What are the Approaches to determine consumers' problems?

Marketers use a variety of approaches to determine consumers' problems. Generally, they conduct surveys or use focus groups to determine the problems consumers face. Both, surveys or focus groups, tend to use one of the following approaches:
1. Activity Analysis:
2. Product Analysis:
3. Problem Analysis:
4. Human Factors Research:
5. Emotion Research:

 
1. Activity Analysis: This approach focuses on a particular activity such as cleaning the house, preparing meals, or travel by train etc. The survey or the focus group is conducted to determine what problems. consumers face in the course of performing the activity.
2. Product Analysis: Product analysis focuses on examining the purchase and/or use of a particular product, service, or brand. Respondents may be asked about problems they encounter while using the product, or consuming the service.
3. Problem Analysis: Problem analysis starts with a list of problems and the respondents are asked to identify which activities, products, or brands do they associate with the problems listed.
4. Human Factors Research: This type of research is quite helpful in identifying consumers' functional problems of which they are not aware. It is employed to determine the effect of lighting, temperature, sound and product design on human capabilities such as vision, fatigue, response time and flexibility etc. Such research usually makes use of observational methods such as video recording, time-lapse and slow-motion photography. For example, computer usage can influence vision adversely.
5. Emotion Research: It is believed that emotions often have a very powerful effect on problem recognition. Marketers use focus group research, personal interviews or projective techniques to determine consumers' emotions associated with a particular product, or products, that generate or
reduce certain emotions.