Editor’s note: In conjunction with last year’s international research issue, we published interviews conducted by QMRR’s West Coast ad rep Lane Weiss with principals of two European research firms. Well, another year, another international research issue and another trip to Europe for Lane! This time he sat down with Manuel da Rocha, president of ACHAB Research, a Paris firm specializing in qualitative research with a focus on new product development and brand positioning; and G.H.P. Etienne, managing director, CBEM, a Brussels-based full-service research firm.

QMRR: What are the most popular research techniques in your respective countries?

Manuel da Rocha: We use face-to-face in-depth interviews when we have to think about segmentation of the market, the brands of our clients, the strategic competitors in the market, and when we have to define purchasing or consumption behaviors. Focus groups are mainly reserved for more creative projects. When the client has developed product concepts and when we have to define the packaging or the product concepts, we rely on focus groups.

Our business is to help clients position their brand and help them to develop new products. More and more we’re moving between market research and strategic consulting. We compete with the consulting firms, which are more and more involved in operational marketing issues. Our other competitors are the communication groups, the advertising agencies.

Qualitative research was conceived to get qualitative data, on how a market is changing, which direction it is going in. Now, our clients are coming to us with a new product idea, for example, and saying, "Help us to develop, to conceive, to define this new product."

G.H.P. Etienne: In Belgium, all kinds of techniques are used. Standard opinion polls are not so popular; we do not conduct as many as in France, England or the U.S. But otherwise all the techniques are the same. Door-to-door is less used now because it has become more difficult to reach people at home during the day, and in the evening people don’t like to be interviewed at home.

QMRR: What are some of the social or cultural factors to consider when doing research in France, Belgium, or another European country?

Da Rocha: From an American point of view, Europe might appear to be a homogenous market. That’s only partially true. I think German, French or Spanish people all expect quality products, but you have to be respectful of cultural factors. For instance, we are developing new products for a client and, as I said, German and French consumers expect quality products but we have to be very careful with the way we present the product to each culture. We had a meeting with the client’s marketing team and we worked on lists of words to use in order to present the product in each country with the most appropriate vocabulary and expressions.

Etienne: In Belgium, first there is the language. About half the people speak French, and half speak Flemish and a small percentage speak mainly German. It’s important to have a nationally representative sample of these two main segments of the country because they are quite different in character, eating habits, TV viewing habits. The Flemish people follow TV programs from Holland, Germany, and the U.K., in English and in Dutch and the side of Belgium that speaks French follows the programs from France and the habits of France.

QMRR: Is Internet research viable in Europe now?

Da Rocha: It depends on the category of the product you want to investigate. If you want to work on a video game, for example, then Internet is a good medium to use. If you want to launch a new dairy product, Internet isn’t the best medium to use to research the average citizen.

Etienne: It is viable now and is getting more viable but it varies from country to country. If you have a country where computers are used more often at home, obviously it’s easier. The second thing to consider is language; the Internet is usually in English, so it’s easy to do Internet research in England but less so in Spain or Italy or any region where only a few people speak English. It will certainly easier in Scandinavia, Holland, parts of Belgium, not so easy in Germany . . . certainly very difficult in the south of Europe because you will not find enough computers and not enough people speak English. Language will always be the main factor, the main obstacle to international research via the Internet.

QMRR: What advice would you give to U.S. marketers who are considering conducting research in Europe and/or in your respective countries?

Da Rocha: Between Western and Eastern Europe, there are strong differences in the field of qualitative research. In Western Europe, you have sophisticated marketers and sophisticated expectations from the consumers. So when you work on new product development for example, you can’t work on the same basis as in Eastern Europe. If you want to launch something in Eastern Europe, that’s another matter. You have to work closely with suppliers because some of them come from backgrounds other than marketing. In Prague, for example, the manager at one new qualitative company was a former secret police officer! If you want to do an in-depth job in those countries you need to work with local suppliers closely.

Etienne: It is better to pick one research company in Europe to centralize the job, one company that already knows the European markets and that knows what is possible and what is not. Otherwise the client will lose time, money and encounter a lot of difficulties.

QMRR: Do you do any research in the emerging markets in Eastern Europe? Do those markets present difficulties?

Etienne: We have contacts with international and U.S. companies who have found it difficult to find research organizations in these countries. Most important European research companies have already taken over research firms in these countries and conduct research there. In Russia it is similar. But the problem will be solved in two or three years. The larger research companies will have opened their own offices there and sent their own people there to run them.

QMRR: For U.S.-based clients, is it necessary to travel to the European country where the research is being conducted to monitor the process?

Etienne: The best way for U.S.-based clients is to work with one company in Europe who will centralize the job and keep in close contact with them. These people will be responsible for all the jobs done in the other countries. Traveling here is not the solution because it means going to each European company and explaining the same thing 10 times. We had a meeting in Paris for an American client with 10 other research companies from Europe and there were 20 or 30 people there. With all these people who have different languages, it’s difficult to capture all the information in one visit. The larger companies have people in each of the countries who know the local situations and they can centralize the project and keep costs lower.

Da Rocha: If you are working on a strategic program, the launch of new products, or if you are thinking about a new positioning, I would say that it is necessary to come here in order to discuss the cultural differences and aspects and what we will need to respect as strong basic cultural differences and what we’ll have to consider as formal differences. If it’s just a test of packaging or advertising, then the American officials can stay at home.

QMRR: Any general tips for U.S. marketers looking to conduct research or begin marketing in Europe?

Da Rocha: I think they have to respect the phrase, "Think globally, act locally." If you want to launch a new product, it is legitimate to think of a launch in the five main markets [France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the U.K.]. Then you need to slightly adapt each launch to each local cultural context and competitive context. There are brands that are very strong on a local level and you must take them into account.

An American marketing manager needs to understand that Europe is involved in political constriction and all of the populations are divided between pro- and anti-European union. This fracture divides all the countries. These divisions have a deep implication on the attitudes of consumers toward certain products. For instance, certain brands are perceived as American, or as a global brand and product. I think there is room for local brands, strong products which will position themselves using their local roots. U.S. marketers must be aware of them when planning their marketing programs.