S P R I N G 2 0 1 1V O L U M E 9 • N U M B E R 3

I D E A S & T O O L S F O R Q U A L I TAT I V E R E S E A R C H

• GLOBAL RESEARCH •

42 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2011 www.qrca.org

BRIC countries. Whohas not heard of them?(But, in case you are not

familiar with that acronym, they areBrazil, Russia, India and China.) Moreand more, these nations are demand-ing our attention. The world is watch-ing the slow transference of power fromthe old “emperors” to the new ones

— developing countries with a growingeconomy and a huge population of con-sumers ready to purchase, use, eat,drink and recommend the infinity ofproducts we are willing to offer.

In fact, I see increasing interest con-verging on Brazil and bringing in a lotof market research here. The interna-tional market is becoming more and

more interested in this country, andglobal market research is pouring overus. Which is great… most of the time.

However, a number of times, I havefound myself in situations where Ijust did not understand the requestedresearch approach for my not-from-Brazil client. Many times, I feel anguishwhile I sit and watch so much money

“Kansas,” in this case, means anywhere you are used to being. Doing research in different countries/cultures needs a lot ofunderstanding from those coming overseas.

B Y A N A L Ú C I A M E N D E S

Albar Research • São Paulo, Brazil • analucia@albar-research.com

43Q U A L I T A T I V E R E S E A R C H C O N S U L T A N T S A S S O C I A T I O N

invested going down the drain inresearch that I know will not lead tothe best insights. And why is that?

“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not inKansas anymore…” No, you are defi-nitely not. And, in international markets,you need to be acutely aware of that.As globalized as the world is today,there are still critical differences to beconsidered in each locale. Adaptingstudies to local culture, needs and habitsis crucial to successful strategic planning.

Here are a few points to understandBrazil better. Following this yellow brickroad might just help you get the best

from your study in this big, tropicalcountry. Enjoy the ride.

ChallengesFirst of all, you need to know the limita-tions that you will find on your way.There are many challenges to conduct-ing research in Brazil. It starts with thesize of this country. Although Brazil isas large as the continental U.S., but stilltaking baby steps in market research,there is not much structure outside ofthe big cities. Although we can conductresearch in the large cities and capitals,this will not reflect results from rural

areas. Many places have complicatedaccessibility, and there are no researchfacilities outside the main cities. If it isextremely necessary to do focus groupsin small towns, for example, we mustto do them in hotels.

This configuration makes it quitehard to cover the Brazilian populationas a whole, which leads to a secondbig challenge — there are no reliable,public statistical data. For example, ifyou want to know how many physiciansthere are in total (or only cardiologistsor dermatologists) practicing in Brazil,you will need to start making phone

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calls or doing internet research. Youmight get some numbers from theNational Association of Cardiology orDermatology, but those numbers do notnecessarily reflect the total, since beingregistered at the National Associationis not mandatory for physicians. Youcan try the National Medical Counsel,but again it is not guaranteed that theywill have the exact number. No institu-tion in Brazil collects (nor updates) thisdata. In a country of over 190 millionpeople, all we have is estimates.

Technology is another weakness.Internet connections are good, but stillnot accessible as necessary, and certainlynot available to everybody. The use oftechnology in new research methodolo-gies is, therefore, restricted to certaintargets and situations. Even then, westill might encounter difficulties.

What to Expect in the TropicsDespite the challenges, researchers com-ing from other countries will find a cozy,interesting and vibrant nation. The cli-mate of the tropics definitely makes agood venue. Here, you shall find colors,music, dance and food. Lots of food!We love food and sugar.

Brazilian research facilities usuallymake an extra effort to offer good food

for clients, moderators and respond-ents. Not serving a guest is impolite.Respondents and clients will always findfresh (Brazilian) coffee, soft drinks andsnacks, such as little sandwiches andBrazilian tapas. Pao de queijo (cheeserolls) and brigadeiro (a dessert madewith condensed milk and chocolate) arevery traditional (and we are very proudto show them off to foreigners). Yes,you can expect to put on some weightwhen you come. It will be totally worthit, we promise!

SamplingIf you are looking for a specific kind ofsample, such as physicians or I.T. man-agers, research in Sao Paulo and/orRio de Janeiro will generally result inusable data. Since those are the largestcities in the country, their medical andtechnological centers reflect the mainpractices and developments in the area.

If your target is consumers and youreally want “flavor” from Brazil, how-ever, you will need to go beyond SaoPaulo and Rio de Janeiro. As alreadysaid (and you probably are alreadyaware), Brazil is one of the largest coun-tries in the world. During colonial times,there were influences from many cul-tures (Africa, Europe, native Indians),

and during the last two centuries, wehave had immigration from all over theworld. Therefore, we now have a vari-ety of costumes, habits, typical dishes,flavors and tastes spread all over thecountry’s five regions (South, Southeast,Middle-west, Northeast and North).In each of these regions, you willfind different likes and dislikes, dailyhabits and preferences for differentproducts. Availability of products mayalso differ.

In this case, to have a wider vision ofconsumers in Brazil, you will need to goto the Northeast and South, in additionto the Southeast, of course. As statedbefore, yes, there are challenges inthis matter, but it is possible to con-duct research in the big cities, such asSalvador and Recife in the Northeastand Porto Alegre and Curitiba inthe South.

SchedulingFlexibility with scheduling is necessaryhere: showing up on time means any-thing from arriving 10 minutes earlyto 15 minutes late. There is also the“traffic” factor, which is a major chal-lenge in big cities like Sao Paulo, and,unfortunately, is something we cannotcontrol. It is important to understand

Here, there are no reliable, public statistical data… in a countryof over 190 million people, all we have is estimates.

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We are still not at a point where we can rely on the respondents’ability to deal with technology. Reliable internet connections andmodern equipment (such as webcams, digital cameras, etc.) arenot as accessible as in the U.S.

that if there a storm, for example, trafficin Sao Paulo will stop, and people willrun late. Scheduling is even harder tocontrol with focus groups, where weneed to gather a number of people atthe same time. We usually schedulegroups for 5:30, for example, to startat 6:00.

Also, Brazilians are talkers. We liketo talk. “Cutting off” a respondent inorder to strictly follow the timing out-lined in the guide is a delicate matter.To get respondents’ full participation,we need to let them speak for a while.This is not a big issue here, since weare flexible with timings and since itis completely OK to go over schedulefor a little bit. Therefore, focus groupsand in-depth interviews may run a littlelonger than in other countries.

Top Tips for ResearchersWant things to run smoothly in theLand of Oz? Here are some tips to help.

• Do not try to conduct researchduring World Cup or Carnival.People simply will not come. It isnot your vendor’s fault.

• Do not try to use modern tech-nology with research among thecommon public — we are still notat a point where we can rely onthe respondents’ ability to dealwith technology. Reliable internet

connections and modern equipment(such as webcams, digital cameras,etc.) are not as accessible here asin the U.S.

• Flexibility to adjust profiles andscreening criteria according to thelocal situation is crucial. Insistingon finding the same profile/type ofrespondent as in other countriesmay lead to a slower process, mis-recruitment, not completing thesample and/or unreliable data.

• Starting recruitment a long time inadvance usually does not work.Respondents have difficulty sched-uling an appointment for threeweeks in advance. They may acceptit at the time, but later on they willforget, make other plans and cancelat the last minute. Depending onthe complexity/size of the sample,two weeks is usually a good time-table for recruitment.

• Translation is something you do notwant to pinch pennies on. This isone of the key factors for success-ful research in foreign countries.Always look for Brazilian, certifiedtranslators. If you trust your Bra-zilian vendor, you can trust theirchoice of translator.

• Do researchers have issues withpersonal safety in Brazil? Well,yes, as in any other big city in the

world. Again: if you trust yourBrazilian vendor, you are in goodhands. Do not worry.

• Each one of the BRIC countries isvery unique. Brazil is not compa-rable to Russia, India or India.

Case in PointWant to hear a good example of stra-tegic adapting?

Did you know that there is one placein Brazil where Coca-Cola is availableboth in the traditional red label and ina blue label? This place is a city calledParintins, and it is located in the Ama-zon. One of the most important culturalexpressions in the area is an annualFolklore Festival. In this festival, twoteams, each one represented by its ownox, battle. Here, the rivalry betweenthese two teams is greater than betweensoccer teams. Garantido is the nameof one team, whose color is red.Caprichoso is the other team, and theircolor is blue. Caprichoso fans refuseto consume Coca-Cola productsbecause the brand has the color oftheir opponent. They chose to con-sume Pepsi, which has their color,blue. For this reason, since 2005,Coca-Cola produces labels in both redand blue colors, in order to win allParintins consumers.