A comprehensive market research project for WeCare Solutions, a startup developing an automatic sanitization device for vehicles, in this project we focused on ambulances. The research quantifies market potential, identifies customer needs and pain points, and provides strategic recommendations through qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys and advanced statistical analysis.
- Understand customer needs — identify jobs, pains and gains of ambulance operators
- Quantify market potential — calculate TAM and SAM for the Italian market
- Segment the market — identify dissatisfied users through cluster analysis
- Define communication strategy — identify the most effective channels to reach the target
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google Forms | Survey design and data collection (47 responses) |
| Excel | Data cleaning, organization and preliminary analysis |
| SPSS | Statistical analysis — descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA |
| PowerPoint | Final report and presentation |
3 in-depth interviews with ambulance volunteers at Croce Rossa, consolidated into a single Buyer Persona: Silvano Monti, 21, university student and Red Cross volunteer.
Key findings from qualitative phase:
- Current sanitization uses 70% alcohol dilution
- Sanitization occurs after every patient transport, after contamination events, and at shift start
- Main pain points: products that stain surfaces (Sterx) or create problematic condensation (ionizers)
- Key need: effective disinfectant that doesn't create condensation and doesn't damage equipment
Survey distributed via Google Forms — 47 total responses, 26 from ambulance operators.
Sample profile (n=26):
- 100% Ambulance operators / Emergency responders
- 65.4% Croce Rossa, 19.2% Croce Verde, 11.5% Croce Blu
- 69.2% Male, 30.8% Female
- Largest age group: 18-25 (38.5%)
Key importance ratings (scale 1-5) from ambulance operators:
| Dimension | Mean | Std. Dev. |
|---|---|---|
| Risk reduction for disease transmission | 4.96 | 0.196 |
| Use of effective disinfectants | 4.88 | 0.326 |
| Post-service actions | 4.79 | 0.422 |
| Sanitization after each transport | 4.85 | 0.464 |
| Easy disposal of residues | 4.65 | 0.745 |
| Cost reduction | 3.73 | 1.079 |
Rotated component matrix identified 3 key dimensions:
- Dimension 1 — Product Quality & Process Control (loadings: 0.866, 0.843, 0.631)
- Dimension 2 — Safety & Frequency (loadings: 0.953, 0.881)
- Dimension 3 — Efficiency & Cost Reduction (loadings: 0.901, 0.882)
4-cluster solution identified distinct user segments based on importance-performance dimensions:
| Cluster | N | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | High importance, medium-high performance — core satisfied segment |
| 2 | 8 | High importance, medium performance — partially satisfied |
| 3 | 3 | Medium importance, lower performance — dissatisfied segment |
| 4 | 1 | Maximum importance, high performance — highly demanding |
Key finding: Cluster 3 (n=6 considering total unsatisfied) represents the addressable market — 23% of respondents show significant dissatisfaction with current sanitization solutions.
One-way ANOVA confirmed statistically significant differences between clusters across all three dimensions, validating the segmentation solution.
Total ambulances in Italy: 7,135
Daily sanitization price range: €50 – €200
TAM = €356,750 – €1,427,000 / day
Emilia-Romagna associations (ANPAS): 109 out of 937 (11.6%)
Ambulances in Emilia-Romagna: 828
Dissatisfied segment: 23% (6 out of 26 respondents)
SAM = (828 × €50) × 23% = €9,522 / day
SAM = (828 × €200) × 23% = €38,088 / day
Customer Profile The typical ambulance operator is young (18-25), predominantly male, part of Croce Rossa. They have a strong service orientation and have developed tolerance for routine sanitization tasks, but show clear dissatisfaction with current product limitations.
Main Pain Points Current solutions present critical limitations — Sterx stains surfaces during air sanitization and is less effective than alternatives, while ionizers, although effective against germs, are ineffective against viruses and create condensation that damages electronic equipment.
Market Opportunity The majority of the market is currently satisfied with existing solutions. However, the 23% dissatisfied segment in Emilia-Romagna alone represents a viable initial market for WeCare, particularly given the strong importance placed on disease transmission risk reduction (mean 4.96/5).
Strategic Recommendation WeCare should position its product around the two highest-priority dimensions: safety (disease transmission reduction) and product effectiveness without the negative side effects of current solutions. Initial market entry should focus on the Emilia-Romagna region before scaling nationally.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
wecare_research_presentation.pdf |
Full research presentation with all charts and analysis |
survey_data.xlsx |
Cleaned survey dataset with SPSS analysis outputs |
MIT — feel free to use, modify and share.
Matteo Daviddi Data Analyst & Process Automation LinkedIn · GitHub