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Marketing study of the market. Marketing analysis of the market

Hello dear colleague! In today's article we will talk about marketing analysis. After all, such an analysis determines the success of absolutely any organization or individual entrepreneur. Marketing defines the relationship of an enterprise or individual entrepreneur with the external environment by studying and conducting a marketing analysis aimed at identifying the competitive position of an enterprise (IE) and its potential in the relevant market. Therefore, in this article we will consider in detail what marketing analysis is and how it is carried out.

7. Selection of the most effective methods and forms of product marketing, development of the marketing strategy of the enterprise

Thus, we have identified 7 main tasks of marketing analysis, by solving which, it will be possible to see a complete picture of the enterprise, both its internal and external sides.

3. Types of marketing analysis

Marketing Analysis can be of several types, differ both in the methods and forms of implementation, and in the vastness of the analyzed information.

  1. Marketing analysis of the market is the most common type of marketing analysis. Studying market trends and processes. An analysis of economic, geographical, legislative, demographic and other market factors allows you to make a market development forecast, develop a competitive strategy and carry out market segmentation, and identify the most appropriate market niche.
  1. Marketing analysis of competitors reveals strengths and weak sides enterprises. Develop a competent marketing strategy.
  1. Analysis of the marketing strategy of the enterprise . Analysis of the existing marketing activities enterprise allows you to make its adjustment, to direct the activities of the organization in a profitable direction. Often, an ineffective marketing strategy of an enterprise is one of the factors of its unprofitability.
  1. Study internal environment enterprises aims to compare internal and external processes in order to bring their work to a single coherent mechanism.
  1. Research of the target audience and target consumer . This type marketing analysis allows you to see a clear and understandable portrait of the consumer of your goods or services, and, therefore, to correctly think over the marketing strategy of the enterprise, select possible bonuses and think over the approach. If there are many varieties of consumers or the group is large enough, then they are divided into segments that combine characteristics.
  1. Marketing analysis of intermediaries will let you see potential partners your company and calculate an affiliate program for further expansion.
  1. Analysis of the internal marketing environment of the enterprise - this type is aimed at studying the real competitiveness of the enterprise.

So, we have examined the main types of marketing analysis, let's move on to the methods.

4. Methods of marketing analysis

Method for analyzing the marketing activities of an organization is a way of studying, measuring and generalizing processes, phenomena and influences of external and internal factors on the activities of the organization in the conditions market economy.

The choice of a marketing analysis method is a very serious moment, depending directly on the purpose and objectives of the study as a whole.

In this paragraph of the article, we will consider the methods of marketing analysis, based on its types.

So, we have considered the main types of marketing analysis and the methods attached to them.

Since this article is more informational than practical, we will not consider each method in detail.

5. Conclusions

At the end of this topic, I would like to say that such a science as marketing and marketing analysis tools play key role in building a long-term and profitable business.

Marketing analysis is applicable both at the stage of business planning, and at any other stage of an already existing one.

And finally, I suggest you watch a short video about conducting market research:

This concludes my article. I hope that the material presented in it was useful to you. I wish you good luck and see you in the next articles.


It is aimed at identifying the characteristics of representatives of the target audience of a commercial offer. This type of research may have much in common with or differ from marketing analysis. This depends on whether the market research needs to address the marketing processes already applied to it or to predict the reaction of market representatives to the possible use of a particular marketing strategy.

Main tasks and methods for their solution

The main objective of the study is to identify the characteristics of consumers. It should answer questions about what they want and trust, what they need and what they can do without. Today, the most important criterion has also become the solvency of representatives of those groups of the population that can become consumers.

During practical work first of all, prices for goods that fully or partially correspond to the customer's product range are examined. Various periods are analyzed, their characteristics. For example, the mere fact that people bought something at a certain price for a year may not make any sense if new round economic crisis led to the bankruptcy of a number of city-forming enterprises. Market representatives will certainly be segmented. Groups are distinguished, united by common characteristics - gender, age, estimated income, geolocation, or attitude to some risk group.

The most difficult process is identifying market trends. Exactly because of this reason market analysis may use some marketing tools. They can be trial sales or sociological surveys.

Stages of the study

Specific methods of work are directly related to the original goal. In the event of a new business for the region, they are guided by the search for answers to the main questions.

  • will it offer be in steady demand;
  • what price range is acceptable;
  • what business development strategy can be the most promising;
  • what risks should be taken into account.

When looking for answers to these questions, you need to understand that any useful product or service will sooner or later find its consumer. The problem is what profitability will the company offer them to the public.

If the study is conducted for an existing business

Not always the need for the work of market analysts arises at the time of opening a new enterprise. Sometimes companies that have been operating for more than a year also face situations related to the need to re-examine the characteristics of their market. Most often this is due to the fact that some obvious problems have arisen. They may be:

  • demand for a product that turned out to be lower than predicted;
  • lack of certainty in the competitive position of the company;
  • insufficiently clear understanding of the social portrait of their consumers;
  • search for a method to reduce costs.

In some cases, market analysis may be included in the structure of anti-crisis measures. In any case, this is a complex research work, which should be completely transparent for customers and culminate in the preparation of a package of proposals for the formation of the most effective business development strategy.

Market research is one of key factors business development. Most enterprises, firms and private companies draw up an action strategy based on the results of the study. Recently, the demand for forecasting modern market trends has increased significantly. In this regard, various methods and methods of data analysis began to be developed. One of them is called marketing research of the market, to which this article will be devoted.

concept

Marketing research market is a process of constant and continuous collection of information about behavioral factors, demand, motivation of market relations entities that operate in a particular segment, as well as its analysis.

Many people often confuse the concepts of “market research” and “market research of the market”. In the first case, as a result of the experiments carried out, it is possible to obtain generalized data that relate not only to the market for products and services, but also to other economic segments. In the second case, the research pursues more specific goals.

Goals

Market marketing research has an important target orientation. Their main task is to find new opportunities for a particular enterprise, identify a free niche, identify competitors and develop specific recommendations for the effective implementation of a product or service. The target orientation of the research is as follows:

  • Search. It consists in collecting information that will help to give a reliable assessment and forecasts.
  • Descriptive. The factors to be investigated are selected in advance, and their influence on the general state of the market is described.
  • Causal. Checking cause-and-effect relationships.
  • Test. As a result of the study, the most acceptable solutions are made and tested in real conditions.
  • Predictive. Summarizing all the results obtained in the course of the study, it is possible to predict the further state of the unit under study.

Tasks

Market research is a long and multi-layered process, the main task of which is to determine the possible volume of sales of goods, services and products, as well as to assess the level of demand for a particular product or service. This information is achieved by determining:

  • the entire market capacity.
  • Its part in a common container.
  • Demand analysis. It is necessary to determine the level of consumer loyalty.
  • Offer analysis, the main purpose of which is to identify competitors.
  • Sales opportunities. An important task is to analyze the distribution channels for products or services.

Theory and practice

In general, the tasks of marketing research are divided into two types: methodological support of activities and market research. Methodological support consists in determining the subject and object of the study, as well as collecting data and choosing the methods of the study itself. Market conjuncture is based on determining the dynamics, properties, opportunities, prospects and patterns of development.

Methods

Market research methods refer to special techniques, operations or campaigns that are designed to theoretically and practically study the marketing environment where a certain organization operates. Market research methods are fundamental and applied. Fundamental methods show the general picture of the studied market and some individual characteristics. While applied ones examine the position of the enterprise in the selected market segment. Each method differs in the collection and processing of information. In general, techniques can work with primary or secondary information. The latter has nothing to do with the research being done here and now. It has been collected and analyzed for a long time, but it is well suited for drawing certain conclusions and forecasts.

Primary information is collected during ongoing research. Depending on the method by which data is collected, they can be divided into three types:

  • Quality. Consist in the collection of practical material. That is, the research team observes what is happening, interprets and analyzes the data obtained. Qualitative methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews and protocol analysis.
  • Quantitative. Surveys are usually referred to as quantitative research. They mean the use of closed-type questions and their further processing. Polls can be done different ways. Most often they use telephone surveys, street, apartment, postal.
  • Mixed. Mixed studies include a variety of tests and the work of mystery shoppers. Recently, if there is a need to bring a new product to the market, locations are used.

For quality

Market research and analysis is impossible without quantitative and qualitative analyzes. Qualitative methods are used to determine consumer preferences and predict behavior patterns when a new product or service is introduced to the market. For this apply:

  • Focus group. This is an analytical market research that is conducted among a small group of potential consumers. The focus group leader creates a specific scenario according to which the discussion is held. The main advantage of this technique is the opportunity to study the personal opinion of each consumer. And the informal atmosphere contributes to obtaining more reliable information.

  • Protocol analysis is often used for product market research. The essence of this method is that researchers simulate the process of acquiring goods (most often expensive: real estate, car, Appliances), and the consumer describes his thoughts and actions.
  • An in-depth interview consists of interviewing one of the consumers. The main difference from a survey is that all questions are open, that is, a person does not choose an answer option, but talks about his attitude to a product or service. In the process of such an interview, it is easy to study the train of thought of a potential consumer, as well as determine his attitude to aspects of the material under study. Often, market research of services is carried out with the help of in-depth interviews. The only drawback of this method is the need for a highly qualified specialist who not only understands the topic, but is also a good psychologist.

For Quantity

Market research is also carried out with the help of quantitative methods, which express a certain problem with quantitative indicators. In this way, the opinion of a huge number of people is studied, which makes it possible to apply a statistical evaluation of information. Primarily quantitative methods practice if there is a need to determine the size of the market, brand awareness, consumer attitudes, etc.

Quantitative methods are divided into:

  • Mass polls. They consist in the analysis of respondents' answers to the questions of the questionnaire. Such surveys differ in the place of conducting, the method of communication (telephone, Internet, mail), the subjects (legal entities, individual entrepreneurs or experts), and the type of sample.
  • Personal interviews. Unlike a mass survey, an interview provides more reliable information. The interviewer can ask the same questions as in the questionnaire, but does not offer answers.

Retail Audit

There is another effective market research technique - audit retail. This method is difficult to attribute to qualitative, quantitative or mixed, so it is often defined separately. The essence of the methodology is to evaluate the market and its products by collecting publicly available information. That is, researchers analyze pricing policy, commodity units, advertising campaigns. In a word, all aspects that reflect the characteristics of the market or its individual segment can be attributed to the audit of retail trade. Conducting market research in this way allows you to quickly identify an unoccupied niche and identify the main competitors.

Mixed methods

Mixed methods are based on the basic aspects of quantitative and qualitative research methods. These include the following methods:

  • Locations. For research, a group of consumers who are not experts in the field of research is recruited. They are offered to test a certain product and answer the questionnaire along the way. This method is very expensive, but it allows you to adequately evaluate the product, its relevance and quality, which is important when introducing a new product to the market.

  • Home testing. Consumers are provided with a product that they use in the natural environment for this product, that is, at home, in nature, at sea. Using the product for its intended purpose, consumers must record responses in special questionnaires.
  • Mystery shopper. Marketing research of the service market has long mastered this method. It is used to determine the level of service quality. This technique allows you to assess the level of sales decline due to the subjective factors of implementers, which include rudeness and unprofessionalism.

Research stages

Distortions of the final results directly depend on the violation of the stages of the study. This may lead to the adoption of an incorrect management strategy and development line, so it is worth considering the sequence of research:

  • Problems and goals. It is necessary to identify the main research problems, and on their basis to formulate the goals pursued. Goals are exploratory, descriptive, and experimental. The former help to find the reason for the decline in sales and bring the company to new stage development. The latter provide the main indicators of the market or its segment. Still others show a causal relationship between the actions of the company's management and the level of sales.
  • Information sources. Based on the goals, you need to choose research methods.

  • Collection of information. According to the selected research methods, the necessary information is collected.
  • Analysis. Having received necessary information, the researcher must analyze it, convert it into numbers and make certain forecasts or draw conclusions.
  • Decision. Based on the data obtained, the company's management makes an appropriate management decision, which will lead to the development and expansion of the company.

Data analysis

All data obtained as a result of marketing research of the market must be analyzed accordingly. The essence of the analysis is to convert the information received into meaningful facts. This procedure consists of two steps:

  • At the first stage, all received data is entered into a computer, checked for errors, encoded and displayed in the form of a matrix.
  • The second stage consists in the statistical analysis of the obtained values. After receiving the statistical data, the researchers give their comments and recommendations. Based on all the materials, conclusions and forecasts are made

As you can see, market research is a laborious and costly process, but only thanks to it can companies choose the right course of development and delight consumers with the right products and services.

We have one service that I really like to perform. I feel like I'm in a spy movie starring me as I collect classified information to complete a top-secret mission.

Since we always work as a team, my colleagues help me. Do I present them as assistants who provide me with valuable information? thanks to which I will collect information bit by bit, summarize it and save ... not the world, but our client (or customer, if we speak the language of films).

What kind of service is this, where fantasy plays like that? Meet. This is marketing analysis.

what is marketing analysis

But after all, this is an analysis of data based on information that was collected as a result of various marketing researches for carrying out tasks (the same 4P) in order to generalize, systematize and change them.

How difficult... I will go

Whatoooo? Really! Let's just. incomprehensible smart pages from Wikipedia and abstracts you can read on other sites. And now let's express plain language and clear sentences. Better yet, back it up with concrete examples.

What is marketing analysis in our understanding, or what do we do? Here are a couple of examples of the work we have done:

Example 1 The client has some land (7 hectares is not much :)), and he wants to build a camp site on it. He comes to us with the following questions:

  1. What kind of hostel to build (concept required)?
  2. What kind of marketing should be used to promote it?
  3. What investments are needed?
  4. How and in general will this whole idea pay off?

Example 2 The client has a company that sells woodworking equipment in one region and a great desire to go not even outside the region, but throughout Russia.

You just need to understand what product to go out with in the first place (a fairly wide range), what actions to take and what budget is needed for this.

Example 3 The client has his pretty successful business, but he wants to open a second, radically different direction.

There are certain plans to open a small plant (I will not reveal the niche). Of course, this is a little more complicated and the queries are as follows:

  1. Development and ;
  2. Development of an advertising concept with detailed study;
  3. Detailed study of business and financial plans (of course, we do not specialize in this, but we have partners);
  4. Well, of course, prepare all the documents for the bank (few people now have more than 100 million rubles in stock).

Such examples are far from the only ones, there is experience in developing hostels, niches in, launching a new product on the market, franchising, and so on.

I think my analogy with movie spies is now clear. Business plans with numbers are one thing, but researching the client's competitors, and even throughout the region or country, is a completely different calico.

But this is in our understanding. And if we return to the classical concept, then marketing analysis is necessary when:

  • Market research;
  • Market trends;
  • Studying demand and the factors that influence it;
  • Studying prices and pricing;
  • Studying competitors (especially strong or fast-growing ones) and competitiveness;
  • Studying your company (its strengths and weaknesses);
  • And a dozen more subtasks.

what to do for analysis

"How many terrible words." This is the phrase that comes to my mind when I start reading the description of what needs to be done to conduct a marketing analysis:

  1. Carrying out marketing research;
  2. Collection, processing and generalization of data obtained as a result of research;
  3. Selection of key points from the processed data;
  4. Conceptualization (God, what a terrible word!) - processing key points and considering them in the right way;
  5. Extrapolation (but who invents them!) - determining how this data will be played in the long term;
  6. Creating conclusions.

I translate into human Russian, plus I immediately explain what needs to be done step by step in order to conduct a more or less human marketing analysis. Yes, generalized, but understandable.

  1. Marketing analysis of the market. Collect all the information about the market that you can find and reach. Thanks to the Internet, you have almost all the information that exists in the world. So look, it's not difficult. For example, I found all the relevant statistics I needed on settling in hotels / hostels / hotels in the city I needed.

    By the way, there was a rather interesting scandal recently. It was decided to nominate a European student for Nobel Prize, thanks to the results of the study he did. The scandal is that it is based on medical reports, rather closed, but leaked to the Internet;

  2. Marketing analysis of a firm/organization/company. You study the entire organization from the inside. Everything means everything! Marketing, sales, sales, production. Everything that happens within the company, all business processes. And then suddenly it happens that marketing you in production company adjust, but forget about production, and orders instead of the prescribed 3 days will be carried out for 10-14 days.
  3. Marketing analysis of competitors. Here! This is the most important thing for any leader and owner. Or rather, the most enjoyable. Conduct competitor analysis and find out what they are better at. Guys, let's do this, if we are better than competitors, then in everything. That is why you study competitors;
  4. Marketing analysis of the product. You need to determine how your product (in this case, this word includes both goods and services) will be competitive and viable when entering the market.

    If organization analysis is necessary, competitor analysis is interesting, then product analysis is what the whole analysis is for, so study it in detail and consider all possible options;

  5. Marketing analysis of the project. Everything is simple and clear here. It is necessary to estimate and calculate how viable the whole project is in the long term (1-3-5-10 years), and whether it is worth starting it.

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let's move on to practice

In general, the theory, the theory and nothing but it. But we need practice. Let's imagine that you decide to do a marketing audit yourself.

Market analysis

In short, find all the information you can about the market (supply and demand). If you want to consider what exactly, then here is an article to help you, which we already wrote earlier -. In addition, these services will help you:

  • Federal State Statistics Service - thanks to this service, you can find extremely interesting and, surprisingly, up-to-date information;
  • Estimating the market volume is generally a service for checking a counterparty, but with correct setting and, as they say, “if you dig deeper”, you can pull out interesting data.

    For example, estimated sales in a certain niche (data is taken from financial statements companies). I highly recommend.

Company Analysis

  1. First impression of the company;
  2. First contact;
  3. Sales algorithm;
  4. Marketing;
  5. Competence of employees and owner.

And now attention!

The first 2 points should be checked and performed not by the business owner and not by the manager. It's banned. This should be a completely independent person who will then tell you the whole truth.

It doesn’t sound very pleasant, but if you let a professional into your company, he will tell you a lot of new and interesting things about the company itself and about your employees.

Competitor analysis

As I already wrote, this is the favorite pastime of most entrepreneurs, who play spies in this very block.


I watch...
  1. You need to identify your main competitors. At least 3-5, and not one or two, as is commonly believed;
  2. Find all the information about them on the Internet. In particular, see and swipe the detailed . social networks, current location;
  3. Run a mystery shopper to them. If you can't go, send a friend. But better hire professional company with audio recording and reports (of course you need to prepare them in advance and independently);
  4. Collect all advertising information and analyze them. On the Internet, offline (billboards, newspapers, magazines);
  5. Based on this information, make a list of weak and strengths your competitors.

We consider patency

Come in the morning and make a cheap purchase from him. In the evening you make a second purchase from him. The trick is that if you have a cash desk, you get a check with a number.

By calculating the difference between checks (= number of customers per day) and multiplying it by the average check and the number of days in a month, you can calculate the approximate turnover of a competitor.

Relevant for catering and retail stores(especially with inexpensive products).

Product Analysis

This is where you have to work hard. To do this, you must first know the answers to the following questions:

  1. Who is yours?
  2. Is there a detailed one?
  3. And carried out?
  4. Then what are their weaknesses that we can take away, strengthen them and rise through this?
  5. What will be our positioning? And the USP?
  6. Is the marketing thought out and worked out?
  7. Are the distribution channels well thought out?

And dozens of similar questions that you need to answer. Think it doesn't matter? Well then, congratulations!

You plan to do "marketing from the market, not from the product." This is the trap many entrepreneurs fall into. In detail about this and about what it threatens, I wrote in the article.

Marketing research is the search, collection, systematization and analysis of information about the situation on the market for the purpose of adoption in the production and marketing of products. It should be clearly understood that without these measures it is impossible effective work. In a commercial environment, one cannot act at random, but must be guided by verified and accurate information.

The essence of marketing research

Marketing research is an activity that involves the analysis of the market situation based on scientific methods. Only those factors that can affect the goods or the provision of services matter. These activities have the following main objectives:

  • search - consist in the preliminary collection of information, as well as its filtering and sorting for further research;
  • descriptive - the essence of the problem is determined, its structuring, as well as the identification of acting factors;
  • casual - the presence of a connection between the selected problem and previously identified factors is checked;
  • test - a preliminary testing of the found mechanisms or ways to solve a particular marketing problem is carried out;
  • forward-looking - suggest the foreseeing of the future situation in the market environment.

Marketing research is an activity that has a specific goal, which is to solve a particular problem. At the same time, there are no clear schemes and standards that an organization should follow when solving such problems. These moments are determined independently, based on the needs and capabilities of the enterprise.

Types of marketing research

The following main marketing researches can be distinguished:

  • market research (involves determining its scale, geographical characteristics, supply and demand structure, as well as factors that affect the internal situation);
  • study of sales (the ways and channels of sales of products are determined, the change in indicators depending on the geographical feature, as well as the main factors of influence);
  • marketing research of goods (study of the properties of products both separately and in comparison with similar products of competing organizations, as well as determining the reaction of consumers to certain characteristics);
  • study of advertising policy (analysis of own promotional activities, as well as comparing them with the main actions of competitors, determining the latest means of positioning goods on the market);
  • analysis economic indicators(studying the dynamics of sales volumes and net profit, as well as determining their interdependence and finding ways to improve performance);
  • marketing research of consumers - imply their quantitative and qualitative composition (gender, age, profession, marital status and other characteristics).

How to organize marketing research

The organization of marketing research is a rather important moment on which the success of the entire enterprise may depend. Many firms prefer to deal with this issue on their own. In this case, practically no additional costs are required. In addition, there is no risk of confidential data leakage. However, there are downsides to this approach as well. Not always in the state there are employees who have sufficient experience and knowledge to conduct high-quality marketing research. In addition, the personnel of the organization can not always approach this issue objectively.

Given the shortcomings of the previous option, it is legitimate to say that it is better to involve third-party specialists in the organization of marketing research. As a rule, they have extensive experience in this field and relevant qualifications. In addition, not being associated with this organization, they are absolutely objective look at the situation. However, when hiring outside experts, you must be prepared for the fact that high-quality research is quite expensive. In addition, the marketer does not always know the specifics of the industry in which the manufacturer operates. The most serious risk is that confidential information may be leaked and resold to competitors.

Principles of conducting marketing research

Qualitative marketing researches are a guarantee of successful and profitable work of any enterprise. They are carried out on the basis of the following principles:

  • regularity (a study of the market situation should be carried out in every reporting period, and also in the event that the adoption of an important management decision regarding the production or marketing activities of the organization);
  • consistency (before research work you need to break the whole process into components that will be performed in a clear sequence and inextricably interacting with each other);
  • complexity (qualitative marketing research should provide answers to the entire wide range of questions that relate to a particular problem that is the subject of analysis);
  • cost-effectiveness (it is necessary to plan research activities in such a way that the costs of their implementation are minimal);
  • efficiency (measures to conduct research should be taken in a timely manner, immediately after a controversial issue arose);
  • thoroughness (since market research activities are quite laborious and lengthy, it is worth carrying them out very scrupulously and carefully so that there is no need to repeat them after identifying inaccuracies and shortcomings);
  • accuracy (all calculations and conclusions must be made on the basis of reliable information by applying proven methods);
  • objectivity (if an organization conducts marketing research on its own, then it should try to do it impartially, honestly recognizing all its shortcomings, oversights and shortcomings).

Stages of marketing research

Studying the situation on the market is a rather complicated and lengthy process. The stages of marketing research can be described as follows:

  • formulating a problem (raising a question that needs to be solved in the course of carrying out these activities);
  • preliminary planning (indication of the stages of the study, as well as preliminary deadlines for reporting for each of the individual items);
  • coordination (all heads of departments, as well as CEO should familiarize themselves with the plan, make their own adjustments, if necessary, and then approve the document by a common decision);
  • collection of information (the study and search for data that relate to both internal and external environment enterprises);
  • information analysis (careful study of the data received, their structuring and processing in accordance with the needs of the organization and;
  • economic calculations (an assessment is made financial indicators both in real time and in the future);
  • debriefing (formulation of answers to the questions posed, as well as the preparation of a report and its transfer to senior management).

The role of the marketing research department in the enterprise

The success of an enterprise is largely determined by the quality and timeliness of marketing research. Large companies often organize special departments for these purposes. The decision on the advisability of creating such a structural unit is made by management based on the needs of the enterprise.

It is worth noting that the marketing research department requires a lot of information for its activities. But it would be economically inexpedient to create too large a structure within one enterprise. That is why it is extremely important to establish links between different departments to transfer complete and reliable information. At the same time, the marketing department should be completely exempt from maintaining any reporting, except for that which directly relates to research. Otherwise, too much time and effort will be spent on side work to the detriment of the main purpose.

The marketing research department most often refers to the top management of the company. It is necessary to ensure direct links with the general management. But interaction with departments is more low level no less important, since it is required to receive timely and reliable information about their activities.

Speaking about the person who will manage this department, it is worth noting that he must have fundamental knowledge of such an issue as marketing research of the organization's activities. In addition, the specialist must know organizational structure and features of the enterprise. According to its status, the head of the marketing department should be equated with top management, because the overall success largely depends on the efficiency of the work of his unit.

Objects of marketing research

The marketing research system is aimed at the following main objects:

  • consumers of goods and services (their behavior, attitude to the offers available on the market, as well as the reaction to the measures taken by the producers);
  • marketing research of services and goods for their compliance with the needs of customers, as well as identifying similarities and differences with similar products of competing companies;
  • competition (implies the study of the numerical composition, as well as the geographical spread of organizations with similar production areas).

It should be noted that it is not necessary to conduct separate studies for each subject. Within one analysis, several questions can be combined at once.

Research data

Market research data is divided into two main types - primary and secondary. Regarding the first category, it is worth noting that we are talking about the information that will be directly used in the course of the analytical work. In addition, it is worth noting the fact that in some cases marketing research is limited to just collecting primary data, which can be:

  • quantitative - figures reflecting the results of activities;
  • qualitative - explain the mechanisms and causes of the occurrence of certain phenomena in economic activity.

Secondary data is not directly related to the subject of marketing research. Most often, this information has already been collected and processed for some other purpose, but in the course of the current study it can also be very useful. The main advantage of this type of information is its cheapness, because you do not need to make efforts and invest money to get these facts. Well-known managers recommend that the first thing to do is to turn to secondary information. And only after identifying the lack of certain data, you can start collecting primary information.

In order to start working with secondary information, the following conditions must be met:

  • the first step is to identify data sources, which can be both inside the organization and outside it;
  • further, the analysis and sorting of information is carried out in order to select relevant information;
  • at the last stage, a report is prepared, which indicates the conclusions made during the analysis of the information.

Marketing research: an example

In order to work successfully and endure competition, any enterprise should conduct market analysis. It is important that not only in the process of functioning, but also before starting a business, it is necessary to conduct a marketing research. An example is the opening of a pizzeria.

Let's say you decide to start your own business. First, you must decide on the objectives of the study. This may be the study and analysis of the competitive environment. Further, the goals should be detailed, during which a number of tasks are defined (for example, data collection and analysis, selection, etc.). It should be noted that at the initial stage, the study can be exclusively descriptive. But, if you deem it appropriate, additional economic calculations can be made.

Now you must put forward a hypothesis, which will be confirmed or refuted during the analysis of primary and secondary information. For example, do you think that in your locality this institution will be very popular, as the rest have already become obsolete. The wording can be any, based on the current situation, but it should describe all the factors (both external and internal) that will attract people to your pizzeria.

The research plan will look like this:

  • definition of a problem situation (in this case, it lies in the fact that there is some uncertainty in terms of the advisability of opening a pizzeria);
  • further, the researcher must clearly identify target audience, which will consist of potential clients establishments;
  • one of the most popular marketing research methods is a survey, and therefore it is necessary to create a sample that will clearly reflect the target audience;
  • conducting additional mathematical research, which includes comparing the costs of starting a business with income determined on the basis of a preliminary survey.

The results of the marketing research should be a clear answer to the question of whether it is worth opening a new pizzeria in this locality. If it was not possible to achieve an unambiguous judgment, it is worth resorting to the use of other well-known methods of information analysis.

findings

Marketing research is a comprehensive study of the market situation in order to determine the feasibility of making a particular decision or to adjust your work according to the current situation. During this process, it is necessary to collect and analyze information, and then draw certain conclusions.

The subjects of marketing research can be very different. This is directly a product or service, and the market, and the consumer sector, and the competitive situation, and other factors. Also, several questions can be raised within the same analysis.

When starting a market research, you need to clearly articulate the problem that should be solved as a result of it. Next, an action plan is drawn up with an approximate indication of the time frame allotted for its implementation. After the document is approved, you can start collecting and analyzing information. Based on the results of the activities carried out, reporting documentation is submitted to the top management.

The main point of the study is the collection and analysis of information. Experts recommend starting work by studying the data available in secondary sources. Only in the event that any facts will be missing, it is advisable to carry out work on their independent search. This will provide significant time and cost savings.