Steps and methods required for market research
Although different researchers divide the steps of market research into "the same thing", the differences can reflect the researchers' understanding of market research. Poor understanding. And I think some deviations in understanding need to be corrected in time.
Dividing complex work such as market research into several steps simply and clearly is misleading in itself. But for the needs of written communication, we have to do this. As for the division of work steps into rough and thin, it is also quite normal. However, I found that there were various deviations in the division of market research steps. When these deviations are common in newspapers, periodicals and books, their misleading effects cannot be ignored, and I thought they should be corrected quickly. The following is a list of several deviations in the steps of market research:
One deviation: In order to pursue the concreteness of the steps, the steps of a special research method are regarded as general market research steps.
The most common is to concretize the steps of the Questionnaire method and call it the market research step. In this way, it is easy for readers and colleagues who have just entered the industry to mistakenly think that questionnaire interviews are market research.
Commonly used market research methods include secondary data collection method (Secondary Research), interview method (SurveyResearch) and experimental method (ExperimentaI Research). Questionnaire interviews are just one type of interview method. If we are more serious and serious, in fact, family interviews are just a technique for collecting information. There are already more research techniques that can compete with it, such as observation method (Observation), attitude scale method ( Attitude Scales), Projective Techniques and Depth Interviews (Projective Techniques and Depth Interviews), etc.
Colleagues who have this kind of misunderstanding may not have a comprehensive understanding of market research and know little about advanced research methods and technologies.
Deviation 2: Detailing minor links and discarding important steps.
I have seen this kind of research program design, and the first step is "research plan design and submission". I have also seen such a research process. The first step is "customer requirements" and the second step is "submission of plan proposals." I think these operators are people who do research for the sake of research, and they ignore the real purpose of market research.
The purpose of market research is to provide effective information for managers to make better decisions. The two important steps of "understanding the background situation" and "clarification of the research questions" are missing in the research program design, which exactly reflects the reason why a large number of surveys in the emerging stage cannot help managers make decisions.
I think the correct market research steps should be designed and divided like this:
1. Clarify the management decision-making problems faced by the client, that is, the understanding of the background situation.
This step is especially important when managers are unable to clearly understand and express their problem. Sometimes the client seems to present the decision problem he or she is facing, but it needs to be contextualised.
A well-known automobile manufacturer in Country H wants to invest in establishing a motorcycle production plant in my country. The decision-making question they initially raised was "Where is the investment environment good?" and they selected Xiaoshan, Zhejiang as the research object. It is a research plan for fieldwork. However, at the beginning of the survey, it was discovered that their decision-making question should first be "What are the motorcycle policies of China's central and local governments?", thus becoming a problem that can be solved only by collecting secondary data.
2． Convert management decision-making issues into market research issues, that is, clarify the research issues.
Management decision-making problems refer to the decisions managers need to make, while research questions refer to the provision of information that can help make better decisions.
A software developer in Zhejiang Province launched a tutoring software. At the same time, he began to face the decision-making problem of how much money to invest in developing the market.
What information does the market research company want to help him collect? The research question this time is: How many household computers are there in the country? What is the proportion willing to buy tutoring software? What is the accepted price for this type of software?
However, you may have noticed something wrong with it. The first question should be changed to: How many home computers are in use in China and configured to support this software? The second question should also be changed to: What proportion of them are willing to buy genuine tutoring software?
The clarification of the research questions determines whether the survey data is accurate and valid, and the operators who "omit" this important link in the survey design are the initiators of invalid survey reports.
3. Research plan design.
Here, we need to estimate the value of the survey information, determine what accuracy of information to provide, choose the method and measurement technology for collecting information, determine the location, objects, sampling rules, etc. according to the survey method, and also determine the data Analysis methods and report submission methods. Of course, time, cost and personnel arrangements are also indispensable. Finally, write all of this into a research proposal.
4． Collect information on site.
The scene can be not only the respondent’s home, but also a commercial area, the monitoring room of your own company, or even any suitable place.
5. Information processing analysis.
Refers to all the processing procedures after the information is returned to the project research manager from the field to before the report is written. There will be different steps according to different research methods. For example, the symposium will include review, classification, coding, audio and video tape sorting, supplementation, statistics (semi-automatic), charting, printing, archiving, etc. The questionnaire method includes review, classification, coding, enrollment, missingness inspection, dimensional statistics, charting, printing, archiving, etc.
6． Report formation and submission.
The formation of analysis reports is not static. In particular, many customers will ask that an interim report be submitted after the on-site work is completed and before data processing. Some customers will ask the project manager to give an explanation speech, which requires a speech draft. These forms of reports are quite different from our traditional final reports.
7. Summarize feedback.
This step is also something that many colleagues "omit". It seems that they just hand in the report and it's done, completely regardless of whether the real purpose of the research is achieved or the customer's opinions and suggestions on the research. This not only makes you lose the opportunity for further improvement, but also often loses customer orders.
Finally, I would like to explain that the purpose of our lengthy discussion of the design and division of market research steps is to let colleagues correctly understand that "the purpose of market research is to help companies solve problems, not to conduct research." And research”.