Serge Mumbu (General Manager) and Arlette Leumbou (Senior Market Analyst) published an article analyzing the practice of market research in the DRC in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis. All sectors of life have been affected, including the market research sector. According to the two experts, the field of market research will survive in the DRC despite the pandemic.

The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded its first coronavirus case on March 10, 2020. The government immediately reacted by taking restrictive measures to slow the spread of the virus in the country. These decisions harmed all sectors, including the market research sector. Many research firms have had to resort to other methods unsuited to the DRC to continue working during the crisis. ESOMAR, the World Association of Market Research Professionals, believes the industry will survive because clients still need data and information to grow their businesses or organizations.

Face-to-face research remains dominant in the DRC as a data collection method. Several factors explain the dominance of the face-to-face method of data collection and the difficulties that have plagued the use of online surveys during this crisis period:

Low Internet penetration, according to the ARPTC report (Autorité de Régulation des Postes et Télécommunications en RDC). It threatens online sampling, as targeting only Internet users for consumer studies will be unrepresentative.
According to the World Literacy Review, the literacy level is 77%.

Interviewers are still struggling to administer the face-to-face questionnaire in French everywhere because national languages are the most widely spoken. Online consumer surveys will be a major challenge in understanding the questions. Only B2B surveys and those targeting a high social class can be easily completed online.

Lack of respondent data. Getting a consistent and representative database of emails and WhatsApp phone numbers is a big challenge; Mobile internet users do not always have an email address; Few internet users have a working email address, and others have forgotten their password or do not have one.

The cost of the Internet is perceived as high with people's standard of living. Assuring clients of sanitary measures during fieldwork (respecting social distancing, wearing masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, and digital thermometers).

Not to be left out, online qualitative research must also survive, but in its way - face-to-face recruitment to training the respondent on an online application (setup and use).

One of the main challenges of data collection in DR Congo is its high cost. Managing logistics is complicated because many cities are only accessible by air, and airfare is expensive; the cost of living is also very high (Kinshasa is the fourth most expensive city in Africa, where transportation, room rental, and salaries are high).

Between the two methodologies, online research is a way to reduce costs and help clients save their research budget and use it effectively. However, other types of projects, such as packaging and product testing, which are typically commissioned, require face-to-face.

The full article can be found here.

Tuesday, July 28, 2020 - 14:15