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The customer should be at the core of every marketing strategy and knowing your customer targets intimately - Who the customers are.
- What they want
- What motivates them to buy you
is critical in preparing an effective marketing plan. What we need to know: - How does the potential customer normally buy similar products (i.e. in a store, on the web, door-to-door)?
- Who are the primary buyer and the primary buying influencer in the purchasing process (i.e. husband or wife, purchasing agent, project leader, secretary)?
- What kind of habits does the customer have? For instance, where do they get their information (i.e. television, newspapers, and magazines)?
- What are the target customer’s primary motivations for buying (i.e. looking good, avoiding pain, getting rich, being healthy, being popular, etc.)?
If this information is not readily available then we recommend conducting customer research including a quantitative customer survey and if possible, a series of customer focus groups.
Customer Survey:
A customer survey is a quantitative study done with a set of customers. Quantitative marketing research is the application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four P's" of marketing: Product, Price, Place (location) and Promotion. Marketers use the information so obtained to understand the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and marketing plans.
Focus Group:
A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which people are asked about their attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members. Focus groups are seen as an important tool for acquiring feedback regarding new products, as well as various other topics. In particular, focus groups allow companies wishing to develop, package, name, or test market a new product, to discuss, view, and/or learn about the new product before it is made available to the public. This can provide invaluable information about the potential market acceptance of the product
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