Market research defines how consumers view your product or feel about the service you provide. Creating a market research plan takes several steps, and it begins with defining what you want to research. The plan moves to defining and writing specific research objectives. Using these objectives, a research study can be designed, completed and analyzed. Stating research objectives must be done clearly and concisely.
Write down the research problem. This means to identify what product or service you want to evaluate. Specify the stakeholders in the decisions to be made from the research. Identify specific information management wants from the study. Consider what the research report will contain and look like.
Identify major topics to cover in the research study. Write down the first three most important questions to be answered. Consider studying brand awareness, buying behavior, and use of the product.
Write clear, concise research objectives. Research objectives can be written in three sentences. The first must describe the interview action for the study. The second outlines the information required. The third summarizes how management will use the research.
Start each action sentence with an action verb. Write a research objective for each topic your study is researching.
Tips & Warnings
- Be very clear in each step of the research process, so the objectives can be written clearly.
- Ask management to evaluate the research objectives before proceeding with the study.