A Very Brief History Of Ethnic Research

In the early 1990's, Canadian marketers, especially of national brands, became aware that what was successful in the English-speaking market didn’t always work in any of the emerging ethnic communities.

The bottom-line reflected it

And a number of important lessons were learned

5 Facts An Astute Marketer Can Profit From

1: Doing separate market research on ethnic groups

Many immigrant Chinese and South Asians in particular live almost entirely in their own communities. They speak their own language and have their own media. The newer immigrants are likely to have no knowledge of your brand or company. They form a significant percentage of the population in terms of consumption power and wealth.

Solution:

Let MRA do an initial study and just see what these groups think of your brand or service, if they are aware of it at all. It will be an eye-opener!

2: Doing research expertly designed for these groups

The French Canadian experience showed that sloppy research design, questionnaires and translations are not only confusing, but actually counter-productive. (And they were born in Canada!) Within immigrant communities, the problems are compounded. So before asking how often consumers buy a product, first make sure you understand their habits and predispositions. You can't get much meaningful feedback about using ketchup in recipes from people who prefer soya sauce or curry.

Solution:

With experience in both the English-speaking and ethnic cultures, and with extensive learning gained from having conducted research in both, MRA can design the best research for you. We design research within a cultural context, a much more effective tool than a straight translation. And we not only look at how you expect your brand to be used, but help clients build their brands in the immigrants’ new, hybrid North American lifestyle.

3: Using "own-language" research for these groups

Without total 'cultural' and 'linguistic' fluency between respondents and researchers, important nuances will be lost and the analysis skewed into erroneous conclusions.

Solution:

Whether for qualitative or quantitative studies, MRA operates in the ethnic language and mindset in question. When we use a word or an expression, it means the same thing to all involved. This contributes to more in-depth analysis and recommendations.

4: Using researchers who are not knowledgeable with the culture and how it has adapted to North America

For Chinese Asians, for example, the number 4 is very unlucky. They will not buy houses with this number. They also avoid brands that have unlucky sounds in the name. Even people fluent in the language are unlikely to pick up on the impact such factors can have.

Solution:

MRA researchers are part of the community they do research in. They are also experienced interviewers and know what to probe for, and how to interpret within a cultural context what they hear. They know exactly what the respondent means when a response is given, which can often be very different than what the respondent says.

5: Using researchers who cannot present advertising concepts to respondents

The people who develop creative will tell you that it's not enough to simply have a great idea. Until it has been executed, it needs to be explained in a way that stimulates the imagination.

Solution:

Researchers at MRA have both client – packaged good giants like Nestle, RJR, and a leading Canadian bank – and international advertising agency experience -- Young & Rubicam -- in their backgrounds. They understand how to present concepts to respondents because they've been taught by the best.