Multiple zones, one approach

Editor’s note: Owen Jenkins is CEO of Kadence Business Research, Framingham, Mass.

At the time of writing this article, the result of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election was still in the balance. By now readers of Quirk’s will know whether John McCain or Barack Obama is moving into the White House, and will no doubt be speculating on what this change at the top will mean for them on a personal level as well as for the country and its place on the world stage.

One thing is certain: The new president will run things in his own style, stamping his personality on the new administration both through the policies he introduces and the team he creates around him.

With the president as CEO and his cabinet acting as heads of departments leading different teams of vice presidents and line staff, the new administration will be organized very much like a business. And like all businesses, a change of leadership can have a significant effect on its culture, the way it does business and its effectiveness.

In this respect, both government and businesses - especially those operating in the service sector - are people-focused organizations. Even though success is ultimately measured by the bottom line, we all enjoy doing business with people we get along with.

The problem with a “people business” is that our relationship with client-servicing staff may not communicate the true strengths and weaknesses of an organization.

Current strengths

The relationship between a market research agency and a client may well begin with a credentials presentation at which the agency outlines its previous international project experience and current strengths of both individual team members and the business as a whole. In the absence of prior knowledge, the decision to award a contract is based on perception rather than experiential reality.

A second job is won on the strength of the first. The success of this first project determines whether the client awards further work to the agency. But what happens if the research team changes before the agency is commissioned again by the same client - will the next project be equally well-managed? This issue is more acute with international research projects involving larger teams spread across different parts of the world, many of whom will never actually meet the client.

Behind the curtain

So how do you ensure consistency in international research when teams change? First of all, research buyers should look “behind the curtain.” If most day-to-day contact is just with a single person then a personnel change can seriously affect the client-research agency relationship. Clients stand to benefit from getting to know the wider agency team with whom they are dealing and ensuring it is sufficiently empowered to handle issues and respond to queries effectively.

Clearly this also works in the agency’s favor as it is in their best interests to ensure that the whole research team enjoys a high visibility with the client and that no one person is seen as the sole project deliverer.

Looking closer still, at a credentials presentation or agency briefing, it is well worth establishing if the present team members will be the ones managing the research project itself, and which individuals will be responsible for the ultimate success of the project. It may be that reports are received from a U.S.-based agency but the fieldwork and interpretation is being led by a completely separate team in Asia or Latin America. Clearly, local expertise is essential for the success of international research, but it is equally important that this level of understanding extends to the people who report back and deliver findings to the client.

At our firm for example, most major international projects we conduct from Boston also involve our offices in London and Singapore. While a kickoff meeting to discuss budgets and schedules is often made up solely of U.S.-based research staff and the client team, it has then proved beneficial to involve the other global teams in subsequent client meetings to discuss objectives in greater detail and meet one another. These teams can also share their unique knowledge of the markets being researched, and at a very early stage highlight any barriers that may be faced, for example reaching a representative audience. From a client perspective, it is important that they realize such conversations have taken place and that they are benefiting from staff knowledge.

Systems to cope

Once the people involved in the project are known, research buyers need to be confident that the same people have the systems to cope. Managing international research can be a complex process involving dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals operating across different languages and cultures.

Just as creative staff are seen as central to the advertising industry, so research design and interpretation specialists are valued within market research. Rightly so, but this should not lead to a lack of focus on logistics and other back-office functions that aid the delivery of effective, high-level insight.

Channels of communication must be clear and knowledge pooled to ensure that valuable insights do not get lost in translation. Regional offices of global research agencies must have the skills to work in tandem, understanding local variations in methodologies so that, for example, a U.S. head office is equipped to interpret data from rural China if necessary.

Some agencies will adhere to a globally-recognized quality system such as ISO but either way there should be effective procedures in place to ensure consistency in data capture, interpretation and reporting. For a brand owner to check this at the outset, it can be useful to ask for copies of sample documents like interviewer briefing forms and questionnaires so it can understand the agency’s way of working and ensure project implementation is in line with research objectives.

Better understanding

One final point to note is that consistency will often increase in line with the volume of work an agency conducts for a given client. The research team will naturally develop a better understanding of the client’s marketing and overall business objectives with every project completed, in addition to its culture and way of working, which can help minimize the impact of any change in senior personnel.

However, such a relationship is not always compatible with roster systems whereby clients maintain a short-list of agencies among which projects are divided. While this is often done on the basis of each agency’s relative strengths and, for international projects, experience and presence in a particular country or region, it can hinder a deep understanding of your research partner and put you at risk from a change in leadership.

Every time

Above all, consistently good research comes from doing the right things well every time. As agencies, we strive for this but perhaps we learn most from when things don’t go according to plan. I’m reminded of a previous client in the hotel trade who said - somewhat surprisingly - that the best thing to do with a new customer was spill food over them. This happened in one of his hotels and the manner in which his team rectified the situation - having the customer’s suit cleaned and hanging on the door in time for his business meeting - ensured that he remained a loyal customer despite the accident.

Whenever there is a change at the top of a research agency, things will inevitably change further down the line. However, there are a number of steps that client-company researchers can take to ensure consistency in the conduct of international research projects, such as getting to know the extended agency team and the systems on which they rely. This also works in favor of the agency itself as it can illustrate the resources and depth of understanding it holds. In doing so, research clients will no longer be at the mercy of personnel changes in what remains a fundamentally people-focused industry.

Ways to ensure consistency in international research projects

  • Assess whether you are too reliant on a small number of research agency personnel; if your key contact left tomorrow, how would you cope?
  • Look behind the curtain. Get to know the extended agency team and interact with them; understand their strengths and weaknesses and the limits of their responsibilities.
  • Set up briefings with other global offices involved in running the project at an early stage and check their lines of communication.
  • Establish who is conducting the core project work and check the ability of different national teams to work together holistically. For example, does a U.S. head office have the necessary skills to interpret data from rural China or is this conducted locally?
  • Ask to see sample documents/forms and establish what other systems are in place to ensure consistency in data capture, interpretation and reporting. Does the agency adhere to any quality standard such as ISO?
  • Consider how you manage your agency short-list. Find a balance between choice and consistency when allocating research projects. Repeat business helps create a greater mutual understanding.