Marketing services offered by our company can be characterised as "strategic marketing". Main purpose of the researches conducted by Foundation is support for managerial decisions.

Services in the sphere of strategic marketing include both conducting researches in order to gather initial information and estimation of the project's perspectives. We also develop company's strategies: entering new markets, positioning and marketing strategy, competitive strategy, price calculation, communication policy, sales strategy.

Thus the purpose of the research is not solving an operational task (for example, rising of advertising efficiency), but strategic task (for example, making an investment decision: manufacturing of new type of production or entering new markets, improvement of general effectiveness of the company).

Methodology of marketing projects realisation

• Preliminary statement of the problem and tasks, preparation and approval of the terms of reference;
• Studying of field/object of the research; conducting of desk research ;
• Field research preparation (definition of sample group, development of guide and questionnaires, interviewer's briefing);
• Gathering of primary information by means of quantitative and/or qualitative methods . In order to get closed information we use so called competitive reconnaissance that requires implementation of non-standard approaches and qualified skills;
• Control of the field researches chronicles and interviewer's activity, examination of primary information reliability by means of selective secondary poll;
• Processing and analysis of gathered information. We pay special attention to this stage during the project realisation, because our conclusions and recommendations made on the basis of gathered information is final product for our Customer;
• Preparation and designing of the report, presentation of the report to the Customer.

Methods for collecting of marketing information

When collecting information we hold desk, quantitative and qualitative studies. Usually, each marketing project combines various methods that allow getting a better understanding of a market situation. In each case the Experts of the Foundation will help you to choose analysis tools corresponding to your goals and tasks.

Desk Research

Desk Research method is based on study of secondary information sources, i.e.:

• Mass media (federal and local periodicals, specialized editions, radio, TV);
• Electronic information sources, Internet;
• Newsletters and legal regulations of federal and regional authorities;
• Official information sources (industrial committees of authorities, professional associations, State Statistics Committee, State Customs Committee),
• Reports published by research agencies.

The information obtained through desk research should be verified, defined and is a subject to detalisation by field research, quantitative and/or qualitative.

Quantitative studies

Retail audit
Retail audit implies information gathering at retail points about product range, prices, location of specific products and availability of promotion materials.
Usually, sampling is provided by division of retail points into different types (for example, hypermarkets, stores, groceries, stands, small markets) considering there geographic location.

Phone Interviewing
During phone interviewing is based on questioning by phone of preliminary chosen respondents. They can be chosen either randomly or based on selection criteria. The questionnaire is developed especially for the research.

Face-to-face interviewing
Face-to-face interviewing is based on personal interviews and questionnaires.
Personal interviews can be held in the ways:

• Flats personal interviews - in case of public poll
• Respondent's office interviews - in case of companies' poll
• Poll in the streets or other public places where target respondents may be located (at exhibitions, seminars, special events, restaurants, shops etc.)

Qualitative Studies

Focus Groups
Focus Group is a group discussion on the given subject according to preliminary prepared scenario (guide). During focus group process the participants freely exchange their opinions under the guidance of experienced moderator.

In-depth Interviewing
In-depth interviews are conducted in the form of "face-to-face" conversation in accordance with specially developed scenario. This method is applied in the cases when representatives of target group are difficult to recruit and belong to high-income groups of people, possess high social status, or being experts in the studied sphere.

Main purposes of market research

There are three main directions of marketing activity realised by our company:

• New markets study (market capacity estimation, market segmentation, market niches defining, main tendencies analysis, analysis of market threats and opportunities, market development forecast, description of goods/services sales system, studying of potential clients, dealers and intermediaries, key players characteristics)
• Competitors study (competitor's activity analysis: assortment, prices, sales, promotion policy, methods of working with clients; analysis of company's strengths and weaknesses comparing with competitors, definition of goods-competitors, goods-substitutes)
• Consumer study (definition of customer's preferences, describing models of consumption and customer's choice, making out customer's social and demographic portrait, discovering company's clients' needs in additional services or goods, defining the most essential characteristics of goods and services)