Market analysis of goods and services. Market analysis before opening a small business

Research of a product (product or type of service)

With the help of product analysis activities, the market needs for new types of products and services or parameters (technical and functional) that need to be changed in products and services already on the market are determined, product features are identified that best meet the needs and demands of consumers. Product analysis, on the one hand, shows the management of the enterprise what the consumer wants to have, what parameters of the product he most appreciates; on the other hand, how to provide potential end users with new products or what parameters should be focused on when refining the product, when promoting it on the market, what new opportunities for the consumer open up new products or changes in existing ones.

Product analysis is carried out by comparing the parameters of the product manufactured by your enterprise with the characteristics of the products sold by the main competitors. For a marketing-oriented company, the main thing in researching a product is to identify its comparative competitive advantages, to get a clear answer to the question: why would potential consumers prefer your products or services to competitors' products and who are these potential consumers? The results of product analysis make it possible to determine those sales regions where a given enterprise or firm has a comparative advantage in relation to the most likely competitors. Product research is also necessary in planning and marketing.

You always need to follow the rule: in all cases, the product must go where the consumer is most waiting for it and therefore, most likely, will buy it. In marketing, this process is called product positioning in the market.

Calculation of the potential capacity of the sales market

Potential market capacity is the total number of orders (products, services, their conditional sets) that you and your competitors can receive from consumers in a given region (city, region, country as a whole) during a certain period (usually a year). The formula for calculating the potential market capacity on an annualized basis is as follows. Potential market capacity is calculated for a single product for a single sales region. The market capacity is initially calculated in physical terms (the number of products sold during a certain period of time - year, quarter, month). An assessment of the potential market capacity in value terms is no less important for an enterprise, especially when analyzing the dynamics of the market capacity. Here, the management of an enterprise or firm will have to find out: what are the prospects for working in this regional sales market; Is there a growing demand for your company's products or is the demand declining and it's time to think about re-profiling production.

When calculating the potential market capacity, it is of great importance to determine the factors of influence that can contribute to both an increase in market capacity and its decrease. These factors are changes in consumer income levels.

Market segmentation and definition of market niches

It is certainly one of the most important elements of marketing. At the same time, market segmentation is perhaps the most mysterious, incomprehensible and useless element. Why it is necessary to single out market segments is not always clear. More understandable is such an element of marketing as the search for a niche market - its own special place under the market "sun".

A market segment is a group of consumers that has strictly defined common stable features (one feature) that determine their behavior in the market. Accordingly, the meaning and purpose of market segmentation is to find the group (several groups) of consumers who are most likely to purchase this product.

Segmentation allows:

Clarify (correct) the potential market capacity, facilitate the preparation of a sales forecast;
determine the profile of the most likely consumer of this product, show the features of the consumer profile in various market segments, understand which of the consumer characteristics are stable and therefore more significant for predicting the needs and demands of consumers;
identify how to change the parameters of the product (price, design, packaging, delivery, design, etc.) when it is sold in various market segments;
find out what changes need to be made in advertising, building a sales network, in the company's marketing strategy when working with different consumer groups.

Segmentation of any market can be carried out by various methods, according to a variety of features, taking into account many factors.

Marketing analysis market consumer

A sign of segmentation is a criterion and a system of indicators that unites certain consumers into a stable group. Consumers can be grouped by geographic and demographic characteristics, by income and social activity, by race, and even by common historical fate - in fact, on any possible basis.

For the enterprise, when selling products, it matters which of the signs of the grouping of consumers play the main role today or will play tomorrow. Based on them, it is possible to determine the target market segment - the most important or promising for a particular enterprise (firm), corresponding to its specifics. The right choice of the target segment, i.e. the group of consumers where; the most likely consumers of a given product are concentrated, is a characteristic feature of a marketing-oriented campaign.

At the same time, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between a market segment and a market niche, not to confuse these concepts in methodological and practical terms. A market niche is also a group of consumers, but with some differences. Firstly, it is small in number, and secondly, consumers here have several features, each of which can be characteristic of different segments of the same market or different markets and industries.

Thirdly, a feature of a market niche is a significant weakening or complete absence of competition in it. In connection with these features, the process of finding a market niche, in the figurative expression of one entrepreneur, is similar to a surgical operation on the brain, i.e. requires maximum precision.

Consumer research and consumer profile analysis

With the help of this element, the following are determined: the circle of potential consumers of the product, the structure of consumer preferences in the market of this enterprise. In this case, the company's management will have to get answers to many questions.

The answers to these questions make it possible, first of all, to identify the most vulnerable places, both in the product itself and in the way it is sold, in the economic strategy of an enterprise or firm as a whole, and also to determine the profile (portrait) of a potential consumer.

Within the framework of such an analysis, not only tastes and habits, customs and inclinations are studied, but also the reasons for the behavior of certain groups of consumers are revealed, which makes it possible to predict the structure of their preferences for the future consumer behavior, their conscious and subconscious reactions to a specific product and its accompanying advertising, to a specific market situation. This toolkit includes: testing, questionnaires, surveys to find out the opinion of consumers about the changes made in products or forms of service, constantly monitor the "feedback" between efforts to release and promote products on the market and the reaction to them from consumers. The organization of feedback from consumers and the constant improvement on this basis of the product and its production technology is one of the features of a marketing-oriented company.

Analysis of forms and channels of product distribution

The study of marketing activities is the determination of the most optimal combination of methods and forms of sale of products and services, their comparative effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses, binding to a market segment or sales region. As part of this analysis, the methods used to get the product to the market and the activities of organizations that directly sell products and services on the market are studied. The analysis covers the study of the functions and characteristics of the activities of various types of wholesale and retail enterprises, the identification of their strengths and weaknesses, the nature of the existing relationship with manufacturers.

Thus, it is determined:

How best and more efficiently to sell the products of this enterprise in a particular market;
who can become a reseller (independent trading company or own sales division of the enterprise).

At the same time, it is important to compare all types of costs for the sale of products, consider options for selling through intermediaries and by forming our own distribution network, determine the share of sales costs in the final price of the product, etc.

This element of marketing is aimed at analyzing the effectiveness of various forms and methods of advertising and promoting a product on the market, including sales promotion, personal sales, and the formation of the image of an enterprise or company.

In order to conquer the market, or at least start selling its products, an enterprise needs advertising, which is necessary to collect applications for products, find and inform consumers, and create an attractive image of the enterprise. Advertising research, in particular, includes: selection of the most appropriate forms and methods of advertising; preliminary, testing of advertising media; ongoing testing of means and methods of advertising; determination of the most preferable sequence of application of various means of advertising; assessment of the duration of exposure to advertising on consumers. The value of advertising and the effectiveness of an advertising campaign are determined by the final indicators of the economic activity of the enterprise, primarily the increase in sales, although some types of advertising are designed for a long-term effect and cannot be assessed by quantitative indicators.

Formation of pricing strategy and determination of pricing policy

It is one of the most important success factors in the competition. As part of developing the right pricing policy, it is necessary to determine not only the right pricing strategy, a system of attractive discounts for consumers, etc., but also a price range to maximize profits and optimize sales.

Analysis of competitors and the degree of competition

Competitor analysis is one of the most important elements of modern marketing. Its results allow not only to develop the correct business strategy, the company's market policy, but also to clearly identify what is done wrong in the product, distribution network, advertising and other components of the company's marketing work.

When studying competitors, first of all, it is necessary to establish the main competitors of the enterprise in the market (direct and indirect), to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This is of particular importance when an enterprise enters the market with a new product, develops a new area of ​​economic activity, tries to penetrate into a new sales market. In order to identify the comparative advantages of competitors and evaluate your own, it is not enough just to analyze the products of competitors. It is necessary to obtain information about other aspects of their activities: pricing policy and financial position, goals in a particular market, production and management features.

The management of the enterprise needs to know: the ratio of prices for their products and products of competitors; the level of advertising costs and features of the advertising strategy of competitors; in what it is specifically expressed; what distribution channels competitors rely on when selling products; who is used as a sales intermediary; in what areas of economic activity they plan to infiltrate in the future; what types of perks the competitor is offering to consumers; regular customers, etc.

In modern conditions, when, along with direct competition, the specialization of enterprises and firms is increasingly developing, and consumer demand, the needs and demands of consumers are becoming highly individualized; it is important to learn how to find any ways for cooperation, cooperation (primarily in production and technology) with possible competitors in order to avoid a price war, in which there will most likely be no winners. This is contrary to the traditional division of the market, the struggle of companies for an increase in a controlled share of the sales market. Of course, price competition still remains here (in some market segments, when analogous products are released, it even intensifies), but it is not decisive for long-term competitive success. The formation of various kinds of alliances between enterprises - potential competitors (strategic alliances, joint ventures) allows them not only to more effectively meet consumer demand, but also to further expand the market capacity.

Making a sales forecast

The basis of intra-company planning in market conditions is the preparation of a sales forecast.

This is where planning begins. Not from the rate of return or return on invested capital, but from the sales forecast, i.e. from the probable volume of sales (implementation) of a particular type of product or service (for all departments of an enterprise or company). For this, the calculation of the market capacity, and its segmentation, and analysis of competitors, and other Actions in the field of market research are carried out. Therefore, the first task of the management of an enterprise or firm is to determine what and in what quantities can be sold on the market. Only then can you start developing a production program.

With the help of sales forecasts, production and financial activities are planned, decisions are made about where and in what volumes to direct investments, what new production capacities the enterprise will need or after what period of time, what new sources of supply should be found, what design developments or technical innovations should be launched in production, how to change the range of products and services in order to increase the overall profitability of an enterprise or firm, etc.

At the same time, a sales forecast is still a forecast. Here the role of uncontrolled, random or unaccounted for factors, their impact on the financial position of enterprises in any industry is quite large. Therefore, such a forecast should be multi-variant, multi-stage and comprehensively justified.

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Everyone who takes part in economic interaction necessarily functions in some market. The concept of the market is very significant, including in the field of marketing. Often the level of marketing firm does not meet generally accepted requirements. This is usually what causes low sales. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct analytical work and explore the marketing market.

Marketing market and its types

marketing market- this is the total number of all buyers of products (both existing and potential). These subjects have common needs or requests that can be satisfied through the exchange. Therefore, the size of the market is determined by the number of buyers who need any product. They have resources to exchange, as well as the desire to give these resources for the goods in which they feel the need.

The market in marketing must be clear. It is characterized by specific indicators:

Customer needs that provoke corresponding demand;

• Geographical position.

In accordance with the needs that generated the demand for specific products, one can name main market types.

The market of producers (or the market of industrial products) is formed by companies and firms that buy goods / services for their future use in the production process.

The consumer marketing market (or consumer goods market) is made up of individuals who buy goods/services for personal use.

The market for public institutions is represented by state-owned companies that buy goods/services to carry out their work.

Intermediary marketing market - these are legal entities and individuals who need goods / services for future resale in order to make a profit.

The international market includes all buyers of products that are located abroad (these will include manufacturers, individuals, intermediaries and government organizations).

If we take the market as a combination of buyers with a related geographical location, then we can name the following types of marketing markets:

Regional - covers the entire territory of a particular country;

Local - covers one or more areas of the state;

World - includes all countries of the world.

An essential parameter in the characteristics of the marketing market is the combination of supply and demand for specific products. In this case, we can distinguish between a "buyer's market" and a "seller's market".

In the seller's market, the leading figure is, respectively, the seller. This works when the existing demand overlaps the supply. In this scenario, the seller does not need to spend money on marketing. In any case, his goods will be purchased. By organizing marketing research, the seller will only waste money.

In a buyer's market, the buyer sets the tone. This alignment encourages the seller to expend additional forces to sell their products. This is one of the factors that encourage the use of marketing research on the market for services and goods. Rather, it is only in such a situation that we can talk about the implementation of the idea of ​​marketing.

Why does a company need market analysis?

Marketing analysis is an essential moment in the work of a marketing manager. A detailed analysis makes it possible to quickly find unoccupied market niches, choose the most suitable target market, and better understand consumer needs.

Before starting the analysis, it is necessary to specify the objectives of the market research. The following elements need to be clarified:

Company's products: analysis of market development and share of the company's products in the segment;

Market structure: analysis of the conjuncture and marketing capacity of the market, assessment of market trends;

Consumer: analysis of demand, basic needs in the market, close marketing study of the behavior and expectations of the target audience;

Target segment: analysis of the prospects of market segments for choosing a field of activity;

Free niches: marketing analysis of market segments to identify free market niches and new sources of sales;

Rivals: analysis of the activities of rivals to identify the competitive superiority of products and search for weaknesses in the company;

Prices: Marketing analysis of competitors' price positions as well as the current price structure in the industry.

Clarity in this regard will make it possible to avoid working on unnecessary information. A clear goal will help to correctly develop an analytical plan, to adopt the most productive method of market research. Marketing assessment of the market will allow you to use only the necessary tools for studying, which will reduce the cost of searching and processing information.

After that, you need to correctly build a marketing analytical plan. It looks like a series of thematically grouped questions.

The enlarged stages of marketing research of the firm's market are as follows.

Market research, its segmentation and identification of the most significant segments.

Marketing research of volume, dynamics and potential of market development.

Study of prices and general economic analysis of the market.

Competitive analysis.

The study of the structure of distribution or distribution of goods in the market.

Identification of key market and consumer trends.

Study of demand, main needs and nuances of consumer behavior.

This list of questions acts as a universal scheme for organizing marketing research of the market. You don't need to do detailed analysis often. He has a fundamental nature. Such an analysis will provide the necessary information for two to three years of work.

How is a marketing analysis of the market carried out at the enterprise: the main stages

Stage 1. Determine the purpose of the market analysis

Before analytical work, it is necessary to outline the goals of market research. What should be considered:

company's products;

market structure;

Consumer;

target segment;

Free niches;

Competitors;

Specification will weed out unnecessary information and help build the right marketing analytical plan.

Stage 2. Product or service research

Through the procedures associated with the marketing research of products, market needs for new types of goods / services are identified. It also clarifies the characteristics (functional and technical) that should be modified in products already on the market. In the course of marketing research, the parameters of products that best meet the needs and desires of customers are determined. Such analytical work, on the one hand, demonstrates to the company's management what the buyer wants to receive, what properties of the product are significant for him. On the other hand, in the course of marketing analysis, you can understand exactly how to present new products to potential customers. Perhaps it makes sense to focus on individual characteristics when improving the product and promoting it on the market. Marketing research of the market of products and services provides information about what new prospects for the buyer provide new products or changes in existing ones.

Product analysis consists in comparing the characteristics of the products supplied by the firm with the parameters of competing products. For a marketing-oriented organization, the key to learning about a product is determining its comparative competitive advantage. It is necessary to get a clear answer to the questions: for what reason will potential customers choose the company's products, and not competitors' products? Who are these potential buyers? The results of marketing analytical work make it possible to identify those sales regions where the company has a comparative advantage in relation to rivals. The study of products is also necessary in the design and organization of sales.

When marketing an analysis of the market for goods, it is always necessary to follow the rule: the product must be where the buyer expects it most - and for this reason, most likely, he will buy it. This process is called product positioning in the market.

Stage 3. Determining the market capacity

Potential market capacity is the total number of orders that a company and its competitors can expect from customers in a particular region during a specified period of time (usually a year is taken). The capacity of the marketing research market is calculated for a separate product for a specific sales region. First of all, it is calculated in physical terms (the number of goods sold for a specific period - quarter, month, year). The marketing assessment of the potential market capacity in terms of value is also essential for the company. This is especially important when studying the dynamics of market capacity. In this case, the management of the company will need to determine:

Is there an increase in demand for the company's products? Or the demand is falling - and you need to think about re-profiling activities;

What are the prospects for activities in this regional sales market.

In a marketing study of the potential market capacity, it is important to identify the factors of influence that can provoke both a decrease in capacity and its increase. These factors are fluctuations in the amount of consumer income.

Stage 4. Carrying out market segmentation

This is, without a doubt, one of the most significant components of market research.

A market segment is a group of consumers that has strictly defined common stable characteristics or one quality that determines their behavior in the market. Thus, the essence and purpose of marketing market segmentation is the search for that group (or a number of groups) of consumers who, with the maximum probability, will buy a particular product.

Marketing segmentation of the market makes it possible to:

Find out the specifics of the most possible buyer of this product; demonstrate the nuances of consumer qualities in different market segments; determine which of the properties of the consumer group are sustainable and therefore more significant for designing the needs and desires of consumers;

Clarify (correct) the possible market capacity, simplify sales forecasting;

Understand how to change the properties of the product (device, cost, delivery, appearance, packaging, etc.) when selling in different market segments.

A sign of segmentation is a sign and a system of characteristics that unite any buyers into a stable group. They can be selected by income and social activity, by demographic and geographical characteristics, by nationality, and even by a common historical path. In general, the unifying criterion can be anything.

For the company, in sales, it is important which of the properties of the consumer group are in first place at the moment or will be there in the near future. Based on these properties, it is possible to establish the target market segment - the most significant or promising for the company, the one that meets its specifics. The correct choice of the target segment (that consumer group in which the most likely buyers of a particular product are collected) is a characteristic feature of a marketing-oriented company.

An analysis of the marketing research market shows that it is necessary to clearly understand the difference between a market segment and its niche. These terms should not be confused in practical and methodological terms. A market niche is also a consumer group, but it has a number of differences. First, it is small in terms of numbers. Secondly, niche consumers have several characteristics, each of which can be characteristic of different segments of the same market or different markets and industries. Thirdly, a distinctive feature of a market niche is a significant weakening or complete absence of rivalry in it. Based on these nuances, the process of finding a market niche, as one businessman said, is similar to a neurosurgical operation, since it involves the maximum accuracy of actions.

Stage 5. Study and analysis of the consumer

At this stage, it turns out: who is the potential consumer of the product, what is the structure of the wishes of buyers in the market of a particular company. Here, the management of the company will need to answer many questions.

Work in this direction will help to identify the most vulnerable places in the first place. This applies both to the product and to the variant of its implementation, to the economic tactics of the company as a whole. At this stage, the profile (portrait) of a potential buyer is specified.

In the course of such analytical work, not only the inclinations and customs, habits and preferences of the consumer are considered. It also clarifies the reasons for the behavior of specific consumer groups. This makes it possible to predict the future structure of their interests. At the moment, a serious arsenal of tools is used for marketing research of the behavior of buyers, their subconscious and conscious reactions to certain products and the advertising that accompanies them, to the current state of affairs in the market. Study methods include: questionnaires, surveys, testing. All of them provide an opportunity to find out the opinion of consumers of goods about the changes made to the product or service. With the help of these tools, you can monitor the consumer reaction to the efforts to release and market the product on the market on an ongoing basis. Building customer feedback and continuous improvement based on feedback from products and manufacturing techniques is one of the characteristics of a marketing-oriented firm.

Step 6. Research marketing methods

Marketing research of the sales market includes the search for the most effective combination of methods and forms of sale of goods / services, their strengths and weaknesses, belonging to a market segment or sales region. It examines the means needed to bring the product to the market. The work of companies directly selling goods/services on the market is being studied. Marketing analytical work involves consideration of the functions and features of the activities of different types of companies that are engaged in wholesale and retail trade. Their strengths and weaknesses are determined, the nature of the established relations with manufacturers is studied.

As a result, it is specified:

Who can act as an intermediary (an autonomous trading company or the company's own sales department);

To sell the company's products in a particular market as correctly as possible, with greater benefit.

Along with this, it is necessary to calculate all types of expenses for the sale of goods. It is necessary to think over the ways of implementation with the help of intermediaries and through the organization of your own sales network. It is also required to clarify the percentage of sales costs in the final cost of the goods, etc.

This component of the marketing research of the enterprise market is responsible for analyzing the effectiveness of different types and methods of advertising and promoting the product on the market. It also includes personal selling, company image building, and sales promotion.

In order to master the market, or at least start selling their products, a company needs advertising. It is required to search for and inform customers, form an attractive company image, and collect orders.

Selection of the most suitable types and means of advertising;

Finding out the most preferable sequence of using different advertising media;

The importance of advertising and the effectiveness of an advertising campaign are evaluated by the final indicators of the company's economic activity. First of all, this can be seen in the increase in sales volumes. At the same time, certain types of advertising are aimed at the long term. They cannot be quantified.

Stage 8. Develop a pricing strategy

Pricing is one of the key factors for successful competition in the market. In the course of working on the correct pricing policy, it will be necessary to think over not only the correct pricing strategy and the scheme of attractive discounts for customers. It is also required to determine the price range to increase profits and optimize sales volume.

Stage 9. Research of the level of competition

The study of rivals is one of the key components of marketing at the moment. Its results provide an opportunity not only to develop the right economic strategy and market policy of the company. It immediately becomes clear what is done improperly in the goods, sales network, advertising and other elements of the firm's marketing activities.

During the study of rivals, first of all, it will be necessary to identify the main competitors of the company in the market (direct and indirect), to find their strengths and weaknesses. This is especially important when a company enters the market with a new product, develops an unknown area of ​​economic activity, tries to penetrate a new market. To determine the comparative advantages of rivals and evaluate your own resources, it is not enough just to study the products of competitors. You need to get information about other aspects of their work: goals in a particular market, the nuances of production and management, pricing policy and financial situation.

Company leaders need to know:

What exactly does it consist of;

The ratio of the cost of your product and the products of rivals;

What sales channels do competitors rely on when selling goods;

What branches of economic activity do rivals want to penetrate in the future;

What types of privileges do competitors offer to customers and regular customers;

Who do they use as intermediaries in the sale of goods, etc.

At the moment, along with direct competition, the specialization of companies is increasingly deepening. Consumer demand, desires and needs of people are increasingly individualized. In this regard, it is necessary to learn to discover any ways for joint work and alliance (primarily in production and technology) with potential rivals. This is necessary in order to protect yourself from a price war in which no one is likely to win. This goes against the usual division of the market, with the struggle of enterprises to increase the territory in the sales market. Of course, price competition in any case remains (in certain segments of the market, in the production of similar goods, it even increases). However, it does not play a major role in the long-term victory in the competition. The formation of various alliances between companies - potential rivals (joint ventures, strategic coalitions) gives them the opportunity not only to more effectively respond to consumer demand, but also to further increase the market capacity.

Stage 10. Sales forecasting

The basis of planning in a company under market conditions is the development of a sales forecast. That's where planning starts. Not from the rate of return or return on invested capital, but from the sales forecast. This refers to the potential sales volume of a certain type of goods / services for all branches of the company. The primary goal of marketing analysis of the market is to find out what and in what quantities can be sold. Only then can you begin to build a production plan.

With the help of sales forecasts, financial and production work is planned. Decisions are made about where and how much to invest. What (or after what time) the company will need new production resources. It becomes clear what new supply channels need to be found. What design solutions or technical innovations to send to production. Marketing work in this direction allows you to understand how to change the range of goods / services in order to increase the overall profitability of the company, etc.

However, a sales forecast is primarily a forecast. In this case, the influence of uncontrollable, sudden or unforeseen factors is great, their impact on the state of affairs of a company of any type. In this regard, such a forecast must be multicomponent, justified and multivariate to the maximum.

What methods are used for marketing analysis of the market

There are many ways to study the market. All of them are used in specific situations, to solve specific marketing tasks. Methods of collecting information in the implementation of marketing research can be divided into two groups: qualitative and quantitative.

Quantitative market analysis is most often associated with the organization of various surveys. They are based on the use of structured closed-ended questions. The answers are given by a large number of respondents. Distinctive features of such marketing research are: the analysis of the information obtained is carried out in the course of ordered procedures (quantitative in nature predominates), the format of the information collected and the sources of their receipt are strictly defined.

Qualitative marketing analysis of the market consists of collecting, studying and interpreting information by observing how people behave and what they say. Monitoring and its outputs are of a qualitative nature and are carried out outside the standards.

The selection of the study method depends on financial and time resources. The main methods of market research are as follows.

Focus groups. Round table or discussion, where there is a conversation on a specific topic. The target consumer group takes part. At this event, there is a moderator who leads the conversation on a specific list of issues. This is a qualitative method of market research and is useful for understanding the causes of behavior. Focus groups help formulate hypotheses, explore the hidden motives of customers.

Polls. They imply a survey of the target market using a strict questionnaire. Sizes are both small and large. In a marketing survey, sampling is very important. The larger it is, the clearer and more valid the result will be. This is a quantitative marketing method. It is used when you need to get specific indicators on certain issues.

observation. Monitoring the behavior of a representative of the target audience in a normal environment (for example, video filming in a store). Refers to quality marketing research methods.

Experiments or field studies. Refers to quantitative marketing methods. They provide an opportunity to test any assumptions and alternatives in real life.

In depth interviews. Conversation with one representative of the target audience on a specific list of open questions. They provide an opportunity to understand the topic in detail and form hypotheses. Relate to quality marketing methods.

You can name, among other things, a group of analytical and prognostic methods. To conduct market research, apply:

The theory of probability;

Linear planning;

Network planning;

Methods of business games;

Economic and mathematical modeling;

Methods of expert evaluation;

Economic and statistical methods.

And yet, it is not often that the firm has sufficient funds to carry out a systematic marketing study of the industry market (starting with the development of hypotheses in focus groups, conversations and ending with a large-scale survey to obtain accurate information).

Often, a marketing manager needs to make a personal effort to collect the information about the market that will be useful for developing a marketing strategy for the firm.

Ways to find marketing information about the market

Social networks and forums. It is worth taking advantage of the network. There you can find out the opinion of buyers in social networks, on forums. Skype and email will also help. All of these channels will reduce the cost of market research.

Personal conversations. Conduct the interview yourself (5-10 conversations). Engage brand advocates, consumers and non-consumers of the market. Talk to those who make the decision and control the purchase, as well as those who use the purchased products. Such conversations will take less than a week, but they will provide a lot of useful information.

Organization employees. Ask your questions to the staff of the firm to get their opinion. Pay special attention to the sales department. If you are participating in market research as an independent party, talk to the management of the enterprises.

Internet resources. Explore information posted on the Web on a given topic. Do not pass by information about adjacent markets.

Own experience. Try to buy your products and record the impressions.

Own observation. Take a look at the behavior of people at points of sale for yourself: how they choose certain products.

Stay realistic. Enter into the marketing analysis of the market only the information that can really be collected and processed. Remember that it is not worth analyzing for the sake of the process of analysis itself. Only those results that will be useful in developing the company's marketing strategy matter.

The marketing environment of the market: why it is important to analyze it

The analysis of the marketing environment deserves maximum interest in the implementation of marketing research. It is updated all the time - either due to threats, or due to opening horizons. It is extremely important for any company to monitor such changes and adapt to them in time. The marketing environment is a combination of active actors and processes that operate outside the company and influence the prospects for its successful cooperation with the target audience. In other words, the marketing environment is the factors and forces that determine a company's ability to establish and maintain beneficial relationships with customers. These moments are not all and not always subject to direct management by the company. In this regard, they separate the external and internal marketing environments.

The external environment of the company is most often divided into macro- and microenvironment.

macro environment covers the entire state of affairs in the business space of the city (region, state). Its distinctive features have an impact on the work of all economic entities, regardless of the form of ownership and product differences. This influence will extend to a major food manufacturer, a five-star hotel, and a private beauty salon.

The external marketing environment is characterized by great mobility, so it is most often not subject to active influence from any company.

Microenvironment represented by the properties of a single market taken and the state of affairs in it. This market is of particular interest to the company. Let's say it can be a market for hotel services or a market for cotton fabrics.

The microenvironment includes forces that can influence a company's ability to serve customers:

Marketing intermediaries;

The company itself;

Buyers;

Competitors;

Suppliers;

General public.

Internal marketing environment consists of such components as:

Organizational and managerial resources of the company;

Human resources of the company;

The production potential of the company;

Design and engineering resources of the company;

Material and financial capabilities of the company;

Sales potential of the company.

The functioning of any organization in the market depends on the factors affecting it in the course of performing any actions. These elements form opportunities or threats for the organization, which, respectively, help or hinder the implementation of various actions and the achievement of tasks.

Knowledge of the properties and power of these factors makes it possible to develop such guiding decisions in the field of marketing that will help protect the company from threats and maximize the opportunities that have appeared for the benefit of the company.

Market marketing strategies: types and stages of development

Marketing strategy is a component of the overall strategy of the company. Thanks to it, the main directions of the company's activity in the market in relation to rivals and buyers are formed.

The development of market marketing strategies is influenced by:

The main goals of the company;

Its current position in the market;

Available resources;

Evaluation of market prospects and expected actions of rivals.

Since the state of affairs in the market is constantly changing, the marketing strategy is also characterized by mobility and flexibility. It can be adjusted all the time. There is no one size fits all marketing strategy. To raise sales of a particular company or promote any type of product, you need your own development of lines of business.

Marketing strategies are most often divided into specific strategies.

integrated growth. Its goal is to increase the structure of the company through "vertical development" - the launch of the production of new products.

concentrated growth. It implies a change in the product sales market or its modernization. Often, such marketing strategies are aimed at fighting rivals to gain a larger market share (“horizontal development”), finding markets for existing products, and improving products. As part of the implementation of these types of strategies, the company's regional divisions, dealers and suppliers are monitored. In addition, there is an impact on the final consumers of goods.

Abbreviations. The goal is to increase the efficiency of the company after a long development. In this case, both the reorganization of the company (for example, the reduction of any departments) and its liquidation (for example, a smooth curtailment of activities to zero while obtaining the maximum available profit) can be carried out.

diversified growth. It is used if the company does not have the opportunity to grow in the current market conditions with a specific type of product. The firm can concentrate on the release of a new product, but at the expense of available resources. In this case, the product may not be significantly different from the existing one or be completely new.

In addition, the company's marketing strategy can be directed both to the entire market and to its individual target segments. Main strategies for individual segments:

Differentiated marketing strategy. Here the goal is to cover as many market segments as possible with the release of products specially designed for this purpose (appearance, improved quality, etc.);

Concentrated marketing strategy. The forces and resources of the company are concentrated on one market segment. Products are offered to a specific target audience. The emphasis is on the originality of any goods. This marketing option is most suitable for companies with limited resources;

Mass (or undifferentiated) marketing strategy. Aimed at the market as a whole, without any differences in consumer demand. The competitive advantage of goods consists mainly in reducing the cost of their production.

Common mistakes businesses make

Mistake #1. The firm thinks little about the market and is weakly focused on the client.

Market segments are not prioritized.

The segments themselves are not clearly defined.

A large number of employees of the company are of the opinion that customer service is the responsibility of marketing departments, therefore, they do not strive to treat consumers better.

There are no managers who are responsible for specific market segments.

Mistake #2. The firm does not fully understand its target customers.

Sales of products do not reach the expected level; rivals' goods are bought better.

Product returns and customer complaints are exorbitant.

The last marketing study of the consumer audience was conducted more than two years ago.

Mistake #3. The firm does not effectively detect its rivals and monitors their activities poorly.

There is no system for collecting and disseminating information about rivals.

The firm is too focused on its closest competitors. There is a risk of losing sight of both distant rivals and technologies that threaten the well-being of the company.

Mistake #4. The company illiterately builds interaction with all stakeholders.

Distributors, dealers, suppliers are not the best (do not pay due attention to the company's products, poor quality supplies).

Investors remain dissatisfied (it looks like an increase in the interest rate of loans and a fall in the share price).

Dissatisfied employees (there is a high turnover of staff).

Mistake #5. The company is not looking for new development prospects.

The vast majority of projects implemented by the organization ended in failure.

Recently, the company has not been striving for new horizons (interesting offers, sales markets, etc.).

Mistake #6. The marketing planning process has significant drawbacks.

The plans are not related to the modeling of financial results, they do not work out alternative ways.

Plans do not consider the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.

There are no mandatory components in the marketing plan or there is no logic.

Mistake #7. Service strategy and product strategy require changes.

The company offers too many free services.

The organization does not have the resources for cross-selling (selling products along with additional goods / services - for example, a shirt with a tie, a car immediately with insurance, etc.).

The list of the company's products is too large, which negatively affects production costs.

Mistake #8. The firm does not make efforts to form a strong brand.

The budget section between different marketing tools practically does not change.

The procedures related to the promotion of products do not take into account the indicators of income on invested finances to the required extent (the role of investments is underestimated).

The target audience does not know the company well. People do not consider a particular brand to be the best.

Mistake #9 Illiterate organization of the activities of the marketing department hinders the productive marketing of the company.

Employees of the department do not have the skills required to work in the current conditions.

The marketing department is in a difficult relationship with other departments.

The head of the marketing department does not cope with his duties, he lacks professionalism.

Mistake #10. The company does not use to the maximum the possibilities of modern technologies.

The organization's automated sales system is noticeably outdated.

The marketing department needs to develop dashboards.

The company practically does not use the Internet in its work.

With the utmost automation of the sales system, a large number of daily marketing calculations can be carried out not by the employees of the company, but by software. This option makes it possible to optimize these solutions and helps to save a lot of working time.

Attention!

VVS provides exclusively analytical services and does not advise on theoretical issues of the foundations of marketing(capacity calculation, pricing methods, etc.)

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Hello! In this article we will talk about such an important component of the marketing activities of an enterprise as 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 outlet 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. At 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 the social policy of the state affect your business?
• How does government regulation affect 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 the natural resources your business uses)
• 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;
• Strengths and weaknesses of 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.

Supply of auxiliary products and resources that are not related to the main production (for example, soap in the office)
Research and Development (R&D)
Organizational Structure Management
Human resource management
Incoming logistics (raw materials, materials, equipment)	Primary production	Outbound Logistics - Product Distribution System	Marketing and sales	After-sales service and maintenance

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 bring great value to your product are the most developed and have a positive impact on competitiveness - the strengths of 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.

		Strengths			Weak sides
		1	2	3	1	2
Possibilities	1
	2
	3
Threats	1
	2
	3
	4

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.

		Relative market share
		high	Low
Market Growth Rate	High	"Star"– products with high sales growth rates and a large market share. At the same time, it requires large investments, which makes the profit from the product negligible.	"A dark horse"– products with a small market share, but high sales growth rates. Strategy – investment or disposal
	Low	"Milch cow". Such products have a large market share and high profits, but have low sales growth rates. Strategy - redirect funds received from "cows" to other business units	"Dog"- products with low sales growth, small market share, low profits. The strategy is getting rid

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 determination of the stage of the life cycle of each product in the range . This analysis allows you to choose a product marketing strategy and exclude 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;
• Height. 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 activities of one of the real-life 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.

Political and legal: -1 Restriction of entry into Moscow for cars with a carrying capacity of more than 1 ton (a special pass is required); +2 The need to confirm a license for cargo transportation; +1 The need for regular technical checks of the car; -1 Difficulty in purchasing technical support due to sanctions; -2 A ban on the use of motor fuels of low environmental classes in Russia. -1	Economic: -4 The economic crisis in the country; -1 Change in oil prices; -2 The volume of industrial production, wholesale and retail trade (in the provision of cargo transportation services for legal entities). -1
Sociocultural: 0 A decrease in per capita income has a negative impact on demand; -2 The increase in the movement of the population within the country will cause an increase in demand for freight transportation services. +2	Technological: +4 The appearance of equipment that plots the route and calculates the cost of the trip; +2 Possibility of non-cash payment and ordering services via the Internet. +2

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.

2. Entry and exit barriers "+9" Initial capital for the purchase of a vehicle fleet and auxiliary equipment; +2 Obtaining permission to enter the city; +3 Obtaining a license for cargo transportation; +2 Money loss. +2	3. Substitute products "0" Railway transportation of goods. 0
1. Level of competition "0" Highly competitive market, the most dangerous competitor is Gazelkin (38%); -2 A large number of companies with a small market share; 0 The market has not reached full saturation. +2
4. User power "-4" The consumer has a fairly wide choice (high competition); -3 Consumers have their own cars, which increases the demands on the company, as in many cases it is easier for them to abandon services in favor of self-moving. -1	5.The strength of suppliers "-5" Cooperation with the only automobile plant "GAZ" may cause difficulties in the transition; -3 Agreements with filling stations hinder the transition to the use of other fuels. -2

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:

The infrastructure of the company includes a financial department, a planning department, an accounting department, a purchasing department, a logistics department (purchasing), a repair bureau
Personnel management includes the process of attracting, hiring, monitoring and motivating staff
Technological development: the use of the latest navigation systems in the work, the passage of daily technical inspection of cars
Logistic support of the main production: supply of cardboard packaging from the supplier, contract with gas stations, purchase of additional equipment from the supplier (navigation systems)
Buying cars from a dealer. Parking of cars in the company's fleet, storage of cardboard packaging in a warehouse	The main product is a freight forwarding service. The main elements of the product are: the technical component (car and complementary equipment) and contact personnel (driver, loaders)	Distribution of products occurs through telephone and Internet orders. The service is provided at the time and place specified by the customer	Promotion: paper advertising media (posters, flyers), billboards, TV advertising, radio advertising, Internet advertising	Service: additional service - movers; selection of the car of the required format

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.

Strengths: 1. High speed feeding machine 2. Large (diverse) fleet of vehicles 3. Low prices (compared to competitors) 4. Availability of additional services (loading, packaging) 5. Availability of permission to enter the city

Weak sides: 1. Old cars 2. Long wait for dispatcher response 3. Complicated online ordering process

Threats: 1. Difficulties in connection with the Federal Law "On transport and forwarding activities" 2. Economic crisis 3. Rising fuel prices 4. Lack of need for the service due to the presence of a car in almost every family

Possibilities: 1. Reducing the level of competition in connection with the release of the law "On the restriction and control of the import of goods into the city" 2. Increased demand due to rising real estate prices, increased mobility of the population, fashion for holidays in the country 3. Emergence of new technologies We build a matrix and write solutions at each intersection. In the future, from these decisions you will form an enterprise development strategy

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 the competitive advantages of 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;
• We received an information base to determine the future strategy of the organization (marketing strategy).

2.5.1. Section structure and content

Market research and analysis- one of the most important stages in the preparation of business plans, which should provide answers to the questions: who, why and in what quantities buys or will buy the company's products.

Domestic and foreign experience shows that poor knowledge of the market is one of the main reasons for the failure of many commercial projects. Among the main tasks of the enterprise, solved in this section of the business plan, is the determination of the demand and capacity of each specific market for each type of goods (services). These indicators will characterize the possible volumes of sales of goods (services). Both the success of the enterprise in the market and the time during which it can hold its positions on it will depend on how carefully the level and structure of demand, the trends in its change, are studied and determined.

Since the collection, processing and analysis of market information is a rather complicated process, it is advisable to involve specialized organizations in conducting research, which may require significant costs, which in most cases are justified.

The following areas of comprehensive market research should be reflected in the business plan:

- market type definition - when researching the market, it is necessary, first of all, to determine the type of market for each product or service. In the process of choosing a suitable market for business activities and determining the features of working in it, business planning should be based on the classification of markets. When determining the type of market, one should also characterize it, i.e. indicate the stage of market development (growth or decline trend), historical and economic reasons for the existence of the market, territorial distribution of the market (region and population concentration), market restrictions (economic, legal, etc.), etc.

- determination of the market structure - when analyzing the sales market, its structure is studied, i.e. a market segmentation operation is carried out - the division of the total population of consumers into certain groups (segments), which are characterized by common needs, requirements for the product and motives for its purchase. The success of an enterprise in the competitive struggle for the market largely depends on how reasonably the market segment is chosen. The practical use of segmentation techniques involves finding the optimal balance between the processes of standardization and product differentiation. The business plan indicates the main consumers and the principles of their segmentation, notes what attracts a typical buyer of this segment, and determines the circle of the most attractive segments.

- market assessment - the purpose of any market research is to assess the current market conditions and to develop a market development forecast. At this stage, the number of buyers in each of the selected segments is assessed and demand is measured, the market capacity and the degree of demand satisfaction are determined. Based on these data, the most profitable segments for the enterprise - target markets - are selected.

- Selection of target segments - on the basis of market situation assessment data, the most profitable segments for the enterprise are selected. A promising segment can be considered, in which there are approximately 20% of the buyers of this market, who purchase 80% of the goods offered by the enterprise. It also examines the position of the enterprise in the market. For the first year of sales, this paragraph indicates:

The main consumers of the goods, data on orders for the product, contracts, written obligations that the enterprise has;

Potential consumers who have already expressed interest in the product;

Potential consumers who have not yet expressed interest in the product; explains how the enterprise intentionally wins them over.

- market positioning - the business plan describes the actions to bring the product to the market and ensure its competitive position in the segment, i.e. on the existence of market positioning.

Market positioning can go in one of the following directions:

Filling a niche identified in the market;

Occupation of a place close to the position of one of the competitors, i.e.
competitive positioning.

- sales forecast - one of the main indicators related to the forecast of market development is the forecast of volumes by months (or by quarters), the second year - by quarters (or by half-years), subsequent years - for the whole year.

2.5.2. Market Research Methodology

Market research- this is a systematic and methodological, current or random search for a market or effective behavior on it. Depending on the goals of business planning, research can be quantitative or qualitative. The purpose of quantitative research is to establish the numerical value of the assessment of the market, its main characteristics. The purpose of qualitative market research is to identify certain motives for certain behavior in the market.

Market research design- this is the design and construction of the research process, the development of its model, i.e. research design can be seen as a project of organizing and conducting market research.

2.5.3. Market classification

The market research process begins with determining the market type for each product or service. At the same time, in the process of business planning, one can rely on the following approaches to the classification of markets:

1) in the field of social production:

Market of goods of material production (raw materials, foodstuffs, machinery, equipment);

The market for goods of spiritual production (achievements of science,
technologies, works of art, books).

2) by nature of end use:

Market for industrial goods;

Market for consumer goods.

3) by period of use:

Durable goods market;

Non-durable goods market;

Disposable goods market.

4) by territorial coverage:

World;

Interior;

Regional.

5) by the ratio of sellers and buyers:

Free competition market;

Market of monopolistic competition;

Oligopolistic market;

Pure monopoly market - one seller with a product that has no analogue or substitute, which allows the manufacturer to dictate its terms to consumers.

6) by sales volume:

The main market where the main part of the company's goods and services is sold;

Additional (auxiliary) market, which the company enters with a small part of the goods (services);

Selective (selective) market, which is selected for
determining the possibilities of selling new goods (services), i.e. for test sales.

2.5.4. Market structure

The first question to be answered in market research is who is the consumer of the Company's products and who may become one in the future. This requires a definition of the market structure.

Segmentation is a means, a method of market differentiation based on the study and consideration of the individual needs of each group of buyers.

Market segmentation is the process of dividing the market into homogeneous (homogeneous) groups of buyers, each of which may require certain products and marketing mixes. With the help of segmentation, the following business planning goals are achieved:

The best satisfaction of the needs and requirements of people, the preparation of goods according to the desires and preferences of the buyer;

Increasing the competitiveness of both the product and its manufacturer, strengthening competitive advantages;

Avoiding competition by moving into an undeveloped market segment;

Linking the scientific and technical policy of the company with the requests clearly
identified populations of consumers;

Orientation of the company to a specific consumer.

Currently, the following segmentation features are used to divide the population of consumers:

Based on socio-demographic parameters: nationality, religion, age, gender, marital status, education, cultural traditions, nature of work, etc.;

Economic parameters: per capita income and its structure, the value of property, the amount of savings, the level of housing, etc.;

Geographic features: economic and political zoning, population size, population density, natural and climatic zone, etc.;

The results of segmentation are used to select a segment (or several segments) acceptable for the company's products, determine possible objects of demand and position the product.

2.5.5 Assessing market conditions

Market conditions - this is the state of the market, characterized by the relationship between demand and supply of goods (services).

Demand is a solvent need. It is studied at various levels. You can determine the demand: for specific types of goods; for the goods of this company; for goods in this industry; the entire domestic market; in a regional context.

Market demand has a functional nature. It is influenced by many factors. Among them: demographic, general economic, socio-cultural, psychological, as well as various activities carried out under the marketing program.

Volume of demand is the quantity of a product that a buyer is willing to purchase under given conditions in a given period of time. If at least one of these factors changes, the volume of demand for this product will also change.

Demand for the firm's product acts as a certain share in the total market demand. It also has a functional nature. In addition to the factors that determine the magnitude of total demand, it is influenced by factors affecting the share of the company's products in total sales in this market.

The task of determining demand is quite difficult. It is solved by using the methods of market research described above.

Determination of prospective demand is made with the help of forecasts, by using various forecasting methods, taking into account existing trends in the change in the survey, the effect of various factors in the future and the proposed marketing efforts.

Complementing the demand forecasting procedure is the determination of the price elasticity of demand.

2.5.6. Selection of target markets

The target market is the most attractive market segment for the company at the moment, the mastery of which becomes its main task. It should be sufficiently capacious, have a development perspective, be free or relatively free from competitors, and be characterized by some unsatisfactory demand.

The task of choice is always difficult. The selection of target markets is carried out by taking into account the segmentation criteria, as well as market assessment data.

Segmentation Criteria- This is an indicator of how correctly the company has chosen a particular target market for its activities. Let's list the most frequently used segmentation criteria in the practice of business planning.

quantitative boundaries- these include the potential capacity of the segment, i.e. answers to the questions, how many goods and what value can be sold on it, how many real and potential consumers, what is the area of ​​the segment, what resources will need to be used to work in this segment.

Segment Availability- is it possible to obtain distribution channels and marketing of products, is it necessary to reorient our own marketing network, what is the situation with the presence of warehouses, shops, cargo processing points.

Information saturation of the segment- is it possible to obtain the necessary market information to create a data bank on the segment, are there any closed zones in the segment.

Segment materiality- determination of the strength of a selected group of consumers, whether it breaks up, whether its needs for the manufactured goods are stable; otherwise, you can get into a segment where competitors have a strong position, or offer a product with fuzzy targeted features that will not be recognized by consumers.

Profitability, profitability of the segment - as a rule, the assessment is carried out based on standard indicators: the rate of return, return on invested capital, the amount of dividends per share, the increase in the total mass of the enterprise's profit. Sometimes a large enterprise is guided by the prestige of this segment, the benevolence of public opinion.

Protection from competition - it is important to correctly weigh your own chances of success in this segment, objectively assessing the capabilities of competitive firms.

2.5.7. Market positioning

Market positioning is a technology for determining the position of a product in individual market segments.

Positioning target- a study of the prevailing or emerging opinion, an analysis of the assessments of buyers or their group regarding the parameters of the product in order to optimize them in accordance with the wishes and requirements of consumers and, accordingly, to create, through marketing activities, such a product position that will provide the product with specific advantages in this target market segment.

One of the most responsible actions at the stage of preparing for the opening of your small business (as well as at all stages of business activity) is the analysis of the product sales market. A lot of books and articles are devoted to this issue, but this issue is so important that it will not be superfluous to consider it again. Moreover, I already promised in the previous article to dwell on this topic.

Market analysis - ways and methods.

There are many ways to test your chosen market niche. First of all, find out who in the markets of your region produces or sells a similar product or service, who is your potential competitor. Make the widest possible list of these competitors. Well, then you need to collect detailed information about them.

Consider how to do this if you are planning to produce a product. First of all, it is necessary to find out as much information as possible about the consumers of the products.

First of all, take advantage of the Internet. Now many manufacturers, and retail outlets have their own websites and you can find a lot of information on them. Of course not all, but a lot can be caught.

Well, then, to search for information, "connect your legs." You can sell the product of your small business in three directions: to retail outlets (shops or chains), directly to customers directly from production, and as components or semi-finished products for other industries.

If the product is intended for sale in retail chains, you should travel to retail outlets, see how this product or its analogues are sold, talk with sellers, and try to get the information you need from them. Especially try to find out (at least approximately) how much product they can take from you. Make a list of potential consumers of the product, find out their addresses and phone numbers. Think about what additional services you can offer the consumer to promote your product in the market faster. Based on this, decide how much of the product you will produce in the initial period of your activity.

Pay special attention to the price at which the product is sold in retail chains, and try to find out at what price retail chains buy this product from the manufacturer. Most likely, you will not be able to get this information from trade workers - they will hide it or deliberately underestimate it. But this is easy to find out, knowing at what price a similar product is sold by retail chains. Usually, the trade markup for various products is 30 - 50%. Subtracting it from the price in the store, you will approximately get the price you are interested in.

We make a list of prospective clients.

At the same time, make up your mind about these outlets. Which ones are easier to get in touch with, how many products they sell, how they serve the customer, and finally, which ones you just like and which ones you don't. The more information you collect, the better your market analysis is, the less you will do at this stage and in the future.

I would like to give an example from my own experience. When I started furniture production, the Internet did not smell yet. All information had to be obtained through personal contacts. I hung up a map of the region in which I planned to sell products and pinned data on outlets with pins. Then, in the course of work, these data were supplemented and analyzed. Further, it was very clearly visible with whom my business works, with whom it plans to work and with whom it does not want to work.

If your product is intended for use as a complete set for other industries, negotiate with prospective consumers and, after agreeing on his desire to work with you, first determine the possible volume of supplies and the price at which the consumer will take it. At the same time, it is advisable to sign some document, for example, a protocol of intentions.

If your products will be any services or work on individual orders, analyze the market for these services, also try to find out the prices for such services in already operating businesses, the quality of these services or manufactured products. Think about what you can offer, what new services, prices and quality that will attract customers to you.

Gathering information on similar small businesses.

At the same time, it is necessary to collect as much information as possible on the manufacturers of a similar product. I have already mentioned the Internet. Visit competitors' websites, sometimes you can find quite a lot of information about products, even price lists.

The problem may be that many small businesses haven't made changes in years, and you are using outdated information. You must be careful and choose only "fresh" information.

You can call a competing company, and, posing as a client (for example, the owner of a new store), ask for the necessary information. Here, too, there are limitations - they will not tell you everything that you need to know, or maybe they will not tell you anything at all, they will invite you to come to them and get everything you need on the spot. But it's better for you too.

Come up with a legend for yourself with which you will visit, with which you can get maximum information and even get acquainted with their production. First of all, get price lists, learn about discount and reward systems, the process of paying for goods, whether they give goods for sale. The more information you collect, the easier it will be for you to make decisions about your business, the fewer mistakes you will make.

Analyze all the information you have about competitors and identify the shortcomings that their product has, the shortcomings in the production process, in pricing policy, in the quality of customer service, etc. Determine what you can do better and use it to build your small business and move forward.

Pay special attention to the quality of service, the accuracy of order fulfillment, the presence of failures in the timing of order fulfillment from competitors. Most of the shortcomings lie here. It is difficult, especially at the start-up stage, to produce a product of higher quality than that of competitors. But in the service, the quality of customer service, they can be bypassed.

An example from my own experience.

I will give an example from my own experience. One of my first businesses was carpentry. One of the directions was the production of wooden frames for upholstered furniture, which were supplied directly to upholstered furniture manufacturers. I started this production in the conditions of the existing market, very close. It was impossible to compete in the quality of products and in their prices.

But one day, when buying a sofa in a store, I did not receive it on time, and then I received it very late. The explanation was rather banal: failure of delivery dates by the manufacturer. In my presence, the seller called the manufacturer of sofas, who scolded the supplier of the frames with a good obscenity and promised some kind of gift for failing to meet deadlines. I was interested in this question, I found out that other frame manufacturers are not particularly punctual and started my own production. I can boast that playing, first of all, on this weakness of competitors, I was able to quickly take a leading position in this market.

New ways to test the market.

I would like to say a few words about a relatively new way of testing the market. This method arose with the advent of the Internet, and is used mainly by online stores. But it can also be used offline. To test the demand for a product, it is necessary to advertise it for sale. Announcements can be given on the site, if it exists, in social networks, and finally, just in the press.

When orders are received by phone, come up with a legend that all the goods are already sold out and you will have to wait until a new batch of goods arrives. Then, when a sufficient number of buyers appear, order the product and start selling regularly. I have not tried this method of market sounding myself, perhaps it works. But, it seems to me, you can seriously harm your reputation and suffer quite significant material losses already at the stage of opening a small business.

Conclusion.

I want to emphasize once again that a thorough market analysis before opening your small business is of great importance at all stages of the future life of your business. And, if you do not crave material losses, treat this with the utmost attention. Big business allocates huge funds for market analysis. In a small business, you have to do everything yourself, especially in the absence of funds.