The market situation for sausage and meat products: market research of regional development trends

Abstract

Introduction. Nowadays the effective performance of sausage and meat product manufacturers depends directly on the systematic consolidation of results obtained from the analysis of the market situation and competitors' activities. The paper aims to present key features of market research into regional trends of manufacturing sausage and meat products, which will contribute to raising the sustainable customer loyalty in the highly competitive environment. Methods. The theoretic part of the research is based on general principles, guidelines and methods of studying marketing processes, whereas the empirical study is based on the data, collected, processed and analysed following the Internet surveys and questionnaires handed out to residents of Kostroma city and Kostroma region. Results. The paper presents the updated rating analysis of regions in the Central Federal district. The analysis covers the growth in the manufacture of meat products, takes into account the regional features and provides a complex estimate of importance of and satisfaction with the factors that influence consumers' choice of locally made sausage and meat products. The authors describe perspective ways to motivate consumer demand. Conclusion. The authors suggest key measures to improve marketing activities of local manufacturers, i.e. the need in making the product prices more attractive by thorough segmentation of the target audience. The papers also mentions such specifics of market research into consumer preferences as management by objectives and brand capital formation through a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews.