Feeling the market with your soul: why in-person qual is vital for global expansion

Currently, I’m working on three international research projects for Ukrainian brands actively conquering new markets. This has inspired me to reflect, feel a bit nostalgic, and, most importantly, explain why ambitious companies critically need live qualitative research

Today it’s easy to gather a baseline of information about any market through open sources or AI. But good old-school face-to-face qualitative research remains the only way to see the market through the eyes of a real consumer and to feel it with your own soul

Recently, a colleague from Greece told me that even those global giants who once moved their research entirely online and stopped going into the fields are now returning to the good old practice of live in-home visits across various markets. I’m thrilled

Why? Because...

1. New market - different mentality

We’ve learned the hard way how significantly Ukrainians differ from russians, haven’t we? Yet, we continue to trip over the same stones, now assuming that 'well, Poles aren't that different from us...'

Believe me, it’s an illusion

Once, we conducted research on naturalness codes in Eastern European countries, and we were struck by how much Polish consumers actually differed in their perception from us, Romanians and Hungarians. NDA restrictions prevent me from sharing more here, so let me tell you about Morocco instead :)

The Story of the 'pillow shields':

We were conducting a research in Morocco. Walking into our local partners' office for the first time, we were struck by the setup of the focus group room: low sofas around a table and many, many decorative pillows. The group began, the respondents entered, and each immediately took a pillow and placed it on her lap

The moderator started serving tea, and for a while, they just chatted about their own lives. Behind the glass, we were already getting worried: time was ticking, the moderator didn't seem to feel the timing - it was long past time to move to the main topic! But it turned out that the signal for the moderator to move to the topic was the moment the women put the pillows aside. Those pillows weren't just decor; they served as a kind of "shield," a defense in an unfamiliar environment

As soon as the women started feeling safe, they relaxed, set the pillows aside, and only then could we begin discussing what interested us

Business lesson: We realized that when entering such a market, one shouldn't expect an offer to 'take off' immediately. We must give people time and patiently build a sense of safety and trust

2. New market - different history and category evolution

About 'Chemicals for the Poor':

A long time ago, clients from Italy couldn't understand why Ukrainians had such a negative attitude toward bouillon cubes. In Italy, this product has a multi-generational history; it’s still in the kitchens of people with varying incomes and is perceived as a convenient base (e.g., for risotto) or a seasoning that saves the day when there's no time for full-scale cooking

In Ukraine, however, bouillon cubes 'arrived' in the 1990s as a cheap substitute for real chicken. They became a symbol of hardship and were firmly etched in people's minds as 'chemicals for the poor'. Adding a cube to a shrimp risotto? You must be joking...

Business lesson: If it suddenly seems like a category is empty and just waiting for you - conduct research to find out why it happened that way. Are you ready, for example, to spend years and budgets breaking a categorical barrier?..

3. New market - different competitive environment and benchmarks

I could tell a fascinating story about a series of brand perception studies for milk chocolate in Eastern Europe before Roshen milk chocolate became Lacmi, if not the NDA...

But just imagine how difficult it is to start competing with a global lovemark like Milka and that 'tiny little creature wrapping chocolate', which consumers recall with a childhood smile in every country we visited...

Business lesson: Entering new markets must begin with a study of the competitive environment and the adaptation of your brand strategy. No brand strategy? Oops, it doesn't work that way on the international level...

4. New markets - hidden perception codes

Years ago, we conducted research for the Jacobs coffee brand in Israel. Imagine our surprise when we realized that the color green, the brand's 'sacred' distinctive asset, signified 'decaf' in that market...

Imagine: you enter your '125th happy market', confident in your recognizable design, only to find it carries a completely different meaning for the local consumer

Business lesson? Before entering another market, test the perception of your name and design. Even if your distinctive assets work worldwide, it doesn't guarantee success in a new context. Test your naming and design in advance to avoid becoming the next 'Blue Water' in Ukraine

Why live qualitative research?

Because a new market needs to be FELT with your soul

For this, it is absolutely necessary to spend some time where you plan to introduce your brand. Walk those streets, breathe that air, observe and talk to those people, ride the subway, visit the shops, taste the local cuisine...

More often than not, what we call a true insight is found not during a Zoom focus group, but in the most unexpected place. It could be a specific product display in a tiny shop, a branded bag carried by a passerby, or a packet of instant soup in the client room at a local partner’s office...

Moreover, we (me as the researcher and you as the client) must walk this path together. Then the chances of finding truly valuable insights increase manifold. After all, we look at the same things through different professional eyes: you - through the prism of your product and business goals, I - through behavioral codes and consumer emotions

Things seen, heard and felt must be PONDERED

Otherwise, you might miss the nuances (and not just the nuances)

For research to be beneficial, especially in a new market, it must be conducted slowly, calmly, with an open heart and genuine curiosity

In the routine schedule of a Marketing Director or Brand Manager, this is almost impossible - I know from experience. You are always so busy that you literally need to be pulled out into the real lives of people outside your bubble

When we go on a field trip together, we get a rare opportunity to focus and immerse ourselves entirely in our research topic. We think about it while having breakfast at the hotel, strolling through the city, browsing new clothing collections, or drinking wine... It’s a combination of business and pleasure that we always lack in the daily grind, isn't it?

So... shall we go on the next journey together? :)