Researching Consumers in LATAM, Southeast Asia, and MENA

Where the Growth Is

While Western markets mature, the majority of global consumption growth over the next decade will come from emerging economies across Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Young, mobile-first, digitally native populations are leapfrogging legacy behaviors — going straight to social commerce, digital wallets, and app-first services. Understanding these consumers is no longer optional for global brands.

Why Emerging Market Research Is Different

• Mobile-Only Populations: In many markets, the smartphone is the only internet device — surveys must be designed mobile-first or they miss entire segments.
• Cash and Informal Economies: Reported income and spending patterns need careful calibration against local economic realities.
• Language and Translation Depth: Direct translation destroys meaning; dialect, register, and cultural framing require native review.
• Panels Have Gaps: Online panel coverage skews urban and affluent — blending sources and CATI often becomes essential for representative data.

The Opportunity for Research Partners

Global brands increasingly need partners who can execute rigorous fieldwork across multiple emerging markets simultaneously — consistent methodology, local cultural fluency, and honest feasibility assessments. Datnal's experience running CAWI and CATI studies across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond positions us exactly where demand is heading.

Getting Started

Begin with a market prioritization study, invest in locally adapted screening rather than recycled Western questionnaires, and budget realistically for incidence rates in niche audiences. The brands that research emerging markets properly — with local partners and market-specific design — consistently out-execute those that copy-paste their home-market playbook.