Ethnography
Ethnography is the researcher’s gold standard when contributing to innovative product and strategy design. It is about diving deeply into the real and symbolic worlds of the consumer. What social game does the consumer play, and which meanings does he attribute to your product in relation to social context and image of self. Ethnographic research enables empathetic product design or insights how the customer journey needs to be shaped. It supports brand strategy, product innovation, and go-to-market strategies in unfamiliar environments..
While large surveys attempt to predict e.g. how many cups of coffee are being consumed by a large group of consumers, ethnography would rather lead to insights about the role of coffee in social interaction. Ethnography looks for patterns, not for probability, as disruptive events can not be foreseen by number counting. Good ethnography is getting results by combining clear research processes with a strong background in social science, psychology, and marketing
Market Entry
We are experts in market entry strategy. Research on market size, sales channels, and the mechanics of the business based on cultural insights are complemented by user research. Official quantitative data is most likely unreliable and unfit to your product offerings. Therefore we often recommend research methods based on personal conversations with users, buyers, and sellers. Our analysis and strategy recommendations will be informed by our knowledge of the market’s and the client’s cultures.
Semiotics
Semiotics is about decoding symbols to extract cultural meaning. It identifies the ideas and narratives that define categories, brands, or spaces. While ethnography is empirically searching for patterns within cultural context, semiotics identifies and interprets signs as cultural codes.
Consumers shop for meaning, not stuff. They use products to create personal identities, identify with groups, extend their selves, and mark transitions between life stages. Consumer demand has much more to do with a search for social meaning than with traditional demand-supply economics.
The semiotic perspective informs all aspects of the ethnographic research design, from constructing an interview protocol to data collection and analysis.
Semiotic analysis would outline the broad binary oppositions that structure the deep collective values and myths consumers associate with a product category and a specific brand. As a result brand strategy, marketing communication, and go-to-market strategy can be calibrated to the culture of consumers in emerging markets.
Brand structure
Brands are symbolic systems which reflect and guide social beliefs and behaviors. The brand structure needs therefore to be carefully calibrated to the cultural context of a target market. As an example, if masculinity stands as an important cultural code of the alcoholic beverage category, then the brand needs to take into consideration different expressions of masculinity in different markets.
Go-to-market strategy
A company’s go-to-market strategy is the sum of its functions it employs to connect with its customers. It includes product positioning, pricing, sales & marketing, distribution channels, fulfillment, after-sales service.
Two important concerns inform go-to-market strategy:
- Alignment between functions to make the integrated effort to reach the customer more efficient.
- Deep understanding of consumer and cultural context to make go-to-market strategy relevant.
Cultural Insights
To generate cultural insights and through them understand the consumer’s life world is what we do. Cultural insights inform brand strategy, product innovation, marcom, and go-to-market strategy.
Market research
We conduct high-quality industry-centered and consumer/user-centered market research.
- Industry-centered: market sizing and structures, competitors, distribution, sales organizations, go-to-market strategies
- Consumer/user-centered: usage & attitudes, ethnography, focus groups. Mainly qualitative. Online surveys and face to face quantitative consumer research when relevant.
Product innovation
From the point of view of established brands and organizations emerging markets are often unknown territory. Product innovation for emerging markets should therefore include the possibility of being disruptive compared to simple adjustments of parameters.
Innovation starts with insights about cultural meanings which structure a product category and the customer’s lifeworld. We use rigorous ethnographic and semiotic process to create actionable solutions.
Emerging markets
We are active in markets where our clients expect the highest growth of their business to happen in the forseeable future. It is where they must win, but where cultural obstacles are challenging. We talk China – a lot about China. Then South East Asia, India, Middle East, Africa, and many other markets between and beyond.
Growth strategy
A growth strategy consists of a number of crucial elements. To make them relevant and effective we design strategies which are embedded into the cultural context of a given emerging market.
Our Mission
We support our clients’ business growth in China, India, South-East Asia, Middle-East, and other Emerging Markets through innovation and strategy design based on research. Original insights about culture, markets, and users will shape go-to-market strategy, brand structure, and product innovation. We strive for excellency in our work, and always attempt to achieve above-average business success for our clients.
