With the boom of global markets and niche products, the demand for multicultural qualitative research is growing rapidly. This presents a challenge for marketing research companies, as the standard approaches to qualitative data collection in focus groups simply do not work for consumers from minority linguistic and cultural groups. While the research goals may remain the same, the perspectives, criteria and exploratory techniques must be thoroughly reevaluated.
The contributions of cultural experts extend beyond consulting on the preparation of the facility and the recruitment process. Cultural consultants, professional translators and interpreters, and expert native moderators can help to create and execute a discussion roadmap that respects the cultural norms. This keeps the group on track by gathering the information needed to achieve the predetermined research goals. The importance of obtaining the support of a qualified language services provider cannot be overemphasized. Its project managers and language professionals can contribute significantly not only to the execution of the focus group, but to the planning, budgeting and final analysis of the study. Because of its extensive resources, a language services provider can be an invaluable ally throughout the entire process.
