Purpose of 1. Consumer Research

Consumer research refers to the use of various market research techniques and methods on the basis of the study of the basic characteristics of the market environment, demographic characteristics, lifestyle, economic level, etc., to achieve their own aspirations and needs of consumer groups through cognition, attitude, motivation, choice, decision-making, purchase, use and other stages.

The purpose of consumer research mainly has the following aspects:

Understand consumer needs and satisfaction, assess market potential and risks, identify market opportunities and threats;

Analyze consumer behavior and psychology, reveal consumer preferences and motivations, and build consumer portraits and groupings;

Test consumer response to product, price, channel, promotion, packaging and other factors, optimize product design and positioning, and enhance product competitiveness and attractiveness;

Monitor consumer satisfaction and loyalty, assess brand awareness and image, and enhance brand influence and loyalty;

Predict consumer behavior and trends, grasp consumer changes and needs, and develop effective market strategies and product innovations.

Methods of 2. Consumer Research

The methods of consumer research are divided into two main categories: qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative research refers to the collection and analysis of consumer speech, behavior, emotion and other unstructured data through in-depth interviews, focus groups, observation, case studies, etc., in order to obtain consumer insights and feelings.

Quantitative research refers to the collection and analysis of structured data such as the number, frequency and proportion of consumers through questionnaires, experimental methods, mathematical statistics, etc., in order to obtain objective and specific information and laws of consumers.

Qualitative research can deeply understand the psychology and motivation of consumers, discover new problems and opportunities, provide innovative ideas and directions, and the collection and analysis of data are more complex and subjective, the representativeness and universality of the sample are low, and the reliability and validity of the results are poor.

Quantitative research is able to accurately measure consumer behavior and attitudes, validate hypotheses andConclusion, Provide quantifiable evidence and recommendations The collection and analysis of data is relatively simple and objective, the representativeness and universality of the sample are high, and the reliability and validity of the results are good.

Generally speaking, the process of consumer research needs to combine qualitative research and quantitative research methods, according to different purposes and stages, choose the appropriate methods and tools to achieve the best results. For example, in the early stages of market research, qualitative research can be used to explore consumer needs and problems to provide the basis and direction for subsequent quantitative research; in the middle of market research, quantitative research can be used to verify consumer behavior and patterns to provide the basis and support for the final decision.

Steps to 3. Consumer Research

The steps of consumer research generally include the following:

Identify research objectives: identify the themes, issues, assumptions and expected results of the research, as well as the purpose and value of the research.

Design the research plan: select the appropriate research methods, samples, tools and indicators, as well as the time, place and budget of the research.

Implementation of research activities: collect, record and sort out data according to the research plan.

Analysis of research results: the use of appropriate analytical methods, the data cleaning, processing, induction and interpretation, to obtain the research.Conclusionand recommendations.

Writing research report: according to the standard format and content, write research report, reflect the process, results and significance of the research, and provide feasible strategies and plans.

The Case of 4. Consumer Research

In order to better illustrate the practical application of consumer research, this paper takes Shangpu Consulting as an example to introduce the case of consumer research conducted by a new beauty retail enterprise (hereinafter referred to as Company A). Company A is a new retail company that focuses on providing personalized beauty customization services. Through a combination of online and offline methods, it provides consumers with tailor-made makeup products and professional beauty consulting. Company A hopes to optimize its products and services and enhance its market competitiveness through consumer research to understand consumers' awareness, satisfaction and loyalty to its products and services, as well as consumers' beauty needs and preferences. Champ Consulting provides the following consumer research services to Company A:

Determine the research objectives: Shangpu Consulting Company communicated with Company A to clarify the objectives of the research, that is, to evaluate Company A's brand image and market performance, analyze consumer behavior and psychology, reveal consumers' beauty needs and preferences, and provide personalized product and service suggestions.

Design research plan: According to the research objectives, Shangpu Consulting Company chose a combination of qualitative research and quantitative research, and used in-depth interviews, focus groups and questionnaires to investigate the target consumers of Company A. The sample included a total of 500 people from Company A's existing and potential customers, as well as competitors' customers. The indicators of the survey include the basic information of consumers, beauty consumption behavior, beauty consumption motivation, beauty consumption preference, beauty consumption satisfaction, beauty consumption loyalty, beauty consumption expectation, etc. The survey will be conducted from January to February 2024 in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Implementation of research activities: According to the research plan, Shangpu Consulting Company collected, recorded and sorted out data through online and offline methods. In an in-depth interview, Champ Consulting invited 20 of Company A's core customers to conduct a one-on-one interview for about 60 minutes in a semi-structured manner to learn about their perceptions, evaluations and recommendations on Company A's products and services, as well as their beauty needs and preferences. In the focus group, Champ Consulting invited 40 potential customers of Company A to conduct a many-to-many interview for about 90 minutes in the form of a group discussion to understand their views and expectations on the new retail industry of beauty makeup, as well as their beauty consumption behavior and motivation. In the questionnaire survey, Shangpu Consulting Company distributed a questionnaire containing 20 questions to 440 existing customers, potential customers and competitors' customers of Company A through the online platform to understand their beauty consumption preference, satisfaction and loyalty, as well as their evaluation of Company A's brand image and market performance.

Analysis of the results of the survey: Shangpu Consulting Company used appropriate analytical methods to clean, process, summarize and interpret the data, and obtained the following research.Conclusionand recommendations:

Company A's brand image and market performance are relatively general. Although it has certain advantages and characteristics in personalized beauty customization services, it still has a lot of room for improvement in brand awareness, influence and loyalty. The survey shows that only 35% of Company A's customers said they have strong recognition and trust in Company A's brand, while 40% said they have no obvious impression and feeling of Company A's brand, and 25% said they have certain doubts and dissatisfaction with Company A's brand. Shangpu Consulting Company recommends that Company A strengthen the publicity and promotion of its brand, improve its brand awareness and influence, and at the same time increase its brand differentiation and personalization, and enhance its brand recognition and loyalty.

The satisfaction of Company A's products and services is relatively high, but there is still room for improvement and potential. The survey shows that 75% of Company A's customers are satisfied with the quality and effect of Company A's products and services, while 15% are satisfied with the price and cost performance of Company A's products and services, and 10% are satisfied with the innovation and diversity of Company A's products and services. Shangpu Consulting recommends that Company A continue to maintain the high standards of its products and services, while continuously optimizing the price and cost-effectiveness of its products and services, as well as the innovation and diversity of its products and services, based on consumer demand and feedback.

Company A's target consumers' beauty needs and preferences are more diverse and personalized, requiring more detailed and accurate understanding and satisfaction. The survey shows that 65% of the target consumers of Company A said that their beauty needs and preferences are customized according to their personal characteristics such as skin quality, face shape and temperament, while 25% said that their beauty needs and preferences are changed according to external factors such as different occasions, seasons and moods, another 10% said their beauty needs and preferences were selected based on popular trends, celebrity demonstrations, expert advice and other reference sources. Shangpu Consulting recommends that Company A more carefully and accurately understand and meet the beauty needs and preferences of its target consumers, and provide consumers with more personalized, professional and intelligent beauty through a combination of online and offline. Customized services to enhance consumers' shopping experience and brand loyalty.

Writing research report: Shangpu Consulting Company has prepared a detailed research report in accordance with the standardized format and content, reflecting the process, results and significance of the research, providing feasible strategies and programs, and providing reference and support for Company A's market decision-making.