France is the largest country in the European Union by surface area, and the fifth most populous on the continent. France has significant populations of ethnic minorities, principally from its former colonies in the Maghreb, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, but the exact number is difficult to estimate since France does not officially collect statistics on race or ethnicity (and it is against the law to ask for this information when screening participants for market research).
France has been a world leader throughout history in many aspects of culture including cuisine, politics, philosophy, music, art, film, fashion, literature and sports. France’s longstanding cultural and economic centre is Paris, which is also the largest city in the country. Market research in France is mostly concentrated in Paris but FieldworkHub also has capabilities in various provincial cities including Marseille, Lyon, Nice and Toulouse. The nation’s official language is, of course, French, which was once the global language of diplomacy and is still spoken by over 300 million people worldwide.
The country is strong in chemical production, aerospace and defence, automobile manufacturing and luxury goods, the manufacturing of which accounts for 19% of the country’s total GDP. Services are a huge driver in the French economy (69%), including retail and wholesale, social and administrative services, distribution and transport, banking and IT and communication services.
Tourism is also an important contributor to the services sector. 80 million foreign visitors are welcomed to the country every year – more than any other country in the world. Although globally famous for wine (Bordeaux and Champagne to name a few) and cheese (such as Brie and Camembert), agriculture only accounts for 2% of France’s GDP.
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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.
FieldworkHub was asked to recruit a small number of profiles for B2B market research in France. We were asked to recruit people who worked for companies that purchase fragrance ingredients in bulk and were involved in briefing fragrance houses or manufacturers on how they want their products to smell.
A leading management consultancy wanted to talk to French adults about use of financial products and services and their interest in a new digital concept they were developing. We were asked to recruit a mix of young professionals and parents in non-nuclear families for in-home interviews.
An airport operator wanted to run focus groups with international and luxury travellers in London, Paris and Shanghai to help it improve its retail offering. We recruited 65 respondents for two focus groups in each city, managed the viewing facility bookings and arranged moderators and simultaneous translators.
A global mining group wanted to understand more about consumers’ attitudes towards diamond jewellery containing lab-grown rather than natural diamonds. FieldworkHub was asked to recruit four consumers in each of Germany, France, Italy and the UK who buy luxury goods. Respondents took part in remote IDIs.
FieldworkHub recruited two electrophysiologists in each of the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain to understand perceptions and preferences around implantable cardiac devices. The respondents came from a mix of academic, public and private hospitals and had different preferences towards specific devices and different frequencies of implanting them.
We were asked to recruit ten respondents in the UK and 30 in each of France and Germany to provide feedback on VR headsets made by a leading brand. The manufacturer wanted their views on both the products themselves and the way in which they were promoted through point-of-sale displays.
