For best results, plan ahead

Editor’s note: Jacob Brown is principal at In-Depth Research, Tiburon, Calif.

The globalization of today’s economy places tremendous strain on many organizations. To remain competitive they must sell their products internationally, but they often find themselves making global decisions based on little or no local data.

This demand for information from around the world has spurred the rapid growth of international research. Once the domain of only the largest and most sophisticated marketers, now companies both large and small are reaching out for global information.

This article was created to provide tips that can help a company better manage its international research and ensure better results by stressing:

  • Consistency. You must strike the right balance of allowing for cultural differences in research practices while ensuring a consistent research process.
  • Coordination. You have to manage the information flow out to your moderators.
  • Control. No surprises are good surprises.

Achieving consistent results

Achieving a consistent research process with results you can trust is perhaps the greatest challenge facing anyone conducting international research. The focus group experience is different in each country and with each moderator. So, how can researchers create consistency without interfering with the unique cultural and social differences that they want to explore?

Consistency is best achieved by building a well-defined research template that clearly communicates research guidelines but still allows each moderator to adapt the process to fit local culture and individual style. Clearly articulating these ground rules will eliminate much of the ambiguity and reduce opportunities for misunderstanding. Some simple suggestions include:

  • Start the research in your home country (we’ll assume you’re a U.S.-based company). That way all the stakeholders have a chance to attend the groups and agree on how the research “should” look before you fan out across the globe.
  • Send copies of the U.S. videotapes to each foreign moderator. Remember that you may have to have the tapes converted to the appropriate video format for each country and pay to have a translator watch the video with the moderator.
  • Have the U.S.  moderator schedule conference calls with each moderator to discuss the research process and answer questions - after they have watched the videos.
  • If your budget allows it, have the U.S. moderator travel to each country. The U.S. moderator can manage the research process locally, give consistent direction to each moderator and ensure that the research doesn’t get off course.

Adapting the U.S. focus group guide

In the U.S. we have become accustomed to working with a long focus group guide bursting with excruciatingly detailed questions. This type of guide will not work well in most countries outside of the U.S.

Internationally, most moderators have a more passive moderating style. They generally like a more leisurely pace and a more open group environment. As a result, you may not be able to cover as many topics as you might in the U.S. nor will you be able to drill down quite as deeply.

The process will go more smoothly and the moderators will do a better job if you:

  • Use the experience you gained in the initial U.S. focus groups to cut down on the length of the guide before going overseas. Then keep additional questions in your back pocket in case you end up with extra time.
  • Set up conference calls to review the guide early with the moderators – and get their feedback on the length and structure. It’s important that they feel that they’ve participated in the creation of the final document. The quality will be better if they buy into the process.
  • Have any materials to be used in the group (e.g., concept statements, positionings, product descriptions) translated by a professional translation firm, and then have the translation reviewed by the client’s marketing group in each country. This two-stage process results in the highest quality and most reliable translation.
  • Direct the moderator to product information (in their language) and allocate time to educate them on the product and its competitors.

The realities of international recruiting

Recruiting takes a little longer internationally, and throwing money at the recruiting process will not make it go faster or improve the quality of the respondents.

  • In the U.S.  we usually allot two weeks to recruit a group - give it at least three weeks in Europe or Japan. And, that’s after the screener has been translated. So, it is best to think of it as four weeks from the time you send the facility the English screener.
  • Make sure you get the recruiter to commit to sending you profiles of the recruit on a daily basis. These daily updates serve two functions. First, they help you stay on top of the project and second, they keep your project top-of-mind for the recruiter.
  • Be careful about specifying titles in the screener. Titles vary by country - a director in the U.S. and a director in Germany are very different positions. Discuss titles carefully with your recruiter - and trust them to find the right people, regardless of what you think their title should be.
  • Recruiting standards in some countries are slightly looser than in the U.S. Just as they have a more open approach to the moderating process they may also have a more flexible perspective on recruiting. So check your profiles carefully.

Tips for some major countries

Here are a few facts about conducting research in some of the major markets.

Japan

Scheduling a large number of B2B groups can be a challenge in Japan since you can only do one focus group each night, not two as we do in the U.S. Professionals have long commutes, they work late and they can’t leave early or do a lunch group. However, they are very willing to come in and do groups or interviews on the weekend. So, if you need to do six groups, think of doing three on Saturday and three on Sunday. But remember, there’s a lot of competition for space at facilities on the weekend, so book early.

Germany

When doing any research in Germany, be aware that the privacy laws are probably the most restrictive in the world. Your ability to get names from e-mail lists, publication lists or other databases can be severely constrained. Even using names from your own company database may be an issue.

France

Paris is famous for strikes, especially among the transportation workers. Check with the recruiter to see if there are any strikes on the horizon. If strikes have been in the news, make sure you schedule enough replacements and expect some delays. If a transportation strike is expected, you can still do the research, but have the recruiter check with each respondent about their ability to get to the facility if there is a strike. And, make sure your hotel is within walking distance of the facility.

England

There is a wide mix of educational levels among U.K. businesspeople. Leaving school early is not uncommon in England, and many successful business people have relatively little formal education. If a degree is important make sure to include it in the screener - don’t assume it the way you would in the U.S. Conversely, don’t require a degree in the screener unless you really feel it’s important.

Scandinavia

Companies often overlook the Scandinavian countries when planning European research. But remember, they have the best technology infrastructure and the most educated and fluent English-speaking professionals in Europe.

International holidays

Europe shuts down during July and August. If you have to do groups in the summer allow extra time for recruiting and expect cancellations. The same thing happens around Christmas. Remember, on average Europeans receive over six weeks of vacation each year. Japanese workers get fewer vacation days but they have a plethora of national holidays. Make sure you have the recruiter check the calendar for local events and national holidays.

Managerial computer skills

Do not assume business managers in other countries have strong computer skills. Many managers still have secretaries and spend surprisingly little time with a PC. If strong computer skills are important for your research, make sure you ask about their skills in the screener and take it into account when building your group segmentation.