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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How many employees does JMRN have?
Presently, JMRN maintains a core staff of 8 full-time employees organized into Project Management and Project Coordination teams -- each with specialties and responsibilities that not only complement each other, but actually create an entity that is stronger than the individual sum of its parts.  JMRN president Debbie Howard and managing director Bob Deter are native-born U.S. citizens with more than two decades apiece of market research experience in Japan.  The remaining core staff members are bilingual and bicultural Japanese, American, Latin-American and British researchers.  A partial listing of JMRN Project Management and Project Coordination team members can be found on the Key Staff Profiles page of our website.

Do you subcontract your fieldwork to other companies?
No.  JMRN utilizes its own extended network of recruiters, interviewers, fieldwork specialists, moderators, translators and simultaneous interpreters on an "assignment" basis.  All of our network members have been trained to perform their responsibilities in accordance with JMRN's own uncompromising procedures and standards, and each takes great pride in being associated with JMRN.  By creating this network, JMRN has the ability to assign the strongest capabilities of its individual network members to a specific project while controlling operational overheads -- which we believe provides superior team performance at reasonable costs for our clients.

Is JMRN affiliated with any of the large communications service conglomerates, such as WPP or Omnicom?
No.  JMRN is a fully independent market research company.  In fact, we believe the current trend by large multinationals is to move away from utilizing the communications service conglomerates and back toward the more personalized and specialized services offered by smaller independents -- be they market research companies, advertising agencies, PR firms, etc.  We've considered offers of acquisition in the past, but ultimately we have decided to continue on our course of independence and thus retain the ability to provide fully confidential, customer-centric and cost-effective qualitative market research services to all our clients.

Is JMRN large enough to fulfill the ongoing research requirements of larger corporations and multinationals?
It's the age-old question, "Does size really matter?"  Well, in this case, the answer is "Yes, it does...and we believe that smaller is better!"  This is especially true when it comes to interacting with clients on a personal level, putting faces together with names, and treating each as individuals with unique requirements rather than just an account number.  In fact, most of our clients are large multinationals that find this "personalized service" concept refreshing.
Generally speaking, while we still have room for growth, we believe that it is necessary to control our natural urge to grow quickly so that we can continue to provide a superior level of confidential, customer-centric and cost-effective market research services to our clients.  We also believe that by maintaining an independent, friendly and highly communicative working environment, we continue to attract the best and the brightest Japanese staff members.
So, what does our being "small" mean to you?  Quite simply, it means that when we take on your project, you get the attention of the entire JMRN team – with each team member dedicated to providing you with the best possible market research services available in Japan and, most importantly, a real desire to see our clients succeed in the Japanese market.

Who are your clients?
Quite honestly, our portfolio of multinational clients is impressive.  We previously listed many of our clients on our website, but after 20 years in business we no longer feel it is necessary to try and "impress" anyone -- our reputation as Japan's leading qualitative market research supplier has been firmly established through repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations.  Moreover, more and more of our clients are requesting confidentiality in Asia's extremely competitive market environment.  However, if you have a bona fide project and decide to commission it with JMRN, we would be pleased to provide you with a relevant reference at the appropriate time.

Do you offer any market entry support services other than market research?  For example, can you help us set up an office, prepare advertising and PR, or act as our importer or agent?
No.  JMRN specializes only in qualitative market research.  However, we often introduce our clients to other local resources who can assist them with their specific requirements.  In fact, after more than 20 years in the game, we can usually introduce our clients to less visible local businesses resources that, like JMRN, can offer excellent value for money in the services they provide.

How do you handle RFQs?
We try to respond to every RFQ (request for quotation) in a comprehensive and timely manner.  However, we receive dozens of RFQs every week (some requiring very detailed methodology design or pricing for multiple methodology options), so it is not always possible to do so.  Consequently, we need to prioritize our responses.
RFQs received from active clients or clients who have commissioned projects with JMRN in the past receive our highest priority for response, since these clients are already both familiar and satisfied with JMRN's capabilities and service levels.  Additionally, providing a priority response to active clients is consistent with achieving ongoing client satisfaction with our services.  We also place high priority on RFQs received from primary client candidates (i.e., international marketing departments of multinationals) who will commission projects directly with JMRN rather than through another research supplier.
Broadcast RFQs (those with email recipient names hidden) receive lower priority.  We have found that the vast majority of broadcast RFQs originate from unqualified sources that are simply shopping for the cheapest price rather than the best local supplier.
Regardless, if you have a bona fide project and a sincere interest in exploring JMRN's experience and capabilities in Japan and other select Asian markets, the best way to engage us is to send us your RFQ and arrange for a time for us to discuss your requirements by telephone.  That way, we can assess the feasibility of your research project as it specifically applies to Japan, consult with you on the most practical and cost-effective methodology to employ, and offer creative suggestions toward achieving your research objectives at the most economical cost.  That's how we have developed our strongest working relationships with our clients.

JMRN claims to provide its clients with "excellent value for money."  How do you do that?
As previously mentioned, our operational architecture based on our in-house network allows us to provide the most talented market research specialists in Japan to our clients at very competitive prices.  However, JMRN has no desire to be known as the "Wal-Mart" of market research in Japan.  Our doctrine is simply to be the best supplier of qualitative market research, and after 20 years in business, we know how to design and conduct qualitative research in Japan the only way it should be done -- the right way.  We also understand that Japan is an expensive environment in which to do business.  We know that strategic decisions based on findings from poorly designed and executed research almost always lead to misinformed decisions and operational mistakes that delay your success and cost you money later on.  That's why we do only one thing: qualitative market research. And, we're committed to doing it the right way -- even if "the right way" is a little more expensive.  In short, JMRN offers excellent value in the market research services it provides, and our clients agree!