Summary
Western retailers find alignment with consumers in Greater China challenging. Managers struggle to understand local retail values, especially where quantitative marketing research obfuscates meanings behind overly simplified constructs – lacking richness that is key to alignment. As researchers embedded in a distant indigenous culture, we use an interpretive research design, drawing on longitudinal data collected over a six-year period, to reveal multiple lenses of local realities, giving a perspective on international retailers’ misalignment. The multi- method approach integrates ethnography, interviews, participant observations, videography and extended data in podcasts. We show how everyday products can be purely functional (global) at one time but embedded with symbolic meaning (local) at another, thereby confounding international retailers and researchers. Managers and researchers tend to reduce the legitimacy of meanings that differ from the values and beliefs of their existing (home/local) paradigm. We present a conceptual model that clarifies the marketing metaphor of ‘alignment’ for retailers targeting Far East Asian markets.

Summary
This report from ESOMAR's 2012 Congress in Atlanta includes a brief discussion of and links to some of the key papers presented at the event, together with a round-up of core themes. Topics addressed include big data, neuroscience, MR trends in emerging markets and family-based research. The report also lists winners of the awards for the best papers presented at Congress.

Summary
This paper is an examination of the relative impact of survey design, panel quality and cross-cultural behaviour on the accuracy of data when conducting international online survey research. It contains results of a research project, studying all three of these general influences on data quality using seven specific quality improvement techniques in 15 different countries. The paper concludes with general recommendations for factors to think about when conducting international cross-market research.

Summary
This paper discusses how Latin America's rapid development - of both the region's economy and its marketing industry - is impacting on market research. The authors also explore the opportunities, issues and practicalities of conducting research in the region, using interviews with clients and agencies. The paper also showcases the proprietary work Pepsico and MESH are jointly conducting on the Gatorade energy drink brand.

Summary
This paper outlines Heineken's development of a pop-up nightclub that was co-created with emerging designers from those of the same age group as the current generation of clubbers. Its "Open Design Explorations Edition 1: The Club" design project crowdsourced young designers from New York, Tokyo, Milan and Sao Paulo by inviting them to submit their portfolio via Heineken's Facebook page. Live portfolio presentation events in these cities resulted in the selection of 19 emerging product, graphic, fashion, interior and motion designers, who were coached by Heineken's senior design team and a selection of famous designers. The paper also outlines the final design of the nightclub as well as the implications of the project for market research and the impact on the brand.

Summary
This paper outlines how Coca-Cola changed its approach to consumer behaviour in order to deal with an increasingly complex global beverage market. It outlines how the company collects and analyses its consumer research data from over 100 countries, as well as providing advice on how to respond to pressures the market research industry faces from new entrants, methodologies and technologies. It also emphasises the importance of its "protocol custodian", who oversees the application of the newly designed global framework and ensures it remains locally relevant without compromising global comparability. The paper also provides recommendations for the research industry and examples of the type of analysis that is conducted by Coca-Cola each month.

Summary
In multinationals, the traditional structure of marketing has been a "hub-and-spoke" geographically-drawn approach. However, this paper argues that a number of recent trends, such as the rise of social media, have threatened the practicality of this traditional structure. It also provides recommendations on how multinationals can adapt their marketing and market research structure to account for these trends and assesses the potential role that research is likely to play in the current global environment.

Summary
Appreciating cultural sensitivities and market nuances is fundamental to uncovering great insights. This is especially true when trying to open up new territories. This article outlines the guideline or principles to follow in order to create the ideal research environment for insight gathering in developing markets.

Summary
Following the theme of "Contemporary challenges and future prospects of marketing research for earning a seat in decision maker and practitioner's perspective" at the Shaping the Future of Research in Marketing Economies conference, Steve Burgess recognises the complexity of emerging markets and what they can bring to the field of marketing research.

Summary
How B2B panels can successfully thrive in the international sphere of online research is explored in this paper. Texas Instruments is a B2B community panel that intends to maximise research among a relatively small target market. Case studies demonstrate the pros and cons of a B2B community panel as well as the considerations for doing research in multiple continents. Learnings about conducting community panels within South America are the focus, taking language, culture and technological aspects into account when designing and managing a community panel.