Data Collection in China

Data collection options fit particular cultural context. In this article market research techniques are looked at in relation to the cultural context of China.

Consumer
Face-to-face and telephone communication are equally important when connecting with Chinese consumers. However, with slower internet speeds, the adoption of web-based interviewing tools is not practical or cost efficient at this point in time.

1. Street intercept interviews: So much Chinese life is lived on the streets that street intercept interviews continue to be the core method of quantitative consumer research in China. We find this method highly effective when conducting high incidence, large sample general consumer studies.
2. Central location tests (CLT): For longer surveys and lower incidence populations, we use of the many central location facilities around China. This approach is extremely effective in reaching children, families and teens to conduct in-person interviews.
3. Telephone interviews: For shorter surveys, this is a cost-effective way to interview consumers, as we have access to:
   • a large telephone number database
   • a system that can automatically create telephone numbers, enabling us to reach many consumers in a large range
4. Consumer online surveys: We anticipate online research to develop and strengthen in China as a key research method, and we have access to over 20 million Chinese consumers that are available for online surveys.
5. Mobile phone surveys: Conducting surveys in China based upon mobile phone platforms will improve with access to faster mobile data networks.
6. Doort-to-door interviewing: Door-to-door as a method of gathering data is less preferable to consumers and researchers alike, due to concerns about privacy. Also, there is evidence that the lack of response from consumers leads to unrepresentative data.

Business-to-business
Data collection among respondents like doctors, health professionals and C-level management:

1. Face-to-face interviews: In central location facilities or with professionals pre-recruited by telephone then interviewed in person. In contrast to Western professionals, this is the preferred approach, as many Chinese executives aren’t comfortable with interviews at their place of work.
2. Telephone interviews: China is a geographically dispersed country and, with professionals’ schedules ever more hurried, executive telephone interviewing is a growing alternative to face to face. CATi and CAPi are used as subsidiary tools of telephone interviews. For example, with large sample sizes and tight timelines, we adopt web CATi to integrate all fieldwork sources, then many interviewers can work on the same web questionnaire, enhancing the speed and accuracy of data collection.
3. Web-conference interviews: Adobe Acrobat® Connect Professional used for web conferencing and online collaboration to enable virtual face-to-face interviews. This allows interviews to be completed more efficiently with geographically dispersed respondents.
   • The ‘wow-factor’ of the technology encourages participation from hard to motivate participants. Respondents can see and hear ads and new product concepts so we can record more realistic reactions, and our interviewers can get a facial reaction.
   • This is a great interview option for technology-focused target markets like IT and medical science.
4. Online surveys: Online business respondents are pre-recruited or drawn from the growing number of B2B business and professional databases.

This is an excerpt from the full presentation posted below:

This content was provided by WAC Survey and Strategic Consulting. Visit their website at www.wacsurvey.com.

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