipient and the service recipient's expectation of the service. Service quality is a relative concept, which depends not only on the service level of the service provider, but also on the subjective feelings of the service recipient. Service quality is different from product quality. It has the following characteristics:

Intangibility. Service is an intangible activity or process, it cannot be seen or touched, nor can it be stored or transported, so it is difficult to measure by physical or technical standards.

heterogeneity. A service is provided by a person or machine to a person or machine. It is affected by the interaction between the provider and the recipient, so each time the service is provided or received may be different.

Indivisibility. The service is carried out simultaneously between the provider and the recipient. It cannot be separated or delayed, so it is difficult to evaluate it in a sequential or sequential order.

Variability. Services are affected by environmental factors (such as time, place, climate, etc.) and human factors (such as mood, attitude, skills, etc.), which change with the situation, so it is difficult to use fixed or uniform standards to evaluate.

Evaluation Index of Service Quality

The evaluation index of service quality refers to the specific content and requirements used to measure and reflect the level of service quality. The evaluation index of service quality can be divided into two categories: objective index and subjective index. Objective indicators are indicators that can be quantified or described in numbers or other forms, such as service speed, service accuracy, service reliability, etc. Subjective indicators refer to indicators that cannot be quantified or described in numbers or other forms, but rely on the feelings and evaluation of service recipients, such as service attitude, service satisfaction, service trust, etc.

AccordingParasuramanproposed by et al.SERVQUALmodel, service quality can be evaluated from the following five dimensions:

Reliability (Reliability). That is, whether the service provider can provide services on time, accurately and consistently as promised or expected.

Accessibility (Responsiveness). That is, whether the service provider can respond to and meet the needs and requirements of the service recipient in a timely, flexible and proactive manner.

Guaranteed (Assurance). That is, whether the service provider can give the service recipient confidence and security through professional knowledge, skills, credibility and courtesy.

Innovative (Empathy). That is, whether service providers can stand in the perspective of service recipients, care and understand their feelings and expectations, and provide personalized and differentiated services.

The entity (Tangibles). That is, whether the service provider can enhance the service recipient's perception and recognition of the service through tangible elements such as facilities, equipment, personnel, and materials.

Evaluation method of service quality

Service quality evaluation methods refer to the specific methods used to collect, analyze and interpret data and information about service quality. Depending on the source and type of data, the evaluation methods of service quality can be divided into two categories: internal evaluation and external evaluation. Internal evaluation refers to the evaluation of the services provided by the service provider itself or by a third-party organization based on objective indicators. The purpose of internal evaluation is to monitor and improve the service level of oneself or others. Common methods of internal evaluation include self-examination, peer review, and expert review. External evaluation refers to the evaluation of services received by the service recipient or a third-party organization based on subjective indicators. The purpose of external evaluation is to provide feedback and to meet the needs and expectations of oneself or others. The common methods of external evaluation are satisfaction survey, loyalty survey, word-of-mouth communication and so on.

Service Quality Evaluation Process

Market research company as a professional service organization, its service quality evaluation should follow the following steps:

Determine evaluation objectives. That is, to clearly evaluate the theme, scope, content and requirements of the service quality of the market research company, so as to make it feasible, necessary, important and clear.

Design evaluation scheme. That is, the selection of appropriate evaluation indicators, evaluation methods, evaluation criteria, evaluation tools, etc., to make it scientific, effective, economical and operational.

Implementation of evaluation activities. That is, according to the evaluation program, using appropriate methods (e. g. questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, etc.), from different angles (e. g. customers, competitors, partners, etc.), to obtain data and information on the quality of the market research company's services, so that it has authenticity, completeness, timeliness and comparability.

Evaluation analysis. That is, the use of statistical methods (such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, multivariate statistics, etc.) to clean up, organize, encode, classify, summarize, calculate and other operations on the collected data and information to obtain meaningful results that make them objective, accurate, systematic and interpretable.

Write the evaluation report. That is, based on the results of the evaluation analysis, combined with the evaluation objectives and background, the use of standardized format and language, including summary, text, conclusions and recommendations and other parts of the report, so that it has integrity, logic, clarity and readability.

Recommendations and considerations 3. selecting and evaluating market research firms

Market research companies are professional institutions that provide market research services, and the quality of their services directly affects the effectiveness and satisfaction of customers' decisions. Therefore, the selection and evaluation of market research companies is an important and complex task. Here, we give the following suggestions and precautions:

Before choosing a market research company, customers should be clear about their own research objectives and needs, as well as their own expectations and requirements of the market research company, in order to facilitate effective communication and consultation with the market research company.

When choosing a market research company, customers should comprehensively consider the qualification, experience, professionalism, credibility, price and other factors of the market research company, as well as the fit and complementarity between the market research company and themselves, so as to find the most suitable market research company for them.

After selecting a market research company, the customer should sign a detailed and clear contract or agreement with the market research company, stipulating the rights and obligations of both parties, as well as the details of the service content, service process, service standards, service costs and other aspects, so as to protect the interests and responsibilities of both parties.

When evaluating a market research company, the client should use a variety of methods and perspectives to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth evaluation of the services provided by the market research company in order to identify strengths and weaknesses and make praise and recommendations.

After evaluating the market research company, customers should have timely and sincere feedback and communication with the market research company to express their satisfaction and loyalty to the service quality, as well as their expectation and willingness for future cooperation.

In short, market research is an activity to understand the current situation and development trend of the market and provide information support for decision-making. A market research company is a professional organization that provides market research services, and its service quality refers to the gap between the service provided by the service provider to the service recipient and the service recipient's expectation of the service. The service quality of a market research company can be evaluated from five dimensions: reliability, accessibility, assurance, innovation and entity.