A systematic investigation to find and establish facts. That is how we define research at CNMI. We do not rely on instincts, gut feelings, or educated guesses. When our clients ask us to gather information in China, whether it is for the purpose of market or consumer research, we adhere strongly to our established research methods. The main difference with traditional market research elsewhere in the world that we at CNMI employ, is the interpretation of data after analysis. Numbers and figures are only one part of the equation here in China; it is important to put this information into context and understand what it means for you. A famous cliché about doing business in China is that a Chinese "no" can also mean "yes". When, and why?

Whatever your project in China may be, CNMI can be your one-stop research partner. Email us directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or use the contact form, and we will get back to you with a detailed proposal that covers your requirements.

Market Research
Our market research projects are based largely on the direct collection, verification, and analysis of data from our many sources throughout China. We have access to various paid subscription databases and gather information directly from sources in Shanghai, Beijing, and on a local level where required. The subsequent interpretation and presentation of said data is what makes our reports relevant to you. More importantly, we employ IT solutions that support our research in the shape of our integrated Industry Expert Database (IEDB) and Knowledge Database (KDB). The IEDB is the digital front to our comprehensive network of industry experts in China. These experts are called in on a project basis, ensuring current industry expertise is always involved. 

The KDB provides a framework that integrates in-house knowledge and prior research results with our current and ongoing projects, as well as knowledge brought in through the IEDB. As such, all data is preserved and maintained internally to be called upon when other projects require it.

Quantitative data analysis is an important element in our market research (ie. movements and correlations in statistics), although the backbone lies in the qualitative aspect. We primarily aim to help you understand why something happens, and how that implicates your business. We try to go beyond a simple display of what happens.

Consumer Research
Our activities in consumer marketing research are supported by much larger elements of primary research. Generally, we will design a vehicle for data-collection such as a questionnaire to be distributed to our trusted partners who will engage in the field work. When the results get back to us, we test and analyze the data using in-house developed software as well as PASW (SPSS) for quantative analysis.

In addition to secondary 'background' data and survey results, a third element is included in all of our consumer research: objective observation. We include this method of first-hand data collection in order to verify incoming data from other sources, as well as to correct for bias. Examples of bias that may otherwise affect our research are Social Desirability bias (the respondent of a survey answering questions in a way that they consider socially desirable) or Acquiescence (the tendency to agree with all questions). By employing objective observation we try to make sense of respondent answers that might cloud our research. For example, in the pizza case in southern China, a survey led to the conclusion that pizza was a very popular food there. However, simple observation over a length of time would have informed the entrepreneur in this case that there was, in fact, no demand for pizza.

The CNMI Industry Expert Database (IEDB) and Knowledge Database (KDB) are called upon in all but the most straightforward projects.

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