On May 14^th, Synovate CEO Adrian Chedore spoke to 200 brand and market researchers in Kenya about beating the economic downturn with smarter and more innovative insights.

Kenya and other developing markets, he argued, need and deserve the latest in research thinking and technology. Excerpts from his speech:

• "Some people will tell you that it's not worth the effort to build simulators in markets such as Kenya. The demand for such sophisticated analysis isn't there. A simple test will do. I disagree. The main cost of the research relates to data collection. Building a model adds relatively little cost, but enormously enhances value. And that formula is just as true in Kenya as it is in the US, UK or anywhere else."


• "If you are already conducting a brand tracker, the cost of adding satisfaction or relationship measures needn't be high. The same applies if you're already conducting a satisfaction monitor. You can add questions on brand. Again people will argue that it isn't necessary to conduct such comprehensive research in markets like Kenya. Again I disagree. It certainly requires additional planning and considerable discipline to remove unnecessary questions. But just because interviewer costs are lower than in some parts of the world doesn’t mean we should be wasteful.


• "Community panels are the fastest growing sector of market research. They contribute directly to a client's thinking. They are a sounding board for new ideas. Then can even play a direct role in the creation of new products or services. Many would argue that Kenya is not ready for such research. Well you know my answer to that by now. I disagree."

Read full speech  I  Synovate in Africa