Benchmarking international marketing research practice in UK agencies – Preliminary evidence

Abstract

This paper looks at the methodology adopted for international marketing research by commercial marketing research agencies. It considers the actual practices used by providers of commercial international marketing research, and reveals that while most commercial researchers are aware of, and address, the overt problems of international marketing research (e.g. language differences), they are less aware of the more covert problems that may arise (e.g. response bias). This paper shows that no single organization can be used as benchmark for commercial international marketing research; consequently, theoretical researchers concerned with international marketing research methodology must address how they disseminate their findings to commercial marketing researchers.