International Consumer Product Testing Across Cultures and Countries: Poland

Marketing and product research are new phenomena in Poland. Until 1990, the country had a centrally planned economy and there were few choices in each category of consumable goods. The change in the economic and political system spurred fast economic growth. Many multi-national companies moved quickly into the Polish market. Polish consumers enjoy a living standard among the highest of the former Eastern-block countries. On May 1, 2004, Poland joined the EU and became part of the EU commonmarket. Prior to the accession, Poland had to implement all necessary political, judiciary, and economical reforms to be able to cope with market forces within the Union. Polish consumers have many similarities to those in the market economies, but there are some cultural differences that may affect research results. For example, many older Poles (55+) have not adapted to the new language of the market and may not be reliable respondents. The response rates to self-administered questionnaires have been rising; however, face-to-face contact is more effective. Marketing research is well developed in Poland. Most of the major western market research firms have offices in Poland (especially in Warsaw, the country capital). Many independent local market research firms also exist.