b) Which segment do the most heavy users belong to?
2) Define the preferred form of pastas (corns, shells, etc.). p> 3) Define the most important factors which influence the consumer's subjective probability [2] concerning the quality of the product.
a) Does the consumer usually estimate the quality by appearance of the product?
b) Is there a stereotype that a quality product can be packed only in a high quality package?
c) Is there a stereotype that imported pastas are better than the domestic ones? How strong is it?
4) Define the importance of quality packaging for the buyer.
a) Does the quality of packaging correlate with the quality of the product in consumer's mind?
b) What must be the quality of the product which is automatically packed?
c) How much will a buyer desire to pay for packaging?
d) What are the main factors which make packaging important (estimated quality of the product, precise weight, other)?
5) Define the desired characteristics of the package.
a) Which size of the package will be the most popular? Shall we offer packages of different size?
b) What should be the packaging be made of and what shape should it have (plastic or polyethylene packet, cardboard box)?
6) Define the loyalty status of the consumers.
7) Define the "patriot" status of the consumers. p> a) Do they feel unsatisfied that most of the high quality pastas are imported?
b) Does the fact that Russia substitutes natural gas and oil for "colonial" goods?
As can be seen from the goals and objectives, the research combines the features of both exploratory and casual research.
Research plan.
Since the company:
1) has lack of information about the market in general;
2) needs some specific information;
3) does not want to spend money on purchasing the available secondary or primary data;
4) thinks that the secondary data available can be outdated due to the last crisis; primary data must be collected.
The most reasonable research approach in this situation is a survey research. It will allow to gather more information in less time, and some information needed can be acquired only directly from the purchaser's answer. As a consequence, a questionnaire should be used as a research instrument.
I have two basic sources of information:
1. The buyers of pastas.
2. The salesmen who sell pastas.
Of course it is much easier to talk to salesmen than to the buyers, since the seller knows his market and he can give you a complete idea about what the situation in the market is like. But for this ease we have to pay:
В· This information can be not so accu rate because the salesman though can give you information about how much of this or that good had been sold, probably will have difficulties with determining such things as percentage of buyers of different age, sex, etc. Here a problem of selective remembering may arise. p> В· There are questions which can be answered only by the buyer himself and about which the salesman can have no idea at all. It regards to, for example, such things as the expected reaction for a price change, attitude towards packaging and the "Reasonable" price of it in the consumer's eyes. p> As may be seen, this source of information could not satisfy our needs, but I decided not to neglect it for that reason but leave for the purposes of control. It is reasonable to expect that the results from the both sources must correlate. br/>
The consumer survey was made by me and two other employees of the LBS Corporation between the 5 th and the 10 th of November at outdoors markets of Primorsky district of Saint-Peteersbug. About seventy customers were asked. The results of the survey are shown and discussed below in the appropriate section.
The history of the market of pastas of Saint Petersburg and its present state.
Historical approach.
Before and during the Perestroika the market of pastas of Saint Petersburg was offering only the products of the Soviet manufacturers. There were no imported pastas at all. Due to the system, the market of pastas of the city was actually offering something. In the province it did not. There was a deficit of everything. Since there was no competition between the manufacturers, the quality of pastas was extremely poor. The technology of pastas manufacture itself was of interest: it was a so-called "double technology". A double technology is one that can be used both for manufacture of civil and military products. In the USSR the equipment used for pastas manufacture could be used for manufacture of ammunition . I think it did not affect the quality of pastas positively. p> In addition to this, high quality pastas can be made o...
