GLOBAL
Survey length will not be the same across all European countries, for example translation from English to German can add 20% to the length of a questionnaire.
Covering the developing markets of central and eastern Europe will often require interviewing via mobile phone as mobile has overtaken fixed line as the communication medium of choice.
And remember there are a number of different languages in many countries which means set up needs to be well managed. For example South Africa where there are four major consumer languages. And in South America it is best not to carry over a questionnaire used in Spain into Argentina or Venezuela.
Always worth bearing in mind the car culture in the Americas. This can include spending up to four hours a day in the car commuting between home and work. So, leave your hotel early for the briefing!
Using a native moderator for groups is ideal, though if you can pull off the “stupid pommie” act in Brisbane it sometimes works to your benefit.
Qualitative dipsticks in the US are often best conducted in the mid west as New York City and San Francisco can skew results (though they might be popular with our clients).
Conducting business groups in Asia can be full of pitfalls, for example it is important to make sure participants are not drawn from too wide a pool of responsibilities and age as this can lead to deference towards more senior respondents.
In the Middle East it is often the case that there are no viewing studios but everyone is in the same room and the groups often finish with a big meal for all, including the clients, moderator and respondents.
