Have you ever wondered why a manufacturer so easily guesses the desires of consumers, knows when to offer the right product and at a certain moment offers something completely new, but so necessary for every person? It's simple - the manufacturer studies its consumer, or rather conducts marketing research, in order to be one step ahead of the buyer.
What is market research
If you give a clear and short explanation of what marketing research is, then it is the search for the necessary information, its collection and further analysis in any field of activity. For a broader definition, it is worth analyzing the main stages of the study, which sometimes lasts for years. But in the final version, this is the beginning and end of any marketing activity in the enterprise (creation of goods, promotion, expansion of the line, etc.). Before a product appears on the shelves, marketers research consumers, while first conducting an initial collection of information, and then a desk study to draw the right conclusion andmove in the right direction.
Research objectives
. In a generalized form, the following tasks are distinguished:
- Collecting, processing and analyzing information.
- Market research: capacity, supply and demand.
- Assessing your capabilities and competitors.
- Analysis of a manufactured product or service.
All these tasks must be solved step by step. There will definitely be highly specialized or generalized questions. Depending on the task, research methods will be selected that go through certain stages.
Stages of marketing research
Despite the fact that marketing research is carried out often, and all of them differ from each other, there is a certain plan that everyone should follow, which means conducting the study in stages. There are about 5 stages:
- Identifying problems, formulating goals and finding a way to solve problems. This also includes setting goals.
- Selection of sources of information for analysis and problem solving using desk research. As a rule, firms can use their data to identify what their problem is and understand how to solve it without going out into the field.
- If the existing data of the enterprise is not enough, and new information is needed, then it will be necessary to conduct field research, determining the volume, sample structure and, of course, the object of research. These two important steps need to be written in more detail.
- After collecting the data, it is necessary to analyze it, first structuring it, for example, into a table, to make the analysis easier.
- The last stage is usually the conclusion, which can be in short form and expanded. These can be both recommendations and suggestions on what is best done for the company. But the final conclusion is made by the head of the enterprise, after reviewing the study.
Types of data collection for research
As mentioned above, there are two types of information collection, and you can use both at once or choose only one. Allocate field research (or the collection of primary information) and desk research (ie, the collection of secondary information). Every self-respecting enterprise, as a rule, conducts both field and desk gatherings of information, although a considerable budget is spent on this. But this approach allows you to collect more relevant data and draw more accurate conclusions.
Primary information and methods of its collection
Before you go to collect information, you need to determine how much you need to collect, and what method is best for solving the problem. The researcher participates directly and uses the following methods of collecting primary information:
- Poll - written, oral by phone or via the Internet, when people are asked to answer several questions, choosing one of the options offered or giving a detailed answer.
- Observation or analysis of people's behavior in a given situation in order to understand what drives a person, why he performs such actions. But there is a drawback of this method - they do not always analyze actions correctly.
- Experiment - studying the dependence of some factors on others, when one factor changes, it is necessary to identify how it affects all other binders
Methods of collecting primary information allow you to obtain data on the state of demand for a service or product at a certain time and place with individual consumers. Further, based on the data obtained, certain conclusions are drawn that can help solve the problem. If this is not enough, then it is worth doing additional research or using several methods and types of research.
Desk Study
Secondary information is already available data from different sources, on the basis of which you can make an analysis and get certain results. At the same time, the sources of their receipt can be both external and internal.
Internal data includes the data of the company itself, for example, turnover, statistics of purchases and expenses, sales volume, raw material costs, etc. - everything that the company has at its disposal should be used. Such desk marketing research sometimes helps solve a problem where itcould not be seen and found even new ideas that can be implemented.
External sources of information are available to everyone. They can be in the form of books and newspapers, publications of general statistics, works of scientists about achieving something, reports on activities carried out, and much more that may be of interest to a particular enterprise.
Pros and cons of collecting secondary information
The desk method of research has its advantages and disadvantages, and therefore, when conducting research, it is recommended to use two types at once in order to obtain more complete information.
The benefits of obtaining secondary information:
- lower research costs (sometimes only equal to time spent);
- if the research tasks are simple enough, and the question of creating a new product is not raised, then, as a rule, secondary information is sufficient;
- quick collection of materials;
- receiving information from several sources at once.
Disadvantages of obtaining secondary information:
- data from external sources is available to everyone and can be easily used by competitors;
- available information is often general and not always suitable for a specific target audience;
- information quickly becomes outdated and may not be complete.
