How can market research and forward-looking studies help you make the right strategic choices?

Strategic use of market research and forecasting

Seen at SIVAL 2024 as part of an intervention programmed by VEGEPOLYS VALLEY: market and prospective studies offer powerful tools for guiding strategic business choices. These choices, whether they concern strategic direction, investment or innovation, become more rational thanks to the objectification provided by the data derived from the studies. Benefits include risk reduction and the discovery of new opportunities. Concrete applications include assessing customer satisfaction, studying buying patterns, monitoring consumer trends and analyzing the competition. These actions provide valuable indications for adjusting positioning, brand image and market targeting. Last but not least, quantitative or qualitative studies enable us to investigate behavior in depth or statistically validate hypotheses, while taking into account the budgetary constraints and results required for their implementation.

Concerns such as inflation and food preferences illustrate the importance of forward-looking studies to anticipate trends. For example, flexitarianism, identified among 25% of 18-30 year-olds, is becoming a key signal for producers interested in this market segment. Qualitative as well as quantitative data help us to better understand the expectations of consumers or professional customers, particularly by differentiating socio-demographic characteristics such as age or socio-professional categories.

Resources and tools for market intelligence and research

Numerous resources facilitate access to data for growers. These sources include Agreste, FranceAgriMer,INSEE and the trade press. Monitoring tools such as Google Alerts, Feedly and Talkwalker automate information tracking, while advanced solutions such as Update Scanner monitor changes on key player websites. These mechanisms enhance the effectiveness of document monitoring, and ensure that news on market trends or competitor performance is rapidly made available.

Questionnaire creation tools, such as Google Forms or advanced solutions like Sphinx, help to obtain opinions from a wider panel. Recruiting respondents via platforms such as Pure Spectrum or Made in Survey improves the accuracy of quantitative studies adapted to a wide audience. Finally, when it comes to analyzing results, tools such as Excel or specialized applications enable exhaustive, validated processing of the data collected. Particular attention must be paid, however, to data-related practices and processing via artificial intelligences such as ChatGPT.

The value of foresight studies in anticipating the future

The importance of forward-looking studies was also highlighted as a major lever for preparing the future of agricultural and plant-based businesses. These analyses enable us to detect weak signals and anticipate long-term trends by identifying emerging innovations, such as in the fields of agrivoltaics and low-carbon fertilizers. For some players, such as VEGEPOLYS VALLEY, these strategic approaches include collective reflection through workshops and evolution scenarios. These approaches offer a methodology for assessing various scenarios, from sustainable consumption to energy transition.

Finally, structures that invest in structured forward-looking programs often benefit from greater resilience to market uncertainties, while at the same time boosting their economic performance. These investments are part of global initiatives to diversify production and build agronomic practices adapted to the agricultural challenges of tomorrow.