While market research is a MAJOR DRIVING FORCE in large companies, small businesses are still reluctant to use this tool. However, market research can be the KEY to success - for MOST small businesses - if the user of the research results UNDERSTANDS its PARAMETERS, STRENGTHS, and LIMITATIONS. Neglecting to use market research can lead to disastrous results.

WHAT IS MARKETING RESEARCH?

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

However, ANY collection of information cannot 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 PROBLEMS and OPPORTUNITIES that will help make a more OBJECTIVE DECISION with LOW RISK.

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

At first glance, marketing information is very difficult to obtain. For example, the owner of a video store might ask customers whether they would rent more cassettes if the price dropped by seven rubles. Using this feedback, the owner can decide to lower prices, increase the number of tapes rented, and overall make more money.

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

HOW IS MARKETING RESEARCH USED?

Market research can be used to meet almost all information needs of a small business. 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's an example of how market research can guide and help small businesses.

When you sit down at your desk with a blank sheet of paper and consider organizing own business You should ask yourself the following questions:

What am I going to sell?

Will people buy what I'm selling?

What price should I set?

Where should I position myself?

What are the competitors and how many are there?

Questions like these should be at the core of ANY effective business plan, and market research can help answer them.

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

One of your first steps is to find out HOW many of these stores are already in your area - in order to assess the level of COMPETITION. A quick glance at the Yellow Pages will provide you with necessary information. Congratulations! You have just completed your first market research project. As the questions get MORE COMPLEX, the market research will become more complex. For example, although you can partially determine the demand for fishing gear, having talked with your neighbors and fishing friends, such a survey will not give you information about WHAT the AVERAGE buyer thinks about this.

The best way is to conduct a scientific survey 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 MARKET RESEARCH. Research will help you decide what the client needs, and will give you the opportunity to offer EXACTLY that product or service that will be immediately purchased. Market research can be used to determine the results of a sales program, a discount program, or even the introduction of a new product to the market - BEFORE incurring the costs of executing such a program.

PRICE.

Price is a 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 quantity - BEFORE the actual sales program begins.

Many small business owners are very concerned about advertising their business. Based on the current cost of advertising, their concern is well founded.

The most frequently asked question is: How EFFECTIVE is my advertising? The answer can be determined using many types of formal and informal research techniques.

For example, a dedicated telephone number that is published only in Yellow Pages advertisements may partially solve the problem. By placing a caller ID on this line, you can count the number of calls received. By the end of the month, you will know exactly how many queries were generated by your Yellow Pages ad, and then you can determine the effectiveness of THAT ad.

This is just one of the possible market research methods available to small businesses.

WHAT ARE TYPES OF MARKET RESEARCH?

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

SECONDARY research involves researching the literature, reviewing articles, and analyzing all available data. While secondary research is LIMITED to the information at hand, it is much less expensive 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 gain a more complete look at a given subject or problem. QUANTITATIVE research primarily involves surveys based on representative samples, with data collected through mail, telephone, or personal interviews. The results of qualitative research are projected onto the entire population and used for business forecasts.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH.

Almost any QUALITATIVE research is conducted using GROUPS of respondents. Such groups consist of 8-10 carefully selected people who engage in focused discussion about a specific issue. Requirements for recruiting such participants are determined by the objectives of the study. For example, the owner of a landscaping service interested in covering a new geographic area may want to research the demand for such services in advance by conducting a survey among groups of homeowners living in the area in which expansion is planned.

The discussion is conducted by a professional researcher - the 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 all the problems that must be covered.

It is important that the group leader is 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 survey results to the client.

In most cases, three groups of interviewees 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 best representative the entire population.

While interview panels are a good form of market research, they are often completely MISUSED. They should only be used to SEARCH and GENERATE new ideas, and should never be used as a reflection of the opinions of the entire population. Conclusions cannot be projected onto any problem. On the other hand, interview panels are an excellent method for drilling key questions about a new idea or POTENTIAL product or service. This method can serve as the FIRST step of the research process, identifying important points that will be addressed later in QUANTITATIVE reviews.

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH.

When people talk about marketing research, they usually mean QUANTITATIVE research. Such research involves a SURVEY of a selected sample of a specific group, using mail, telephone or personal interviews.

Data is collected through a QUESTIONNAIRE which is tested before the actual survey. Completed questionnaires are edited and verbatim responses to open-ended coded questions that use pre-developed categories are analyzed. Questionnaire data is entered into a computer to tabulate the results. Received 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 methodology that best suits their needs within the budget available to them.

EMAIL REVIEW.

The main advantage of POST Review is their relatively low price. For the cost of postage and printed materials, small businesses can conduct very useful market research.

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

Additionally, 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 survey, compared to thirty-year-olds who are LEAST likely to respond.

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS.

PERSONAL interviews involve a PERSONAL meeting between the reporter and the respondent. Using a prepared questionnaire, the respondent is asked a series of questions. The reporter carefully records the answers. Such interviews take place either at the defendant's home, offices, or in populated areas such as large department stores. Unlike MAIL reviews, PERSONAL interviews are characterized by a very HIGH return. 95% is not uncommon. In addition, PERSONAL interviews allow the defendant to directly become familiar with the proposed product, service, or television advertisement, under the supervision of a reporter. This is why personal interviews are often used in impact research. advertising text or packaging design.

The biggest problem with personal interviews is the extremely HIGH COST. Since the reporter is forced to visit people in their own homes or at places of work, a lot of working time is spent. Even with reporters' low hourly rates, such research can be very expensive.

PHONE REVIEWS.

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

Telephone reviews are much less expensive than in-person interviews, but are usually somewhat more expensive than mail reviews. Telephone surveys are much faster, making them the preferred method for most market research.

SELECTION OF A COMPANY 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 issue 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 research and what problems need to be solved. Define your TARGET market and describe it in as much detail as possible. Make a list of questions whose answers interest you. The purpose of the research should be completely clear to you before you contact a professional.

Talk to several research companies and consultants.

Like any professional, market researchers vary in size, area of ​​expertise, and more. Contact MULTIPLE companies using the Yellow Pages. Talk to MANY companies before you find the right one. Request references or recommendations from their previous clients.

Send a request to three companies.

While it might be tempting to send an inquiry to a dozen firms in the hope of getting a great offer at a very low price, do not forget that it is up to you to review and evaluate all offers. Three firms will give you a clear idea of ​​prices and ideas. Ask for a WRITTEN proposal that includes all the basic materials and a proposed work PLAN.

Once you receive an offer, you may be inclined to choose a company based on price. This could be a mistake. Evaluate the APPROACH that each company offered, how WELL your problem was UNDERSTANDED, and whether the service corresponds to the price.

Select a research company and contact them.

Once you have made your decision, respond to the proposal in WRITING and schedule a meeting to discuss the project. Make sure that you have access to ALL stages of the project, and that all CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION between you and the researcher are open. There is nothing worse than receiving a report that exceeds the budgeted amount or receiving incorrect data. As with any business, the better you understand the market research application, 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, market research may be conducted by the small business owner HIMSELF to determine the level of competition in a given geographic area. However, when the research becomes more complex, the business owner may prefer to turn to an expert. Since a cost of around $10,000 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 qualified advertising literature review can be as effective as expensive research work. In some cases, research may REALLY be necessary. For example, many credit organizations require a feasibility study of the proposed idea, a consumer market research - BEFORE the issue of a loan is resolved. In such cases, qualified research is absolutely NECESSARY.

- Will I be able to conduct research on my own?

This is probably the most complex issue. You must be able to determine the COMPLEXITY of the problem being investigated and financial risk, if the study has not been carried out. In any case, the final decision is yours.

Hello! In this article we will talk about such an important component of an enterprise’s marketing activities as marketing analysis.

Today you will learn:

• What is marketing analysis of an enterprise;
• What are the stages of marketing analysis of an organization;
• What methods and types of marketing analysis of a company exist;
• How to apply marketing analysis with an example.

What is marketing analysis?

Any activity begins with planning. Planning, in turn, begins with analysis. The marketing activities of the enterprise are fully subject to these rules. Marketing analysis allows you to identify problems and find ways to solve them, provides basic information for making decisions regarding the marketing mix.

Without a quality marketing analysis, you risk facing the following problems:

• Receive a product that will not be in demand;
• Meet insurmountable “barriers” when entering the market and selling products;
• Face something that is too much for you;
• Select the wrong market segment and product positioning;
• Make the wrong decisions on each of the elements.

This is only a small part of the problems that await you if you neglect the marketing analysis of your enterprise.

Marketing analysis of the company – analysis of information obtained as a result of various marketing studies to make decisions regarding the marketing mix and company behavior in a competitive market.

Marketing research – activities for the systematic collection of information necessary for making marketing decisions.

Marketing research is divided into “field” and “desk” research.

Field marketing research involves collecting primary information using one of the following methods:

• Observation of the research object. You can observe consumers at retail outlets, you can evaluate the display of goods and much more;
• Experiment. For example, changing the price of a product at only one outlet in order to analyze the elasticity of demand. Used to determine the influence of any factor on a purchase.
• Interviewing. This includes various surveys (telephone, Internet, mail).

Desk research involves studying existing data. Sources can be both internal information (accounting data, databases, reports, plans) and external (data from statistical bodies, data from marketing, production and trade associations, databases of independent organizations).

The main stages of marketing analysis of a company

Marketing research and marketing analysis are inextricably linked.

You can imagine any analytical marketing activity of an enterprise in the form of four stages of marketing analysis:

1. Marketing Research Planning. This stage includes setting the objectives of marketing research, determining the type of research, identifying the audience or sources of information, determining the location of the research, preparing tools for conducting the research, setting deadlines and drawing up a budget;
2. Collection of information. At this stage, information is directly collected;
3. Analysis of collected information;
4. Interpretation of the received data into a report.

When conducting a full marketing analysis of a company, it is necessary to obtain and process information about the internal environment of the organization, the external environment of the organization and the meso-environment of the organization. When analyzing each environment, the specialist must go through the stages of marketing analysis described above.

Let's look at what methods and tools of marketing analysis are used in the marketing analysis of each environment.

Types and methods of marketing analysis

There are four types of marketing analysis:

• Marketing analysis external environment organizations;
• Marketing analysis of the company's mesoenvironment;
• Analysis of the internal marketing environment of the enterprise;
• Portfolio analysis.

We will consider methods of marketing analysis in the context of the type of marketing analysis within which they are used. We start with an analysis of the organization's external environment.

Methods for analyzing the external environment of an organization

External environment of the organization – the realities in which the organization operates.

An organization cannot change its external environment (but there are exceptions, for example, oil companies).

When analyzing the external environment of an organization, it is necessary to assess the attractiveness of the market. To assess the attractiveness of the market, it is effective to use such a method of marketing analysis as PESTEL-analysis.

Each letter of the name of PESTEL analysis denotes an external environmental factor that can either have a strong impact on the organization or not affect it at all. Let's look at each factor.

P– Political factor. The influence of the political factor is assessed using answers to the following questions:

• Is the political situation in the country stable? How does the political situation affect?
• What impact does tax law for your business?
• How does government social policy affect your business?
• How does it affect government regulation for your business?

E– Economic factor external environment. Its assessment involves answers to the following questions:

• How does the level of development of a country's GDP affect your business?
• How does the general economic situation affect your business? ( the economic growth, stagnation, recession or economic crisis)
• How does inflation affect your business?
• How do exchange rates affect your business?
• How does per capita income affect your business?

S– Sociocultural factor, requires answers to the following questions:

• How do demographics affect your business?
• How does the lifestyle of citizens influence your business?
• How does the attitude of citizens towards leisure and work affect your business?
• How does the socially accepted distribution of income among family members affect your business?

T – Technological factor and questions for its analysis:

• What impact does the amount of government spending on research in your field have?
• How does technological development in the industry affect your business?

E– Environmental factor requires answers to the following questions:

• How does protection legislation affect environment for your business?
• How does the volume of natural resources produced affect your business? (consider those Natural resources that are used in your business)
• How does the quality of extracted natural resources affect your business? (consider the natural resources that are used in your business)

L – Legal factor and questions to analyze its impact on your enterprise:

• How does this or that law affect your business? (it is advisable to identify the laws that regulate activities in your market).

We recommend answering these questions using a scale from -3 to 3, where “-3” – has a strong negative impact on the organization, “-2” – has a moderate negative impact on the organization, “-1” – has a weak negative impact on the organization. organization, “0” – has no impact, “1” – has a weak positive impact on the organization, “2” – has an average positive impact on the organization, “3” – has a strong positive impact on the organization.

As a result, you will get the total influence for each factor. Factors with a positive result have a beneficial effect, while those with a negative result – negative. If any factor has a very strong Negative influence, you need to think about the feasibility of doing business in this area.

Methods for analyzing the mesoenvironment of an organization

The mesoenvironment of an organization is represented by external factors that have a direct impact on the activities of the organization. Meso-environment analysis is aimed at assessing the attractiveness of the market and the level of competition in the market, determining overall consumer demand.

The tool that most fully reflects the factors influencing the mesoenvironment was invented by Mike Porter and is called the “5 Forces of Competition Model”.

Porter's 5 forces of competition model consists of five blocks. Each block is a separate factor in the influence of a competitive market on your organization.

Central block - " Competitive environment" This block contains all current market players - you and your direct competitors.

You need to determine the following parameters of the competitive environment:

• Main players and their market shares;
• Number of players;
• Level of market development;
• Strong and weak sides your closest competitors;
• Information about your competitors’ costs for various expense items (production, marketing, etc.).

Second block - “The threat of new players.”

It is represented by the following parameters:

• Existing barriers to entry into the market (patents, licenses, government regulation, etc.);
• Required initial capital;
• Necessary costs for product differentiation;
• Access to distribution channels;
• Experience of existing companies on the market (the more experience, the less the threat of new players appearing);
• Existing barriers to exiting the market (penalty, liability to suppliers and consumers).

Third block - "Substitute goods." Such companies are not your direct competitors, however, with high elasticity of demand, they can pose a big threat.

The parameters for assessing this factor are as follows:

• The degree of consumer loyalty to your product;
• The difference in price between your product and substitute products;
• Level of professionalism of consumers (the more professional the consumer, the weaker the influence of the parameter);
• Cost of switching to a substitute product.

Fourth block - "The power of buyers in the market" which lies in the ability of buyers to dictate their terms of cooperation.

This factor is represented by the following parameters:

• The number of buyers in the market (the fewer buyers, the greater their power);
• The volume of purchase of a product by one consumer (the larger the purchase volume, the greater the influence);
• Availability of buyer unions;
• Width of product selection (the greater the choice, the greater the power of influence).

The fifth block is presented strength of suppliers in the market.

The parameters for assessing this factor will be as follows:

• The degree of difficulty of switching from one supplier to another;
• Volume of purchases from one supplier;
• Availability of companies to replace existing suppliers;
• The degree to which the quality of raw materials influences your business.

Write down the data you have for each parameter, analyze the information and give points from “-3” to “3”, depending on the degree of influence of each parameter. Extreme values ​​“-3” and “3” indicate a strong threat and positive impact of the parameter, respectively, “0” means that the parameter does not have an impact on your business. The total value for a factor will allow you to see the most “dangerous” factors, the influence of which must be neutralized in the near future.

Analysis of the organization's microenvironment

An analysis of the organization's microenvironment is carried out to identify the strongest and weakest points of your business. For these purposes, an analysis tool such as "Chain of Values".

The value chain reflects all business processes that are implemented in the organization. Business processes are divided into main (during which the production and distribution of products occurs) and auxiliary (which provide the main activity with everything necessary).

We will not dwell on this model in detail, since it is quite simple. Let's depict it in the form of a table, where we designate all the business processes that need to be assessed. The rows indicate auxiliary business processes, the columns indicate the main ones.

Evaluate each business process in your organization and you will see which steps produce the core value of your product and what makes your product special. Those business processes that add great value to your product are the most developed and have a positive impact on competitiveness - the strengths of your organization, the rest are weaknesses.

Interim analysis

SWOT -analysis represented by a combination of environmental factors of the organization (direct and indirect influence). SWOT analysis is a matrix; the vertical axis shows the opportunities and threats of the external environment, and the horizontal axis shows the strengths and weaknesses of the organization itself. Let's depict it for greater comfort.

We received opportunities and threats as a result of PESTEL analysis, and weaknesses and strengths as a result of using the “Porter’s 5 Forces of Competition” and “Value Chain” models, we write them out in columns and rows.

As a result, at the intersection of external and internal environmental factors, we must write the following solutions:

• The intersection of strengths and opportunities: how strengths can be used to achieve opportunities;
• The intersection of strengths and threats: how we can use strengths to neutralize threats;
• The intersection of weaknesses and opportunities: how weaknesses can be overcome by exploiting opportunities;
• The intersection of weaknesses and threats: how to minimize the impact of threats.

Business Portfolio Analysis

Once we have researched the market and the company, we can make an assessment various directions the business of an organization or, more simply put, the goods it produces.

At the moment there are quite a large number of various methods of portfolio analysis, but the simplest and most popular of them - matrix BCG . Let's immediately visualize this tool.

Thus, we identified the most promising products in the range and chose a strategy for each of them.

The second component of portfolio analysis is determining the stage of the life cycle of each product in the range . This analysis allows you to choose a product marketing strategy and eliminate unprofitable products.

Most often there are four stages:

• Birth of a product or entry into the market. These products are new to the market, have consistently positive sales growth rates, but have either no profits or negative profits. As a rule, such a product has few competitors;
• Height. Products at this stage of the life cycle have the highest sales growth rates, but practically no profit. Competition at this stage is quite high;
• Maturity. The phase of the life cycle when sales growth rates fall, and profits and the level of competition in the market reach maximum values;
• Recession. Sales growth rates are approaching zero, profits are declining, and there are practically no competitors.

Marketing analysis of an enterprise using the example of the Gruzovichkof company

Let's analyze the activities of one of the actually existing Russian companies. Using the example of the cargo transportation company Gruzovichkof. At the same time, we will be able to see how to correctly understand and read a marketing analysis of an enterprise.

Stage 1. We start with PESTEL analysis, that is, we describe only the influencing factors (by question) and assign points. At the same time, we have reduced the number of influencing factors, excluding the economic one, since it has no influence at all, and combining the political and legal ones, since in this industry they are closely related to each other.

As we can see, the technological factor has the greatest positive impact, while the economic factor has a negative impact.

Stage 2. Conducting an analysis using Porter's 5 Forces of Competition model.

We describe the parameters for each factor and assign points. As part of a report, it is better to do this in a table.

Thus, the greatest negative influence is exerted by the power of suppliers and the power of consumers.

Stage 3. Conducting analysis through the application of the “Value Chain” model.

For the Gruzovichkof company it will look like this:

Stage 4. Conducting a SWOT analysis, as a result of which we will receive general results and conclusions for all three analyzes performed.

We write out the most powerful threats and opportunities from the PEST analysis and highlight strengths and weaknesses based on analysis using the “Porter’s 5 Forces of Competition” and “Value Chain” models. We get a small sign.

At this point, the general marketing analysis of the enterprise is completed and we can sum it up.

As a result of marketing analysis, we received:

• A complete assessment of the attractiveness of the industry (market);
• Assessing our company’s position in this market;
• We identified the competitive advantages of our product (company);
• Determined ways to use our competitive strengths against competitors;
• We identified the main competitors, their strengths and weaknesses;
• Assessed the level of competition in the market;
• We received an information base for determining the future strategy of the organization (marketing strategy).

Remember the parable of the sower? A man was sowing grain, and one of the grains fell on the road, birds flew in and pecked it off. Another one, on rocky soil, soon sprouted, but also quickly withered. The third grain fell on the weeds, which drowned it out. But some grains fell into fertile soil and bore fruit. Conducting market research will help you avoid the mistakes of the sower, will give you the opportunity to find fertile ground for your business, and also determine how quickly you can taste the fruits of your labor.

How to conduct marketing research yourself? First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the main stages of its implementation.

Stages of conducting MI

• The first stage is identifying the problem and setting research goals. At this stage, we determine the subject of research and set goals: what problems we have and what we want to get as a result. The correct formulation of the problem is required condition successful research.

• The second stage is planning. We determine what information we need and what methods we can get it, what tools and materials we need to use, and the format of the result we expect. Compiled calendar plan and the research budget is determined. If you want to do your own market research, never ignore developing a plan, no matter how tempting it may be to jump straight into the next step.

• The third stage is the implementation of the study. This is the main and sometimes the longest part of the research, when you receive information about the environment in which your business will develop, competitors, consumers, prices for the product and its substitutes, and so on. At this stage we become familiar with the concepts field And office marketing research.

Field marketing research

Field research is the collection and processing of primary information, that is, the one that you collect yourself.

Basic methods of field research:

• observation,
• questionnaire (written survey),
• telephone survey,
• interviewing (personal interview),
• competitive intelligence or “mystery shopping”.

Desk marketing research

Desk research is the processing of already existing (secondary) information, that is, the necessary information already selected and published by someone before you is researched and analyzed. This is why this research is called desk research, since you can conduct marketing research yourself without leaving your office/office/home.

When conducting desk research, it is important to choose the right parameters for searching for the necessary information. Pay close attention to who, for what purposes and how long ago the information was collected, how reliable it is, how the data was obtained, what audience was reached.

In most cases, marketing research begins with desk research, because sometimes an analysis of previously collected information is sufficient to make decisions. But often field and desk study are combined.

Once the data is received, you sort and present it in a form convenient for analysis (usually using a tabular version), then analyze the data obtained and obtain research results.

• Stage four – conclusions and decision making. This stage is necessary to develop the right market strategy. After all, you not only want to get an answer to a certain question, but also whether to take/adjust some actions.

Let us note that conducting marketing research on your own is not the easiest task. Be sure to study the techniques, do not engage in amateur activities. Or you can leave this task to a third-party qualified specialist. Even if you have a minimal budget,

Every resident of Russia can be called a consumer. And the one who does not speak Russian is also a consumer, only then he is called spozhivach (Ukrainian), consumer (“consumer”, English), or verbraucher (Austrian German), or konsument (German), or something else. Every time we consume something, we are making an impact on the socio-economic environment around us without us noticing.

By consuming, we influence sellers. Sellers, having completed the act of selling, thereby influence distributors, who in turn influence manufacturers, and those influence suppliers of raw materials. Each time such an imperceptible act of consumption leads to growing waves of influence that involve an increasing number of economic entities in a continuous process...

In conditions of totalitarian socialism or monarchy, this process is strictly regulated from above. In a liberal (or, in our case, rather “slightly more liberal”) economy, this process is “market-driven.”

Each participant in the process has an alternative – what to consume. When choosing from at least two proposals, we must be guided by some criteria. Often these are very specific criteria, for example, price. Sometimes they are more difficult to grasp (for example, preference for brands), in other cases it may be the need to satisfy some deep-seated needs (for example, an unsatisfied need to feel power over other people may result in the purchase of a sports car).

Just in order to feel good in the market, rules of behavior were invented, which were called in the American style marketing. Such rules (which, upon closer examination, turn out to be not so simple) allow any Russian company to compete with global giants such as Procter & Gamble. Yes, they have assembled leading specialists in the marketing department. Yes they pay good salaries. But not everything is so sad, because there is such a word as “marketing”.

Marketing– your guide in the market game. Anyone who has mastered marketing can, if not defeat international monsters, then at least grab a piece of their pie.

However, our goal is not to teach you marketing techniques, but to help you in such an important matter as market research, the results of which are information base for marketing activities. You can learn more about this service by going to the services section of our call center -.

Marketing market research

For any company striving for success, marketing research acts as the beginning and logical conclusion of any cycle of its marketing activities. Market research significantly reduces uncertainty when making important marketing decisions, which allows you to effectively allocate economic potential to achieve new heights in business!

Marketing research, study of the external and internal environment and its regular monitoring for any enterprise are an important element of the strategy for successful development in the conditions market economy. The role of research increases manifold in conditions of unformed market segment or in the uncertainty of a new business.

Whatever decision you make, offer the market absolutely New Product or leave with an existing one new market, you will be faced with the problem of a lack of information about market conditions and other necessary components for successful entry into the market. Is your product needed by the market and if so, in what volume?

Most likely, you have a certain vision of the market. But perhaps this is not enough to choose the right strategy. It is in this situation that our specialists will help you study the market in detail and develop a competitive marketing concept.

As a first step, you need a solution that will allow you to solve, both in combination and separately, the following tasks:

1. Determine the real and potential market capacity. Studying the market capacity will help you correctly assess your chances and prospects in this market and avoid unjustified risks and losses;
2. Calculate or forecast your market share. The share is already specific, and it is quite possible to build on it when forming future plans, and then increase it in the future. Market share is an important indicator of your company's success;
3. Analyze the behavior of your consumers (demand analysis). This analysis will assess the degree of consumer loyalty to the product and the company and answer the question: “Who buys and why?” And, therefore, it will help set competitive prices for products, make changes to the product itself, optimize promotion channels and advertising strategy, organize sales effectively, that is, adjust all components of the marketing mix;
4. Conduct an analysis of the main competitors (supply analysis). Product knowledge and marketing policy competitors are necessary for better market orientation and adjustment of your individual pricing and promotion policies, which will ensure your success in the competition;
5. Analyze sales channels. This will allow us to determine the most effective of them and form a ready-made chain of optimal movement of the product to the end consumer.

Conducting marketing research

– this is the collection, processing and analysis of data about the market, competitors, consumers, prices, and the internal potential of the enterprise in order to reduce the uncertainty accompanying the adoption of marketing decisions. The result of marketing research is specific developments that are used in the selection and implementation of strategy, as well as the marketing activities of the enterprise.

As practice shows, without market research it is impossible to systematically collect, analyze, and compare all the information necessary to make important decisions related to activities in the market, market selection, determining sales volumes, forecasting and planning market activities.

The objects of market research are the trend and process of market development, including analysis of changes in economic, scientific, technical, legislative and other factors, as well as the structure and geography of the market, its capacity, sales dynamics, market barriers, the state of competition, the current environment, opportunities and risks .

The main results of the market research are:

• Forecasts of its development, assessment of market trends, identification of key success factors;
• Definition of the most effective ways maintaining a competitive policy in the market and the possibility of entering new markets;
• Implementation of market segmentation.

Marketing research can be aimed at various objects and pursue different goals. Let's look at this in more detail.

Objectives of marketing research

Qualitative research is conducted to solve the following problems:

• Market analysis;
• Consumer analysis;
• Competitor analysis;
• Promotion analysis;
• Testing advertising concepts;
• Testing advertising materials (layouts);
• Testing the brand's marketing mix (packaging, name, price, quality).

Marketing consumer research

Consumer research allows us to identify and study the entire complex of motivating factors that guide consumers when choosing goods (income, education, social status, etc.). The subject of the study is the motivation of consumer behavior and the factors that determine it; the structure of consumption, the supply of goods, and trends in consumer demand are studied.

The purpose of consumer research is consumer segmentation, selection of target segments.

Competitor research

The main task of competitor research is to obtain the necessary data to provide a specific advantage in the market, as well as to find ways of cooperation and collaboration between possible competitors.

This goal analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, studies the market share they occupy, the reaction of consumers to the marketing means of competitors, and the organization of activity management.

Exploring Potential Mediators

In order to obtain information about possible intermediaries with the help of which the company will be able to be present in the selected markets, a study of the corporate structure of the market is carried out.

In addition to intermediaries, the enterprise must have an understanding of freight forwarding, advertising, insurance, financial and other organizations, creating a set of marketing infrastructure for the market.

Research of the product and its values

The main goal of product research is to determine the compliance of technical and economic indicators and quality of goods with the needs and requirements of consumers, as well as to analyze their competitiveness.

Product research allows you to obtain the most complete and valuable information from the consumer’s point of view about the consumer parameters of the product, as well as data for forming the most successful arguments advertising campaign, selection of the most suitable intermediaries.

Objects of product research: properties of analogue products and competitors’ products, consumer reaction to new products, product range, level of service, future consumer requirements

The research results enable the enterprise to develop its own range of products in accordance with customer requirements, increase their competitiveness, develop new products, develop form style, determine the ability of patent protection.

Marketing price analysis

Price research is aimed at determining the level and price ratio that allows you to get the greatest profit at the lowest cost.

The objects of research are the costs of development, production and sales of goods, the degree of influence of competition, consumer behavior and reaction to prices. As a result of product research, the most effective cost-price and price-profit ratios are selected.

Product distribution and sales research

The study of product distribution and sales aims to determine the most effective ways, means and means of quickly bringing the product to the consumer and selling it. Objects of study - trade channels, intermediaries, sellers, forms and methods of sale, distribution costs.

The forms and features of the activities of various types of wholesale and retail trade enterprises are also analyzed, and strengths and weaknesses are identified. This allows you to determine the possibilities of increasing the turnover of the enterprise, optimize inventory, and develop criteria for selecting effective distribution channels.

Research of sales promotion systems

The study of sales promotion systems is one of the important areas of marketing research. The objects of research are: the behavior of suppliers, intermediaries, buyers, the effectiveness of advertising, the attitude of the consumer community, contacts with buyers. The results of the study make it possible to develop a “public relations” policy, determine methods for generating public demand, and increase the efficiency of commutative communications, including advertising.

Advertising activity research

Stimulating the promotion of goods to the market concerns not only advertising, but also other aspects of the enterprise's sales policy, in particular, research into the effectiveness of competitions, discounts, bonuses and other benefits that can be used by the enterprise in their interaction with buyers, suppliers, and intermediaries.

Research of the internal environment of enterprises

Research into the internal environment of an enterprise aims to determine the real level of competitiveness of an enterprise as a result of comparing the relevant factors of the external and internal environment.

Marketing research can also be defined as the systematic collection, recording and analysis of data on marketing and marketing problems in order to improve the quality of decision-making and control procedures in the marketing environment.

Objectives of marketing research

The objectives of marketing research can be divided as follows:

1. Search goals- collecting information for a preliminary assessment of the problem and its structuring;
2. Descriptive Objectives- description of the selected phenomena, objects of study and factors influencing their condition;
3. Causal goals- testing the hypothesis about the presence of some cause-and-effect relationship;
4. Test targets- selection of promising options or assessment of the correctness of decisions made;
5. Forecast goals- prediction of the state of an object in the future.

The fundamental feature of marketing research, which distinguishes it from the collection and analysis of internal and external current information, is its targeted focus on solving a specific problem or set of marketing problems.

Each company independently determines the topic and scope of marketing research based on its existing capabilities and needs for marketing information, therefore the types of marketing research conducted by different companies may be different.

Basic concepts and directions, experience in conducting marketing research

It was previously emphasized that marketing research is a scientific analysis of all factors influencing the marketing of goods and services. It follows that the scope of application of this function is practically unlimited, and therefore we will consider only those types of research that are most often encountered in practice.

Essentially, the purpose of marketing research is to answer five basic questions: Who? What? When? Where? And How? Related question: Why?- expands the research into contact with the field of social psychology and is sometimes separated into an independent field known as motivational analysis, i.e. the study of the motives of buyer behavior.

Ways to organize marketing research

Marketing research can be organized and carried out either with the help of a specialized research agency, or with the help of the company's own research department.

Organization of research with the help of our own research department

The company's own research department carries out marketing research in accordance with the information needs of the company.

Organization of research with the help of a specialized research agency

Specialized research agencies carry out a variety of studies, the results of which can help the company solve existing problems.

Marketing Research Department

Judging by how often one hears the statement that competition in business is increasingly intensifying, one would assume that most companies probably have marketing research departments. In reality, very few companies have such departments. The most recent data is difficult to come by, but it is known that a survey conducted by the British Institute of Management received only a 40% response rate from the 265 companies surveyed (most likely because most firms did not have research departments).

However, it would be a mistake to believe that this fact means the same low level of use of research results, since a significant part of the work on studying marketing is carried out by specialized organizations. In addition, in many companies, marketing research departments often go by other names, such as “Economic Information Department,” etc.

The decision to create your own marketing research department depends on an assessment of the role that it can further play in the activities of the company as a whole. This assessment is mainly qualitative in nature and varies between firms, which prevents the establishment of precise criteria. For our purposes, it is sufficient to assume that the decision to create such structural unit adopted and attention focused on those issues that should be taken into account in this case.

They can be grouped as follows:

• Role and functions of the marketing research department;
• Position in the organizational structure of the company;
• Role and functions of the department manager.

Role and functions of the marketing research department

When considering the above list of types of research related to marketing, it is obvious that in order to cover all the areas named, a very large department would be required.

If a company is undertaking such work for the first time, it is strongly recommended that it create a list of tasks, ranking them in order of importance, and limit itself to trying to solve the most important ones first. This does not mean that other research should not be carried out at all, since establishing too rigid lines of demarcation between tasks can only lead to an inflexible approach and to the fact that auxiliary research that complements the main one will be abandoned.

Too often, firms make the mistake of assigning the newly created marketing research department responsibility for maintaining the firm's accounting records. Transferring this function to him inevitably creates friction and reduces the efficiency of the company, since, on the one hand, it slows down the work of departments that need reporting data for their current activities, for example, the sales department, and on the other hand, it distracts the marketing research department from its main function - research.

In cases where the creation of a specialized research department is preceded by a lot of data collection and reporting work, it is better if other departments retain this function, providing information available to them as needed. To avoid both duplication and dispersion of effort, the responsibilities of each department should be clearly defined, and only those reports that are essential to internal research efforts should be required from the marketing research department.

Place for research of marketing in the organizational structure of a company

The location of the marketing research department within a firm depends largely on its organizational structure. As a rule, it should have a direct connection with the managing director, since this department performs an advisory function and in many cases supplies the chief administrator with the initial data on the basis of which the general policy of the company is based (as opposed to operational decisions).

In large organizations in which executive directors head functional divisions, the marketing director may be given responsibility for setting the direction of the research department and deciding what reports should be presented to the head of the company.

Even in this case, it is advisable to provide a direct connection between the managing director and, research department, in order, on the one hand, to ensure that reports that criticize one or another aspect of the company's activities will be heard by the head of the company, in order to avoid deterioration of the relationship between the marketing director and the directors responsible for other departments.

In addition, it is the managing director who deals with the efficiency of the company as a whole and. therefore, can better than other managers assess the significance of research results for a particular department.

Some authors believe that the manager of a marketing research department should have the same status as the heads of the main operational structural units, but this is incorrect due to the usual existing differences in the size of departments and level of responsibility. Provided that the manager has access to the board of directors, his status should be directly determined by the importance that the department has within the organization as a whole.

Role and functions of the marketing research manager

The nature of the job of a marketing research department manager depends on the size and function of the department and the degree of control and direction from above. In this case, in any case, the manager must be a person competent in his field and have personal integrity and honesty.

Competence requires not only experience and knowledge in the field of marketing and methods of its analysis, but also the ability to turn management problems into real research projects, carried out taking into account time and financial constraints.

The requirement of personal integrity and honesty means that the manager of the marketing research department must interpret the results of the analyzes carried out objectively, in accordance with generally accepted principles scientific research. “Statistics in the service of lies” - this situation can only exist when unscrupulous people use facts fabricated through subjective selection, manipulation and deliberate presentation to prove unfounded conclusions, i.e., as researchers say, “looking for data” .

The manager must meet not only the basic requirements mentioned above, but, in addition, have the qualities that are necessary in all managerial positions, namely: have the ability to perform administrative work, be able to understand people's behavior and be able to effectively influence them.

Planning and conducting marketing research

Market Research Process

Marketing research can be divided into two main categories: permanent And episodic. Marketing is a continuous process that occurs in constantly changing conditions. Therefore, systematic research is essential if a firm is to remain aware of changes in the main determinants of demand and be able to modify its policies accordingly. Extensive information of this type is collected by specialized organizations and government departments, but this information is often too general and cannot meet the specific requirements of an individual company. As a result, it has to be supplemented by research conducted by the company itself.

In addition, many marketing situations are so unique (for example, the launch of a new product on the market) that they require special research.

Such studies are performed according to a specific scheme, consisting of the following stages:

1. Justification of the need to conduct the study;
2. Analysis of the factors determining this need, i.e. formulation of the problem;
3. Precise formulation of the purpose of the study;
4. Drawing up an experimental or survey plan based on the analysis provided for in paragraph 2;
5. Data collection;
6. Systematization and analysis of data;
7. Interpretation of results, formulation of conclusions, recommendations;
8. Preparation and presentation of a report containing the results of the study;
9. Evaluating the results of actions taken based on the researchers' findings, e.g.
10. Establishment feedback.

It is obvious that ongoing research is built according to the same scheme as at the beginning, but in the future the first four stages are eliminated.

Marketing research methods

The first task of choosing marketing research methods is to become familiar with the individual methods that can be used in collecting and analyzing marketing information.

Then, taking into account the resource capabilities of the organization, the most suitable set of these methods is selected. The most widely used methods of conducting marketing research are methods of document analysis, sociological, expert, experimental and economic-mathematical methods.

The objectives of marketing research may be exploratory in nature, i.e. be aimed at collecting preliminary information intended to more accurately define problems and test hypotheses, descriptive, i.e. consist in a simple description of certain aspects of the real marketing situation and casual, i.e. be aimed at substantiating hypotheses that determine the content of the identified cause-and-effect relationships.

Each such area includes certain methods of collecting and analyzing marketing information.

Exploration research carried out with the aim of collecting preliminary information necessary for better definition problems and put forward assumptions (hypotheses), within the framework of which marketing activities are expected to be implemented, as well as to clarify terminology and set priorities among research tasks.

For example, it has been suggested that low sales are due to poor advertising, but exploratory research has shown that the main reason for insufficient sales is the poor performance of the distribution system, which should be studied in more detail at subsequent stages of the marketing research process.

Among the methods of conducting exploratory research, the following can be distinguished: analysis of secondary data, study of previous experience, analysis of specific situations, focus groups, projection method.

Descriptive research aimed at describing marketing problems, situations, markets, for example, the demographic situation, consumer attitudes towards the organization's products.

When conducting this type of research, answers are usually sought to questions that begin with the words: who, what, where, when and how. As a rule, such information is contained in secondary data or collected through observations, surveys, and experiments.

For example, it examines “who” is the consumer of the organization’s products? “What” is considered to be the products supplied by the organization to the market? “Where” is seen as the places where consumers purchase these products? “When” describes the time when consumers are most active in purchasing these products. “How” describes the method of using the purchased product.

Note that these studies do not answer questions that begin with the word “why.” “Why” did sales volume increase after the advertising campaign? Answers to such questions are obtained by conducting casual research.

Casual research carried out to test hypotheses regarding cause-and-effect relationships. At the core this study lies the desire to understand some phenomenon based on the use of logic like: “If X, then Y.”

For example, a hypothesis is being tested: will a 10% reduction in the service fee of a given organization lead to an increase in the number of clients sufficient to compensate for the losses from the fee reduction?

If we consider marketing research methods from the point of view of the nature of the information obtained, they can be divided into two groups: quantitative and qualitative.

Quantitative Marketing Research are aimed at studying consumer behavior, purchase motivation, consumer preferences, attractiveness and consumer qualities of a product, price/consumer qualities ratio, assessing the capacity and characteristics of real and potential markets (various segments) of a product or service.

Quantitative methods make it possible to obtain a description of the socio-demographic, economic, and psychological portrait of the target group.

The characteristic features of such studies are: the format of the collected data and the sources of their receipt are clearly defined, the processing of the collected data is carried out using streamlined procedures, mainly quantitative in nature.

Data collection for marketing research

Methods of collecting primary data in quantitative research include polls, survey, personal and telephone interview, based on the use of structured, closed-type questions that are answered by a large number of respondents.

The survey is conducted at points of sale or through an address/route sample at the respondent’s place of residence (place of work). The reliability of the results is ensured by the use of a representative sample of respondents (respondents), the use of qualified interviewers, control at all stages of the study, professionally compiled questionnaires and questionnaires, the use of professional psychologists, sociologists, marketing specialists in the analysis, the use of modern computer tools for statistical analysis of results, constant contact with the customer at all stages of work.

Qualitative research involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing what people do and say. Observations and conclusions are qualitative in nature and are carried out in a standardized form. Qualitative data can be converted into quantitative form, but this is preceded by special procedures.

The basis of qualitative research is observational methods, which involve observation rather than communication with respondents. Most of these methods are based on approaches developed by psychologists.

Qualitative analysis methods make it possible to describe the psychographic characteristics of the target audience, behavioral patterns and reasons for preferring certain trademarks when purchasing, as well as obtaining the most in-depth information from consumers, providing insight into the hidden motives and basic needs of consumers.

Qualitative methods are indispensable at the stages of developing and evaluating the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and studying the image of brands. The results do not have a numerical expression, i.e. presented exclusively in the form of opinions, judgments, assessments, statements.

Types of marketing research

An enterprise in the modern world can only succeed if it does not ignore consumer needs. Increasing efficiency requires researching and satisfying as many customer requirements as possible. Marketing research helps solve such problems.

Marketing deals with the study of consumer behavior, which includes his needs and requirements.

The fundamental feature of marketing research, which distinguishes it from the collection and analysis of internal and external current information, is its targeted focus on solving a specific problem or set of marketing problems. This focus turns the collection and analysis of information into marketing research. Thus, marketing research should be understood as a targeted solution to a marketing problem (set of problems) facing a company, the process of setting goals, obtaining marketing information, planning and organizing its collection, analysis and reporting on the results.

The basic principles of conducting marketing research include objectivity, accuracy and thoroughness. The principle of objectivity means the need to take into account all factors and the inadmissibility of adopting a certain point of view before completing the analysis of all the collected information.

The principle of accuracy means the clarity of the formulation of research objectives, the unambiguity of their understanding and interpretation, as well as the choice of research tools that ensure the necessary reliability of the research results.

The principle of thoroughness means planning each stage of the study in detail, high quality implementation of all research operations, achieved through a high level of professionalism and responsibility of the research team, as well as an effective control system for its work.

Summary

In a competitive environment and constantly changing market conditions, much attention is paid to marketing research. The results of these studies subsequently form the basis for the formation of sales estimates, and based on this, the planned levels of revenue and profit from product sales.

The most common problems arise in the process of selling goods. Therefore, the main objectives of marketing research are to study:

• market;
• buyers;
• competitors;
• offers;
• goods;
• prices;
• effectiveness of product promotion policies, etc.

Marketing research helps an enterprise solve the following problems:

• Determine the possibility of mass production of goods or services;
• Establish a hierarchy of characteristics of goods or services that can ensure their success in the market;
• Conduct an analysis of typologies and motivations of existing and potential clients;
• Determine prices and optimal conditions for the sale of goods and services.

The purpose of marketing research is to resolve the following problems of the enterprise:

• Studying and establishing the potential of a market or product about the possible volume of its sales, sales conditions, price levels, and the ability of potential clients;
• Research of competitors' behavior, directions of their actions, potential opportunities, pricing strategies;
• Sales research to determine the territory that is the best in terms of sales, the volume of sales in the market, which is the most effective.

Companies are developing overall plan marketing research, which is compiled in the context of marketing of individual goods or services, by type of buyer, by region.

Thus, we can say that marketing research is a comprehensive system for studying the organization of production and sales of goods and services, which is focused on meeting the needs of specific consumers and making a profit based on market research and forecasting.

The most difficult tasks of marketing research are analysis and decision-making on pricing and sales promotion.

The result of marketing research is the development of a company's marketing strategy, the purpose of which is to select a target market and a marketing mix, the compliance of which will help ensure the maximum effect of sales of products and services.

When choosing a target market, it is necessary to justify the answer to the question: what product does the consumer need? To do this, it is necessary to establish rational segments of the concentrated, differentiated or undifferentiated market that the organization will serve.

The choice of a marketing mix is ​​associated with establishing the optimal combination of its elements: the name of the product, its price, place of distribution and sales promotion. Based on the adopted marketing strategy, the main management decisions, orienting the company’s activities towards resolving problems that arise or may arise for a potential consumer of goods, works and services.

This principle may be feasible if the basis for making decisions on organizational, technological, social and production issues is the result of an analysis of the needs and requests of potential buyers.

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Everyone who takes part in economic interaction necessarily functions in some kind of market. The concept of market is very significant, including in the field of marketing. Often the level of a company's marketing does not meet generally accepted requirements. This is usually the reason for low sales. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct analytical work and research the marketing market.

Marketing market and its types

Marketing market– this is the total number of all product buyers (both existing and potential). These subjects have common needs or requests that can be satisfied through exchange. Therefore, market size is determined by the number of buyers who need any product. They have resources for exchange, as well as a desire to give these resources for the product they feel the need for.

The market in marketing must be clear. It is characterized by specific indicators:

Customer needs that provoke corresponding demand;

• Geographical position.

In accordance with the needs that generated the demand for a specific product, we can call main types of market.

Producer market (or market industrial products) form companies and firms that purchase goods/services for their future use in the production process.

The consumer marketing market (or consumer goods market) consists of individuals purchasing goods/services for personal use.

Market government agencies represented by state-owned companies that buy goods/services to carry out their work.

The intermediary marketing market is legal and individuals who need goods/services for future resale for profit.

The international market includes all buyers of products who are located abroad (this will include manufacturers, individuals, intermediaries and government organizations).

If we take the market as a combination of buyers with a related geographical location, then we can name the following types of marketing markets:

Regional – occupies the entire territory of a particular country;

Local – covers one or more regions of the state;

Global – includes all countries of the world.

An essential parameter in the characteristics of the marketing market is the combination of supply and demand for specific products. In this case, we can distinguish between a “buyer’s market” and a “seller’s market.”

In a seller's market, the leading figure is the seller. This works when existing demand exceeds supply. In this situation, the seller does not need to spend money on marketing. His goods will be purchased in any case. By organizing marketing research, the seller will only waste money.

In a buyer's market, the buyer sets the tone. This situation encourages the seller to expend additional effort to sell his products. This is one of the factors encouraging the use of marketing research on the market for services and goods. Or rather, it is only in such a situation that we can talk about the implementation of the marketing idea.

Why does a company need marketing market analysis?

Marketing analysis is an essential point in the work of a marketing manager. A detailed analysis makes it possible to quickly find unoccupied market niches, select the most suitable target market, and better understand consumer needs.

Before starting the analysis, the objectives of the market research should be specified. The following components need to be clarified:

The company's products: analysis of market development and the share of the company's products in the segment;

Market structure: analysis of market conditions and marketing capacity, assessment of market trends;

Consumer: analysis of demand, basic needs in the market, close marketing study of the behavior and expectations of the target audience;

Target segment: analysis of the prospects of market segments to select a field of activity;

Free niches: marketing analysis of market segments to identify free market niches and new sources of sales;

Rivals: analysis of the activities of rivals to identify the competitive superiority of products and search for the company’s weaknesses;

Pricing: Marketing analysis of competitors' pricing positions as well as the current pricing structure in the industry.

Clarity in this regard will make it possible to avoid working on unnecessary information. A clear goal will help you correctly develop an analytical plan and adopt the most productive method of market research. Marketing market assessment will allow you to apply exclusively necessary tools for study, which will reduce the cost of searching and processing information.

After this, you need to competently build a marketing analytical plan. It looks like a series of thematically grouped questions.

The enlarged stages of marketing research of the company's market are as follows.

Study of market conditions, its segmentation and identification of the most significant segments.

Marketing research of the volume, dynamics and development potential of the market.

Price studies and general economic analysis of the market.

Competitive analysis.

Studying the structure of distribution or distribution of goods on the market.

Identifying key market and consumer trends.

Research of demand, main needs and nuances of consumer behavior.

This list of questions serves as a universal scheme for organizing market research. There is no need to do detailed analysis often. It is characterized by fundamentality. Such an analysis will provide the necessary information for two to three years of work.

How marketing analysis of the market is carried out at an enterprise: main stages

Stage 1. Determining the purpose of market analysis

Before analytical work, it is necessary to outline the goals of marketing market research. What exactly to consider:

Company products;

Market structure;

Consumer;

Target segment;

Free niches;

Competitors;

Specification will eliminate unnecessary information and help build the right marketing analytical plan.

Stage 2. Product or service research

Through procedures associated with product marketing research, market needs for new types of goods/services are identified. The characteristics (functional and technical) that should be modified in products already on the market are also clarified. In the course of marketing research, product parameters that best suit the needs and desires of customers are determined. Such analytical work, on the one hand, demonstrates to the company’s management what the buyer wants to receive, what specific properties of the product are significant to him. On the other hand, during marketing analysis you can understand exactly how to present to potential clients new products. Perhaps it makes sense to focus your efforts on certain characteristics when improving a product and promoting it on the market. Marketing research of the market for products and services provides information about what new prospects for the buyer are provided by new products or changes in existing ones.

Product analysis consists of comparing the characteristics of products supplied by the company with the parameters of competing products. For marketing oriented organization The key point in studying a product is determining its comparative competitive advantages. It is necessary to obtain a clear answer to the questions: for what reason potential clients will they choose the company’s products rather than competitors’ products? Who are these potential buyers? The results of marketing analytical work make it possible to identify those sales regions where the company has a comparative advantage over its competitors. Studying products is also necessary when designing and organizing sales.

When marketing an analysis of the product market, it is always necessary to follow the rule: the product must end up where the buyer most expects it - and for this reason, most likely, will buy it. This process is called product positioning in the market.

Stage 3. Determining market capacity

Potential market capacity is the total number of orders that a company and its competitors can expect from customers in a particular region over a specified period of time (usually a year). The market capacity of marketing research is calculated for an individual product for a specific sales region. First of all, it is calculated in physical terms (the number of goods sold for specific date– quarter, month, year). A marketing assessment of the potential market capacity in value terms is also important for the company. This is especially important when studying the dynamics of market capacity. In this case, the company management will need to determine:

Is there an increase in demand for the company's products? Or demand is falling - and you need to think about repurposing your activities;

What are the prospects for activity in this regional sales market?

When marketing research into potential market capacity, it is important to identify influencing factors that can provoke both a decrease in capacity and its increase. Such factors are fluctuations in the amount of consumer income.

Stage 4. Conducting market segmentation

This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant components of marketing market research.

A market segment is a group of consumers characterized by strictly defined common stable characteristics or one quality that determines their behavior in the market. Thus, the essence and purpose of marketing market segmentation is the search for that group (or a number of groups) of consumers who are most likely to buy a specific product.

Marketing market segmentation makes it possible to:

Find out the specifics of the most possible buyer of this product; demonstrate the nuances of consumer qualities in different market segments; determine which of the properties of the consumer group are stable and therefore more significant for designing the needs and desires of consumers;

Clarify (adjust) the possible market capacity, simplify sales forecasting;

Understand how to change product properties (device, cost, delivery, appearance, containers, etc.) when sold in different market segments.

A segmentation feature is a feature and system of characteristics that unites any buyers into a stable group. They can be selected by income and social activity, by demographic and geographic characteristics, by nationality, and even by common historical path. In general, the unifying criterion can be anything.

For the company, when selling, it is important which of the properties of the consumer group are in first place at the moment or will be there in the near future. Based on these properties, it is possible to establish a target market segment - the most significant or promising for the company, the one that meets its specifics. The correct choice of the target segment (that consumer group that contains the most likely buyers of a particular product) is a characteristic feature of a marketing-oriented company.

Market research analysis shows that it is necessary to clearly understand the difference between a market segment and its niche. These terms cannot be mixed in practical and methodological terms. A market niche is also a consumer group, but it has a number of differences. Firstly, it is small in terms of numbers. Secondly, consumers in a niche have several characteristics, each of which may be characteristic of different segments of the same market or different markets and industries. Thirdly, a distinctive feature of a market niche is a significant weakening or complete absence of competition in it. Based on these nuances, the process of finding a market niche, as one businessman said, is similar to a neurosurgical operation, since it requires maximum precision in actions.

Stage 5. Consumer research and analysis

At this stage, it becomes clear: who is the possible consumer of the product, what is the structure of the wishes of buyers in the market of a particular company. Here the company's management will need to answer many questions.

Work in this direction will help, first of all, to identify the most vulnerable areas. This applies to both the product and its implementation option, and to the economic tactics of the company as a whole. At this stage, the profile (portrait) of a possible buyer is clarified.

In the course of such analytical work, not only the inclinations and customs, habits and preferences of the consumer are considered. It also clarifies the reasons for the behavior of specific consumer groups. This makes it possible to predict the future structure of their interests. At the moment, a serious arsenal of tools is used for marketing research of customer behavior, their subconscious and conscious reactions to certain products and accompanying advertising, and to the current state of affairs on the market. Study methods include: questionnaires, surveys, testing. All of them provide an opportunity to find out the opinions of consumers of goods about changes made in products or services. With these tools you can permanent basis monitor consumer reaction to efforts to release and market the product on the market. Building customer feedback and continuous improvement based on feedback from the product itself and production technology is one of the characteristics of a marketing-oriented company.

Stage 6. Research of sales methods

Marketing research of the sales market includes the search for the most effective combination of methods used and forms of sales of goods/services, their strengths and weaknesses, belonging to the market segment or sales region. Here we examine the means needed to bring a product to market. The work of companies that directly sell goods/services on the market is studied. Marketing analytical work involves consideration of the functions and features of activities different types companies engaged in wholesale and retail trade. Their strengths and weaknesses are determined, and the nature of established relationships with manufacturers is studied.

As a result, it is clarified:

Who can act as an intermediary (an autonomous trading company or the company’s own sales department);

To sell the company’s products in a specific market as correctly as possible, with greater benefit.

At the same time, it is necessary to calculate all types of costs for the sale of goods. It is necessary to think over ways of implementation with the help of intermediaries and through organizing your own sales network. It is also necessary to clarify the percentage of sales costs in the final cost of the goods, etc.

This component of an enterprise’s market research is responsible for analyzing the effectiveness of different types and methods of advertising and promoting a product on the market. This also includes personal selling, creating a company image, and sales promotion.

In order to develop the market or at least start selling its products, a company needs advertising. It is required to find and inform customers, create an attractive company image, and collect orders.

Selection of the most suitable types and means of advertising;

Finding out the most preferable sequence of using different advertising means;

The significance of advertising and the productivity of an advertising campaign are assessed based on the final indicators economic activity companies. This is primarily evident in the increase in sales volumes. At the same time, certain types of advertising are aimed at long term perspective. They cannot be assessed in quantitative terms.

Stage 8. Developing a pricing strategy

Pricing is one of the key factors for successful competition in the market. While working on the correct pricing policy You will need to think through not only the right pricing strategy and a scheme of tempting discounts for customers. It is also necessary to determine the price range to increase profits and optimize sales volume.

Stage 9. Study of the level of competition

Researching competitors is one of the key components of marketing today. Its results make it possible not only to develop the correct economic strategy and market policy of the company. It immediately becomes clear what was done improperly in the products, sales network, advertising and other elements of the company’s marketing activities.

In the course of researching competitors, first of all, it will be necessary to identify the company’s main competitors in the market (direct and indirect), and find their strengths and weaknesses. This is especially important when a company appears on the market with a new product, explores an unknown area of ​​economic activity, or tries to penetrate a new market. To determine the comparative advantages of competitors and assess your own resources, it is not enough to simply study competitors' products. It is necessary to obtain information about other aspects of their work: goals in a particular market, the nuances of production and management, pricing policy and financial situation.

Company management needs to know:

What exactly does it consist of;

The ratio of the cost of your product and that of your competitors;

What sales channels do competitors rely on when selling goods?

What sectors of economic activity do rivals wish to enter in the future?

What types of benefits do rivals offer to customers and regular customers;

Who do they use as intermediaries in the sale of goods, etc.

At the moment, along with direct competition, the specialization of companies is increasingly deepening. Consumer demand, desires and needs of people are increasingly individualized. In this regard, it is necessary to learn to discover any ways for collaboration and alliance (primarily production and technological) with potential rivals. This is necessary in order to protect yourself from a price war, in which most likely no one will win. This goes against the usual division of the market, the struggle of enterprises to increase territory in the sales market. Of course, price competition remains in any case (in certain market segments, when producing similar goods, it even increases). However, it does not play a major role in long-term competitive victory. The formation of various alliances between companies that are potential rivals (joint ventures, strategic coalitions) gives them the opportunity not only to respond more effectively to consumer demand, but also to further increase market capacity.

Stage 10. Sales forecasting

The basis for planning in a company in market conditions is the development of a sales forecast. This is where planning begins. Not from the rate of profit or return on invested capital, but from the sales forecast. This refers to the potential sales volume of a certain type of product/service for all branches of the company. The primary goal of marketing market analysis is to find out what can be sold and in what quantities. Only after this can you begin to build a production plan.

Using sales forecasts, financial and production work. Decisions are made on where and how much to invest. What (or after what time) the company will need new production resources. It becomes clear what new supply channels need to be found. What design solutions or technical innovations should be sent to production. Marketing work in this direction allows you to understand how to change the range of goods/services in order to increase the overall profitability of the company, etc.

However, a sales forecast is first and foremost a forecast. In this case, the influence of uncontrollable, sudden or unforeseen factors and their impact on the state of affairs of a company of any type is great. In this regard, such a forecast must be multi-component, as reasonable as possible and multi-variant.

What methods are used to conduct marketing market analysis?

There are many ways to study the market. All of them are used in specific situations, to solve specific marketing problems. Methods of collecting information when carrying out marketing research can be divided into two groups: qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative market analysis is most often associated with the organization of various surveys. They are based on the use of structured, closed questions. The answers are provided by a large number of respondents. The distinctive features of such marketing research are: the analysis of the information obtained is carried out in the course of ordered procedures (quantitative in nature predominate), the format of the collected information and the sources of its receipt are strictly defined.

Qualitative market analysis consists of collecting, studying, and interpreting information by observing how people behave and what they say. Monitoring and its results are of a qualitative nature and are carried out outside the standards.

The choice of study method depends on financial and time resources. The main methods of market research are as follows.

Focus groups. A round table or discussion where there is a conversation on a specific topic. The target group of consumers takes part. At this event there is a moderator who leads a conversation on a specific list of questions. This - qualitative method market research, it is useful for understanding the reasons for behavior. Focus groups help formulate hypotheses and explore the hidden motives of clients.

Polls. They involve surveying the target market using a strict questionnaire. They are both small and large in size. In a marketing survey, sampling is of great importance. The larger it is, the clearer and more valid the result will be. This is a quantitative marketing method. It is used when you need to obtain specific indicators on certain issues.

Observation. Monitoring the behavior of a representative of the target audience in a normal environment (for example, video filming in a store). Refers to qualitative marketing research methods.

Experiments or field research. Refers to quantitative marketing methods. They provide an opportunity to test any assumptions and alternatives in real life.

In-depth interviews. Conversation with one representative of the target audience on a specific list open questions. They provide an opportunity to understand the topic in detail and form hypotheses. Refers to high-quality marketing methods.

One can name, among other things, a group of analytical and prognostic methods. To conduct marketing market research, use:

Probability theory;

Linear planning;

Network planning;

Methods of business games;

Economic and mathematical modeling;

Methods of expert assessment;

Economic and statistical methods.

And yet, it is not often possible to encounter an option in which a company has sufficient funds to carry out systematic marketing research industry market(from developing hypotheses through focus groups, interviews, and ending with large-scale surveys to obtain accurate information).

Often, a marketing manager needs to make personal efforts to collect market information that will be useful in developing the company's marketing strategy.

Ways to find marketing information about the market

Social networks and forums. It is worth taking advantage of the possibilities of the Internet. There you can find out the opinions of customers on social networks and forums. Skype and Email. All these channels will reduce the cost of marketing market research.

Personal conversations. Conduct the interview yourself (5–10 conversations). Engage various brand loyalists, consumers and non-consumers of the market. Talk to those who make decisions and control the purchase, as well as those who use the purchased products. Such conversations will take less than a week, but will provide a lot of useful information.

Employees of organizations. Ask your questions to the company's staff to find out their opinion. Pay special attention to the sales department. If you are participating in marketing research as an independent party, talk to the management of the enterprises.

Internet resources. Research information posted on the Internet on a given topic. Don't ignore information about related markets.

Own experience. Try purchasing your products and record your impressions.

Own observation. Take a closer look at the behavior of people at points of sale: how they choose certain products.

Stay realistic. Include in your marketing market analysis only information that can actually be collected and processed. Remember that you should not analyze for the sake of the analysis process itself. The only results that matter are those that will be useful in developing the company’s marketing strategy.

Marketing environment of the market: why it is important to analyze it

Analysis of the marketing environment deserves maximum interest when carrying out marketing research. It is updated all the time - either due to threats, or due to opening horizons. It is extremely important for any company to monitor such changes and adapt to them in a timely manner. The marketing environment is a combination of active entities and processes that operate outside the company and influence the prospects for its successful cooperation with the target audience. In other words, marketing environment represents the factors and forces that determine a company's ability to establish and maintain profitable cooperation with customers. These moments are not all and are not always subject to direct control by the company. In this regard, they separate the external and internal marketing environments.

The external environment of a company is most often divided into macro- and micro-environment.

Macro environment covers the entire state of affairs in the business space of the city (region, state). Her distinctive features have an impact on the work of all economic entities, regardless of the form of ownership and product differences. This influence will extend to a large food manufacturer, a five-star hotel, and a private beauty salon.

The external marketing environment is characterized by great mobility, so it is most often not subject to active influence from any company.

Microenvironment represented by the properties of a particular market and the state of affairs on it. This market is of particular interest to the company. Let's say it could be a market hotel services or the cotton fabric market.

The microenvironment includes forces that can influence a company's ability to serve consumers:

Marketing intermediaries;

The company itself;

Buyers;

Competitors;

Suppliers;

The general public.

Internal marketing environment consists of the following components:

Organizational and managerial resources of the company;

HR capabilities of the company;

Production potential of the company;

Company design and engineering resources;

Material and financial capabilities of the company;

Sales potential of the company.

The functioning of any organization in the market depends on the factors influencing it in the course of performing any actions. These elements create opportunities or threats for the organization, which respectively help or hinder the implementation of various actions and the achievement of objectives.

Knowledge about the properties and power of these factors makes it possible to develop such guiding decisions in the field of marketing that will help protect the company from threats and make the most of the emerging prospects for the benefit of the company.

Market marketing strategies: types and stages of development

Marketing strategy is a component of the overall strategy of the company. Thanks to it, the main directions of the company’s activities in the market in relation to rivals and customers are formed.

The development of market marketing strategies is influenced by:

The main goals of the company;

Its current position in the market;

Available resources;

Grade market prospects and expected actions of rivals.

Since the situation in the market is changing all the time, the marketing strategy is also characterized by mobility and flexibility. It can be adjusted all the time. There is no one-size-fits-all marketing strategy. To increase sales of a certain company or promote a certain type of product, you need your own development of areas of activity.

Marketing strategies are most often divided into specific strategies.

Integrated growth. Its goal is to increase the structure of the company through “vertical development” - launching the production of new products.

Concentrated growth. Implies a change in the product market or its modernization. Often, such marketing strategies are aimed at fighting rivals to gain a larger market share (“horizontal development”), searching for markets for existing products, and improving products. As part of the implementation of these types of strategies, the company's regional divisions, dealers and suppliers are monitored. In addition, there is an impact on the end consumers of the goods.

Abbreviations. The goal is to increase the efficiency of the company after long development. In this case, both a reorganization of the company can be carried out (for example, the reduction of some departments) and its liquidation (for example, a smooth winding down of activities to zero while simultaneously obtaining the maximum available profit).

Diversified growth. It is used if the company does not have the opportunity to grow in the current market conditions with a specific type of product. The company can concentrate on releasing a new product, but at the expense of existing resources. In this case, the products may differ slightly from what is already available or be completely new.

In addition, the company’s marketing strategy can be aimed both at the entire market and at its individual target segments. Key strategies for individual segments:

Differentiated marketing strategy. Here the goal is to cover as many market segments as possible by releasing products specially designed for this purpose (appearance, improved quality, etc.);

Concentrated marketing strategy. The company's forces and resources are concentrated on one market segment. Products are offered to a specific target audience. The emphasis is on the originality of any goods. This marketing option is most suitable for companies with limited resources;

Mass (or undifferentiated) marketing strategy. Aimed at the market as a whole, without any differences in consumer demand. The competitive advantage of goods consists mainly in reducing the costs of their production.

Typical mistakes that businesses make

Mistake #1. The company thinks little about the market and is poorly focused on the client.

The priorities of market segments are not identified.

The segments themselves are not clearly defined.

A large number of company employees are of the opinion that customer service is the responsibility of marketing departments, and therefore do not strive to treat consumers better.

There are no managers who are responsible for specific market segments.

Mistake #2. The company does not fully understand its target consumers.

Product sales do not reach the expected level; rivals' products sell better.

Product return and customer complaint rates are prohibitive.

The last marketing study of the consumer audience was conducted more than two years ago.

Mistake #3. The firm does not effectively detect its rivals and monitors their activities poorly.

There is no system for collecting and disseminating information about opponents.

The company is too focused on its closest competitors. There is a risk of losing sight of both distant rivals and technologies that threaten the well-being of the company.

Mistake #4. The company does not competently build interaction with all interested parties.

Distributors, dealers, suppliers are not the best (they do not pay enough attention to the company's products, supplies are of poor quality).

Investors remain dissatisfied (this looks like an increase in interest rates on loans and a fall in stock prices).

Employees are dissatisfied (there is a high staff turnover).

Mistake #5. The company is not looking for new development prospects.

The overwhelming number of projects carried out by the organization ended unsuccessfully.

IN Lately the company does not strive for new horizons (interesting offers, sales markets, etc.).

Mistake #6. The marketing planning process has significant shortcomings.

The plans are not related to modeling financial results and do not explore alternative paths.

The plans do not address the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.

There are no required components in the marketing plan or there is no logic.

Mistake #7. Service strategy and product strategy require changes.

The company offers too many free services.

The organization does not have the resources for cross-selling (selling products along with additional goods/services - for example, a shirt with a tie, a car with insurance, etc.).

The company's product list is too large, which negatively affects production costs.

Mistake #8. The company makes no effort to build a strong brand.

The division of the budget between different marketing tools remains virtually unchanged.

Procedures related to product promotion do not take into account to the required extent indicators of income from invested funds (the role of investments is underestimated).

The target audience does not know the company well. People don't consider a particular brand to be the best.

Mistake #9. Poor organization of the marketing department's activities hinders the company's productive marketing.

The department's employees do not have the skills required to work in the current conditions.

The marketing department has a difficult relationship with other departments.

The head of the marketing department does not cope with his responsibilities; he lacks professionalism.

Mistake #10. The company does not use modern technologies to the maximum.

The organization's automated sales system is noticeably outdated.

The marketing department needs to develop dashboards.

The company practically does not use the Internet in its work.

With extreme automation of the sales system, a large number of everyday marketing calculations can be carried out not by company employees, but by software. This option makes it possible to optimize these solutions and helps to significantly save working time.

Attention!

The VVS company provides exclusively analytical services and does not consult on theoretical issues of marketing fundamentals(calculation of capacity, pricing methods, etc.)

This article is for informational purposes only!

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