The basis for professional market research in Europe conducted by our experienced senior consultants is our years of expertise in successful business development and our constant close contact with our clients. Based on this extensive experience, we can quickly identify the strategically important points in the cooperation between Chinese and German companies – and find the most effective ways and means of obtaining relevant information.
On the one hand, we use publicly accessible European information channels and, on the other, we build on our partnerships with established, professionally operating data analysis institutes in various European countries. This enables us to guarantee the particular accuracy and reliability of our market research reports and the topicality of the data used. Chinese and European companies thus receive their information first-hand, as the long-standing focus of our work is on European companies with a Chinese background.
Freely accessible sources as well as political reports
The Statistical Office of the European Union and other government agencies regularly publish information and development plans for various industries. However, these reports are often not usable for Chinese companies as they are only available in the local language. With our extensive experience in market research, we can leverage our regional language skills to provide deeper insights into the official data of European countries. This allows companies to get all the relevant information they need in the shortest possible time.
Law firms
When companies enter the European market, regulatory compliance and meeting relevant prerequisites are among the most important issues to consider. Therefore, these issues have the highest priority when evaluating the location. Here, it is first necessary to clarify which qualification requirements companies must fulfill in order to gain a foothold in the European market. A corporate strategy can then be developed based on this. So as soon as CLEVANA receives the order for a joint project, our agenda includes communicating with law firms that have relevant industry experience. Ideally, we are in contact with several law firms to make comparisons and understand which aspects are necessary and in which areas some flexibility is possible.
Leading global databases for industry analysis
The reliability and timeliness of CLEVANA’s industry expertise are complemented by data analysis reports from leading global industry databases such as IBIS World, Statista, IHS Markit, and others.
Industry associations, national and European societies
Local sector and industry associations and structural and investment funds are also good sources of information in Europe that we can access for our customers and clients. Since industry associations, as representatives of specific sectors, often influence political decisions, we are certain that the information we use comes directly from first-hand sources, i.e. from the respective companies themselves.
Interviews with national or regional target groups and industry experts
Once basic market research has been completed and the relevant consumer profiles have been identified, we optionally – for more in-depth data and further insights – conduct interviews with representatives of key consumer groups or with local industry experts. These more detailed analysis tools provide us with a valid way to evaluate the market research results and support the data.
Local third-party providers: Databases in Europe
Of more in-demand product categories, there is usually a wealth of data available from data collection and analysis agencies in Europe. CLEVANA makes extensive use of these reliable data sources from market research agencies, validates its own reports with them, and ensures that the data is up-to-date.
For trend reports and market studies, we also support our clients in the implementation of customer surveys. Here, we select between a thousand and several thousand residents aged 18-74 and survey them online or offline. We can segment the respondents by, for example, gender, age, region, size of residence, household size, or level of education so that the survey results are representative with regard to European consumer markets.
How we use market research results:
- We provide our partners with results-oriented and practical research reports containing all data relevant to market entry in Europe.
- We ensure close cooperation and transparent communication with our customers throughout the entire course of the project.
- After sharing our reports and findings with our clients, we optionally add to them, refine the data, and further tailor our recommendations to meet our client’s needs.
- For comprehensive research projects, we provide our market research results in written form and in several steps.
- In the course of the research, we continuously optimize the methodology and adapt it to changing signs and conditions.
Case Studies: successfully realized market research projects by CLEVANA
Case study No. 1
Client: China Electric Vehicle OEM (listed company), Area: Industry / new energies
Research content: strategic consulting of the Chinese company before entering the European market
Focus: In this project, CLEVANA analyzed European products and brands, their brand image, the selection of the order of market entry in Europe, and aspects such as product planning, sales and segment planning, and the European business model for distribution.
Case study No. 2
Client: Chinese manufacturer of charging station equipment (listed company), sector: industry / new energies
Research content: Analysis of the current European market situation and definition of the first steps of the company’s market entry.
Focus: understanding the current situation of charging station infrastructure in Europe, comparing the cost of electricity in different countries, summarizing the European charging station business model by product, and potential installation volume in the European charging station market.
Case study No. 3
Client: Chinese manufacturer of medical devices (Class III products), Area: Industry / Medical Devices
Research content: In cooperation with a European consulting company mainly active in the medical sector, we examined the extent to which a transfer of Chinese value chains for medical devices to the respective European markets is possible.
Focus: Using the German, Italian, and French markets as examples, the supply chain was analyzed to determine whether it is feasible to relocate various production stages to Europe and what impact this will have on product quality.
Case study No. 4
Client: Financial leasing project in Europe, Area: Industrial/new energies
Research content: The aim was to verify whether companies with a Chinese background could do financial leasing business in Europe and which country would be suitable for market entry.
Focus: The initial aim was to gain an understanding of how brand entry can succeed and what requirements are placed on the finance leasing business model in the three core European countries (Germany, Italy, and Spain). The analysis also focused on the structures and business models of the leading finance leasing companies in the respective markets. In addition, we surveyed the market capacity and the current state of development of the industry in the respective country.