Our research investigates and compares the environmental attitudes of shoppers across global markets. To this end, our paper ascertains the extent to which there are similarities or differences between country specific shopper perceptions toward environmentally friendly products and packaging. The paper includes results from our inquiry into the overall awareness that shoppers demonstrate when it comes to packaging and the environment on a country by country basis. Our paper also includes a country specific analysis of shoppers' attentiveness to environmental claims on packaging. We seek to shed light on what retail communication techniques are most effective in conveying environmental benefits to shoppers in a compelling way. Furthermore, the international insights we offer will guide efforts to adapt these techniques to suit specific countries and/or regions. Ultimately, our findings reveal what in-store techniques are actually working to activate shopper emotions with respect to environmental sensibilities. This information will aide marketers and designers in developing more environmentally friendly packaging that aligns with shopper sentiments and needs.
MR too has become increasingly international. The process of adapting the organisation, the concentration and the growth of international research has been client-driven. But just how well does the industry handle diversity in 2005? For several years now we have been taking snapshots of the MR situation in various countries. These country profiles provide us with evidence of a rich diversity with major differences determined by local circumstances. A very interesting typology could be drawn up for each development phase, based on, for example, sales turnover, ways of working, the presence of and compliance with quality standards and possibly other professional characteristics. Global vs local remains a difficult challenge to operating successfully in the different markets. But the concept of diversity is a key condition. Respect for differences in values is essential. The extent to which we succeed in developing this concept is also a question of skills and competences. Are MR managers who operate on an international basis really capable of implementing an inclusive, cross-cultural approach to products and services? In other words, are there actually enough true internationalists? It is time that learning to handle diversity was given a more prominent place in MR training programmes. Its true indeed that if a country is different, the market is also different. Once we clearly recognise this, we can decide what can be integrated and which values bring us together.
Papers included in this volume examine the impact of local culture both within European markets and further afield, in countries such as the Middle East and India. To what extent can a brand that is successful in one culture be transferred to another seemingly distant one?
This paper draws mainly from the vast amount of qualitative work done for the European Commission since 1986 to provide a better understanding of what Europeans are, how they view Europe and the European Union, and what research reveals more generally about them. Among the studies conducted on behalf of the Commission, this paper refers notably to a recent major piece of research including the 15 member States as well as nine of the EU applicant countries in Central and in Mediterranean Europe. In all 24 partners were involved in the study and all contributed, directly or indirectly, to this paper. The European Commission joined this team of researchers to discuss how the results of qualitative studies are actually used by that institution, including at the highest political level, and what key functions qualitative research serves.
In an environment of increasing product parity, the need to innovate has become critical. The key input for innovation is robust and insightful data from customers. Given this scenario, this paper explores the triggers and barriers that exist within typical companies in the drive to gain better customer insights to fulfil the end need of innovation. This has been illustrated using the simple but interesting scenario of trying to target non-Muslim customers for Islamic banking products and services.
There is a good deal of misunderstanding about how qualitative researchers work with participants and how participants react in qualitative studies in Asian countries and especially in Japan. In fact, when we do cross-cultural qualitative research in Japan, there are always some issues regarding Japanese culture/society that do not fit into the Western way of thinking. This paper discusses how and why such issues occur in data collection, analysis/interpretation, and recruitment - from the perspective of Japanese social and cultural characteristics and that of Japanese people. Finally, to meet those issues, the author proposes possible approaches for qualitative researchers in Japan to deliver results in a global context, while satisfying the demands of two major conditions: standardisation and cross-comparability.
Advertising research has always had two objectives: First, to help the creative person sharpen and improve the execution of strategic positioning and ideas. To help him push his imagination as far as the understanding of the consumer will permit. Second, to provide assurance to the advertiser that the advertising will work. To help the advertiser reduce the risk of his investment. In our pre-test work we often investigate these objectives by representing multi-country samples supplied by the international network of BUY(c)TEST affiliated institutes. The personal presentation will illustrate such research designs with special emphasis on how we obtain cross-cultural confirmation, evaluation and diagnostic insight. For a short introduction to the methodology and model of the BUY(c)TEST system we refer you to the description in the appendix.
A series of studies over a number of years has demonstrated convincingly that accurate measurement of cross-cultural attitudes and perceptions is possible. The success of the studies amongst a diversity of language and cultural groups was largely attributable to the contribution of qualitative research at all stages in the design and execution of the surveys.
This paper addresses the problems associated with using rating scale techniques in cross-cultural research. The objective of the study was to assess which of four types of rating scale (verbal, numerical, visual and graphic line) was the most appropriate to use among English, Afrikaans, Coloured, Indian, Xhosa, Northern Sotho and Zulu respondents.
This paper is intended to be a practical one, this does not mean forgetting about theories, but trying to operationalise them, and contemplate the organisational steps to be taken in order not only to meet future demands (especially in international research) but also to influence future demands.