Methods of marketing research

Any company that produces certain goods or services needs to promote its product to the consumer. To achieve this goal, methods of marketing research are used , either by marketing departments of the company or by hired specialized agencies. These studies are designed to study and analyze consumer preferences, the effect of advertising texts and videos on the potential consumer, various advertisements and other media awareness of the population about the product or the company as a whole.

The essence of marketing research is to research the market in order to provide the company with accurate and valid analysis results, conducted for a specific purpose. On the threshold of entering a new product on the market, this can be the identification of a consumer segment, the study of the reaction of a potential buyer to a product, the study of competitive goods, the discovery of the advantages of a new product over existing products on the market, testing the product and ascertaining the packaging preferences.

Methods of marketing research exist different: expert analysis, questioning, focus groups, the method of experiments, content analysis. There are methods of armchair, methods of observation and in- depth interviews. Usually, in marketing research, several methods are used in a complex, which is determined by the goals and tasks set before marketers.

Marketing, by and large, is the positioning of a product or service in the long run. Previously, methods of marketing research were reduced, basically, to the search for new sales channels and methods for increasing sales. Now marketers understand that the most basic value in their work is the study of consumer needs and preferences. F, Kotler explains this very accurately with the example of an old Spanish saying, which says that in order for a person to become a good bullfighter, he must first study the bull.

Now many methods of marketing research are used to determine the needs of consumers, to evaluate the market and its market efficiency. Some of them:

1. Supervision in stores. Here we study the behavior of customers, their movement through the store, is tracked, what attracts their attention, first of all, what is the distribution of attention by sex, age and social groups, the impact of services, and so on.
2. Observation at home - the researchers go to the buyers' homes to find out how they and their family members relate to this product and how to use it at home, what wishes and suggestions for improving the product.
3. Observations in other places.
4. Focus groups. They are very popular due to the fact that a certain group of people is chosen and discussions, surveys, testing are held with them for some time. All this is recorded on video or audio media, then analyzed, and conclusions and suggestions are made on the further implementation of activities.

The system of analysis of marketing information is designed to reduce all the data obtained from different channels and draw the appropriate conclusions. The analysis should initially begin at the stage of setting goals, otherwise there will be no clear understanding of what should be obtained in the final result and lead to the vagueness and inconsistency of the conclusions.

When analyzing the information collected, the personal opinion, sensation, and preferences of the researcher should not be taken into account. Only facts that emanate from respondents matter, they can be contradictory, include prejudices and so on, but it will help the manufacturer understand how to make the most correct decision for him. It is for this, in the final light, that these studies were carried out.