当前事件的叠加（疫情、战争等）给消费者定价带来了上行和下行的压力——持续上升的通货膨胀对需求构成了风险，同时供应链的中断增加了生产成本。与此同时，许多公司的利润率在不断缩小，以满足潜在的需求放缓。

A conflation of current events has created both upward and downward pressure on consumer prices—persistent rising inflation posing a risk to demand, combined with disruptions in the supply chain raising production costs at the same time. Simultaneously, many companies are seeing shrinking profit margins meeting potentially slowing demand.

在通货膨胀时期，条件反射性的做法是简单地提高价格，以跟上汇率波动的步伐。同样，当生产成本上升时，通常必然会导致零售价格上涨，因为这些增加的成本中有一部分会转嫁到最终买家的身上。

The reflexive course of action during inflationary times would be to simply raise prices to keep pace with currency fluctuations. Similarly, when the cost of production goes up, what’s typically sure to follow is rising retail prices, as some of those increased costs get passed along to the end-buyer.

然而，定价策略也必须考虑到其他的因素，如长期保持市场份额，竞争性定价策略，不断变化的市场需求，他们自己的创新以及短期和长期的目标。很多时候，简单地提高价格以跟上通货膨胀的步伐可能会适得其反，特别是在可以应用和实施其他策略的情况下。

However, pricing strategies must also take into account other forces as well, such as long-term retention of market share, competitive pricing strategies, and evolving market demand, as well as their own innovations and short- and long-term objectives. Many times, simply raising prices to keep pace with inflation can be counterproductive, especially when other strategies can be considered and pursued.

Martec Group最近发布了一本免费的电子书，详细研究了三种这样的策略，包括我们自己的一些专有和独特的方法论。可在这里下载，电子书封面:

• 价格-价值映射图 Price-Value Mapping

• 效益-价值分析，是Martec Group研发的一种方法论 Benefit-Value Analysis, a methodology developed by Martec Group

• 具有竞争力的价格基准 Competitive Price Benchmarking

在不稳定的时期，为产品确定最优价格或更新定价策略可能是具有挑战性的。然而，一些基于研究的工具可以帮助简化过程，并提供基于市场的洞察，以客户为中心的数据为您的决策奠定基础。当你处于以下情况时，你应该考虑进行定价的研究:

In uncertain times, determining the optimal price for your products or updating your pricing strategy can be challenging. However, several research-based tools can help simplify the process and provide market-based insights to ground your decisions in customer-centric data. You should consider a pricing research study when you are:

• 改变定价策略 Shifting your pricing strategy

• 开发新产品 Developing new products

• 进入新市场 Entering new markets

如果设计正确，定价研究可以预测基于价格的消费者行为，以及涨价(或降价)可能对收入、利润率、市场份额或客户感知度的影响。通过这种类型的研究收集的见解可以为您提供所需的信息，使您更有信心做出明智的定价策略决策。

When designed correctly, pricing research can predict customer behavior based on price, as well as the impact a price increase (or decrease) may have on revenue, margins, market share, or customer perceptions. Insights gathered through this type of research can provide the information you need to make informed pricing strategy decisions with greater confidence.

第一部分：价格-价值映射图

“价格-价值映射图”探索了消费者对您的品牌或产品的价值与他们愿意支付的价格之间的关系。因为“价值”可能是主观的，它并不容易衡量。然而，了解消费者为什么以及在多大程度上重视你的产品和服务（并认识到他们可能愿意做出的让步），是这个映射图的主要目的，它可以为您提供有助于构建最优化产品的丰富信息。

Price-Value Mapping explores the relationship between what customers value about your brand or product and the price they are willing to pay. Since “value” can be subjective, it’s not always easy to measure. Yet understanding why and how much customers value your products and services – and recognizing trade-offs they may be willing to make – provides an abundance of knowledge that helps construct the most optimized offerings.

价格-价值映射图研究包括权衡产品特点以及价格和价值带来的收益。它展示了客户在评估产品时遇到的性价比的选择。对于公司来说，这种类型的研究可以定义、记录和验证关键品牌的可用溢价。在制定以市场为基础的价格-价值映射图时使用了三个核心投入:

Price-Value Mapping research involves weighing features and benefits against price and value. It shows the performance-vs.-price choice your customers encounter as they evaluate products. For companies, this type of research can define, document, and validate available premiums for key brands. Three core inputs are used to develop a market-based price-value map:  

• 价值驱动：确定哪些功能是最重要的，并吸引消费者支付更高的价格

• Value Drivers: Determining which features are most important and entice customers to pay premium prices

• 感知品牌表现：衡量竞争品牌在市场上的表现

• Perceived Brand Performance: Measuring performance of competing brands in the market

• 定价洞察：衡量消费者在不同层次、功能、效益和品牌之间的支付意愿

• Pricing Insights: Measuring customers’ willingness to pay among various levels, features, benefits, and brands

价格-价值映射提供了关键战略定价和定位问题的答案:

Price-Value Mapping provides answers to key strategic pricing and positioning questions:

• 这个产品的价值驱动因素是什么? 

• 在这些关键价值驱动因素和忠诚度指标(如认知度)方面，我们的品牌与竞争对手的表现如何?

• 各品牌存在哪些价格/溢价补贴？

• 与竞争品牌相比，我们的品牌定位和认知在哪里?

• 我们应该在未来如何定位我们的品牌，以获取消费者与之关联的价值?

• What are the value drivers for this product?

• How does our brand perform versus our competition across those key value drivers and loyalty metrics (e.g., awareness)?

• What price/premium allowances exist by brand?

• Where is our brand positioned and perceived relative to competing brands?

• How should we position our brand in the future to capture the value our customers associate with it?

价格-价值映射图的最终结果显示了您的品牌与主要竞争对手的定位。如果想要的话，还可以通过改变每个品牌/竞争对手的“泡沫大小”来显示市场份额。最终，从价格-价值映射图中研究出的见解将确定具体哪些品牌/产品属性需要重点关注，以帮助您的品牌在竞争中占据有利地位。

The end-result of the Price-Value Mapping exercise shows where your brand is positioned versus your primary competitors. When it is available, market share also can be shown by changing the “bubble size” for each brand/competitor. Ultimately, the insights from Price-Value Mapping research will identify which specific brand/product attributes to focus on to help you position your brand versus the competition. 

应用的方法论 Methodologies Applied

下载电子书“定价研究:如何有效地进行定价研究”，现在可以看到关于在价格-价值映射图的研究中应用方法的深入解释。迈哲华采用多步骤流程，以确保整个团队的充分参与，强大和相关的定量结果，以及及时的报告。过程中的每一步都是高度迭代的，并允许根据调查结果调整整个计划和范围。

Download the eBook, “Pricing Research: How to Effectively Conduct Pricing Studies,” now to see an in-depth explanation of the methodologies applied during Price-Value Mapping research studies. Martec employs a multi-step process to ensure full team engagement, robust and relevant quantitative findings, and timely reporting. Each step in the process is highly iterative and allows for plan and scope adjustment based on the findings. 

价格-价值映射图使用了一套强大的工具和方法来确定您和您的竞争对手在价格-价值图上的“居住”位置，包括:

Price-Value Mapping uses a robust set of tools and methodologies to determine where you and your competitors “live” on the price-value map, including:

• 获取定性洞察，以确保测量正确的价值驱动因素，并在完成价格-价值映射分析后回答突出的“为什么”问题。

• Qualitative Insights are captured both to ensure the right value drivers are measured and answer outstanding “why” questions upon completion of the Price-Value Mapping analysis.

• 加权绩效评分使用MaxDiff方法来确定价值驱动因素的重要性，用比例反应问题来确定客户对你的品牌/产品的感知。

• The Weighted Performance Score uses MaxDiff methodology to determine the importance of the value drivers and scaled response questions to determine customer perceptions of your brand/product.

• 综合/加权价格的确定是采用了Van Westendorp价格弹性分析和Gabor-Granger分析

• The Aggregated/Weighted Price is determined using a Van Westendorp price elasticity analysis and a Gabor-Granger analysis.

电子书中提供了所有三种方法的完整定义和描述，以及应用于这类研究的流程图插图。

A complete definition and description of all three methodologies is provided in the eBook, along with illustrations of the process map applied to such studies.

在不确定的时期或相对可预测的市场条件下，企业必须不断地寻找方法将成本从价值链中剔除，并在竞争中赢得市场份额。此前，基于低成本劳动力和运输的高产量和规模的战略取得了成效，但最近的新冠疫情表明，这不再是一种可靠的战略，至少在短期内如此(谁知道会持续多久)。

Companies must continuously find ways to take cost out of their value chain and win the competition for market share—in uncertain times or in relatively more predictable market conditions. Previously, a strategy of high volume and scale based on low-cost labor and transportation has worked, but recent Covid-era issues signal that this is no longer a reliable strategy, as least in the short term (and for who knows how long).

现在是评估和更新您定价策略的最佳时机，以更好地定位自己的短期未来，同时为您的公司、品牌和产品的未来发展做好准备。

Now is an optimal time to assess and refresh your pricing strategy to better position yourself for what the short-term future holds, as well as to set your company, brand, and products up for growth well into the future.

This is Part One of a three-part series on pricing strategies designed to help companies navigate the future. Other chapters in the eBook cover the concepts of Benefit-Value Analysis and Competitive Price Benchmarking. To read all three installments in full detail, complete with graphics, illustrations, and applicable case studies,download the full report today.