Why would an Agricultural Commodity industry need consumer marketing research and Trade Research? 

Print and Review the attached document and links and answer the following questions by creating a New Blackboard Discussion Post.  I suggest creating a Word document with your questions listed and begin to answer the questions.  You may do some of your own investigation on the internet, and certainly use the textbook as a reference. 

Provide 15-16 sentences in your Discussion Forum answering the questions listed below

Background

The Michigan Apple Industry conducted a series of market-research studies to determine the changing preferences, needs, requirements, perceptions, purchasing decisions, and buying behavior of major customer segments of their industry, including consumers, grocery retailers, and other distribution chain members such as shippers and processors. Consider whether the same type of research may be conducted by the similar types of agricultural segments in Georgia, such as for Georgia peaches, peanuts, apples, and Vidalia onions.

For your discussion forum read the document and other links you find that answer the following questions, including:

1. How did the Michigan apple industry build a research plan to see how purchase decisions and preferences were changing in the apple industry? What are the different angles through which they examined their producers, distribution chain, and end-consumers? 

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.

2. How did the apple production industry plan to use this research to update their industry’s strategic marketing planning? What is MAISPTF? Market oriented vs. production oriented?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.

3. How were the consumer focus groups conducted and what were the key facts learned? Bags vs. bulk display? Positive associations with apples?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic. 

4. Why were focus groups completed before telephone surveys? Why were surveys done in selected cities?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.

5. What were the most important product attributes for selecting apples, according to the consumers surveyed?   What were the surprising facts learned?   Size, price, or origin?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.

6. How important are in-store sampling or demos for new varieties? What was learned from Taste Testing? What about visual tests for color and size?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.

7. What were the differences learned between the Consumer Research and the Grocery Retail Trade members?

Use 4-5 sentences in your Discussion Forum post for this topic.