This paper examines the role of research in the process of adapting international publishing products to local markets. In this specific case the goal was to adapt a computer magazine that had been successfully launched in Germany to the Spanish market. This paper describes how research contributed to the process. We employed an exhaustive ad hoc research process that combined qualitative and quantitative techniques to reinforce the TRUE and differential essence of the offering and to uncover the attributes most appreciated by consumers. The positive results drawn by the first issues of the magazine support the work performed.
The paper describes three case studies of real market tests that have been carried out with GfK-BehaviorScan in Germany and France. In these tests parts of the media budget for fast moving consumer goods have been shifted from TV to print. The aim of these tests was to investigate the benefits and risks of stronger print support to the performance of the brands tested. Although being quite different in terms of product category or stage in lifecycle the results strongly suggest moving away from TV- dominated media strategies.