Purpose and content of consumer research in 1. frozen food industry

Quick-frozen food refers to food that can be stored under low temperature conditions for a long time after quick-frozen treatment, and only needs to be heated or cooked before eating, including quick-frozen dumplings, glutinous rice balls, steamed buns, steamed buns, noodles, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. Quick-frozen food is convenient, fast, diverse, hygienic and nutritious, which adapts to the fast-paced lifestyle and diversified dietary needs of modern people. The scale of China's quick-frozen food market continues to expand, reaching 168.85 billion yuan in 2022 and is expected to reach 213.09 billion yuan in 2025. The quick-frozen food industry has become an important part of China's food industry, with huge development potential and market space.

However, with the continuous change and segmentation of consumer demand, the frozen food industry is also facing fierce competition and challenges, such as product homogeneity, brand dispersion, low consumer loyalty, food safety risks, new consumer behaviors, etc. In order to stand out in the competition, frozen food enterprises need to constantly innovate and optimize products and services, improve product quality, taste, nutritional value, packaging design, brand image, etc., to meet the needs of consumers for personalization, diversification, health, convenience and so on. To do this, it is necessary to conduct effective consumer research, collect and analyze consumer behavior, attitudes, preferences, satisfaction and other data, so as to formulate reasonable marketing strategies and marketing plans.

Consumer research refers to a market research activity that collects and analyzes consumer information through certain methods to understand and meet consumer needs, improve consumer satisfaction and loyalty, and increase corporate market share and profits. The main purpose of consumer research is the following:

-Understand the basic characteristics of consumers, such as age, gender, income, education, occupation, region, family structure, etc., divide the market segments and target markets of consumers, and locate the market position and competitive advantage of products.

-Understand the needs and preferences of consumers, such as the purchase motivation, purchase frequency, purchase quantity, purchase channel, purchase time, purchase scene, purchase method, etc., as well as the category, brand, price, taste, packaging, nutrition, safety and other aspects of frozen food preferences and expectations, to provide a basis for product development and improvement.

-Understand consumer behavior and attitudes, such as consumer purchase process, purchase decision factors, use and evaluation after purchase, as well as consumer awareness, attitudes, emotions, beliefs, values, etc. of frozen food, to provide guidance for product promotion and communication.

-Understand consumer satisfaction and loyalty, such as consumer satisfaction with frozen food, loyalty, repeat purchase intention, recommend intention, etc., as well as the factors that affect consumer satisfaction and loyalty, to provide support for product services and relationships.

-Understand consumers' opinions and suggestions, such as consumers' opinions, suggestions, complaints, feedback, etc. on quick-frozen food, as well as consumers' future needs and trends for quick-frozen food, and provide direction for product innovation and optimization.

According to different purposes, the content of consumer research can be different, but generally includes the following aspects:

-Market size and structure, such as the overall market size, growth rate, market share, market segmentation, market distribution, market potential, etc.

-Consumer characteristics and analysis, such as consumer demographic characteristics, geographical characteristics, psychological characteristics, behavioral characteristics, etc., as well as consumer segmentation, positioning, portrait, etc.

-Consumer needs and preferences, such as the level of consumer demand for frozen food, the type of demand, the drivers of demand, changes in demand, etc., as well as the degree of consumer preference for frozen food, preference factors, preference patterns, etc.

-Consumer behavior and attitudes, such as consumers' purchase process, purchase decision factors, use and evaluation after purchase, as well as consumers' cognition, attitude, emotion, belief and values of frozen food.

-Consumer satisfaction and loyalty, such as consumer satisfaction with frozen food, loyalty, repeat purchase intention, recommend intention, etc., as well as factors that affect consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

-Consumer opinions and suggestions, such as consumers' opinions, suggestions, complaints, feedback, etc. on quick-frozen food, as well as consumers' future needs and trends for quick-frozen food.

Research Methods and Data Sources of Consumers in 2. Frozen Food Industry

The methods and data sources of consumer research refer to the tools and channels for collecting and analyzing consumer information. According to different research purposes and contents, different methods and data sources can be selected to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of the research. Consumer research methods and data sources are mainly in the following categories:

-First-hand data refers to data obtained directly from consumers themselves or people or things related to consumers, such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus groups, experiments, observations, neuromarketing, consumer diaries, consumer behavior data, etc. The advantages of first-hand data are true, unique, timely and targeted, but the disadvantages are high cost, long time, small range and low reliability.

-Third-hand data refers to data extracted and integrated from first-hand data and second-hand data, such as data mining, data analysis, data visualization, data models, data prediction, etc. The advantages of third-hand data are comprehensive, accurate, continuous and innovative, while the disadvantages are complex, technical and difficult to explain.

Data Integration of Consumer Survey in 3. Frozen Food Industry

Data integration refers to the process of cleaning, converting, matching, merging and extracting data from different sources, different formats and different qualities to form a unified, complete and effective data set, thus improving the value and utilization of data. The purpose of data integration is to solve the problems of heterogeneity, redundancy, inconsistency and incompleteness of data, improve the quality and efficiency of data, and provide support for data analysis and application. The steps of data integration generally include the following:

-Data cleaning refers to deleting or correcting invalid or inconsistent data such as errors, duplicates, missing, and anomalies in the data to improve the accuracy and consistency of the data.

-Data conversion refers to the conversion of data from one format or structure to another format or structure in order to facilitate the storage, transmission, processing and display of data, and to improve the availability and readability of data.

-Data matching refers to the correspondence or association of different attributes or fields in the data to facilitate the comparison, consolidation and analysis of the data and improve the relevance and integrity of the data.

-Data consolidation refers to the integration or aggregation of data from different sources or at different levels to facilitate the sharing, exchange and utilization of data and improve the coverage and dimensionality of data.

-Data extraction refers to the extraction of valuable or meaningful information or knowledge from data in order to facilitate the understanding, interpretation and application of the data and to improve the value and effectiveness of the data.

Here are some specific cases of Champ Consulting:

-Case 1: Shangpu Consulting conducted a survey on consumer needs and preferences for a well-known brand of frozen dumplings, using questionnaires and in-depth interviews to collect data on consumers' purchase motivation, purchase frequency, purchase volume, purchase channel, purchase time, purchase scene, purchase method, etc. for frozen dumplings, and the preference and expectation data on the category, brand, price, taste, packaging, nutrition, safety and other aspects of frozen dumplings. At the same time, Shangpu Consulting also combined official statistics and industry reports to analyze the market size, growth rate, market share, market segmentation, market distribution, market potential and other data of frozen dumplings. Through data cleaning, conversion, matching, merging, extraction and other operations, Champ Consulting provides the brand with the following consumer insights:

The main purchase motivation of quick-frozen dumplings is convenient, fast, delicious and economical. Consumers usually buy once a week, 2-3 bags each time, mainly through online channels, such as e-commerce platforms, social media, take-out platforms, etc. The purchase time is usually on weekday nights or at noon on weekends. The purchase scene is usually at home or office, and the purchase method is usually to buy by oneself or share with family and friends.

The main category preferences of quick-frozen dumplings are pork and green onions, beef and celery, leek and eggs, three fresh, etc. Consumers have low brand awareness and loyalty, high price sensitivity, high taste requirements, low packaging requirements, high attention to nutrition, and low trust in safety.

The market scale of quick-frozen dumplings is relatively large, accounting for 40% of the quick-frozen food market, with a relatively high growth rate of 15%, and a relatively scattered market share. The total market share of the top five brands is less than 30%, and there are many market segments, mainly including traditional tastes, innovative tastes, local characteristics, health preservation, etc. The market is widely distributed, mainly concentrated in first-tier cities and second-tier cities, with great market potential, mainly from consumers in third-tier cities and fourth-tier cities.

Based on these consumer insights, Champ Consulting has made the following market strategy recommendations for the brand:

In terms of products, we should maintain the advantages of traditional tastes, and at the same time develop products with innovative tastes and local characteristics, improve the quality of product taste, nutrition, and safety, optimize product packaging design, and highlight product differentiation and characteristics.

In terms of brand, we should improve brand awareness and loyalty, establish brand image and reputation, increase brand exposure and influence through online and offline marketing activities, and increase brand trust and goodwill through consumer word-of-mouth communication.

In terms of price, reasonable price strategies should be formulated according to different products and markets, taking into account the price sensitivity and payment ability of consumers, as well as the price level of competitors, through price elasticity and dynamics, to improve the price advantage and profit margin of products.

In terms of channels, we should strengthen the construction and operation of online channels, use e-commerce platforms, social media, take-out platforms, etc., to expand the sales scope and coverage of products, and improve the convenience and accessibility of products. At the same time, we should also maintain the stability and development of offline channels, use supermarkets, convenience stores, specialty stores, etc., to increase the display and experience of products, and improve the sense of entity and trust of products.

In terms of market, we should formulate targeted market strategies according to different market segmentation and market distribution, consider the differences and changes of consumers' needs and preferences, as well as the situation and trends of competitors, and improve the market share and competitiveness of products through product innovation and optimization, brand promotion and communication, price adjustment and preferential treatment, channel expansion and maintenance, and at the same time, we should also pay attention to the market potential of third-tier cities and fourth-tier cities, and improve the market space and growth rate of products through market development and cultivation.

Consumers' purchase decision-making factors mainly include the following, namely, product taste, price, brand, packaging, nutrition, safety, etc. Among them, taste and price are the most concerned factors of consumers, brand and packaging are the second concerned factors of consumers, and nutrition and safety are the more concerned factors of consumers. Different consumers have different weights and sensitivities to different factors. Generally speaking, young consumers pay more attention to taste and brand, middle-aged and elderly consumers pay more attention to nutrition and safety, and low-income consumers pay more attention to price and packaging.

Consumers' use and evaluation after purchase are generally divided into three stages, namely, use experience, satisfaction evaluation, and loyalty formation. Among them, use experience and satisfaction evaluation are the key stages that affect consumers' repeated purchases and recommend. Consumers In these two stages, they will be affected by many factors, such as product performance, quality, service, and reputation.

Consumers' experience and satisfaction evaluation mainly include the following aspects, namely, product taste, quality, convenience, innovation, satisfaction, etc. Among them, taste and quality are the most important aspects of consumers, convenience and Innovation is an aspect that consumers pay more attention to, and satisfaction is an aspect that consumers pay more attention. Different consumers have different expectations and feelings for different aspects. Generally speaking, young consumers prefer novel, diverse and interesting taste, middle-aged and elderly consumers prefer traditional, simple and healthy taste, and low-income consumers prefer affordable, convenient and fast taste.

The formation of consumer loyalty mainly includes the following aspects, namely, product satisfaction, trust, goodwill, recognition, dependence, etc. Among them, satisfaction and trust are the most basic elements of consumer loyalty, goodwill and recognition are the higher-level loyalty elements of consumers, and dependence is the highest-level loyalty element of consumers. Different consumers have different degrees of attention and formation mechanisms to different elements. Generally speaking, young consumers are more likely to form goodwill and recognition, middle-aged and elderly consumers are more likely to form trust and dependence, and low-income consumers It is easier to form satisfaction and trust.

Consumers' feelings for quick-frozen noodles are generally a kind of pleasure, satisfaction and enjoyment, but there are also some feelings of unhappiness, disappointment and guilt; consumers' belief in quick-frozen noodles is generally a belief of recognition, trust and support, but there are also some beliefs of doubt, disbelief and opposition; consumers' values for quick-frozen noodles are generally practical, economical and delicious, but there are also some healthy, safe, fresh values.

Consumers' comments, praises, forwarding, attention and other data on frozen noodles are mainly based on social media data, using platforms such as microblog, WeChat, tremolo and Little Red Riding Book to analyze the content, quantity, quality, emotion, influence and other data about frozen noodles published or browsed by consumers on social media, so as to infer consumers' social willingness and social influence. Shangpu Consulting found that consumers' comments on quick-frozen noodles are generally made after purchase. The content of the comments is mainly the evaluation, experience, suggestions, etc. of the quick-frozen noodles. The number of comments is generally related to the brand, price, taste, evaluation and other factors of the quick-frozen noodles. The quality of the comments is generally related to the use experience, satisfaction, loyalty and other factors of the quick-frozen noodles. The emotion of the comments is generally positive, such as praise, recommend, thanks, etc., there are also a small amount of negative ones, such as complaints, complaints, returns, etc. The influence of comments is generally related to the identity, reputation, fans and other factors of the commentator. Consumers' data such as praise, forwarding and attention to quick-frozen noodles are generally carried out when browsing the content of quick-frozen noodles on social media, the number of likes, reposts and concerns is generally related to the quality, emotion, influence and other factors of the content. The meaning of likes, reposts and concerns is generally to express the recognition, support and promotion of the content. The effect of likes, reposts and concerns is generally to increase the exposure, influence and dissemination of the content.

Based on these consumer insights, Champ Consulting made the following marketing strategy recommendations for the brand:

-The use experience and satisfaction evaluation stage should provide high-quality, interesting and meaningful experience to meet consumers' use needs and expectations. Through product design, quality control, service guarantee and other methods, improve product taste, quality, convenience, innovation, satisfaction, etc., improve consumers' use satisfaction and loyalty, through user guidelines, practice sharing, collocation suggestions, etc, improve the use method and effect of the product, improve the use ability and confidence of consumers, improve the use communication and use motivation of the product through user questions and answers, user feedback, user rewards, etc., and improve the use participation and use value of consumers.

-In the formation stage of loyalty, we should provide continuous, stable and valuable relationship, maintain consumers' repeated purchase and recommend behavior, improve the repeated purchase rate and quantity of products through membership system, points system, coupons and other ways, improve consumers' repeated purchase intention and loyalty, and improve the number and quality of product comments through comment invitation, comment reply, comment reward and other ways, improve consumers' willingness to comment and influence, increase the amount of praise, forwarding and attention of products by means of like invitation, forwarding invitation and attention invitation, increase consumers' willingness to like, forward and pay attention to them, and improve the social atmosphere and social value of products and consumers by means of community construction, activity organization and content creation.

In the formation stage of loyalty, we should provide continuous, stable and valuable relationship, maintain consumers' repeated purchase and recommend behavior, improve the repeated purchase rate and repeated purchase amount of products through membership system, points system, coupons and other ways, improve consumers' repeated purchase intention and repeated purchase loyalty, and improve the number and quality of product comments through comment invitation, comment reply, comment reward and other ways, improve consumers' willingness to comment and influence, increase the amount of praise, forwarding and attention of products through praise invitation, forwarding invitation and attention invitation, increase consumers' willingness to praise, forwarding and attention, improve the social atmosphere and social value of products through community construction, activity organization and content creation, and improve consumers' social willingness and social influence.

Quick-frozen food is a convenient, fast and diverse food, which has been widely welcomed in the Chinese market in recent years. With the continuous change and segmentation of consumer demand, the frozen food industry is facing fierce competition and challenges, which requires continuous innovation and optimization of products and services. In order to better understand and meet the needs of consumers, frozen food companies need to conduct effective consumer research, collect and analyze consumer behavior, attitudes, preferences, satisfaction and other data, so as to formulate reasonable marketing strategies and marketing plans. Taking Shangpu Consulting as an example, this paper introduces the purpose, content, method and data source of consumer research in frozen food industry, and how to integrate a variety of research methods and data sources to improve the efficiency and effect of research.