1, which is divided into consumer market survey and producer market survey according to the different consumption purposes of market commodities.
(1) Judging from the object of purchasing goods,
(2) from the purchased goods.
(3) From the characteristics of the purchase and sale activities themselves.
2. According to the different purposes of providing information for market research, it can be divided into exploratory, descriptive, causal and predictive market research.
(1) Exploratory market research is to collect some relevant information and determine the crux of the problems that need to be studied in business management.
(2) Descriptive market research is to further study the crux of the problem and collect necessary information to explain "what", "when" and "how".
(3) Causality market survey is to collect information about the changes and influencing factors in the development process of the research object, distinguish the cause from the result, and indicate which is the decisive variable.
(4) Predictive market research is to collect all kinds of market intelligence data of the research object in the past and present, grasp the law of its development and change, and estimate the market demand for a certain commodity and its changing trend in a certain period of time in the future by using certain methods.
3. According to the different time levels of organizing market research, there are regular market research, regular market research and temporary market research.
(1) Regular market survey, also called irregular market survey, refers to the continuous survey organized according to actual needs.
(2) Regular market survey refers to the market survey conducted by enterprises on a regular basis according to the market conditions and the requirements of business decisions.
(3) Temporary market survey, also known as some secondary surveys. It refers to an investigation that can only be conducted once or only once.
Second, the content of market research
1, market demand survey
Market commodity demand survey mainly includes market commodity demand, demand structure and demand time survey. That is to know when and where consumers need what and how much.
The market demand for goods mainly depends on the level of social purchasing power. Investigating the market demand for goods is mainly about the purchasing power of society, which is a kind of consumer demand with the ability to pay. For enterprises, to investigate market demand, we should not only know the total demand, satisfied demand and potential demand in the region where the enterprise is located, but also know the proportion of market sales in the market demand for goods, that is, the market share of enterprise sales and the possibility of opening up regional markets.
Investigate the demand structure, mainly to understand the investment of purchasing power. Usually, it is classified according to the standards of consumers' income level, occupation type and living area, and then the purchasing power input of each type of consumers, that is, the demand structure of food, clothing, housing and transportation, is calculated. The investigation of demand structure should not only understand the general structure of demand goods. But also know the specific structure of each commodity, such as variety, color, specification, quality, price, quantity, etc. At the same time, we need to know the trend of market and commodity segmentation, the factors that cause demand changes and the degree and direction of their influence, the characteristics of urban and rural demand changes, the possibility of opening up new consumption areas and so on.
Demand time survey is mainly to understand the season, month, specific purchase time of consumer demand, as well as the variety and quantity structure in demand.
The survey of the total demand and structure of market commodities is a comprehensive survey, which is usually organized by the corresponding economic management departments of the state, and enterprises use indirect information. The investigation on the demand and satisfaction degree of various specific commodities in terms of quantity, quality, variety, specification and demand time is an important content of the commodity demand in the enterprise market. In order to accurately grasp the needs of consumers, it is usually necessary to investigate and analyze the demographic composition, family, occupation and education, income, purchasing psychology and purchasing behavior, and then draw a conclusion.
2. Market environment survey
The business activities of enterprises are carried out in a complex social environment, and the business activities of enterprises are restricted by their own conditions and external environment. The change of environment can not only bring market opportunities to enterprises, but also pose some threats, so the investigation and study of enterprise market environment is the basic premise for enterprises to effectively carry out business activities.
(1) Political and legal environment
① Political environment. Political environment refers to the political situation and situation outside the enterprise, which is divided into two parts: domestic political situation and international political situation. The investigation of domestic political situation is mainly to analyze and study the formulation and adjustment of the line, principles and policies of the party and the government and their influence on the market and enterprises. The investigation of international political situation is mainly to analyze and study the social nature and political system of relevant countries and understand their political stability. Changes in the international political situation, such as the change of state power, the outbreak of regional conflicts, and the investigation of national policies, will inevitably promote or destroy international economic exchanges, thus affecting whether enterprises can enter the international market, how to enter it, and the direction of entry.
② Legal environment. Enterprises always operate in a certain legal environment. The investigation of enterprise's legal environment is to analyze various laws, decrees and regulations, especially economic legislation, such as economic contract law, import and export tariff regulations, patent law, trademark law, environmental protection law, etc. In the process of international trade exchange, we should not only know the laws and regulations of the corresponding countries, but also be familiar with the corresponding international trade practices and requirements. They will have an impact on the business activities of enterprises from different angles, requiring enterprise managers not only to be familiar with them, but also to be good at using them.
(2) Economic and technological environment
① Economic environment. Economic environment refers to the social and economic conditions, operating conditions and development trends faced by enterprises. The economic environment survey is mainly about the changes of social purchasing power level, consumer income, consumer consumption pattern, consumer savings and credit, inflation, taxes and tariffs.
② Technical environment. The rise of new technological revolution affects all aspects of social economy. With the rapid development, the time distance from marketable products to mature products is shortening, and the growth of production is increasingly dependent on progress. The new technological revolution, characterized by electronic technology, registration technology, optical technology, new material technology and biotechnology, is constantly transforming traditional industries, making a new leap in the quantity, quality, variety and specifications of products, and also bringing about the establishment and development of emerging industries related to electronics, information, new materials and biology. Emerging and development may bring new marketing opportunities to some enterprises, and may also bring environmental threats to some enterprises. It requires enterprises to pay close attention to the new trend of scientific and technological revolution, constantly develop products, use new technologies to improve marketing management, improve the service quality and work efficiency of enterprises, pay attention to the changes brought by new technologies to people's lifestyles and the impact on enterprise marketing activities, and rely more on scientific and technological progress to promote the continuous development of social production and social needs.
(3) Social culture, environmental culture is a complex integration, including knowledge, belief, art, morality, customs and habits, and any ideas and habits acquired by people as members of society. The most important feature of culture is that it is acquired by human beings and enjoyed by all. Culture makes the norms and concepts of a society more systematic, and culture explains all the values and norms of a society. In different countries, nationalities or regions, cultural differences are deeper than skin color or any other physiological characteristics, which determines people's unique lifestyle and behavior norms.
In a word, the cultural environment not only establishes the norms of people's daily behavior, but also forms the orientation pattern of consumers' attitudes and purchasing motives in market countries or market regions. Therefore, in marketing activities, enterprises are required to "ask about local conditions and customs" and pay attention to the important influence of cultural environment in different countries and regions on enterprise management methods. If you subjectively assume the commercial and cultural background of a country or region and blindly enter the market, the risk is bound to be great.
3, marketing affairs investigation
Marketing practice survey is a market survey around marketing activities, which mainly includes product survey, sales channel survey, promotion and service survey and competitor survey.
(1) product survey. That is, the variety, quantity, quality, packaging and production cycle of the products that producers may provide, as well as the possibility and way for producers to produce products.
(2) Investigation of circulation channels. There are several circulation links or intermediate links in the process of transferring goods from producers to consumers. The investigation of circulation channels is to investigate the circulation links or intermediate levels that commodities pass through in the circulation process.
The typical mode of commodity owner's transfer to producer is: producer-agent-wholesale enterprise-retail enterprise-consumer. Enterprises can choose according to the characteristics of consumers, the nature of products, their own situation and the specific market environment, thus forming the diversification of circulation channels. The specific form of circulation channel determines the specific content of circulation channel investigation.
① Survey of wholesale business. Its main contents are: the change of participants and market share of wholesale commodity distribution channels; The specific level of the circulation of wholesale goods, understand and master the changes of objective factors formed in the circulation, such as the changes in the layout of commodity productivity and the changes in the flow of goods caused by it; Changes in various transportation conditions such as railways, waterways, highways, aviation and folk transportation; Changes in the layout of wholesale commercial outlets and retail commercial outlets; Changes in the variety of goods and the development direction of new products, changing the storage and sales conditions of fresh and perishable goods with hoes; Changes in the operating conditions of enterprises; Investigate the form of commodity purchase and sale in wholesale business; The function of different forms of purchase and sale and the factors affecting the forms of commodity purchase and sale.
② Retail business survey. Its contents mainly include: participants engaged in commodity trading activities in the retail commercial market; Changes in the proportion of retail goods of different ownership in circulation; Types of retail commercial enterprises and distribution of retail commercial outlets; Commodity production and marketing service forms in the retail commercial market.
(3) Market survey of producers' self-marketing. Producer self-selling market refers to the integrated form of production and marketing in which producers sell goods to direct consumers. Understand policies and regulations such as taxation and prices through market research; The circulation of commodities in the producer's self-selling market and the mastery of policies and regulations such as taxation and price; Changes in commodity circulation, commodity structure and proportion in the producer's self-selling market.
④ The proportional relationship between the market turnover and the personnel and outlets of commercial catering service industry is the basic proportional relationship of the development of market commodity circulation. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and study the changing trend of the relationship between the turnover of social retail goods and the proportion of employees in commercial and catering services, as well as the increase or decrease of the average service population in commercial and catering services outlets.
(3) promotion and service investigation
(1) promote the investigation. Promotion is an activity that enterprises publicize the goods produced and operated and the services provided to consumers, and promote and influence consumers' buying behavior and consumption patterns. The main task of promotion is to convey the information of goods and services to consumers and expand sales. There are many ways to promote sales, including personnel promotion and non-personnel promotion. In non-personnel promotion, there are specific promotion forms such as advertising, business promotion and public relations. For promotional activities, we should focus on investigating consumers' reactions to promotional activities and understand the promotional forms that consumers like. The specific contents include: investigating the characteristics of various promotion forms and whether the promotion activities are unique and innovative; Whether the characteristics of products and services are outstanding and how well consumers accept them; Whether it can leave a deep impression on consumers and whether the effect-input ratio has adverse reactions; Whether it has finally played a role in attracting customers and winning over potential consumers.
② Sales and service survey. Sales service, from the perspective of promotion, is also an important promotion method. This is a sales promotion method for enterprises to attract consumers, ensure that the goods purchased by consumers play a role, understand the information such as consumption requirements and product quality, and establish the reputation of enterprises. Sales services are divided into pre-sales services, in-sales services and after-sales services. In the sales service investigation, we should know the specific content and form of consumer service demand; Understand whether the services provided by enterprises can meet the requirements of consumers in terms of the number of outlets and service quality, and whether consumers reflect their opinions on the current services; Investigate and understand the content, form and quality of services provided by competitors.
(4) competitor survey. Where there is a market, there is competition. If an enterprise wants to gain a firm foothold in the market, it must pay attention to the understanding of its competitors and truly know ourselves and ourselves. The investigation of competitors should mainly understand the following aspects: the number of competitors, whether there are potential competitors and who are the main competitors; Business scale, personnel composition and marketing organization of competitors; The variety, quantity, price, cost level and profitability of the commodities operated by competitors; Whether the competitors' supply channels have established a stable supply network; The degree of control of competitors on sales channels, whether there are specific consumer groups, and the market share; What promotional measures have competitors taken, what services have they provided, and how do consumers respond?
Third, the steps of market research
Market research involves a wide range, which is a complicated and meticulous work. In order to ensure the quality of different types of market surveys and make the whole survey work rhythmic and efficient, it is necessary to strengthen the organization and arrange the survey degree reasonably. Although the procedures of different types of market surveys are different, from the basic analysis, they generally go through the following steps: first, clarify the purpose of the survey; Formulate an implementation plan; Collate the data and submit the investigation report.
1, specifying the purpose of the investigation.
Defining the purpose of investigation is the primary problem that must be solved in market research. Mainly to clarify why this survey is conducted; What problems are understood through investigation; The specific use of the survey results. Experience has proved that the market research envisaged by market researchers often involves a wide range at the beginning and asks general questions. Therefore, first of all, we should conduct a preliminary investigation to find out the main problems in the market. For example, in the course of business operation, if the sales of commodities continue to decline, it is necessary to analyze and find out whether the cause of the problem is insufficient supply of commodities or unreasonable structure of operating commodities. Is it the decline of service quality or the transfer of consumer purchasing power? Is the enterprise short of funds and slow turnover, or is it unfavorable for enterprise promotion? These issues to be considered cover a wide range and are relatively general. There needs to be a preliminary investigation process to find out the main reasons, and then choose the main problems to be solved in market research.
In the process of preliminary investigation, first of all, we should analyze the preliminary situation of the market, that is, market researchers should carefully study and analyze the relevant information they have, such as business records, statistical reports, accounting reports, product quality, consumers' consumption habits, circulation channels, contract quantity of distribution units, similar new products, etc., so as to grasp the causal relationship between them. Secondly, we should conduct some informal surveys, that is, experimental interview surveys, such as interviewing experienced professionals, listening to their market analysis and finding out the crux. On this basis, we finally need to determine the scope of market research. The scope of market research directly affects the workload and efficiency of market research. Determining the scope of market research directly affects the workload and work efficiency of market research. In the process of determining the scope of market research, we can exclude assumptions that have little to do with the purpose of the survey, and the scope of market research can be determined more centrally.
2. Make an implementation plan
Making an implementation plan is the most complicated stage in the whole market research process. It mainly includes the selection of investigation items, investigation methods, investigators and investigation expenses.
(1) The survey item refers to the obtained data. The choice of investigation items depends on the purpose and purpose of investigation, that is, according to the purpose and purpose of investigation, various problems are classified and the information collected for each problem is specified. The investigation project was set up to obtain the required information.
(2) Investigation method refers to the way to obtain information. Including where, who to find and how to investigate.
To determine the location of the survey, we must first proceed from the scope of market research. If you are investigating the market situation of a city, you should also consider whether to investigate in one district or several districts. Secondly, consider whether the respondents' residence is evenly distributed or distributed in different regions, or whether they can be concentrated in certain regions.
Determining the object of investigation is mainly to determine the conditions that the object of investigation should have. Such as gender, education level, income level, occupation, etc. Determining the survey object is to select qualified market participants and the number of samples according to the purpose of market survey, mainly to determine the number of survey objects.
Determining the location of the survey, the conditions of the respondents and the number of samples of the respondents cannot be done in isolation, which are closely related to the purpose of the survey and the required survey objectives. For example, the reliability of survey results is generally required. Then, the selected survey area and the residence of the respondents can be properly concentrated, and the conditions of the respondents can also be adjusted to reasonably save the survey expenses on the premise of meeting the needs of the survey. The determination of the number of samples is also directly related to the survey objectives and survey costs. The number of samples directly affects the credibility of the survey results. Generally speaking, the more samples, the closer the sample average is to the average of the market survey matrix. In other words, if the reliability of the survey results is high, the number of samples must be increased. However, as the number of samples increases, the cost of investigation will also increase. Therefore, it is not worth the loss to increase the number of samples inappropriately when the confidence level of the survey results is average. Determine the number of respondents, should be based on the purpose of the survey records and the requirements of the objectives to be achieved, comprehensive consideration, reasonable determination.
To determine the investigation method, we should mainly proceed from the specific conditions of the investigation and take the principle of collecting the required first-hand raw materials. Generally speaking, if consumers are directly investigated and first-hand information is directly collected, interview, observation and experiment can be used respectively. If the survey content is more, you can consider the retention questionnaire method.
(3) investigators. Determine the investigators, mainly to determine the conditions and number of participants in the market survey, including the necessary training for investigators.
Because the respondents are producers and consumers from all walks of life, their ideological understanding and education level are quite different, so market researchers are required to have a certain level of thinking and professional skills. Specifically, first of all, market researchers are required to have some basic cultural knowledge, correctly understand the contents of survey outlines, tables and questionnaires, accurately record the actual situation and contents reflected by the respondents, and do some simple numerical operations and preliminary statistical analysis. Secondly, market researchers are required to have certain knowledge of marketing, management and economics, and have a correct understanding of professional concepts, terms and indicators involved in the investigation process. You should have certain social experience, civilized manners, generous and cheerful personality, be good at dealing with different types of people and get their cooperation in the investigation. Finally, participating in market research is not only complicated and busy, but also boring. If we lack a good working attitude and can't carry out the investigation seriously as required, the obtained survey data will be greatly deviated, the credibility will be reduced, and even the investigation will fail seriously. Therefore, investigators are required to have a serious, earnest and practical working attitude.
In the process of market research, investigators are faced with complex and changeable survey objects. The direct purpose of each survey is different, and the survey items are also diverse. Different investigation topics require investigators to have different knowledge preparation. In addition, some market research work, due to the heavy workload, sometimes needs to hire some temporary staff, and the staff has certain mobility. Therefore, in order to ensure the reliability of market survey results, we must attach importance to the training of participants. Training work, first of all, around the specific content of the survey, educate the market investigators, unify their understanding, so that every investigator can deeply understand the specific purpose and practical significance of the survey. Secondly, it introduces the specific requirements of this survey, explains the relevant professional concepts and terms according to the meaning of the survey items, and clarifies the caliber of statistical data and the principles and conditions for selecting survey objects. Finally, investigators should be trained in job skills, including how to face the respondents, how to ask questions, how to explain and how to deal with some situations. For the training of market researchers, simulation training can be used, that is, experienced investigators play the role of respondents, and beginners discuss and evaluate the simulation process to find the best solution. Simulation training method can make novices competent for their work quickly and avoid the loss of investigation caused by lack of experience. Training investigators is an important link to ensure the quality of investigation.
(4) Investigation expenses. Every market research activity needs to spend some money. Therefore, when making a plan, it is necessary to make a survey cost budget and reasonably estimate the survey cost. The basic principle of compiling cost budget is to strive for the best investigation effect under the condition of insisting on limited investigation cost. Or on the premise of ensuring the realization of the investigation goal, strive to minimize the investigation cost. The survey expenses are expressed in total amount, and the expenses are detailed, such as personnel service fees, questionnaire printing fees, information fees, transportation fees, questionnaire processing fees, miscellaneous fees, etc. , should be determined according to the specific circumstances of each survey.
(5) Work progress schedule and supervision and inspection of work progress. Work schedule is the specific provisions on working procedures, time and working methods of various investigation items and methods. How to prepare, who is responsible; When to start the training work and who will preside over it; Wait in what way. A practical work arrangement can make the whole investigation activity go on rhythmically. So that everyone engaged in investigation can act relatively independently, which also provides a basis for the supervision and inspection of investigation activities.
The supervision and inspection of work progress is an important condition for finding problems in time, overcoming weak links and ensuring the smooth progress of the whole investigation. In the process of supervising and inspecting the progress of the work, on-site inspection is finally taken to facilitate timely guidance and improvement of the work.
(6) * * and examine the investigators. The performance evaluation of investigators is also to ensure the smooth progress of the whole investigation.
Important conditions for implementation. When evaluating the work performance of investigators, we should pay attention to putting forward specific standards in combination with the size of work results. For example, the percentage of assessment, less refusal to visit, good work performance; On the contrary, there are problems at work. It can also be combined with the investigation process to evaluate the number of errors in activities such as inquiry, recording, data classification and analysis. Assessing the performance of investigators should be carried out in the course of work in combination with the progress of the work, so as to promote the work in time, rather than waiting until the end of the work.
3. Organize data and reports.
(1) Organization data. Most of the information obtained by market survey is scattered and disorderly, which inevitably leads to falsehood, private ownership and redundancy, and even the deviation of investigators, which is difficult to reflect the characteristics and essence of the survey. The data must be sorted and processed to be true, accurate, complete and unified.
(1) Collating data is to edit, classify and analyze the survey data in a scientific way, so as to make it systematic and orderly and accurately reflect the real situation of the survey problems in a concise way.
(2) Editing is to inspect and check the collected data, verify whether all kinds of data are true and reliable and meet the requirements, and eliminate the data that are not practical in the investigation. The specific methods are: First, check the authenticity and accuracy of the survey data. The authenticity test can judge the survey data according to the past practical experience or the inherent logical relationship of the survey data, such as the relationship between income and expenditure. If the survey data shows that the expenditure greatly exceeds the income, it obviously does not conform to the logical relationship between income and expenditure. It can also be checked by various figures, such as whether the sum of each group of figures is equal to the total, and whether the sum of the percentages of each part is 100%. Secondly, we should check the consistency of records and the unity of caliber. After inspection, investigators should be required to identify ambiguous information or records in time, and review and correct them if necessary. Unqualified survey data should be excluded to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data.
(3) Data classification, that is, the edited and checked data are analyzed, classified into appropriate categories, and made into relevant statistical tables or charts to facilitate observation, analysis and application. There are two ways to classify data. One is to design survey indicators according to different survey items when designing survey outlines and questionnaires, and collect and sort out data according to classified indicators during the survey process. Second, after the survey data is collected, different data are distinguished according to the nature, content or characteristics of the data, and the same or similar data are merged into one category. When classifying data, we should pay attention to the differences between different types of data and the similarity of the same category. The same data can only be classified into one category, and there can be no duplicate classification. At the same time, it should be noted that all the data must be included in the classification results, and each data must belong to it, and there can be no omissions. When conditions permit, data classification should be fine but not coarse. Detailed classification is conducive to including all the answers of the respondents and giving full play to the role of survey data.
④ When analyzing data, we should pay attention to calculating the percentage of all kinds of data, so that people can have a clear concept of the survey results.
(2) Submit the investigation report. The arrangement and analysis of data is the basis of investigation report, which is the inevitable process and result of market research. The investigation report should include the following aspects.
The preface mainly explains the purpose, process and method of the investigation.
② The main part, according to the purpose of the investigation, analyzes the situation and puts forward conclusions and suggestions.
(3) Attachments, mainly important data and materials cited in the main part of the report, and detailed statistical charts and survey data can be attached when necessary.