Research China:10 insights into

Chinese research

Asia 5Bringing you a flavour of businesstrends in Asia...in just 5 minutes

A Futures Coaching initiativewww.futurescoaching.com

dyanmicLike lots of things in China, the research agency scene is a rapidly mutating place

People change jobs remarkably quickly leaving clients asking whether they follow the researcher or the agency

Strong movement for individualswith a few years' experience

to split off & found own agency

basics

Basic data like consumer spending data is often missing

Government data (eg. census) can be inaccurate or quite simply manipulated

filling the gapsMany research companies (eg. AC Nielsen) are in the business of 'filling the gaps' left by lack of official research

This means that more insightful research is on the back burner eg. a China-wide social segmentation system

versusOften the key research inquiry of multinationals today concerns comparisons

How are the Hongkongese different from the Chinese?

How are tier 2 cities different from tier 3

Is my brand in Malaysia going to work in China?

who is winning?

Asian researchers could learn a lot from Western research methodologies eg. experienced semiologists are lacking in China

On the other hand Chinese researchers are racing ahead using the internet as both a research tool and consumer access point

clientsMultinational companies make up as much as 95% of research agency income

“You don't have to explain 'focus groups' to Western brands, nor counter arguments about lack of representivity”

holding backWestern clients report major issues working with their own research colleagues in China

The fact is that in-house research teams in China can be very secretive with information & play political games

Retention may be due to insecurity – or the desire for power

local hero Local companies are very small users

of consumer research

They are highly price conscious

They do not perceive the added value of original research

over what they can findon the internet

The image of consumer research as a pencil and paper survey is hard to shift

big gunsWhen a Chinese company finally decides to invest in insight, it's often part of a bigger strategic exerciseeg. international logistics rationalisation

As reputation and status count for so much, in these cases, the local firm will turn to a Western company like McKinsey

So, the research tends to be undertaken by these big consultants too

full circleComplaints have been heard when the McKinsey team is made of local, junior consultants without the depth of experience of its overseas offices

The irony is to appoint a Western company and get a local team

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