Brief market analysis. Marketing Market Research: Methods and Analysis

Instruction

Develop a research concept: define goals, set tasks, develop a system of evaluation indicators.

Start by determining your company's current position in the market. Consider the timing of the promotion, the location of the enterprise within the given market, the specific terms of the purchase or lease of the premises. Take into account the size of the room, the proposed equipment and equipment in the analysis. You may need storage space, window dressing, etc.

Conduct an assessment of the competitive relationships you need to consider. How strong are the competitors in your chosen field of activity? What is their go-to-market strategy? Is it possible to cooperate with competitors?

Collect information about potential consumers of your products. The methods of obtaining primary information about consumers include observation, experiment, personal communication, interviewing (survey). By collecting primary information, you will be able to identify a specific group of customers for whom the goods and services of your company are intended. Divide customers into groups, determine the needs of each group and how to meet them.

Determine the factors influencing the increase or decrease in the purchasing power of the main groups of customers, this will help you describe their behavior and predict product sales.

Consider Factors external environment: economic, political, cultural, etc. They can change the current state of the market over the next two to three years, which is very important for starting a business.

Bring the results of the analysis together in the form of an analytical report. If necessary, enter market analysis data into the business plan of the future enterprise - this will allow you to assess the risks when starting a business and outline ways to reduce them.

Sources:

How to Conduct Market Research for a Small Business
how to do market analysis

Do you have a growing promising business and a huge number of ideas for their implementation? Or are you just getting started? In any of these cases, you simply need to conduct a high-quality and thorough marketing research.

Instruction

Find those who will be your target audience, or those who are already actively using your product and services. With these people you need to conclude a non-disclosure agreement. And they should also be informed about the honesty of their decisions.

Give them your new idea or product. Explain to them the scope of this novelty. Listen and take note of their suggestions for improvement or use.

Start studying the market if at least one of the people surveyed is interested in your product. To do this, at present, the easiest way to collect a summary is using the Internet and search engines. This is the best way to find out how many other people and companies offer a product similar to your product.

Write down all the received data in the form of a table. Indicate in it the addresses of service providers and their consumers. This will help you decide what kind of contingent you will have in the future, as well as identify your potential competitors.

Determine by simple calculation the number of competitors in the market, their total annual and share sales, and whether they make a profit at all, taking into account various costs.

Rate your product. Pay enough attention to this point. The calculations should take into account all the costs of manufacturing a product or service, payments for, any additional costs (telephone, gasoline, electricity) and force majeure situations. The amount received is divided by the number of expected products.

In case of work through retail network contact companies that have been working in this type of business for a long time and firmly. Many of these giants will gladly listen to your proposal and possibly share it, which will significantly reduce your costs.

Discuss future sales with store owners if you plan to sell the product in this way. Let you already at this stage have a list of potential customers.

Review the pricing policy again to make sure that it is your product that will be bought at the prices you specified. Having reduced all the risk to a minimum and weighed the pros and cons, proceed with the implementation of your idea.

Kinds

First of all, you need to clearly define goals. The subject of research depends on what kind of information you want to receive. The main structural components of the market analyzed by the entrepreneur are:

state of the market (capacity, conjuncture, trends, reaction to new products);
share different companies on the market, their opportunities and prospects;
target segments, their behavior and requirements for the product, the level of demand;
the price level and rate of return in the industry;
free niches in which you can do business;
competitors, their strengths and weaknesses.

Speaking about how to properly analyze the market, it is worth emphasizing that a specific, understandable goal allows you to reduce costs, not waste time processing useless information and immediately choose the most effective research methods.

General market analysis plan

Comprehensive marketing research is usually carried out at the stage of starting or expanding a business. Its goal is to collect as detailed and comprehensive information about a particular niche as possible. How to analyze the market?

Stage 1: Gathering basic information

The "starting point" in conducting a comprehensive analysis is Market Research (actually, studying the market and its prospects). Ideally, it is necessary to analyze the information for the last 3-5 years.

The key indicator here is market capacity. talking in simple terms, this is the amount of goods that consumers can buy in a certain period of time - a month or a year. For calculations, the formula is used:

V=A×N

where: V is the size of the market, A is the number target audience(thousand people), N - the rate of consumption of products for the period.

Based on this indicator, it is calculated what maximum level of sales a company can achieve in a given region.

The next criterion to pay attention to is the level of demand. It is important to take into account the dynamics of the market, whether it is developing or, on the contrary, declining. In the first case, it is necessary to determine its potential and the boundaries of growth, and at the stage of stagnation, to understand how long this will continue.

In addition, they study the factors affecting the market, the share of key competitors in the total sales volume, and the ways of selling products.

Based on the data obtained, it is necessary to identify the main trends and directions of development, as well as analyze the market prospects - what consumers are choosing now and how their preferences may change in the foreseeable future.

Tip: Up-to-date statistics and research results of individual markets at the international and national levels can be found in trade journals and economic reports.

Stage 2: Identification of target segments

So, we know the volume of the analyzed market as a whole. Now it is necessary to determine which groups of consumers bring the company the main profit, what unites them. For audience segmentation, different criteria are used - gender, age, profession, income level, social status, interests, etc. Depending on the priorities, the significance individual factors may differ.

To decide which segments to focus on in the first place, they additionally analyze:

volume of each segment (number of potential customers);
geographical location;
availability of various consumer groups;
Estimated costs of time and finances to start the activity.

A competent choice of target audience in the future will save the entrepreneur from unnecessary costs and will allow directing resources to attract the most "profitable" buyers.

Stage 2: Study of external factors

Any market is constantly exposed to outside influences. Modern marketers identify 6 types of external factors that affect organizations:

political (state policy in the areas of transport, employment, education, etc., taxes);
economic (inflation rate, loan interest rate);
social (population, worldview, level of education);
technological;
legal (laws regulating the creation and operation of enterprises);
ecological.

Some trends appear slowly, they are easy to predict - for example, back in the 70s, protection problems began to be discussed in society environment, and now eco-friendly business has become a global trend. In the same time, economic situation can change at any moment, and it is simply impossible to say with certainty what will happen in 3-5-10 years.

Stage 4: Analysis of competitors

Speaking about how to learn how to analyze the market, special attention should be paid to the study of enterprises that are already operating in this industry. First of all, you need to learn as much as possible about the companies themselves and their capabilities:

technologies that are used in the production of goods and services;
availability of patents and unique technological advantages;
staff qualification level;
access to limited, scarce resources;
opportunity for additional investment.

The next step is to study the products and services of competitors. It is necessary to evaluate "through the eyes of the consumer", taking into account both rational and emotional factors.

It remains to systematize the data and objectively compare the main market players. For convenience, we suggest using a simple template.

By completing the table, you will get a basic understanding of the main market players and their activities, as well as be able to compare their performance with your own.

Stage 5: Price Analysis

To see the full picture, it is necessary to break down all market players into price segments - economy, premium, etc. It is also important to understand the price structure (cost, promotion and advertising costs, markup) and approximately calculate the profit from each sale.

Often readers ask me the question: how much does it cost to develop a competent business plan? And, often, having learned the size of the amount (about 50-120 thousand rubles), they abandon the idea of ordering the creation of a document to order, preferring either to sketch for themselves the milestones of their future actions to organize a business, or to act according to the situation, not only without a clear idea about what market analysis is, but even what exactly they will do in a week, a month, a year.

The amount for many aspiring entrepreneurs, especially now that economic forecasts for 2016 are very disappointing, is indeed overwhelming. It is for these categories of businessmen that I decided to create a series of articles on how you can write a business plan yourself.

Continuing to expand on the topic of writing a business plan, which was started in these articles: “How to write a business plan cover page”, “Description of a company in a business plan”, “Description of services and products in a business plan”, I present to the attention of readers the following topic - "Market analysis in a business plan." You can see the full structure of the document at this link.

What is this section about

It often happens that, having caught fire with the idea of creating a business, many novice businessmen simply have no idea about the niche of the business world in which they are trying to occupy. While studying the target consumer market, analyzing its directions, conditions for entering this market for a new company, the overall situation, development trends, and many other factors affecting successful activity companies require careful study.

Of course, for a professional marketer, this part of creating a business plan will not cause any particular difficulties, but what about a person who has a vague idea about the very specifics of the business? Correctly! Search necessary materials independently, and try to collect the big picture from what was found. Therefore, I decided to give in the article as many illustrative examples as possible, found in real life for a better understanding of the issue.

Market Description

In this subsection, you need to provide as much current information as possible about the situation in the market in which you are going to work, show what the main trends are in this industry, what is the picture of its development in the short and long term.

If a business plan is being prepared to receive investments in credit institutions or from individuals, then you need to explain to your potential investors your ultimate goals for organizing a company, not only show the scale of the market that you are going to conquer (this can be a single region, a country as a whole, or interaction with foreign partners), but also in the following sections to substantiate the reality of their plans. If you are writing a document for personal use, such a market analysis will help you see the real picture of the market, and assess your strengths and capabilities in the implementation of your plan.

It is necessary to analyze the state of the market today, show the dynamics of prices over the past few years (usually a 5-year period), and give the opinion of authoritative, recognized experts on the possibility of developing this area. Describe in detail how your product or service will fit into the general scheme of the market, what impact future changes in this market will have on your business, and what measures will be taken in this regard to maintain the stability of the company.

Writing example
The ____ market for the production of goods ____ and / or the provision of services ____ is currently one of the most actively developing and most promising industries working in this direction. According to the results of ____ year, the market volume amounted to ____ rubles, which is ____% more compared to the previous year. Detailed price dynamics in the market over the past 5 years is presented in Table No. _ Appendix No. _.
Market research and analysis carried out by marketing companies, independent analytical centers, reflected in the reports of companies already operating in this area, enterprises engaged in similar activities, show that in the next __ years, a significant increase in the existing market by __% is predicted. According to moderate estimates of experts, the minimum volume of the industry will be ____ rubles.

How detailed do you need to write about the state of the market? After all, such a study can take more than one hundred typewritten pages! Here you need to take into account that the volume of such an analysis directly depends on the level of your future enterprise, its size and expected prospects.

However, even if your entrepreneurial activity will cover only one small urban area, such a large-scale assessment of the industry will give significant “weight” to your business plan in the eyes of investors, show them the seriousness of your intentions, allow you to see the prospects for the development of your company, which, by the way, may have a positive effect on the possibility of increasing investment or further cooperation in this regard.

But there is nothing to worry about if, when planning a business that does not require solid financial investments, or if it is simply impossible to find accurate and detailed data on the industry in question (this may be know-how, or a highly specialized area), a thorough analysis will not be carried out. Sometimes you can do with your own "calculations", a personal assessment of the market and a forecast for the future. Of course, supported by some kind of logical justification.

Writing example
Based on the fact that the product / service offered by the Company is offered on the market relatively recently (no more than ___ years), and the sales market is in the formation stage, it is very difficult to estimate its real growth volumes for the next ___ years. Although, today it can be argued that this industry is expecting a rapid rise.
This fact is confirmed by the annual increase in sales by __%, and the amount of goods produced and sold annually by __ units. You can also note the increased attention to this industry of large companies, such as ____, ____, which in turn may indicate that the prospects for the development of the market are very high.

Be sure to consider the specific features of your chosen business industry - what are the conditions for entering this market, is there a seasonality factor, you can give examples of other companies starting in this area. Disclose the specific objectives of your choice for the business, if any. The most important thing when determining your “place” in the future market segment, your share in the total volume of sales, production, etc. - objectivity. Be realistic, and describe the real facts in your business plan, not your dreams. Bring as often as possible expert opinions and the results of multilateral studies.

Research of consumers of the offered products

Researching the target audience for which your product is intended to be consumed is one of the most important steps in writing a business plan. First of all, you need to indicate for which market your product is intended - consumer (ie for final consumption after purchase), or industrial (for further use in production or resale).

Entering the consumer market implies a study of the target audience of customers, their social category, gender, age, marital status, education level, income level, place of residence, nature of work, passion, purchasing behavior, and many other factors.

Writing example
The target audience of consumers of the product produced by the Company is women and men aged __ to __ years, married / not married, with / without children, with secondary / higher education, with an income level of __ to __ rubles per month / year full-time / part-time employed, not working / pensioners / students living in cities with a population of ____ people / rural settlements / who are fond of ____.

Describe the behavior of buyers when purchasing your products, indicate what exactly they are guided by when choosing a product / service, if not specifically your product, then similar in features. If you have information about conducting market research in this area, tests on specially selected groups of people, bring them in your analysis. You can also add customer reviews about the proposed product, or similar goods / services.

Methods for promoting products on the market

Actually, everything is clear from the subtitle. In this section, you should show the ways in which you will market your product. One of the things to pay close attention to is pricing strategy companies. First of all, it is the cost of the proposed product that affects the level of its sales, and, accordingly, the amount of profit.

Moreover, the business plan should contain all calculations for the formation of prices for goods, analysis of prices for similar goods from competitors, the possibility of price fluctuations in the direction of increase or decrease, the causes of such situations.

Writing example
When setting the price for products, the following were taken into account: the cost of production of one unit, the cost of moving along the supply chain, the cost of a similar product from competitors.
When establishing the average market value for the products sold, the company will reach the planned profit in __ days/months/years. But since our product has additional unique parameters (list), it became possible to charge a unit price __% higher than the average price in the market.
The results of the survey among potential buyers showed that there is a fairly high demand for such a product, and the majority consider the proposed price acceptable and are ready to purchase products at this price.

If you already have a price list for the products offered, be sure to attach it to your business plan. Use the most effective existing sales scheme in the description - the offer of a product or service:

The right people - your target audience
At the right time - based on the employment of the same target audience
AT right place- based on the location of the target audience
In the required quantity
At an affordable price for you and them
At the lowest possible cost for you

Except pricing policy indicate the tools with which you are going to make your product known to consumers, the scheme of its distribution, ways to stimulate sales, the possibility of service, warranty, and post-warranty service, the possibility of feedback from customers.

In addition to describing these methods, justify their effectiveness in relation to the products offered, why you chose them and not any others, consider the use of “traditional” advertising in the media, the Internet, the possibility of various promotions, discounts, participation in exhibitions, etc. d.

Competitor analysis

Researching the activities of competitors operating in the same industry or related areas is an indispensable part of any business plan. Competitor analysis business plan should be as detailed and clear as possible. Divide competitors into direct and indirect. Indicate their position in this market segment, share in the overall sales picture, income level, advertising methods, equipment and technologies used, human resources - in general, everything you can find out.

Analysis of the sales market and competitors, analysis of the company's position in the market should reflect all the weak and strengths competitors to determine how to effectively deal with them. In the same section, indicate your advantages in comparison with competitors in the sales market, justify why the consumer will choose your product.

To get started, release new products, maintaining stable demand, increasing sales, the company needs information about the business environment, competitors and consumers. The purpose of market research is to obtain as complete information as possible about the subjects and objects of the market, external factors and trends for decision-making in the field of production and sale.

What areas does market analysis include

To make a decision on the possibility of entering the market of goods or services, a detailed market research is necessary:

Determining its type.
The study
Analysis of the conjuncture.
Selection of target segments.
Positioning.
Forecast of sales volumes.

If the market entry has already taken place, the enterprise is operating successfully and making a profit, regular market research is still necessary. It may be incomplete, and include only information that is of interest at the moment, which will allow you to maintain and strengthen your position, to foresee possible changes in demand.

Determining the type of market and its structure

At the very beginning of research or products, you need to decide on the type of market:

local, national or global;
monopolistic, oligopolistic, with free competition;
market of goods, services, raw materials, labor, capital, innovations, securities;
wholesale or retail.
consumer or producer market; in the first case, the position of buyers is stronger than that of sellers, in the second - vice versa;
market of consumers or enterprises (buyers are firms);
closed or open.

In addition to defining the type of market, it is also necessary to characterize it. The market may be developing or fading, limited by legal regulations or economic conditions.

The next step is to identify the division of consumers into segments, to study the needs of individual groups. Market research at this stage aims to prepare information to identify the most attractive segments for a particular product or service.

Market Analysis

Research of the market of goods (services) necessarily includes the study of the conjuncture. This work consists in defining and analyzing:

market indicators;
market shares occupied by different enterprises;
indicators of demand for a product or service;
indicators of supply, production;
pricing.

The assessment of the market situation is not limited to the study internal features market. It is important for marketing to determine how conditions will change. Therefore, market research includes an analysis of external factors: the political, economic, cultural, social situation in the country, global trends in similar markets, new technologies, the state of the labor market, and the legal framework.

It is extremely difficult to assess the influence of external factors and their intensity. To do this, it is necessary to determine a set of the most important indicators and consider their impact on the market under study.

Identification of target segments

After conducting and studying its conjuncture, the time comes to select target consumer groups. To determine the attractiveness of a particular segment, there are such criteria:

intensity of competition;
ease, accessibility of attracting customers;
possibility of influence;
segment size;
similarity of consumers from this group;
the growth rate of the number of representatives of the segment.

There can be several target segments. Each company strives to increase sales, but there is a limit to the possibilities. To determine the optimal number of segments that an enterprise can serve, two methods of market development are used:

The concentrated method implies a phased development of segments.
The dispersed method consists in an attempt to master the entire market of a product or service and further rejection of unpromising segments.

Market research involves regular analysis of developed segments, potential customers already interested in the product and undeveloped "territories".

Positioning

The study allows us to determine which competitive advantages have or may have this product or services. Positioning means finding your place in a market that already has similar or similar products.

Research, analysis and most professional marketing will not help to make the product more attractive in the eyes of the consumer if it does not satisfy their needs. And they grow and change, so it is necessary to respond to these changes in time, to ensure that the competitiveness of the product on the market does not decrease.

Positioning can go in one of two directions:

filling a market niche, the needs of which are not satisfied by competitors;
entering the market with the same or very close to one of the competitors' advantages.

Sales Forecast

The study of commodity markets will be incomplete without determining the forecast indicators for the development of the market and a particular enterprise. It is the forecast that is the guideline for decision making. The needs and desires of consumers, the entry of new products on the market, the actions of competitors, external factors - all this is in constant motion and changes the conditions on the market.

If a forecast is not made in time and appropriate decisions are not made, then market research will become useless. In the long term and in business planning, 3 forecasts are made at once: optimistic, most probable and pessimistic. For a complete picture, you can study the influence of certain factors on forecast indicators. For example, if you strengthen the sales system, how much money and time will be needed for this and how it will help increase sales and profits.

The sales volume forecast is the final stage of market research and helps to properly organize financial flows, manufacturing process, marketing activities.

For the convenience of studying the material, we divide the article market research into topics:

While market research is the KEY DRIVE FORCE in large companies, small businesses still refuse to use this tool. However, market research can be the KEY to - for MOST small businesses - if the user of the research results UNDERSTAND its PARAMETERS, STRENGTHS, and LIMITATIONS. Neglecting to use market research can lead to devastating results.

WHAT IS MARKETING RESEARCH?

Entrepreneurs are constantly looking for information regarding their CUSTOMERS, COMPETITORS, and the market ENVIRONMENT in which they operate. Market research is basically the COLLECTION of such data.

However, ANY collection of information can NOT be called market research. Market research is a SYSTEMATIC and OBJECTIVE approach to collecting marketing information - which, when processed, analyzed and interpreted, helps to identify CHALLENGES and OPPORTUNITIES that will help you make a more OBJECTIVE, LESS RISK decision.

The key to this definition is that information is collected, processed, and analyzed in a SYSTEMATIC and OBJECTIVE way. Marketing research defines HOW information is obtained and evaluated, and WHAT information is actually collected.

At first glance, marketing information is very difficult to obtain.

For example, a video store owner might ask customers if they would like to rent large quantity cassettes - if the price falls by seven rubles. Using this feedback, the owner can decide to lower prices, increase the number of tapes they rent, and generally make money. more money.

Unfortunately, the people interviewed may not reflect the views of the TYPICAL client. Even if the owner is lucky and has spoken to TYPICAL representatives, he cannot be sure that the customer is telling the TRUTH and that he WILL ACTUALLY rent more cassettes. This type of information gathering lacks the objectivity and typicality to qualify as true MARKET RESEARCH. As a result, the owner may actually lose money.

HOW MARKET RESEARCH IS USED

Market research can be used to meet almost all small business information needs. Every stage of a business, from developing a business plan to designing an effective advertising program, can benefit from the use of carefully executed research. Here is an example of how market research can guide and help small businesses.

DEVELOPMENT OF A BUSINESS PLAN

When you sit down at a table with a blank sheet of paper and contemplate the possibility of organizing own business You must ask yourself next questions:

What am I going to sell?
- Will people buy what I sell?
- What price to charge?
- Where should I stay?
- What are the competitors and how many are there?

These questions should be at the heart of ANY effective business plan, and market research will help answer them.

For example, you decide to turn your passion for fishing into a means of earning money. You open your fishing equipment store. You know there is a NEED for such a business and you want to take advantage of the opportunity.

One of your first steps is to find out HOW MANY these stores already exist in your area - in order to evaluate the level. A quick glance at the Yellow Pages will provide you with the information you need. Congratulations! You have just completed your first market research project. As the questions GET MORE DIFFICULT, market research will become more complex. For example, although you can partially determine the demand for fishing tackle by talking to your neighbors and fishing friends, such a survey will not give you information about WHAT THE AVERAGE shopper thinks about it.

The best way is to conduct a scientific review of a REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE of all local consumers. Much of the basic information needed to develop a business plan can be gathered using MARKET RESEARCH.

NEW PRODUCT OR OFFER

Many special offers, such as a 10% discount, are the result of CAREFUL RESEARCH of the market. Research will help you decide what the client needs and will give you the opportunity to offer EXACTLY the product or service that will be immediately purchased. Market research can be used to determine the results of a sales program, discount programs, or even the introduction of a new product to the market - BEFORE incurring the costs of running such a program.

PRICE

Price - CRITICAL marketing element for any business, large or small, and market research can provide accurate data for pricing decisions. Careful research can determine the true relationship between price and sales - BEFORE starting the actual sales program.

Many small business owners are very worried about advertising their business. Given the current cost of advertising, their concern is well founded.

The most frequently asked question is how EFFICIENT is my advertising. The answer can be determined using many types of formal and informal.

For example, a dedicated phone number that is only published in Yellow Pages ads may partially solve the problem. By placing a caller ID on this line, you can count the number of incoming calls. By the end of the month, you will determine exactly how many requests were generated by the Yellow Pages ad, after which you can determine the effectiveness THIS AD.

This is just one of the many market research options available to small businesses.

WHAT TYPES OF MARKET RESEARCH ARE THERE?

All market research is divided into TWO main categories: SECONDARY and PRIMARY.

SECONDARY research involves literature research, article reviews, and analysis of all available data. While secondary research is LIMITED to the information at hand, it is much cheaper than primary research and can be done by any small business. There are two general types of primary research.

QUALITATIVE research is used to develop new ideas and to explore a given subject or problem more fully. QUANTITATIVE research primarily involves surveys based on representative samples, with data collected using mail, telephone, or face-to-face interviews. Qualitative research results are projected onto the entire population and used for business forecasts.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Almost any QUALITATIVE research is conducted using GROUPS of interviewees. Such groups consist of 8-10 carefully selected people who participate in a directed discussion of a particular problem. The requirements for recruiting such participants are determined by the objectives of the study. For example, a landscaping service owner interested in covering a new geographic area may want to research the demand for such services in advance by surveying groups of homeowners living in the area being expanded.

The discussion is led by a professional researcher - LEADER of the group. The manager works according to a specially designed program, which is developed with the help of the client, and presents in the form of a summary of all the problems that should be covered.

It is important that the team leader be an INDEPENDENT professional in order to guarantee OBJECTIVITY and full coverage of all necessary issues. Groups of interviewees often work in special rooms equipped with one-way mirrors and observation windows so that the client can observe the discussion without disturbing the participants.

Discussions are recorded on tape or video so that the manager is not forced to take notes. After conducting the survey, the team leader reviews the recording, summarizes the important points, and presents the results of the survey to the client.

In most cases, three groups of respondents are used for one job. It is too dangerous to draw conclusions based on the results of one group, since it is unlikely that this group is the best representative of the entire population.

While interview groups are a good form of market research, this form is often completely MISUSED. They should only be used to SEARCH and GENERATE new ideas, and should never be used to reflect the opinions of the entire population. Conclusions cannot be projected onto any problem. On the other hand, interview groups are a great way to work out key questions about a new idea or POTENTIAL product or service. Such a method can serve as the FIRST step in the research process, identifying important points to be addressed subsequently in QUANTITATIVE reviews.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

When people talk about marketing research, they usually mean QUANTITATIVE research. Such research involves a REVIEW of a selected sample of a particular group, using mail, telephone or face-to-face interviews.

The data is collected through a QUESTIONNAIRE that is tested before the actual survey. Completed questionnaires are edited and verbatim responses to open-ended coded questions that use pre-designed categories are analyzed. Questionnaire data are entered into a computer to tabulate the results. The resulting spreadsheets are then analyzed. It is important for survey users to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following research approaches so that they can select the method that best suits their needs within the budget available to them.

MAIL OVERVIEW

The main advantage of POST review is their relatively low price. For the price of postage and printed materials, a small business can do very useful market research.

The main disadvantage of this method is a very LOW percentage of returns. The percentage of return is most often from five to fifteen percent. This means that you will never know the opinion of the other 90% of the people whose opinion you are interested in.

In addition, those who do NOT respond to a survey are often different from those who do. For example, retirees are HIGHLY likely to complete and return a questionnaire, compared to 30-year-olds who are LEAST likely to respond.

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

PERSONAL interviews involve a PERSONAL meeting between the reporter and the respondent. Using the prepared questionnaire, the respondent is asked a series of questions. The reporter carefully writes down the responses. Such interviews take place either at the defendant's home, or in offices, or in populated areas like large department stores. Unlike POST reviews, PERSONAL interviews are characterized by a very HIGH return. 95% is not uncommon. In addition, PERSONAL interviews allow the respondent to directly get acquainted with the proposed product, service, TV commercial, under the supervision of a reporter. That is why face-to-face interviews are often used in researching the impact of advertising copy or packaging design.

The biggest problem with a personal interview is the extremely HIGH PRICE. Since the reporter is forced to visit people in their own homes or places of work, a lot goes away. Even with reporters' low hourly rates, such research can be very expensive.

PHONE REVIEWS

With the introduction of the computer to the interview process, reporters are now in front of a screen and enter responses directly into the computer system, which saves time in data entry and coding. The results are available at any time during the study. Such automated telephone interviews are now used very widely in research companies, and are very effective.

Phone surveys are much cheaper than face-to-face interviews, but usually somewhat more expensive than mail surveys. The performance of phone surveys is much higher, which makes them the most preferred for most marketing research.

SELECTING A FIRM OR CONSULTANT

If you decide to use the services of market research professionals, the following recommendations will save you time and money:

Think carefully about the question or problem that needs to be solved.

In many cases, clarifying the problem will solve the problem itself. Write down on paper the exact purpose of the study and what problems need to be solved. Define the TARGET market, and describe it in as much detail as possible. Make a list of questions you are interested in answering. The purpose of the study should be perfectly clear to you - before you turn to a professional.

Talk to several research companies and consultants.

Like any professional, market researchers vary in scope, area of expertise, and more. Contact SEVERAL companies using the Yellow Pages. Talk to MANY companies before you find the right one. Demand references or referrals from their previous clients.

Send a request to three firms.

While it would be tempting to send a request to a dozen firms in the hope of getting a great offer at a very low price, remember that you must review and evaluate all offers yourself. Three firms will give you a clear idea of prices and ideas. Ask for a WRITTEN proposal including all basic materials and a proposed PLAN of work.

Once you receive an offer, you may be inclined to choose a company based on price. This may be a mistake. Evaluate the APPROACH each firm suggested, how WELL your problem was UNDERSTOOD, and whether the service was worth the price.

Choose a research company and contact them.

Once you've made your decision, respond to the proposal in WRITING, and set up a meeting to discuss the project. Make sure that you have access to ALL stages of the project and that all COMMUNICATION CHANNELS between you and the researcher are open. There is nothing worse than receiving a report that exceeds the planned amount, or receiving incorrect data. As with anything, the better you understand the scope of market research, the more valuable the results are to you and your company.

Marketing research: to buy or not to buy?

In some cases, such as a review of advertising literature, in order to determine the level of competition in a given geographic area, market research may be conducted by the small business owner HIMSELF. However, when research becomes more complex, the business owner may prefer to turn to an expert. Since $10,000 or so can represent a significant investment for a small business, the owner should ask himself the following questions:

Is research really necessary?

In many cases, a skilled review of advertising literature can be as effective as an expensive research work. In some cases, research may be REALLY necessary. For example, many lending institutions require a feasibility study of the proposed idea, consumer market research - BEFORE the issue of a loan is resolved. In such cases, qualified research is absolutely REQUIRED.

Services market research

Today, for many service organizations, a prosperous future depends on understanding the expectations and desires of customers. Recognition of the importance of conducting market research in achieving and maintaining the quality of services provided increases the chances of achieving business success. The main factors determining the success of a service business are the search and use of customer data for further planning of marketing activities, as well as reasonable feedback between customers and employees.

Conducting market research will help identify the set of options that satisfy the offer of these service providers, and on this basis adjust the marketing program in order to achieve a competitive advantage. In the case of a new service being offered, the study will reveal the criteria that consumers adhere to when purchasing the service in order to include the new service in the set of options under consideration.

Market research is a means of maintaining constant contact with customers, helping to understand the mechanism used by them in evaluating the service process before purchase, during service delivery and after consumption.

The following main areas of marketing research of the services market can be distinguished:

Research of consumer needs (the goal is to identify the basic needs that the consumer seeks to satisfy, as well as to identify the needs that are currently not satisfied (for example, for the client, the main need that he is trying to satisfy by opening a term deposit is the need for savings and preservation) );
study of consumer expectations (study of the service standards that customers expect from the purchase of a service - for example, regarding the cost of the service);
customer perception research (study of the most important criteria the quality of the service from the point of view of the client - what he expects and what he hopes to receive by purchasing the service);
service control (service providers measure the technical aspects of the service, such as the reliability and timeliness of bank transfers);
study of operational methods and customer responses to the offer of services - for example, modeling and forecasting the demand for banking services;
study of service intermediaries (brokers, sales agents, dealers and other intermediaries close to consumers);
study of key customers (most service providers consider some customers to be more important than others, most often because of the size of assets or profit generated);
maintaining constant contacts with current and potential customers by creating a consumer panel;
receiving valuable information regarding customer expectations for service quality through service analysis;
analysis of complaints (service providers quite often consider complaints from customers as a positive source of information, because if a complaint is reported to management, then this information will help to eliminate the causes and avoid repetition of data in the future);
personnel research (as part of an internal marketing program - employee research is often conducted by service organizations - for example, a study of motivation).

The marketing research process usually begins with the formulation of the research problem and objectives.

The formulation of a research problem almost always results from gaps in market information already available to the management of the organization. For example, a service provider may have comprehensive and up-to-date market data for its current services, but may, through research, discover that there are some unmet market needs that need to be considered as opportunities for developing new services.

The goals of marketing research in the service sector are different - here are some of them:

Determination of market characteristics (for example, determining banking services required by consumers going on vacation, and the identified range of services can be quite significant - from plastic cards to traveler's checks);
a description of market characteristics (for example, a description of the behavior of an investor who purchases securities from a bank);
measuring market characteristics (for example, determining the share of the deposit market occupied by the bank);
analysis of market characteristics (a more complete study of the above information - for example, an analysis of bank depositors according to criteria such as age, income, etc.).

The choice of research methods (qualitative or quantitative analysis) will depend on the purpose of the study, as well as based on the sources of available information. However, it should be noted that qualitative research is the study and interpretation of the expectations, motivations, and behaviors of a small sample of target consumers. It will help define parameters for future research and identify key criteria that guide consumers in purchasing a service and that can be measured by quantitative research. Quantitative studies are carried out to measure the attitude of the consumer to the service and determine his choice.

Data can be collected indirectly through observation or through direct contact with the respondent. Observational methods require objectivity and are widely used within the service industry for planning and control (for example, monitoring service delivery standards).

Gathering primary market information is a part of research that is best left to marketing agencies rather than carried out by the service provider itself. First of all, because respondents are more likely to give honest answers to third parties than directly to representatives of the organization conducting the study.

This element of honesty, or objectivity, is particularly important in the service industry, where consumer perception of the service cannot be measured separately from the image of the organization providing the service and its staff. For example, respondents cannot rate satisfaction with a financial service if they have never actually used it. In addition, respondents' responses to the offer of a new service cannot be separated from their perceptions of the service provider (e.g., the new kind insurance cannot be designated in isolation from the reputation of the insurance company providing it).

On the one hand, the analysis of qualitative research information reveals the relationship between incentives and consumer behavior - the highly structured nature of the data obtained as a result of quantitative research; on the other hand, it provides the possibility of their exhaustive analysis. In addition, such data will help to identify significant differences between segments in their perceptions and expectations regarding services, as well as the sequence of purchase behavior.

The expectations and behavior of various segments of the service market must be studied separately, for which the answers can be divided according to the following criteria: legal, economic, geographical, demographic, behavioral, etc. Many organizations and service providers focus their attention on the division of the market along demographic and geographical characteristics when conducting segmentation.

Large regions, countries, administrative-territorial units can act as units of geographical segmentation. Obviously, an organization providing services may have several target markets, and for large ones, the number of target markets can reach several dozen. So, for example, for a large commercial bank these can be the national markets of various states, since the modern world economy is becoming more and more international, which makes it necessary for banks to operate not only in the domestic market, but also in other national markets. In addition to national markets, the bank can operate in many regional markets, ensuring the implementation of the functions of the country's financial system in all its economic regions. And finally, both in national and regional markets, there are many markets for banking products that can be perceived by the bank as a target.

However, while demographic and geographic data are useful because they are available and stored in a user-friendly format, they do not really explain why differences in consumer behavior exist. An analysis of different groups of customers who share common needs and behaviors in the process of purchasing a service can be of great strategic value. Using the principle of segmentation based on benefit, it is possible to identify differences in the requirements of customer groups, as well as determine the quality of service criteria that they consider important, and develop service proposals accordingly.

Product market research

Marketing research of markets for goods and services is the determination of the magnitude of various demand, and market share indicators for specific markets (market segments) of goods and services. For a more detailed consideration, it is advisable to classify markets and various types of market demand.

Assessment of market parameters at the current moment, i.e. the current situation in the market is assessed (conjuncture situation), then the size of the market capacity is determined and its segmentation is carried out;
- receiving forecasts.

Thus, the next step in studying the commodity structure of the market is to analyze the current state of supply and demand for a given product, i.e. market situation analysis.

Market conditions are a set of conditions under which activities are currently taking place in the market.

These conditions are determined by the ratio of supply and demand for goods of a given type, as well as the level and ratio of prices.

In marketing practice, 3 levels of market research are considered:

general economic,
- industry,
- commodity.

If an enterprise investigates the current state of a certain commodity market, then the general economic and sectoral conditions for implementation are necessarily taken into account.

The main goal of studying the situation in the commodity market is to establish to what extent the activity of industry and trade affects the state of the market, its development in the near future, and what measures should be taken to better satisfy the demand of the population for goods, more rationally use production capabilities enterprises.

The results of the market research are intended for making operational decisions on the management of production and marketing of goods.

In the study of conjuncture are used different kinds information:

General information - sources - data from state and industry statistics, official forms of accounting and reporting;
- commercial information,
- data from the company's business documentation,
- applications and orders of trade organizations,
- materials of the enterprise services for market research - materials on the movement of goods in wholesale and retail organizations, market reviews, proposals for the current replacement of the assortment,
- special information,
- data from surveys of the population, buyers, trade and industry specialists,
- data from exhibitions and sales, business meetings,
- materials of research organizations.

This information is especially valuable because it cannot be obtained in any other way.

Own sources of information.

To ensure monitoring of the product market or sales market, enterprises can create their own sources of information in the form of:

Stores-strongholds,
- networks of resellers,
- specialized consumer panels.

A network of shops of strong points - is created by the enterprise to monitor the development of demand of the population in the sales area (direct marketing). These are, as a rule, branded stores that sell goods, and also monitor the development of demand on a contractual basis.

Network of resellers - organized to monitor the development of demand wholesale buyers. Resellers - wholesale firms and trade enterprises.

Consumer panel - organized by the enterprise's market research service. This is a group of consumers (families) selected by the enterprise, which are subjected to repeated research.

The panel is formed according to the rules that allow assessing the market situation depending on a number of key features, for example, place of residence, gender, age, and level of personal income.

Contract prices reflect the actual level of prices for goods of a certain quality under the appropriate terms of delivery and payment. However, it is not easy to obtain information about contract prices, as they usually amount to trade secret. Sometimes data on concluded contracts, including in foreign trade published in the press, special journals, but, as a rule, without specifying many essential details of the transaction (for example, quality indicators etc.).

Exchange quotations - the prices of goods traded on commodity exchanges (natural rubber, raw sugar, cotton, some non-ferrous metals and a number of others). Exchange quotations are the prices of real contracts carried out on unified terms in terms of quality, volume and delivery time, currency of payment, etc. Commodity prices are sensitive to market changes and are influenced by speculation and other random factors.

Reference prices are prices published by commodity sellers and their associations. Reference prices do not reflect the real level of contract prices, from which they differ by the amount of discounts provided by sellers to buyers. The amount of discounts depends on the state of the market, the relationship with the buyer, the nature of the transaction, etc. When the market deteriorates, the discounts increase, and when the market improves, they decrease. In contrast to exchange quotations, reference prices are published less frequently, and their accuracy as an indicator of the real price level is much lower.

Price lists and price tags - price indicators of finished products for consumer and industrial purposes. List prices are essentially the same as reference prices for commodities and also do not reflect real market prices that are evolving at a moment's notice, lagging behind their dynamics. Contract prices differ from list prices in the amount of discounts, the magnitude of which can vary greatly depending on the state of supply and demand, the relationship of the seller and the buyer, etc.

Offer prices. In response to the request of the buyer interested in purchasing the goods, the sellers send an offer for sale, which contains the terms of delivery, payment and price. Offer prices are adjusted in the course of negotiations with the buyer, who usually seeks a discount. Offer prices differ from contract prices. However, for many goods, especially machinery and equipment, bid prices are essentially the only source of information about the level of prices on the market. Offer prices generally more accurately reflect the level of real prices compared to list and reference prices, since when setting them, the seller takes into account the state of demand, the characteristics of the buyer, the specifics of the terms of the transaction, etc.

Price indices are relative indicators that reflect the dynamics of prices, but do not give an idea of their level. In countries, authorities state statistics publish indices of domestic and foreign trade prices for individual goods and commodity groups. Price indices are always given with indication base year, where the index value is assumed to be 100.

Price indices are an important indicator that allows you to identify the main trends in price movements; they are widely used in the analysis and forecast of the conjuncture. With their help, you can also determine the price level for individual goods, using at the same time absolute indicators - contract prices, offer prices, etc. Thus, it becomes possible to “pull up” data on the absolute value of prices that were, say, a year or two years ago back to now. The need to use indices arose in connection with the increase in inflation in the capitalist market, which leads to the rapid obsolescence of information about the real level of prices.

At the same time, price indices characterize the movement of prices not for a specific product, but for a fairly wide product group, within which price dynamics can develop in different ways. Such discrepancies are especially typical for the markets of machinery and equipment, since the product groups for which price indices are determined contain a wide range of products. Therefore, price indices can only be used for a rough estimate of changes in the price level, and the results obtained with their help should be compared with other data.

Market development forecast

Making a market forecast is a two-stage process. At the first stage, a forecast is prepared for the manifestation of the main factors affecting the conjuncture (permanent, cyclical and non-cyclical), as well as temporary ones. At the second and final stage, the development complex forecast conjuncture, the main sections of which are forecasts for the production of goods, consumption, international trade and prices.

The forecast for the production of goods takes into account the availability of reserve and commissioning of new capacities, the policy of states to curb or expand the production of goods, the appearance of fundamentally new technology production and other activities and factors in the sphere of production. When preparing a forecast, it is necessary to take into account the movement of the general economic situation. This is especially important for traditional industries. At the same time, the demand for new, science-intensive products and, accordingly, their output are sometimes developing at an increased rate even in conditions of depression or a decline in the general economic situation.

The consumption (demand) forecast is developed taking into account the prospects for the development of industries using this product (for industrial equipment), or the likely trends in consumer demand (for consumer goods), expected consumption levels, expected changes in import needs for this product of the main importing countries and other indicators of the sphere of consumption.

The forecast of international trade in this type of equipment takes into account the prospects for the general economic situation of the capitalist economy, probable trends in production and demand in general, expected trends in the international division of labor, trade and political measures of states and other factors. The main task is to determine the dynamics, the size of exports and imports of this product, in the distribution by major countries - exporters and importers.

The final and, perhaps, the most important stage of work is the forecast of the dynamics and price level. When compiling it, the development of production, consumption, international trade and other indicators of the state and prospects for the development of the market are taken into account. Estimates of price dynamics given in the foreign press are used, price movements in the past and their level at the time the forecast was developed are taken into account.

When making a forecast, it is very important to fully take into account the specifics of a given product and the peculiarities of the behavior of market conditions (supply and demand) caused by this circumstance. The duration of the production of the goods should also be taken into account. So, despite the onset of the crisis, the volume of production of complex, heavy industrial equipment(with a production cycle of 1-2 years) usually continues to be high level for a relatively long period (six months - a year) and only then begins to decline.

To increase the practical significance of the forecast, it is useful to supplement it with specific recommendations on exports and imports, taking into account the expected changes in the market, in particular, the predicted “reversals” in price dynamics.

Types of market research

Market research is divided into two types - primary and secondary. They have different goals, objectives and methods of obtaining market information. Read below to learn how to choose the type of research that suits you and the best methods.

First, let's look at the types of research. There are only two of them: primary and secondary. Secondary studies are those that have already been done by someone else before you. These include, for example, data from central statistical offices, the Public Opinion Foundation, other research organizations, etc.

Primary research is research that no one else has done. And which to conduct (or organize the conduct of which) you will need.

Their goal may be to get answers to questions such as:

Assess the market capacity of a product
Learn the process of making a decision to buy something,
Know the market trends
Find out why some of your customers switched to a competitor,
Test the demand for something.

In general, primary market research is used when you need to find out something that no one else knows yet. (I will tell you how to get answers to the above questions separately - in other notes.)

What kind of research to choose?

My research experience suggests that it is most often worth using both types of market research - primary and secondary. In rare cases, only primary research can be dispensed with.

There were no applicants in my practice, when secondary research alone would be enough, for the last eight years. I think that primary market research is always needed.

Methods for conducting primary and secondary market research

Secondary market research is carried out according to the desktop research methodology. In Russian it is called desk research. It would be more correct to call it research at the desk - which it actually is. Since the research has already been carried out, the task of the researcher is to find this information, structure and analyze it.

A typical example of secondary research is the search for statistical data and publications in mass media on a given topic. To do this, you do not even need to leave your desk - hence the name of the technique.

To obtain primary information - and conduct primary market research - other methods are used. Depending on the tasks set, these can be: in-depth interviews, surveys, focus groups, experiments and building models of choice (in one of my earlier notes I wrote how important it is to know how a product is chosen).

Market research process

The purpose of the study is to collect data (information) and process them to obtain information that can be used to make managerial decisions. The first stage of any research is to identify and set goals. Once goals are set, the data collection process begins. Data can be collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are sources of original research: questionnaires, interviews, experiments, or product testing with consumers. Secondary research (also called desktop research) uses information already published in magazines, newspapers, commercial market research, government statistical compendiums, handbooks, yearbooks, CD-ROM databases, the Internet, and other published materials. Secondary data is essentially "second-hand data".

It is generally wise to begin the research process with an analysis of secondary sources.

This is due to the following reasons:

It's always cheaper.
- It's always faster.
- Sometimes all the information necessary for making a decision has already been published and can be obtained.
- Even if the published information is not complete enough, researchers will only need to fill in the gaps with data from the primary study, rather than collecting all the information firsthand.

Secondary research will not always tell researchers everything they need to know. For example, if a company plans to launch a new personal VHF receiver powered by solar panels, it is unlikely that anyone has already done a dedicated study on solar-powered VHF receivers. There will likely be research data on personal stereos, radio ownership, environmentally minded consumers, and solar energy - so all of these sources must be analyzed first. This, at the very least, will help develop a design for the primary study.

Another big disadvantage of secondary research is that its data are usually outdated, and it is also difficult for the researcher to be sure of their accuracy, since such data are often published without citation. detailed description the methods used to collect them.

Therefore, researchers need to approach them with some caution, but this, of course, does not mean that secondary sources should be ignored.

After completing the search for secondary data, you can plan the primary study.

To do this, you need to decide:

A) what gaps exist in terms of objectives and what is known from secondary sources;
b) who should be contacted for information;
c) what methods will be used.

Method	Explanation

Group in-depth interviews, or focus groups	A group of six to eight people is recruited or invited to talk about a subject. This method tends to produce a wide range of opinions as each member of the group "triggers" the other members, prompting them to think about the things they have to say. On the other hand, group pressure may result in only the most active respondents expressing their views.
Research groups	A type of focus group used in initial stages market research to establish the measurement of the problem. Dimensions are factors of interest to respondents for a specific marketing question. Research teams tend to represent a cross section of potential customers
Clinical Focus Groups	In some cases, the attitude of the respondents may be hidden in the subconscious. These groups are used in a clinical setting, allowing the researcher to judge whether a person is expressing true feelings. Clinical focus groups are heterogeneous
Experienced Focus Groups		These groups are homogeneous and allow the researcher to evaluate the feelings of a group of actual customers towards the product category under investigation.
Teleconferences		A teleconference is a group discussion held over the phone. Similar to focus groups, it avoids the need to bring people together physically and also allows people to feel more free to express their opinions. This method is especially useful in the case of focus groups involving managers and in industry.
Videoconferencing		Similar to teleconferencing, but with video. This has the primary advantage of allowing the researcher to see reactions on people's faces, which can often tell more about a person's true feelings than words can.
In-Depth Interviews		AT in-depth interviews usually conducted by trained interviewers or psychologists, probing questions are used to uncover the respondent's deepest feelings
Projective Methods		Subjects are presented with ambiguous, unstructured situations and are invited to express their attitude. Since the situation is unclear, respondents must use their imagination to react, and their true feelings are revealed. Projective methods are used when a direct answer may be difficult for the respondent.
word association		A projective method in which the respondent is asked to name the first thing that comes to their mind when the researcher pronounces a particular word. In theory, respondents don't have time to censor their answer, so their real feelings are exposed.
Comics Tests		Another projective method: the respondent is shown comics and asked to write captions for them. The respondent will actually reveal their true feelings; since this is just a comic, the respondent cannot be blamed for what the characters "say"
Methods using a third party		This projective method is easy to apply; The respondent is asked what he thinks another person ("your neighbor" or "most people") would say in this situation. The respondent, as a rule, expresses his own opinion, as if it were the opinion of a third party.
Analogy	In this case, the identity of the respondent is associated with the proposed purchase. For example, the respondent may be asked to imagine what it would be like if he "was" a new BMW. The respondent may say "I feel powerful" or "I feel ready to meet the new owner". Analogies help marketers develop communication strategies that target specific customer groups.
Experimentation	Respondents are invited to do something or shown an object and their reactions are monitored. For example, Goodyear Thayer and Rubber Company have used virtual shopping simulations to investigate brand equity issues.
Observation	The researcher observes consumers and notes their behavior. For example, a researcher might stand aside in a shopping arcade and count how many people enter. The toy company Fisher Price runs a free nursery in Chicago and gives children samples of toys to play with, watching which toys they like best and how they play with them.

In order to decide what we should learn from primary research, we need to compare what secondary research reveals with the goals we set at the outset. If information is missing, researchers must determine how to find it and who might have it.

Market segment research

The concept of market segmentation is based on the idea that consumers are not the same and therefore markets are differentiated. With the aggravation of the problems of the sale of goods and services and competition throughout the world, there has been a clear transition in the production and sale of goods and services from the policy of serving the mass consumer to the maximum adaptation to the requirements of various consumer segments.

Concept " market segmentation"can be considered as a marketing strategy that divides a certain market or a certain set of buyers into separate segments or groups. They have maximum internal homogeneity in relation to the established criteria and maximum external differences in relation to each other, which allows the use of certain marketing tools.

Segmentation of the market for goods and services is aimed at finding homogeneous groups of consumers (buyers) for the same product that have some general characteristics, which can be used to conduct a specific trade policy.

The principles of segmentation are not the same for different product, industry, regional, national or global markets. There is no single method that would ensure inevitable success in finding a potential consumer.

Thus, market segmentation is the process of dividing the market into separate groups of consumers (buyers), which may require separate goods and / or marketing complexes according to some criterion (attribute).

A market segment is a group of consumers (customers) who react in the same way to the same set of consumer marketing incentives.

Segmentation allows you to establish quantitative characteristics: the number of selected groups, their size, development trends; makes it possible to reveal the causal relationship of consumer behavior and allows, based on the analysis of the signs of behavior, to identify and describe their conditional types.

The greatest socio-economic effect associated with bringing goods and services to consumers is achieved through a deep study of their needs for goods and services, which are formed under the influence of many factors.

Segmentation goals

There are three purposes of segmentation. The first follows from the fact that the company is not able to master the entire market, and is forced to be content with only part of it. Having singled out this part through segmentation, she gets the opportunity to purposefully focus her efforts on those buyers who will be most attractive to her.

The second is due to the fact that the identified group of buyers (target market) may be partially inaccessible to the company due to the actions of competitors. An analysis of the capabilities of competitors in the structures of selected segments makes it possible to identify those in which competitors are either less active or buyers are skeptical about their products. These segments, if the company does not want to fight competitors, will be the most preferable for it.

The third goal of segmentation is reasonable in cases where the market does not have a complex multidimensional segment structure. Its essence lies in the fact that if there are few segments, the company should strive to ensure that it has its presence in each of them, i.e. offer each segment a special, most suitable product model for it.

Market segmentation methods

The practice of marketing activity shows that deeper segmentation is based not on any one feature (although, perhaps, very significant), but, as a rule, on a combination of various features. All currently existing procedures and methods of market segmentation are built on this.

Among the methods are the following:

Benefit segmentation method;
method for constructing a segmentation grid;
multivariate classification method;
grouping method;
method of functional maps.

The benefit segmentation method is based on building a model of consumer behavior. Three consecutive stages are envisaged.

A. Determining the benefits that consumers are interested in.

B. Identification of lifestyle differences that drive benefit segmentation.

C. Determining whether benefit segments contain different perceptions of the product and competing brands.

The consumer behavior model demonstrates how the combination of differences between consumers and consumer situations determines their behavior. In the center are the benefits the consumer seeks from the product. These sought benefits determine the perception and evaluation of alternatives. Perception, in turn, determines the choice of goods and their use.

Deep segmentation starts with benefits and operates on a direct and feedback or starts with behavior and acts on the principle of feedback. Each segment is then described in terms of behavior, preferences, benefits sought, consumer situations, consumer demographics, geography, and lifestyle.

Implementing this process, you can rely on intuition and use the ability to estimate, or apply complex statistical analysis.

Method for constructing a segmentation grid. The segmentation grid method is used at the macro segmentation level to identify underlying markets. A combination of variables characterizing functions, consumers and technologies is considered. Based on the significance analysis, the main segments are identified that give the highest percentage of preferences.

For example, the function is housekeeping, the consumers are households and back offices, and the technology is a dry vacuum cleaner and a wet vacuum cleaner. Studies have shown that approximately 70% of households prefer dry vacuum cleaners to clean their apartment. At the same time, 83% of office workers preferred wet vacuum cleaners. Thus, two different segments are distinguished underlying market for an enterprise specializing in production household appliances.

Method of multidimensional classification. The essence of the method lies in the simultaneous multidimensional (automatic) classification of features consumer behavior. This approach is based on the following assumptions. One type unites people who have similarities with each other in a number of ways (demographic, socio-economic, mental graphic, etc.). The degree of similarity in people belonging to the same type should be higher than the degree of similarity in people belonging to different types. Using this approach, the problem of typing consumers according to the most important component is solved.

A study of the behavioral response of domestic consumers to fashion has identified three types of consumers (including men and women). "Selective type" represents people who carefully select fashionable novelties and make high demands on them. "Independent type" characterizes individuals who react with restraint to fashion and adhere to the chosen style.

The "indifferent type" believes that fashion does not matter, and products should be inexpensive and practical.

The grouping method consists in the sequential breakdown of a set of objects into groups according to the most significant features. In this case, one of the features stands out as a backbone. Subgroups are formed in which the significance of this feature is much higher than in the entire set of potential consumers of this product.

The method of functional maps involves a "double" segmentation: by products and by consumers.

Such cards may be:

Single-factor, when double market segmentation is carried out according to any one factor and for a homogeneous group of products;
multifactorial - in the analysis of which consumer groups a particular product model is intended for and what its parameters are most important for promoting a product on the market.

In any case, by compiling functional maps, it is possible to determine which market segment (i.e., a group of consumers defined by a number of characteristics) a given product is designed for and which functional parameters correspond to certain consumer needs.

The most common methods of segmentation analysis and selection of target markets in international marketing are matrix, statistical methods and the method of cluster analysis.

The matrix method is based on determining the most preferred marketing strategy (for example, a standardized marketing strategy) and analyzing factors external environment in terms of their influence on program elements and . By comparing the characteristics of different markets in terms of their relevance to the firm's chosen marketing strategy (eg, the firm's standard marketing program), it is possible to identify those markets where efforts to modify the marketing program will be minimal. These national or regional markets will be the most attractive for priority economic expansion.

The statistical method of segmentation analysis involves the determination external factor and so-called active variables (i.e., signs of buyers or markets for which segments are directly formed) and passive variables (i.e., those signs that serve to more fully describe the already outlined segments).

The purpose of cluster analysis is to generalize the set of variables that characterize different markets or groups of consumers (buyers) in order to form, based on these variables, the optimal number of their types according to the similarity criterion.

The main drawback of the methods of statistical and cluster analysis is that different features are assigned the same values, and therefore the result obtained can be a product of formal logic. Therefore, the correct selection of variables is required, taking into account their importance from the point of view and program of the firm in the world market.

Automotive Market Research

Overview of the automotive market

The automotive market shows stable growth. To date, the volume of the Russian market is estimated at 182 billion dollars. The Russian market is considered the most promising business in the world this year. Stable growth - 15% per year. Today, with used cars, the market capacity is no less than 4.5 million cars. On the marketing market cars can be divided into 3 major segments. They can also be divided by m into each of the segments in%.

1. Trucks (including micro trucks) - $42 billion
2. Passenger cars (including minibuses) - $100 billion.
3. Buses - $40 billion

As you can see, passenger cars enjoy a big advantage, but do not forget that mostly used cars are sold by private traders, and this money does not enter the market. And trucks and buses are mostly bought new. AT more imported equipment is in demand - this indicates its quality and in recent years the price has decreased.

Detailed overview car market segments

Passenger cars The volume of the segment market for 2010 is 100 billion dollars. It is attractive to all players in the automotive market, from private companies to large automakers. The market trend turned out to be a decrease in car prices and favorable loan conditions. Let's look at sub-segments: cars domestic production- 20%, and foreign cars - 80%. Foreign cars dominate to a large extent, and in the next 5 years their percentage will grow, which will lead to a decrease in the production of domestic cars. The decline in prices for European and domestic cars was also due to the entry of Chinese car models, especially Chery, into the market.

We segment the market by car brands, here's what we get:

Opel - 3%
Kia - 3%
Daweo - 3%
Mazda - 4%
Honda - 4%
Reno - 5%
Mitsubishi - 6%
Nissan - 7%
Toyota - 10%
Hyundai - 10%
Ford - 11%
Chevrolet - 14%
Others - 20%
Chevrolet has been leading for the third year in a row - 14%, but other brands are also not in bad positions.

truck market

Volume Money valued at $42 billion. The truck segment can be divided into 4 sub-segments.

1. Asian trucks. Demand from companies that are associated with small everyday transportation.
2. European trucks. Large demand from medium-sized industrial companies.
3. Russian trucks. Great demand mainly from large industrial companies.
4. American trucks.

There is a great demand from those companies that work with further and heavy freight transport.

bus market

The capacity is estimated at $40 billion. This segment is subdivided into 2 sub-segments: Buses of foreign production. Buses of domestic production. There is more demand for a foreign manufacturer, this is again associated with better quality and reasonable prices. In Russia in 2010, 385,000 imported buses and 200,000 Russian-made buses were purchased.

Drawing conclusions

In the coming years, market growth will be between 15% and 17%. It can also be said that the domestic market shows a trend towards steady growth. His attractiveness to businessmen can be rated above average.

Stages of market research

In the process of marketing research, the following stages are distinguished:

1. Formulation of the problem and objectives of the study.
2. Determining the need for information and organizing its collection.
3. Information analysis.
4. Preparation of an analytical report.

The formulation of the research problem requires clarification of the main priorities of the organization in the field of marketing. To do this, it is necessary to answer a number of questions that help identify the main guidelines for production and economic activity: what changes have occurred in the market situation? in what direction should the organization develop? how to make a transition to a new state?

The exact formulation of the objectives of the study is required to draw up a task for the analysis.

It includes:

General characteristics of the organization and its activities in the market (when conducting research by a third-party marketing firm);
- information on the degree of knowledge of the market;
- a description of the specifics of the problem posed and its relationship with the goals of the organization;
- specific aspects of marketing activities that need to be studied; - requirements for the accuracy and reliability of the initial data; - terms and costs of the study.

For the development of the task, it is fundamentally important to take into account the limitations that will help to avoid incorrect comparisons and increase the specific focus of the analytical work:

A) for comparability of the objects of analysis, the studied goods of competitors (product lines) must belong to the same classification group of the All-Russian classifier products;
b) to specify the objectives of the analysis, the geographical boundary of the analyzed market should be determined, taking into account the specifics of the use of the product, the reasonable alternativeness of its offer, the cost of transportation to the place of use, the frequency of purchases. The geographical boundaries of the market are expanding with an increase in the degree of uniqueness of the product and its complexity. At the same time, they narrow down with weak and expensive communication, a short service life and a high degree of product unification;
c) to take into account the possible seasonality of sales, the time interval of the analysis should include the full cycle of product sales (measured, for example, by the financial year).

The methodological basis for the analysis of marketing information is formed by a bank of methods and models that allows you to most fully reveal the relationship of the studied phenomena and is based on:

On general scientific methods of system analysis and;
- analytical and predictive methods of linear programming, queuing theory, communication theory, probability theory, network planning, economic-mathematical and expert methods;
- methodological techniques borrowed from sociology, psychology, anthropology, ecology, aesthetics, design;
- models of statistical data processing and related application programs;
- marketing research methods.

The most commonly used methods of the latter group include measuring the market capacity, assessing the market shares of organizations, measuring the level of competition intensity, and market segmentation.

The results and conclusions of the marketing research are drawn up in the form of an analytical report, which includes the following information:

The name of the group (agency, firm) conducting the study and the client for whom the study was performed;
- the essence of the problem and the objectives of the study, formed in the assignment for the analysis;
- the main results of the study presented in the form of reasoned conclusions and recommendations for solving the problem;
- groups of analyzed physical and (or) legal entities, criteria for their selection, sampling methods and its type, reliability of the information received;
- technology for conducting observations, experiments and surveys;
- the period of time during which the study was conducted;
- geographical boundaries of the analyzed market;
- calculations and applications.

The report may also include data necessary to illustrate the findings. For example, when analyzing multiple product markets, the findings can be systematized by product segments. For new fast-growing markets, indicators of the dynamics of supply and demand are considered. In the conditions of the formation of a new business, it is advisable to include in the report the results of the analysis of marketing methods used in similar product markets abroad, etc. In addition, the report should contain all the necessary information to develop a marketing mix aimed at solving the problem.

Comprehensive market research

In Anglo-American literature, such concepts as market research are distinguished, i.e. collection and analysis of information about a particular market, and marketing research, which involves the study of all elements of the marketing mix (commodity policy, pricing policy, product promotion system, communication policy).

Marketing research is applied research. While market research answers the question of whether there is a market, marketing research provides answers to more practical questions: is there a market for a given product, how to enter it and gain a foothold. Marketing research collects information about the dynamics of the market, and market research is more static. The British Institute of Marketing believes that marketing research is "the targeted collection, recording and analysis of all facts on issues relating to the exchange and sale of goods and services by the manufacturer to the buyer."

According to F. Kotler, marketing research is a systematic problem analysis, the creation of a model and the definition of a circle of data in order to make the most correct decisions, improve control over the marketing of goods and services.

The basis of marketing, of course, is complex marketing research, including both the study of the market and its conjuncture, and the assessment of the capabilities of the enterprise (firm) itself, which builds work on the principles of marketing. Such marketing researches allow planning, i.e. to make a reasonable forecast of the development of the market situation, corresponding to the results of marketing research, and to develop appropriate measures of marketing influence on the market in order to ensure the effectiveness of the production, marketing and scientific and technical activities of the company.

Comprehensive market research involves a thorough study of the economic environment. Marketing, as a concept derived from the market, is both a scientific and practical activity for managing the production and marketing of goods, depending on long-term and short-term trends in the development of the market, the economic situation in general and the commodity market in particular. Market research related to the study of supply and demand in the market and its individual segments, the capacity and nature of the market, the price level and price elasticity of supply and demand, the degree and conditions of market competition, are necessary for making appropriate decisions at all levels of marketing activity - strategic, tactical and operational. Observation of the current conjuncture and its analysis allow us to solve operational marketing tasks, while the study of long-term trends and the forecast of the conjuncture - tactical and strategic objectives to achieve the set medium and long-term goals.

Marketing theory uses the concepts of the marketing environment (market area) and market research (market research), which, in fact, is the study of economic conditions.

The concept of conjuncture is used in all cases when it comes to characterizing the situation in the external economic environment in relation to an economic entity at any given moment or period. The external economic environment refers to the internal and external markets in which the economic entity operates.

The study of the marketing environment and the market involves the analysis and forecast of various economic, demographic, social, natural, political and other conditions and circumstances. All of them are conjuncture-forming factors. So what is the economic environment?

Economic conjuncture is a form of manifestation on the market of a system of factors and conditions of reproduction in their constant development and interaction, in a concrete historical refraction, expressed in a certain ratio of supply, demand and price dynamics. This definition contains all the essential features of the concept of conjuncture.

First, it singles out the subject of economic conjuncture - the market, since the conjuncture is linked, first of all, with the state of affairs in the sphere of exchange, on the market as such, which is an integral part of commodity-money relations.

Secondly, it is emphasized that the conjuncture is not limited to the sphere of exchange, but embraces and includes the entire process of reproduction (production, distribution, circulation, consumption), which is viewed through the prism of exchange.

Thirdly, the conjuncture is considered in time and space, in dynamic development.

Fourthly, the conjuncture is linked to the specific historical conditions of the reproduction process, because each new stage in the development of the reproduction process is characterized by a certain combination of factors and conditions for the development of the conjuncture.

Fifthly, it is pointed out that the main form of conjuncture manifestation is the ratio of demand, supply and price dynamics. Ultimately, it is these factors that determine the state and dynamics of the market that are the central link. Other factors affect the development of the market situation only indirectly, through supply and demand.

In accordance with the fact that in economics It is customary to use two objects of market research - the economy and the commodity market, in the concept of economic conjuncture, two relatively independent components are distinguished - the general economic conjuncture and the conjuncture of commodity markets.

The general economic situation can be considered as a system that is a structural unity, i.e. a certain set of conjuncture of commodity markets with many relationships between them. However, these parts exist only due to the presence of the whole, i.e. non-commodity conjunctures constitute the general economic conjuncture, and, conversely, the general economic conjuncture generates, during its division, elements - the conjuncture of commodity markets. Therefore, the properties of the general economic conjuncture cannot be considered an arithmetic sum of the properties of the commodity conjunctures of its constituents. Combining commodity market conjunctures as elements into a general economic conjuncture as a whole gives the latter new qualities that the commodity conjunctures that compose it do not have.

The conjuncture of the commodity market as an element of the general economic conjuncture is characterized by both specific features inherent only to it, and general features inherent in the general economic conjuncture. Thus, only the interaction and interconnection of these features and characteristics of the general and parts determine the nature of the formation and development of the general economic and commodity conjuncture.

The general economic and commodity conjuncture has the following characteristic features:

inconstancy,
- variability and frequent fluctuations,
- moreover, some vibrations reflect the action of forces,
- short-term impact on the market,
- others - the result of factors that have a medium-term or long-term impact on the state of the market;
- unevenness, which is clearly visible when the direction of the dynamics of various indicators characterizing the conjuncture coincides, but the rates do not match;
- exceptional inconsistency, which is expressed in the fact that various indicators of the conjuncture at the same time indicate the presence of opposite tendencies of rise and fall;
- the unity of opposites that are formed in the process of reproduction of social capital, despite the exceptional inconsistency.

The study of the economic situation is not limited to the study of only the general patterns of development of the sphere of exchange and its interaction with other stages of the reproduction process. It is aimed at conducting a reasonable analysis and making a forecast of the situation that is developing in a particular commodity market.

A commodity market is a system of economic relations, firstly, between producers and consumers of a given product and, secondly, within groups of producers and consumers. The main form of relations of the first type is the purchase and sale, the second - competition.

Commodity markets, interacting through the mechanism of intersectoral competition, form the national market as a whole. In the course of historical development, market relations go beyond national borders, and international commodity markets are formed. They operate in close cooperation with the respective markets of individual countries and regions.

There is a huge variety of national economies and commodity markets with their inherent conditions of formation and factors of development of the economic situation. Each commodity market and each stage of development of its conjuncture is characterized by its own combination of factors that determine the features and parameters of long-term trends, medium-term fluctuations and short-term changes, their relative importance, and the ranking of their interaction with each other.

Real estate market research

The analysis of the real estate market includes its identification and interpretation, which proceeds from the usefulness of the property, its presence in the market, and the preferences of both parties to the transaction and purchasing power.

Market analysis for the purpose of evaluation is the ratio of the entire state of the real estate market, a specific segment with each studied object. As a result, we get a report on the interaction of supply and demand, which can affect the price of the property being valued. Indirectly, the result can be used to determine the best use case, demand dynamics, marketing strategies for existing and projected properties, design, and market share projections occupied by the property.

The market price of real estate is dictated by the competitive potential of the market. By studying the characteristics of the property being valued, the appraiser can identify objects that compete and determine all the pros and cons of the property being valued. Understanding Influence economic conditions on the state of the market allows appraisers to obtain very important information, which is necessary in order to determine the value using three approaches for .

The comparative approach requires the identification of competing real estate objects, determining the degree of their comparability with the appraised object in order to objectively adjust the sale price of the same real estate in accordance with the fluctuating market situation.

The cost approach is designed to use market information on current construction costs. This information will allow appraisers to determine the size entrepreneurial profit, income of construction organizations, identification of economic advantage, and the level of functional obsolescence of real estate after construction is completed.

The income approach requires the appraiser to have knowledge of market information on occupancy and market size, rent levels, operating costs, expected rates of return, and competitive potential in a particular real estate market.

To analyze demand or identify the needs, preferences and purchasing power of the consumer. The main task of appraisers is to identify a potential consumer of the property being valued, for example, buyers, tenants or users. To do this, the first step is to determine the demand for the final product or service provided by the property being valued. For example, with the cost of a hotel, you need to determine the number of potential guests.

The list of factors that affect the real estate market.

1. The factor of state regulation of the real estate market.
1.1. normative act to regulate real estate purchase and sale transactions;
1.2. tax legislation, to regulate real estate transactions; Back | |