Market research in Poland in the time of the pandemic
Recently, we wrote about online market research in Poland at the time of the pandemic. We discussed there the limitations posed by the current situation, but also some chances that have come up. Yet, in some cases, the benefits of face-to-face research far outweigh the ones offered by online research. There are some sectors, topics, types of respondents that surely require personal contact between moderator and respondent. At the same time, the situation is truly dynamic. Every week we encounter new reality for conducting effective market research. Even though some countries have started relaxing their restrictions, it is still not sure when and how we can come back to realizing face-to-face research in Poland again.
Face-to-face research in Poland – is it possible now?
Depending on the country and how hard it was affected by the pandemic, the situation might differ. Thus, thorough knowledge and proper understanding of the local market is crucial when deciding on the methodology.
There are two key factors determining the possibility to conduct face-to-face research in Poland nowadays: legal restrictions and potential respondents’ attitudes.
Legal restrictions
According to Julia Szkudlarek, attorney-at-law, it is possible, and legal, to carry out face-to-face market research these days. According to the current law, market research activity has not been limited as it happened in the case of catering industry. Moreover, there are actually no limits as regards the number of people who can gather during that type of meeting. This would mean that not only one-on-one research but also small focus groups are allowed as well. However, it is still necessary to keep all the hygienic and safety measures. Considering the currently applicable regulations, respondents and researchers should comply with the obligation to cover their mouths and noses and keep the distance of 1.5 meters from one another, if possible.
All the current restrictions might be found on the official website of the Republic of Poland.
Respondents’ attitudes
Even though the restrictions have been relaxed recently, this might take some time until people are open to face-to-face research meetings. This would also vary depending on the target group. Patients and doctors, being frequent targets in medical and healthcare market research, might be either too afraid of the risk of infection or simply – too busy. Also parents of school children – since schools remain closed, parents frequently need to stay at home to take care of their children or help them organize homeschooling these days.
Recruitment issues
The current health crisis has impacted recruitment processes as well. Most of all, it frequently occurs that screening criteria met by the respondents a month ago are no longer true. For instance, many people have lost their jobs, their income has decreased, their everyday routine has changed. All of these might impact their eligibility for particular projects they applied for.
To avoid such situations, we do our best to update our databases on a regular basis. We also confirm the screening criteria before the interviews begin and react, when it is necessary to find a replacement. Proactiveness, responsiveness, and short response time are the keys to success!
All in all, things are slowly getting back to normal. From Monday, May 18, we are able to use the services of a hairdresser and beautician, as well as go to restaurants and cafes. Probably, schools and kindergartens will also open soon. This means there is a chance that our world, including our market research world, is coming back to normal. As long as we obey the rules and stick to the hygiene measures, hopefully, we would be able to conduct face-to-face research again soon.
