Few studies address the precarious course that might be encountered when entrepreneurs originating in the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) try to grow their businesses by transcending their class-of-origin and strike into mass or even luxury markets. In this regard, the experience of Beleza Natural, a brand of hair care products and chain of beauty salons targeted to the needs of Brazil's Black and mixed race communities is unique. With eleven branches located in Rio de Janeiro, Espirito Santo and Bahia States, 16 year-old Beleza Natural currently provides services for close to 70,000 clients every month.
This paper describes how community-based and ethnographic marketing research have been used as the basis for community-based marketing strategies. These approaches are particularly important for the study of ethnic sub-communities because they address several deficiencies of current ethnic marketing research methodologies. Synthesizing several American case studies, the report reflects on the general principles which may be gleaned from these experiences, including the tactics and objectives that must guide community-based research.
As cross-cultural marketing becomes more important, the need for tools and perspectives to understand the global consumer becomes more pronounced. This paper offers practical advice on using ethnographic methods as a foundation for consumer analysis and strategic marketing. Ethnography is a research approach that emphasizes the experience of cultural immersion. Through the use of interviewing and observational tools, ethnography provides a way to compare and contrast the behaviors, meanings and tools that are grounded in national consumer cultures. As long as various cautions and limitations are respected, this approach can offer an expanded understanding of both product usage and buying motivations.
As a contribution to the growing discussion of ethnographic and observational approaches in market research, this paper takes up the issue of tactical decision making in implementing these projects. Clients tend to ask tactical questions first, when considering this approach, however, this discussion has been overlooked in the research literature. The predominant implementation issues that arise in connection with fielding ethnographic studies include: determining study sites; determining respondent interaction; gaining respondent cooperation; orienting respondents; data collection (traditional and non-traditional means); mavimfring client observation and co-participation; determining field time; and organizing and reducing collected information to best meet marketers' needs. This paper addresses these issues according to a consistent set of principles and describes how decisions are made about research implementation according to the QualiData model.