US and Switzerland Most Expensive for MR

The US and Switzerland are the two most expensive countries in which to conduct market research, while Pakistan remains the cheapest, according to the results of the latest ESOMAR Global Prices study.

ESOMAR conducted the fieldwork between April and June among 633 agencies across 106 countries, and found that the eleven countries which were the most expensive in the last study, in 2010, are still the most expensive in 2012.

Canada is the third most expensive place in which to conduct research, while France dropped from third place to ninth, and the Netherlands fell from seventh to tenth position.

Additionally, the study found that costs for CLT (central location testing) have increased by around 20% during the last two months, with prices for CATI increasing by 10%. Face-to-face is the most expensive methodology, often twice as expensive as online, with CATI falling between the two. In the five markets with the largest volume of spend - the US, UK, Germany, France and Japan - the price of online research fell, even before allowing for inflation.

While more agencies continue to submit bids for face-to-face and CATI than online, this gap is narrowing, but ESOMAR predicts that if these current trends continue, by 2014, there will be as many vendors of online research as of the other methodologies.

Finn Raben (pictured), ESOMAR Director General notes: 'In response to criticisms about the quality of online samples, many researchers have dedicated a lot of time and money to addressing these concerns; however, prices continue to fall, and the number of agencies offering online is increasing. The question is: Will then these downward price trends threaten the work being done and the costs being incurred to establish and maintain higher standards?'

Web site: www.esomar.org .