Conducting market research on an international scale is an increasingly common requirement. Global markets are more important than ever, offering growth to businesses facing domestic stagnation or saturation. But international market research can be challenging to get right. In this article, we explain the top 5 challenges in international marketing research together with our top tips for overcoming these.

What are the top challenges in international marketing research?

1. International markets are incredibly diverse

Some business fail to appreciate the diversity within a region or indeed a country. Only by rooting out the nuances of different geographical areas, cultures and consumers, can you get an accurate picture of what people value and whether your products and services might succeed.

2. There can be a temptation to go too broad

Linked to this, sometimes when companies set out on international marketing research projects, they make the mistake of going too broad and trying to understand a region as a whole. Another error we see is firms commissioning research to target one market and then using this as a jumping off point into others with “similar” attributes. This inevitably leads in costly mistakes as brands map their assumptions about one market onto another.

To avoid this, be clear on the emphasis of your research. Where are you looking to focus? Why? Looking too broadly across a region of different markets, or exploring how an entire product range might perform, can cloud the picture.

3. Finding the right research partner

The next big question is whether you have the research capabilities to conduct meaningful projects internationally. Most brands and their research partners can run domestic research projects with ease. But if you’re in the UK, say, even going as far afield as France or Germany requires different sensibilities and capabilities. The more international you get, the harder you need to look for that kind of experience and expertise.

4. Bringing together local and global expertise

This is one of the biggest challenges in international marketing research and there has to be a collaborative effort and a shared understanding of the mission, the methodology and the insights to overcome this. A research team at HQ might working with a local marketing team to understand how to position a product for success in an emerging market. But if the teams are siloed and don’t have a consistent understanding of the brief, their approach to researching the market and their findings might not actually help deliver on the challenge at hand.

5. Ensuring that the project is realistic from the outset

This is where all the other challenges in international marketing research come together: which markets, what purpose, the capabilities available, and the effectiveness of the output – all within a budget that makes sense. There are always going to be limits to what’s practical – and the last thing any client needs is to be spending large sums testing international markets to no effect.

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Meeting the challenges in international marketing research – tips and tricks from our experience in the field

1. Get the brief and the scope right

The more you can nail down exactly what you need to know, and about which markets, the better your international marketing research will be. The key here is to dismiss the idea that lessons from one market can be overlaid onto other markets. Your approach might not even work in the same region, much less globally. So ensuring the brief isn’t burdened with too many assumptions, and is very clear on objectives, is key.

For research into one new international market, the brief can be clear cut. You’ve picked one new place to trade, and you probably have some specific questions? Will the branding work? Do we need to alter the packaging, are there specific features we need to tweak? But as soon as you broaden the scope – to, say, three new markets covering a region – the nuances become more important in the brief.

One solution is to ask questions at every stage. Why these three markets? What are they like? What do we need to know about purchaser sentiment there? How will a research project change what we decide to do in each markets? Companies that are open with their agencies on operational and marketing strategies – rather than prescribing research about the areas they know matter in their existing markets – will see more effective results.

2. Understand the cultural nuances you’ll face

Everyone knows instinctively that cultural differences are both a factor in conducting meaningful research internationally – and a major reason for doing that research in the first place. ‘Market immersion’ is a key concept, and that’s all about getting to grips with the cultural context. But local nuances within new markets can catch people out. In South Africa, for example, there are multiple cultural groups. Having local knowledge of how to tease those out is vital to breaking in South Africa.

That means one of our jobs as global research partners is challenging clients at the briefing stage to ensure these considerations are baked into the research approach and the analysis and interpretation of the results. The good news is that when you have research experts living and working in these markets, like we do, cultural nuances are easier to plan around. We use this inside knowledge about how people live to help understand opinions, habits and behaviors.

3. Don’t think language is just about translation

Companies are often wise to the importance of understanding ‘culture’ and as a result, adopt a cautious approach. But one mistake people make in international market research is to assume that ‘language’ is easier – it’s just a question of running a survey or its results through Google Translate, right? But that’s never a good idea. It requires a much more nuanced approach, as described in this article from Research Live.

Language isn’t just what we say, but how we say it. And local variations within international markets – think Swiss German or Quebecois French, but the list is endless – further complicate the issue. It’s fascinating stuff – which is why we’re writing a separate blog post on language. What this space…

4. You’ll need the nuance: go regional

Understanding local culture and language are important in their own right. They’re also the gateway to getting out of the big cities and understanding the whole market. Tokyo is a true megacity – but it doesn’t reflect all of Japan. Paris is iconic – but its citizens have very different values to those in Marseilles, let alone rural France.

Here’s where you need to understand geography and supply chains. If you’re moving into a new international market in a limited way – or if distribution is going to impractical outside conurbations, say – then researching inside big city bubbles might work just fine. But for national penetration, and in markets where businesses or consumers are more evenly distributed, understanding attitudes and behaviors across the country is a must.

For brands with an existing presence, existing assets on the ground are a hugely valuable resource for understanding these nuances. That could be local-office marketers or salespeople. Distributors and major customers can also offer insights. We love to work with chief marketing officers (CMOs) who have a helicopter view of a region and are clear about strategic objectives. But triangulating between them, their local marketing teams and our local research teams in the field tends to generate better results.

5. Decide on the most effective methodology

Another big benefit of having local teams in place like ours is that they have expertise in the best methodologies to use in different markets. This is sometimes a subset of culture, but in other markets it’s driven by the levels of technology adoption, geography or working practices. Some examples:

  • In Indonesia, face-to-face research is considered the norm; telephone depth interviews tend not to deliver a good hit rate.
  • In Japan, groups respond better to moderators of the same gender; and people are more likely to undertake qual work at the weekends.
  • It’s not acceptable in Saudi Arabia for researchers to interview women in the home one-on-one. And across the Middle East – and many other regions – mixed-sex focus groups tend to be a no-no.

You can read about others in our guide to conducting online market research in Asia.

This is also why more open briefing processes can be valuable in international research. It’s all too easy to apply a blanket methodology across a whole region and end up struggling to execute the research. Better to frame the key questions the organization needs to answer and tailor the research in each key market.

6. Calibrate your responses

Cultural and language shape the way you ask questions, then and they’re huge factors in interpreting the results of any research, too. A keyword search on a crude translation of responses could mean missing crucial insights – or, worse, coming to incorrect conclusions.

And don’t think this just applies to qualitative, descriptive research where local idiom, slang or cultural references might catch you out. International quantitative research also has to be calibrated by analysts with an appreciation for local nuance.

Respondents in some markets are more likely to agree with statements than others. For instance, you’re more likely to see people in agreeing with statements in India than you are in Japan. Even the way you phrase questions – not just translate them, but the nuance in the question itself – will affect the level of consistency in scores you can achieve between different cultures.

That’s particularly important for big global brands with a very set idea about how they do their brand equity or NPD studies. The alternative is to develop a more organic approach, so that the questions set allow you to reflect local nuance. It might be as simple as using a four-point rather than a five-point scale in markets where respondents are most likely to sit on the fence.

7. Use market research as a tactical, not just strategic, lever

It can be tempting to seek very broad answers from international market research: “will this product work in this market?” Or: “how should we tweak the service offering to meet this country’s needs?” These will help brands decide on strategic issues. But the more nuanced the approach, the more likely it is that the research will feed into local tactics for a brand, making its international investments work even harder.

That’s actually a common theme in research: properly granular insights ought to help on a number of decisions. It’s not just a ‘go/no-go’ binary but research should inform everything from pricing to choice of distribution channel; support for local sales operations, to targeted advertising.

A new era for international research

We’ve certainly moved on from an earlier era when global brands assumed continent-scale uniformity. Even if a business sees an opportunity in ‘Latin America’, has an ‘Asian strategy’ or issues financial reports for ‘EMEA’, serious decision-makers know they need to go, at the very least, to the country level for insights that will help their plans succeed. And they understand that it can be counter-productive to seek out ‘apples to apples’ comparisons between markets when a little nuance can go a long way.

One factor that’s complicated the picture more recently is the global Covid-19 pandemic. Because so much commercial activity is now managed remotely, there’s a temptation to run multi-market studies with a uniform online methodology. If everyone in the world is attending focus groups via the same videoconferencing app, what’s the difference?

The risk here is that the huge advantages of technological solutions are watered down in the hunt for low-cost, ‘big picture’ regional results. Online research can be conducted quickly and flexibly. And clients can immerse themselves in research projects more easily, gaining their own insights into consumer reactions on the other side of the world.

But research that is tailored, for example, to local respondents’ cultural norms will yield much better results. You can quickly adapt a methodology to a market when you have local research expertise and a clear idea of the brand’s mission. For instance, recognizing that in India you’ll need to avoid any methodologies that rely on lengthy video inputs, and instead combining text, image-based and short video tasks, will get you the insights you need.

The most successful companies understand that an international project isn’t as simple as handing a research agency a questionnaire and generating perfectly uniform results across every territory.

You know your product or service better than anyone; we know the right questions and methodologies that will get you where you need go; our local teams understand the cultural norms; and good translations – culturally and linguistically – can bring it all together. Find out about the regions where we can conduct international market research or get in touch to speak to us about an international project.

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When we look the impact of COVID-19 on the media industry it’s a mixed picture. Whilst some areas, like video streaming services, have thrived as a result of increased time at home, others have come to a complete standstill, such as OOH advertising and cinema. But which trends in media will persist?

In this article we explore 3 key areas of the media landscape:

  1. Linear TV
  2. Streaming services
  3. Advertising

The role of linear TV

Short-term changes

As people have been forced to spend time at home and routines have been upended, viewing of linear television has enjoyed a resurgence. According to the BBC, viewers were watching 44% more linear channels in May compared to this time last year, rising to 67% for young people. A trend that flies in the face of pre-pandemic viewing behavior.

The rise of linear television in this period should really come as no surprise. It’s allowing for shared moments at a time when human connection is in short supply. Thinkbox observed a 30% increase in shared viewing in this period.

Content preferences have also shifted, reflecting the pandemic situation, with programs that allow for nostalgia and escapism proving popular with viewers. 

Long-term trends

We expect the rise of linear TV to be short-lived. As a direct response to the lockdown, it’s unlikely that this behavior will persist as the pandemic subsides. As economies reopen, and consumers given more freedom to socialize, we expect to see linear TV consumption patterns return to pre-pandemic levels, as the long-term trends we’ve seen towards VOD and SVOD continuing.

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Streaming

Short-term changes

Streaming providers have been one of few beneficiaries of the COVID-19 crisis. With more time on their hands at home, people are turning to paid online streaming services – and some for the very first time. A survey for the Consumer Technology Association carried out in March found that 26% of US consumers are using video streaming services for the first time. A combination of new users like these, and others that have added to their existing subscriptions are creating big returns for streaming giants. In the first quarter, Netflix more than doubled the number of new subscribers it had expected. Disney Plus is another success story. Just 8 months after launch, it has over 54 million subscribers globally. This puts it in touching distance of its 2024 target, a whole 4 years early.   

Medium and long term

In the long-term, it’s difficult to predict exactly how streaming will fare. One school of thought is that as the economic impact of the crisis hits consumers will re-evaluate their discretionary spending, and cut back, which could see subscriber numbers fall, particularly amongst those with multiple subscriptions.

Others argue that as consumers tighten the purse strings, they’ll be scaling back on more significant purchases. This could mean that spend on streaming services will be protected as a worthwhile investment, particularly if the focus on the home remains, with working from home continuing in the long term.

One trend that we expect to remain is the emphasis on shared viewing on demand. We’ve seen streaming providers innovating to meet this need with features like Netflix Party, that allow users in different locations to synchronize playback and communicate via a group chat. Meeting the desire for shared experiences but enabling different audiences in one household to watch what they like, we see this trend being important in future.

Another development to watch out in the medium-term is the future of film. During the pandemic Universal Pictures made some of its film releases available on demand on Comcast, Sky, Apple and Amazon for a one-off fee. With the emphasis on value for money and continued social distancing, will this be an attractive option to consumers in the medium, and a way to offset lost revenues from cinemas?

Advertising

Short term

The drop in advertising spending during the pandemic has been well documented. According to a report from Publicis, Q1 ad spend was down 15% in China and 9% across Europe, as companies sought to cut costs and postpone campaigns. And with this continuing in Q2 and into the second half of the year, the World Federation of Advertisers predicting a 31% decrease in investments across 2020.

In response to the pandemic the tone of ads has changed too, with many brands emphasizing their contribution to the relief effort or how they’re supporting customers in this difficult time. In the short-term, we can’t expect an immediate return to pre-pandemic marketing strategies. Our recent research Brands Exposed research, with 4,000 consumers across 10 countries found that levels of worry around the pandemic influence how consumers respond to ads, with overt sales messaging being rejected by those that are most worried, in favor of more reassuring advertising. This indicates that in the short-term, brands will need to make a concerted effort to understand the sentiment of their customer base and position their ads accordingly.

Medium to long-term

Advertising has always had to shift in response to behavioral changes, and this will be no exception. A recent Goldman Sachs report predicts that “the crisis will only accelerate the secular shift in advertising budgets towards digital.”

In the medium and long-term, we expect to see brands funneling more money into digital advertising, reflecting the increase in time that consumers are spending on digital channels. Social media usage is up 21% globally. It’s likely that advertisers will also look to move ad spend towards ad supported streaming services, at the expense of TV.

In the long-run, we also expect to brands continuing to place a sustained importance on responsibility and honesty, in response to rising consumer expectations, as suggested by our Brands Exposed research.

Over the past few months, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how we think and behave when it comes to food and beverage (F&B). When lockdowns were implemented in countries around the world, non-essential retailers were closed, dining-in was prohibited, and supply chains were tested. As a result, buying behaviors and attitudes have changed and F&B retailers are having to respond rapidly. Those that are able to act quickly will be able to emerge triumphant past the crisis, with many new strategies remaining relevant even after the pandemic. 

As countries are opening up, a common question among businesses is ‘what next?’ Governments around the world are trialing different measures to reopen the market, while trying to minimize the likelihood of a second wave of mass infections. Businesses are on one hand rapidly trying to adapt to the latest governmental policies, and on the other, thinking about how they should change to cater to a marketplace that in some ways looks very different. We’ll explore 3 key trends, with our thoughts on what is likely to stay post-COVID when it comes to F&B:

  1. Consumer behavioral changes
  2. Business adaptability
  3. Unfulfilled consumer needs

‘Stay home projects’: behavioral and purchasing patterns arising out of having to eat at home

Short term changes

While purchases of luxury products have largely decreased during the pandemic, there was a sharp rise in everyday products. With the closure of physical stores, and restaurants doing takeaway only, more people embarked on different ‘stay home projects’, experimenting with homemade recipes.

According to social listening data from Circus Social, people in Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia ended up making more homemade snacks during this period. In China, the sale of egg whisks on online retailer Tmall increased five-fold year on year. In Singapore, essential baking ingredients such as yeast and baking soda were wiped off the shelves in most supermarkets during the first month of the Circuit Breaker, and many consumers looking for alternatives online. This shift has had a huge impact on supermarkets and grocery retailers, forcing them to look for alternative sources of supply and diversifying their supply chain strategy.

The surge in interest in ‘stay home projects’ has also led to a dramatic increase in the viewership of inspiration channels as well as recipe searches, with Instagram-worthy home café recipes trending on social media shortly after they were posted. This presented opportunities for brands to think about showcasing their products through strategic product placements on these channels. This may not be a novel strategy, but it has become highly relevant given the larger share of eyeballs on these channels during this period. In addition, we see F&B brands offering home cooking meal kits, riding on the wave of ‘stay home projects’ and engaging with partners to showcase the ease of using these meal kits online.

Long term trends

We believe that many of these trends will persist even after lockdown. More people, including newbies in the kitchen, have found a love for cooking and baking, while homecooked meals have also brought many families closer together. With the increased appreciation towards ‘home projects’, we are expecting more people to cook at home than in pre-COVID times.

Improving e-commerce channels and offline-to-online services will be also important to meet the needs of consumers in the future. F&B retailers will need to up their e-commerce game. While brick and mortar stores will still remain relevant in the post-pandemic world, this period has shown the importance of having a strong e-commerce presence and robust supply chain. Consumers will become more used to shopping for groceries online, especially for products that they cannot typically find in the brick-and-mortar stores. If F&B brands want to extend their reach to a wider audience through e-commerce, the time to do so is now.

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Adaptability: the virus has become the catalyst for tech and sales model evolution for F&B retailers

Short term changes

With every crisis, there is opportunity. COVID-19 has accelerated the evolution of the food retail space, and retailers are adapting in order to realign with the shift in purchasing priorities and new lifestyles.

When bubble tea stores were mandated to close during the Circuit Breaker in Singapore, some partnered other restaurants to continue their sales. Some cafes offered coffee subscription plans for the caffeine-deprived, and others introduced ‘Circuit Breaker meals’ to go along with their drinks. Restaurants that were limited by physical space, or located in less accessible areas, are now able to be on a more level playing field with other restaurants, as long as they have presence online and support home deliveries.

For some brands, the pandemic had a positive impact on their business as they discovered new opportunities online. More consumers got to know some establishments through social media and review sites, meaning that these brands are now able to reach more customers than ever before. However, being able to realize these positive outcomes depended on how fast retailers could adapt to the F&B landscape in lockdown. Whilst some partnered with established food delivery apps such as GrabFood or Deliveroo, others drew on their own staff for deliveries and adopted alternative ways of ordering, such as using SMS/WhatsApp, Instagram messages, or their own websites. During lockdown, consumers were more tolerant of the usability of the platform – instead being able to demonstrate that you were adapting quickly to meet consumer needs was more important.

Long term trends

In the long run, restaurants need to reassess the competitive landscape in order to continue to stand out post-pandemic. Every aspect of the typical sales funnel, such as brand awareness, consideration, and trial, would have shifted due to the purchase behavioral changes during the stay home period. Previously unknown brands may have gained popularity as they reached more consumers’ homes. Consumers will also have different assessment standards for restaurants post-COVID, such as hygiene standards. Retailers therefore need to reconsider their USPs to stand out amongst new competitors in the market.

Unfulfilled need: starving for experiences – an area brands can focus on during and post COVID

Short term changes

As the pandemic subsides, will restaurants still retain their delivery model? Yes and no. Less popular food places, and those restricted by physical location or the space required for social distancing may continue to improve their online platforms to expand their reach through deliveries. But, high-end restaurants and cafes may not. While taste is a critical component of the F&B experience, it has to go in hand with the service, the ambience, and even the company while dining in. Psychological research has also shown that the sense of taste plays only a small role in the whole dining experience. It is a multisensorial experience, which can be best presented in the curated setting of a restaurant, with its choice of plating, lighting, background music, and interior design.

Even though there are do-it-yourself packs for bubble tea or cocktails, for most the ambience of eating or drinking out is unbeatable, so F&B retailers will need to consider how they deliver the experiential aspect, whilst social distancing continues, in order to differentiate from other brands.

Medium to long term trends

Post pandemic, consumers who have been starved of in-restaurant F&B experiences will be hungry for these – and may not mind paying a premium. How can F&B retailers tap into this need while keeping in mind the greater expectations for hygiene standards?

Against, this backdrop, there’s an opportunity for F&B outlets to increase and monetize service personalization. Having more attentive service, customizable menus and dishes, or even food that can ‘interact’ with the diner – basically things that cannot be recreated at home – can be considered by F&B retailers.

How should you position your advertising as consumers emerge from lockdown with new expectations of brands and a different lens on marketing?

Discover the key learnings from our proprietary study, Brands Exposed, with over 4,000 consumers across the UK, US and 8 Asian markets by watching the webinar below.

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As of the first week of March 2020, the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, is slightly over 80,000. This works out to be no more than 6 cases in 100,000 people. The probability is much lower in most other places, such as 3.38 cases in 100,000 people in Italy, 1.89 in 100,000 in Singapore, and 0.03 in 100,000 in the US.

Despite the low probability, many people are appearing to be more fearful than they should be, with an exaggerated perceived risk.

Panic buying happened within hours when the DORSCON level was raised to Orange in Singapore early last month. Canned food, rice, instant noodles, and even toilet papers were swept off the shelves that evening, with queues longer than we have ever seen in supermarkets. The same phenomenon hit the US, Germany, Italy and Indonesia this week, after more local cases were confirmed. Masks, sanitizers, and disinfectants are sold out, social events and activities are cancelled, and many instances of racism against people of Chinese ethnicity have been observed around the world.

Is this fear rational? It seems the fear is spreading faster, and affecting people’s lives to a larger extent, than the virus itself. Why is that?

The following five cognitive biases can explain most of these irrational behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak.

1.     Negativity bias – we have the tendency to pay more attention to bad things

Humans have a natural tendency to place more emphasis to negative things, such as remembering negative incidents more clearly, being more affected by criticisms than compliments, or feeling more emotional pain for a loss of $10 than happiness gained for the picking up $10.

“Good things last eight seconds…Bad things last three weeks.” – Linus van Pelt, Peanuts

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we tend to pay more attention to bad news (in part also due to news channels’ willingness to focus on negative news as well, following the same principle) – the number of new cases/deaths/infected patients in critical condition – much more than the number of recoveries. Some people actively search for information that scares themselves more, such as ‘evidence’ that shows masks are not effective in protecting you from the virus, reading up on past global pandemics, or even unknowingly landing on fake news which exacerbates the severity of the situation. All these contribute to the psychological fear of ‘Could it happen to me?’.

2.     Confirmation bias – we pay more attention to information that supports our belief

People are prone to believe what they want to believe, and actively look out for evidence to support their beliefs, while dismissing those that contradict. This confirmation bias is more prevalent in anxious individuals, which makes them perceive the world to be more dangerous than it is. For example, an anxious person is more likely to be more sensitive about what people think of him/her, and constantly look out for signs that show people do not like them, biasing towards negative words or actions.

We naturally seek information to protect ourselves, because the ‘unknown’ is more fearful than the ‘known’. If we think the situation is severe, we tend to focus on news that talks about the severity of the situation, which results in a self-fulfilling prophecy. With greater amount of information now being spread much more quickly over social media, the effects of this bias are a lot more pronounced. A cursory scroll through the Reddit thread on COVID-19 can quickly convince someone that it will bring about the end of the world! 

3.     Probability neglect – we have the tendency to disregard probability when making decisions

A potential outcome that is incredibly pleasant or terrifying is likely to affect our rational minds. We are more likely to be swayed by our emotions towards the potential outcome and pay less attention to the actual probability.

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Looking factually at the numbers of COVID-19, the probability of getting the virus is very low, and much lower than many other risks that we are accustomed to, such as the common flu or cold. Yet people are terrified and have extreme panic or preventive behaviors towards the situation. The fact that the virus is new, and that it can be fatal, could have added to the fear, clouding judgement. Many are avoiding malls, reducing dining out, cancelling travels. This effect extends into greater economic implications. The ‘unknown’ is playing with our feelings, and we react to the feelings, not probability, towards the risk. 

4.     Stereotyping – we tend to make unjustified generalizations

On 11 February, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the official new name of the coronavirus to be COVID-19. According to WHO, they had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or a group of people.

This is not just a WHO naming guideline, but an important step to reduce negative stereotypes. During the early stages of the outbreak, there was hatred against Wuhan, or China, and this prejudice has even extended to all Chinese people outside of China. In many countries, many people also irrationally avoid visiting the Chinatown, or dining in Chinese restaurants, as if you visit a neighborhood Chinese restaurant, you will get the virus, even if your neighborhood is safe. Aside from how stereotyping individuals is in and off itself a negative social action, such perceptions can also lead to feelings of false assurance, that one is ‘immune’ to the virus, which in turn can result in behaviours that run counter to public health advisories.

5.     Illusory truth effect – it’s true if it’s repeated

 “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes truth” – people tend to believe what they constantly see or hear in the news, regardless of whether there is any evidence of its veracity. A recent study has shown this effect to be present even if people are familiar with the subject, as the repeated lies introduce doubt into their psyche.

This is one of the key reasons why “fake news” has been able to take hold during this outbreak – from quack sesame oil remedies to protect against the virus to misconceptions that packages from China are dangerous to handle. In Singapore, after the same few photos of panic buying being circulated via social media many times makes it a ‘nationwide phenomenon’. WHO and governments around the world have been actively trying to take back the narrative from these “fake news” sources, but the prevalence of social media and the ease of sharing such information to one’s friends and families will present an uphill challenge to combat them.

What it means for brands

Firstly, it is important to remember that cognitive biases exist in human beings, and consumer behaviors aren’t always rational. During the crisis, such behaviors are magnified, and the impact/ repercussions of these irrationalities become amplified.  You should consider what consumers are thinking, and how they are reacting. Understanding where the biasness is from, and how it manifests in thinking and actions, can help you decide on strategies what can potentially lead to behavioral changes.

Secondly, we also need to understand that relying on past information may not be able to help you accurately predict into the future, because people’s reaction to the same stimulus may have changed. For example, the last time DORSCON was raised to Orange in Singapore during the H1N1 crisis in 2019, there wasn’t ‘panic buying’ that led to the severe shortage of masks or sanitizers. Planning in the future, you can think about whether your brand will be perceived any differently once the outbreak is over – how would people’s mindset change because of the outbreak? What will people be looking out for, post- this crisis? Consider how you can address the post-crisis world, and find your competitive advantage.

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How do you create customer delight? Our latest research sought to explore what matters to customers in 11 markets which match our international footprint: the UK, US, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India and China and Hong Kong.

As part of the research, we uncovered 5 must-have principles for any global customer experience strategy. In this blog post, we share these principles, together with examples of brands getting it right, to inspire your strategy development.

1. Understand customers’ needs and feelings

We discovered that what matters most to customers globally is that service personnel take the time to listen and really understand their needs. This far outweighed any other factor by a long way. So how do go further than in-store interactions and deliver this on a strategic level?

Research, of course, is crucial – and doing this in-store can further strengthen the customer experience. A good example of this comes from British supermarket, Morrisons. The brand implemented a “customer listening program” in 80 stores across the country to speak to customers about their in-store experiences and overall perceptions of brand. Not only did the strategy enable Morrison’s to build relationships with customers, it helped the supermarket understand what elements of its positioning to leverage in its future communications and campaigns.

2. React positively to customer requests

Another element that matters to customers is that the service personnel react positively to their requests. But beyond staff training to ensure this is happening in store, what else can brands do?

Starbucks has one solution. They launched My Starbucks Idea, a crowdsourcing platform where customers can request everything from new drink flavors to customer service improvements. Since the site was established, hundreds of ideas have been launched by Starbucks. Providing free WiFi in store was a My Starbucks Idea, as was introducing new payment solutions, and numerous product lines and flavorings started out life on the site. As a way of reacting positively to customer requests and feeding its innovation pipeline at the same time, it’s a real win-win for Starbucks.

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3. Show customers they matter

It’s also important that service personnel express how important customers are to the brand. There are numerous ways of achieving this, ranging from small tactical actions to more comprehensive loyalty schemes.

There’s lots that established brands can learn from smaller businesses here. From handwritten notes to customer appreciation events, small gestures can really make a customer feel valued, building that bond with your business.

4. Empower staff to go above and beyond

Customers also value service personnel going beyond their usual responsibilities. But how do you get your staff to make this a reality? One tip is to move away from rigid customer service processes and to embrace a more flexible approach. This will empower your staff to react to customers in the most appropriate way,  creating a personalized and therefore superior customer experience.

A great example of this comes from UK coffee chain Pret. Each week, staff in the store are allowed to give away a certain number of free drinks to customers. Giving employees the freedom to offer a free coffee to a flustered customer is a small gesture that delivers big returns, quickly making someone’s day and creating a positive brand experience.

5. Give gifts that reflect customers’ needs

Another component to consider adding to your customer experience strategy is gifting. But to really resonate, gifts needs to take customer wants and needs into account. If you’re in search of inspiration, look no further than Sephora. The French beauty brand delivers personalised emails – based on an individual’s search history – that give customers chance to get their hands on a relevant free gift.

As part of our research, we investigated how these factors vary by market. Get in touch with your local office to find out the 5 must-have principles for a best-in-class customer experience strategy in your market.

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