The field of market research in Italy. Interview with Giorgina Baldi (Field Leader - Marketing Research, Milan) how has it changed over the last three years needs and behavior of customers in the industry?
E 'could be detected a constant tendency to require more quality at lower cost. In practice, the statement " value for money" is trumpeted in theory, it requires more and more well-defined parameters to support / demonstrate excellence in quality, but at the same time you want to spend less and less giving the impression of want to be reassured without formally addressing the problem of how to meet certain requirements at 0 cost.
What is the impact of new technologies and regulations on services traditional?
The main regulatory changes regarding the availability / accessibility to the telephone numbers and their permissions to the law on privacy. Certainly this has made it difficult to conduct telephone interviews. This methodology is still in use and demand by customers, but if you do not change the operating conditions, we anticipate a reduction of the activity in the near future in favor of an increase in interviews online. This solution may also prove cheaper has a basic flaw, the respondents belong to a panel that is repeatedly asked the respondents, and then become "specialists" interview, losing the connotation of spontaneity and genuineness that is essential to state that the sample is representative of the target audience.
Given these changes, the SME sector have developed new services?
Given that in Italy there is a culture of market research or consumer level or at the level of SMEs, often confusing research and opinion polls, the only remaining possibility for a small operator who wants to retain its independence is to demonstrate its capabilities in terms of professionalism, competence, quality and above all flexibility. These characteristics are highly rated by customers and often in the hands of the great reality. There is no form of support that allows a small company to invest in developing new technological solutions or to test new services, it remains to focus on their abilities and reputazione.In such a context, although the differentiation is a key element for development company, you are not able to develop new methods, properly tested and validated for the inability to use the resources available to small businesses.
At present, to be successful in the field is more important to be specialized or volumes?
In our industry where large Competitors 'specialists' investing methodologies and different analytical models, point to a 'super-specialization' not pay because it would be too simplistic and there is no market for niche products by a small company that is not supported by links with universities or other institutions. It 'better to resign if asked to complete a project with a methodological approach for which we do not have the sufficient experience and competenza.I volumes are needed for survival, but not too much to not lose sight of the quality of work .
According to her, but such logic should be abandoned?
Unfortunately, in Italy, with the exception of large companies that we represent a strong minority of traders, there is widespread ignorance about marketing research, often confused with opinion polls and for companies that represent the utility , especially in times of difficulty like the present. The logic would be to give up not being able to exploit this vital research tool, and then live as a cost rather than an opportunity for the company that would also obtain savings by channeling resources towards avoiding waste in the most appropriate investments.
Molto spesso la visione un po' miope degli imprenditori che quando sono in una fase economica positiva non sono interessati a guardare avanti, mentre quando sono in fase critica o di recessione, tendono a tagliare i costi o a non investire in ciò che ritengono superfluo, senza valutare i potenziali danni che ne derivano.
Qual è il modello/formula prevalente in Italia?
Più dell’80% del mercato delle ricerche è localizzato in Lombardia, nell’area della grande Milano con un offerta molto ampia e variegata. Qui si concentrano le sedi nazionali dei grandi gruppi multinazionali come pure una miriade di piccole agenzie, alcune perfettamente valide, animate da seri professionisti, altre mimetizzate sotto il grande cappello ‘servizi di marketing’ che offrono di tutto, dal call-center, alle promozioni, al tele-marketing,… Questa poca chiarezza certo non giova a ben delineare chi è professionista della ricerca da chi non lo è.La formula prevalente è quella di offrire il 100% dei servizi richiesti dal Cliente: i più preparati certo sanno distinguere, ma per chi si affaccia per la prima vota è facile fare una scelta sbagliata.
Secondo lei, sta aumentando o diminuendo la loro dimensione nel settore? Perchè?
Si sta assistendo ad una maggior concentrazione in gruppi di grandi dimensioni, in genere con proprietà foreign. The number of operators is then reduced because of the acquisitions, even if this does not actually believe that there is an equal reduction in the number of addetti.La size increases because a single international operator may have incorporated small operators 2-3-4 premises. The reason is certainly the globalization, more and more research is done no more in Europe, but global and multinational companies often turn to groups present in 50-60 countries because they require the use of similar methods of work to be able to more easily compare the results obtained in different continents.
In your opinion, what is the trend of variation in turnover in the next 3 years? And what the variation in costs?
The industry as a whole, I maintain a positive sign, although still at a level below the rate of growth in Europe or worldwide, could lead to a +3.2% at the end of the third anno.Gli unique costs that can significantly impact are related to fuel, telephone charges, taxes. And 'I hope that in three years does not exceed a threshold of 2-2.5%.
Giorgina Baldi International Operations Mgr
Field Leader Marketing Research Ltd.
Leader Field ( http://www.leaderfield.com ) is an active Institute since 1978 in the field of Market Research. offers quantitative and qualitative research services (full service).
