Many Ukrainian businessmen older generation to the question,
"cause if you do market research?" - vaguely shifted his shoulders,
and in the best case, will say that there is somewhere with this name
department attached, it seems, to the advertising. Someone once said that a
vast experience allows to evaluate the market and conduct business, as they
say, to the eye, and this method it has never failed. However, the further
"deep into" emerging market economies, the clearer it becomes that
market research - not a fad, but a real necessity. That business thrived, the
new product has taken root in the market, for this is the beginning of the
market need to thoroughly study and analyze, which will greatly reduce the risk
when making important decisions, effectively spreading potential of the
company. This is especially true of the situation, when a new segment of the
market has not yet formed, or not yet, "debugged" new business.
However, those who are going to open a business, should also pay sufficient
attention to market research, which can help determine whether a particular
product a chance to "survive" in the market competitiveness of the
company, potential customers and so on. D.
Methods and marketing research areas are numerous. In this
article, we are unable to describe everything, so limit ourselves to the basic
concepts. You can also hire an experienced marketer for the job.
Why do we need market research?
Marketing research for any enterprise - an important element
of a successful development strategy in a market economy, they can decide (as a
package, or separately) the following tasks:
Determining the size of the market
Market research will help to objectively evaluate the size
of the market situation at the moment, to see real opportunities for further
business development, to determine its potential as compared to the
competitors, to make the sale of the program, select New, effective lines of
business.
By the way, inexperienced entrepreneurs often confuse the
terms "size" and "capacity" of the market, although this is
not the same thing. Capacity - is the maximum amount of all sales, which can
achieve now existing company in a certain territory and for a certain period.
Of course, it is impossible to get all the potential consumers to buy a
particular product, so the concept of "market capacity" is
theoretical and is used only to give an idea of the range of its saturation.
Market size - this is a real product for sale on the market in a certain
period. Experts say: to determine the market size is useful when:
expansion of sales
border,
improvement of a
known product,
starting a new
project.
Determination of market share
Market
share - the ratio between the volume of sales of the product or services of the
company and the volume of sales of products produced in this product category
all the companies operating in a particular market. Determine market share - is
to find a digital value, for a place can claim company or firm. Sometimes
markets are classified according to the shares, occupy the particular goods or
services (eg a monopoly - a company with a market share of more than 25%).
The task of
any marketing strategy - increasing market share. The larger it is, the
more successful the business, less the costs below the cost of production. In
this case the company gets more opportunities, for example to charge higher
prices for high-end products, to dictate their terms to distributors, etc. A
study of the company's market share should be carried out in dynamics for
several periods and always in comparison to other competitors. The analysis
draws conclusions on the situation of the company, its competitiveness trends,
as well as being investigated and studied the causes of changes in market
share.
analysis of demand
Marketing research in this direction will help to find out
how consumers are loyal to a given group of products, as well as the market
requires such products. In other words, whether or not cost-effective to
promote it on the market. Find out who (what category of people - middle, high
or low income) to buy a certain product, you can set competitive prices for the
products, change them in accordance with the requirements and capabilities of
potential buyers, as well as to find a more effective advertising strategy.
analysis of the proposal
Feature of any market lies in the fact that on the same
"territory" can be operated company producing identical products or
services. A comprehensive analysis of proposals (knowledge of the products and
the marketing competition policy) orient you in the market. In other words, you
can determine their individual pricing policy, product promotion that will
provide you the victory in the tough competition.
Analysis of possible distribution channels
He will identify the most effective ones and form the
finished chain optimal product movement from producer to consumer.
Of course, this is an incomplete list of marketing
"opportunities", but we called the main.
Who owns the information he owns the world .... To date,
this saying is very important. Especially for marketing research (and
subsequent analysis of the data), which is impossible to carry out effectively
without the originally accurate information about the Company. Data collection
- the work is not the most difficult, but it is allowed a number of errors, which
then have a negative impact on the entire course of the study. The first of
them - the collection of the "wrong", that is, or is not reflecting
the essence of the matter, or is unsuitable for this type of research
information. Second, data is collected suboptimal way.
To carry out basic marketing analysis of a company should be
"get" data:
the volume of sales
in physical and monetary terms (by time, assortment groups, customers,
vendors);
sale of related goods
and services;
customer base;
Information about the
marketer;
Information about
each of the major competitors;
sales promotion
(advertising budgets and promotions, participation in exhibitions and so on.
n.).
We stress: for successful product promotion, opening a new
business or line of business is very important the accuracy of the information,
otherwise significant distortion of the output data can occur. Equally
important is the efficiency of the collection of information: the competitors
are not asleep after all!
After you have collected all the necessary information, a
qualified specialist will be able to easily carry out a market analysis in key
areas.
Marketing strategy.
One of the main tasks of marketing research - to calculate
the further development options of the company or promoting a certain product.
That is what determines the company's marketing strategy. The main foundation
of it - the results of the preliminary analysis of marketing data. It gives an
idea of the situation with the sale of goods, profits, customers, buyers
needs.
Taking into account the real picture of the state of
enterprise marketing strategy is developed. In its "package" usually
includes the company's long-term plans, the analysis of market structure,
pricing principles and competitive advantages, the choice of effective
positioning in the market.
Development of marketing strategy comprises the following
steps: analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise; analysis of
market opportunities; competitor analysis; study of the relationship with
customers and partners; analysis of the influence of the external environment;
marketing audit of the internal environment; determining ways to improve the
old and new product development.