A Consumer Data Collection Report On Cuba

HAVANA FIELDWORLD INC. (HFW) in Cuba is INTERNATIONAL FIELDWORLD INC.’s (IFW) new division, which has been in planning for over 20 years. Given the opening of the Cuban business frontiers via the efforts of the Obama administration, and holding one of only 12 allowed professional permits in Cuba, the doors have been unlocked for conducting consumer research projects throughout Cuba. With IFW’s 30+ years of experience in fieldwork operations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, we are uniquely qualified to help marketers begin the process of understanding the Cuban consumer. Over the years, New American Dimensions (NAD) has collaborated with IFW on many research projects.

Our team recently took the opportunity to travel to Cuba to get to know the Cuban people better and understand their beliefs, customs and norms as they are today, 50+ years after the revolution and the embargo. This initiative allowed us to develop better ways to navigate the logistical aspects and most appropriate methodologies, to be used when working with this population, which has basically never been exposed to consumer research.

Going to the movies; 1952 convertible; 1953 Ford with Mercedes Benz engine; Remodeled Building in old Havana.

During the recent trip, we learned much and gained a good understanding of the lay of the land when it comes to interviewing the Cuban population today. We obtained a close-up view into how the Cuban people live. The HFW team had the privilege of walking among and talking to the people, and taking pictures of the Cuba to which many outsiders are not privy. We also talked to community insiders and some local elders, as well as young adults. Many were millennials, an important population group from the marketing perspective, which was born and raised after the revolution. These were common people, not government representatives or members of the CDR (Committees for the Defense of the Revolution).

We also spent a great deal of time with our field supervisors and interviewers, who live in the various communities (barrios). They openly shared their knowledge as to how the community operates, and what can and cannot be done in their neighborhoods and residential areas. We found the people happy to talk about their lives and to learn more about the U.S. but often with a quick look over their shoulders to see who was watching.

We roamed the streets and observed the people in their daily routines, which allowed us to gain an even greater appreciation of the culture. There is so much to learn from the Cuban people. In many ways, from a marketing perspective, Cuba is virgin territory. Cuba remains one of the most exciting and unexplored places for consumer marketing research. The Cubans’ creativity, resiliency and determination set them apart in many ways from most other Latin American peoples. Having worked on numerous research projects, throughout the US, the Caribbean and Latin America, we truly appreciate how Cuba is a rich opportunity waiting to be rediscovered from a marketing perspective.
At the moment, its collective knowledge regarding brands and products is unknown and awaiting discovery. These queries and conversations among Cubans throughout the island already have brought us several important insights. We found that, in spite of the embargo, there is some degree of brand awareness of U.S. products at least in several key categories; brands first to enter the market will very likely establish, at least initially, a significant lead in brand equity and loyalty. Additionally, because they have been exposed to almost no product advertising, initial messaging should clearly state product benefits with a significant focus on being informative. Initially, you will catch their attention to a great degree just because you are talking to them.

DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY LOGISTICS

Over the past two decades, face to face (door to door) data collection has practically disappeared in the US. The majority of data collection is now done online, via telephone and mobile devices, and in malls. The recruiting for focus groups is happening predominantly online and through social media. In Cuba, there are practically no such malls, and online access and telephone availability is extremely limited. There is less than 40% landline penetration, and only 5% further into the country. Internet connection in Cuba is approximately 27%, but it is typically only available in hotels in Havana and some open parks areas.

With 2 CUCs (Cuban Convertible Peso), the equivalent of $1.00 US, you can connect to the Internet and get access to YouTube, Google, etc. There are only two to three places considered “malls” in Havana. There is roughly 50% unemployment/underemployment, (this is based on what the people told us, not the government statistics which site an unemployment rate of 2.5%) and people survive with what they can muster and/or find. Families often live together and it is common to find 3-4 generations living in the same house. The streets of Cuba are filled with people all of the time. The neighborhoods are always busy, illustrating a lively public lifestyle, with people of all ages coming and going.

Our field observation and 30 years+ of experience in data collection all over the islands in the Caribbean brought us to the conclusion that the most logical and practical data collection methodology in Cuba is neighborhood/face to face/intercept. This method allows us to collect data from all different demographics, and different levels/classes of respondents.

An intercept methodology will also allow us, as researchers, to access the people’s uncensored and unfiltered knowledge. This information can be transformed by interested companies into a benchmark of the Cuban people’s current state with regard to brand awareness measures and across several product categories.

HFW has recruited and trained interviewing staff from neighborhoods all over the city of Havana and in several other major towns and communities. Their access and knowledge of the neighborhoods are indispensable in successfully collecting data within their own communities. This system allows the data collection to occur without major interruptions from Cuban authorities.

ELECTRONIC DATA COLLECTION VS P&P (Tablets/PDA vs Pencil & Paper)

The best data collection method in Cuba right now is paper and pencil until we can establish some trust and confidence in the responding community, and the normalizations of relations progresses further. Electronic devices, at the present time, may still create a bit of distrust or suspicion among the people, especially the older generation. Small tablets or PDAs can be used on short interviews (10 minutes or less) while paper and pencil interviews should be no longer than 17 to 20 minutes.

DATA ENTRY VS ELECTRONIC DATA COLLECTION (Tablets/PDA)

Small tablets or PDAs could be used to emulate kiosk style data collection. The data can be downloaded on a daily basis and then uploaded into ASCII file or Excel format. Paper and pencil, even though currently easier to use in field, may represent a different dilemma. The issue is the risk of trying to take data out of the country. The collected data is irrelevant to the government, but the customs process makes it significantly harder to get the physical questionnaires out of the country. Therefore, the solution is for all data entry to be done in the country through the use of scanning devices. This way, hard copies can be safely sent electronically to the client.

QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN

Questionnaires must be carefully designed, taking into consideration that you are dealing with a community that has endured 50 plus years of political monitoring, and to a great degree isolation. The practice of consumer research is not familiar to the Cuban communities; questions must be formulated with great caution. Therefore, it is critical that government/political related questions must be avoided so respondents feel comfortable in participating.

CONCLUSION

As we begin to explore the attitudes, opinions and knowledge of the Cuban consumers, researchers need to be mindful about the ways they approach respondents and the kinds of questions they invite them to answer. Based on our experience, we have concluded that a direct door-to-door methodology will not be the best way to conduct interviews at this point. Currently the best methodological approach for interviewing the Cuban people is intercept. This system will allow data to be collected from different demographics and classes. Our process can assess the Cuban people’s brand/product knowledge and help to build a benchmark database for companies hoping to succeed in Cuba. This method also will facilitate the gradual increase in trust, participation, and confidence of the Cuban respondent and improve the reliability and validity of the data collected.

INTERNATIONAL FIELDWORLD INC. (IFW) HAVANA FIELDWORLD INC is a consumer data collection company based in Miami, Florida. The company was founded and led by Morvin Isidora, who has over 30 years of experience in the art of consumer data collection. The IFW team are experts in the logistical aspects of data collection and support many consumer marketing research firms across the Caribbean, Latin America and the US. They handle all aspects of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including intercept and face to face interviewing, as well as the setup, recruiting and moderating of focus groups and in-depth interviews (IDIs).

New American Dimensions (NAD); Independent and certified minority owned Founders: David Morse CEO and Julio Arreaga COO in 2003

Research Management: Raul Lopez – Chief Research Officer – Miami Office

Goal: To elevate corporate America’s ideas and notions about multicultural consumers. Approach: Employ innovative research and analytical methods to capture how multicultural groups think, feel, and make decisions about purchasing, brands, communications, and marketing and use this to direct multicultural marketing and business strategies.

Your Editor Opines: David, Julio and Raul are on the right track. And their work in multicultural marketing speaks highly for them. Their challenge now is also high.