Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
And how do you figure out whom to research in foreign countries? That in itself is a problem. In the
United States, researchers often ask if they can talk to the heads of households to conduct marketing
research. But in countries in which domestic servants or employees are common, the heads of households
aren’t necessarily the principal shoppers; their domestic employees are. [12]
Translating surveys is also an issue. Have you ever watched the TV comedians Jay Leno and David
Letterman make fun of the English translations found on ethnic menus and products? Research tools such
as surveys can suffer from the same problem. Hiring someone who is bilingual to translate a survey into
another language can be a disaster if the person isn’t a native speaker of the language to which the survey
is being translated.
One way companies try to deal with translation problems is by using back translation.
When back translation is used, a native speaker translates the survey into the foreign language and
then translates it back again to the original language to determine if there were gaps in meaning—that is,
if anything was lost in translation. And it’s not just the language that’s an issue. If the research involves
any visual images, they, too, could be a point of confusion. Certain colors, shapes, and symbols can have
negative connotations in other countries. For example, the color white represents purity in many Western
cultures, but in China, it is the color of death and mourning. [13] Also, look back at the cartoon-completion
exercise in Figure 10.8 "Example of a Cartoon-Completion Projective Technique". What would women in
Muslim countries who aren’t allowed to converse with male sellers think of it? Chances are, the cartoon
wouldn’t provide you with the information you’re seeking if Muslim women in some countries were asked
to complete it.
One way marketing research companies are dealing with the complexities of global research is by merging
with or acquiring marketing research companies abroad. The Nielsen Company is the largest marketing
research company in the world. The firm operates in more than a hundred countries and employs more
than forty thousand people. Many of its expansions have been the result of acquisitions and mergers.