In a market economy, information on its environment is of great importance for the development of each enterprise. Knowing how customers react to one or another action of competitors, as well as other conditions in which the company operates, the management of the latter can make adequate decisions about their activities. This allows you to quickly adapt to changing conditions, to occupy a leading position in the industry. There are different types of marketing research. They will be discussed later.
Research value
Marketing is a science that deals with the study of the market, its laws. It allows the company to receive the necessary information about what customers are currently looking for. The market is in motion. The environment in which the company operates is constantly changing. To obtain reliable information about the current situation, market research is carried out. Types of research may be different. They have certain features.
Market research is conducted by marketers in order to monitor the current situation, as well as adapt the enterprise to it. Most often, the need for such activities arises when the company was unable to achieve its goals or lost ground to a competitor. Marketing research is also carried out in order to diversify its activities. In the process of preparing a business plan for a new direction of the company, obtaining all relevant market information is essential.
Marketing research allows you to make the right decisions in the process of organizing the activities of the company. Investments are directed only to promising areas that are more likely to give a profit.
The information obtained in the course of research allows us to assess the problems and prospects of the industry, to reduce the level of uncertainty. It also allows you to evaluate your own market position, to evaluate the processes and phenomena that occur here. This opens up new possibilities.
If we briefly review the types of marketing research, we can distinguish several sectors that are studied by analysts. These include competitors, customers, existing products and their price, ways and new opportunities for promoting finished products. Based on the data obtained, strategic decisions are made, tactics of the company's behavior in its environment are being developed. This leads to gaining advantages over competitors, increasing profits and gaining new market positions.
Goals
There are different goals, objectives and types of marketing research. They are systematic in nature, allowing you to collect reliable, relevant information. Also, the collection of information allows you to systematize the data obtained, present it in an understandable way. The main objectives of market research are. Such work is aimed at reducing the level of uncertainty and minimizing risks when making strategic, current decisions by managers. Also the goal of such research is to monitor the implementation of the tasks set by the company.
Global types of marketing research goals are achieved by building mathematical models of market development. This is necessary in order to be able to make forecasts for the distant future. The objectives of the study at the macro level are to identify and model the existing patterns of development of the industry and the situation inside it. This allows you to evaluate the market capacity, to predict the level of demand and its structure in the future.
The objectives of the analysis of the market environment at the micro level are to determine the organization’s own capabilities, its potential. This allows you to evaluate the development prospects for a separate, limited segment, in which the company operates.
The company entrusts carrying out such work either to its own employees who have the appropriate qualifications and experience, or to third-party organizations. In the second case, a contract is concluded on a commercial basis. The data collected by such a research organization is a trade secret and is not subject to disclosure.
Tasks
What type of marketing research will be selected in a particular case will depend on the tasks that are set before the marketers. They depend on the needs of the organization for this or that information when creating their business plans, strategies. The objectives of the study may vary significantly depending on in which area the information received will be involved.
Based on such data, a commodity and pricing policy can be formed, decisions are made on sales, communications and other aspects of managing the organization. There are a lot of tasks that are set for marketers:
- study of the distribution of market shares between the main competitors;
- obtaining information about market characteristics;
- calculation of potential industry opportunities;
- analysis of sales policy;
- collection of data on business activity trends;
- study of competing products;
- forecasting in the short term;
- market reaction to a new product, the study of its potential;
- long-term forecasting;
- price policy information;
- other things.
Before choosing the types and types of marketing research, their tasks and goals are determined. Only after that the corresponding work is carried out in the required direction. This allows you to use existing resources in the enterprise as rationally as possible.
The listed tasks are set before marketers only if the information that the company currently owns is not enough to make a decision. It also allows you to resolve some internal contradictions regarding the development of a strategy, a mechanism for implementing the goals. If a company fails or, on the contrary, is at the peak of success, this situation requires mandatory analysis. Only in this case will it be possible to formulate new tactical projects and strategic plans.
Work stages
To achieve maximum effectiveness in the process of conducting market research, it is carried out in a clearly established sequence. It is compiled before experts begin collecting information. Choose the types and stages of marketing research in accordance with the goals and objectives of their implementation.
Most existing techniques for analyzing the market environment are characterized by an identical sequence of work. The order of marketing research is divided into 5 stages.
First, marketers identify the problem on the basis of which they set goals for the study. At the second stage, sources for data collection are selected, an analysis of secondary marketing information is carried out.
After this, the planning procedure is carried out, as well as the collection of primary data directly from the environment. At the fourth stage, this information is systematized, its analysis is carried out. The report is completed by the marketing research and the company management is provided with the result of the work carried out by the specialists.
In order not to subsequently redo the work again, in the process of choosing the main types of marketing research, as well as the features of their conduct, management should clearly formulate the goals for which data is collected. After that, marketers will be able to identify the most suitable sources of information by collecting data. The cost of the work depends on this.
The main types
Different goals of data collection determine the subject of marketing research. The types of activities of the enterprise may be different. However, for all organizations, the main options for obtaining the required information are the following aspects.
One of the main types is market research. It allows you to collect and organize information about the situation in this industry. This allows the organization to choose the right market, determine the possible volume of sales, and also to predict its activities in a particular segment. Such a study allows you to occupy a free niche, as well as assess the company's ability to gain new positions.
Often an analysis of the macrosystem is carried out. In this case, factors that do not have a direct relationship with the market are studied. However, they have a direct impact on him. This, for example, the level of income of the population, state policy, etc.
The study is conducted for the internal environment of the enterprise. Such work is carried out in order to obtain reliable information on the competitiveness of the organization. Conclusions are made by comparing information about the external and internal environment. Analysts compare data on the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, as well as its prospects and constraints.
Considering briefly the types of marketing research, it is also worth noting such a direction as consumer analysis. It is aimed at identifying all the motivating factors that affect the choice of a product. The study assesses the income of the population, as well as the level of education, the structure of the total mass of customers. This allows you to select the target segment for which products with the required characteristics will be manufactured.
A few more varieties
Studying the main types of marketing research, you need to pay attention also to such a direction as the study of competitors. This is necessary to take the best positions, gain access to new resources and opportunities. In this case, they study the strengths, weaknesses of competitors, their market share, as well as the reaction of customers to certain marketing techniques of such organizations. Analysis of the main players is carried out in order to determine their material, labor potential, credit rating, etc.
In some cases, it may be necessary to analyze potential intermediaries. With their help, the organization’s products can enter new markets. Information about transport, advertising, insurance and other types of intermediaries is also being studied.
Another important type of marketing research is the analysis of goods. In this case, their qualities, technical characteristics are studied. Next, the compliance of the presented goods with the requirements of customers is analyzed. On the basis of the data obtained, new products are organized, advertising is developed.
Conducting marketing research, the types of which are diverse, can choose as an object the cost of creating a new product, its marketing. In the course of such an analysis, the reaction of buyers to the price of such products is determined.
Marketing research can be carried out in the field of product distribution, product sales. This approach allows us to determine which paths will be most effective in the process of bringing the finished product to the final consumer.
It is also important to determine the chances and risks of the company. For this, an appropriate study of the market environment can be organized.
Special attention from marketers deserves a system to stimulate sales and advertising. This allows you to increase the company's credibility in the market. In some cases, the study is aimed solely at testing advertising media. These are preliminary tests that allow you to choose the most effective way to deliver information to consumers.
Types of Research
There are different types and types of marketing research. They allow you to achieve high information content. There are three types of research. It may be exploratory. This is a preliminary data collection. On its basis, follow-up actions are carried out.
Descriptive research allows you to identify, highlight the existing problems, the market environment. This paves the way, allows you to understand the essence of the situation. The third type of information is casual research. It allows us to put forward hypotheses about the existing causal relationships in the analyzed environment. Often in this case, mathematical methods are used.
Types of information
Studying the types and methods of marketing research, you need to pay special attention to the collection of information. It can be different. The quality of the work carried out by marketers depends on the correct choice of sources of data collection, their reliability. Such information may include certain information, facts, figures, indicators that are necessary for further analysis and the adoption of certain decisions.
The types of marketing research information may vary in the way they are received. In accordance with this sign distinguish between secondary and primary data. They differ in value, features of receipt.
Secondary is information that has been collected from various sources in the course of other studies. However, for the current analysis they are also relevant. Secondary data is internal and external. The second type of sources includes enterprise reporting, stock accounting information, customer lists, complaints list, marketing plans and other similar documents.
External sources of secondary information are collections of reports of the State Statistics Committee, regions, as well as official industry surveys, the media and other external sources.
Primary information is new. Such data are obtained during the study. This type of information is collected when there is insufficient data available. It is difficult and expensive to get it. But this is necessary for accurate analysis.
Methods of obtaining primary information
Primary information is used when conducting various types of marketing research. Observation, experiment and survey are the main methods for obtaining it. They differ in cost and reliability.
The observation method is the cheapest and easiest. The study is descriptive. However, there is no direct contact between the observer and the respondent. Different electronic devices (sensors, scanners) may be involved. Information is received in real time. Since the observer does not contact directly with the respondents, it is possible to avoid the appearance of data distortions.
The lack of observation is the inability to penetrate into the essence of the internal motives of objects for which the respondent makes a decision. This may be misinterpreted by the person conducting the research.
Due to its characteristics, observation is used as an additional research method. This is the primary form of data acquisition. After that, other methods are used.
Experiment and survey
Studying various methods and types of marketing research, it is necessary to note such varieties of primary information collection as experiment and survey. In the first case, one or more variable parameters are measured. The effect of a change in one factor on the entire system is also studied. This allows you to determine the response of real consumers to certain changing environmental conditions.
The experiment is used for different types of marketing research. It can be carried out in real market research or by artificial modeling of the situation in the laboratory. The advantage of the experiment is the ability to minimize errors. However, the cost of such studies is high. At the same time, competitors receive information on the areas of action considered by the company.
The most universal way to obtain primary information is to survey. This is an effective and common technique. Using questionnaires or direct communication with respondents, you can get information about the opinions of some of the people surveyed. The result is generalized and applied to the entire mass of customers. This method has almost unlimited possibilities. This allows us to evaluate not only the present situation, but also the respondent's actions in the past and in the future.
The disadvantage of the survey is its complexity and high costs of conducting surveys, communication with respondents. Sometimes the accuracy of the information received is insufficient. This leads to errors in the analysis process.
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