The majority at 51% of respondents had not heard of Suja juice before the survey and the majority of the respondents were also not familiar with the different products. Word of mouth and seeing the juice in stores was the most common way that people heard of Suja. Those most likely to purchase Suja are female, have a part time job,  do cardio and or weights 3-4 times a week,  and make an average income of $30,000-$49,000. The more someone exercices, finds eating organic, and finds exercising important the more likely they are to purchase Suja. Most of those likely and very likely to buy Suja shop at Ralphs. Current customers are most concerned about non-GMO, eating healthy and purchasing from an environmentally friendly company. Most respondents find out about new products from word of mouth and social media.

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It is recommended that Suja be sold in all Ralph store locations. It is also recommended to advertise and promote the product in gyms, and to give out product samples at gyms. Advertise through social media sites, and websites that are geared towards exercising and websites that focus on organic eating. Start a loyalty program with current customers to help spread the word about Suja juice. Inform consumers of the benefits of cold-pressure juicing.

 

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Background:

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Suja has three lines of beverages. These beverages are juices, smoothies, and teas. The beverages are all Non-GMO, USDA certified organic, and cold-pressured. The company uses Non-GMO ingredients and a technology called cold pressure juicing to make its juices. This special juicing process applies thousands of pounds of pressure to the produce and other ingredients so that as many nutrients and as much juice as possible is extracted. This process also allows the ingredients to maintain their vital vitamins, minerals and enzymes. This process also gives the juices a long shelf life without the use of preservatives. These beverages are intended to transform the daily lives of those individuals that strive to live a nutritious conscious lifestyle. Suja also promotes and supports a healthy lifestyle by encouraging whole foods and being active.

 

Statement of Objective:

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Suja Juice is interested in finding out how many people currently know about their company, how to reach more consumers, and how successful their juices are selling. Suja wants to expand brand awareness to those that are currently not familiar with the products. Suja also wants to increase consumers knowledge of the benefits the juices have to offer.

 

Research Questions:

1. How many people are aware or familiar with the brand and its products?

2. What is the appropriate demographic/ psychographic/ lifestyle/ behavior of the consumer that will be interested in this product?

3. Are these products being sold in the right areas to reach the appropriate consumers?

4. Are current customers satisfied with the price and nutritious options Suja has to offer?

5. How can we educate a larger population on the benefits of Suja, allowing it to stand out from all other fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and teas?

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Methods:

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Target Population- The population that will be most interested in a healthy natural juice would likely be those that are very health conscious, and focus a lot of attention on eating healthy and exercising. The demographics of this personality type is likely to be women and some men between the ages of 20-50. This juice is an on-the-go type of healthy eating option for those that have a busy schedule, and don’t have time to make their own juices, or don’t have time to go to a juice shop.

Research Design- The research that was conducted is descriptive research. The focus will be on describing the characteristics of the product, and the consumers interested in the product. Predictions and relationships were made using the descriptive research results.

Survey Methods- The survey was handed out to CSUSM students that had sampled the juice. This allowed people to test the juice for free. Other surveys were taken by health conscious individuals that shop at health food stores, and or exercise on a regular basis.

Sampling Plan- Survey’s were taken by students at CSUSM that stopped to sample the juice for free. We also conducted this survey in a few different health food stores, without handing out samples.

 

Limitations:

It should be noted that the research conducted it not flawless, and the conclusions and recommendations presented in the research report  are open to questioning.

First, the data may be slightly skewed in terms of age, income levels, and employment status, because the sample was small, and the majority of those surveyed were CSUSM students. 65.5% of the respondents are currently students.

We also did not give any informational background to respondents about what “cold pressure juicing” is. Respondents possible lack of knowledge may have caused response error on the questions relating to cold pressure juicing.

In future research I would make sure that respondents are familiar with all of the concepts that are presented in the survey. I would also try and survey a more diverse group of consumers.

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Results:

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I. How many people are aware or familiar with the brand and its products?'

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The results were close, but the majority of respondents had not heard of Suja before they took the survey. 51% of respondents had not heard of Suja, while 49% had heard of Suja.

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The majority at 53.8% of respondents are not familiar with the different product offering that suja has to offer. However, the most commonly known product is the Suja Essentials product line. 22.8% of respondents were familiar with Suja Essentials, while 21.4% were familiar with the Classic products, and only 14.5% of respondents were familiar with the Elements product.

 

Those that have heard of Suja juice mostly found out about the brand through word of mouth and seeing the juice(s) in stores.Percentages reflect the number of respondents that said they have heard of suja through the sources listed.

*Note: Some respondents selected multiple sources.

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II. What is the appropriate demographic/ psychographic/ lifestyle/ behavior of the consumer that will be interested in this product?

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Of those that stated they would be likely or very likely to purchase Suja Juice in the future, are 76% female, 46.8% part time workers, and 41.6% of them exercise 3-4 times a week. The approximate annual household income of individuals likely or very likely to purchase Suja juice in the future is between $30,000-$49,000 at 33.8%. The number of respondents claiming that their individual income accounted for the majority of their total annual income is 50.7%

 

The approximate annual household income varied, with the majority at only 18.2% making $30,000-$39,999, and 15.6% in both of the categories: under $10,000 and $40,000-$49,999.

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The most common exercise among those that are likely and very likely to buy is Cardio at 67.5% and weights at 54.5%.

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There was a correlation of .055 between how likely an individual was to buy Suja, and how important exercising is to them. The more important exercising is to an individual, the more likely they are to buy Suja in the future. There was also a correlation between the importance of eating organic, and the respondents likeliness to purchase Suja in the future. This relationship was even stronger at .13, therefore the more important eating organic is to individuals, the more likely they are to purchase Suja in the future. There was no statistically significant correlation between likeliness to buy Suja and the respondents importance level towards preparing meals at home, and eating healthy. Therefore, those that are more likely to buy Suja products find eating organic, and exercising to be important.  

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There is a correlation of 0.068 between the number of times a respondent exercises per week, and the likeliness to buy suja in the future. Therefore, when the amount of time exercising per week increases, the likeliness to buy increases.

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III. Are these products being sold in the right areas to reach the appropriate consumers?

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The majority of respondents that said they were likely or very likely to purchase Suja juice shop mostly at Ralphs, Sprouts, Costco, Vons and Target.

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*Note: Most respondents selected more than one store

 

IV. Are current customers satisfied with the price and nutritious options Suja has to offer?

Count of How do you feel about the price of Suja Juice products?
 

The majority of those that currently purchase Suja believe it is on the expensive side at 61% (38% thinking that it is expensive and 23% thinking that it is too expensive).

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82.5% of current buyers find eating healthy important or very important to them, 57.5% find eating organic to be important or very important, 70% prefer to purchase from environmentally friendly companies, 72.5% prefer their juices to be non-GMO, and 60% prefer their juices to be cold-pressured.

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Being that Suja products are healthy, non-GMO and cold-pressured, and suja is an environmentally friendly company, and the current customers find these important and or preferable, they are likely satisfied with the offering of Suja.  

 

V. How can we educate a larger population on the benefits of Suja, allowing it to stand out from all other fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and teas?

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All of the respondents find out about new products mostly through word of mouth, and social media sources. Word of mouth amounts to 74.5% of how people find out about new products, while social media amounts to 69.7%. Those that are more likely to purchase Suja have actually find out about new products through social media more than the entire surveyed population. 75.3% of those likely and very likely to purchase suja juice find out about new products through social media sites.

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Conclusion:

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It was surprisingly close how many people have heard of Suja. Almost half the respondents had heard of Suja before the survey. It is interesting to see that most respondents were not familiar with the different product lines that Suja has to offer. The most commonly known was the Suja Essentials. This is their smoothie like beverage which is slightly lower in price compared to the other products, and is often what is handed out as free samples. This may be way it is the line that is most commonly known amongst respondents. Because the juice is sold at a higher price, it is surprising to see how low and varied the annual incomes are of those that are likely and very likely to buy. The target population for the juice is mostly female and health concerned individuals.

The research results shows that there are some relationships amongst those that are likely and very likely to buy Suja in the future, and healthy living styles. This was not surprising as the juice is targeted towards those that are health conscious. The research helped determine where likely customers shop, and how they found out about the juice. This gives great information to work with for advertising and promoting Suja Products.The research also gave a better understanding of the demographic and lifestyle of those that are currently buying Suja, or those that are likely to buy Suja in the future.  

 

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Recommendations:

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- Start selling Suja products at more Ralphs locations. The majority of those that were likely or very likely to purchase shop at Ralphs stores, and Suja is currently only being sold at select Ralphs stores. Start by selling the “Essentials” line of juices.

- Advertise and or hand out free samples at gyms. Those that are likely and very likely to buy Suja in the future exercise on a regular basis, and think that exercise is important. Gym goers may be very interested in purchasing Suja juice, but may not know it exists, as 51% of respondents have not heard of it before. If possible, start selling the juices at gyms.

- Start a loyalty program for current Suja juice buyers that give promotional items, or coupons to customers that spread the word about suja juice. 74.5% of people find out about new products through word of mouth, and 59.2% of those that have heard of Suja found out through word of mouth. And most of current buyer think the juice is either expensive or very expensive, so coupons will help them with the cost of the products.

- Advertise through social media outlets. Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. Also advertise on websites that have tips on exercise, and information on exercise. And on organic eating websites.

- Create a target market including those that are most interested in exercise, and eating organic foods.

- Promote cold-pressure juicing, and advertise through the above sources, the valuable benefits that results in the cold-pressure juicing process. Cold-pressure juicing makes Suja stand out from other juices.

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References:

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Brown, Tom J., and Tracy A. Suter. Mr 2. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage

           Learning, 2014. Print.

"Format for a Marketing Research Report." Format for a Marketing Research Report.

           N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2015. <http://web.bryant.edu/~jcurran/Report.html>.

"Organic Non-GMO Suja Juice Cold-Pressured." Suja Juice. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr.

           2015. <http://www.sujajuice.com/>.


 

Appendix

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This is the Survey That was used in conducting our research: 

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We are Marketing Research  students at California State University San Marcos conducting research on behalf of Suja Juice. Through your participation we eventually hope to understand how best to satisfy the needs of our consumers, and how we can better inform everyone about the benefits of Suja’s products.This  brief questionnaire should take between 2-3 minutes of your time. Do not write your name on this questionnaire, all participants will remain anonymous. Thank you for participating, we greatly appreciate your willingness to help us conduct this research.

 

RQ: How many people are aware or familiar with the brand/products?

 

Have you heard of Suja Juice before this questionnaire?   ____ Yes ____ No

 

If yes:

How did you find out about Suja Juice?

(Please check all that apply):

___Socail Media

___ Website

___ Seen it in a store

___ Previously received a free sample

___ Heard about it from family, friends, coworkers, etc.

___ Saw an advertisement

___ Other (Please specify)________________________

______________________________________________

 

Check all of the Suja Juice products you are familiar with:

___ Suja Classic

___ Suja Elements

___ Suja Essentials

___ I am not familiar with the different products

___ I did not know there were different Suja Juice products

 

RQ: Are these products being sold in the right areas to reach that appropriate consumers?

 

Does a free sample of Suja juice increase your likeliness to buy Suja juice?

___ Yes ___ No

 

How likely are you to purchase Suja Juice in the future:

          1           2           3           4            5

Very Likely       Likely                  Unlikely       Very unlikely

 

How often would you purchase Suja Juice products?

___ Very Often ___Often ___Sometimes ___Rarely ___Never

 

Where do you usually go grocery shopping?

Check all that apply:

___ Jimbos           ___ Vons

___ Sprouts          ___ Stater Brothers

___ Whole foods  ___ Target

___ Frazier Farms  ___ Walmart

___ Albertsons      ___ Costco

___ Ralphs           ___ Food for Less

___ Other (Please specify):________________________________________

___ N/A

 

RQ: Are the Valuable qualities about these products known?

 

                                          Strongly Agree                                            Strongly disagree                              

I prefer my juices to be cold-pressured        1          2          3          4          5

I prefer my juices to be Non-GMO            1          2          3          4          5

I prefer purchasing from companies

who are environmentally friendly:              1           2         3          4          5

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RQ: How can we educate a larger population on the benefits of Suja, allowing it to stand out from all other fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and teas?

 

How do you usually find out about new products?(Check all that apply):

___ Newspaper

___ Magazines

___ Social Media

___ News website

___ Friends/Family

___ Television

___ Other (Please specify):_____________________________________

 

RQ: Are current customers satisfied with the price, taste, and nutritious options Suja has to offer?

 

Do you currently purchase Suja Juice products? ___ Yes ___ No

 

If Yes:

How often do you drink Suja Juice?

___ less than once a month

___ once a month

___ once a week

___ a few times a week

___ once daily

___ 2-3 times a day

 

How do you feel about the price of the Suja Juice products?

___ Too Expensive ___ Expensive  ___ Reasonable    ___ Inexpensive ___Don’t know the price

 

RQ: What is the appropriate demographic/psychographic/lifestyle/behavior of the consumer that will be interested in the product?

 

How often do you exercise per week?

___ Not at all ___ 1-2 times ___3-4 times ___5-6 times ___Everyday ___ Multiple times daily.

 

If yes:

What kind of exercise? Check all that apply:

___Yoga

___Zumba

___Surfing

___Weight training (Free weights and/or machines)

___ Crossfit

___ Cardio (Running, jogging, biking, etc)

___ Other (Please specify):__________________

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How important to you are the following on a scale of 1-5? (1 being extremely important and 5 being not important at all)                                      

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Eating Organic             1      2      3      4      5

Working out.Exercising   1      2      3      4      5

Eating healthy               1      2      3      4      5

Preparing meals at home 1      2      3      4      5

 

Are you currently a student? ___Yes ___ No

 

Education:
 

___ No college

___ Some college

 

Your current employment status?

___ Full time

___ Part time

___ Not employed

___ Retired

 

What is your gender?

___ Female ___ Male

 

What is your age?

___ 18-24

___ 25-34

___ 35-44

___ 45-54  

___ 55-64

___ 65-74

___ 75 years or older

 

Approximate annual household income?

___ Under $10,000 ___$50,000-$74,999

___ $10,000- $19,999 ___$75,000-$99,999

___ $20,000-$29,999 ___$100,000-$150,000

___ $30,000-$39,999 ___ Over $150,000

___$40,000-$49,999

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Does your individual income account for the majority of that figure? ___ Yes ___No

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