Before advertising concepts reach focus groups—or the public—they are often tested through surveys and questionnaires. On the surface, this can look straightforward: ask a few questions, gather responses, draw conclusions.
In practice, poorly designed surveys can mislead more than they inform. Ambiguous questions, hidden assumptions, and cultural blind spots can skew results, giving teams false confidence or pushing them in the wrong direction.
For international campaigns, the complexity increases. Questions that work well in one market may confuse, bias, or alienate respondents in another.
Good survey writing is deceptively difficult. Every word carries weight.
Questions need to be:
When surveys are prepared for overseas markets, additional risks emerge:
If these issues aren’t addressed upfront, focus group discussions can end up exploring flawed assumptions rather than genuine insight.
The work focused on building clarity before testing began.
Worked closely with clients to understand the purpose of each concept and what decisions the research needed to support
Designed surveys that tested understanding, emotional response, and relevance—without steering answers
Carefully reviewed question wording to remove bias, ambiguity, and unnecessary complexity
Adapted surveys for international markets, accounting for linguistic, cultural, and behavioural differences
Collaborated with local specialists to ensure questions felt natural and appropriate in each language
Aligned survey outputs with focus group objectives, ensuring continuity between quantitative and qualitative research
The emphasis throughout was on precision, neutrality, and cultural awareness.
Surveys began producing clearer, more actionable insight. Rather than debating the validity of the data, teams could focus on what the findings meant for their advertising concepts.
Focus groups became more productive, grounded in shared understanding rather than confusion or rework. Creative decisions were informed by insight that reflected real audience responses, not distorted signals.
Research doesn’t fail because people don’t respond—it fails when the questions aren’t doing their job.
Careful survey design isn’t a formality; it’s a form of risk management. When questions are clear, culturally attuned, and well-sequenced, insight becomes something teams can trust.