In a market economy, information about its environment is of great importance for the development of each enterprise. Knowing how buyers react to this or that action of competitors, as well as other conditions in which the company operates, the management of the latter can make adequate decisions about its activities. This allows you to quickly adapt to changing conditions, to take a leading position in the industry. There are different types of marketing research. They will be discussed further.
The value of research
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 need at the moment. The market is in motion. The business environment is constantly changing. To obtain reliable information about the current situationmarketing researches of the market are carried out. Types of research can be different. They have certain features.
Studies of the market environment are carried out by marketers in order to control the current situation, as well as adapt the enterprise to it. Most often, the need for such activities arises when the company has not been able to achieve its goals or has lost its position to a competitor. Also, marketing research is carried out in order to diversify its activities. In the process of preparing a business plan for a new line of business for a company, obtaining all relevant information about the market is essential.
Marketing research allows you to make the right decisions in the process of organizing the company's activities. Investments are directed only to promising areas, which are highly likely to make a profit.
The information obtained in the course of the research allows us to assess the problems and prospects of the industry and reduce the level of uncertainty. It also allows you to assess your own position in the market, to assess the processes and phenomena that take place here. This opens up new possibilities.
By briefly reviewing the types of marketing research, there are 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 are developedbehavior of the company in its environment. This leads to gaining advantages over competitors, increasing profits and gaining new positions in the market.
Goals
There are different goals, objectives and types of marketing research. They are systematic in nature, allowing you to collect reliable, up-to-date information. Also, the collection of information allows you to systematize the received data, present it in an understandable form. There are main objectives for conducting market environment research. Such work is aimed at reducing the level of uncertainty and minimizing risks when making strategic, current decisions by managers. Also, the purpose of such studies is to control the fulfillment 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 to be able to build forecasts for a remote perspective. The objectives of the study at the macro level are to determine and model the existing patterns of development of the industry and the current situation within it. This allows you to assess the market capacity, predict the level of demand and its structure in the future.
The purpose of the analysis of the market environment at the micro level is 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 such work either to its own employees who haveappropriate qualifications and experience, or to third parties. 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 chosen in a particular case will depend on the tasks that marketers face. They depend on the needs of the organization for this or that information when creating their business plans, strategies. The objectives of the research may differ significantly depending on the area in which the information received will be involved.
Based on such data, product and pricing policies can be formed, decisions about sales, communications and other aspects of managing the organization's activities can be made. There are many challenges that marketers face:
- research on the distribution of market shares among major competitors;
- receiving information about the characteristics of the market;
- calculating the potential of the industry;
- sales policy analysis;
- gathering business trend data;
- study of competing products;
- short-term forecasting;
- market reaction to a new product, exploring its potential;
- long-term forecasting;
- price policy information;
- other.
Before choosing the types and types of marketing research, are determinedtheir tasks and goals. Only after that is the corresponding work carried out in the required direction. This allows you to use the resources existing at the enterprise as rationally as possible.
The listed tasks are put before marketers only if the information currently owned by the company is not enough to make a decision. This also allows to resolve some internal contradictions regarding the development of a strategy, a mechanism for achieving the goals set. If a company fails or, conversely, is at the peak of success, this situation requires mandatory analysis. Only in this case it will be possible to form new tactical projects and strategic plans.
Steps of work
To achieve maximum effectiveness in the process of conducting market research, it is carried out in a clearly established sequence. It is compiled before the specialists start collecting information. Choose the types and stages of marketing research in accordance with the goals and objectives of their conduct.
For most of the existing methods for analyzing the market environment, an identical sequence of work is characteristic. The procedure for conducting marketing research is divided into 5 stages.
First, marketers identify a problem, based on which they set goals for research. At the second stage, sources for data collection are selected, and secondary marketing information is analyzed.
After thata 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 and analyzed. The marketing research is completed by drawing up a report and providing the company's management with a result on the work carried out by specialists.
In order not to redo the work later, in the process of choosing the main types of marketing research, as well as the features of their conduct, management must clearly formulate the goals for which data is collected. After that, marketers will be able to identify the most relevant sources of information by collecting data. The cost of the work done depends on this.
Main species
Different purposes 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 types of obtaining the required information are the following aspects.
One of the main types is market research. It allows you to collect and systematize information about the situation in the industry. This allows the organization to choose the right market, determine the possible sales volume, and also predict its activity 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.
Macrosystem analysis is often done. In this case, factors that are not directly related to the market are studied. Howeverthey have a direct influence on him. This, for example, the level of income of the population, government policy, etc.
The study is also conducted for the internal environment of the enterprise. Such work is carried out in order to obtain reliable information about the competitiveness of the organization. Conclusions are made on the basis of a comparison of information about the external and internal environment. Analysts collate data on the strengths and weaknesses of an 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 aims to identify all the motivating factors that influence the choice of a particular product. The study assesses the income of the population, as well as the level of education, the structure of the total mass of buyers. This allows you to select the target segment for which products with the required characteristics will be produced.
A few more varieties
Studying the main types of marketing research, you need to pay attention to such a direction as competitor research. This is necessary to occupy the best positions, gain access to new resources and opportunities. In this case, they study the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, their market share, as well as the reaction of buyers 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 mayanalysis of possible intermediaries is required. 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.
Also an important type of marketing research is product analysis. In this case, their qualities and technical characteristics are studied. Next, the compliance of the presented goods with the requirements of buyers is analyzed. Based on the data received, the release of new products is organized, advertising is developed.
Carrying out marketing research, the types of which are diverse, can choose as an object the costs of creating a new product, its sale. 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 you to determine which paths will be most effective in bringing the finished product to the end 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 credibility of the company 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.
Research types
There are different types and types of marketingresearch. They allow you to achieve high information content. There are three types of research. It may be exploratory. This is a preliminary data collection. Based on it, follow-up actions are carried out.
Descriptive research allows you to identify, highlight existing problems, market conditions. This prepares the ground, allows you to delve into the essence of the situation. The third type of obtaining information is casual research. It allows you to put forward hypotheses about the existing causal relationships in the analyzed environment. Often in this case, mathematical methods are used.
Types of information
When studying the types and methods of marketing research, you need to pay special attention to collecting information. It may be different. The quality of the work carried out by marketers depends on the correct choice of data collection sources, their reliability. Such information may include certain information, facts, figures, indicators that are necessary for further analysis and making certain decisions.
Types of marketing research information may differ in how they are obtained. In accordance with this feature, secondary and primary data are distinguished. They differ in value, features of obtaining.
Secondary is information that was collected from different sources in the course of other studies. However, for the present analysis they are also relevant. Secondary data can be internal or external. The second type of sources includes enterprise reporting, informationinventory records, customer lists, list of complaints, marketing plans and other similar documents.
External sources of secondary information are collections of reports from the State Statistics Committee, regions, as well as official industry studies, the media and other external sources.
Primary information is new. Such data is obtained during the research. This type of information is collected when there is not enough available data. It is difficult and expensive to obtain. But it is necessary for an accurate analysis.
Methods for obtaining primary information
Primary information is used in various types of marketing research. Observation, experiment and questioning are the main methods of obtaining it. They differ in cost and reliability.
The observation method is the cheapest and easiest. The study is descriptive. There is no direct contact between the observer and the respondent. Various electronic devices (sensors, scanners) may be involved. Information is received in real time. Since the observer does not have direct contact with the respondents, the appearance of data distortions is avoided.
The disadvantage of observation is the inability to penetrate into the essence of the internal motives of the objects on which the respondent makes this or that decision. This may be misinterpreted by the person doing the research.
Observation due to its characteristics is used as an additional research method. This is the primary view.receiving data. 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 collecting primary information as an experiment and a survey. In the first case, one or more variables are measured. The influence 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 in different types of marketing research. It can be carried out in real market research or by artificial simulation of the situation in the laboratory. The advantage of the experiment lies in the possibility of minimizing errors. However, the cost of such research is high. At the same time, competitors receive information about the directions of action considered by the company.
The most universal way to obtain primary information is a survey. This is an effective and common technique. With the help of questionnaires or direct communication with respondents, you can get information about the opinions of a certain part of the people surveyed. The result is generalized and applied to the entire mass of buyers. This method has almost unlimited possibilities. This allows you to evaluate not only the present situation, but also the actions of the respondent in the past and in the future.
The disadvantage of the survey is its laboriousness and high costs for conducting surveys and communicating with respondents. Sometimes the accuracy of the information received is insufficient. This leads to errors in the processanalysis.
Having considered the types of marketing research, we can conclude that such work is extremely important for every enterprise. A variety of methods and approaches to collecting information allows you to choose the optimal, most accurate type of research in a particular case.
