Marketing analysis of demand for products and services of the enterprise. Marketing research of demand Marketing analysis of demand

Hello! In this article we will talk about such an important component marketing activities enterprises as a marketing analysis.

Today you will learn:

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

What is marketing analysis

Any activity begins with planning. Planning, in turn, begins with analysis. The marketing activity of the enterprise is 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 well-conducted marketing analysis, you run the risk of encountering the following problems:

• Get a product that will not be in demand;
• Meet insurmountable "barriers" when entering the market and when selling products;
• Face overwhelming for you;
• Choose the wrong market segment and product positioning;
• Make 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 the enterprise.

Marketing analysis of the company – analysis of information obtained as a result of a variety of marketing research to make decisions regarding the marketing mix and the company's 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".

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

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

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

The main stages of the marketing analysis of the company

Marketing research and marketing analysis are inextricably linked.

It is possible to represent any analytical marketing activity of an enterprise in the form of four stages of marketing analysis:

1. Marketing research planning. This stage includes setting goals for marketing research, determining the type of research, determining the audience or sources of information, determining the place of research, preparing tools for conducting research, designating deadlines and budgeting;
2. Collection of information. On the this stage there is a direct collection of information;
3. Analysis of the collected information;
4. Interpreting 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 of the environments, the specialist must go through the stages of marketing analysis described above.

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

Types and methods of marketing analysis

There are four types of marketing analysis:

• Marketing analysis of the external environment of the organization;
• Marketing analysis of the meso-environment of the company;
• Analysis of the internal marketing environment of the enterprise;
• Portfolio analysis.

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

Methods for analyzing the external environment of the organization

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

The organization cannot change the external environment (but there are exceptions, for example, oil enterprises).

When analyzing the external environment of the 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 in the name of the PESTEL analysis denotes an environmental factor that can either have a strong influence on the organization or not at all. Let's consider each factor.

P– Political factor. The influence of the political factor is assessed by answering the following questions:

• Is the political situation in the country stable? How does the political situation affect?
• What impact does the tax law have on your business?
• How does social politics states on your business?
• How does state regulation to your business?

E– Economic factor external environment. His assessment involves answering the following questions:

• How does the level of development of the country's GDP affect your business?
• How is the general economic situation affecting your business? (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 does demographics affect your business?
• How does the lifestyle of citizens affect your business?
• How does the attitude of citizens to leisure and work affect your business?
• How does the social distribution of income between family members affect your business?

T – Technological factor and questions for its analysis:

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

E– Environmental factor requires answers to the following questions:

• How does environmental legislation affect your business?
• How does the volume of extracted natural resources 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 your business uses)

L- Legal factor and questions to analyze its impact on your business:

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

We recommend that you answer these questions using a scale of -3 to 3, where "-3" has a strong negative impact on the organization, "-2" has a moderate negative impact on the organization, and "-1" has a slight negative impact on the organization. organization, "0" - 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 impact for each factor. Factors with a positive result have a favorable effect, with a negative – negative. If any factor has a very strong negative impact, you need to think about the feasibility of doing business in this area.

Methods for analyzing the mesoenvironment of an organization

The meso-environment of the organization is represented by external factors that have a direct impact on the activities of the organization. The analysis of the meso-environment is aimed at assessing the attractiveness of the market and the level of competition in the market, determining the 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 model of competition consists of five blocks. Each block is a separate factor in the impact of a competitive market on your organization.

The central block is “Competitive Environment”. This block contains all the current market players - you and your direct competitors.

You need to define the following competitive environment parameters:

• Major players and their market shares;
• Number of players;
• Level of market development;
• Strong and weaknesses your closest competitors;
• Information about the costs of your competitors for various items of expenditure (production, marketing, and so on).

The second block is "The Threat of New Players."

It is represented by the following options:

• Existing market entry barriers (patents, licenses, government regulation, and so on);
• 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);
• Existing barriers to exit from the market (forfeit, 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:

• Degree of consumer loyalty to your product;
• The difference in price between your product and substitute products;
• The level of professionalism of consumers (the more professional the consumer, the weaker the parameter affects);
• The cost of switching to a substitute product.

The 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 strength);
• The volume of product purchases by one consumer (the larger the purchase volume, the higher the impact);
• The presence of buyers' unions;
• The breadth of product selection (the greater the choice, the greater the power of influence).

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

The parameters for assessing this factor will be as follows:

• The degree of complexity of the transition from one supplier to another;
• The volume of purchases from one supplier;
• Availability of companies to replace existing suppliers;
• The degree to which the quality of raw materials affects 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. The extreme values ​​"-3" and "3" indicate a strong threat and a positive impact of the parameter, respectively, "0" means that the parameter does not affect your business. The total value of the 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

Analysis of the microenvironment of the organization is carried out to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your business. For this purpose, such an analysis tool as "Chain of Values".

The value chain displays all business processes that are implemented in the organization. Business processes are divided into main (during which production and distribution of products take place) 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 denote all the business processes that need to be evaluated. The rows indicate auxiliary business processes, the columns - the main ones.

Assess every business process in your organization and you'll see where your product's key value is produced and what makes your product special. Those business processes that give your product more value are the most developed and have a positive impact on competitiveness - strengths your organization, the rest are weak.

Interim Analysis

SWOT -analysis represented by a combination of environmental factors of the organization (direct and indirect impact). SWOT-analysis is a matrix, the opportunities and threats of the external environment are displayed vertically, and the strengths and weaknesses of the organization itself are displayed horizontally. We will 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 environment factors, we must write the following solutions:

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

Business Portfolio Analysis

After we have researched the market and the company, we can evaluate the various lines of business of the organization or, more simply, the products it produces.

At the moment, there are a fairly large number of various methods for analyzing 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 staging life cycle each product range . This analysis allows you to select a product marketing strategy and eliminate unprofitable products.

Most often there are four stages:

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

Marketing analysis of the enterprise on the example of the company "Gruzovichkof"

Let's analyze the activity of one of the real Russian companies. On the example of the cargo transportation company "Gruzovichkof". At the same time, we will be able to see how to correctly understand and read the marketing analysis of the enterprise.

Stage 1. We start with a PESTEL analysis, that is, we describe only the influencing factors (by questions) and put points. At the same time, we reduced the number of influencing factors by excluding the economic one, since it does not have any influence at all, and by combining the political and legal ones, since they are closely interconnected in this industry.

As we can see, the technological factor has the greatest positive impact, and the economic one has the negative one.

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

We paint the parameters for each factor and put down points. Within a report, it's best to do this in a table.

Thus, the strength of suppliers and the strength of consumers have the greatest negative impact.

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

For Gruzovichkof, 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.

We write out the strongest threats and opportunities from the PEST analysis and highlight the strengths and weaknesses based on the analysis using the Porter's 5 Forces of Competition and Value Chain models. We get a small plate.

On this, the general marketing analysis of the enterprise is over and we can summarize.

As a result of marketing analysis, we received:

• Full assessment of the attractiveness of the industry (market);
• Evaluation of the position of our company in this market;
• Revealed competitive advantages our product (company);
• Determined ways to apply our competitive strengths against competitors;
• Identified the main competitors, their strengths and weaknesses;
• Assessed the level of competition in the market;
• Received information base to determine the future strategy of the organization (marketing strategy).

Hello dear colleague! In today's article we will talk about marketing analysis. After all, such an analysis determines the success of absolutely any organization or individual entrepreneur. Marketing defines the relationship of an enterprise or individual entrepreneur with the external environment by studying and conducting a marketing analysis aimed at identifying the competitive position of an enterprise (IE) and its potential in the relevant market. Therefore, in this article we will consider in detail what marketing analysis is and how it is carried out.

7. Selection of the most effective methods and forms of product marketing, development of the marketing strategy of the enterprise

Thus, we have identified 7 main tasks of marketing analysis, by solving which, it will be possible to see a complete picture of the enterprise, both its internal and external sides.

3. Types of marketing analysis

Marketing analysis can be of several types, differ both in the methods and forms of implementation, and in the vastness of the analyzed information.

1. Marketing analysis of the market is the most common type of marketing analysis. Studying market trends and processes. An analysis of economic, geographical, legislative, demographic and other market factors allows you to make a market development forecast, develop a competitive strategy and carry out market segmentation, and identify the most appropriate market niche.

1. Marketing analysis of competitors allows you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise. Develop a smart marketing strategy.

1. Analysis of the marketing strategy of the enterprise . Analysis of the existing marketing activities of the enterprise allows you to make its adjustment, to direct the activities of the organization in a profitable direction. Often, an ineffective marketing strategy of an enterprise is one of the factors of its unprofitability.

1. Research of the internal environment of the enterprise aims to compare internal and external processes in order to bring their work to a single coherent mechanism.

1. Research of the target audience and target consumer . This type of marketing analysis allows you to see a clear and understandable portrait of the consumer of your goods or services, and, therefore, to correctly think over the marketing strategy of the enterprise, select possible bonuses and think over the approach. If there are many varieties of consumers or the group is large enough, then they are divided into segments that combine characteristics.

1. Marketing analysis of intermediaries will allow you to see potential partners of your company and calculate an affiliate program for further expansion.

1. Analysis of the internal marketing environment of the enterprise - this type is aimed at studying the real competitiveness of the enterprise.

So, we have examined the main types of marketing analysis, let's move on to the methods.

4. Methods of marketing analysis

Method for analyzing the marketing activities of an organization - this is a way of studying, measuring and generalizing the processes, phenomena and influences of external and internal factors on the activities of an organization in a market economy.

The choice of a marketing analysis method is a very serious moment, depending directly on the purpose and objectives of the study as a whole.

In this paragraph of the article, we will consider the methods of marketing analysis, based on its types.

So, we have considered the main types of marketing analysis and the methods attached to them.

Since this article is more informative than practical, we will not consider each method in detail.

5. Conclusions

At the end of this topic, I would like to say that such a science as marketing and marketing analysis tools play a key role in building a long-term and profitable business.

Marketing analysis is applicable both at the stage of business planning, and at any other stage of an already existing one.

And finally, I suggest you watch a short video about conducting market research:

This concludes my article. I hope that the material presented in it was useful to you. I wish you good luck and see you in the next articles.

Market research is one of the key factors in business development. Most enterprises, firms and private companies draw up an action strategy based on the results of the study. Recently, the demand for forecasting modern market trends has increased significantly. In this regard, various methods and methods of data analysis began to be developed. One of them is called marketing research of the market, to which this article will be devoted.

concept

Marketing research of the market is a process of constant and continuous collection of information about behavioral factors, demand, motivation of the subjects of market relations that operate in a certain segment, as well as its analysis.

Many people often confuse the concepts of “market research” and “market research of the market”. In the first case, as a result of the experiments carried out, it is possible to obtain generalized data that relate not only to the market for products and services, but also to other economic segments. In the second case, the research pursues more specific goals.

Goals

Market marketing research has an important target orientation. Their main task is to find new opportunities for a particular enterprise, identify a free niche, identify competitors and develop specific recommendations for the effective implementation of a product or service. The target orientation of the research is as follows:

• Search. It consists in collecting information that will help to give a reliable assessment and forecasts.
• Descriptive. The factors to be investigated are selected in advance, and their influence on the general state of the market is described.
• Causal. Checking cause-and-effect relationships.
• Test. As a result of the study, the most acceptable solutions are made and tested in real conditions.
• Predictive. Summarizing all the results obtained in the course of the study, it is possible to predict the further state of the unit under study.

Tasks

Market research is a long and multi-layered process, the main task of which is to determine the possible volume of sales of goods, services and products, as well as to assess the level of demand for a particular product or service. This information is achieved by determining:

• the entire market capacity.
• Its part in a common container.
• Demand analysis. It is necessary to determine the level of consumer loyalty.
• Offer analysis, the main purpose of which is to identify competitors.
• Sales opportunities. An important task is to analyze the distribution channels for products or services.

Theory and practice

In general, the tasks of marketing research are divided into two types: methodological support of activities and market research. Methodological support consists in determining the subject and object of the study, as well as collecting data and choosing the methods of the study itself. Market conjuncture is based on determining the dynamics, properties, opportunities, prospects and patterns of development.

Methods

Market research methods refer to special techniques, operations or campaigns that are designed to theoretically and practically study the marketing environment where a certain organization operates. Market research methods are fundamental and applied. Fundamental methods show the general picture of the studied market and some individual characteristics. While applied ones examine the position of the enterprise in the selected market segment. Each method differs in the collection and processing of information. In general, techniques can work with primary or secondary information. The latter has nothing to do with the research being done here and now. It has been collected and analyzed for a long time, but it is well suited for drawing certain conclusions and forecasts.

Primary information is collected during ongoing research. Depending on the method by which data is collected, they can be divided into three types:

• Quality. Consist in the collection of practical material. That is, the research team observes what is happening, interprets and analyzes the data obtained. Qualitative methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews and protocol analysis.
• Quantitative. Surveys are usually referred to as quantitative research. They mean the use of closed-type questions and their further processing. Polls can be done different ways. Most often they use telephone surveys, street, apartment, postal.
• Mixed. Mixed studies include a variety of tests and the work of mystery shoppers. Recently, if there is a need to bring to market New Product, use locations.

For quality

Market research and analysis is impossible without quantitative and qualitative analyzes. Qualitative methods are used to determine consumer preferences and predict behavior patterns when a new product or service is introduced to the market. For this apply:

• Focus group. This is an analytical market research that is conducted among a small group of potential consumers. The focus group leader creates a specific scenario according to which the discussion is held. The main advantage of this technique is the opportunity to study the personal opinion of each consumer. And the informal atmosphere contributes to obtaining more reliable information.

• Protocol analysis is often used for product market research. The essence of this method is that researchers model the process of acquiring goods (most often expensive: real estate, car, household appliances), and the consumer describes his thoughts and actions.
• An in-depth interview consists of interviewing one of the consumers. The main difference from a survey is that all questions are open, that is, a person does not choose an answer option, but talks about his attitude to a product or service. In the process of such an interview, it is easy to study the train of thought of a potential consumer, as well as determine his attitude to aspects of the material under study. Often, market research of services is carried out with the help of in-depth interviews. The only drawback of this method is the need for a highly qualified specialist who not only understands the topic, but is also a good psychologist.

For Quantity

Market research is also carried out using quantitative methods, which express a certain problem quantitative indicators. In this way, the opinion of a huge number of people is studied, which makes it possible to apply a statistical evaluation of information. Basically, quantitative methods are practiced if it becomes necessary to determine the size of the market, brand awareness, consumer attitudes, etc.

Quantitative methods are divided into:

• Mass polls. They consist in the analysis of respondents' answers to the questions of the questionnaire. Such surveys differ in the place of conducting, the method of communication (telephone, Internet, mail), the subjects (legal entities, individual entrepreneurs or experts), and the type of sample.
• Personal interviews. Unlike a mass survey, an interview provides more reliable information. The interviewer can ask the same questions as in the questionnaire, but does not offer answers.

Retail Audit

There is another effective method of market research - retail audit. This method is difficult to attribute to qualitative, quantitative or mixed, so it is often defined separately. The essence of the methodology is to evaluate the market and its products by collecting publicly available information. That is, researchers analyze pricing policy, commodity units, advertising campaigns. In a word, all aspects that reflect the characteristics of the market or its individual segment can be attributed to the audit of retail trade. Conducting market research in this way allows you to quickly identify an unoccupied niche and identify the main competitors.

Mixed methods

Mixed methods are based on the basic aspects of quantitative and qualitative research methods. These include the following methods:

• Locations. For research, a group of consumers who are not experts in the field of research is recruited. They are offered to test a certain product and answer the questionnaire along the way. This method is very expensive, but it allows you to adequately evaluate the product, its relevance and quality, which is important when introducing a new product to the market.

• Home testing. Consumers are provided with a product that they use in the natural environment for this product, that is, at home, in nature, at sea. Using the product for its intended purpose, consumers must record responses in special questionnaires.
• Mystery shopper. Marketing research of the service market has long mastered this method. It is used to determine the level of service quality. This technique allows us to assess the level of sales decline due to subjective factors of distributors, which include rudeness and unprofessionalism.

Research stages

Distortions of the final results directly depend on the violation of the stages of the study. This may lead to the adoption of an incorrect management strategy and development line, so it is worth considering the sequence of research:

• Problems and goals. It is necessary to identify the main research problems, and on their basis to formulate the goals pursued. Goals are exploratory, descriptive, and experimental. The former help to find the reason for the decline in sales and bring the company to a new stage of development. The latter provide the main indicators of the market or its segment. Still others show a causal relationship between the actions of the company's management and the level of sales.
• Sources of information. Based on the goals, you need to choose research methods.

• Collection of information. According to the selected research methods, the necessary information is collected.
• Analysis. Having received the necessary information, the researcher must analyze it, translate it into numbers and make certain forecasts or draw conclusions.
• Solution. Based on the data obtained, the company's management makes an appropriate management decision, which will lead to the development and expansion of the company.

Data analysis

All data obtained as a result of marketing research of the market must be analyzed accordingly. The essence of the analysis is to convert the information received into meaningful facts. This procedure consists of two steps:

• At the first stage, all received data is entered into a computer, checked for errors, encoded and displayed in the form of a matrix.
• The second stage consists in statistical analysis received values. After receiving the statistical data, the researchers give their comments and recommendations. Based on all the materials, conclusions and forecasts are made

As you can see, market research is a laborious and costly process, but only thanks to it can companies choose the right course of development and delight consumers with the right products and services.

The main work on the study of demand should be the collection, processing and analysis of information. In the company store of SOOO "Belwest" in Mozyr, to study consumer demand, the method of observation is used, which is carried out to systematically obtain information about which groups of goods and their varieties are on sale and which are not, for which groups of goods the demand in the store is not satisfied, on what excess commodity stocks are formed.

As you know, the demand for shoes is determined by consumer preferences, where not objective characteristics are decisive, but the subjective perception of the properties of shoes - the purchasing value, consisting of a number of components. Therefore, it is important to establish by what criteria the buyer evaluates and purchases shoes with the desired combination of properties.

For this purpose, the "Belwest" store periodically needs to conduct surveys in the form of a questionnaire.

With the participation of the author, a similar survey was conducted in January 2011 and showed that the significance of indicators that affect the choice and purchase of shoes among consumer groups of different age, gender and social position varies.

We will draw up a plan for marketing research of buyers of footwear by JLLC "Belwest". It reflects: the method of conducting marketing research (field), sources of information, methods of collecting primary data (questionnaire survey, observation), sample size, methods of processing and analyzing information. The research program consists of two parts: methodological and methodological and procedural.

Marketing research plan in the form of a survey of buyers of footwear JLLC "Belwest".

The main purpose of the study is to identify homogeneous groups among many consumers who have approximately the same requirements for service and assortment of goods, and to develop on this basis strategies for segmenting the consumer market of JLLC "Belwest".

Tasks of marketing research. To implement the research plan, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

• 1. Identify market segments based on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of buyers of footwear by JLLC "Belwest";
• 2. Evaluate the selected segments in terms of their attractiveness and requirements for the enterprise's marketing mix;

Determine the firm's target market and develop strategies for reaching it, depending on the results of segmentation.

3. Formulation of a working hypothesis. Shoe buyers have diverse requirements for the marketing mix and service process. The most expressive signs of segmentation are socio-demographic characteristics, as well as behavioral criteria, therefore, the strategy of concentrated marketing primarily corresponds to the goals of the marketing activity of an enterprise.

Identification of sources of information. The study uses primary marketing information - data from a selective study of buyers of shoes by JLLC "Belwest".

Methods for collecting primary information. Methods for collecting primary information - observation and questioning, the main working document - a questionnaire (Appendix A). The questionnaire survey is carried out in the course of selective research. The sample size is 200 people.

Methods for processing and analyzing the information received. Questionnaire survey data are processed in an authorized and partially manual way of data processing, statistical methods of grouping and typology, multidimensional classification are also used.

Programmed research result. As a result of the study, sufficiently homogeneous typological groupings (segments) of buyers, characterized by common features and requirements, should be obtained.

Place and time of the field stage. The survey and observations were carried out for 5 days in the company store of JLLC "Belwest" in Mozyr.

At the first stage of the study of the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of footwear buyers, JLLC "Belwest" developed a questionnaire (closed questions) and conducted a survey, which is one of the main methods for obtaining reliable information about consumers.

The process of developing a questionnaire for conducting a study of buyers of products of JLLC "Belwest" consisted of the following 9 stages:

stage: it was clearly defined what information should be obtained as a result of the survey;

stage: the method of conducting the survey is determined;

stage; thematic blocks of the questionnaire are highlighted;

stage: the content of specific questions within the blocks is determined;

stage: the form of the answer to each question is determined;

stage: the exact wording of each question is determined;

stage: The sequence of questions within the blocks is determined;

stage: the physical characteristics of the questionnaire are determined;

stage: After the development of the questionnaire, it was tested in real conditions, i.e. tested with its help a small number of people belonging to the same category that is to be researched.

When conducting a questionnaire survey of buyers of shoes "Belwest", a distributing method of conducting a questionnaire was used, only this method of questioning guarantees the most complete return of completed questionnaires.

Analysis of the data obtained as a result of the survey showed that the most expressive signs of segmentation of buyers of JLLC "Belwest" are their socio-demographic characteristics of the sample.

Let's analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of buyers of footwear JLLC "Belwest".

Primary analysis of the linear distribution of socio-demographic characteristics of the sample population included 75% of women and 25% of men. This testifies to the increased preference of women for the shoes of JLLC "Belwest".

According to the level of per capita income, the respondents defined themselves as follows: 58% of the respondents have an income of 450,000 - 850,000 rubles; 21% have an average monthly income of up to 450,000 rubles; 10% of respondents have an income above 850,000 rubles. Buyers with an average monthly income below 450,000 rubles account for 32% of the total sample.

Let's analyze the age of buyers of footwear of JLLC "Belwest". The greatest attention to the goods of the company was shown by buyers aged 30-40, constituting 26% of visitors and buyers of the store. 24% of respondents are buyers aged 40-50; 22% are shoe buyers aged 25-30; 17% of respondents make their choice in favor of Belwest shoes over the age of 50. Finally, the smallest percentage of respondents is 11% and refers to buyers under the age of 25 years. 98% of the respondents are residents of the city of Mozyr.

The data revealed as a result of the study allow us to formulate a conclusion about the typical socio-demographic characteristics of real buyers of "Belwest" shoes:

• 1. Gender - female;
• 2. Age - 30-50 years;

Occupation - employees, entrepreneurs, housewives.

Let's carry out a cross-grouping and typological analysis of the survey results.

To determine the orderliness of the identified socio-demographic features and to find stable relationships that identify the most representative groups of consumers, cross grouping of questionnaire data allows. Their typology is the first step of cluster analysis. Let's make a table (3.1) showing the dependence of the level of income on other socio-demographic characteristics of buyers of "Belwest" shoes.

Table 3.1 - The level of income of buyers of shoes "Belwest"

Socio-demographic characteristics of consumers Share in the total sample (%) Share of consumers in groups with different income levels, % of the number of each group up to 450,000 rubles 450,000 - 650,000 rubles 650,000 - 850,000 rubles 850,000 rubles and more than 1. Halfway25,032,540,520,085,032,540,080,084,859,568,02,084,859,58,02,084,859,02,0258,02,02,025-30,02,02,014,024,218,430-40) 56,014,031,3,04,03,032,437,09,03,03,028,21,88,03,020,028,21,84,03.rod training3 0-8,22.0-Student 4,068,02.4--Housewife 21,014,028.46,014.0 Social worker 12.0-17,737.5-Officer 37.0-43,353,430.8 Entrepreneur 23.0--1,155.2

The proportion of men in the sample was 25%. Based on the indicators in the table, we can conclude that the Belwest brand store is more often visited by men with an average monthly income of no more than 650,000 rubles and women, whose income also does not exceed 650,000 rubles.

A general analysis of the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample population shows that the core sample could be divided into four groups using such a segmentation feature as the average per capita income level. The most numerous in the sample was the segment of consumers with an income level of 450,000 - 650,000. In this segment, 84.8% of women were recorded, aged 30-40 years, and the main occupation is employees and housewives. Men in this group - 40.5%.

In second place in terms of number are buyers with an income level of up to 450,000 rubles (32%). It is also dominated by women (80%), whose age is up to 25 years (students), as well as housewives and pensioners.

In third place in terms of number is the segment of consumers with an income level of 650,000 - 850,000 rubles, in the structure of which women aged 40 - 50 years (59.5%) predominate, the occupation of which is most often employees and workers in the social sphere. Men made up - 20.0%.

The smallest segment in the total sample size is the segment of consumers with an income level of more than 850,000 (8.5% of the sample size). Women here accounted for 68%, their age is mainly 30-50 years old, and their occupation is entrepreneurs, employees and housewives. Men, despite a small number of visits to the store, also made up a fairly high percentage - 15.2%.

When developing the questionnaire, the question was raised about what requirements customers make to the work of a company store. As a result of processing the questionnaires, the following data on consumer priorities were obtained: more than half of the respondents put the quality of the goods (55%) in 1st place among the presented ones, 22% - the saturation of the assortment, 15% of the respondents noted a reasonable price, and about 7% of the respondents put the quality of service in the first place . Thus, the most significant requirement influencing the behavior of buyers when choosing shoes is its quality. Factors of medium importance are the saturation of the assortment and the moderateness of the price.

Table 3.2 - The degree of importance of various marketing factors for buyers of shoes "Belwest"

Factors influencing consumer behaviorNumber of buyers (%) who marked the factor for: 1st place 2nd place 3rd place 4th placeQuality of goods55,028,010,02.0Saturation of assortment22,030,040,08.0Quality of service7,020,033,042.0Moderate price15,036,029,023.0

To identify segments based on behavioral characteristics, it is necessary to analyze how socio-demographic characteristics affect purchasing behavior, i.e. conduct a cross-sectional analysis of socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics (tables 3.3 and 3.4).

Table 3.3 - The most significant marketing factors for consumers of different segments

Factors influencing consumer behavior Share of consumers who marked the factor in 1st place Share of consumers in the segment who marked the factor in 1st place Segment 1 (income up to 450,000 rubles) 650,000 -850,000 rubles) Segment 4 (income over 850,000 rubles) 123456 Quality of goods 55,03,033,030,533.5

Table 3.4 - The least significant marketing factors for the consumer of different segments

Factors influencing consumer behavior The share of consumers who marked the factor in 4th place The share of consumers in the segment who marked the factor in 4th place Segment 1 (income up to 450,000 rubles) 000 -850,000 rubles) Segment 4 (income over 850,000 rubles) 123456 Goods quality 12,098.02.0 - Assortment saturation 19.046.010.225.019.0 Reasonable price 20.0-22.520.552.5 Service quality 48.056.520.513.010.0

Analysis of the cross-sectional data of tables 3.3 and 3.4 led to several main conclusions:

• 1. The quality of the goods was put in the first place by 55% of respondents. Of these, representatives of the 4th segment make up 33.5%. No less significant when choosing a purchase is the quality factor of the goods for representatives of the 2nd segment (33%) and 3rd segment (30.5%). All respondents who put the quality of goods in the last 4th place are mainly representatives of the 1st segment (98%).
• 2. The saturation of the assortment is also the most important for the fourth segment; this factor is also important for the second and third segments (32.5% and 30.5%). Buyers of the 1st segment (46.0%) consider the least significant factor to be the assortment saturation.

The moderate price was rated first by the buyers of the 1st segment (45.5%), for the buyers of the second (24.5%) and third (20%) segments this factor is also significant. Representatives of the 4th segment (52.5%) put the fourth place in the price significance factor.

4. The quality of service was put in the first place by the representatives of the 4th segment, the last place in terms of the importance of the quality of service was put by the representatives of the lowest income segment. Thus, it can be argued that the higher the income level, the more important the quality of service and product quality becomes for buyers, the value of the price decreases as income increases.

Analysis of purchasing behavior and socio-demographic characteristics allowed us to identify 3 different segments:

• 1 segment "economical" - consists of consumers with an income level of up to 450,000 rubles. When choosing shoes from representatives of this segment, first of all, a moderate price mattered. The choice and quality of goods for representatives of this group of buyers does not matter much. This segment consists mainly of women (80%) under 25, housewives and pensioners. This segment makes up 32% of the total number of respondents.
• 2Segment "quality-oriented" - consumers with an income level of 450,000 to 850,000 rubles. We combined segments with an income level of 450,000 to 650,000 rubles and a segment with an income level of 650,000 to 850,000 rubles, since they are very similar in their consumer behavior: buyers are focused primarily on the quality of the goods and the richness of the assortment. Price and level of service are also quite important for this segment. The described segment has the largest number of real buyers of products in the company store "Belwest" (88% of the total number of respondents). These are mostly women aged 30-50, civil servants, social workers and housewives.

Segment "exacting" - consumers with an income level of more than 850,000 rubles. When buying shoes, they, first of all, pay attention to the level of service, the quality of the goods and the richness of the assortment. The price in this case practically does not matter when choosing a purchase. This segment makes up only 10% of real and potential buyers of products of JLLC "Belwest" and consists of women aged 30-40, occupation - employees and entrepreneurs (or their wives).

The resulting segments allow you to continue segmentation and implement subsequent stages, such as evaluating and selecting the most attractive segments, developing strategies to reach them, and a marketing program that allows you to position the company's products and services in the market.

In accordance with the findings of the study, JLLC "Belwest" will have to constantly improve and develop the components of the marketing-mix complex. The chosen areas of differentiation and the nature of positioning, as well as the results of consumer marketing research, determine the content of the elements of the marketing-mix complex and the directions for their improvement.

Comparing the positions of JLLC "Belwest" in the market and the segments we have identified, we can make an unambiguous conclusion that the most attractive for it are buyers who are oriented both to the quality of the goods and to a reasonable price. Firstly, for them those factors (quality of goods, richness of assortment, reasonable price) were of decisive importance, according to which JLLC "Belwest" occupies a leading position in the footwear market of Belarus. Secondly, as the results of the survey showed, in terms of size, this segment occupies 88% of the total sample and has an average income level (from 450,000 to 850,000 rubles). Based on the needs of customers, when forming the assortment of goods, it is necessary to ensure strict quality control, it is necessary to have shoes of various colors and types of models in the assortment. Prices for consumers in this segment should be moderate, taking into account the income level of this segment and the prices of competitors for similar products. Here it is possible and recommended to use various discounts from the price: discounts for the quantity of goods purchased, discounts for cash payments, seasonal discounts on goods, discounts regular customers etc. In addition, it is recommended to use such a form of payment as credit, when payment for a particular product is made after the purchase for a certain time. Its advantage is to attract customers and increase sales of products.

"Demanding consumers" make up about 10% of the total sample. This segment is interested in high quality service, a rich assortment and quality of goods. For this type of buyers, a strategy of "prestigious prices" should be implemented, confirmed by high quality and the prestige of the product.

Considering the requests and needs of buyers, the management of JLLC "Belwest" should pay special attention to the sales strategy of the enterprise. The organization of sales and customer service must be at a sufficiently high level. The method of sales is only individual, providing for work with each client of the corporate section, taking into account his psychology and requests. The product must be rationally placed in trading floor using modern commercial equipment; the grouping of shoes by size, type, color and other features must be observed; a visual demonstration of the goods and a special atmosphere conducive to the purchase of goods are required. The survey result showed that visitors to a company store need a variety of additional services, such as: regular demonstrations of promising collections, consultations with a fashion designer, pre-ordering products, home delivery of goods.

Marketing research is the search, collection, systematization and analysis of information about the situation on the market for the purpose of adoption in the production and marketing of products. It should be clearly understood that without these measures it is impossible effective work. In a commercial environment, one cannot act at random, but must be guided by verified and accurate information.

The essence of marketing research

Marketing research is an activity that involves the analysis of the market situation based on scientific methods. Only those factors that can affect the goods or the provision of services matter. These activities have the following main objectives:

• search - consist in the preliminary collection of information, as well as its filtering and sorting for further research;
• descriptive - the essence of the problem is determined, its structuring, as well as the identification of acting factors;
• casual - the presence of a connection between the selected problem and previously identified factors is checked;
• test - a preliminary testing of the found mechanisms or ways to solve a particular marketing problem is carried out;
• forward-looking - suggest the foreseeing of the future situation in the market environment.

Marketing research is an activity that has a specific goal, which is to solve a particular problem. At the same time, there are no clear schemes and standards that an organization should follow when solving such problems. These moments are determined independently, based on the needs and capabilities of the enterprise.

Types of marketing research

The following main marketing researches can be distinguished:

• market research (implies the determination of its scale, geographical characteristics, the structure of supply and demand, as well as factors that affect the internal situation);
• study of sales (the ways and channels of sales of products are determined, the change in indicators depending on the geographical feature, as well as the main factors of influence);
• marketing research of goods (study of the properties of products both separately and in comparison with similar products of competing organizations, as well as determining the reaction of consumers to certain characteristics);
• study of advertising policy (analysis of own promotional activities, as well as comparing them with the main actions of competitors, determining the latest means of positioning goods on the market);
• analysis of economic indicators (studying the dynamics of sales volumes and net profit, as well as determining their interdependence and finding ways to improve performance);
• marketing research of consumers - imply their quantitative and qualitative composition (gender, age, profession, marital status and other characteristics).

How to organize marketing research

The organization of marketing research is a rather important moment on which the success of the entire enterprise may depend. Many firms prefer to deal with this issue on their own. In this case, practically no additional costs are required. In addition, there is no risk of confidential data leakage. However, there are downsides to this approach as well. Not always in the state there are employees who have sufficient experience and knowledge to conduct high-quality marketing research. In addition, the personnel of the organization can not always approach this issue objectively.

Given the shortcomings of the previous option, it is legitimate to say that it is better to involve third-party specialists in the organization of marketing research. As a rule, they have extensive experience in this field and relevant qualifications. In addition, not being associated with this organization, they are absolutely objective look at the situation. However, when hiring outside experts, you must be prepared for the fact that high-quality research is quite expensive. In addition, the marketer does not always know the specifics of the industry in which the manufacturer operates. The most serious risk is that confidential information may be leaked and resold to competitors.

Principles of conducting marketing research

Qualitative marketing research is a guarantee of successful and profitable work any enterprise. They are carried out on the basis of the following principles:

• regularity (a study of the market situation should be carried out in every reporting period, and also in the event that the adoption of an important management decision regarding the production or marketing activities of the organization);
• consistency (before research work you need to break the whole process into components that will be performed in a clear sequence and inextricably interacting with each other);
• complexity (qualitative marketing research should provide answers to the entire wide range of questions that relate to a particular problem that is the subject of analysis);
• cost-effectiveness (it is necessary to plan research activities in such a way that the costs of their implementation are minimal);
• efficiency (measures to conduct research should be taken in a timely manner, immediately after a controversial issue arose);
• thoroughness (since market research activities are quite laborious and lengthy, it is worth carrying them out very scrupulously and carefully so that there is no need to repeat them after identifying inaccuracies and shortcomings);
• accuracy (all calculations and conclusions must be made on the basis of reliable information by applying proven methods);
• objectivity (if an organization conducts marketing research on its own, then it should try to do it impartially, honestly recognizing all its shortcomings, oversights and shortcomings).

Stages of marketing research

Studying the situation on the market is a rather complicated and lengthy process. The stages of marketing research can be described as follows:

• formulating a problem (raising a question that needs to be solved in the course of carrying out these activities);
• preliminary planning (indication of the stages of the study, as well as preliminary deadlines for reporting for each of the individual items);
• coordination (all heads of departments, as well as general manager should familiarize themselves with the plan, make their own adjustments, if necessary, and then approve the document by a common decision);
• collection of information (the study and search for data that relate to both the internal and external environment of the enterprise);
• information analysis (careful study of the data received, their structuring and processing in accordance with the needs of the organization and;
• economic calculations(assessed financial indicators both in real time and in the future);
• debriefing (formulation of answers to the questions posed, as well as the preparation of a report and its transfer to senior management).

The role of the marketing research department in the enterprise

The success of an enterprise is largely determined by the quality and timeliness of marketing research. Large companies often organize special departments for these purposes. The decision on the advisability of creating such a structural unit is made by management based on the needs of the enterprise.

It is worth noting that the marketing research department requires a lot of information for its activities. But it would be economically inexpedient to create too large a structure within one enterprise. That is why it is extremely important to establish links between different departments to transfer complete and reliable information. At the same time, the marketing department should be completely exempt from maintaining any reporting, except for that which directly relates to research. Otherwise, too much time and effort will be spent on side work to the detriment of the main purpose.

The marketing research department most often refers to the top management of the company. There needs to be direct communication with general management. But interaction with subdivisions of a lower level is no less important, since it is required to receive timely and reliable information about their activities.

Speaking about the person who will lead this department, it is worth noting that he must have fundamental knowledge of such an issue as marketing research of the organization's activities. In addition, the specialist must know organizational structure and features of the enterprise. According to its status, the head of the marketing department should be equated with top management, because the overall success largely depends on the effectiveness of the work of his unit.

Objects of marketing research

The marketing research system is aimed at the following main objects:

• consumers of goods and services (their behavior, attitude to the offers available on the market, as well as the reaction to the measures taken by the producers);
• marketing research of services and goods for their compliance with the needs of customers, as well as identifying similarities and differences with similar products of competing companies;
• competition (implies the study of the numerical composition, as well as the geographical spread of organizations with similar production areas).

It should be noted that it is not necessary to conduct separate studies for each subject. Within one analysis, several questions can be combined at once.

Research data

Market research data is divided into two main types - primary and secondary. Speaking about the first category, it is worth noting that we are talking about the information that will be directly used in the course of analytical work. In addition, it is worth noting the fact that in some cases marketing research is limited to just collecting primary data, which can be:

• quantitative - figures reflecting the results of activities;
• qualitative - explain the mechanisms and causes of the occurrence of certain phenomena in economic activity.

Secondary data is not directly related to the subject of marketing research. Most often, this information has already been collected and processed for some other purpose, but in the course of the current study it can also be very useful. The main advantage of this type of information is its cheapness, because you do not need to make efforts and invest money to get these facts. Well-known managers recommend that the first thing to do is to turn to secondary information. And only after identifying the lack of certain data, you can start collecting primary information.

In order to start working with secondary information, the following conditions must be met:

• the first step is to identify data sources, which can be both inside the organization and outside it;
• further, the analysis and sorting of information is carried out in order to select relevant information;
• at the last stage, a report is prepared, which indicates the conclusions made during the analysis of the information.

Marketing research: an example

In order to work successfully and withstand competition, any enterprise must conduct market analysis. It is important that not only in the process of functioning, but also before starting a business, it is necessary to conduct a marketing research. An example is the opening of a pizzeria.

Let's say you decide to start your own business. First, you must decide on the objectives of the study. This may be the study and analysis of the competitive environment. Further, the goals should be detailed, during which a number of tasks are defined (for example, data collection and analysis, selection, etc.). It should be noted that at the initial stage, the study can be exclusively descriptive. But, if you deem it appropriate, additional economic calculations can be made.

Now you must put forward a hypothesis, which will be confirmed or refuted during the analysis of primary and secondary information. For example, do you think that in your locality this institution will be very popular, as the rest have already become obsolete. The wording can be any, based on the current situation, but it should describe all the factors (both external and internal) that will attract people to your pizzeria.

The research plan will look like this:

• definition of a problem situation (in this case, it consists in the fact that there is some uncertainty in terms of the advisability of opening a pizzeria);
• further, the researcher must clearly identify target audience, which will consist of potential customers of the institution;
• one of the most popular marketing research methods is a survey, and therefore it is necessary to create a sample that will clearly reflect the target audience;
• conducting additional mathematical research, which includes comparing the costs of starting a business with income determined on the basis of a preliminary survey.

The results of the marketing research should be a clear answer to the question of whether it is worth opening a new pizzeria in this locality. If it was not possible to achieve an unambiguous judgment, it is worth resorting to the use of other well-known methods of information analysis.

conclusions

Marketing research is a comprehensive study of the market situation in order to determine the feasibility of making a particular decision or to adjust your work according to the current situation. During this process, it is necessary to collect and analyze information, and then draw certain conclusions.

The subjects of marketing research can be very different. This is directly a product or service, and the market, and the consumer sector, and the competitive situation, and other factors. Also, several issues may be raised within a single analysis.

When starting a market research, you need to clearly articulate the problem that should be solved as a result of it. Next, an action plan is drawn up with an approximate indication of the time frame allotted for its implementation. After the document is approved, you can start collecting and analyzing information. Based on the results of the activities carried out, reporting documentation is submitted to the top management.

The main point of the study is the collection and analysis of information. Experts recommend starting work by studying the data available in secondary sources. Only in the event that any facts will be missing, it is advisable to carry out work on their independent search. This will provide significant time and cost savings.