RESEARCH PROCESS SHEET
STEP 1: DEFINE THE RESEARCH PROBLEM:
What’s going on? Current problem:
What issue is the business currently experiencing?
What we need to understand:
What information do we need to solve the issue? (Customers stopped buying /Competitors
are doing better/Pricing is too high/Customers don’t understand the product/Reaching the
wrong audience)
Common Marketing Problems:
(Highlight or circle the relevant issue/s)
Sales & Revenue Problems
● Low sales
● Declining revenue
● Customers not repurchasing
● Poor product demand
● Seasonal sales drops
● Weak product launch performance
● Customers choosing competitors
● High cart abandonment
● Pricing concerns
Brand & Awareness Problems
● Low brand awareness
● Weak social media presence
● Poor customer engagement
● Negative brand perception
● Inconsistent branding
● Poor online visibility
● Weak advertising performance
● Customers do not understand the product
Customer Problems
● Poor customer satisfaction
● Negative reviews
● High customer complaints
● Weak customer loyalty
● Unclear target audience
● Customers losing interest
● Low customer trust
● Poor customer experience
Product Problems
● Product not solving customer needs
● Product quality concerns
● Product too expensive
● Product too difficult to use
● Customers confused about features
● Weak packaging/design
● Poor product differentiation
Digital Marketing Problems
● Low website traffic
● Low conversion rates
● Poor ad performance
● Weak email marketing engagement
● Low social media reach
● Low content engagement
● Poor SEO ranking
● Weak influencer campaign performance
Business & Market Problems
● Entering a new market
● Competitor pressure
● Industry trend changes
● Market uncertainty
● Poor strategic positioning
● Lack of market data
● Changing customer behaviour
● New technology disrupting the market
STEP 2: FORMULATE THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:
What do we want to learn and research about company?
☐ Understand customer behaviour
☐ Identify customer pain points
☐ Understand why sales are low
☐ Analyse competitor performance
☐ Test customer interest in a product
☐ Measure customer satisfaction
☐ Understand social media engagement
☐ Evaluate advertising performance
☐ Identify target audience needs
☐ Understand purchasing behaviour
☐ Improve brand awareness
☐ Evaluate product pricing
☐ Explore new market opportunities
☐ Understand customer preferences
☐ Other: ______________________________
STEP 3: CHOOSE THE RESEARCH DESIGN: (Note: Step 3= what research method
will we use, and Step 4= how we will use 3's method)
What type of research will we used?
☐ Surveys
☐ Interviews
☐ Focus groups
☐ Observations
☐ Social media analysis
☐ Website analytics
☐ Competitor analysis
☐ Customer feedback forms
☐ Online research
☐ Case studies
☐ Mixed methods
☐ Other: ______________________________
STEP 4: SELECT THE DATA COLLECTION METHOD:
How will we carry out the research and how will information be
collected?
☐ Google Forms
☐ Email surveys
☐ Face-to-face interviews
☐ Telephone interviews
☐ Instagram polls
☐ TikTok engagement analysis
☐ Facebook insights
☐ Website analytics
☐ Sales reports
☐ Customer reviews
☐ Existing company data
☐ Other: ______________________________
STEP 5: DESIGN THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS:
What questions/tools will be used?
Example Questions
● Why did you choose this brand?
● What would improve your experience?
● How often do you purchase this product?
● What do you dislike about competitors?
● What influences your purchasing decisions?
● How did you hear about the brand?
● Which social media platforms do you use most?
Notes
BRAND POSITIONING & TARGET MARKET
What positioning best describes the brand?
(Highlight or circle the relevant option/s)
Price Positioning
● Budget-friendly
● Affordable
● Mid-range
● Premium
● Luxury
● Exclusive
Lifestyle Positioning
● Minimalist
● Trendy
● Professional
● Family-focused
● Youth-focused
● Eco-conscious
● Health & wellness
● Convenience-focused
● High-performance
● Innovative/tech-driven
Emotional Positioning
● Trustworthy
● Fun & playful
● Sophisticated
● Inspirational
● Reliable
● Aspirational
● Bold/confident
● Friendly & approachable
● Elite/high-status
Product/Service Positioning
● High quality
● Fast & convenient
● Problem-solving
● Easy to use
● Customisable
● Sustainable
● Premium experience
● Value for money
● Expert/specialist brand
TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC:
Who is the target audience?
(Highlight or circle the relevant option/s)
Age Group
● Children (0–12)
● Teenagers (13–17)
● Young adults (18–24)
● Adults (25–34)
● Adults (35–44)
● Adults (45–54)
● Seniors (55+)
Gender
● Male
● Female
● Mixed audience
Income Level
● Low income
● Middle income
● Upper-middle income
● High income
● Luxury/high-net-worth
Occupation
● Students
● Professionals
● Business owners
● Parents
● Creatives
● Engineers
● Farmers
● Corporate employees
● Entrepreneurs
● Retired individuals
Consumer Behaviour
● Online shoppers
● Social media active
● Brand loyal
● Price-sensitive
● Luxury buyers
● Convenience-driven
● Trend-focused
● Eco-conscious buyers
● Impulse buyers
Platforms Most Used
● Instagram
● TikTok
● Facebook
● LinkedIn
● YouTube
● Pinterest
● X/Twitter
● WhatsApp
Buying Motivation
● Saves time
● Saves money
● Status/image
● Better quality
● Convenience
● Trendiness
● Problem-solving
● Emotional connection
● Trust in the brand
CUSTOMER PAIN POINTS:
(Highlight or circle relevant pain points)
● Too expensive
● Difficult to use
● Confusing product/service
● Poor customer service
● Slow delivery/service
● Poor quality
● Weak branding
● Too complicated
● Hard to access information
● Poor online experience
● Lack of trust
● Limited availability
SWOT ANALYSIS:
Strengths
What does the brand do well?
Weaknesses
What problems or limitations does the brand have?
Opportunities
What opportunities could help the brand grow?
Threats
What external factors could negatively affect the brand?
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS:
Direct Competitors
Indirect Competitors
Competitor Strengths
☐ Better branding ☐ Better pricing ☐ Stronger social media ☐ Better customer experience
☐ Better quality ☐ Faster service ☐ More innovative ☐ Stronger advertising
Competitor Weaknesses
☐ Poor engagement ☐ Weak branding ☐ Poor customer support ☐ Expensive pricing ☐
Inconsistent content ☐ Outdated image ☐ Weak online presence
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT STRATEGY:
Content Types
☐ Educational ☐ Entertaining ☐ Promotional ☐ Lifestyle content ☐ Behind-the-scenes ☐
Tutorials ☐ User-generated content ☐ Testimonials ☐ Trend-based content
Main Platform Focus
☐ Instagram ☐ TikTok ☐ LinkedIn ☐ Facebook ☐ YouTube ☐ Pinterest
CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING:
Stage 1: Awareness
How do customers discover the brand?
☐ Social media ☐ Word of mouth ☐ Google search ☐ Influencers ☐ Advertisements ☐
Events/exhibitions ☐ Website ☐ Other: ______________________________
Stage 2: Interest
What makes customers interested?
☐ Branding ☐ Product quality ☐ Pricing ☐ Convenience ☐ Social media content ☐
Reviews/testimonials ☐ Recommendations ☐ Innovation
Stage 3: Consideration
What helps customers decide?
☐ Reviews ☐ Product information ☐ Price comparisons ☐ Customer support ☐ Website
experience ☐ Trust in the brand ☐ Influencer recommendations
Stage 4: Purchase
Why do customers finally buy?
☐ Good pricing ☐ Emotional connection ☐ Easy checkout process ☐ Convenience ☐
Trust in the brand ☐ Product quality ☐ Limited-time offers
Stage 5: Loyalty
What keeps customers coming back?
☐ Good customer service ☐ Quality products ☐ Rewards/loyalty programmes ☐
Community feeling ☐ Consistent branding ☐ Positive experience ☐ Good social media
engagement
KPI TRACKING:
Metrics to Measure Success:
☐ Engagement rate ☐ Website traffic ☐ Conversion rate ☐ Sales growth ☐ Follower
growth ☐ Reach/impressions ☐ Email open rate ☐ Customer retention ☐ Ad performance
☐ Customer satisfaction
BRAND POSITIONING:
Price Positioning
● Budget-friendly
● Affordable
● Mid-range
● Premium
● Luxury
● Exclusive
Lifestyle Positioning
● Minimalist
● Trendy
● Professional
● Family-focused
● Youth-focused
● Eco-conscious
● Health & wellness
● Convenience-focused
● Innovative/tech-driven
Emotional Positioning
● Trustworthy
● Fun & playful
● Sophisticated
● Inspirational
● Reliable
● Aspirational
● Bold/confident
● Friendly & approachable
● Elite/high-status
Product Positioning
● High quality
● Fast & convenient
● Easy to use
● Sustainable
● Premium experience
● Value for money
● Problem-solving
● Expert/specialist brand
BRAND PERSONALITY:
(Highlight or circle the relevant traits)
● Modern
● Playful
● Luxurious
● Minimal
● Bold
● Trustworthy
● Youthful
● Professional
● Innovative
● Friendly
● Sophisticated
● Energetic
● Elegant
● Creative
● Premium
UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP):
What makes this brand different?
☐ Lower pricing ☐ Better quality ☐ Convenience ☐ Innovation ☐ Sustainability ☐
Emotional branding ☐ Better customer experience ☐ Faster service ☐ Exclusive
products/services ☐ Simplicity/ease of use ☐ Other: ______________________________
STEP 6: PLAN THE SAMPLING PROCEDURE
Who will participate in the research?
Target Audience
☐ Students
☐ Parents
☐ Business owners
☐ Young professionals
☐ Teenagers
☐ Farmers
☐ Engineers
☐ Online shoppers
☐ Existing customers
☐ Potential customers
☐ Other: ______________________________
Age Group
☐ 13–17
☐ 18–24
☐ 25–34
☐ 35–44
☐ 45+
Location
Sample Size
How many people will participate?
STEP 7: COLLECT THE DATA
What information was collected?
STEP 8: ANALYSE THE DATA
What patterns or trends were found?
☐ Customers think the product is too expensive
☐ Customers want easier usability
☐ Customers prefer online shopping
☐ Customers respond better to TikTok/Instagram
☐ Customers want more product information
☐ Competitors have stronger branding
☐ Advertising is not reaching the correct audience
☐ Customers value convenience most
☐ Customers want lower pricing
☐ Customers trust influencer recommendations
☐ Other: ______________________________
Key Insights
STEP 9: PRESENT THE RESEARCH REPORT
Final Recommendations
☐ Improve social media strategy
☐ Redesign branding/packaging
☐ Adjust product pricing
☐ Improve advertising campaigns
☐ Target a different audience
☐ Improve website/user experience
☐ Increase influencer marketing
☐ Launch a new campaign
☐ Improve customer support
☐ Develop new products/services
☐ Other: ______________________________
Final Conclusion