Researching the Northern Ireland market

In a special report for Business Ireland’s Autumn 2005 edition, Catherine Toner, Research Director of Millward Brown Ulster, comments on researching the Northern Ireland market.

It would be foolish to pretend that the divided community of Northern Ireland has decided to lay aside deeply-rooted mutual antipathy or that the baleful presence of the paramilitaries does not maintain an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.

Nevertheless, those who had not visited the towns and cities of Northern Ireland for the past 10 years would be pleasantly surprised at the evident improvement in shopping environments, leisure facilities, and hospitality provision. Much of this has been in response to healthy levels of disposable income thanks to a sustained fall in unemployment and low housing costs.

These encouraging indicators of prosperity do not belie the distinctive characteristics of the Northern Ireland consumer: somewhat conservative and deliberate; appreciating and responding to clear and honest brand propositions; and liking to feel that value-for-money has been delivered.

One of the most potent vehicles for getting insight is the Northern Ireland Omnibus which Millward Brown Ulster runs twice-monthly. Introduced as long ago as 1981, the Omnibus has provided a wealth of information on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, household goods and services, cars, holiday-taking, social attitudes, pharmaceuticals, shopping behaviour, leisure activities, media uptake, brand imagery, and advertising impact. Our Omnibus services are available either via face-to-face data collection or via telephone from our large and well equipped CATI centre in Belfast.

An interesting example lies in our Internet Monitor: thanks to the combined efforts of BT and the government, Northern Ireland is one of the first regions in Europe to be completely broadband-accessible and our regular monitor of home internet access has tracked the growth from 12% in 1999 to 45% in 2005, along with the underlying demographics and usage parameters.

Millward Brown is of course, a world-wide authority on branding and advertising, and the research products and philosophy which drive Millward Brown’s international ascendancy are very much at the heart of our services. In particular, we believe strongly in the brand concept as fundamental to the relationship which any company or organisation has with its customers. Expertly conducted qualitative research makes an invaluable contribution to the sensitive elucidation of brand image, and our highly-experienced executive team ensures that such perceptions are explored against a thorough understanding of the Northern Ireland social, cultural, and political context.

Whether your research interests lie in consumer or business markets, or are more concerned with social and cultural attitudes, we always welcome the opportunity to ensure that the views and opinions of our community, however divided it may be, are measured and assessed professionally and reliably.