---
name: market-research
description: Research markets, competitors, and audiences using web data and structured synthesis. Use when entering new markets, validating ideas, or analyzing competitive landscapes.
allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Grep Glob WebSearch WebFetch
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# Market Research Skill

A comprehensive market research methodology that leverages web search to gather real market data, analyze competitors, and synthesize actionable insights.

## When to Use

- Researching a new market or industry
- Analyzing competitors before product launch
- Understanding target audience demographics and behaviors
- Identifying market opportunities and gaps
- Assessing risks before market entry
- Validating business ideas or product concepts

## Research Framework

### Phase 1: Market Overview

Gather high-level market intelligence:

**Market Size & Growth:**
- [ ] Total addressable market (TAM)
- [ ] Serviceable addressable market (SAM)
- [ ] Market growth rate (CAGR)
- [ ] Key market segments

**Industry Trends:**
- [ ] Recent industry developments
- [ ] Emerging technologies
- [ ] Regulatory changes
- [ ] Economic factors

**Data Sources:**
- Industry reports (Statista, IBISWorld, Grand View Research)
- News articles and press releases
- Government statistics
- Trade publications

### Phase 2: Target Audience Analysis

Profile the ideal customer:

| Factor | Analysis Points |
|--------|-----------------|
| Demographics | Age, location, income, education, occupation |
| Psychographics | Values, interests, lifestyle, attitudes |
| Needs | Pain points, desires, unmet needs |
| Behaviors | Purchase patterns, channels, decision factors |
| Segments | High-potential customer groups |

**Research Methods:**
- [ ] Search for industry consumer studies
- [ ] Analyze social media discussions
- [ ] Review competitor customer bases
- [ ] Identify buying triggers and barriers

### Phase 3: Competitor Landscape

Map the competitive environment:

**Competitor Identification:**
- Direct competitors (same product/market)
- Indirect competitors (different approach, same need)
- Potential entrants (adjacent markets)

**Analysis Framework:**
| Competitor | Market Position | Strengths | Weaknesses | Recent Moves |
|------------|-----------------|-----------|------------|--------------|
| [Name] | [Leader/Challenger/Niche] | [List] | [List] | [News] |

**Key Questions:**
- [ ] Who are the market leaders and why?
- [ ] What are common positioning strategies?
- [ ] What gaps exist in competitor offerings?
- [ ] How are competitors differentiating?
- [ ] What is the pricing landscape?

### Phase 4: Market Opportunities

Identify strategic opportunities:

**Gap Analysis:**
- Underserved customer segments
- Unmet needs in current solutions
- Geographic expansion potential
- Product/service innovation areas

**Opportunity Evaluation:**
| Opportunity | Market Size | Competition | Feasibility | Priority |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------|
| [Opp 1] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | 1-5 |

**Differentiation Strategies:**
- [ ] Price positioning
- [ ] Feature differentiation
- [ ] Customer experience
- [ ] Brand positioning
- [ ] Distribution channels

### Phase 5: Risks & Challenges

Assess potential obstacles:

**Risk Categories:**

| Category | Risk Factors | Impact | Likelihood |
|----------|--------------|--------|------------|
| Regulatory | Compliance requirements, licensing | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Technological | Disruption, obsolescence | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Market | Saturation, demand changes | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Competitive | New entrants, price wars | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |
| Economic | Recession, inflation | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low |

**Mitigation Considerations:**
- [ ] Barriers to entry
- [ ] Capital requirements
- [ ] Switching costs for customers
- [ ] Supplier dependencies
- [ ] Macroeconomic sensitivity

## Output Format

### Market Research Report

```markdown
## Market Research Report

**Topic:** [Product/Industry/Market]
**Target Market:** [If specified]
**Date:** [Research date]

### Executive Summary
[3-5 sentence overview of key findings, major opportunities, and critical risks]

### Market Overview

| Metric | Value | Source |
|--------|-------|--------|
| Market Size | $X billion | [source] |
| Growth Rate | X% CAGR | [source] |
| Key Trend | [trend] | [source] |

**Industry Context:**
[2-3 paragraphs on market dynamics, recent developments, and trajectory]

### Target Audience

**Primary Segment:**
- Demographics: [description]
- Psychographics: [description]
- Key Needs: [list]
- Buying Behavior: [patterns]

**Secondary Segments:**
[Additional segments with potential]

### Competitive Landscape

| Competitor | Position | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|------------|----------|-----------|------------|
| [Leader 1] | Market Leader | [strengths] | [weaknesses] |
| [Challenger 1] | Challenger | [strengths] | [weaknesses] |
| [Niche 1] | Niche Player | [strengths] | [weaknesses] |

**Competitive Insights:**
[Key observations about competitive dynamics]

### Market Opportunities

1. **[Opportunity 1]** - [Description and rationale]
2. **[Opportunity 2]** - [Description and rationale]
3. **[Opportunity 3]** - [Description and rationale]

**Recommended Focus:** [Primary opportunity with justification]

### Risks & Challenges

| Risk | Impact | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|------|--------|------------|------------|
| [Risk 1] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [approach] |
| [Risk 2] | High/Med/Low | High/Med/Low | [approach] |

### Data Sources
- [Source 1 with URL]
- [Source 2 with URL]
- [Source 3 with URL]

### Recommended Next Steps
- [ ] [Action item 1]
- [ ] [Action item 2]
- [ ] [Action item 3]
```

## Quick Research Option

For faster analysis, focus on these essentials:

1. **Market Size** - TAM and growth rate
2. **Top 3 Competitors** - Leaders and their positioning
3. **Primary Audience** - Who buys and why
4. **Biggest Opportunity** - Single best market gap
5. **Key Risk** - Most significant challenge

Deliver a 1-page summary with actionable insights.

## Research Best Practices

**Data Quality:**
- Use multiple sources to verify statistics
- Prefer recent data (within 2 years)
- Note data limitations and assumptions
- Distinguish between estimates and verified figures

**Analysis Quality:**
- Focus on actionable insights, not just data
- Identify patterns across sources
- Challenge assumptions with evidence
- Quantify opportunities where possible

**Report Quality:**
- Lead with insights, support with data
- Use tables for easy comparison
- Include source citations
- Prioritize recommendations clearly