1. ketchup industry overview

Tomato sauce is a sauce made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, and other spices and is used primarily for seasoning and dipping. The origin of ketchup dates back to the 17th century, when the Chinese made a similar sauce called "ketchup" out of fish sauce and spices ". Later, this sauce spread to Southeast Asia, Europe and America, after continuous improvement and innovation, the formation of a variety of flavors and brands of ketchup.

Tomato sauce is one of the world's most popular condiments, widely used in hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, pasta, salads and other food and dishes. The consumption and market size of ketchup are closely related to population, economy, eating habits and other factors. According to data from Zhiyan Consulting, the global ketchup market reached $16.49 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to $20.2 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.14 percent. North America is the largest region for ketchup consumption, accounting for nearly 40% of the global market share, followed by Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. China is an important country in the production and consumption of ketchup. In 2019, the size of China's ketchup market will be about 3 billion yuan, accounting for about 2% of the global market share.

The competitive landscape of the ketchup industry is relatively fragmented, with many types of participants in the market, such as large multinational enterprises, small and medium-sized local enterprises and family workshops. Large multinational enterprises occupy a dominant position in the market by virtue of brand awareness, technological advantages, distribution network and other advantages, such as Kraft Heinz, Unilever and ConAgra in the United States. Small and medium-sized local enterprises rely on the understanding of the local market and the mastery of taste, and also have a certain market share, such as China's Haitian flavor industry, Tianfu number, Pepsi food and so on. Family workshops are the source of tomato paste production, mainly by farmers, using their own tomatoes or tomatoes purchased from the market, using traditional technology and equipment to produce tomato paste with local characteristics.

Consumer demand and industry trends in the ketchup industry are also changing. As consumers pay more attention to healthy eating, low-sugar, low-salt, non-additive natural ketchup products are more favored. At the same time, consumers also have more choices and demands for the taste and style of ketchup, such as spicy, curry, sesame and so on. In addition, with the development of e-commerce and social media, consumers' purchasing channels and ways of obtaining information have become more diverse and convenient, which provides new opportunities and challenges for the marketing and promotion of the ketchup industry.

Brief Introduction of 2. Shangpu Consulting Company

Shangpu Consulting Group Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Shangpu Consulting"), with a registered capital of 50 million, was founded in early 2008, formerly known as "Beijing Shangpu Information Consulting Co., Ltd". After more than ten years of hard work, Shangpu Consulting has accumulated rich professional experience and customer resources in the fields of industry research, market research, investment and financing consulting, and IPO listing consulting. With strong consulting innovation capabilities, first-class service quality, and Strong market competitiveness is highly recognized by all sectors of society, and has now become one of the most leading and authoritative independent third-party research and investment and financing consulting institutions in China.

Shangpu Consulting provides industry research, market segmentation and user behavior research, channel model research, competitor research, market entry research, consumer research, investment decision evaluation, ipo segmentation market research, fund-raising project feasibility study, business financing plan and other segmentation consulting services. Shangpu Consulting has a professional team composed of senior industry experts, market researchers, investment consultants, financial analysts, data analysts, etc., as well as a research network covering all parts of the country, which can provide customers with comprehensive, accurate, timely and continuous In-depth industry reports and customized consulting solutions. The service customers of Shangpu Consulting cover many industries, including food and beverage, agriculture, medical and health, energy and chemical industry, consumer goods, electronic information, automobile transportation, financial services, culture and entertainment, etc., including well-known multinational enterprises, listed companies, government agencies, industry associations, investment institutions, etc.

3. ketchup industry market research case

In order to better demonstrate the method, process and value of market research services provided by Shangpu Consulting in the ketchup industry, this paper selects the cases of market research services provided by Shangpu Consulting for three different types of ketchup enterprises, namely:

Case 1: Provide Chinese market entry research for a large multinational ketchup company Customer background: The customer is a large multinational ketchup company headquartered in the United States, with multiple well-known ketchup brands, and its products are sold to more than 100 countries and regions around the world. Customers want to enter the Chinese market, but do not know much about the situation and opportunities in the Chinese market. They need a comprehensive market entry research report to guide them in formulating market strategies and action plans. Service content: Champ Consulting provides customers with a market entry research report covering the following contents:

China's ketchup market size, structure, growth rate, forecast and other basic situation

In-depth analysis of consumer characteristics, demand, preference and purchase behavior of Chinese ketchup market

Analysis of the competitive landscape of the Chinese ketchup market, the main competitors' products, prices, channels, marketing and other strategies and advantages and disadvantages

Environmental analysis of laws, regulations, policies, standards and risks in China's ketchup market

Opportunities and challenges of China's ketchup market, feasibility and suggestions of market entry, market positioning and objectives, mode and path of market entry, cost and benefits of market entry, etc. Assessment and suggestions

Service methods: Champ Consulting uses the following market research methods:

Literature analysis: Collected and analyzed relevant industry reports, market data, policy documents, news reports and other literature materials to obtain the basic situation and environmental analysis of China's ketchup market.

In-depth interviews: conducted in-depth interviews with major players in the Chinese ketchup market, including producers, distributors, retailers, consumers, etc., by telephone or face-to-face to obtain competitive analysis and consumer analysis of the Chinese ketchup market.

Web survey: A Web survey of potential consumers in the Chinese ketchup market was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire to obtain an analysis of the needs and preferences of the Chinese ketchup market.

On-site inspection: visit the main sales channels of China's ketchup market, including supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, etc., to obtain the channel analysis and price analysis of China's ketchup market.

Service effect: The market entry research report of Shangpu Consulting provides customers with comprehensive, in-depth and accurate information and analysis of the Chinese ketchup market, as well as targeted suggestions and strategies, and helps customers clarify the opportunities and challenges of the Chinese market. A suitable market entry plan has been formulated, which effectively reduces the risks and costs of market entry, and improves the success rate and profitability of market entry.

Case 2: Competitor investigation for a small and medium-sized local ketchup enterprise Customer background: The customer is a small and medium-sized local ketchup enterprise located in Guangdong Province, which mainly produces and sells a kind of spicy ketchup with local characteristics, and the main sales area is Guangdong Province and surrounding provinces. Customers are facing fierce competition from large multinational companies and other local companies, and need to understand the situation and strategies of competitors in order to adjust their products, prices, channels, marketing and other strategies to increase their market share and competitiveness. Service content: Champ Consulting provides customers with a competitor survey report covering the following contents:

Identification and classification of competitors: According to the size of competitors, brand, product, market share and other indicators, competitors are divided into direct competitors and indirect competitors, as well as strong competitors and weak competitors, to identify the customer's primary competitors and secondary competitors.

Competitor product analysis: a detailed analysis of the types, specifications, packaging, ingredients, taste, quality, etc. of competitors' products, and a comparison of the strengths and weaknesses and the degree of differentiation between competitors' products and customers' products.

Competitor price analysis: a detailed analysis of competitors' product prices, discounts, promotions, etc., comparing competitors' prices and customer price levels and strategies.

Competitor's channel analysis: a detailed analysis of competitors' product sales channels, distributors, retailers, etc., comparing the coverage and efficiency of competitors' channels and customers' channels.

Competitor's marketing analysis: a detailed analysis of competitors' product advertising, publicity, public relations, word-of-mouth, social media, etc., comparing the strength and effectiveness of competitors' marketing and customers' marketing

Service methods: Champ Consulting uses the following market research methods:

Network collection: through the network search engine, industry websites, social media and other channels, collect and organize the relevant information of competitors, such as product introduction, price list, channel list, marketing activities, etc.

Secret interview: Through telephone or face-to-face communication with relevant personnel of competitors as potential consumers, distributors, partners, etc., to obtain internal information of competitors, such as product characteristics, price strategy, channel policy, marketing plan, etc.

On-site observation: through on-site visits to competitors' production bases, sales points, exhibitions and other locations, observe and record the current situation and dynamics of competitors' products, prices, channels, marketing and other aspects.

Data analysis: Through the use of statistics, economics, management and other theories and methods, the collected information and data of competitors were systematically collated, analyzed and evaluated, and the advantages and disadvantages and strategies of competitors were obtained.

Case 3: Provide product innovation research for a family workshop ketchup enterprise Customer background: The customer is a family workshop ketchup enterprise located in Shandong Province. It is operated by a couple and their son. It mainly uses tomatoes grown by itself and adopts traditional technology and equipment to produce a pure natural ketchup, which is mainly sold to local farmers' markets and commissaries. Customers want to improve the quality and competitiveness of their products, but lack the ability and resources of product innovation, and need a product innovation research report to guide them to improve and optimize their products. Service content: Champ Consulting provides customers with a product innovation research report covering the following contents:

Customer's product evaluation: the customer's product composition, taste, quality, packaging, price and other aspects of the evaluation, analysis of the customer's product advantages and disadvantages, as well as with the competitor's product differences and competitiveness.

Product demand in the market: the changes and trends of product demand in the market are analyzed, and the main characteristics, preferences, pain points and opportunities of product demand in the market are identified, as well as the main factors and driving forces that affect the product demand in the market.

The direction and suggestion of product innovation: according to the customer's product evaluation and the product demand of the market, the direction and suggestion of product innovation are put forward, including the specific measures and steps of improvement and optimization of product composition, taste, quality, packaging, price, etc., as well as the expected effect and benefit.

Service methods: Champ Consulting uses the following market research methods:

Product trial: Evaluate the performance and feelings of the customer's product in terms of composition, taste, quality, packaging, price, etc. by personally trying the customer's product, as well as collecting and analyzing the feedback of other testers.

Product comparison: Analyze the advantages, disadvantages and differences between customers' products and competitors' products by comparing customers' products with competitors' products, and collecting and analyzing feedback from other comparators.

Product creativity: through the use of innovative thinking methods, such as brainstorming, six thinking hats, mind mapping, etc., to generate and screen product innovation directions and suggestions, as well as verify and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of product innovation.

Service effect: the product innovation research report of Shangpu consulting provides customers with the direction and suggestions of product innovation, as well as the prediction of the effect and income of product innovation, which helps customers improve the quality and competitiveness of their products, expand the market and customers of their products, and increase the income and profit of their products.

4. epilogue

This article demonstrates the professional ability and service value of Champ Consulting by introducing the case of market research services in the ketchup industry. Champu Consulting is committed to providing high-quality market research services to practitioners and investors in the ketchup industry, helping them understand the current situation and trends of the market, formulate reasonable strategies and decisions, and achieve market success and development.