12.04.2023

Target group research - get to know your customer

Key information:

  • Target group research is essential before starting a business in the market. Learning about customer preferences and identifying the optimal audience allows you to properly select a product or service.
  • Such research allows for a better understanding of consumer preferences and their needs, which contributes to easier convincing them of the product on offer.
  • The division of target groups in marketing requires consideration of various criteria, including socio-geographic, psychological and cultural.
  • In the marketplace, the key to success is the ability to focus one's efforts on a specific goal.
  • Quantitative methods rely on numerical data, while qualitative methods focus on eliciting opinions and detailed descriptions.
  • There are different types of quantitative research, which differ in the method of implementation, tools and research objectives, allowing the appropriate method to be used depending on the needs and nature of the study.

What does it come with?

Target group research should always be done before starting to operate in the market. Their task is to determine the optimal audience, and this is a necessary procedure in virtually any case when you want to offer something to consumers and succeed in doing so. They involve determining customer preferences and whether the products or services targeted to them are the right fit. Consumer research is crucial for both returning and new customers, as it helps strengthen relationships with the former, and allows the latter to be acquired. Getting to know the customer profile is a task that, if done correctly, can realistically translate into better business results. Understanding exactly what the recipient of products or services is will allow you to learn more deeply about their needs.

The foundation - clarify your goals

At the very beginning, two basic steps should be taken before starting to survey target groups. First - perfectly know your product, its strengths and weaknesses, its potential in a specific market and its opportunities, which it offers to the consumer. Such knowledge narrows the potential audience, and this is where you need to go to the second point -. getting to know your customer perfectly (or rather, their total), that is, to determine what type of consumers we want and have the ability to reach. Clearly defining the goal will greatly facilitate the path leading to it and reduce the likelihood of failure.

Objectivity and empathy

A mistake made by many vendors is. a biased and self-interested view of the product and the conditions applicable to its acquisition. Although this can sometimes prove difficult, one should try to look at the situation from the perspective of the buyer, put oneself in his place. Referring to the famous proverb that one's point of view should depend on one's point of view, such a procedure has a good chance of resulting in a better understanding of the consumer's needs and the patterns he or she follows when making a choice. If we approach the matter properly, issues that on the surface may seem insignificant have a chance to significantly increase their importance.

Why and how?

Target group research is a kind of investment, because most simply In the long run, they allow you to save a substantial amount of money. Thanks to their execution, it is possible to reach consumers in a much easier and cheaper way. By knowing their preferences and the patterns they follow, it is also easier to convince them of the product on offer by being able to appeal to the factors that appeal to them most (e.g. the appearance of the packaging, the country of origin, the status of the product or the status that owning it gives a person).

Key criteria for dividing the groups

The target audience can be divided by a variety of socio-geographic criteria, but the following should also be considered Worldview, psychological and cultural issues concerning potential customers. Here are the most common and important ones:

  • Age
  • Income
  • Place of residence (urban and rural, type and size)
  • Gender

Other factors important in making the breakdown include: hobbies, frequency of new product purchases, number of children, occupational status, and beliefs and religion.

When something is for everything, it's for nothing

In the marketplace, the key to success is the ability to focus your efforts on a specific goal. As Bruce Lee used to say, one should not fear someone who has trained a thousand kicks, but one who has trained one kick a thousand times. A similar principle applies in any global market, except that here the proverbial kick is the market player's experience in a particular field. More tangible results will come from specializing in offerings aimed at a narrow group of consumers, and this is what target group research is done for.

Surveys of target groups - methods of execution

The basic criterion for dividing target group research is distinguishing them into those carried out by quantitative and qualitative methods. The main purpose of research performed using the quantitative method is to gather numerical information, which will then be used for further consumer analysis, while research performed using the qualitative method focuses more on making observations and obtaining opinions and more accurate descriptions than in the case of the quantitative method.

Types of quantitative research:

  • PAPI (Paper And Pen Personal Interview). - A method that involves the interviewer conducting paper interviews with respondents taking place in the field.
  • CLT (Central Location Test) - A type of research aimed at conducting tests of odors, flavors and advertising.
  • CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview). - research conducted using a computer and specially developed software.
  • CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview) - Interviews conducted by telephone with the support of a computer, make it possible to reach a wide and diverse group of respondents.
  • CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviews). - due to the fact that these surveys are conducted via the Internet, they can be carried out on large groups of people at low cost.

Types of qualitative research:

  • Focus group interview (FGI) - A discussion of a small group of respondents led by a moderator.
  • Individual in-depth interviews (IDI) - consist of a conversation between the moderator and the subject, and consist of open-ended questions.
  • Participant Observation (Participant Observation) - Observation of people in a natural environment. The researcher establishes contact with those being observed and actively participates in various situations.
  • Diada - An interview conducted simultaneously with two people.
  • Home Visits (HV) - An in-depth interview conducted in the consumer's home including a presentation of the ways in which the product is used by the consumer on a daily basis.
  • Specialized ethnographic research - Observation combined with conversation, conducted by an ethnographer.

Would you like to conduct a survey of your target audience, but don't know where to start? Fill out the form below and make an appointment free consultation, and our specialists will help you choose the right solution!

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    Bartosz Górczynski

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