John Willding Discusses the Three Types of Trend Analysis

John Willding
5 min readDec 13, 2021

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Are you interested in the way customers think and behave? Do you want to know what they like, dislike, how they make decisions or what will influence them to buy a product or service? Trend analysis is an important part of marketing because, as John Willding, a mergers and acquisitions attorney from Dallas, Texas, believes, it gives marketers insight into consumer behavior.

There are three different types of trend analysis: quantitative data, qualitative data, and ethnographic data. Quantitative data looks at numbers and statistics, while qualitative data takes a more in-depth look at consumer behavior by looking at their likes, dislikes, decision-making process, and other factors affecting purchasing choices. Ethnographic analyses also observe consumers but through personal visits instead of surveys or interviews.

Each type provides insights about customer preferences that businesses can use for market research purposes and marketing campaigns.

Why Trend Analysis is Important

Trend analysis is an important part of marketing for many reasons. Trends can be positive or negative, and John Willding feels that this feedback allows marketers to make changes to ensure they are meeting the needs of their customers. Marketers can also determine what type of new products would have a higher success rate by looking at the trends. This information is also valuable for brands who want to keep up with their competition.

Many people know that there are different types of trend analysis, but not everyone knows how each one works. Quantitative data looks at numbers and statistics, while qualitative data takes a more in-depth look at consumer behavior by looking at their likes, dislikes, decision-making process, and other factors affecting purchasing choices. Ethnographic analyses also observe consumers but through personal visits instead of surveys or interviews.

Quantitative Data Trend Analysis

Quantitative data trend analysis looks at numbers and statistics to see what is happening. This trend analysis has been around for a long time, and marketers have used it to analyze consumers and their competitors.

An example of quantitative data is the demographic information that many companies collect about their consumers. Demographic information can include age, gender, location, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic status. John Willding feels that marketers want to know how much of their product or service their consumers are buying, so they do quantitative data trend analysis.

This type of trend analysis can also be helpful when it comes to market research because marketers use the information to find out how consumers feel about different products and services.

Qualitative Data Trend Analysis

Qualitative data trend analysis, on the other hand, looks at quality instead of quantity. Qualitative data is often used in market research because it provides insight into consumers’ opinions about the brand. Consumer insights from qualitative data give marketers valuable information about their product or service.

In addition to market research, qualitative trend analysis is also helpful in understanding why consumers make certain decisions and how they arrive at them. Understanding the steps that a consumer takes when making a purchase can help marketers develop creative marketing ideas because they will understand the purchasing process better.

Ethnographic Data Trend Analysis

Ethnographic data trend analysis looks at what the consumer is purchasing and why. Marketers will use this information to learn more about a certain product or service. This type of data can provide insights into what drives a purchase decision valuable for marketing research and campaigns.

Ethnographic analyses also observe consumers but through personal visits instead of surveys or interviews. This trend analysis, John Willding believes, is more in-depth and looks at the consumer’s likes, dislikes, decision-making process, and other factors that affect buying choices. Ethnographic trend analysis provides an in-depth picture of why a consumer makes certain purchasing decisions.

What Can Trend Analysis Tell Us

For example, trend analysis can see if a particular marketing campaign generates the best results. Marketers can identify what type of new products would have a higher success rate and analyze the consumer behavior that influenced the purchase decision. Trend analysis can also provide market research and marketing campaigns with in-depth data and feedback about their product.

The information gathered from trend analysis is valuable to many different people in different ways. Many marketers rely on it because it allows them to know what type of products they should be focusing on to meet customer expectations. It’s important for brands who want to keep up with their competition to know what they need to do when it comes to marketing and advertising.

Final Analysis

Trend analysis is an important part of marketing for many reasons. It can help identify what type of new products would have a higher success rate and provide market research and marketing campaigns with in-depth data and feedback about their product. It can also tell you which types of marketing are generating the best results. This information gathered from trend analyses is valuable to different people in different ways. Marketers rely on this because they know what type of products they should focus on to meet customer expectations. At the same time, brands who want to keep up with competition need to know how they need to do when it comes down to marketing and advertising.

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About John Willding

John Willding is a Mergers & Acquisitions attorney located in Dallas, Texas with 20+ years experience representing buyers (including private equity funds) and sellers in business acquisitions. He has successfully closed over $3 billion of private company middle-market deals in industries such as healthcare, technology, defense, manufacturing, real estate and energy. He is a Graduate of Southern Methodist University, Rutgers, and Harvard University.

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John Willding
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Mergers & Acquisitions Attorney with 20+ years experience. Located in Dallas, Texas.