The most populous in Western Europe, Germany consequently sustains the largest economy. The country’s capital and largest city is Berlin, while its main financial centre is Frankfurt. The main centres for face-to-face research are Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Munich.
Around a quarter of the German population has at least one non-German parent. The largest non-German groups are people of Turkish, Polish, Russian or Syrian descent.
Germany’s small and medium-sized businesses are regarded as the backbone of its economy. Known as ‘Mittelstand’, they are celebrated for their innovation, quality and niche specialisms. Germany is a global major force in the industrial and scientific sectors and is recognised as the inventor of the printing press, the automobile, aspirin, X-rays and MP3s.
Germany is the world’s third-largest exporter and third-largest importer. The largest component of Germany’s GDP is services, at 63%. This includes a wide range of activities from financial services and telecommunications to tourism and hospitality, education, and retail and wholesale. A large section of Germany’s GDP is based around industries such as automotive (it is the home of Volkswagen/Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Porsche), engineering (such as Siemens and Bosch), chemicals (notably BASF) and pharma (for example, Bayer and Merck).
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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.
A German challenger bank wanted to recruit freelancers and self-employed people in Germany for face-to-face depth interviews to help them refine their proposition and marketing. FieldworkHub successfully recruited English- and German-speaking respondents to take part in in-depth interviews.
Our client was assisting the manufacturer of a kit used by hospital nuclear medicine departments to assist in the location of infection or inflammation in the limbs and backs of patients. We recruited 5 specialists and provided moderation for the interviews and prepared English transcripts.
Our client asked us to recruit young adults in the UK, France, Germany and Italy who regularly shop at a leading streetwear retailer to take part in an online focus group, follow up in-depth interviews and virtual shop alongs. We recruited against specific criteria including location, age, gender and attitudes towards fashion trends.
For a global technology company, FieldworkHub recruited senior decision makers and C-level profiles from brand-name companes, advertising agencies and news publishers in the UK and Germany for online focus groups and IDIs about data privacy.
A major US apparel company wanted to gain insights into German teenagers’ brand perceptions and shopping behaviours. We recruited 16 respondents who actively follow the latest fashion trends and meticulously plan their wardrobes accordingly for in-person fous groups and ‘closet raids’.
FieldworkHub recruited respondents in Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and Latvia for online focus groups. Our client was working on a project about the dissemination of information regarding EU-funded science projects. They wanted respondents who were interested in science and had different levels of trust towards European institutions.
