The Company Background
An international tobacco company leading the shift toward reduced-risk products, the brand continually studies smoker behavior and brand perception to inform product innovation. With a presence in both emerging and developed markets, the client relies on localized research to guide product and communication strategies.
The Brief
The study required 12 focus groups across 3 countries, with 5–6 participants in each session. Participants included both users of the client’s products and competitive brands. Recruitment had to be finalized in 5 days, with fieldwork to be executed in just 2 days per country. The company, together with its Market Research Agency partner, commissioned Q2Q Global to handle the operational execution of the project.
The Solution
This study exemplified Q2Q Global’s unique ability to handle culturally sensitive, highly regulated research with both agility and respect. Leveraging its extensive experience in the tobacco category, Q2Q activated trusted snowball sampling networks across three diverse markets, carefully balancing representation between loyal users and consumers of competitive brands. Every step—from recruitment to moderation—was guided by a nuanced understanding of local customs, regulatory restrictions, and consumer attitudes toward tobacco use. Local moderators, fluent in both language and social context, created judgment-free environments that encouraged honest dialogue. The discussion guides were tailored in-market to reflect relevant cultural cues and respondent sensitivities, a reflection of Q2Q’s philosophy to walk in the customer’s shoes and adapt with care. Fieldwork was executed seamlessly within two days per country, and topline insights were delivered just 48 hours later—giving the client near-instant feedback from three regions. The final integrated report, complete with English-translated recordings, was delivered within 8 days, supporting strategic brand and communication decisions in fast-evolving markets. True to its mission, Q2Q brought empathy, rigor, and global coordination to a complex, insight-rich project.