Cross-cultural Approach
rheingold believes that the overriding aim of international market and media research is to successfully come to terms with the heterogeneity of international markets. As a result rheingold consistently uses a cross-cultural approach when carrying out international research. This means that research is done by international teams consisting of rheingold project managers, rheingold moderators, and researchers from the respective countries.
International Teams
The international teams cooperate closely in the course of the studies. A joint briefing takes place at the location. rheingold staff observe explorations or conduct them themselves. On the basis of the first impressions, the procedure is checked and the further modus operandi is agreed on. A joint analysis takes place at the end of the field phase.
The cross-cultural approach means that rheingold’s project management fulfills integrative and culture-comparing tasks from the beginning to the end of the research process. Since our staff are active in research in every country, the superordinate perspective of the lead agency is bolstered. The task of revealing cultural differences and similarities can therefore be pursued much more purposefully.
Direct Intercultural Exchange
A decisive advantage of the cross-cultural approach lies in the the fact that the super-regional view of rheingold’s project management complements the local perspective of researchers from the respective countries. In the international teams there is already an ‘exchange of cultures’ during the research process which enables blind spots to be avoided and cultural differences and similarities to be tracked down.
Optimal Comparison of Results
Another important factor for international marketing is the question of the extent to which market research carried out in different countries should be linked together. In rheingold’s experience one can only achieve valid superordinate findings by sensibly integrating studies done in different countries. It is therefore eminently important to gear research and analysis to a uniform research approach.
With the Cross-cultural Approach rheingold ensures that a superordinate research standard is established from the very outset. In the international research team’s work rheingold’s perspective is conveyed to the cooperation partner and it is ensured that this perspective is maintained throughout the research. Only by means of a uniform reference system can the findings be comparable and compatible.
The importance of a uniform research approach and the need to link together the findings reached in different countries is clearly evident in studies on communication. In such research a collection of spontaneous impressions is often equated with the ‘true’ impact. This procedure, however, often only brings differences to light. Structural similarities can only be tracked down when a comparable research depth is achieved in all the countries and a uniform research standard is established.
