Belgium is a relatively small country within Western Europe but it lies in a strategically important position between France, Germany and the Netherlands, and its capital city, Brussels, is home to many key institutions of the European Union.
Belgians are well known beer lovers, and the country produces over 1,600 types of beer. Belgian beer culture is even recognised by UNESCO as part of the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.
The vast majority of Belgium’s economy is built on services, at 71% of its nominal GDP. The country’s strong services sector is driven by a hub of European institutions and diplomatic representation. European institutions that call Brussels home include the European Commission (the executive branch of the EU), the Council of Ministers (officially the Council of the European Union), and the European Council. Belgium is therefore a core location for conducting any kind of market research with European political, policy, or regulatory dimensions.
Belgium is divided into three autonomous regions: Flanders, the Dutch-speaking Flemish Region in the north, French-speaking Wallonia in the south, and the Brussels-Capital Region in the middle, where the majority of residents also speak French as their first language. It is important to bear these linguistic differences in mind when planning any kind of consumer market research in Belgium. English is also widely spoken in Belgium and many B2B projects, including those relating to the European Union, can be conducted in English.
Central European Time UTC +1
Daylight Saving Time operates from the last weekend in March to the last weekend in October
Focus groups allow participants to combine experiences and perspectives to explore ideas in depth. Commonly used during creative and conceptual development, they help you understand your customers’ needs, perceptions, and beliefs.
In-depth interviews (IDIs), where a moderator interviews a single respondent, can be conducted face-to-face, online, or over the phone. They are ideal for B2B research and for exploring delicate subjects with consumers and hard-to-reach groups.
Ethnographic research is a qualitative research method in which the researchers observe participants using a product or service, or carrying out other activities, in their own environment, typically at work or at home.
An online bulletin board (OBB) is an online forum for qualitative market research that enables participants to log into to carry out research tasks or reply to questions asked by a moderator at their own pace, typically over a period of a few days.
A market research online community (MROC) is similar to an online bulletin board (OBB). However, unlike an OBB, on online community may be used to serve multiple purposes, and the community may remain active for weeks, months or even years.
User experience (UX) testing is a qualitative research methodology which involves directly observing and interviewing a participant using a product or service. It is widely used for testing new versions of apps and websites before they are launched.
Customer experience (CX) testing evaluates how customers interact with a product, service, or digital platform. It helps identify usability issues and overall satisfaction to improve the customer journey and ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.
A video survey is a type of unmoderated qualitative research in which survey takers respond to a series of instructions or questions by making short videos using their smartphone, either in ‘selfie’ mode or to record an activity.
Vox pop research involves making recordings of people, usually members of the public, responding to questions. These clips are often used in research to illustrate public opinion on widely known topics, brands, or products.
Online surveys are a cost-effective research method with great flexibility in design. Automated data handling allows the results to be available quickly and many online surveys can be completed on smartphones, helping to improve the response rate.
CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) leverages technology to reach those who aren’t online. CATI interviews follow an electronic script with built in routing and type in the respondent’s answers to each question as the interview proceeds.
CAPI (computer-assisted personal interviewing) is a form of face-to-face interviewing where the interviewer reads the survey questions from a tablet device and inputs the respondent’s answers directly to the device.
As part of a study for a major technology company, we recruited opinion leaders living in Brussels to take part in focus groups that made use of handheld dials to track responses. These ideas were then shared by the moderator in real time.
Our client wanted to hold focus group discussions with members of the public and opinion elites in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy and Poland on their perceptions of the way that technology companies use artificial intelligence. This involved recruiting 240 respondents over a period of 5 weeks.
Our client was wanted to find out more about attitudes towards healthcare insurance in four different markets: Belgium, Poland, Spain and Turkey. The research involved three rounds of 60-minute remote interviews with differences in the profiles required in each market and each round of research.
Our client was working with a brewer to understand more about how people living in Belgium arrange to meet up with friends in pubs and bars, what bookings they make and how they order refreshments. We carried out recruitment and interview scheduling, which involved simultaneous translators for French and Flemish.
A leading health research charitable foundation which focuses on climate change, infectious diseases and mental health, asked us to help run an 10-month online community to draw together professionals, students and campaigners in Brussels.
We recruited owners of speed pedelecs (fast electric bikes) in Belgium and Switzerland for a manufacturer who was developing new models and wanted to hear first hand how owners use their pedelecs and what features are most important to them, as well as testing several concepts for new models.
